But this was no angel. His breath hitched as Maggie nervously pushed a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. This was a very real, extremely attractive woman.
Who, at this moment, was ducking into the woods. Wesley pushed open the screen door and hurried down the staircase. At the edge of the yard, he found the beginnings of a trail. He peeked through the tree limbs, watching Maggie as she moved deeper into the woods. When she had barely slipped out of his sight, he started down the trail.
Twenty minutes later, Wesley sat crouched beneath a hickory tree. He peered over a trench like a marine ready to storm the beachhead. In the clearing below sat a group of tents like the ones he’d visited today. A team of boys played in the distance while a handful of girls grouped together near the center of the camp. A painfully thin woman worked over a fired pot, the sounds of bubbling water cascading through the green leaves. Whoever these people are, Wesley figured they hadn’t been here more than a few days.
A twig broke behind him. Without thinking, he swept his leg out and felled whoever had snuck up on him. A fist flew at him, and he grabbed it, rolling over to pin the squirming creature beneath him. Only when he had subdued his prisoner did he notice the pair of jade green eyes shooting bullets at him.
He had found Maggie.
8
Maggie froze, her limbs tangled with Wesley’s masculine arms and legs. Growing up with a pack of boys, she’d had her fill of wrestling matches, even beaten a neighborhood boy a time or two. But nothing in her twenty-one years had ever prepared her for the warmth of Wesley’s breath against her cheek or the feel of his hard angles crushed against her soft curves. Like a magnet, she lifted her eyes to meet his, the silvery sparks framing against the midnight blue irises like firecrackers against a night sky. He seemed startled, then intrigued. Was he feeling the same emotions as she was? Or was this attraction she felt hers alone?
Her breath caught in her lungs when his gaze slid down to her mouth and settled there. She had never been truly kissed, not with five male cousins guarding her as if she were as valuable as Fort Knox. Instinct told her that if Wesley ever took the chance and kissed her, life would never be the same.
This is almost like flying. Whatever curiosity she might have about kissing Wesley Hicks was dashed by the thought. What was she thinking, when she had a job to do? She pushed at his shoulder. “Do you usually go around knocking people over?”
“I’m sorry.” Wesley rolled off to the side and sat up. “I didn’t know it was you.”
Maggie struggled get to her feet. “Who’d you think it was? Mussolini?”
Was that a ghost of a smile haunting his face? “Blame on being in the war.”
She’d never thought of that, but he had a point. Being near the front lines, watching the battle unfold would change a person’s perspective. Maggie brushed leaves from the seat of her pants. Her backside felt damp from the recent storm. “What are you doing out here in the first place?”
“Maybe I should be asking you that.” He stood and wiped his hand against his thighs. “What are you doing sneaking back here?
“I’m not sneaking. I saw Jimbo slip into the woods and decided to follow him.” Maggie glanced down at her hands. Red clay stained her fingertips. “I need to make sure he doesn’t get drunk and show up on Merrilee’s door later tonight.”
“And you thought you were going to stop him?” Wesley scoffed, sweeping his hand against the mud spackling the knees of his pants. “Are you nuts?”
Maybe she was crazy, but Merrilee had enough problems to handle without the test pilot adding to them. “I didn’t do such a bad job of handling Jimbo the other night.”
“I was there, remember?”
Yes, she remembered. How could she forget how handsome he looked, his hair ruffled? Her fingers had itched to smooth a stray strand from his forehead. She’d had to move to keep from acting on her impulse. What stayed with her the most was the way Wesley had fed Jimbo sips of coffee with no reprimands. It was a kindness she hadn’t expected.
Maggie glared at him. “I can’t have Jimbo causing problems at Merrilee’s.”
“You know how mean that man is.” His hands grasped her shoulders, causing goose bumps up and down her arms. “He’s twice as bad when he’s been drinking.”
She shook his hands away. “You’re telling me, he’s shown up at my aunt’s drunk before, and you didn’t do anything about it?”
