Obsessed in Oregon (Yours Truly: The Lovelorn Book 8)

by Marlene Bierworth

  She rambled on: “I often think of the men who dare tackle jobs on the big boats. In all the books I read, the idea is romanticized to a most entertaining degree. Knowing there’s a girl praying for him, waiting at home for his return, must warm a man’s heart.”

  “I fear it is only romantic for those who get to come home. Many have been lost in unpredictable waters.”

  “Figures it would take a man to spoil a well-imagined picture.” Tariana grinned.

  “Perhaps that’s why our breed of water enthusiasts need to be the practical ones when bonding with women.”

  “I am so relieved to hear you say that. It’s nice to know you are entering this marriage with your eyes wide open.”

  His next words ruined her ability to keep a clearly-focused mind: “Why don’t you visit me at the docks? I’ll show you around.”

  Her heart leapt at the thought, but she forced herself to stay calm. “Shall I bring Frances?”

  Michael roared, and she was mesmerized by the music of his voice in her ears. Tariana found herself slipping dangerously and miserably back into the realm of sin.

  “Your sister is not interested in walking around dirty metal and decaying wood.”

  “I’m confused – should a wife not be interested in what her husband does for a living?”

  “I have surrendered to reality, and in acceptance, I find that I appreciate the separation from home and work.”

  “I shall have a hard time adjusting to such division of interests,” she said.

  “You mean if you ever find the man of your dreams.” He laughed again, and she felt her mind drift. It was the first time she had found fault in Michael. She wanted to spend every waking minute of her entire life with the man, and he had so casually asserted his idea of leaving his wife at the door after breakfast, content to wait for him until he returned for supper. Religious convent life was sounding better by the minute. It would be a safe haven where no man could confuse her heart.

  “So, will you come next week?” Michael asked.

  How could she say no? She’d longed for a closer look at the work the men did at the dock, and she appeared unable to pass up an opportunity to spend quality recreational time with Michael.

  “I shall be there.” Tariana mentally reviewed next week’s schedule before blurting, “Tuesday afternoon is open. Is one o’clock all right?”

  “It is. I shall look forward to your visit.”

  The thunderous beating in her chest and his eyes alive with pleasure instilled new hope in her confused heart. At the same time, an uncomfortable aura accompanied what she should be celebrating as a marvelous victory.

  She turned back toward the house with a strange sense of loss. “I should go inside. Mother will be wondering what’s become of me.”

  Chapter 4

  On Monday, the entire day was set aside to build props for Sunday. The fourth of July celebration happened to land on the Lord’s Day that year, which made the celebration even more special. Jamie spent his day off helping the volunteers. The event promised to be a wonderful mix of the Word, fun, food, and fellowship. He noticed his buddy arrive and beckoned him over to where he was pounding nails into a sign.

  “Cornhole?” Todd said, greeting Jamie with a friendly slap on the back.

  “Yeah. It’s a favorite with the young at heart.”

  “It’s easy enough for any age and something to occupy the time with one’s sweetheart,” Todd said. “Especially if you need to teach her how to toss a bag. You got a girl hooked on that fishing line of yours yet, Jamie?”

  “No, but I might scan for prospects come Sunday, see if any look lonely enough to consider me as a contender.”

  “You’re always putting yourself down, mate. I see muscles bulging from under that shirt of yours. Working on the docks has developed you a physique the ladies love to drool over.”

  “I don’t need those kinds of ladies drooling over me. You can have my share.”

  “Picky fella, are you? Christy Scinch and I are courting pretty serious now.”

  “Do I hear wedding bells?”

  “You’ll be one of the first to know. I’ll need my best pal to hold me up at the altar when my knees get to knocking.”

  Jamie snickered. “Suppose I can handle that job fine, with my bulging muscles and all.”

  “Hey, Christy has a relative visiting. She’s new to these parts, all the way from Texas. Interested?”

  “Like I said, maybe I am. Wouldn’t hurt to give her a try.”

