Reckless Rogue

by Davis, Mary

  Well, that was disappointing. She’d wanted to see him early but was glad Aunt Ethel wouldn’t be able to talk to him yet. Lizzie needed to figure out how to tell Pete not to listen to his aunt when she told him to marry her without giving him the impression she didn’t want to marry him. She sighed. An impossible task.

  Lord, if Pete decides to propose, let it be from his heart and let me know somehow that his proposal is because he wants to marry me and not because he feels obligated.

  ❧

  Pete took a deep breath, then opened the door to the Cashmere Post Office.

  “What do you want?” Mr. Carter was obviously not happy to see him. But then, Mr. Carter didn’t know the truth.

  “I was hoping to talk to you.”

  “Where’s Elizabeth?”

  He furrowed his brow. “Who? Oh, you mean Lizzie.”

  “Her name is Elizabeth.”

  Pete figured it was best if he didn’t push that one. “Elizabeth’s in Spokane.”

  A sad expression crossed the older man’s face. “Is she coming back?”

  “As far as I know. Can I take you to lunch?”

  “I don’t have anything to say to you.” He gimped away, then turned back. “Wait. There is one thing. I’m sorry I had the whiskey put in your aeroplane, but I’m not sorry Elizabeth found out about your wife.”

  “Mr. Carter, I don’t have a wife.” But he wanted one. This was not the time to tell Mr. Carter that. “Or any children. That was a lie. . . .” He debated whether or not to say his next thought, but it came out anyway. “Just like the bootleg, and I’d like the opportunity to clear it all up in your mind.”

  Mr. Carter eyed him with suspicion. “Does Elizabeth know about your wife?”

  Pete gritted his teeth. “Agatha’s not my wife.” He took a slow breath. It wouldn’t help him any to let his anger loose. He relaxed his jaw. “Please have lunch with me, and I’ll explain everything. You at least owe me that.” He hoped to play on the man’s guilty conscience.

  Mr. Carter reluctantly agreed, so Pete took him to a diner down the street. Pete told Mr. Carter the whole long, involved story.

  “A week ago I wouldn’t have believed you. No, I wouldn’t have even sat down to listen to you.” The older man rose, shaking his head. “People just aren’t who I thought they were.” He started to leave, then turned back. “My grandfather lied about my father and my mother. My wife ran away with another man. I told Elizabeth and Ivan she went to see her ailing sister back East. The automobile she was in ran off the road. She was killed. Learning the truth hurts, but not as much as the lies.”

  “Wait. I wanted to ask you something.”

  “What is it?”

  His gut knotted. “I want your permission. . .to marry Li—Elizabeth.”

  “I’d say no, but I think she’ll do what she wants anyway.”

  But he didn’t say yes. “Does that mean I have your permission to ask her?”

  “If I say no, will you go away?”

  He shook his head. “I’ll hang around until I grow on you.”

  Mr. Carter frowned. “Are you going to take her away from here?”

  “Cashmere’s kind of grown on me. It’s a sweet little town. I figure I can open a flying school.”

  “You’ll never make enough to feed yourself. How are you going to feed a family?”

  “Oh, there are plenty of people who want to learn to fly. I could also fly the mail, provide service from Wenatchee to Spokane and to Seattle.”

  Mr. Carter narrowed his eyes. “You’ve thought this all out, haven’t you?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I suppose if Elizabeth’s going to marry someone someday, it might as well be you.” Mr. Carter slumped his shoulders in defeat.

  Pete beamed a smile. Now all he had to do was convince Lizzie he was the right fella, too.

  “I’ll bring Elizabeth back tomorrow.”

  Mr. Carter raised his eyebrows.

  “There won’t be enough daylight to fly back today, but I want you to know that she’s staying at my aunt’s, and I’m staying elsewhere.”

  “So you forgive me for the bootleg?”

  He put a hand on the old man’s shoulder. “Life’s too short to hold grudges.”

