“I knowed that’s right.” Joe nodded.
“So, tell me about Hattie and Sam. Do you like her, I mean them?” Lee asked, slipping out of his worn out boots and tossing them in a corner.
Joe eyed the boots, then dropped his head. He fidgeted for a minute then replied, “Like any other woman, I guess. Well, no sir, she ain’t like anybody I ever knowed. She’s quiet and gentle and caring.”
“So what do you think of her?” Lee chuckled.
“Yes sir, she’s a good woman. She’s more than good. But she don’t dress up much. She came here with practically nothing, the clothes on her back and a few fer the kids, that was all. She acts like she is happy here. She never complains about all the work, just happy to have it. But if she was a mind to, she’d be one of the prettiest ladies this side of Alabama.” Joe smiled.
“Well, at least that fits. Now tell me about the important things. What kind of person is she?”
“Nice, well sir, she’s polite, she’s got manners, she makes her kids mind and don’t spoil them rotten. She teaches them stuff. And she really don’t want no troubles. But she’s got ‘em,” Joe said sadly.
Lee frowned. He didn’t want any trouble either. He’s seen enough to last a lifetime. He’d have to see after her.
After a lot of thought Lee asked, “Why did they burn the house? Trying to scare her out?”
Joe hung his head as though he didn’t want to talk any more but felt compelled to answer.
“Yes sir, they did want to scare her out. But she didn’t budge. She got out there and fought that fire and put it out before it did too much damage. She couldn’t get no help to rebuild, so she left it. But things need some repairs around here, Mr. Lee. That old house is gonna fall down without it some repairs. I’m glad you are home so we can take care of it. The Jeffries made it even harder for her when they got the dry goods place to not sell her any feed for the animals. ‘Course we can find a place on down the road that will sell us some supplies, if need be.”
Lee nodded, his frown growing with every word. “And this Frank wants her for himself?”
“It seems so.”
“Well, he won’t get her, not by a long shot. Not unless that’s what she wants.”
“No sir, she don’t want that at all, I can tell you. I hate to say it, ‘cause it will just make things harder for you, but she acts like your widow.”
Then it hit him. Lee sat up and stared at Joe. “I’ve got to tell you Joe, I want no lies between us. I want you to know how I met her and Sam. I want you to know everything. It all began before I went to war. I ran into Sam one day, cryin’ over a man hanging in a tree: his pa. So I buried the man, and was gonna take him to town when Hattie came out of the bushes. She couldn’t have been over fifteen at the time. Now I had two kids and didn’t know what to do with them. So I took them into town, and ran into Gloria Newcomb who offered to take care of them for me. I left her some money and left the kids there. Through the years I thought about Hattie and Sam. When I thought I was dyin’ I signed over that deed to Gloria, thinkin’ they would all be taken care of. Gloria wrote me a letter back sayin’ she got the deed, and thanked me, that they would be on their way soon. I figured even if I lived, I could come back and work the place for her. When I got into town, I saw Hattie, wasn’t sure it was her, it had been a long time and she sure filled out as a woman since I seen her. Anyway, I saw Sam and knew it had to be them. On the way out here, I saw her again, they were picnicin’ and then someone shot at them. I took the kid that was hurt to the wagon and she told me to come here.”
“They fired on her and them kids?” Joe asked as his brow shot upward. “She didn’t even tell me about it. But then, she don’t speak of her troubles. It’s like she don’t want to put nobody out.”
“I brought her back to the house, but I didn’t ask no questions. I thought it would be best to learn about it from you first. I needed to know all you could tell me.” Lee shook his head and smiled. “I had no idea that I was supposed to be dead. I heard Jeffries talking to her in town and telling her the land wouldn’t be hers long.”
Joe scratched his head. “Well sir…lovin’ a black lady ain’t gonna be easy, you know…”
“No, but I know that, and for both our sakes I don’t intend telling her how I feel,” Lee admitted.
“That ain’t very fair to her, is it?”
“No, but at least it won’t give her any more trouble than she’s already got.”