  No sooner had the words come out of his mouth than Tariana walked up behind the two boys. “Give who a try?” she asked.

  Todd opened his mouth to speak, but Jamie sped to fill the gap. “No one.” He pointed to his project and tossed her a bag of corn kernels. “What do you think of this game? I printed a sign to entice the folks in. Throwers have four choices to hit different sized holes that I’ll dig in the dirt Saturday when we do the outside set up. Figured they’d earn more points, depending on which hole they hit. Even marked it clear, so no one can cheat.”

  “This is a house of God,” Tariana said, pretending to be shocked. “Surely, there will be no mischief on the Lord’s Day.”

  He turned to Todd. “Did you rally the boys to play music?”

  “Got four of them – a guitar, a banjo, an Indian drum, and a harmonica.”

  “Sounds great. Thank you, Todd,” Tariana said. “A bit of music always puts folks in a festive mood.”

  Jamie chimed in, feeling the build-up of excitement. “Got some others organizing a baseball game.”

  “My sister and I have arranged races for the children, contests, and of course, everyone will bring a feast of food from home.” Tariana’s eyes lit up with joy.

  Jamie especially loved the sparkle in her blue eyes when she was happy. Maybe he should forget about the Texas girl and concentrate on winning his childhood sweetheart. Her next words dashed those prospects.

  “Michael invited me to tour the docks tomorrow,” she said nonchalantly, as if invitations from Frances’s beau were the norm – or, more specifically, a turn in her favor. “Will you be working?”

  He wanted to scream, No! I have no interest in seeing you make a fool of yourself. Instead he smiled and nodded. “I will.”

  “Perfect. Two of my favorite men together in the same place. I love to see comrades at work.”

  He hated the picture that conjured in his mind. What if he blurted out his too-long-hidden feelings? Would she laugh at the absurdity of such a thing?

  Jamie exhaled, long and hard. Jealousy nipped a chunk of armor from his heart. Bearing his soul would be a waste of time, effort, and humiliation. He already knew the answer. Michael was number one – always had been. Jamie doubted Tariana even considered him a contender for courtship.

  Tuesday morning, Tariana rushed through her chores. She wanted to spend as much time as possible making her appearance perfect for her visit to the docks, so she escaped upstairs immediately following lunch. One o’clock would be there before she knew it.

  Tariana pulled her long, strawberry blonde hair back at the sides and knotted it low in a cluster of ringlets. She teased a thin layer of bangs across her forehead, and placed the curvy, brimmed hat she’d purchased last week carefully on top. She stood back to examine her efforts.

  The aqua-green dress she’d chosen was the latest fashion; Mrs. Parks would be pleased with her purchases. Although the outfit was supposed to be for the upcoming picnic, she reasoned that this outing was equally important. She refused to go looking like last year’s model – it appeared that Michael appreciated that sort of thing.

  The bodice was tight, with a wide collar that fastened at a center panel of cloth-covered buttons and stretched downward to form a defining waistline. From that point, the layered overdress cascaded, sweeping outward on both sides landing close to her knees at the back. The fitted sleeves extended below her elbow with two layers of fancy lace at the bottom. The same starched trim widened and closed i
n around her neck to cover any naked skin that dared to show. This modest design made the garment acceptable for the preacher’s daughter to wear in public. Father was very strict. Beneath the overdress, pleated skirting flowed all the way to the floor. Tariana was attracted to the easy movement of the new style. Yes, she looked quite acceptable for traipsing around the docks with Michael, who would be proud to escort such a dashing lady on his arm.

  Her mother noticed her change of clothing. “Tariana, is that your new dress?”

  “Yes. I couldn’t wait to wear it. You don’t mind, do you?”

  “Clothes are meant to be worn,” she said, practicality being her strong point. “Where are you going?”

  “Town. Meeting up with a couple of friends.” She neglected to name Michael, and perhaps Jamie, if he happened along, among the friends she might see today. “Where is Frances?” she asked as an afterthought.

