Reckless Rogue

by Davis, Mary

  “No less than what you tried to do for me.” David shoved his hands deep into his trouser pockets.

  “But I wasn’t willing to marry her.”

  “You were willing to rot in jail.”

  He couldn’t believe David was willing to do this. “Don’t marry her.”

  “I don’t have any other choice. She’ll tell Julia.” David hesitated. “You’re free to stay in town if you want.”

  “Does that mean we’re friends again?” Pete held out his hand.

  David looked from his hand to his face. “You’d really be friends with me after all this?”

  “I never stopped being your friend. If I had, I wouldn’t have been in jail.”

  David shook his hand. “Thanks, Pete.” Forgiveness was a sweet thing.

  The police wouldn’t release Jenny to Pete until tomorrow. It was getting late, anyway. The flight to Cashmere would take longer than the daylight he had left. Pete went to his aunt’s apartment. Merle was there in his usual chair, smoking his pipe. He had a house but lived here because Aunt Ethel wouldn’t move into his house.

  “Aunt Ethel, in the jail you said you’d do anything for me.”

  She put her hand on his cheek. “You know I would.”

  “Marry Merle.”

  She pulled her hand away and furrowed her brow. “You know I can’t do that. What if he leaves me?”

  “He won’t leave you. He loves you. Take a chance on love.” It’s what he was going to do.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Think on it.”

  Aunt Ethel gave a small gesture that was a cross between a shrug and a nod.

  ❧

  Once Lizzie started poking around the engine, it was easy to see the problem. Her gasoline line had holes chewed in it. A mouse must have gotten in. She pulled it off. She might be able to repair it with a little dope and fabric. It wouldn’t be great, but it might get her to Spokane. First, she would check to see if that little critter did any more damage. Sure enough. The spark plug wire was chewed. She didn’t know which had brought her down. She couldn’t fix the wire with dope. She would have to go back into town. Why hadn’t she looked for the problem before she’d gone into town the first time?

  She sighed and started the trek back to the hardware store and bought a tube to replace her gasoline line, wire for the spark plug, and some crackers and jerked beef. By the time she returned, the sun was setting. There wasn’t enough daylight to make the repairs, and she hadn’t brought a lantern or any matches to start a fire. She hadn’t expected to be spending the night out in the middle of nowhere. She hadn’t brought a blanket, and the temperature was already dropping.

  Pete never would have let himself get in this position. He would’ve had everything he needed. At least she’d strapped her tarp to the back of her seat. She could cover Betty and protect her from deer. That was more than Pete’d had.

  Before she was completely out of daylight, Lizzie covered Betty with the tarp and tied it in place, then ate her small meal. She rubbed her arms from the growing cold. Now what did she do about herself? She could wrap herself in the tarp, but if any deer decided to come, she’d be in trouble tomorrow. No, Betty needed the tarp more than she did. She could sit in the cockpit and hope enough heat would be trapped in there to keep her warm, but then she’d never sleep sitting up like that.

  “Fred, do you have any suggestions?”

  Fred put his front paws on her leg. She picked him up and walked around Betty all snug under the tarp. Then she noticed the extra tarp at the tail. She’d tied a rope around the whole wad to keep it in place. She untied it and pulled a huge corner free and retied the rest. Perfect. She wrapped herself and Fred in the large corner and lay down to sleep.

  Sleep was intermittent. Every noise drew her attention. Were deer coming to destroy her aeroplane? Or was it something more dangerous coming after her? She felt so vulnerable out in the open.

  ❧

  The next morning while Pete sat at the kitchen table, Merle came in shaking his head.

  “You look dapper this morning.” Pete took a sip of his java. He’d be leaving as soon as he could get his aeroplane from the police.

  “Your aunt has something up her sleeve. She told me I had to wear this suit and that we were going for a drive. Are you coming?”

  “I don’t think so.” His aunt hadn’t said anything to him.

  “Of course you are.” Aunt Ethel swept into the kitchen dressed in a plain pink dress that came all the way down past her knees, a string of pearls, and pale pink lip rouge. “You aren’t dressed yet,” she exclaimed, looking at Pete in his undershirt and trousers.

