"Jake!"
My God! Maddie thought. If Jake didn't stopping hitting Carruthers, he would certainly kill him. Carruthers had tried to defend himself, landing a couple of punches to Jake's jaw, but Jake's fury spurred him on. Carruthers was swinging wildly, unable to see out of the eye that was already swelling shut. Blood dripped from his nose, and a dark bruise shadowed his cheek. He was only still on his feet because Jake's fist was clutched around his shirt front, holding him erect.
Not that Carruthers didn't deserve a good beating! How could she have been such a fool? After all she'd been through the past few years, she should have been smarter. She should have realized that anyone Caleb had dealt with couldn't be decent, instead of believing Carruthers was truly sorry. She'd been so willing to blame Caleb for the man's actions she hadn't stopped to think about the fact that the two men had been friendly enough that he would know how Caleb would think.
She wanted to run, to hide from the violence being played out in front of her. And, she discovered, from Jake. For the fist time, she was afraid of Jake. But she couldn't think about that now. She had to stop him from killing Carruthers!
Crouched in the corner of the kitchen, Maddie called to him, again and again. It seemed he didn't hear her, he was so intent on his obsession until finally, her voice must have penetrated his brain. He paused, his arm in mid-air and his fist clenched, gazing at her for what seemed like hours. Then he turned his head and glared at Carruthers, his eyes narrowed and his lips pressed into a thin line.
That was all the time she needed to make her move. She lunged at him, crying his name as she dug her fingers into his arm, preventing him from landing another punch. "Stop it!"
Fear made her heart thunder in her ribs. But what exactly she was afraid of, she couldn't say.
When he pulled his arm free of her grasp, she threw herself between him and Carruthers. "Stop! Please stop!"
His gaze studied her face, and the moment stretched out, the only sound that of the grandfather clock ticking in the parlor, and Jake's heavy breathing. Their eyes locked. Then she noticed that her fingers were splayed against his chest. Beneath the thin cotton, she could feel the smooth, hard muscle and the strong steady beat of his heart.
A muscle twitched in his jaw, but after what seemed like an eternity, he released Carruthers. With an agonizing groan, Carruthers slumped to the floor in a heap. Blood trickled down his chin, and his breath came in ragged gasps.
Jake stood over him, a murderous expression on his face. "You sonofabitch. You're one lucky bastard. If it wasn't for this woman," his gaze shifted to look at Maddie, "you'd be a dead man." Jake moved closer to where Carruthers was sprawled on the floor, and as Jake approached, Carruthers tried vainly to move out of his reach.
Jake leaned over, and Carruthers raised a hand to protect his face.
"Jake! Let him go," Maddie cried. Why she was so concerned about the man who'd just tried to rape her, she didn't know. But violence wasn't the answer. Heaven knew she'd seen enough of that in the past few years. "Jake. Please. Just let him go."
Jake's gaze settled on Maddie's face, as if he was seeing her for the first time.
He seemed to have calmed down, and Maddie took that as a sign. If Jake lost his temper again, she had no doubt Carruthers would pay the ultimate price.
Maddie lowered her voice. It was barely above a whisper when she spoke again, pleading with him to curb his anger and let Carruthers leave.
Jake didn't answer her. He was listening though, she realized, because after a few moments, he reached down and yanked Carruthers to his feet. Carruthers' eyes were glazed over, but Maddie could sense his fear. "Look ... there's no need to get worked up ... I was just -- "
"Shut up!"
Carruthers' head bobbed like a cork. "Sure ... no problem ... I mean --"
"I said shut up," Jake hissed.
Carruthers nodded, but at least this time he was wise enough to keep his mouth shut.
"Let's go," Jake said, moving towards the front door, Carruthers' jacket still firmly in his grasp. Half dragging the semi-conscious man, Jake and Carruthers went outside.
