“What the hell’s eating you, mister? I don’t know you. I don’t know your sister. I haven’t been to Scottsworth in years. Now get the hell away from me.”
When Kirkham’s face came off the bar, he found himself looking into both barrels of Mel’s shotgun.
“Get!” Mel’s face was red and his jaws quivered. “Get and don’t come back.”
Lyle staggered back to his friend, who shoved a red bandanna into his hand.
“Dammit, Lyle. I told ya he warn’t the one. That’n was older, shorter, an’ had a gap ’tween his teeth. Come on, let’s get outta here.”
James accepted the wet cloth Mel handed him and wiped the blood from his knuckles. He used it to mop the blood from the bar, then handed it back.
“What was that about?” Chip asked.
“He took me for someone else.” James drained his glass and moved it across to Mel for a refill.
“I can imagine who.” Chip set his hat on the bar and ran his fingers through red hair streaked with gray.
James straightened and looked into bright blue eyes beneath red-brown brows. Both men had square chins and stubborn jaws. James’s height was equal to the other man’s, though he was of a lighter build.
“Stay out of my business.”
“I intend to. But first, a word of advice. Stay clear of Milo’s hangouts. He’ll get you killed.”
“And my. how you’d grieve,” James retorted sarcastically.
“Boss, I’m goin’ on down to the blacksmith.” The man with Chip spoke.
“Go ahead. I’ll be down.”
Mel moved to the end of the bar and Chip took a step closer to James.
“I got… sort of a favor to ask.”
James looked up in surprise. “You want me to put my head on a stump so you can cut it off. No deal. I think I’ll keep it a while.”
“I’ve nothing against you, James. I never thought for a minute that you had anything to do with Mick’s death.”
“But you’ve got plenty against the rest of the family, including Dory. Blood’s thicker than water, Malone.”
“Let that rest for now. There are times when hate can eat a man alive. It’s what’s happening to Louis and Milo.”
“What do you want? I’ve got things to do.”
“It isn’t for me. And get this straight—I’m askin’, not beggin’. You understand?” James didn’t say anything and Chip went on. “Marie is ailing. She hasn’t left the house since before Christmas.”
“What’s that got to do with me?”
“She wants to see the little girl.” The last few words tumbled out in a rush. Chip picked up his whiskey glass and drained it.
A smile spread over James’s face and a pain of regret struck deep in Chip Malone’s heart. Dear God. His face was so much like Jean’s. Right down to the way his lips lifted higher on one side.
“So you want to see Jeanmarie. Dory named her after our mother and Mick’s. But you knew that, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I knew that. Marie was pleased. It meant that Mick would not be forgotten.”
“Bring Mrs. Malone out to the house.” James’s chuckle was humorless. “Now wouldn’t that be a hullabalooser! The Malones calling on the Callahans.” He drank from his glass and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Chip was silent. He turned his empty whiskey glass around and around between his fingers. Mel came along the bar, refilled his glass, and went back to the end of the bar before Chip spoke.
“I can’t do that. Marie hasn’t left her bed for a month now.” There was real regret in Chip’s voice. He hadn’t loved the woman as a man should love his wife, but she was a good woman. She had borne him a son, and since the boy’s death her health had gone steadily downhill.
“I’m sorry to hear it,” James said sincerely. “She’s been decent to Dory, and Jeanmarie treasures the gifts Mrs. Malone sent her.”
“Ask Dory if she’ll come. Come with her if you’re afraid she won’t be treated right.”
“You can bet your life I’d do that… if she comes.” He looked squarely into Chip’s eyes. “I want you to know something else. I’ll fight you to hell and back if you make one move to get Jeanmarie away from her.”
“All I want is to give Marie the pleasure of being with her granddaughter.”
“So you acknowledge that she’s Mick’s.”
“Hell, yes! One look at her was proof enough. And I’ve never heard that Dory denied it.”
“No. Dory doesn’t deny it. And Milo and Louis don’t let her forget it.”
“Too bad it turned her into—” Chip broke off his words and drained his glass.