  “I didn’t know we had some place to be.”

  Aunt Ethel pulled him up by the arm. “We don’t. Just get dressed. Wear that nice brown suit I always liked.” She pushed him toward his room. “Hurry now.”

  His aunt had always acted different than other people, but this was odd even for her. Pete dressed, and when he came out of his room, she was waiting in the hall to inspect him, just like she did every Sunday morning before she dropped him off at church. “Are we going to church?”

  “Shh. Don’t tell Merle.”

  “Aunt Ethel, are you going to finally marry him?”

  Aunt Ethel put her finger to her pale pink lips. “Keep your voice down.”

  “You’re going to marry him without telling him?”

  “I figure when I get to the church, if I change my mind, it won’t hurt him as much if I back out.” She nodded, evidently pleased with his appearance. “He’s ready. Let’s get in the Packard.”

  Merle helped Aunt Ethel in, then climbed into the driver’s seat. “Where to?”

  “Oh, I don’t care,” Aunt Ethel said in a breezy voice. “Just drive.”

  Merle shrugged again, started the automobile, and motored away.

  “Turn left up here,” Aunt Ethel said. She gave him several more directions.

  Merle turned and gave Aunt Ethel a hard look. “Woman, are you sure you don’t have a destination in mind?”

  “No, none at all. Just a nice little drive. Aren’t these nice houses on this street?”

  Merle looked up the street. “Real nice. What are you up to?”

  “Nothing.” Aunt Ethel fidgeted with her handbag. “This was a bad idea. Let’s just go home.” She was chickening out.

  Pete leaned forward. “Hang a right.”

  Merle did, and Aunt Ethel yelled, “Pull over!”

  Merle parked and turned off the engine. He looked from Aunt Ethel to Pete and back, clearly wanting to know what was going on.

  Pete opened his door in the back. “I’m just going to stretch my legs. How about you, Merle?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Oh, come on.” Aunt Ethel climbed out. “Let’s all stretch our legs.” She seemed to be back on track with her plan.

  Merle shook his head and opened his door.

  Pete leaned close to his aunt and whispered, “This would go a lot easier if you told him.”

  “Not yet.”

  “Then when?”

  “When the minister asks him to take his vows. I don’t want him to have a chance to back out.”

  Pete shook his head. If he spilled the beans, his aunt might deny it and be the one to back out. . .forever. So his job was to get them both in the church as quickly as possible.

  He put a hand on Merle’s shoulder. “Merle, come with me, and don’t ask any questions.”

  Merle opened his mouth, then closed it.

  “Just trust me.” Pete guided him inside the church.

  Merle leaned toward him and said in a low voice, “I hope you’re going to explain all this to me later.”

  Pete smiled. “I don’t think I’ll need to. How about you two stay here for a minute? I want to say hello to the minister. I haven’t seen him in a while.”

  Aunt Ethel looked pale but nodded, as did Merle. Merle was a good sport. He was probably the only person, beside Pete, who could put
up with Aunt Ethel’s eccentricities.

  Pete left the two in the hallway, hoping Aunt Ethel would tell Merle what they were all doing there, and opened the door to the minister’s office. “Hello, Minister Hanson.”

  The short, round, and balding man behind the desk stood. “Pete, my boy, sit down.”

  “I don’t really have the time right this moment, but do you have enough time to perform a quick marriage ceremony?”

  Minister Hanson gave him a huge smile. “Sure.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Pete ducked out before the minister could question him. Merle stood alone. “Merle, where’s Aunt Ethel?”

  “She said she’d be right back. Will you tell me what’s going on now?”

  “Wait here.” Pete hurried and caught up to Aunt Ethel outside. “Where are you going?”

  “I can’t do it.” Aunt Ethel took quick, short breaths.

  “You have to.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Merle will want to know what we’re doing here, and when you tell him that you chickened out on marrying him, he’ll be heartbroken. He’ll never look at you the same.”

  “What if he says no?”

  He took his aunt by the arm. “He won’t.”

