Rock Hard Lumberjack: A Lumberjack And A City Girl Romance

by Rye Hart

  “You are new here.”

  A soft voice addressed me, the accent out of place. I’d heard a few other people with the same accent, though I was unsure as to where it was from. My eyes fluttered open and I looked up at a young woman holding a basket of fresh apples. She smiled softly at me and offered me one, which I took thankfully, my cheeks red.

  “I just moved here recently,” I murmured, taking a bite of the apple. I wasn’t particularly hungry, but it seemed rude to not accept the gift.

  “What’s your name?”

  I hesitated before answering. This felt so strange. No one had been this kind to me since I arrived. I cleared my throat and finally offered my name.

  “Dyani.”

  “Dyani. That’s beautiful. It’s very exotic.”

  “May I ask your name?”

  “Of course. My name is Rebecca,” she said with a smile, offering her hand to me.

  When I glanced at her hand I could not help but think back to the first moment I met Johnathan. I smiled and took her hand, offering a confident shake and a smile.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” I said.

  “And you!” she sang, “Where are you living? You should come for tea some time.”

  I was a bit taken aback by how forward she was. Hardly anyone had looked at me since I’d been in Billings, and now this stranger was inviting me to her home. I answered uncertainly. “Tea? I’m not sure what that is.”

  “Oh you’ll love it! If you live too far away I could send a carriage.”

  “I live at the inn,” I admitted almost shyly.

  She frowned deeply and touched my hair. “The inn? Why in the world do you stay there, pretty girl? It’s dangerous for a girl with such a lovely face to stay in a place like that.”

  “I don’t really have a choice,” I admitted. “I just moved here and I don’t have any money. The bar keep is letting me rent a room in exchange for help in the saloon, but he doesn’t pay me any actual money.”

  Rebecca clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Come with me,” she said, offering her hand.

  I took the Rebecca’s hand slowly and stood with her. I wasn’t sure why, but I trusted this woman. “Where are we going?”

  “We’re going to go get your things so that you can come stay with me.”

  “Oh no!” I gasped, pulling my hand away and holding it up. “I could not possibly do that!”

  She cocked a brow and put her hands on her hips. “And why not?”

  “That’s too much! I could not possibly live under someone’s roof for free! And, forgive me, you seem like a lovely person, but we do not know one another at all,” I said.

  She chuckled and shook her head. “Good. That means you have virtue and a good work ethic. It won’t be for nothing, my dear. I’m looking for someone to help around the house. I live in a large home with my husband and daughter and the work and errands are a bit much for me to handle on my own.” She explained, waving her hand in the air. “And knowing that you lift up your prayers to our Lord, is good enough for me,” she added.

  My chest swelled with hope, and when I breathed my next words out, I could feel tears pooling in my eyes. “Really?”

  She chuckled and nodded. “Really. Now, are you coming?”

  I nodded quickly and following her out of the church, glancing back at the crucifix and smiling thankfully.

  Chapter Four

  My eyes fluttered open and I looked around at the beautiful room that I’d been waking up in for over a week now. The windows were still open from the night before and the sheer curtains billowed in the breeze. I groaned softly as I sat up, my body still not used to the softness of the bed. I had slept on a cot at the inn and it was not even close too nice.

  I stood and ran my fingers through my dark hair for a moment before dressing for the day. I was thankful to Rebecca for buying me more than one dress. I was afraid the poor thing was going to fall apart form over washing before I could get a new one!

  I sighed and braided my hair, looking out the window to see what the weather looked like. It was going to be a bright sunny day and I could not have been more thrilled. I hummed softly to myself and turned to walk out of the room, plucking the list of chores off my door on my way out.

  Rebecca always left a small list of things for me to do on my door so I’d be ready to take on the day. It was much easier to function when you knew exactly what you needed to be doing. I hated running around without a plan.

  I wandered through town, ignoring the strange looks people tossed my way. None of that mattered anymore. Rebecca had given me confidence and showed me that not everyone was fearful of natives. I could only hope that her trusting me would help others find compassion in their own souls. I had dreams of my people and the white man living together without fear of one another.

  I glanced down at the paper and hummed. I was supposed to go the blacksmith to pick up the horse. I assumed it was being reshoed. I decided to do that first since it would be the most time consuming task. I went straight for the blacksmith’s shop, knocking on the door and waiting patiently.

  I heard cursing from inside and put a hand to my lips, surprised by the vulgarities coming from within. When the door was finally opened an annoyed man looked at me, brows furrowed and face dirty from soot. I opened my mouth to speak, but my voice got lost when I realized who I was looking at.

  “J-Johnathan?” The name came out as a hushed whisper.

  His face softened and he started at me. “Dyani?”

  I wasn’t sure whether to feel excited or betrayed. I took a step back but before I could get away he reached out and yanked me closed, wrapping his arms around me and holding me tight.

  “Oh God! I thought I’d never see you again!”

  I wanted to be angry but I could not help melting in his arms, resting my head on his shoulder. I hesitantly wrapped my arms around him in return, still unable to speak. He held me for a long moment before slowly pulling away and cupping my cheeks.

