She obeyed his every command, gave him that which he asked from her, and rose with him to the heights as he bid her follow his lead. He moved within her, filling her with the very essence of his manhood. The thrill of his possession brought tears to her eyes and joy to her heart, and she gladly gave in return the love she had stored within her heart for just such a moment.
He was not gentle, but she had not expected his taking of her to be as it had been the night before, when she was totally untried. Tonight, he demanded more of her, fitting her to himself and turning loose his passion on her willing flesh. Again, she knew long moments of fulfillment, once more realized the joy of accepting his seed into her body, and clasped him in spasms of pleasure beyond any she had imagined.
“Alicia.” He spoke her name in a voice that murmured of passion spent, of desire satisfied by the woman of his choice. “Alicia.” He repeated the syllables slowly, enunciating them as if tasting each one, whispering her name in a rhythm that spoke of delight and brought her joy.
He might not love her, for he’d not said those words aloud. But he needed her, he wanted her beside him and he had been pleased with her. For tonight that would be enough.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“THE BOY MAY ONLY BE nine years old, but he committed a crime.” The sheriff was adamant, and Alicia found it difficult to disagree with him. Jason had gone far beyond a simple prank this time.
Wrecking a flower bed was one thing. Releasing three prisoners quite another.
Visiting Jason in jail was an experience she’d just as soon not repeat, she decided. Since Jake could not make the trip, it was left to her to speak with the sheriff and see Jason in his cell. After being patently ignored by the boy and noting his blatant stubbornness, she found herself agreeing with the lawman.
“Is it legal to keep him here?” she asked. “His father is talking about having him at home and keeping track of his whereabouts until the judge decides what should be done.”
“I reckon I can do pretty much whatever needs to be done with the boy,” the sheriff said firmly. “He needs to learn a lesson, and turning him loose ain’t gonna do the trick. He’s safe and sound where he is, Mrs. McPherson. Nobody’s gonna hurt him, and there ain’t even any other prisoners back there to have a bad influence on him—thanks to his turning them loose.”
It seemed her trip to the jailhouse had been for naught, Alicia thought glumly. Going home and facing Jake with her failure was not palatable, but she’d done all she could to solve the problem, with no success.
“I brought Jason some clean clothes,” she said, offering the bundle of personal items into the lawman’s hands. “Is he able to bathe in his cell? And Jake wondered what he’s eating.”
“All taken care of, ma’am. My wife does the cooking for the prisoners, and she’s a good cook. Makes plain, everyday meals. Nothin’ fancy, you understand, but I manage to get along on it. I reckon Jason will, too.” He grinned then, as if a thought had amused him.
“Far as keeping clean is concerned, I can only provide soap and water and a bucket. It’s up to him what he does with it. If I remember right, my own boys weren’t any too fond of washin’ up at that age. No guarantees there, ma’am.”
Alicia’s heart ached for the boy, and yet no one could solve his problems for him. Somehow he had to come to grips with the changes in his life, and how that would come to pass was a mystery to her. Jake had been abrupt with him. She had probably been too lenient at times. And Jason was a stubborn boy, not unlike his father. A boy who was still in mourning for the mother who had left him…not willingly, but permanently, nevertheless.
She walked from the jailhouse. Rescuing Jason was not going to be a simple matter. And she wasn’t at all certain that rescue was what he needed. Maybe this was, indeed, a wake-up call, a rough spot in his life that would eventually set him in the right direction.
The general store was almost empty, and for that she was thankful. Facing a whole raft of women, all of them set on quizzing her or commiserating with her problem, was not appealing this morning. She placed her order with Mr. Harris, then left him alone to fill it for her while she wandered through the store. Fresh eggs on the counter reminded her that her own supply was low, and she turned back to add them to her list.
Only to run almost headlong into Toby’s mother. The woman looked mighty uncomfortable, but spoke nicely. “I’d like you to pass along a message to your husband, Mrs. McPherson,” she said timidly. “Toby is like a different boy since he’s been taking lessons from Mr. McPherson. You know we don’t have a piano of our own, but the minister over at the church lets him practice there pretty near every day.”