  ❧

  Lizzie’d had a great day with Aunt Ethel. It was nearing supper, and the setting sun cast an orange glow on the western clouds. Where was Pete? She’d gone out to the field where her Bleriot and Pete’s Jenny had been parked together. Hers stood alone draped in canvas. He couldn’t fly in the dark. If he didn’t return soon, he’d be stuck wherever he was. Then she had a terrifying thought. Lord, please let Pete be all right. Don’t let him have crashed someplace.

  Lizzie wadded the cloth she was supposed to be wiping the kitchen table with, twisting it around and around her fingers.

  “You’re going to lose a finger if you pull that any tighter.”

  She looked up at Aunt Ethel and tossed the rag onto the counter. “Do you think Pete’s all right? You don’t think he’s crashed or anything?”

  “He survived the Great War, didn’t he?”

  Maybe that would be a small comfort if he’d actually fought in the war. Even if he had, that wouldn’t stop an accident from taking his life now.

  A key rattled in the lock of the front door. Lizzie held her breath until Merle stepped inside. She quickly said hello to him then hurried to Pete’s room and closed the door. Tears burned the back of her eyes. Pete had to be all right. But what if. . . ? She couldn’t think about that. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Pete was fine. She had to believe that. She smoothed her dress and went back out.

  Pete stood in the kitchen talking with Aunt Ethel and Merle. She just stared at him, drinking in the sight of his living self. He turned and gifted her with his charming smile. “Lizzie.” He came over and slipped his arm around her waist. “Isn’t she beautiful?” he said to his aunt and uncle.

  Merle hugged Aunt Ethel and picked her up. “Not as pretty as my Ethel.”

  She had to smile at the obvious love. She’d not seen that between her parents before her mom had left.

  Aunt Ethel giggled. “Put me down. You’re embarrassing the kids.”

  Merle obeyed. “Sorry.”

  “We’ll be leaving first thing tomorrow,” Pete said.

  “I was hoping it wouldn’t come so soon. Where are you two off to?” Aunt Ethel asked.

  “I’m taking Lizzie back home. I’ll fly her out in my aeroplane, stay the weekend, ride the train back, and get her aeroplane.” He spoke matter-of-factly.

  Lizzie planted her fists on her hips. He hadn’t even consulted her. “I can fly my own aeroplane back.”

  “I can’t let you do that. It’s too risky.”

  She could tell he was trying to protect her, but it made her mad. She’d flown out here; she could fly back. And she would. “Why would it be more risky for me to fly my craft that I know better than anyone, than you, who have never flown her?” She wanted to make sure he understood that she was more than qualified to fly it herself.

  “You’ve only flown three times. You don’t have the experience to handle an emergency.”

  She could brag about how she handled her little emergency but thought he might turn it against her as a reason she shouldn’t fly. “If I never fly, how can I get experience?”

  Pete tried to start several times but failed to make a sentence or even a complete word.

  “I’ll bet you got your experience by flying.” She didn’t like the double standard.

  Pete just stared at her.

  She didn’t like Pete telling her what she could and couldn’t do without discussing it with her and turned back to Aunt Ethel and Merle, who were both smiling. “I’ll be leaving tomorrow. Flying my own aeroplane back.”

  Pete sputtered beside her.

  Aunt Ethel’s smile broadened. “I like you, Lizzie Carter.”

  ❧

  Lizzie circled Johnson’s field. Pete motion
ed for her to land first. She came around to line up with the field and headed down. She eased Betty down and made her smoothest landing yet. She removed her goggles and shaded her eyes in the late afternoon sun to watch Pete bring in Jenny. A smooth, perfect landing. She’d make those one day.

  It had been a good thing they had flown side by side. Pete’s engine had gone out on him, and she’d been able to land in the same field. He’d flown Betty to a nearby town and gotten what he needed to fix Jenny. Pete had used the experience as a lesson, asking Lizzie what she would have done.

  Pete swiped off his helmet as he jumped down and ruffled his hair. Her breath caught. He was as magnificent as the first day he’d flown into her life.

  “Let’s cover our aeroplanes, and I’ll walk you home.”

  They covered Betty first, then Jenny. As she tied the last rope around Jenny’s tail, Lizzie did so as slowly as possible.