“What was I supposed to do? Not let him out of the house?” Wesley stretched out to his full height, those eyes that had just moments ago made her shiver, now glaring at her in anger. “As much as I hate it, Jimbo isn’t breaking any laws.”
“You could have had him arrested for disturbing the peace.”
Wesley was quiet for a moment before he spoke. “Merrilee refused to call the police.”
She should have known that her aunt wasn’t in the dark about this. Merrilee had to know Uncle James would have a field day if he found out. “My aunt thinks too much with her heart sometimes.”
“One of the qualities I like about her.”
She glanced at Wesley. “Me, too. It just bothers me at times.”
“And there’s nothing that you do that worries her?”
Maggie sighed. She refused to let him bait her, not when he held all of her hopes and dreams in his hands. “Look. Why don’t we find Jimbo and make sure he’s okay?”
“Sounds like a good idea.” He pointed to an area beyond the ridge. “There’s a group of tents right over that hill. A couple of women were out doing the wash. Maybe they saw him.”
So much for keeping Aunt Merrilee’s secret. “Let’s go asked them.”
“There’s only four or five of them. Do you think they got lost?”
She looked at him. His face was a mask of such genuine concern, she couldn’t find it in her to be annoyed. But then, his protectiveness was aimed at her aunt, not her and she found that quite touching. With Wesley, Merrilee’s covert operation would remain a secret.
She nodded. “A few of the families wanted to be closer to the plant so Merrilee told them they could set up their tents here.”
“That was good of her.” His mouth lifted in a soft smile. A pang of envy shot through Maggie.
“Yes, well, Merrilee‘s a nice person,” she stammered. Of course, her aunt was a good woman, a great woman. No doubt in her mind about that.
She stole a glance at Wesley. What would it feel like to be on the receiving end of one of his smiles? Have this man look at her with such respect and admiration? Her stomach fluttered, and she grimaced. Those kinds of thoughts had no place floating around in her head. God had a plan for her and that would have to be enough.
Maggie took off toward the camp. “We’re burning daylight.”
“Now, wait a minute.” His fingers wrapped around her elbow and pulled her to a stop. “Do you think it’s such a good idea to stroll in there unannounced?”
“Why not? Merrilee met them yesterday. She seemed to think they were nice.”
Wesley seemed to struggle for words. “And loose lips sink ships.”
In all the fuss, she hadn’t thought about it from that point of view. There were people in this world who wouldn’t think twice about taking advantage of her aunt’s kind heart. Invading the woods close to the bomber plant would serve their own ill purposes.
Stars and stripes! Why hadn’t she asked more questions about the people Merrilee had already met? She stared off in the direction of the camp, the canvas tops barely in view. “I didn’t even think about the possibilities.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s not something I would have thought of a few years ago.”
“So, you’d rather err on the side of caution?” She glanced at him as they walked toward the campsite.
His soft chuckle caused most her concerns to melt away. “Come on. If Merrilee has met them, they can’t be too dangerous.”
When they reached the rim of the ravine, Wesley slid down to the outskirts of the campsite, then turni
ng. He held his hand to her. “Here.”
Maggie stared at his outstretched hand. Wesley wanted to help her. All the boys she had ever know had left her to slid down hills on her backside, leaving such courtesies at the movie house with Cary Grant or Jimmy Stewart. It seemed so perfectly romantic, there within the velvet-laden walls of the theatre.
But to have an attractive man--no, she corrected, this attractive man--holding out his hand to her, ready to help her was better than anything Hollywood could cook up. She slipped her hand into his, threading her fingers between his. A pleasant warmth spread through her as his other arm went around her waist.
“Take it easy. It’s slippery here,” he warned her.
Maggie took a careful step, her hand firmly in his. She let him lead her, though she knew every root and rock in this particular hill, indulging in a bit of make believe. Like the fizz of a soda squirting out of the soda fountain, she felt all bubbly inside.
Her foot slipped, the magic replaced by reality. She had an assignment to complete and so much to prove to her family and her friends. For some reason she couldn’t fathom, she added Wesley’s name to the list.
