Reckless Rogue

by Davis, Mary

Lizzie’s heart skipped a beat. Pete. He hadn’t left after all.

  Pete made a perfect landing and stopped right by her. Unlike Lizzie’s bouncy landing. She would have to work on that. Maybe she could talk him into letting her fly his aeroplane again.

  Pete jumped down with Fred, pulled off his helmet, and ruffled his brown, wavy hair. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

  So was he. She wasn’t even sore about Daddy being sour at her now that she’d seen Pete. “Can I fly her again?”

  Pete hesitated, and she could tell he was about to turn her down.

  “Please.”

  “Jenny’s running a little rough. Can you wait a day or two until I figure it out?”

  She was disappointed, but he hadn’t said no, and that meant he’d be around for a few more days. “Can you at least take me up?” She needed to be in the sky.

  Pete hesitated again, then nodded. “No stunts, though. Just an easy ride. And we stick close to the field.”

  She climbed up onto the wing and stared at the full front seat.

  Pete was right behind her. “Let me get my equipment out of there.” He pulled out a backpack and a duffel bag and tossed them to the ground, then handed her the spare helmet.

  She climbed in, and soon they were airborne. Just as Pete said, it was a gentle ride around the field. She could hear what Pete meant about the engine running a little rough if she listened for it. She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. All of her worries and heartaches seemed to melt away up here.

  When they landed and Pete helped her down off the wing, she said, “It sounds like a spark plug to me.”

  Pete smiled. “I thought so, too.” But Pete wouldn’t let her help him remove the faulty plug, not because he didn’t think her capable, but because he didn’t want her to get grease on her dress.

  Pete drove her Model T to Bill’s, then helped her tune the Continental engine on her aeroplane. “Hand me a wrench.”

  She held onto the tool. He’s a gypsy. Gypsies always leave.

  He turned to her. “That’s the right one.”

  She handed it to him. “Pete, how much longer are you going to stay in Cashmere?”

  “I have no idea.” He shrugged and went back to work.

  No idea? Couldn’t he have said he loved it here or he never wanted to leave?

  Pete took considerable time making sure her engine was running at its very best. When he was done, he stepped back and took a long look at her aeroplane. “I still can’t believe you built that Bleriot all by yourself.”

  “I only had to follow the instructions. How hard is that?” Bill had helped her find an inexpensive used engine and all the scrap lumber she needed. She’d used every penny she’d earned and saved over the past three years to build it.

  “I think there are people who would have a hard time following their nose if it weren’t attached to their face.”

  There were people who didn’t seem to have lick of common sense.

  “Lizzie, I love you.”

  She smiled. He certainly did know what to say to try to charm a girl. “I don’t believe you.”

  He slapped his hand onto his chest. “You wound me. Why would I lie?”

  Oh so charming, but she wouldn’t be suckered. “To get what you want.”

  He cocked his hip against the side of her aeroplane. “And what is it you think I want?”

  “A stolen kiss.”

  He was silent. “I would never lie to you, Lizzie. Never to you.”

  “All of your stories about fighting the Germans? All the aeroplanes you shot down? Being an ace pilot? Is all of that true?” She only wanted the truth.

  He gazed at her a long moment. “I trained at Kelly Field at San Antonio in Texas. I was shipped across the Atlantic Ocean in October. I went through advanced training at a field in England. I was due to ship out to the Western Front on November 12, 1918.”

  “But the armistice was signed on the eleventh.”

  “The Great War was over. I never even got to ship over to Europe. I wanted to fight for my country. . .for the world. . . for freedom.”

  “ ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ ”

  “Is that your measure of love? Death?”

  “It’s God’s. If my life were in peril, would you put yourself in harm’s way to protect me?”

  He paused and thought. She appreciated that. He wasn’t going to give her a flippant answer he thought she wanted to hear. He was searching for the truth, not only for her, but for himself as well. “I know the right answer, and I want to say yes. I’m just not sure.”

  “That’s an honest answer. I like that.”

