“One good thing. At least now I won’t have to… lose…you,” Echo said.
Smoothing back her friend’s hair, Tess whispered, “You will never lose me.”
There was so much to share with her friend. Her true identity, and how she had selfishly and thoughtlessly fought Jake on replanting the pines, but now wasn’t the time or the place.
Now, like the Good Book said, was a time to cry.
26
Jake told Tess that the sheriff had to be summoned when a death occurred. He left to comply with the notice. She was relieved when he also suggested that she dismiss school for the rest of the week. Not only because of the weather, but because he wanted her to stay with Echo. Grief had rendered her senseless.
Tess spent the night with her. It would take hours for the sheriff and deputy to make the arduous trek to Wakefield Timber. One more heavy snow burst and all travel would come to a halt again.
Now it was late morning, and she sat with Echo beside the stove, listening for the occasional sled, its runners squeaking as it cut through the deep drifts. Large wet flakes swirled beneath a slate-colored sky like feathers from a torn pillow.
Occasionally Echo left her chair to check the turkey roasting in the oven. A mouth-watering aroma filled the small cabin. Tess had tried to persuade her to forget about cooking anything substantial, but she insisted that the sheriff and his deputy would appreciate a hot meal before they made the trip back to Shadow Pine. Nothing Tess said could penetrate Echo’s fog.
She got out flour and sugar. “I think I’ll make a cake. Waite liked my cakes.”
Tess stepped into the kitchen to help her. They worked in companionable silence and had just put on the last of the sugar frosting when a knock came at the door.
Echo wiped her hands on her apron. “I’ll get it. That’s probably Jake and the sheriff.”
Jake and two other men were standing outside when she opened the door. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard Lannigan’s deep voice.
“Afternoon, Echo. This is the sheriff from Shadow Pine. He took a look at Waite.”
Opening the door wider, Echo said, “You men come on in out of the cold.”
They stepped inside and the sheriff shook his head. “I don’t know what else to say, ma’am. We’re mighty sorry your man is gone. He sure enough hit his head hard when he fell down. It was purely an accident.”
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate your coming all the way out here.”
“You’re welcome, ma’am.”
Nodding, she motioned to the set table. “I would like to feed you dinner and a piece of cake before you leave.”
“Much obliged. It’s a long ride back.”
Tess helped her dish up food and fill coffee cups. The authorities ate heartily and then immediately left for home, while Jake disappeared to the lean-to to build a pine box for Waite’s burial.
Tess found the contrast between Echo’s husband and the camp foreman overwhelming. Jake was a good, honest, hardworking man. Waite had been the exact opposite.
Tess had deliberately caught and held Jake’s eyes when she handed him the bowl of potatoes during dinner. If she had failed to capture his love, this would be one of their last meals together, and the knowledge nearly broke her heart.
A full moon rose, and silence settled over the Burne place. The old clock ticked away, as if somehow by continuous labor it could erase the sorrow that had taken place. Everyone but Tess and Jake had left. Tess felt comforted that he’d decided to stay the remainder of the night with them. The weather wasn’t fit for man or beast.
It was rather unsettling that the box with Waite’s remains was in the lean-to close by. It was draped in heavy canvas and awaiting a spring thaw for burial.
Echo fitfully tossed on the bed she had once shared with her husband. Around one o’clock, Tess warmed a pan of milk and added a dollop of the sleeping powder Doc Medifer had left earlier.
Echo drank the potion. “I’m sorry I’m so much trouble, Fedelia.”
“You are no bother. Rest, my friend.” She walked toward Jake. “Try and get some sleep,” she whispered to him as she sat down in her chair.
“I’m all right.” He stifled a yawn. Deep creases of fatigue darkened the corners of his eyes. “We should both try and get some rest,” he said softly. “We can hear Echo if she needs anything.”
Tess nodded and got up to get an extra blanket. She noticed a smile touching the corners of his mouth as she tucked it up snugly around his shoulders. She cocked her head. “Is something funny?” If it was, she’d failed to note it.
He took her hand and pulled her close. “Nothing’s funny. I was just thinking that I always ask a lady for permission before I kiss her.”
“You don’t have to ask.” His lips briefly touched hers, and she closed her eyes, drawing deep of the faint aroma of pine in his plaid shirt.
“I’m proud of you.” His fingers rearranged the loose tendrils of hair around her face.
“What have I done?”
He slowly shook his head. “You’ve been good to Echo. She hasn’t had much love in her life, and to have a friend like you means everything to her. She’ll never forget you.”
“I love her, Jake, and there’ll be no need for her to forget me. I’ll always be in her life.”
She would be there for him too, if he asked, though she had given her promise to another man. Would Jake resent her when he learned the truth? That she knew she was not Fedelia Yardley and hadn’t told him? She needed time before she faced the truth. Time to sort out the emotional turmoil that wound around her heartstrings like a vine. Would his feelings change when he learned that she was the primary source of the molten anger that seethed in his soul day after day?
Their mouths touched a second time and the kiss lingered until Jake set her aside, despite her disenchanted murmur. She didn’t want the moment to end.
“It will be morning soon, and I have a crew to run.”
