Jake refilled both cups and smiled. “You do have a terrible sense of direction.”
“You’re a rat, but I can see it.”
“See what, old man?”
“She gets to you.”
Jake swallowed his drink in one gulp. Yep.
Grom’s shadow darted beyond, chasing a rabbit or a squirrel or a mouse. Jake felt an affinity to the dog. The past ten years had been filled with one exploit after another, never keeping him in one place for long.
But he couldn’t shake the feeling that kismet had just kicked him in the teeth, and her name was Molly Rose Simms.
* * *
Molly dried the dishes as Pearl washed. They soon had the kitchen in order.
“Jake will bed down in the shed,” Pearl said. “Ivan and I don’t live on a high horse, so I expect you’ll bed down there as well.”
“I—”
“Do you know how to avoid a child until the time is right?”
“Umm…” Molly shook her head, embarrassed, her voice clogged in her throat.
“Do you want to know?”
“I’m not sure.” Molly’s voice was barely more than a squeak.
“I can see the look in your eyes. When the hunger strikes, the mind stops working right.” Pearl patted her hand. “I believe women should be prepared for passion, since the stakes are so much higher for them.”
Molly couldn’t move, frozen in disbelief. Even her own mama had never been so frank with her.
Pearl guided her back to the table and gently pushed her into a chair to sit, then settled beside her. “What God made between a man and a woman is a wondrous thing. Have you lain with Jake yet?”
Molly shook her head at the speed of a woodpecker attacking fresh bark.
Pearl chuckled. “I know Jake. He won’t press you if you’re not ready. He’s a good sort. You can bank on that, so calm your nerves. The most important thing to remember is that when he joins with you, he can’t complete within you. If he does, there’s a chance you’ll get with child.”
Molly gulped. She wasn’t quite certain what Pearl meant but didn’t want to sound like a complete dolt by asking. Besides, she and Jake were nowhere near completing with each other. Were they?
“Jake and I haven’t known one another very long,” Molly murmured.
“Oh, sweet pea, that makes no difference.”
Molly’s head swam. She didn’t know which feeling was stronger—curiosity or worry. “Why do you say that?”
“It is said that soul’s reach across time and place.” The lines on Pearl’s face smoothed away as she appeared to shine with an inner light, her dark eyes reflecting a wisdom that Molly had sometimes seen in her Aunt Emma and Aunt Tess. “And when the time is right, they find one another. The pull between you and Jake is very strong.”
“Perhaps,” Molly conceded.
Pearl’s warmth beckoned Molly to crawl into the woman’s lap and embrace her as a granddaughter might a grandmother. Molly willed herself to stay seated, but she couldn’t stop her hand from seeking Pearl’s. The older woman’s palms encompassed Molly’s right hand. “Why does he feel so familiar to me?” she asked in a rush of longing.
“Your souls are sticky.”
A laugh escaped Molly. This certainly was one of the strangest conversations she’d ever had. Then, in a flash, a distant memory surfaced, and she gaped at Pearl.
“What is it?” Pearl asked.
“I’d forgotten it until now. When I was eleven, I spent the summer in Texas with relatives. I told you about my Aunt Em, about her abilities of knowing. One day, as I helped her bake bread, she asked if I would be interested in hearing about a vision that she’d recently had…about me. Of course I said yes.”
“What did she tell you?”
“She said she saw me running with an animal. She called it a coyote, but now I wonder…”
“In some places, coyotes are called jackals.”
Molly sat quietly then shook her head. “Is this all just nonsense and wishful thinking? Her vision could’ve meant anything.”
“What did your aunt say?”
Molly searched her mind for more snippets. “Well, it was something along the lines of how cunning coyotes can be, how they have a strong survival instinct.”
“That’s true of Jake. I think that’s why Ivan likes him. Kindred spirits and all that.”
A shiver ran through Molly. Kindred spirits.