“Into what?” James’s voice was scarcely above a whisper. His fists knotted. The face he turned to Chip was taut with anger.
Chip knew he had made a mistake. The man was ready to explode again.
“I’m sorry, James. I over-spoke. I don’t usually pay attention to rumors. But this one hit close to home. She’s the mother of my grandchild.”
“Let me tell you something, Malone. Milo has spit out a few slurs about my sister. He hates her… and me, because of our mother. But there’s not a man alive that can brag that Dory has ever done a thing to deserve those slurs. She was a sad, lonesome kid when she did what she did with Mick. No one would have known it if she hadn’t got caught. And there’s something else. She doesn’t regret it. That little girl means the world to her. The only thing she regrets is that Mick didn’t live to see her.” James took a deep breath to calm himself. “If I hear of you putting a dirty name to my sister, you or your wife will never see Jeanmarie again if I have to ship them off to… China.”
“It wasn’t me that put the name to her. If you want it stopped, talk to Milo and Louis.”
“I’ll do that.”
The woman who had been sitting at the table had come to stand on the other side of James.
“Howdy, goodlookin’. You goin’ to be in town long?”
James turned and flashed her a grin. “Not long, sugarfoot. Ya been pinin’ away for me?”
The woman laughed and squeezed his arm. She was short and blond and had an abundance of curves in all the right places. She also had bad teeth and a few wrinkles she tried to hide with rouge.
“Of course. Can’t you see I’m down to skin and bones?”
James loosened his arm from her grasp and tossed a coin on the bar. “Fix Clara up with a couple of drinks, Mel. I’ve got to be going.”
“Bye, honey. Don’t stay away so long.”
“Be good now.” James laughed into her eyes.
“I’m always good,” she replied in a coarse husky whisper.
He pulled his hat down snuggly on his head. “See ya. Mel.”
Chip followed James out onto the porch.
“Got the donkey engine set up yet?”
“Just about.” James stepped into the saddle. “Louis is sure he’s going to beat you to the fast water.”
A light came into Chip’s eyes. “He’d better not bet on it even if he did get the best man in the country to set up his engine.”
“You know Waller?”
“I’ve heard of him. Tried to get him myself, but for some reason he went your way.”
“Yeah. We were lucky.” James pulled on the reins to turn his horse.
“James,” Chip called. “Dory will be treated with utmost respect.”
“Yeah,” James said again. “I’ll tell her.”
Chip Malone watched James ride away. Dear God, how many years had it been? Yet each and every time he saw him, his longing for Jean was stronger than before. If things had turned out just a little bit in his favor, James would be living in his house, working in his cutting camp, having his grandchildren.
Chip headed for the smithy. It had been hard to ask the favor, but he had promised Marie. Now it was out of his hands.
CHAPTER
* 10 *
James had left right after breakfast. He seemed to have a lot on his mind. Dory was too
busy to wonder what was bothering him. Time flew by and before she knew it, it was mid-morning and time to punch down the bread dough and put it in the pans to rise.
Ben had spent a few minutes with Odette and the rest of the morning with Wiley. When Dory went out to call both men in for a noon meal, they were busy at the forge hammering out clamps, hooks and braces for the donkey engine.
Wiley and Ben talked during the meal. Ben admired Wiley’s smithy skills, and the old man basked in his admiration.
“You do a good job, Wiley. I’ve not had better hooks made anywhere.”
Dory set a pan of rice pudding, along with a pitcher of cream, on the table. She dished some out for Jeanmarie.
“They can just sit there and brag on each other,” she said to the child while pouring thick cream in the bowl. “We’ll eat the pudding.”
Ben winked at Jeanmarie and she giggled happily.
“Wal. now. I ain’t missin’ this puddin’.” Wiley reached for the bowls Dory had brought to the table. “Reckon we can talk about smithin’ any time a-tall. Though it’s pure pleasure to have my praises sung.”
“Leave me some of that pudding,” Ben said, winking at Dory. “And I just might sing you some more.”
“That’d be mighty pretty to my ears.” Wiley grinned his snaggle-toothed grin at Dory. She felt happy chuckles form deep in her chest and roll up into laughter.