  “There you are, darling.” Merle gave Aunt Ethel a loving smile. “Shall we go back inside?”

  “Why?” Aunt Ethel said.

  Merle wrapped her free hand around his forearm. “Just a nice little walk.” He winked at Pete. Minister Hanson must have told him.

  They met the minister at the front of the chapel, and Merle leaned toward the man. “Make this the short version.”

  Pete saw his aunt squeeze Merle’s arm.

  “Dearly beloved. . .” The ceremony was over in five minutes, and the announcement was made. “You may kiss your bride.”

  Merle wrapped Aunt Ethel in his large embrace and kissed her soundly. “Finally, I’m a married man.” He scooped his bride up and strode out of the church a happy man.

  Aunt Ethel smiled and waved to Pete over Merle’s shoulder.

  Minister Hanson slapped him on the back. “When you asked if I had time for a wedding, I thought you were the one getting married.”

  “If the good Lord gives me the right words, and the girl is in the frame of mind to listen to a poor sap’s tale and believe him, I might just ask her to be my wife.”

  “I’ll be praying for you and this girl.”

  Pete walked to the police station and got permission to have his aeroplane back. He fueled up and felt the distinct lack of Fred’s presence. Lord, help me find Fred as soon as I land in Cashmere.

  After a safety check to make sure the officer who flew Jenny hadn’t hurt anything, Pete climbed aboard, started the engine, and pushed the throttle. Jenny zoomed across the field and off the ground, glad to be in the air again. He drew in a deep breath, thankful to be free and airborne once again.

  Fourteen

  Lizzie blinked at the morning sun. It had to be nine or ten in the morning. She rose and made her repairs. Now, could she take off from this small, lumpy field? She checked the wind direction, then packed up.

  Fred sat on his haunches and waved his paws at her to put him up in the aeroplane. “I’m coming. Just be patient.” Fred stood on all fours and barked once with his tail wagging faster than a prop spun. She took him in one hand and used her other to pull herself up onto the wing. She settled in with Fred and drove Betty to the far corner, then got out and pushed the plane as far back near the pine trees as she could. She needed every foot she could get to have enough lift to climb over these tall pines.

  Betty’s engine purred once again. “This is it, Lord. Please get me over those trees.” Lizzie took a deep breath, jammed the throttle forward, and bumped along the ground. Please keep the wheels attached. She picked up speed.

  “Come on, get into the air, come on.” Betty lifted off the ground and rose into the air but not steeply enough to miss the trees. Lizzie angled slightly off of the headwind she needed for lift to aim for an opening where a shorter tree stood. “Climb, Betty, climb.”

  She banked harder and caught the treetop as she skimmed by. She heaved a heavy sigh. She was clear. “Thank You, Lord!”

  She scratched Fred’s head. “We made it. We’re safe now.”

  Fred put his paws on the side of the cockpit and hung his head out in the wind, his stubby tail wagging back and forth. Fred wasn’t the only one glad to be back in the air.

  ❧

  Pete flew until his tank was dry and he had to glide down to the nearest field. He dumped his extra tank of gasoline in and took off as fast as he could. He wanted to make short work of the trip to Cashmere.

  He landed in the same field and trekked for the Carter farmhouse. No one was home, and the Tin Lizzie was gone. He headed into town and went to Bill’s Garage.

  “Pete, it’s good to see you,” Finn said.

  “I’m looking for Lizzie.”

  Finn’s happy expression fell. “She’s not with you?”

  “No. Why would she be?”

  “She took off yesterday, going to see you in Spokane. Take back your dog.”

  Fred? He was safe then. “Did she take the train?”

  “No. She took off.” Finn pointed his hand into the air like an aeroplane.

  “She didn’t fly?”

  Finn nodded.

  His gut clenched. “In what? Not her Bleriot?”

  Finn nodded again.

  “But it wasn’t even finished.”

  “She finished it. I told her it was a fool’s idea to fly it. But she was determined.”

  “She’s only flown twice. How could she think she was capable of making the trip all the way to Spokane?” He raced out to the building Lizzie’s Bleriot had been in to see for himself. Empty.