“Aunt Em said that certain animal spirits can cling to us,” Molly said. “That maybe they chase us. I’ll admit it made me slightly afraid because I thought it meant I’d be chased down by a coyote at some point.”
“I think perhaps she saw the future. Some people can do that, but the clarity can be harder to come by.”
“Do you possess this skill?”
Pearl shook her head. “No, not really. I prefer to live in the moment. There is plenty to know in the here and now.”
Remembering another detail from the exchange with Aunt Emma, Molly frowned. “My aunt also said there was a letter in the vision. She couldn’t read the name written upon it, but there was a Hong Kong stamp with an additional marking that said Shanghai. She admitted at the time that she didn’t understand the significance of it.” Another shiver. “Jake told me he was a smuggler in China.”
Surprise lit Pearl’s face. “Was he?” She let out a hoot of laughter. “What a devil he is. If I were as young and beautiful as you, I’d try to steal him straightaway.”
Stunned, Molly was speechless.
Pearl clasped Molly’s hand. “Oh no, I’m just jesting. I wouldn’t trade my Ivan for anything.”
Molly hesitated. “No, it isn’t that. It’s just…I’m not beautiful. That stroke of fate befell my sister Evie. And…Jake isn’t mine to steal.”
“Molly Rose, I do believe you’re wrong on both counts.” Pearl’s voice was a quiet balm of reassurance. “Let me offer you a few more tips on alternative ways to couple without the risk of making a baby.”
As Molly listened, her unease soon gave way to shock and awe. She’d had no idea there were so many variations in relations. No wonder men visited women like Mabel. The depth of a fancy ladies’ knowledge must be staggering.
When Jake and Ivan entered the cabin, Molly nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Didn’t mean to scare you, child,” Ivan said then pinned his wife with an accusatory look. “What’ve you been tellin’ her?”
“Important stuff, that’s what.”
“Jake, that usually means trouble for us men.”
Jake grinned and Molly glanced away, afraid he might notice her ogling him, wondering what it would be like for the two of them to do any one of the activities that Pearl had mentioned.
“Time to turn in,” Ivan said. “You two try to stay warm out in the shed.”
Molly’s heart pounded, and a flush of heat engulfed her, starting at her head and spreading clear down to her toes. Her mind filled with all the ways she might please Jake, and how he might please her. She was much too unsettled to be alone with him, that was for certain. Good Lord, how did a woman manage such things?
“If it’s not too much of a bother, may I sleep in here?” Molly blurted. “I’m fine on the floor.”
Pearl appeared taken aback. “Of course. Are you certain?”
Molly nodded.
Pearl smiled up at Jake. “We’ll keep a good eye on her. Don’t you worry.”
A flash of disappointment clouded Jake’s eyes. “I’m not worried. I’ll bring her things inside.”
Ivan and Pearl moved to the corner of the cabin while Jake stepped out then returned with Molly’s saddle bag. She stood and took it from him.
He leaned close. “Will you be all right in here?”
“Yes,” she answered quickly.
“Well then, I’ll see you bright and early.”
To her surprise, he kissed her cheek then pressed his hat atop his head.
“Good night,” he added.
Sh
e met his eyes, looked away, then met his eyes again. “Good night.”
His departure left her both relieved and missing him at the same time. She busied herself laying a pallet on the floor near the cook stove. Ivan let Grom inside, and the dog plopped down beside her, his dust-covered body pushing against her shoulder.
Ivan chuckled. “He’ll keep you warm.”
He also made her sneeze. Through the haze of a runny nose, her mind wouldn’t stop replaying all the possible ways that Jake could keep her warm.
Good Lord, indeed.
Chapter Thirteen
Jake rose early and proceeded to get the horses and the mule ready. He didn’t like dawdling.
As he led the animals to the front of the cabin, Molly came onto the porch. She was dressed and cleaned up as well, her hair pulled severely from her face and tucked into a tight bun.
“Morning,” he said. “How did you sleep?”