  “I think I would, but I would never really know for sure unless you were in danger.”

  “You were willing to die for strangers half a world away.”

  “It didn’t really matter. I was doing it for the glory.” He put his hands on her upper arms. “Now I have someone I want to live for.”

  “Another honest answer. You’re full of truthfulness today.”

  He smiled. “I guess I am. So you can believe me when I say I love you.” He stepped closer.

  She had seen a change in him today with the truth. It was in his warm brown eyes. She believed him this time when he said it. She’d seen the real Pete Garfield. “You aren’t going to kiss a lady without her consent, are you?”

  He leaned closer and whispered, “If it’s the only way I can garner a kiss from said lady.”

  “What happened to long-suffering?”

  “Haven’t I suffered enough?”

  “You haven’t suffered at all.” She walked out to her Ford and sat in the driver’s seat.

  Pete stood next to her door. “Mind if I drive?”

  She gazed up at him with the blue sky framing him. “You don’t trust my driving?”

  “You drive fine when you’re watching the road. I just don’t get to drive much. It’s a nice change.”

  She scooted over. It was also a nice change from always being the one driving.

  Pete got right to work at replacing the spark plug in the Jenny with the new one they’d gotten from Bill. And he still wouldn’t let Lizzie help, so she leaned against the tail of Pete’s plane.

  He’s a gypsy. Gypsies always leave. Pete was different. Wasn’t he?

  Pete put his tools away. “Let me take her for a test flight. Then I’ll take you up.”

  It was time to let him go. “You may kiss me now.”

  Pete put a palm flat on either side of her on the aeroplane. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

  Maybe. Sort of. “No.”

  “You said if you let me kiss you that then I would fly away. Why the change of heart?”

  “I want you to stay, but if you are only staying to get a kiss, I want you to leave now before my heart is broken like my grandma’s.” Pete had said he loved her, but how many girls had he said that to? A lot? Was she the only one? His bout of honesty had wrapped around her heart and taken her airborne. But for all that, he was still a gypsy flyboy who needed to be in the air and move from place to place.

  He stared at her. Was he going to kiss her or not? She suspected he was going to play games with her. She needed him to get it over with and fly away for good if that was what he was going to do eventually. She rose up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. Her heart hammered hard against her ribs.

  He leaned in and kissed her back, pressing her against the Jenny. After a long moment, he pulled away. “You cheated.”

  “You never told me not to kiss you.” She tried to duck under one of his arms, but he pulled her close.

  “Not so fast.” He kissed her again. “I’ll be here tomorrow when you come looking for me.”

  Would he? Or was he once again telling her what she wanted to hear?

  The following morning, Lizzie came and was glad to see Pete’s plane still in the field. He hadn’t left. Was he staying for her? Had he really meant it when he
said he loved her?

  “Your good sheriff paid me a visit last night.”

  That was strange. “Really? Why?”

  “He told me I’d overstayed my welcome.”

  “He asked you to leave?”

  Pete nodded.

  Her stomach knotted. “Are you going to?”

  “I’ve done nothing wrong. Mr. Johnson doesn’t mind my using his field. I don’t see why I should have to go.”

  She gave a mental sigh of relief at that.

  ❧

  Two days later, Pete drove Lizzie’s Tin Lizzie from Bill’s Garage back to his aeroplane. It was time for Lizzie to go pick up her dad from work and go home. He didn’t want to part from her. He’d tried to leave several days ago, but when he’d taken off from a neighboring field the following morning, he’d told himself he was only going to fly over once. If Lizzie was in the field, he’d land. He’d flown over the empty field then away. When he’d gotten to the point where he had just enough gasoline to make it back, he decided to fly over one more time. The first time hadn’t been fair. Lizzie was never there that early. When he’d seen her in the field, Jenny seemed to land herself.

  Every day, he told himself that this was his last day. He would leave. But every morning, he anxiously waited for Lizzie’s return, and his heart sped up to a smooth cruising altitude when she finally showed up.