  “You ready?”

  She looped one end of the rope around the other one last time and pulled. “I don’t want to go.”

  He turned her to face him. “Why?”

  “I can’t even look at him after what he did. I don’t know if I can forgive him.”

  “But you have to.”

  “Why?”

  “None of us deserves to be forgiven, but God does it anyway. When you refuse to forgive someone, you hurt yourself more than you do the person you are trying to punish.” He reached down and plucked a tuft of dry grass, then folded it into her hand. “Hold on to that.”

  She didn’t know why he wanted her to, but she squeezed her hand.

  “That grass is dead. Useless. As long as you hold onto it, your hand is also useless.” He peeled her fingers back one at a time. “You can’t knit. . .or cook. . .or drive. . .or fly as long as you hold on to that grass.”

  He’d peeled back all but one of her fingers. “When you hold on to others’ transgressions against you, you are useless. Let it go, Lizzie. Let go.”

  Let go? Was he telling her to let go of more than the grass and the hurt, but him as well? He smiled at her. She opened her last finger on her own, and the breeze snatched the grass away. She knew that forgiveness wasn’t quite so easy, but she also knew she had to forgive her father because she didn’t want to be useless. She didn’t want to be in bondage because she couldn’t forgive.

  “Now your hand is useful.” He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Let’s go before it gets dark.”

  She stood her ground, and Pete gave her a confused look. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to walk alone and think about what you said before I face Daddy.”

  He nodded, then lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Really?”

  “I’ll be right here.”

  She walked away and looked back several times. Pete remained rooted in place.

  She reached the driveway of her home just as Ivan drove the Ford up to the house and stopped it with a jerk. She watched Daddy struggle out of the automobile and up the steps. The pain of Daddy’s betrayal rippled through her. How could Daddy have hurt her like this?

  She saw Daddy and Ivan move past the window inside. Lord, give me the courage to go inside and forgive. She saw a stoop-shouldered figure move across the kitchen window. Was that Grandpa? Her feet propelled her forward, up the steps, and through the front door.

  Grandpa was setting a plate of biscuits on the table next to the cast-iron pot that smelled of beans. Daddy sat at his usual place at the head of the table, and Ivan in his seat next to him. All three stared at her; then Daddy stood. “I didn’t think you were coming back.”

  “I said I’d come back.”

  Daddy walked around the table and stood a few feet in front of her. “I was beginning to think I wouldn’t get this chance, so I’m taking it. The good Lord has seen fit to wrestle with me these few days you’ve been gone and has shown me the error of my ways. What I did to you was uncalled for. I understand if you don’t have forgiveness in your heart for me right now. But I’m begging you for your forgiveness.”

  She could feel her short nails digging into her palms. When had she fisted her hands? She made a conscious effort to unfurl her fingers. . .and let go. “I forgive you.” Love and peace washed over her. She stepped forward as her arms swung around him. “I love you, Daddy.”

  Sixteen

  Lizzie ran and ran until she came to the edge of the Johnsons’ field and wrapped her arms around a small tree trunk to keep herself up as she struggled for air. Pete’s Jenny sat in the middle of the field. He held the rapt attention of his audience of young ladies.

  She had to tell him.

  She tried to call out to him but could only gasp. She would give herself a moment to catch her breath.

  Pete kissed each of the seven girls, then climbed aboard his aeroplane.

  No!

  She pushed away from the tree, still gasping, and ran as fast as she could after Pete’s aeroplane. “Pete! Pete!”

  He went faster and faster, but surprisingly, she was able to keep up. She called and called and reached for the yellow tail. Her fingers grazed the fabric as the craft broke free of the ground and slipped from her grasp.

  “Pete!”

  She had to tell him.

  The Jenny rose up into the air and circled the field. Pete waved to the crowd of girls, then blew them a kiss.

  Lizzie jumped and waved her arms over her head. “Pete!”

  Pete flew low over her, smiled, and gave her a final salute good-bye before flying off into the clouds.