“You sleep, and I’ll sit beside you.” She would gladly forfeit a meager hour or two of rest for the pleasure of his company. Her life was in complete upheaval, but her desire for him remained strong and unmistakable.
Had she ever truly loved Talbot? The emotions she felt right now suggested she was merely infatuated with her fiancé. He was a good man, but Jake was the love of her life.
Big Say gave a lopsided grin that caused her stomach to knot, and then he kissed her briefly again—with enough mastery to make her wish he found sleep highly overrated.
“Go to sleep,” he said.
She accepted the dismissal without further argument. She had a lot of thinking to do. She felt his hand close over hers. Tonight she’d seen in his eyes what was in her heart every time she looked at him, but from the depths of her memory came the knowledge that she might never have him as her own because she was promised to another.
Tess thought about Talbot’s genteel manners, his kindness, his thoughtfulness, his patience. She struggled to remember the feelings his kisses had evoked. They had been sweet, chaste, and proper, but they hadn’t felt like Jake’s. They had never left her breathless.
The light wind outside lulled her weary body to relax. Logs snapped and popped in the stove. Though her heart ached for Echo, when she was close to Jake like this, she couldn’t help feeling grateful. God worked in mysterious ways. That’s what Tip always told her, and tonight she believed it.
It occurred to her in that drowsy state between sleep and awareness that she could have adjusted to being Fedelia Yardley. The mistaken identity didn’t bother her. Fedelia was a lovely but lonely woman. How long could she go on pretending she was the schoolteacher?
If she remained silent and told no one of the mistaken identity, she could stay here with Jake until Talbot decided to come and investigate the accident, which he surely would when the thaw came.
Thinking of the prospect of his arrival was too alarming for her to consider. She would never leave Wakefield Timber. This was her land, her rightful
heritage. She might have promised her future to Talbot, but her heart belonged to Jake.
An ache throbbed in the back of her neck. She was torn. Torn between the past and the present, and the future looked too dismal to consider, but instinct told her that no matter how fast she ran, she couldn’t outrun the truth.
27
Tess awoke to the touch of warm lips brushing her forehead. The mantel clock struck four.
“I’m leaving now,” Jake whispered.
“Mmm…so soon?”
Kneeling in front of her, he smiled. “Cookee will be sounding the horn soon. I need to stop by my place before I start the crew.”
“You’ve had so little rest.” She sat up and wiped sleep from her eyes.
“I’ll catch up tonight. Why don’t you walk with me?”
Coming fully awake, she glanced up to check on Echo, who appeared to be sleeping soundly. Pushing the blanket aside, she accepted his invitation. “She’ll sleep a while longer. I can be back before she wakes.”
Jake lit the lantern and loaded the stove with firewood while she splashed cold water on her face. Going to the bed, she tucked the blanket around Echo more securely and then leaned down to kiss her cheek.
She momentarily stirred. “Is it morning?”
“No, go back to sleep. I’m going to walk with Jake to camp. I’ll be back before dawn.”
Nodding, she drifted off.
A thick cloud bank hung to the east as Tess and Jake stepped out of the cabin. Darkness covered the earth, and the snow showed signs of letting up. Only a thin white powder sifted from the sky. The wind had died down, and a peaceful silence blanketed the frozen earth. Bitter-cold air heightened the scent of pines, and she stepped closer to the man she loved.
She knew the road monkeys hadn’t had time to clear the path, and their footprints left deep tracks in the snow as they walked around the deep harbor. In the distance, a dog barked, momentarily shattering the frozen stillness.
“I think it would be a good idea for you to stay with Echo a few more days,” Jake said.
Her steps fell in sync with his as they followed the lantern rays spread out before them. The light flickering against the stark white drifts cast a warm yellow glow. “I’ll stay for however long she needs me.” She glanced over and smiled. “It isn’t as if I have a home of my own.”
He chuckled. “You have had your problems.”
“I’m glad you noticed. When I wake up I’m never sure where I am.” He paused, and Tess sensed that he wanted to say something, but apparently he changed his mind and picked up the pace again.
“If you stay with your friend, then the problem is solved.”
“Or,” she ventured boldly, “we could court for a proper time and then marry.” His kisses had more than assured her that he shared her deepest affections.
“Now you’re talking crazy.”
“Brazen, perhaps, but not crazy.” She swallowed her last ounce of pride. “Jake, by now you know that all you have to do is ask me, and I’ll marry you so fast it will make your head swim.”
Desperation fueled the compulsive outburst. If they married quickly, they could outrun the past that was slowly eating its way into their lives. It was foolish for her to propose, but if he didn’t marry her soon, Talbot would come.
How long had she been here? Time had lost its meaning. If she were married to another man when he came, he couldn’t insist that she honor their agreement. She wasn’t proud of her duplicity, but Talbot deserved a woman whose heart could be truly his, not someone who was in love with another man.
Jake’s jaw firmed. “We can’t marry.”
“For goodness’ sake, Jake, why not? I know it’s sudden and the marriage might lift a few brows, but we’re in love with each other, and I would marry you today if you asked.” A sobering thought gave her pause. “Are you in love with that woman in Shadow Pine?”
