Love Inspired Historical November 2015

by Linda Ford

  “Can I use your outhouse?” she blurted.

  Several heartbeats later, his hand fell away. He got smoothly to his feet and helped her up. “I’ll have to escort you. My dogs are penned behind the cabin, and they’ll go a little crazy if a stranger comes around without me there to reassure them.”

  This whole outing was a spectacular failure. He wasn’t going to give her even a minute alone! They were nearing the cabin, Lee holding her elbow the entire way, when the rumble of an approaching wagon reached them. He stiffened.

  “Were you expecting company?” she asked.

  “No.” He began to stride away. “Wait here.”

  “I don’t think I can.” Blushing fiercely, she jerked a thumb toward the corner of the house. “You go greet your guest. I’ll stay away from the dog pen, I promise.”

  A deep frown carved grooves on either side of his mouth. With a sharp nod, he went to intercept the lone man swinging his wagon round near the barn entrance.

  Finally. A chance to do some snooping.

  Hurrying out of sight, she quickly peered into the cabin’s rear windows, not expecting to see anything unusual but checking all the same. The interior looked similar to every other farmer’s cabin. As soon as she skirted around the outhouse, the dogs pressed against the enclosure’s outer fence, ears flat and canines bared. Her skin pricked with apprehension. They did not look happy.

  Praying their chains held, she ignored their warning growls and pushed into the first shed she came to. She blinked to get her bearings in the darkness. Nothing here but the usual tools hanging from nails the length of the walls. Buckets and crates littered the dirt floor.

  Outside again, she scanned the remaining structures, dismissing the smokehouse and corncrib outright. That left a second shed and the barn, the latter being the logical place to store crates of the mason jars she’d glimpsed both at the dance and behind the café.

  Hesitating, she debated whether or not to search the other shed.

  This is what I came for, right? Can’t waste this chance.

  Bending low, she dashed toward it. The distance seemed endless. Breathless by the time she got there, she had to shove her shoulder against the worn wood several times to get it to budge. The smell hit her with the truth before her sight adjusted to the gloom.

  Four large barrels were crammed inside, brimming with fermented corn ready for distillation. Bulging sacks lined the far wall. Maneuvering between the barrels, she looked inside the sacks. They contained cornmeal, which was used to make the mash inside these barrels. Too much for personal use. This was a large-scale operation.

  Her heart a heavy weight in her chest, not at all pleased to have her suspicions confirmed, Jane emerged into the bright light. The absence of sound didn’t immediately register. When it did, her legs nearly gave out. Where was Lee?

  *

  Almost jogging in the direction of the dog pen, where the animals were barking viciously, Jane rounded the far corner of the cabin and crashed into a solid chest.

  Hands curved about her upper arms. “Whoa. What’s on fire?”

  Jane jerked her face up to Lee’s. “I got spooked. You were right—those dogs didn’t want me around.”

  “They don’t cotton to strangers, that’s for sure.” Stepping away, he gripped her elbow and guided her in the direction of their abandoned picnic. “I’ve had some unexpected business come up. I’ll escort you home.”

  “That’s not necessary.”

  Although Jessica would still be at Tom’s, and there’d be no chance of discovery, she was more than ready to be away from his disturbing presence.

  “I insist.” His tone brooked no argument.

  Cold seeped into her bones.

  While she rid the blanket of crumbs and folded it into a neat square, he readied his wagon. As they were leaving, Lee’s visitor emerged from the shadowed barn opening, his watchful gaze pinned on her. Two things stood out about him—striking silver hair that didn’t mesh with his unlined, youthful face, and a crescent-shaped scar disappearing into his top lip.

  She debated asking Lee about him much of the ride home, ultimately deciding against it. His former good humor had vanished. His silence had a brooding edge, and she didn’t know him well enough to try and guess the reasons behind it.

  Relief cascaded over her when her cabin came into view. Soon she’d be safe inside.

  Of course he wouldn’t allow her to make her own way to her door. His hold on her was unrelenting.