  “Is it really you?” he asked.

  I finally managed to pull myself together and pulled away from him, my eyes wet with tears. “How dare you!” I snapped.

  His eyes widened and he looked me over. “Dyani?”

  “Don’t! Don’t say my name!” I spat, shoving Rebecca’s order ticket into his hands. “I want to pick up my horse and leave!”

  He took the paper and looked down at it, his brows furrowed. “Please. Will you hear me out?”

  The shock of seeing him again had worn off and I was shaking with anger now. I wanted to tell him no and I wanted to tell him to never talk to me again, but I caved. I was so weak against those beautiful golden eyes. I swallowed and crossed my arms over my chest.

  “Fine. I’ll listen to what you have to say, but don’t touch me again,” I whispered, my voice shaking.

  He nodded slowly and closed his eyes. “I spent so long so afraid I would not see again. I thought about you a lot, you know.”

  I shook my head slowly and looked at him, eyes wide. “Then why did you disappear? Why did you stop coming to our spot?” I demanded.

  He sighed and lifted his hands as if he were going to touch me, but remembered our deal and dropped his hands.

  “Ma and Pa figured out what I was doing,” he closed his eyes. “They told me I could not see you anymore. They moved me away to a town a few hours north and I came back, hoping to find you, but it had been years and I could not enter your camp. I tried once and a man found me and told me he’d kill me if I came back. I did not know what to do, so I just stayed here and secretly hoped and prayed that I would find you one day,” he smiled weakly. “And here you are, as beautiful as I imagined you’d be.”

  My tears were flowing down my cheeks now, my chest rising and falling far quicker than I wanted it to. I wanted to remain restrained, but I broke again. I did not stand a chance against him. Slowly I raised my shaking hands, cupping his cheeks and staring at him.

  “I had no idea.”

 
He put his hands over mine and smiled sadly. “I would not leave you without a good reason. It killed me when they took me away from you. No one understood my pain and no one would listen. I knew we were meant to be together but no one thought we could be. They said we were from different worlds, but that never mattered to us, did it?” he whispered, stroking my cheek.

  I shook my head, fighting tears as I pressed myself into his shoulder. He lifted my gaze so that I was forced to meet his and smiled.

  “Should we pick up where we left off?”

  Chapter Five

  How could I say no to his request? I had missed him so much and it brought some relief to know that he hadn’t left because he got bored of me. I figured I had been a novelty all along and that he had no real interest in me. He saw my dark skin and it piqued his curiosity. The fact that he’d actually been interested in me all along, made my heart swell with hope. Maybe we really were meant to be together.

  After that first meeting things fell right back into place. Rebecca was thrilled when I told her I found him. We’d spent nights talking by the fire and on a few occasions, I found that my conversations wandered to him, my heart aching and desperate. She could not have been happier for me and actually allowed me to do fewer chores so that I could spend more time with him. I was thankful for that, but I always made sure that my work was done before leaving to meet with Johnathan.

  When we were together it was like no time had passed. He could still make me laugh, and when he touched me, I felt that same butterfly flutter in my belly. He made me feel amazing and I could only hope that I made him feel the same way.

  One afternoon, I walked through town briskly, eager to make it to his shop. I knocked on the door and smiled as I pushed it open. Johnathon was hard at work, hunched over a piece of hot steel as he hammered it, forcing it back into the correct shape. His arms were strong and every muscle was on display as he worked the iron. It made me blush and I could not help reaching out and touching his broad shoulders.

  He stopped mid-swing and turned to look at me, his face softening when he saw it was me. He always looked so intense when he worked. I loved seeing the shift on his features when he spotted me. He dropped the hammer and stood, wrapping his arms around me gently. I sighed and returned the affection, leaning up and kissing his cheek as I brushed hair from his face, smiling.

  “How are you doing today?” I hummed.

  “It’s been a busy day, but I’m happy you are here now,” he murmured, stroking my cheek adoringly.

  I blushed and just grinned, taking his hand. “Do you think you could leave a little early?”

  “I suppose I could,” he said, removing his apron with his free hand. “Did you have something in mind?”

  I nodded and tugged him away from his work and toward the door. He chuckled deep in his throat but followed easily, allowing me to pull him despite the fact that he was quite a bit larger than me. He did not argue a bit and just smiled.

  Eventually we ended up at a small lake near Rebecca’s house. I started wriggling out of my heavy top dress and I saw him blush. I rolled my eyes a little, smiling.

  “I have another dress on under this,” I explained, motioning toward the lighter, blue dress.

  It might have been considered an undergarment, but I had a hard time feeling scandalous when every inch of my skin below my neck was covered. These people had a strange obsession with modesty that I’d never understand. They would overheat themselves for the sake of “propriety.” It made the human form even more appetizing, I thought. I never thought impure thoughts of my half naked friends back home.