  Three automobiles followed them across the field and stopped next to Jenny. “Looks like I have some new business. I still have enough daylight for a few runs.”

  As he pulled to a stop, he waved, but the seven men scowled as they stepped out of the automobiles. The sheriff stepped forward.

  This was not going to be good.

  “Lieutenant Pete Garfield?”

  The sheriff already knew that, so why did he frame it like a question? Pete nodded.

  “Is this your aircraft?”

  Again, the sheriff knew. “Yes.”

  Lizzie stepped forward. “Sheriff Sherman, what’s this all about?”

  Pete figured it was harassment because he hadn’t left town as ordered.

  The sheriff waved her back. “Never you mind about this. You run on home, Elizabeth.” Sheriff Sherman turned back to him. “You mind if we search it?”

  Pete rolled his eyes and waved his arm toward Jenny. “Be my guest.” They would anyway if they had a mind to.

  The sheriff nodded toward another man who climbed up on the wing as the other men moved around behind Pete. What was going on? He had a really bad feeling about this. What was the sheriff up to?

  The man didn’t search at all but simply reached into the front seat and pulled out a whiskey jug. He jumped down and handed it to the sheriff.

  Sheriff Sherman uncorked it and gave it a sniff. “Bootleg whiskey. You realize it’s illegal to transport or sell alcohol?”

  Pete was surprised that the sheriff didn’t at least try to look a little surprised since he or one of these other good men likely put it there. “It’s not mine. I don’t know how it got there.” Not that he really expected them to believe him.

  “That’s true,” Lizzie chimed in. “I was here earlier with him, and it wasn’t in the aeroplane then. We have been in town together all day. He couldn’t have put it there.”

  One of the men grabbed Pete’s wrists and pulled his hands behind his back. He didn’t bother to fight back. It wouldn’t do any good. His wrists were quickly shackled together.

  Lizzie turned on the man holding him. “Let him go. You can’t do this.”

  Pete caught her gaze. “Lizzie, it’s going to be okay. Don’t worry about me. Remember that I love you.”

  Tears pooled in Lizzie’s beautiful blue eyes. “I love you, too.”

  Pete’s heart blossomed with those words.

  “Sheriff Sherman, I have never once seen him with any kind of strong drink,” Lizzie pleaded.

  “Elizabeth, go home.” The sheriff nodded to another man who grabbed Lizzie by the arms and pulled her toward her Ford.

  She struggled. “Let me go!”

  Pete tugged against his restraints. “Leave her alone.”

  Lizzie fought harder, and the man wrapped his arms around her from behind and lifted her, carrying her to her automobile. Lizzie yelled and made a ruckus.

  “Ow! She bit me!”

  He fought harder. “Don’t hurt her. Leave her alone.” He freed himself from the man who was holding him. He had to help her. Two men tackled him and pinned him to the ground. The air was forced out of his lungs when he hit the ground.

  Lizzie’s scream for him was quickly muffled.

  Another man climbed into the driver’s seat of Lizzie’s Ford and drove off with her held in the passenger seat.

  Pete tried to free himself.

  The sheriff leaned down. “Don’t make this worse on yourself.”

  Pete settled down. Lizzie would come see him. He believed that with all his heart. She loved him. And that feeling was better than any aerial stunt he’d ever completed.

  ❧

  Lizzie struggled against the fleshy bands around her that held like steel.

  Deputy Otis Green, driving her Ford, pulled up to her house and stopped with a jerk.

  As soon as they left, she’d leave, too.

  Otis got out and opened Deputy Anthony Elmer’s door. Anthony said to Otis, “Go get us another vehicle. I’ll make sure she stays put.”

  “You can go with him and leave me alone.” She wanted this brute to let her go.

  “And bring her daddy back with you.” Anthony carried her inside and set her in her mom’s rocking chair. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You can sit nicely, like a lady, in that chair, or I can tie you to it.”

  She believed he would do it, so she folded her arms and glared at him as he sat in Daddy’s chair across from her.