  What if he tries to kiss me again? He’d expect Jess to eagerly welcome such displays of affection.

  On the porch, she turned to him with a strained smile. “Thank you for today. I’ll see you Sunday morning.”

  “Thank you for gifting me with your presence. In hindsight, I should’ve invited you to my home long ago. We’ll do it again very soon.”

  Blue eyes glittering, he dipped his head and brushed his lips across her cheek. It took a will of iron not to flinch.

  “Until next time, my dear.” With a brief tug on his hat brim, he left her on the porch.

  Legs like jelly, Jane hugged the post for support, remaining there until his wagon turned onto the lane and the forest swallowed him up.

  A pair of boots hitting the floorboards behind her made her jump. Gasping, she spun around and would’ve fallen had she not grasped the rail behind her.

  “Tom! Wh-what are you doing here?”

  He knew. Somehow, he knew what she’d been up to. And he was livid.

  He stalked closer, fury radiating from him in waves. Jaw like granite, the skin across his chiseled cheekbones stretched taut, his eyes burned emerald fire.

  Unease skittered along her spine. In all her years of knowing him, not once had she seen him like this.

  “What am I doing here?” His lips thinned. “I was worried when Jess showed up instead of you. Feeling responsible for your exhaustion, I came to check on you. Imagine my surprise when I arrived to find you gone.”

  “I—”

  “Just answer me this—what were you doing with Lee? And why were you pretending to be your sister?”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Due to the disbelief and anger clouding his judgment, Tom didn’t at first register the alarm flickering in her eyes. All he could focus on was the image of Lee’s hands on Jane. Of him kissing her…

  Teeth grinding together, he rolled his shoulders to try and unknot the muscles. Using a tree for cover, he’d observed the pair, his tension intensifying with each passing minute.

  “Kindly explain what you were doing with Jessica’s beau.”

  The smattering of tiny freckles stood out in stark relief to her milk-white skin. Arms crossing to shield her body, her lashes lowered to skim her cheeks. “I had a good reason.”

  “Tell me.” He started forward, and she flinched. That was when he realized he needed to calm down. She’d never seen him lose his composure. What would she have thought if she’d seen him and Charles fighting?

  “Look at me, Jane.”

  She did, albeit reluctantly. “I know this looks bad.”

  He worked to gentle his tone. “So tell me the truth.”

  Somewhere beneath the roiling emotions lay a deep well of hurt. He hadn’t thought her capable of deception.

  “The night of the barn dance, I saw Lee slip away from the festivities and sell someone what looked to be a jar of alcohol.”

  Jane haltingly related the sequence of events leading up to her decision to impersonate her twin. Tom could scarcely believe what she’d done.

  “You mentioned a man with silver hair. He saw you?”

  “Yes.”

  Groaning in frustration, Tom buried his fingers in his hair.

  “Lee will tell him who I am. Or rather, who Jessica is. I—I don’t think there’s cause to worry.”

  “You put yourself in grave danger, you know that?” Pacing before her, he threw up his hands. “If Lee is involved in bootlegging, and he discovered what you were up to—” He br
oke off, unwilling to entertain the possibilities. “We don’t know how he or his business associates might react to meddlers. Something tells me they’d go to great lengths to protect their interests.”

  Twin red flags seared her cheeks as determination settled across her features. “He didn’t. And to be clear, I’d do it again if it meant protecting Jess.”

  “You could’ve come to me or any one of your cousins. We could’ve handled this the right way. The safe way.”

  How could she be so sensible about everything else and yet so reckless in this one area? She and Jessica shared a unique bond. Perhaps it was that deep connection that had spawned Jane’s uncharacteristic behavior.

  “You know what happens to snitches,” she said. “Going to the authorities carries immense risks.”

  “A bigger risk than you out there alone? If you’d been discovered, no one would’ve known you were in trouble. I wouldn’t have been able to help you.”

  The image of Lee and Jane standing close together on this porch not twenty minutes ago sent a shudder through his body. He didn’t know how Lee might’ve punished Jane for her snooping.