She leaned closer, her voice dropping in volume as if she feared being overheard. “The church pianist, Mrs. Howard, doesn’t approve of the music Toby is learning, but she hasn’t been able to discourage him from it, and the minister is agreeable to the boy playing whatever your husband gives him to work on.”
She fussed with her reticule and then met Alicia’s gaze with eyes that filled with tears. “I’m so sorry about Mr. McPherson’s boy, getting in trouble and all. He’s had a bad time of it, losing his mother and his pa being a recluse and all. It’s a wonder to me that the boy hasn’t been in more trouble than—well, anyway, I just want you to know I’m sorry.”
Alicia was moved by the offer of sympathy. She reached to touch the woman’s arm and smiled, hoping she could convey her appreciation without going into a great deal of explanation. “Jason is in trouble, all right. But his father and I are hoping he’ll learn from this experience.”
“Well, I just know that I’m thankful for what Mr. McPherson has done for my Toby,” the other woman repeated. “He can hardly wait every week for the day of his lesson.” She leaned closer. “I sometimes wonder how I managed to birth such a child.”
“I’m sure you’re a very good mother,” Alicia told her. “There are miracles every day of our lives, you know. Perhaps having Toby sent into your home was one of them.”
Mr. Harris raised his hand, signifying that her order was ready, and Alicia took her leave of the woman, pleased that she would have one bit of cheer to offer Jake when she arrived home. Although the notion that he could reach another child, yet not have the impact needed on his own son, might not be the best news she could carry to him.
“Thank you, Mr. Harris,” she said, checking the contents of her basket quickly; reassured that her list was well represented, she was ready to leave. “Please put this on our bill,” she said, to which the gentleman smiled and nodded.
The basket Alicia carried was heavy and she lifted it with an effort. From behind her a familiar voice spoke her name, and she turned with a smile to greet Cord.
“Good morning,” she said, and then lowered her voice. “Have you stopped by the jail?” she asked. “Did you talk to the sheriff?”
“Yes, on both counts,” he answered, shaking his head. “Jason is pulling his stubborn act, refused to talk to me, in fact.”
“I couldn’t get him to look away from the wall, either,” she admitted. “I don’t know what I’ll tell Jake. He’s going to want to know every detail of this jaunt to see the sheriff.”
“I’m going by your place right now,” Cord told her. “Come on. I’ll give you a lift.” Without asking, he took the basket from her and she followed him to the door, then on out to where his farm wagon was tied to a hitching rail at the end of a long line of shops. He gave her a hand and she climbed to the seat, where she settled herself, thankful that he’d come along to tend her heavy basket.
If the buggy Jake had given her were to be kept at the house, she might have used it this morning. As it was, the shed-building kept getting postponed for one reason or other.
Cord passed along word from Rachel, mentioning the last of the garden that was keeping her busy in the kitchen. Melody was learning the fine art of putting a meal on the table these days, what with Rachel involved in canning the produce. Cord mentioned the fact in passing and
then sighed. “She’s not yet the cook her mother is, but Rachel says I have to be properly appreciative of her efforts.”
In no time, they arrived at the house. Jake was in the kitchen when Cord carried in the basket. Alicia busied herself putting away the assortment of canned fruit and the staples she’d needed, listening with one ear to the two men as they spoke of Jason.
“It’s got me hangin’,” Cord said with a dour expression on his face. “I felt like snatching him up from that bunk and shaking the stuffing out of him.” Then he relented, smiling a bit. “Well, maybe not quite, but dog-gone it, Jake, he doesn’t seem to be showing any remorse at all for what he did.”
“I need to see him,” Jake said. He looked down to where his trousers hung, empty. His face tightened. “Damn.” It was a curse that Alicia could not have denied him, conveying his feelings of helplessness at this moment. His son was in jail, less than a half mile away, but it might as well be ten miles, for all the chance Jake had of dealing with the boy.