Next to Jeanmarie and James, Dory loved Wiley best. She’d known him all her life. She had always thought that if she ever moved away from here she would take Wiley with her—that is if he wanted to go.
When she saw Steven pass the window, she got quickly to her feet and went to the door. Something was wrong or Steven wouldn’t be here this time of day. He tied his horse to a hook on the side of the barn and headed for the bunkhouse. Dory stepped out the door and called.
“Come on in, Steven. Wiley and Ben are in here.”
Steven turned and came toward the porch.
“Howdy, Miss Dory.” He removed his hat as he spoke. “Hello, Wiley. Hello, Waller.”
“Howdy,” Ben nodded.
“Have you had dinner?” Dory asked. “We were just finishing up.”
“Yes, ma’am. I had dinner early. I thought Louis might be here.”
“He was here yesterday morning. I haven’t seen him since. Is there trouble at the mill?”
“Nothing Louis can’t take care of. Milo is on a tear. He fired three men this morning, but I told them not to go, just stay out of sight for a while.”
“It’s not unusual for Milo to be on a tear, is it? Come have some rice pudding.”
“It’s tempting, but I think I’d better get on back and try to keep things going until Louis gets back to calm him down.” Steven pulled a big gold watch from his vest pocket, flipped open the lid and looked at the time. “Louis takes these little trips occasionally to spy on the Malones.”
Dory grinned. “I don’t doubt it, Steven. Let’s hope he doesn’t get caught.”
“There’d be trouble aplenty. I’m not sure Malone is guilty of all they accuse him of.”
“You’d never make Louis believe that.”
“I wouldn’t even give it a try. Sorry to have interrupted your dinner. Good day, Miss Dory.” Steven stepped out the door with his fedora hat in his hand. On the porch he paused and set it squarely on his head.
Dory watched him ride away before she came back to the table. She had a worried frown on her face.
“I hope James stays away from the mill if Milo is having one of his crazy spells.”
“Crazy spells?” Ben asked.
“Crazy, my foot. It’s pure old meanness, is what it is,” Wiley said. “Milo ain’t got much sense to start with, but when he’s all liquored up and gets it in for a body, he ain’t got no more sense than a pie-eyed mule. He’d as soon beat a feller to death as look at him.”
“Steven seemed nervous.” Ben helped himself to the cream in the pitcher. “Do you think Milo’s giving him trouble?”
“Could be. Ever’ once in a while Milo gets it in his head that Steven’s cheatin’ ’im and Louis.”
“Can’t they look at the books and tell if he’s keeping straight accounts?”
“Nope. Milo and Louis don’t read or write much. That’s why they keep Steven. He was a young feller when he came here. Bright as a new penny too. George, Dory’s pa, took to him right away and hired him. He’s been here since. George was fond of him. Mighty fond. So was Jean.”
“Papa stated in his will that Steven could work here as long as he wanted to. If he was fired for any reason, the company had to pay him for two years’ work.”
“I think that if I was Steven, I’d find an excuse to bash in Milo’s head so I’d get fired.”
“That wouldn’t do it,” Dory laughed. “He tried it once and Louis wouldn’t agree to fire him. They know he keeps straight books. The banker comes out every couple of years and checks them. Not once has he found anything that wasn’t right.”
“He looks more like a banker than a tally keeper,” Ben said, and stood.
Wiley reluctantly moved his chair back from the table. “He ain’t changed a bit since he come here. Neat and gentleman-like. Never thought he’d last out the week.” Wiley reached for his battered hat and slammed it down on his head. “Hit was a mighty fine meal, Dory.”
“Thanks for the dinner. I don’t know when I’ve had better,” Ben said. “I’ll run up and see Odette for a minute before I go back to work.”
“Me, too. Me go see Odette.” Jeanmarie held out her arms to Ben. Her big eyes had a pleading look he couldn’t resist.
“All right, little curly-head.” Ben lifted her up to sit on his arm. She grinned at her mother over his shoulder.
