Jake's heart thundered in his ribs as he forced his horse through the woods back to Maddie. What would he find when he reached her? Suddenly, another summer's day sprang into his mind, a day he would never forget. But he'd been innocent then, unaware of the evil in the world, and when he'd come up over the rise from the river towards the plantation house, he'd had no premonition of what would face him.
Twigs caught at his clothes. Raindrops trapped in the leaves showered down on him as he brushed against them. But he rode until he exited the trees a mile or so further down the trail from where he'd left Maddie. He drew his horse up short at the sight that met him.
Maddie and her mother were riding in the buggy, the roan mare moving at a steady trot. Emmaline, in a dark purple dress and a matching bonnet, seemed to be reading. And Maddie - she was singing. Singing! The lilt of her voice floated through the air to him, pure and sweet. At another time, he'd probably enjoy the catchy tune. But the enjoyment he heard in her voice made him angry. He'd been terrified something had happened to her, and she was singing! He was furious. He had absolutely no reason to be. He recognized that. But still ... all that worry ... for nothing.
He frowned. Sure, he was relieved that his worry was unfounded, but something niggled at him. He relied on his gut instinct; he trusted it. And until now, it had never failed him. It had saved his life a few times, and prevented him from getting into sticky situations more times than he could count. But this time - he'd been wrong.
For a few moments, he rested in the saddle. Maybe he was missing something. Glancing around, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Maddie noticed him then, and the singing stopped. She waved, and he flicked the reins. A minute later, he drew up beside the buggy. She reined the buggy to a stop.
"I changed my mind," he told her before she had a chance to ask him. "Decided to go into town and take care of some business."
Maddie eyed him curiously. She couldn't question him, not with her mother sitting right there, but by the look in her eye, Jake was well aware she'd be asking plenty of questions later. To show her he'd gotten her message, he winked and started to ride ahead.
The small church sat on the side of a hill at the edge of Willow Creek. By the time Maddie and her mother drew the buggy to a halt near the open doors of the church, most of the congregation were already seated inside. The faint melody of a hymn being played on the pipe organ carried on the soft breeze.
Maddie felt it already, the tension that built every time she had to face the townspeople of Willow Creek. She'd managed to make a few friends in town since she'd become a widow, and her skill with a needle allowed her to at least have a business relationship with some of the wealthier ladies in town. But to some, the fact that her husband had been dallying with a married woman reflected on her inability to keep him at home where he belonged. To the men, she was suddenly a lonely, and therefore available, woman.
Jake dismounted first, and quickly hitched his horse to the post, then helped Emmaline out of the buggy. Maddie climbed down by herself and waited for her mother to join her.
"Aren't you coming, Jake?" Emmaline called back when she realized Jake wasn't following them up the steps to the church.
"Uh ... not today, Emmaline ... got some business to take care of ..."
"But it's Sunday--" she protested before Maddie took her by the elbow and guided her along the path.
"It appears Jake doesn't believe in the Sabbath being a day of rest," Maddie commented to her mother. "And apparently he doesn't believe in God, either," she added.
Emmaline's mouth dropped open, as if she'd never heard such a thing. "What ... I mean, how ...?"
The minister, a round little man with a fringe of white hair, greeted them. "Beautiful morning, isn't it, ladies?" he asked in a thick Scottish brogue. "The good Lord smiled down on us today."
"That he did, Reverend." Maddie gave him the brightest smile she could muster and went inside. Moving slowly, they made their way to the pew near the center of the church. Maddie held her head high, staring straight ahead, trying to ignore the whispers that reached her ears. Instead, she concentrated on the dust motes hanging in the air, and the unmistakeable smell of aged paper.
As they took their seats, Maddie notice Margaret seated in the pew in front. Margaret turned and waved. Maddie waved back, surprisingly feeling much better in just seeing her good friend's face.