  He ran back. Bill stood next to Finn. “I need gasoline. My tank is dry and so is my extra.”

  Bill filled an extra tank he had on hand and drove Pete out to his aeroplane, then made another trip with both his and Pete’s extra tank. Jenny’s tank was soon full, and so was the spare.

  Finn put a hand on his shoulder. “You should have told her you were married.”

  Pete scowled. “I’m not married.”

  “But that woman?”

  “Is not my wife. She lied.”

  Finn smiled. “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “I need to go.”

  “You think Lizzie made it okay?”

  The trip shouldn’t have taken her two days. Why hadn’t he seen her along the way? Because he didn’t know to look for her. He pictured Lizzie flying the way she drove—careless. “I don’t know if her aeroplane was ready to fly. What route did she take?”

  “I don’t know.” Finn said. “She’s my flesh and blood. You find her and bring her back.”

  “She said something about following the train tracks,” Bill noted.

  It wasn’t the most direct route, but it would get her there. If she stuck close to the line and landed someplace, he’d find her. And if she crashed. . .he’d find that, too.

  ❧

  After one stop for more gasoline, and a lot of flying, Lizzie looked at the large city below. This must be Spokane. Pete had said there was a field that was the cat’s meow on the north end of town near where he’d lived with his aunt.

  She swung north and flew a back-and-forth pattern until she found a field that she thought could be the one Pete had spoken of and circled around to land. The ground was smooth and afforded her the space to turn her craft around at the end. She climbed down, then reached her arms up. “Come on, Fred.”

  Fred stood behind the pilot cockpit on the fuselage, did a little dance, then jumped into her arms. She scratched him. “Good boy.”

  She walked to the edge of the field and looked at the options of directions on the different streets. Which way should she go? She put her face right up to Fred’s. He licked her over and over. She held him away from herself. “You know where Pete is, don’t you? Find Pe
te for me.” She set Fred down, and he looked up at her. “Home, Fred. Go home.”

  Fred wagged his tail, then took off running as fast as he could.

  Back the way they’d come. She caught up to him at Betty. Fred stood wagging his tail looking from her to the aeroplane, back and forth.

  She picked him up. “This isn’t home.” She ruffled his furry head. “Maybe this is home to you.”

  She walked back into town and started going up and down the near streets, hoping to run across Pete. How else was she going to find him? She saw a man on his porch and stopped. “Do you know where Pete Garfield lives?”

  The older man puffed on his pipe. “Pete? Do you mean Lieutenant Garfield, our local war hero?”

  “He’s the one.”

  “Yes, he flew for the good guys in the Great War.”

  “I know.”

  The man pointed his pipe. “He has a dog just like yours.”

  “This is his dog. I’m trying to find him, so I can return him.” And to say good-bye. “Do you know where he lives?”

  “He always lived with his aunt. She’s a strange one. Don’t know how the boy turned out as good as he did.”

  Couldn’t this man answer a simple question? “Where does she live?”

  He pointed with his pipe again. “Down yonder a few blocks.”

  Yonder? “Do you know the street?”

  “Nope.” He popped the pipe back into his mouth.

  Yonder. At least she had a direction. She set Fred down, took hold of the rope attached to his coat, and started off yonder. After a few blocks, she stopped and stared at a woman and little girl walking up the street in her direction. The little girl yelled, “Doggy,” and ran ahead of her pregnant mother.

  “Ruth, don’t. Come back.”

  Ruth hugged Fred.

  Lizzie recognized the woman as the one coming out of the jail. She must be Agatha. Pete’s wife and child. The air froze in her lungs. She was prepared to see Pete but not his family.

  Fred licked Ruth’s face, and the girl giggled. Agatha grabbed her daughter’s hand and pulled her away. “Stop that, Ruth.”

  Fred barked at Agatha, and she pulled back, narrowing her eyes at the dog. “Please tell me that’s not Fred.”

  All Lizzie could do was nod.

  Agatha’s face twisted into a congenial smile, and she held out her hand. “You must be that Lizzie girl David told me about.”