Joe nodded. “Lord, Lord, there’s gonna be trouble no matter what, Mr. Lee.”
Chapter Three
“Come out of there…” a voice yelled from a white hooded man on a horse.
Hattie sent Lily to hide with Joe as she came out on the porch. She wore men’s pants and shirt, and a flop hat. She had a rifle on her arm, but seeing the odds, she lowered it quickly. She stood looking out over the fifty head or so of men. Fear skidded down her back but she knew better than to show it. She knew they were here to scare her again, and they were doing a dandy job of it, but she’d die before she let them see her fear.
They all seemed to stare for a few minutes as the horses stirred against each other.
Hattie shivered, sweat trickled between her breasts. She was way outnumbered.
Silence sliced the air for tense filled moments, as horses stirred and neighed.
“What do you want?” she asked, her voice low and husky with fear.
“We warned you once to git, but you didn’t listen. This is your second warning, don’t let there be a third. Because next time we come after you. We don’t need your kind here. Ain’t no squatter gonna ever own land here, and ain’t gonna start now,” the man said. “We done told you that, girl. We aim to run you out and you might as well understand it. We don’t stand for people come in tryin’ to take over the land that don’t belong. You don’t seem to know your place girl, and we gotta show you. Negroes don’t own land here.”
“I done told you Gloria Newcomb signed over the deed to me, and the judge here in your town done said it was legal and binding.”
“That don’t matter, we can change that real quick. Besides, we don’t believe you…lady. This land belonged to the Nelsons. For years now. Not no Negro. Why, even Ole Joe knows his place around here and he’s been around longer than anyone but the Nelsons.”
“But, Gloria signed those papers over to me. Now I own the land, ‘cause Mr. Lee and Mr. Dil are dead. I have the right to live here. The judge agreed. Are you goin’ against the judge?” she quipped with a slight show of temper.
“Don’t matter what the judge said. Don’t matter at all. We are our own judges and jury. In case you ain’t noticed. Like as not, he ain’t put the fear of God in you lady, but we can. You ain’t welcome in the state of Alabama and you are gonna know it before this is over. You need to get back to Arkansas or where ever you came from, where you belong. You and them kids of yours, too.” The man in the tallest hood nodded to one of his men. The man threw a torch on the shed. “We done told you, squatters ain’t welcome. And the way we see it, you ain’t nothin’ but a squatter. You ain’t got no man, you cain’t run this farm. You cain’t pay the taxes. Now woman, take note of it. You pack up your belongings and git out of here, or we’ll run you out. We don’t want to see those little girls hurt, and I’m sure you don’t either. So get to packin’.”
Hattie raised her head and stared at them as she came closer. Every limb in her body shook with raw nerves. “I’m not a squatter. I own this land fair and square. I know what you want, and had you asked decent like, I’d have given you water rights, but you came in here with guns and tried to force me out of my own place before you even knew the facts.” She fisted her mouth to keep from screaming. “I’m not a squatter and you know it. I got rights, and you know it. Now, get out…” she shouted when her courage returned. “Get away from my home.”
“Remember, the next time it’ll be the house--and maybe you in it!” And then they rode off as fast as they rode in.
The tears rolled down her cheeks as Joe took her in his arms.
“Why can’t they leave me alone, I’m not bothering them…” she cried. “I ask nothing of anyone.”
Joe shook his head. “Take the younguns to the house…I’ll take care of this.”
She gathered Lily, Violet and Daisy and went back inside, her shoulders drooping as she walked. Violet limped slowly by her side.
“Don’t cry Mama, it’ll be alright.” Violet cried right along with her.
***
As soon as she was gone, Joe searched for Lee. He peeked inside the shed to see if he was there, when Lee called from the edge of the trees.
“I’m over here, Joe,” Lee called as he came out of the woods and looked up at the house.
“How’d you know they were out there?” Joe asked as he tried to shovel dirt on the flames.