As the reverend began his sermon, Maddie couldn't keep Jake out of her mind. Business to take care of indeed! She could just imagine what kind of business he'd be taking care of on a Sunday, when all the decent people were here in church. The only establishments she knew of which were open on a Sunday morning were the saloon and the bath house. She had no doubt which building she'd find him in. He might be kind, and responsible, and send shivers to the tips of her toes just by touching her, but he was still a man, after all. And men had needs. Caleb had told her that.
The fist that seemed to close around her stomach was so painful she gasped aloud. Jake ... his arms around another woman ... his lips ... "Oh!"
Emmaline's gaze lifted from the dog-eared bible in her hand and slid to Maddie. "What's the matter?" she whispered.
Maddie shook her head. "Nothing. Nothing at all." Heavens, here she was, in God's house, thinking about sinful things. Lord forgive her.
For the rest of the sermon, Maddie made a conscious effort to listen to every word the minister had to say. Coincidentally, the sermon today spoke of immorality, reminding the congregation - and it seemed Maddie personally - that God judged those who were sexually immoral. Somehow it seemed appropriate, given the direction of Maddie's thoughts.
The air seemed fresher when she and Emmaline finally stepped outside. Since many of the parishioners travelled in from homesteads and ranches, church was as much a social gathering as a religious one. Small groups talked and laughed, catching up on the latest news. Children ran across the grass, releasing all the pent-up energy they'd been forced to control during the sermon.
Maddie greeted her friends, but her eyes searched for Jake. Then she saw him, leaning lazily against the picket fence surrounding the church property, one foot crossed over the other. A cigarillo hung from the corner of his mouth.
Out of the corner of her eye, she also saw Margaret. And Margaret had seen Jake. With an exaggerated sway of her round hips, she sashayed over to him, an obviously come-hither smile on her face. He straightened when he saw her, and tossed the cigarillo into the dirt, stamping it out with his boot. He returned her smile, and leaned closer to say something to her.
Rage surged through Maddie. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, and she wanted nothing more than to wipe that grin off Margaret's face. Just as quickly, guilt took over. Why should she feel such malevolence towards her friend? Margaret was one of the few people who had immediately befriended her when Caleb was killed, never questioning, never judging. She deserved the same in return.
Yet Maddie couldn't honestly dismiss the tightening in her chest watching the two of them laughing together. It was as if something was sitting on her heart, and she couldn't breathe properly. Stop it! she scolded herself. This is none of your business. You have no claim on Jake, and Margaret has made in plain that she found Jake attractive. Maddie also was well aware Margaret was looking for a husband.
For a few moments, Maddie considered telling her friend the truth, that Jake had no intentions of settling down. She doubted Margaret would believe her, and might even misinterpret her concern and accuse Maddie of trying to keep Jake for herself. Their friendship would be ruined beyond repair. No, she decided, Margaret would just have to find out for herself what kind of man Jake Langford was.
"There's Jake, mama," Maddie said. Emmaline looked away from the couple she was talking to, and nodded.
"I'll be at the buggy when you're ready." Plastering a smile on her face, Maddie wandered over to where Jake and Margaret stood. Several other women, some of whom Maddie had never met before, were with them.
"Did you repent for all your sins, Maddie?" Jake teased.
Maddie's cheeks flamed. There was no way he could have guessed the lustful thoughts she'd had during the sermon, she realized.
"Maddie? Sins?" Margaret chuckled. "Why, Maddie is the purest woman I've ever met. I doubt she's ever had a sinful thought in her life."
If she only knew, Maddie thought. She'd had a dozen or so just in the last hour.
Her gaze wandered to where Patsy O'Flanagan was blatantly rubbing against Jake's arm. Normally, Maddie would have found it funny, but the tightness in her middle certainly wasn't coming from amusement. Apparently Jake didn't find it enjoyable either, because he shifted his weight, moving his arm away from contact with Patsy's breast. Other than being obvious about her intentions and closing the gap between them, Patsy had no choice but to stay where she was. A flutter of pleasure flitted through Maddie at this.