  Pete had nothing to do with that bootleg whiskey. Someone else had put it there. If the sheriff would only let her talk, she knew she could make him believe her.

  She heard what she thought were two automobiles driving up. Daddy came in, and the deputy left. She ran to Daddy and hugged him.

  He put his arms around her. “It’s going to be all right.”

  “Daddy, I’m going to the jail and see him.”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  “Thank you.” She hugged him again.

  Ivan was walking up the road as they were driving into town. She stopped. “Pete’s been arrested. You want to come?”

  Ivan climbed over the door and fell into the back.

  When she arrived at the jail, she ran in, leaving Daddy and Ivan to trail behind her. “Sheriff Sherman, I want to see Pete.”

  “I’m sorry. The prisoner can’t have any visitors right now.”

  Daddy spoke up from behind her, “Lou, we’ve known each other for a long time.”

  “Thirty-two years.”

  “Can’t you bend the rules this once and let Elizabeth see the boy?”

  “I’m sorry, Tom. What kind of law enforcer would I be if I showed favoritism? I’m going to have to stand my ground on this.” He didn’t look sorry at all. Smug was more like it.

  “But he didn’t do anything wrong,” Lizzie said. “I’ll testify to that. I was with him all day. I just want to see him for a minute.”

  The sheriff shook his head.

  Lizzie looked at Daddy, who’d given up on Pete so easily, but then, Daddy didn’t care about Pete as she did.

  She wanted to scream and yell and fight her way in to see Pete. She might be able to get around one deputy, but not two and the sheriff. Daddy wouldn’t fight for her, and Ivan would be too scared. She turned in disgust at them all and stalked out. She’d be back tomorrow, ready for battle.

  Nine

  Pete sat on the uncomfortable cot with Fred curled next to him. The mattress did little to disguise the wire and springs below. Where was Lizzie? Why hadn’t she come?

  He stood and paced to the bars, gripping them in his hands and looking out
. A door sealed the end of the corridor. He was cut off from anyone coming into the main office.

  Fred gave him a small whine of protest from the other side of the bars.

  Pete scowled. “Get back in here.”

  Fred squeezed back through the bars and sat, looking up at him with his stubby tail brushing the dirty cement floor.

  “Do you need to go out, boy?”

  Fred went back down on all fours and wiggled back through the bars, turning to see if Pete was following, then sitting down to wait for him.

  “All right. I’ll see what I can do.” Pete looked toward the door. “Hello? Can anyone hear me?” He called several more times before a young deputy swaggered in.

  “What’s all the fuss for?”

  “My dog needs to go outside.”

  The deputy looked down at Fred staring up at him, wagging his tail. He picked Fred up. “I always wanted a dog.”

  “That’s my dog.”

  The deputy glared at him. “You think I’m stupid?”

  “I just want to make sure he doesn’t accidentally get lost.”

  “It won’t be my fault if he runs off.” The deputy left.

  Pete raked a hand through his hair. Lord, don’t let anything bad happen to Fred. I love that dog. He’s the best friend I have next to You. Don’t let that deputy keep him.

  Pete paced his cell for half an hour before the deputy returned. Fred ran and squeezed back into the cell, then turned and barked at the deputy.

  The deputy looked from Fred to Pete. “I thought I’d keep him in the front office with me for a while. I thought he’d like that, but all he did was scratch on the door to come back here.”

  Pete wanted to grab the guy by the collar and remind him whose dog Fred was or at the very least yell at him, but instead he said, “Thanks for taking care of my dog for me.”

  The deputy nodded and turned to leave.

  “One more thing.”

  The deputy turned back.

  “Could I get some paper and a pencil?”

  The deputy shrugged and nodded before leaving.

  Pete waited for over two hours before anyone returned. The sheriff strolled back to his cell at the end of the row and handed him two sheets of paper and a pencil. “Otis said you wanted these.”

  Pete walked over to the bars and took them. “What’s going to happen to me now?” He wasn’t even going to try to claim innocence. It wouldn’t do any good.