“I heard them ride up. There were too many to be very quiet about it,” Lee answered, joining him. The shed was gone and there was nothing to do but let it burn itself out. They dug a small ditch around it, so it wouldn’t spread then they both flopped down to the ground.
“Guess I better git back up to the house, she’ll be worried about me.” Joe smiled. “Damn fool pack of heathens. When’s it gonna stop?”
“How long has this been goin’ on?” Lee asked. “How long they been terrorizing her?”
“Too long. We had some dogs, but they got them first. They poisoned them.”
“Killed your dogs?”
“Yep, one of them bit them and they shot it. The others they poisoned. They tried to set fire to the house last time. She was able to put it out before it done too much damage.”
“I heard of this bunch up in Tennessee. Men in white ridin’ through the night to murder and torch places. Never seen it though, not ‘til now.” Lee glanced at Joe. “They know you’re still here, don’t they?”
“Oh yeah, but they don’t pay much never mind to me, ‘cause I treat them the same way. She ain’t no squatter. That’s part of what’s burnin’ their hides, she got this land legal and there ain’t nothin’ they can do about it, except kill her. And I reckon they ain’t above that neither.”
“I know. And there’s gonna be trouble because of it. Damn water rights, that’s all it is.”
“Always is. But you know Joe…I been thinkin’…water rights ain’t really a cause to die for. She needs to let them have ‘em.”
“Are you serious?” Joe’s eyes were round and big. “After all this time, you just gonna hand it over to them…”
“It ain’t enough to die for Joe, and someone is definitely gonna die if this keeps up. War teaches you pretty quick that a man should pick and choose what he wants to die for. I’d die for the land, I’d die for you or Hattie or Sam, but water rights…?”
“But she ain’t gonna give ‘em them rights.”
“Yeah, I see that. But maybe I can reason with her, make her see…”
“Then you gonna tell her who you are?”
“No…not now at least. Maybe someday. And its best she don’t know. But with me dead, there is less reason to fight over the water…don’t you see?”
Joe studied on it for a minute. “Yes sir…I guess you is right about that.”
“Man…I been fightin’ for so long, I guess its habit. I sure did want to come home and settle down though. Has she ever done anything to upset anyone around here? Is it some kind of vengeance they are after?”
Joe thought on it for a minute, then nodded as though it just occurred to him. “Well, now that you mention it. The first time Frank came out here, she turned her nose up at him and he tried to get too friendly and she pointed a gun at him. Tears came into her eyes, but she didn’t let them fall. She stood there, bit her lip and put the gun to his head and told him to get or she’d blow his head off. Course he did, for the time, but he came back a lot. He’s more determined than ever to take an advantage just to put her in her place. She turned him down and don’t nobody turn Frank down. He’s determined to rub her nose in it now. Like she some kind of scum. But no sir, she ain’t done nothing Mr. Lee. Nothing at all. When she first showed up, the judge told the Jeffries they’d have to ask for water rights from her.”
“Did she give anyone else the rights?”
“Mr. Harvey. Him and his Missus came and she granted them rights and had a paper drawn up by the judge that just made the Jeffries madder.”
“I can see where it might, yeah.”
“That shore did set them off, because after Frank treated her the way he did, she told them they couldn’t have her water, she’d die first. That set things to movin’. It’s pretty crazy, they need that water, and they are bound and determined to get it. Frank, he thought he could just waltz in here, romance her a little and take it. But he found out different, and he shore don’t like it. Now he’s set on takin’ her down, any way he can.”
Joe shook his head. “Someone mumbled, ‘That could happen too.’”
“Seems like there is always someone wanting to get rid of someone else around here. Hasn’t anyone told them that the war is over? You’d think fighting would get old.”
“That was before the war. Before the war, things weren’t so bad, ‘til the north decided they needed to free the slaves. A decent man did his work and the master of the house treated them fair most times. Course there was always the ones that was too lazy to work and they got beat. Now things have changed. They hanged a couple of Negroes over in Mobile area. I think it’s your friends the Jeffries that keep stirin’ this up though. He’s tied in with ‘em.”