The minute her feet were planted on level ground, Maggie tugged her hand free. “Thank you.”
“Anytime, Ace,” Wesley released his grasp on her waist. “Anytime.”
Maggie didn’t have time to think about the tenderness she’d detected in his voice when she heard a loud greeting. “Hello!”
A band of girls not much younger than herself tripped up a recently marked path toward them, chattering like little magpies. She couldn’t make out what they were chirping about, but one look at their thread-bare dresses and scrawny arms and legs told her that Merrilee had been right. These people were starving and in desperate need.
“One at a time, ladies,” Wesley called out over the roar of girlish voices. “One at a time.”
The cackling stopped, replaced by the titter of youthful giggles. Wesley shot her a look of pure male satisfaction and smiled. So, he could turn the heads of some naïve teenagers. Good for him, though the hot coal in the pit of her stomach reminded her that she didn’t like it one bit. She glanced back at the girls. “Now, tell us. What is going on?”
“Someone broke into our camp this afternoon and stole most of our food,” the short brunette who was the obvious spokesperson for the group answered. “Our flour and meal, and all of the sugar.”
“Did anyone contact the police?” Wesley asked.
Maggie worried her lower lip. If Chief Hartley was called in about the robbery, how long would it be before Merilee’s secret was out, and the whole town knew about this tent camp? “If it just happened, they probably haven’t had time to contact the chief yet.”
“The police don’t have much to do with us anyway.” A tall blonde treated Wesley to a shy smile that Maggie found altogether too forward for a young girl of her age.
But Wesley didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he turned to Maggie. “Has Merrilee got enough supplies to give these people until I can talk to Major Evans?”
Maggie nodded. Why did this man’s thoughtfulness move her more than anyone else’s? Maybe it was because he had seen the horrors of war, and had managed to hang on to his faith. Whatever it was, it had a strange effect on her.
“Girls!” Maggie looked up to see a tired-looking woman, her pale gray dress faded from what Maggie was sure was once a vivid blue. “Get on back to your chores. Now go on.” As the girls ran back into the heart of the camp, the woman faced Maggie and Wesley. “I don’t know what they’ve been tell you, but there ain’t nothing wrong.”
“But they said you’d been robbed.”
The woman shook her head. “Them girls are just making up stuff. We shared our supplies with one of our kinfolk who was running a little low.”
“Who is this person?” Wesley asked.
“My brother-in-law. He’s had a hard time since he lost my sister and their baby a few months ago,” the woman answered, the shroud of sadness that cloaked her caused a shiver to run through Maggie. “But he’s working now.”
Could this woman’s brother-in-law be Jimbo? He had been heading this way when she’d been ambushed. She’d have to run the idea by Wesley later.
“I’m so sorry.” Maggie reached out and touched the young woman’s hand. “Is there anything we can do?”
“No.” A nervous expression crossed the woman’s face as if she regretted speaking her piece. “Nothing’s been taken that wasn’t given freely.”
“We were just concerned, that’s all.” Maggie looked around. “You’ve fixed up a nice place here, . . .um .”
“Eliza Beth Cox.”
“Are you related to the Coxes from Bremen?” Maggie asked.
“That’s my aunt and uncle.” She gave them a wary smile. “How do you know them?”
She exchanged a look with Wesley. Thank goodness, his suspicions hadn’t been founded. “We went to church with them before they moved. I’m Maggie Daniels, Jeb and Mae Belle’s daughter. ”
“Merrilee’s niece?” Her eyes sparkled at the the mention of the Daniels name. “It’s so kind of your aunt to allow us to pitch our camp out here. This is better than we could have hoped for.”
“She’ll be so pleased.” Maggie nodded to Wesley. “This is Captain Wesley Hicks.”
The woman gave him a slight nod. “Nice to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine.”
Maggie pointed to a white bit of cloth in her hand. “What’s that?”
Eliza Beth stretched out a snowy handkerchief, a vine of pink peonies and sunny daisies making a neat trail along the corners. “I like to stitch.”