She wasn’t fully convinced the rumors about various men frequenting those women were even founded. And everything she’d seen Jake do or say indicated he was a man of principle, and she had no reason to doubt that included his taste in women.
“What woman in Shadow Pine?”
“Marcy Wetlock. I’ve heard that you… visit her now and again.”
A frown deepened. “What has André told you about me now?”
“It isn’t just André. There’s been… talk.” The subject was most uncomfortable and inappropriate. Tess suddenly realized she had no right to bring his personal life into the conversation, however the matter concerned her. She regretted she had brought the matter up.
“Oh? Did anyone happen to mention how often I take a bath?”
Heat crept up her neck. “Of course not, but you bathe twice a week.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Women know, all right?” One didn’t have to stand around a jack long to determine their bathing habits.
They circled the pond, and she huddled deeper into her outer wear. “Well?” she prompted.
“Well, what?”
“Are you going to ask me?” Urgency compelled her. She intuitively felt that if she didn’t solidify this relationship now, it would slip away forever. Her past was breathing close on her heels. She could feel obligation tightening around her heart like stubborn tentacles. If she didn’t make this effort for freedom and the liberty to choose the man she adored, Jake would slip away.
“Ask you to marry me?”
“Yes. What else have we been talking about?”
“I would if I could.” He paused, turning to take hold of her shoulders. Their eyes met. “I’ve never said that to another woman. It’s important for you to know that.”
She smiled. “I’m so glad.” Her mood brightened. He didn’t think her horribly impertinent, and he had as much as said he was in love with her and wanted to marry her. And even if she were Fedelia Yardley, he had fallen in love with the woman, not the name. She would eventually have to tell him she was Tip’s granddaughter, but he couldn’t resent that. “Then let’s get married. The sky pilot will be here Sunday. There’s not one single reason to wait.”
He smiled down at her as they resumed walking again. “In a hurry?”
“As a matter of fact, I am. I love you, and I don’t have time to wait.”
“Brazen too?”
“No. Only deeply in love for the first time in my life.” She leaned up to kiss his cold lips.
His features sobered. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”
She tilted her head. “What’s that supposed to mean? I do know what I’m asking.”
Menson’s store loomed in front of them, soft lantern light spilling onto the snow-packed ground. Tess’s hands and feet were numb with cold. As she was about to enter the store, Jake reached out to stop her. Drawing her back to the privacy of the porch, he said softly. “We need to talk.”
“Can’t we talk inside? My teeth are chattering.”
“This won’t take long.”
The sudden seriousness in his tone stopped her, and she allowed him to pull her deeper into the shadows. He kissed her softly and so sweetly that she thought she might burst with her love for him. When he broke the kiss, she gazed into his eyes.
“What I’m about to tell you will break your heart.”
Her heart thumped in her chest. “You don’t love me.”
“Oh, I love you, Tess. I have from the moment André dragged you out of that freezing river.”
She leaned in for another kiss. If he loved her, then nothing else mattered. But as her lips brushed his, the given name he had just used sank in. He’d called her Tess.
Pulling back, she met his gaze in the soft lantern light. “You called me Tess.”
Releasing his hold, he stepped away from her. “I did.”
“But you meant Fedelia.”
“No, I said the proper name.”
Emotions ricocheted through her. Physical pain, disbelief, and then slow recognition. “You knew all this time that I was T
ess and not Fedelia?”
“Not for certain. All of the physical evidence indicated Fedelia was the one who survived, but it wasn’t long till I had a good hunch that it might have been you instead. When you started making hats and using fancy words, I knew.”
“And yet you didn’t tell me.”
“I’m not proud of it, but… no, I didn’t tell you.”
He stepped closer, reaching for her again, but she jerked away. He had deliberately perpetrated a fraud. He had put her through the agony of those camp children—she, who couldn’t make one plus three equal four! Was he out of his mind? Insanely mad!
“Why, Jake?”
“When I first met you, I didn’t like Tess Wakefield or what she was going to do with Wakefield Timber.”
“Well… that’s a sick answer!”
“Granted. I wasn’t thinking straight at the time.”
“How could you do such a thing? Especially later, when you knew me, when you knew I was falling in love with you.”
“If I told you, I knew you would leave right away. I didn’t want that. It was a stupid thing to do, and I’m paying the consequences.”
She slowly backed away. “You said you loved me.”
His gaze softened. “I do love you, Tess. I’m in love for the first time in my life.”
She shook her head. “I thought you respected my grandfather.”
“He was one of the finest men I’ve ever known, and I have no excuses. I did a dim-witted and selfish thing, and as stupid things often do, it’s caught up with me. I’m sorry. Deeply sorry.”
Hot tears sprang to her eyes, and it hurt to breathe. She couldn’t cry now. She had every right to grieve this loss, yet at the time he misled her, he had every right to resent her.
She had rejected his pleas about replanting those pines, and her chickens had come home to roost. And they were every bit as ugly and spiteful as his stupid mistakes. And she couldn’t deny she was just as guilty of the same treason by not telling him she remembered who she was.
When Love Comes My Way Page 20