  “She is with the seamstress this afternoon. She is a bit too demanding for my liking when it comes to that wedding gown.”

  Tariana groaned. “She’s having her dress designed already? What if she gets cold feet?”

  “The date is set for early August, and there is much for all of us to do before then.”

  August! Could she win Michael’s heart over by then? This was proving to be a difficult task. She wondered how long it would take for The Lovelorn to answer her letter. She was running out of ideas.

  Tariana grabbed her parasol and a draw-string purse, and slipped from the house. The parsonage was located north of the commercial core, close to the church, on one of the three downtown streets. Her father’s place of worship was one of few that remained on the lower bluff, and that pleased Tariana. She loved living there, with the grand spectacle of the falls, the view of the forests and mountains in the distance, the sound of the train’s lonesome whistle, and being able to take in the hubbub surrounding the ship’s docking area.

  What had begun as a fur-trading settlement – with hermits learning to adapt to life with the Natives – soon transformed when the American settlers and immigrants arrived. Manufacturing supplies for the miners during the gold rush turned a good profit, and a few of the old-timers, who’d returned to live there after they’d exhausted the lure of yellow fever, attended the Oregon Baptist Church. It hadn’t taken long for Oregon City to grow, given the coming of trains and huge ships to transport and receive goods. The Imperial Flour Mill had been built when Tariana was just a baby, in a perfect location to take advantage of local transportation. Many companies followed suit, their owners dreaming of sowing their wild oats and securing their fortunes.

  Tariana wound through the streets, nodding and briefly conversing with neighbors who greeted her. As she neared the dock, she saw Michael talking to a man and headed their way. He appeared to be very dirty. Tariana giggled when she realized Frances would be appalled to see her man laboring with the many who jumped on and off the steamship. Maybe she should have brought her along.

  Michael noticed her approach and beckoned to her from the widespread dock. “Good afternoon, Tariana. You’re far too gorgeous to be seen with the likes of this sorry lot.” He took her by the shoulders and kissed her cheek. “You are just in time. Had a bit of a team effort emergency,” he said, brushing his soiled clothing, “and I’m afraid I do not look the best at the moment.”

  “You look like a man totally immersed in his job who has generously offered to show me his workplace. Thank you for the invitation. I’ve looked forward to this since Sunday.” Tariana fanned her face to cool the sudden flush.

  He pointed to the ship under repair. “This is The Misty Marion. I’m not sure who named it, but it is documented as such. When we’re finished, it’ll give the best of them a run for their money.”

  “I like the idea of flatboats, simple and effective. How fast does a steamship travel?” Tariana asked.

  Michael appeared excited to share the answer. “You need to move forward with the times, Tariana. They can go downstream twice as fast as the flat boats they replaced, but the great thing is that they can travel upstream just as easily. They’ve been clocked at five miles an hour.”

  “I’ve never been out of Oregon City. Can you believe that?”

  “I suppose your Father’s spiritual business keeps him tied to the homeland.”

  “Do they ever get stowaways?” Tariana asked.

  “Oh, yes. I’m not a captain, but I understand the penalty is stiff.” He grinned. “But not as stiff as in the days of old. Pirates made unwanted guests walk the plank.”

  “That was very harsh.”

  Michael laughed. “Come on – I am eager to show you how to take your future dream trip in style.”

  They walked to the long, wooden plank used to board the vessel. He held her arm as she ascended, and if she weren’t so enraptured with the outing, she’d have gloated at such closeness as a slight victory.

  “The Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company just purchased the steamship company last year, and with the take-over came a number of iron-clad steamships that run the Columbia River. They were able to take this one out of duty for sadly needed repairs.”

  They leaned over a large opening in the belly of the bottom deck. Tariana felt dizzy. “It’s so deep.”

  “It needs to be to hold all that grain. There is a huge compartment down there for cargo. It’s a big cost to move this rig down river. Of course, we do have passengers’ quarters for folks who pay to ride, and those areas need modernizing. People are getting fussier.” He pointed below. “The hull of the ship can be breached over time, so we need to weight it with some concrete.”