“That’s lovely. Such detailed.”
The woman blushed. “Thank you.”
“I’ve never been very good with a needle.” Maggie almost touched the threads before remembering her dirty hands. “Don’t have enough patience for it.”
“You’ve had been working on your flying, Ace.”
Maggie lowered her gaze. The way Wesley said it, as though having her head in the clouds was a good thing made her feel light-hearted.
She couldn’t think about that now, not with these people hungry and in need of food. “You know, Momma’s birthday is coming up soon. She’d appreciate needlework like this.” She looked up at Eliza Beth. “Would you be interested in a trade?”
“What are you offering?”
A quick look around the camp proved that these people were in dreadful need of food and necessities. She had to be careful not to offer too much or she might turn it down. Shoving her hands into her pockets, her fingers closed over the Merrilee’s cloth-covered cookies. They had survived the tumble she had taken!
“I’ve got a down payment right here.” She pulled the cookies out of her pocket and showed them to her. “My aunt’s applesauce cookies.”
Eliza Beth’s thin lips broke into a wary smile. “I don’t know. Miss Merrilee has done so much for my kinfolk, I should just give this to you.”
“Then Maggie would be beholding to her aunt and that wouldn’t be good.” Wesley threw her a private smile. “So, tell us, Eliza Beth, what’s a fair price?”
The woman glanced at her, then Wesley. “We don’t have any sugar right now. But I’ll take whatever you consider is fair.”
“How about ten pounds of sugar? Would that be a fair price?”
Eliza Beth’s eyes brightened at Wesley’s offer. “That’s more than fair.”
“We’ll bring it back after supper tonight if that’s okay with you.”
The man knew how to charm the ladies. First, the girls they met as they entered the camp, now Eliza Beth Cox. Though the deal was between Eliza Beth and herself, it was Wesley’s hand she shook.
“That gives me plenty of time to finish it up and set an iron to the wrinkles.” Eliza Beth stretched up on tiptoes and pressed his lips against Wesley’s cheek. “Thank you.”
An uncomfortable knot formed in the pit of Maggie’s stomach. She ch
alked it up to the woman’s unexpected display of affection. Nothing more.
They left the camp an hour later. They had spent most of their time talking with Eliza Jane, assessing her family’s needs and making arrangements to barter for goods the group could use to sustain them.
Wesley walked in silence, a prisoner to his thoughts. On some level, he’d always known that there were people who did without but never to the magnitude that he had seen today. The thread-bare clothes, the bare feet, the hungry faces on the kids had stuck a knife through his heart. He had to intercede for these people and the only way he could do that was with Maggie’s help.
He stole a glimpse at the woman walking beside him. Maggie had been an interesting surprise. Sure, he had known she was intelligent; she had to be to get the kind of scores she put up in ground school, and she was handy with a lug wrench. And the jury was still out on whether she could take care of herself or not.
But for a moment this afternoon, he’d glimpsed another side to her, a compassionate woman with a heart for the needy who had allowed them their dignity. He may have been planning to help, but she had acted on it. Her offer of Merrilee’s homemade cookies as down payment for cross-stitched handkerchief for her mother’s birthday had been genuine. Something about her simple gesture had touched him deep down inside.
“You’re unusually quiet.” Maggie plucked a leaf from a low-hanging limb.
“Just thinking. Do you know anything Eliza Beth’s brother-in-law?”
She shook her head. “No, but if I remember correctly, Daddy always said the Coxes was closed-mouth.”
Picking up an oak switch, Wesley swatted it lightly at passing tree trunks. “I’m surprised. If anyone knew what was happening in this county, I figured it would be Merrilee.”
“Not anymore,” she answered. “There are so many new families moving in to work at the Bell, it’s hard to keep track of all the new people.”
Wesley drew in a deep breath, the scent of earth, new blooms and Maggie doing nothing to slow the continuously thoughts alive in his head. “Do you think Jimbo is Eliza Beth’s brother-in-law?”
Hearts in Flight Page 7