  “Pete! Come back!” She would never see him again. She dropped to her knees and sobbed into her hands. She never got to tell him.

  “Lizzie. Lizzie?”

  She opened her eyes and sucked in a gulp of air at Ivan standing over her bed.

  “You were hollering in your sleep.” Ivan raked a hand through his disheveled brown hair. “I got an examination today.”

  She sat up and rubbed her face. “I’m sorry.”

  Ivan shuffled out.

  Lizzie lay back down and stared toward the ceiling. A backlash of emotion trickled from her eyes. What had she wanted to tell Pete?

  As dawn began to gray the horizon outside her window, she dressed and began her morning chores. She completed them all before taking Daddy to the post office, then she hurried to Johnson’s field. She had to see Pete.

  ❧

  After more than a month since they’d returned from Spokane, Pete was still in the Cashmere area. He spent a lot of time in Wenatchee and was gone for days at a time. He always returned, but she knew that one day he might fly away for good. He’s a gypsy. Gypsies always leave. Pete hadn’t mentioned marriage again since Spokane. Did he even think about it? She thought about it daily and wished she’d said yes when he’d asked. Would he ever ask again?

  The yellow Jenny was motoring across the field. She raced after it, nearly catching up, but it lifted off the ground and soared over the trees. She stopped her Model T and got out, waving her arms, but Pete did not circle back around to see her.

  Then, just like in her dream, she dropped to her knees and cried, covering her face with her hands. Would she ever see him again? Had he decided to leave for good? She didn’t get to tell him. She still didn’t know what she’d wanted to tell him in her dream, but she knew what she wanted to tell him now.

  She loved him and hadn’t told him so since that day he was arrested in this very field. The words had flown from her lips then, though not grounded in any forethought. She hadn’t known if she loved him then or not. The words had just been ripped from her. She had never regretted saying them, nor had she intended to say them again until she was sure.

  She was sure now.

  Was it too late?

  Or was it always too late?

  ❧

  Pete sat in the growing darkness on Lizzie’s porch. He blew into his cold hands. Soon he saw headlights from Lizzie’s Tin Lizzie approach. He stood when the Model T came to a stop. Iv
an, Mr. Carter, and Finn all greeted him. Finn had moved in with his family, and everyone seemed to be happy with the arrangement. Pete, for one, was glad to see that Finn had a permanent place to live in the waning years of his life.

  Finn and Mr. Carter had worked out their differences and forgiven each other. They’d even said that they’d both forgiven Great-grandpa Carter. Lizzie had forgiven her dad. And even the sheriff had apologized for his part in it all. Pete had been tempted to hold a grudge against the man but felt so much better when he forgave the man and shook his hand in friendship.

  Lizzie stood next to the Ford with her arms folded. She looked upset. It couldn’t be at him. He hadn’t been around all day, and the last time he’d seen her, he’d left her smiling. Maybe he’d misread her, and she wasn’t really upset.

  “Hey, Lizzie.” He strode toward her.

  She didn’t respond.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “You just flew away this morning without looking back.”

  He pulled his eyebrows together. “Were you at the field?”

  She nodded.

  “I didn’t see you. If I had, I would have stopped or come back.” He moved forward with his arms out to hold her.

  She stepped back, then walked around the rear of the Ford.

  He caught up with her at the front corner and held her by the upper arms. “What’s wrong?”

  “Why don’t you just leave? You’re going to anyway.” She sniffled, and a lone tear trickled down her cheek.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You’re always gone, sometimes for days. Eventually, you’ll fly away and never return. The sooner you do that, the better.” Another tear fell.

  Pete brushed away the two tears with his thumbs. “Lizzie, I’m not planning on leaving. I like it here. It’s comfortable. Kind of like a broken-in flying helmet. It helps you fly off and brings you back home again. This is where I want to be.”

  “For how long? You’ll grow restless and want to leave eventually.”

  He’d put off proposing to her again until he had everything in place so he’d be sure she’d have the confidence in him to say yes. He took her hands. “Let me show you what I’ve been doing. Meet me at the field tomorrow morning.” He wanted to soothe all her fears.