“You’re spoiling her, Ben.”
“Little girls are supposed to be spoiled. Isn’t that right, curly-head?”
“Uh-huh,” the child replied.
Dory stood clutching the back of the chair. Having Ben and Odette here had been wonderful, not only for her, but for Jeanmarie. Her child was basking in their attention.
“Good man, Dory. I wish he’d stay on here.” Wiley was watching her intently. “The young’un took to him.”
“They’ll stay until the engine is set up. Then they’ll go. Ben would never work permanently for Louis and Milo.”
“You an’ the young’un could go with him.”
“For goodness sake, Wiley. He hasn’t asked me. Hasn’t even hinted of it.”
“He ain’t got no wife. Can’t ya—”
“—No, I can’t. He either stays because he wants to or not at all.”
Steven could hear the big saw blade singing before he reached the mill. Milo must have quieted down, or Tinker wouldn’t have started the saws going. Damn Milo. He had come back to camp with cut lips and full of fight. The story he told about his fight with Ben Waller convinced no one but his closest cronies. After a day of drinking, he had ordered the men to load the firebox so that he could start up the donkey engine. Fearing that the boiler would blow up, they had refused.
Milo had become raving mad and kicked over the stove in the bunkhouse. Luckily there had been enough men around to put out the fire that had started when the hot coals had come in contact with a stack of blankets and a straw-filled mattress. Then, while the majority of the mill hands were at breakfast, he had climbed up on the platform and pulled the lever that set the two large circular saws whirling in midair. Above the blades was a system of belts and pulleys, any one of which could break or grow hot and burn through. Free of a log. the saws had begun to sing a high unwavering note that had brought Tinker on the run.
Strong as an ox, Tinker had wrested the controls from Milo, shut down the machinery, and pulled him off the carriage.
Steven had been tempted to send someone to the home-stead, but he knew Waller was down there and he was afraid Waller and Louis might have had a set-to over Dory. It was best that the workers know as little about that situation as possible, so
he had gone himself.
Steven rode to the barn and handed his horse over to a muleskinner who sat on the rail fence waiting for his animals to drink.
“Louis back?”
“Not yet, but Milo drank enough to pass out. Cook kept pouring it to him. That damn Milo’s goin’ to get hisself or somebody else killed. I got a notion to hie my tail on over to Malone and see if he needs another muleskinner.”
“What happened after I left?”
“He started a fight with Tinker, and Tinker put a headlock on him. When he yelled at Tinker that he was fired, Tinker laughed. Milo went crazy, jumped on the boiler and started hitting it with that twenty-pound maul. It took four men to hold him. He’s plumb crazy.”
Steven walked to his cabin, unlocked the door, went inside and carefully wiped his feet on the floor mat before he placed his hat on the hatrack beside the door. This had been his home for sixteen years. His first two years at Callahan Mill had been spent in the bunkhouse with the men. They had been the most miserable years of his life. Then, with two years’ wages in his pocket, he’d had the cabin built during the off season and had gone to Coeur d’Alene for the furnishings. His cabin was off-limits to everyone in the camp, including Louis and Milo.
Steven went to the glass-fronted cabinet and poured himself a brandy. Carrying the short-stemmed goblet to the window, he stood and looked out over the mill site.
How long was he going to have to stay here? Was it going to take the rest of his life to repay his debt to George Callahan? He had said when the time was right, do what you think best. Steven glanced at the false-fronted bottom of the cabinet where the heavy iron safe was hidden. He sighed. He owed George Callahan his life. The best he could do was to give him a few more weeks or months of it. Things were coming to a head. He could feel it.
Dory was preparing the evening meal when James rode into the yard, dismounted, and led his horse to the barn. She hoped he had worked out in his mind whatever the problem was that had been bothering him when he had ridden away that morning. It worried her that he might have become aware of just how cruelly Louis and Milo treated her. James was so dear to her. If anything should happen to him, it would break her heart. She and Jeanmarie would be alone. The only thing she could do then would be to throw herself on the mercy of the Malones. She shivered at the thought.
Sins of Summer Page 11