  Apparently no longer intimidated by his foul mood, she approached and lightly touched his wrist. “I’m fine.”

  In a flash, he’d captured her hand and drew her close. “I saw him kiss you, Jane.”

  He caught sight of her grimace before she bowed her head. Dark emotion surged. Caging it, he tipped her chin so that his gaze was free to roam her upturned face. “Did he do more than what I saw? Back at his house, when you were alone with him?”

  Her lips parted. Please say no, he silently begged. Jessica wouldn’t be the only one to feel betrayed. No matter that he had no claim on Jane, it would kill him to know she’d accepted another man’s advances.

  “I’m surprised you have to ask. I wouldn’t have let that happen—wouldn’t have hurt her like that.”

  “I never thought I’d doubt you, Jane.” It hurt to admit. Hurt to see the resulting dismay crumpling her features. “You deliberately maneuvered the both of us in order for you to assume her identity.”

  “I did it to protect her!” Fingers digging into his upper arms, she beseeched him. “You know how stubborn she is. Going to her with my suspicions wouldn’t have been enough. I may not have seen the actual still, but the items in that shed are exactly what’s used to make moonshine. I can go to her with reasonable proof now. She’ll have to accept Lee isn’t who he’s portrayed himself to be.”

  He exhaled slowly. “I wish you’d gone about this differently.”

  “It wasn’t the wisest plan. For once in my life, I just…” Lips pursing, she shook her head.

  “You what?”

  “I wanted to be the brave one.”

  Her voice was barely audible, but he heard more than what she was saying. He heard the wistfulness, the wish to be more than what she was.

  Lightly massaging her shoulders, he rested his forehead against hers. “You are brave, Janie girl. Everyone else can see it in you. Why can’t you?”

  “I’m sorry I deceived you,” she whispered. “And I’m sorry I d-disappointed you.”

  He closed his eyes tight. More than anything, he yearned to be close to her. To feel her respond to him, to show her what he was feeling. But that would only confuse them both.

  Lifting his head a fraction to peer into her sad eyes, he said, “The thing about friends is this—they fight sometimes. They don’t always see eye to eye on things. That doesn’t mean they don’t still care about each other.”

  Worrying her lower lip, she nodded. “I won’t violate your trust again. I promise.”

  Unable to resist caressing her cheek, he gave her a small smile. “I believe you.”

  A shaky sigh escaped. “I would never willingly hurt you.”

  “You love your sister, and you want what’s best for her. I can relate.”

  “I dread telling her. I wish I hadn’t found anything. She’s going to be devastated.”

  “Irate, too, I imagine,” he drawled.

  “That, too.”

  Gold glinted around her neck, and Tom went numb.

  Extending a finger, he tapped the cross pendant visible atop the first button of her blouse. “Did Lee see this?”

  Understanding dawned, and she clutched her throat. “I’m not sure. I forgot to remove it.”

  “Promise me you’ll stay far away from him until we sort through everything.”

  “That’s one promise I don’t mind making.”

  *

  Jane did not immediately confess.

  Before returning home, Tom had promised not to breathe a word, agreeing that Jessica should hear the news from her. But she’d been unprepared for the sting of her guilty conscience, had found it impossible to utter the necessary words in the face of Jessica’s concern. Her sister had arrived home about an hour after Tom’s departure, eager to check on her and surprisingly upbeat about her afternoon with Clara. She’d even teased Jane about Tom’s obvious devotion.

  Having sought refuge in the barn once they cleaned up the supper mess, she sat on a hay square cradling one of their rabbits in her lap and stroking its downy fur in a rhythmic motion. The familiar sounds of the animals bedding down for the night, the pungent odor of fresh hay mingling with the dust motes in the still air, did little to soothe her troubled spirit.

  She would never forget Tom’s look of utter disappointment. His suspicion had been hard to handle, but the disappointment…that was another story altogether. She felt as if she’d failed him. And, while he’d said he believed she wouldn’t repeat her actions, deep down Jane wondered if he’d ever fully trust her again.