“I wouldn’t doubt that a bit. Is she okay?” Lee asked, his eyes straying to the house once more. He wished he’d got a better look at her but he was too far away to see or hear much.
“You shore do love that gal, don’t you?” Joe asked with a smile.
“Joe,” Lee looked at him seriously. “You’re right, I’m not at all sure I can keep my hands off her. I love her. I love the way she stands up for herself, the way she takes those kids as her own, the way she says no to the Jeffries. What’s not to love? And that is by far the biggest war I’m fightin’. If she’d find her a black man, maybe things would settle out.”
“Won’t never happen. She’s got it in her head that she loves you and that she’ll be true to your memory. And ‘cause you love her?” Joe twisted his head. “I think you two must belongs to each other. Guess God made an exception…”
“God, help me I do.” Lee sighed. “And I love her more for standin’ her ground. I’ve just got to teach her that she don’t have to fight everything. Sometimes you gotta know when to give in.”
“Let’s not worry over it tonight. Not tonight you don’t have to do a thing about it. You hungry?” Joe glanced up at him.
“I could eat a bear.” Lee smiled.
“I’ll see what she’s got cookin’, be back soon.” Joe slapped him on the back. “We’ll eat in the barn.”
“Alright.” Lee nodded. Lee sneaked his way over to the barn and made himself comfortable. He thought about the figure on the porch, he couldn’t see her well from the trees and the very fact that she faced those men had Lee admiring her spunk.
When Joe brought out Lee’s supper, Lee was in better spirits and appreciated the food, mightily.
“She’s one fine cook,” Lee remarked. “Pork chops, potatoes and gravy, creamed corn and pea salad, with mighty fine bread. Looks like Hattie turned out to be quite a woman. Makes me almost anxious to meet her proper like.”
Joe smiled. “Yes sir, she is.”
“Who planted the cotton this year?” Lee asked.
Joe glanced at him peculiar like. “Why, me and her planted it. Why?”
“How does she think she’s gonna get a fair price? Frank won’t let that happen. He’s already closed her credit at the store from what I heard.” Lee wanted to kno
w.
“Mr. Harvey, he offered to help when the time comes,” Joe answered. “If we can get it ready for market. They would rob her blind, her bein’ a woman.”
“You’re right about that. The Harvey’s are a nice bunch of people. He’s a fair man to deal with, always was,” Lee acknowledged.
“Mr. Harvey and his wife have been good neighbors to her. They like those girls. They got manners and they works right alongside her most the time,” Joe said slowly.
Lee nodded. “They are a cute bunch of kids.”
“The youngest is just a little over three years old, I have to tell you Mr. Lee, I was as surprised as anyone when she showed up, but that woman works hard as any man, and she takes good care of her kids.”
Lee smiled. It was the first real smile in a while and Joe began to relax.
After a long silence, Joe was about to leave and Lee stopped him. “I got an idea. It might just work since she don’t seem to recognize me.”
Joe came up to his side, obviously anxious to hear it as he stood waiting.
“If I’m dead, and better off that way, we’ll leave it at that, for now, ‘til I see for myself about things. But this is my home and I’m not going to just walk off and leave it. So you’re gonna get me hired on as help. My name will have to be changed. I’ll be Luke Sayers…how does that sound? He died in the Battle of Bull Run.”
Joe’s eyes brightened. “Sounds right nice. Mr. Luke. But what if she don’t want to hire you?”
“You’ll see that she does,” Lee threatened.
“But Mr. Lee…”
“Luke, and I’ll work the first month for nothin’ but room and meals. So she’ll see how good I am in the fields,” he informed him. “Besides, with a heart like Hattie’s, how could she refuse to help a one-armed man?”
Joe scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Yes sir, that just might work. You don’t think she’ll recognize you?”
“I looked her straight in the eye in town and she didn’t. So…I’ll go up to the house tomorrow and introduce myself and say you sent me by saying she needed someone.” Lee slapped Joe on the back.
Just One Kiss (The Dream Catcher Series-Book Two) Page 6