“Fine.”
Fine, my ore bucket. The shadows under her eyes told him she’d had a restless night.
“Grom twitches in his sleep,” she added. Her gaze shifted to the horses. “We’re taking a lot with us for just being gone for the day.”
“I want to be prepared in case we can’t make it back by nightfall.”
A flash of panic pinched her face.
“Molly, you don’t have to go with me,” he reassured her although he hoped she would. She’d likely leave Creede in the next few weeks. He had precious little time to get to know her.
She watched him with an unreadable expression. “No. I’ll go.”
To hide his relief, he checked the cinch on Cinnamon. “We should head out as soon as we can.”
“I’d like to help Pearl with breakfast first.”
He gave a nod over his shoulder.
She disappeared inside, and Ivan took her place.
“I’ve got some time, so give me a chore or two,” Jake said.
Ivan stepped off the porch and clapped Jake on the back. “You take all the time you need in those hills. You’re gonna have to work at this one.”
He spoke of Molly. And he was right.
“Help me feed the pigs and chickens,” Ivan added, and Jake followed.
Breakfast was fried eggs, bacon, biscuits, and steaming hot coffee. Molly seemed to relax a bit more and chatted with Pearl about the birds in the area.
With full bellies, they moved to the tethered horses. Molly’s gaze became guarded once again as she donned a hat and tugged it low onto her forehead, then tightened the stampede strings. Today her eyes were contemplative pools of blue, and she reminded him of an untouchable Egyptian beauty.
Jake shook Ivan’s hand and gave Pearl a peck on the cheek. Molly hugged each of them in turn.
“See you soon,” Ivan said.
Jake and Molly mounted their horses.
Molly clasped Cinnamon’s reins in a gloved hand, her back rod-straight.
“Beware the coyotes,” Pearl said, waving.
Molly frowned but returned the gesture.
Jake held up a hand of farewell and turned Fernando to a trail that led farther into the back country.
They spent the morning climbing a pass, and once at the top, Jake halted to rest. The chill in the air had dissipated as sunlight warmed the earth. He rested a forearm on the pommel and swung his gaze to Molly, indulging himself, since she’d been behind him the past several hours.
“One of the best views in the world,” he said, glad they were finally alone.
“I imagine you’ve seen many amazing places.”
“True, but it’s nice to have someone to share it with.”
The corners of her mouth tugged upward. “Tell me the most extraordinary place you’ve ever witnessed in all your travels.”
He thought for a moment. “I’d have to say the Pyramids of Giza, just outside of Cairo. They’re immensely tall, and it’s hard to fathom how they were built. The stones are larger than any man. Did you know that the main pyramid was the tallest structure in the world until the Eiffel Tower in Paris was built?”
She shook her head. “Have you been to Paris?”
“Actually, no.”
“For the past three years, a woman in town has tutored me in French.”
“I’m impressed. I can’t imagine there’s much use of French in the Arizona desert.”
She shrugged. “That’s no excuse not to learn.”
“Maybe one day we might go to Paris together.”
Her forehead wrinkled with consternation. He searched for a reason as to why she was so grumpy, but her mood eluded him. “Or not,” he muttered under his breath and swung from the saddle.
Molly dismounted and stepped away, observing the scenery as he relieved the mule of its load and picketed all the animals in the only grassy patch to graze.
Jake dug out food wrapped in cheesecloth from his saddlebags and laid it out, then sat and stretched his legs. At this altitude, the terrain was a bit barren—dirt and rock and little vegetation. Jake watched from the corner of his vision as Molly came and settled near him but not too near. He could almost hear her ruminating over how close to position herself. She didn’t face him but perched with her torso at an angle, her gaze on the wide open space of Mother Nature.
He pulled a knife from his boot and cut off two chunks of cheese then held one out to her. She silently accepted the offering.
“You’ve been very quiet since our visit with Ivan and Pearl.” He leaned back on an elbow.