  Her head sagged against the wall. I messed up, Lord. Just like with Roy, I didn’t seek Your guidance in this. I may have had Jessica’s best interests at heart, but I also wanted to prove I could be bold like her. I’m not sure if she’ll forgive me for what I’ve done.

  Jane prayed to the God who’d created her, who knew her better than she knew herself. The friend who would never forsake her. She asked for strength for both her and Jess. They’d certainly need it in the coming days.

  When she finally opened her eyes, she nearly suffered an apoplectic seizure.

  Not three feet away stood Lee, menacing in head-to-toe black, his black hair windswept and gaze hooded as he stared down at her.

  “Good evening, Jane.” He cocked his head. “Or it is Jessica?”

  Her hold tightened a fraction on the poor animal in her grasp, and it wriggled in protest. Fear glued her lips together.

  “The dress you had on earlier belongs to Jessica. And the ponytail is hers, too.”

  He bent at the waist, hands outstretched, and she flattened herself against the wall. One sardonic brow inching upward, he plucked the now trembling rabbit from her. A protest half formed on her lips.

  “Jessica isn’t the nervous sort, though, is she?” He addressed the animal, which looked incredibly vulnerable in his large hands.

  “How did you guess?” she pushed out, fingers digging into the logs at her back, unheeding of the splinters. Inside her chest, her heart flailed wildly about.

  “For one thing, fried chicken is not my favorite,” he replied dryly.

  “Oh.”

  Tucking the rabbit to his chest, he mimicked her movements from before. He wouldn’t hurt it, would he?

  “For another—” he leveled a dark stare at her “—Jess doesn’t shrink from my touch.”

  Jane couldn’t suppress a shiver. “I suppose you’d like an explanation.”

  His fingers stilled. “Like? Oh, no, my dear Jane, I demand one.”

  Scraping up her courage, she staggered to her feet. “Let me put him away first.”

  “Not yet.” He stepped away. “Not until I get what I came for.”

  “Fine. I saw you the night of the dance. And the other day, behind Plum’s.”

  His carved features turned forbidding. “And?”

  “And I decided to inv
estigate. I should tell you that I saw what was in your shed…all the makings of homemade moonshine.” Anger at his deception and how it would affect Jessica fueled her candor. “You’ve a still somewhere on your property, I’m sure of it, and you’re selling your wares to the locals.”

  “I see.” Lee surprised her by returning the rabbit to its hutch. A part of her wished he hadn’t, because now his hands were free to strangle her if he chose to. He looked as if he’d like to do just that. “May I ask what you plan on doing with this information?”

  “I’m going to tell Jessica, of course.”

  “You probably don’t believe me, but I care for her. More than I’m willing to reveal to you before speaking to her.” His earnest manner took her by surprise.

  “If you cared for her, you’d free her to be with a man she can respect and trust. Our great-uncle ran an illegal still. Made life for our great-aunt extremely difficult. Every time he was out making ’shine, she’d have to stand watch in order to warn him of approaching visitors. Everyone, including family members, became the focus of their suspicion. Possible informers. It’s not a life I want for my sister.”

  “I’m not planning on doing this forever. Just long enough to ensure our future. One worthy of her.”

  “Jess has never been one to aspire to riches. Once she learns of your involvement, she’ll want nothing more to do with you.”

  “You won’t tell her or anyone else.” He erased the space between them. “You remember my friend from today? He’s not as civilized as I am, and he doesn’t take kindly to snoops.”

  “He can’t hurt me if he’s behind bars.”

  “This thing is bigger than us, Jane,” he scoffed. “Way beyond Gatlinburg. He and I have people we answer to. Don’t think they won’t retaliate in the worst way if you do this.”

  She couldn’t refute his statement. “That man who was killed. Did you know him?”

  “The less I say about that, the better.”

  Disquiet gripped her. Lee might not have known the victim personally, but his response told her the crime was somehow connected to their business.