  He straightened up and pointed to other doors on the deck. “The steam room is over there; six double-ended boilers. Uses a lot of coal every day.”

  “And over there are the stairs to the steerage compartment. They crowd six hundred travelers into third-class accommodations.” He took her arm. “You’ll probably be more interested in the next two floors – just in case you ever buy a ticket to go somewhere.”

  She could not hold back her excitement. Should a day to see more of her country ever occur in her mediocre life, she would jump at the chance, but she’d eventually return because her heart belonged in Oregon City.

  “These two floors serve two hundred saloon guests and sixty second-class,” Michael said. “I’ve been saving to bring Frances aboard for its maiden voyage in August. We’ll be on our honeymoon, then.”

  “First-class, right?” Tariana asked, not wanting to be reminded that the couple was engaged.

  “Yes. It’s been tight to save for the vacation, but I think she’ll enjoy it.”

  The main public room, the grand saloon, was located in the front of the ship. It was big enough for all two hundred passengers to dine in. Men were standing on ladders to reach the nine-foot ceiling. It was painted a creamy, shade of white, which made the room seem even bigger, and a circle of walnut pillars in the center supported a raised area that reached to the third floor, providing daylight and the much-needed ventilation. The walls were of polished satinwood.

  The staterooms were large, with a lot of outside lighting. It was very modern, designed to pamper the well-paying customers. There was a lady’s drawing room on the Promenade Deck, extending the entire length of the vessel and furnished grander than ever she’d seen. The upper deck provided a smoking room, paneled in rich mahogany with a mosaic floor.

  “It’s too grand for words, Michael. I would be thrilled should my husband plan such a wonderful honeymoon.”

  Michael chuckled. “Husband? You are seriously considering a man?”

  “Why would you say that? Every woman considers a husband.”

  “You drive away any possible suiter like pesky flies.”

  She looked down at her hands, which had broken out in a cold sweat. “Maybe I haven’t found the right one yet – have you considered that?”

  “I figured that must be the case because you are a beautiful, spirited woman who deserves the best.”r />
  His face looked so understanding that she could not still her tongue. “I thought, perhaps, you might have been a good contender, but then you paired up with Frances. I’ll never understand why fate smiled on her and not me.” She laughed nonchalantly, like it was just another trivial confession in the life of Tariana Gracin.

  “Oh, my dear. You deserve so much more than I could give you.”

  “But Frances has high expectations. Probably more than a mere dock worker can provide.” Were they actually having this conversation? She tried to remain casual, though her heart beat wildly.

  “Shipbuilding is a stepping stone to bigger dreams. Your sister will be well cared for.”

  Tariana noticed Jamie on his way down the ramp, and she called, “Hello, Jamie.”

  He turned to look in their direction, waved, and hurried down to the dock, marching alongside, toward the front. Tariana’s attention reverted back to Michael when he let out a loud cry. She watched in horror as Michael tripped over a board and tumbled through a roped-off section of railing that was under repair. His head hit an iron hook of sorts as he toppled overboard.

  Tariana screamed.

  Chapter 5

  Jamie heard Tariana scream. He peered onto the deck where he’d seen her not a minute before to see her leaning over a section of the railing, yelling. “Man overboard.”

  He looked where her finger pointed to see ripples in the water, and he dove in without a second thought, and swam in that direction. When he got close, he inhaled to fill his lungs with air and plunged under to locate Michael. He realized Tariana would be waiting fearfully, directly overhead on the ship’s deck, or on the dock with those looking on, for someone’s head to reappear.

  Michael’s loose overalls had caught on something, and he hung there, limp and still, the water surrounding him blood red. Jamie kicked hard to close the distance between them and fumbled with the man’s clothing to free him. He grabbed Michael’s collar and kicked upward. When he surfaced, coughing and inhaling gulps of precious air, he pulled the unconscious man against him.