"Papa wants to speak to you before you go, Maddie," Margaret said, giving her a grin that told her she had had something to do with the upcoming conversation. Margaret's eyes sparkled, as if she knew some wonderful secret and couldn't wait to share it.
"Really?" Maddie was intrigued.
"Yes. Now hurry up before I blab the whole thing. You know how I am."
Maddie laughed. Yes, she knew exactly how difficult it was for Margaret to keep a secret. That was one of the main reasons why, even though she was a good friend, she'd never revealed many of the details of her marriage to Caleb.
"There he is. Papa!" Margaret called out. Her father, a tall, sparse man with a shock of silver hair glanced away from the man he was speaking with and waved. A few moments later, he joined them.
"Ah, Maddie," he said, tipping his hat. "It's good to see you. You're looking well."
"Thank you, Mr. Sullivan. And you."
"Oh, can't complain I guess," he agreed. "Though I could use a few more hours in the day and a few more hands on this body to get everything done."
Maddie laughed. "I understand completely." Maddie turned to Jake and made the introductions. The men shook hands, and exchanged the proper pleasantries, but Maddie had the strangest sense that neither of them were genuine. Her glance shifted from one to the other as she tried to figure out what was happening.
"I'd like a word with you," he said. "In private," he added for the benefit of the others. Taking her elbow, he gently led her away from the small group.
Jake watched the two of them stroll across the grass and settle on a bench under a giant oak. The way Sullivan was looking at her - suddenly it hit him. The old codger was enamored with Maddie. He was sure of it.
He was also sure that Maddie had no idea how the man felt about her. She couldn't possibly be interested in a man old enough to be her father, could she? Was that why she pulled away from his kisses? Was the feeling mutual?
For a brief moment, he felt a surge of loneliness such that he hadn't felt since his mother died, a deep emptiness settling around his heart.
He couldn't blame her for looking for another husband. For a single woman, Sullivan was a good catch. Money. Prestige in the town. It was a helluva lot more than he'd ever be able to offer a woman. He wouldn't blame Maddie if she took whatever Sullivan had to offer. She deserved to take life a little easier after what she'd been going through. But that didn't make the thought of Maddie in Sullivan's bed sit any easier. His gut roiled at the thought.
"... you're entitled to a day off now and then and I'd love to cook you a nice meal. So shall we say five o'clock on Saturday? Jake?"
"Uh ... oh, sorry, Patsy ..." Jake tore his gaze away from Maddie and looked at the desperation on Patsy's face. He could string her along. He knew that. And he could probably bed her, too, within a few days. A month ago, he would have taken her up on the offer, and satisfied himself at her expense. Now, there was only one woman he wanted to feel in his arms, one woman's body he wanted to explore, one woman he wanted to bury himself in and hear her cries of pleasure. And that woman was busy flirting with a man who was probably too old to even remember what to do. Damn! What could he do about it? "I apologize. I can't promise anything. I might be moving on before then."
"Oh." Disappointment spread over Patsy's face, and for a moment, Jake felt guilty at hurting her feelings. It was nothing personal, he assured himself. Patsy was pretty, and no doubt would be eager to please. But compared to Maddie, there was no contest.
His glance again slid back to Maddie and Sullivan. They were standing now, and she was looking up at him and smiling. Was it the smile of a woman in love? He sure as hell hoped not.
Jake fought the urge to march over there and drag Maddie home where she belonged. Home. When had that happened? When had he started to think of Maddie's homestead as home? It gave him a jolt to realize he did think of that piece of unforgiving ground with the work that was endless as home. But he did. And the strangest thing was, he liked the sound of it.
Before he had a chance to explore this sudden realization further, a loud cry split the air. Jake turned, his hand immediately searching for and finding the butt of his revolver. He spun around in the direction of the scream and saw a group of people huddled in a circle. Without further thought, Jake raced across the lawn.
Maddie heard the cry, too, and her face paled. She turned, and starting running.