“Maybe we can figure something out,” Cord said. “I’ll bet between Alicia and me, we could get you out the back door. There’s only two steps there, Jake, and I could pull the wagon around from the front of the house. There’s room for it at the end of the picket fence. I’d figure out how we could hoist you up to the wagonbed, and maybe the sheriff would let Jason come out and see you.”
“And maybe pigs will fly,” Jake said bitterly. “I’m not going to be carted around town like a freak at a sideshow, Cord. You know better.”
“You used to go to your office when you worked for the opera company,” Cord reminded him quietly. “We had a ramp for you and—”
Jake’s raised hand effectively cut off his brother’s reminder of better days. “And I had the damn ramp torn down the day after Rena’s funeral, if you remember. We’re not going that route again. Those days are over, and you might as well get used to it.”
Alicia closed her eyes, standing in the pantry, listening to the brothers, and feeling Jake’s pain as he spoke the brutal truth as he saw it. She might never make things any better in this house than they were at this moment, she thought, bowing her head, taking note of the hot tears that fell against her hands. Jake had been so badly hurt by Rena’s death he might never fully recover.
Her own helplessness tore at her heart. She could only do so much, and she’d been fooling herself when she’d dreamed of Jake going to church with her and even socializing on occasion.
Even the Fourth of July picnic had come and gone without a mention, except for Jason running off early in the morning and not returning until after dark. “You know where he is,” she’d told Jake midway through the day. “I can’t blame him for wanting to attend, and if you’d be honest with yourself, you can’t, either.”
“He didn’t even ask permission,” Jake had said harshly. “Just ran off.”
“Every other boy in town went to the picnic,” Alicia reminded him. “He’s been looking forward to seeing the fireworks and playing in the games. The only thing that would have pleased him more would be to have you along.”
Morosely, Jake had retreated for the day, and Alicia had not attempted to coax him into a better mood.
Now she wiped her eyes and made ready to leave the pantry. Jake was in the midst of telling Cord why it was impossible for him to leave the house, and Cord was arguing the point with flashing eyes and a grim frown creasing his forehead.
“Never mind, Cord,” she said quietly. “He won’t go, and you’ll just get upset for nothing.”
“Stay out of this,” Jake said sharply. “I can speak for myself, Alicia.”
She shrugged and turned to leave the kitchen. “I’m well aware of that.” As a final remark, it left a lot to be desired, but right now it was the best she could do without displaying her discouragement by shedding tears in front of the two men…and that she refused to do.
“Alicia!” Jake called her name, but she kept walking, past his bedroom and to the staircase. She heard the wheels of his chair on the floor as she climbed the stairs, refused to look back at him, and closed the door of her old room with barely a sound. She ached to slam it, but was determined he would not have the satisfaction of knowing he’d frustrated her to that point. Her bed was made and she broke her own long-standing rule to lie down atop the quilt.
She’d been taught as a child that a lady must not succumb to laziness, and naps were for children. Today she didn’t give a hang what her mother might think of her actions, and hugged her pillow to herself as she curled up in the middle of the big bed.
THE SHERIFF ARRIVED JUST after suppertime and, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the air, walked through the hallway to the kitchen, where Jake was still sitting at the table. Jake watched Alicia cleaning up the dishes, and thought of what he might say to break the silence. She didn’t seem angry, so much as discouraged. She’d retreated from him today, and it wasn’t like Alicia to do so. She barely had a smile for the sheriff, in fact.
Having the lawman come to call was the icing on the cake, he decided, and he turned his chair to face the intruder. The fact that the man was well within his rights in keeping Jason in custody was immaterial, so far as Jake was concerned. The boy belonged at home, with his family. Jake was ready to handle the whole mess, and had spent the better part of the day forming a plan.
“Come on in to the parlor,” he told his visitor, then looked long and hard at Alicia. “Will you bring us some coffee?” he asked.