  He was still blushing but nodded as he slipped out of his boots. I grabbed his hand and pulled hard, yanking him into the water with me. I hit the surface of the water and it cooled my skin almost immediately. When Johnathan came up, I smiled and swam over to him, wrapping myself around his tall frame. I was just about as tall as him, though I wasn’t near as muscular. I smiled and put my forehead to his, leaning in close and kissing him gently. I loved the way his lips felt on mine.

  He held me close and returned the kiss, looking up at me, his eyes bright. He’d been looking at me like that for months now. We really did pick up right where we left off and it went off without so much as a bump in the road and the years we’d spent apart mattered little.

  “Is this what’s it’s going to be like forever?” I asked softly, still pressed close to him.

  “I hope so,” he admitted, cupping my cheek. “As long as we’re willing to let it, I think it will be like this forever,” he added.

  I smiled and nodded, though my joy slowly started to fade. “Sometimes I think about how much I missed you when you were gone,” I whispered, closing my eyes. “It was awful. After you left, I did not know what to do with myself.”

  He held me closer and shook his head. “That’s never going to happen again, sweetheart.”

  “You promise? I just don’t know if my heart could take it.”

  “I’m my own man now,” he started, kissing me tenderly. “No one could tear you from me. God brought us together and it would be like spitting in His face if I walked away from you. I love you, Dyani.”

  My eyes widened just a little. He’d never said those words to me before and they sounded so profound now. My throat felt tight and I stared at him.

  “What did you say?”

  He caught my gaze and stared right into my eyes. “I love you.”

  Tears came to my eyes and I threw my arms around him. I’d always dreamed of him saying those words, but I never thought I’d actually hear it. I hid my face in his neck and despite the tears and sobs, I managed to return the sentiment, kissing him anywhere I could possibly reach.

  “I love you too, Johnathan. More than you could ever know.”

  Chapter Six

  “Where are you going so late?” Rebecca asked as she flipped through her paper.

  It had been a few days since Johnathan admitted his love for me and I was still floating on a cloud. My stomach fluttered whenever I thought about it, and the telling smile was more than I could hide. When Rebecca addressed me she had a smile on her face. She was a good woman and never said anything to be rude or spiteful.

  I blushed a little and smiled almost shyly, looking away. “Johnathan invited me to go see the fireworks with him,” I explained.

  Her smile faded just a little and she set the paper down, walking over to me and stroking my hair. Rebecca wasn’t much older than me, but she had a motherly nature about her that I could not ignore. It was innate in her and came out so easily. She loved and cared about everyone.

  “There are going to be a lot of people there.”

  The comment confused me a bit and I found myself cocking my head to the side, unsure as to her meaning.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Be careful,” she said.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  She sighed softly and shook her head. “Not everyone is as open minded as us,” she explained.

  I still did not understand, but after a moment it sunk in. “You are afraid someone will say something about Johnathan and I.”

  “Or do something,” she said. “Just promise me you’ll be aware, okay?”

  I nodded and hugged her tight. “He’ll keep me safe.”

  She nodded and smiled softly. “I know he will darling. Now, go enjoy yourself.”

  I nodded and ran out the door and down the short road that led to town. Johnathan lived in a flat above his shop and so we met just outside. He held a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a blanket in the other. I could not help but laugh as I approached him.

  “I suppose food isn’t quite as important as whiskey,” I teased gently.

  He grinned and shrugged, offering me the blanket which I took. We headed down toward the empty field where everyone else had gathered and I started laying the blanket out. Johnathan settled on it shortly after I did and poured two small glasses for us to sip. We’d gotten to the field early enough to
have a spot under a tree so Johnathan leaned back against it and I leaned into him. His arm settled around me and I sighed softly, just happy to be with him in that moment. Everything felt so good and my life felt perfect.

  When I opened my eyes again I looked up and saw worry on Johnathan’s face. I was about to ask him what the matter was when I turned and saw that all eyes were on us. People were glowering at us, moving their children away from us and shielding them.

  I was taken aback at the rudeness of their collective behavior. Neither Johnathon, nor I had done anything wrong. I was determined to stand my ground against their ignorance. I’d made up my mind and I started to settle back against Johnathan, when a man near us made a point of pulling his jacket back so that we could see the gun on his hip. My heart skipped a beat and I whimpered softly.

  “Maybe we should just go-” I started.

  “No. We’re staying,” Johnathan said sharply, revealing his own pistol.

  The man scoffed and turned away, looking toward the sky as the show started. I watched the explosion of colors with mild interest, but I could not get the sight of that man’s gun out of my head. I would have liked to say that I was strong and that it was harder than that to scare me, but it would be a lie. I was afraid of what might happen to Johnathan and me at the hands of people who just did not understand our relationship.

  After the show, we started to pack up and the man with the gun approached us again. I scooted closer to Johnathan who just looked up at the man with a bored expression.

  “Yes?” Johnathan asked him.

  “You can’t just come around, flaunting this abomination,” the stranger said.

  “I don’t know what you mean,” Johnathan said calmly.

  “You know exactly what I mean! You are opening us all up to danger! She’s probably here to spy on us and report back to her tribe!”