She nodded, threw him a half-hearted smile and took a rather large bite of cheese, then looked away.
“Have I done something to offend you?”
“No,” she answered quickly, a little too quickly. She shook her head for emphasis.
“You’re lying. Spit it out, Chigger.”
Her sapphire eyes snapped to his.
He chuckled. He couldn’t help it.
She shifted her gaze toward the wide valley where Creede and Jimtown lay and squinted. “Nobody calls me that but Robert.”
“You didn’t answer my question.” He broke off a hunk of bread that Pearl had provided and started popping pieces into this mouth.
“You haven’t offended me.”
“But…”
“But nothing. Do you always need to be coddled?”
He nearly choked on his food. When he could finally speak, he said, “No.” He laughed at her. “Somehow, we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot today.”
“You grin too much,” she admonished. “Did you know that?”
He spread his lips wider. “Is that what’s gotten under your skin?”
“No, of course not.” She crossed her legs under her skirt and leaned forward, a slender hand scratching the back of her neck as she rested elbows on her knees. “It’s just…well…” She cupped her chin in her hand and, just as swiftly, removed it, clearly agitated. “You kissed me, and…I think maybe you might think that there could be something…” She waved a hand between them. “That you might be expecting more, a lot more,” she lowered her voice for emphasis, “now that we’re alone out here in the middle of nowhere.”
“Why would I think that?”
“Ivan and Pearl certainly did.”
“Is that why you stayed in the house last night?”
“It was the proper thing to do.” Her voice rose in pitch.
“So now you’re worried because it’s just the two of us out here?”
“If you kiss me again, you’ll just be disappointed,” she blurted.
Jake sat up. The conversation was making his head spin. He needed to tread carefully, and he wasn’t certain in which direction the treading should take place. “I doubt that, but I won’t kiss you unless you ask. Deal?”
She watched him, and the look of fear in her gaze took him aback.
“Pearl told me what men want,” she said.
“Why would she do that?”
“I imagine she was trying to be helpful.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Wha
t exactly did she tell you?”
Molly’s face turned beet-red, and panic flashed in her eyes. “I really couldn’t repeat it.”
“Maybe if you told me, I could tell you if it was true.”
A nervous laugh escaped her, and she turned away from him. Then she took a steadying breath. “Oh, all right.” But she wouldn’t look at him. “She said the best way to avoid a baby was to avoid penetration, so it was best to offer aid with one’s hand, or perhaps one’s mouth. She said that if penetration did occur, then it was best to withdraw before completion. The woman would need to take charge of this because the man will be lost—his mind simply unable to work any longer. She described various positions that can help either conceive a child or avoid one.” She paused to take a breath. “Would you like me to continue?”
Stunned, Jake didn’t know how to respond. He wasn’t sure what shocked him more—that Pearl had spoken so candidly about such matters or that Molly had had the courage to say it aloud to him.
Ivan, you lucky dog. No wonder he was never far from his wife.
He cleared his throat. “No.”
“I’m quite inexperienced in matters of this nature,” she continued, still avoiding eye contact, “and since I’m sure you’re…”
“I’m what, Molly?” he prodded gently.
“You’ve traveled the world.” She picked at something on her skirt. “You’ve probably known beautiful and exotic women who were quite skilled at such things. I just thought you should know that I’m not.”
She was far more captivating to him than any foreign paramour had ever been.
“I never once presumed you were.” He leaned close, his breath causing a strand of escaped hair to flutter against her neck. “As for women I’ve known, I can honestly say I’ve never met one like you.” He retreated to a safe distance before he did something dangerous, like nibble on her ear. He didn’t want to scare her off, and he sensed that she might take off running at any moment. “And as to what Pearl said…a woman can always choose what she desires to do. Or not. And I’m not picky.” He raised an eyebrow when she glanced at him. “I’d venture to say most men aren’t, except, apparently, Ivan.”
The Bluebird Page 12