She only nodded, and he watched as the sheriff raised an eyebrow and grinned. He followed Jake down the hallway and murmured his opinion aloud. “Looks like your wife is pretty upset with you.”
Jake turned in the middle of the parlor to face the sheriff. “Hell, I was pretty ornery to her.”
“She’s a good woman,” the sheriff said bluntly. “I’d say you’re a lucky fella to have her.”
“I’d say you’re absolutely right,” Jake admitted readily.
He heard Alicia’s footsteps outside the parlor door and watched as she carried a small tray with two cups of coffee on it. “Here you go, Sheriff,” she said nicely, handing him a cup. “I hope you like it black. If you need sugar or cream I’ll fetch some.”
“No, I decided a long time ago not to ruin perfectly good coffee by addin’ stuff to it,” he told her.
Jake watched in silence as Alicia brought him his cup. He reached for it and murmured thanks, hoping she wouldn’t dump it in his lap. She took a seat on the couch. “May I join in this discussion?” she asked. “Or would you rather I not be included, Jake?” She looked at him with a glint in her eyes that dared him to relegate her to the kitchen, and he was quick to shake his head.
“No, you have a perfect right to be here,” he told her.
The sheriff leaned forward, speaking directly to Jake. “I’ll tell you right off, McPherson. I won’t let your boy loose till I’m satisfied that he’s paid for what he did. I haven’t figured out yet just what we’ll do to set him straight, but he’s the one who involved the law in this.”
“I understand,” Jake said. “But the bottom line is that Jason is only nine, and he’s sitting in a jailhouse built to house criminals. I fear he’ll only be more resentful than ever by the time he’s turned free.”
“Well,” the sheriff began, “I fear that he won’t appreciate the problems he caused by turnin’ loose those fellas, unless he’s punished for it.”
Alicia spoke up. “I tend to agree with you, sir,” she said, and then looked at Jake. “And I understand your concern with Jason’s well-being. There must be a middle ground here. How long will it be until the judge shows up?”
“Middle of next week,” the lawman replied. He looked down at his coffee cup. “I was thinking about putting Jason to work around the jailhouse in the meantime.”
“Doing what?” Jake asked darkly. “I don’t want everyone in town looking at him and pointing their fingers.”
The sheriff lifted his head and gave Jake a long, steady l
ook. “He should have thought of the town’s disapproval when he pulled this stunt, McPherson. He’s gonna learn a lesson if I have anything to say about it. I don’t want to be hauling him into custody a few years down the road, just because he thinks he can get away with breaking the law now.”
“What sort of work do you have in mind?” Alicia asked, as if she would try to smooth ruffled feathers.
“Sweeping the floors and the sidewalk every morning,” the sheriff said. “And washing the windows a couple of times a week. My wife will appreciate that, seeing as how it’s been her job up till now. He’s gonna miss school as it is, so I thought you could give him some schoolwork to get him ready for going back to classes.”
“That wouldn’t hurt, I suppose,” Alicia said slowly. “And the rest of it might be good for him.” She cleared her throat, and Jake aimed a questioning look at her. She was about to speak her mind if he was any judge of it.
“I wonder if he might not be sent home for a certain number of hours each day, perhaps do some chores here to keep him busy, and at the same time give his father time to spend with him. I think Jason needs to know that we love him and we’re concerned about him, Sheriff.”
The lawman leaned back in his chair, settling his coffee cup on the end table. “Now, I don’t know about that Mrs. McPherson. It might jeopardize keeping him in custody.”
“If it were a simpler crime, would it be feasible?” she asked.
“Sure,” he said agreeably, “but it’s not. And I don’t know how the judge will feel if he comes to town and finds the prisoner off doing chores at home.”
Alicia leaned forward in her chair. “The whole thing is, Jason is a boy, and he needs the influence of his father. As I said, he needs to understand that his father loves him and cares about him. That’s the whole crux of this matter, Sheriff. I fear the boy was trying to get our attention in a big way, so we seem to bear part of the blame for what he did.”
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