Maddie ran after them, waiting on the porch while Jake pulled Carruthers down the steps. Carruthers slipped and lost his balance, and Jake loosened his grip. Carruthers tumbled down the steps and landed on his knees in the dirt.
"Get up," Jake ordered.
Slowly, Carruthers got to his feet. Jake moved closer to him, and said something. Maddie couldn't hear the words, but by the way Carruthers' eyes widened, and perspiration seemed to pop out onto his brow, she assumed it was some form of threat.
Carruthers didn't look back as he mounted his horse and galloped away.
For several moments, Jake watched the clouds of dust until Carruthers disappeared behind a stand of trees. Only then did he feel the tension in his body ease. For the first time, he noticed the stinging sensation in his hand, and he looked down. His knuckles were skinned, and dried blood coated his fingers. A wry smile lifted the corners of his mouth. At least he'd come out of this fight the winner. But he'd had no choice. He'd had to win.
He'd come across men like Carruthers before, all talk and bluster when they were dealing with women and men weaker than themselves, but as soon as they faced someone their equal, they were chicken-livered and spineless.
For several moments, he stared at his hand. He'd never experienced that kind of rage before, and if he was being honest, it scared the hell out of him. He'd wanted to kill Carruthers. That much was sure. And he'd never before had that almost uncontrollable urge to commit murder. And there was no doubt that's what it would have been - plain cold-blooded murder.
He looked up then, and his gaze found Maddie. She was standing on the porch with one hand gripping the post so tightly her knuckles were white. Fear was etched on her face, and he could see the fingers on her other hand trembling. Her eyes were huge, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
He took a step towards her, and she moved away, backing up until her legs hit the rocking chair. She glanced around with the panic of someone in danger. What was wrong with her? She had nothing to be afraid of.
"You're safe now, Maddie," he called out to her, pausing to pick up his hat that had fallen to the ground when he'd heard her scream. With a flick of his hand, he smacked the hat against his pant leg, dislodging another cloud of dust before he jammed it back on his head.
Climbing up the steps, he couldn't help but notice how Maddie seemed to shrink into the corner of the porch. What was wrong with her?
For several moments, she didn't move. Then, as if the devil himself was after her, she raced into the house, slamming the door behind her. Jake heard the wooden bolt slide into place.
Jake stared at the closed door. He knew Maddie was shaken by what had happened, but she was acting downright crazy. The danger was past. Maddie was safe. So why was she acting as if he was the villain? After all, he'd only done what any normal man would do to protect someone he loved.
Someone he loved. Where the hell had that thought come from? He didn't love Maddie. Did he? Sure, she was pretty. And she was smart. And had more guts than most men he knew. And she made him think about things he hadn't allowed himself to think about in years. One look, whether flashing from anger, or twinkling in mischief, brought his body to life. One touch, and she set his flesh on fire. And the sound of her voice, whether husky from their kisses, or when she was chiding him for some blunder he'd made ...
Damn! He did love her! There wasn't one thing he could think of that he didn't love about her. Hell, he even loved the way she argued with him and treated him like an errant child. A soft smile curved his lips as he thought of her, her hands on her hips, her eyes sparking with anger, her chin raised defiantly as if she dared him to argue back.
Yep, he loved her. And right now, the woman he loved was acting as if he was the one who'd tried to rape her instead of the one who'd saved her.
Jake ached to go after her and take her in his arms. He wanted to kiss away the bruise on her cheek where Carruthers had hit her, and promise her nothing would ever hurt her again. But he couldn't promise that. He couldn't even promise he'd be here next week.
She didn't want him here anyway. She'd made no bones about what she thought of him, and every chance she got, she let him know she'd be quite happy when he rode away. Independence. That's what she craved.
Carruthers wouldn't be back. He'd bet his next month's pay on it. But what about the next drifter who passed by? Or even one of the citizens of Willow Creek who knew she was a single woman living alone? Who would come to her rescue then?
Placing a cheroot between his lips, he struck a match on the porch railing and lit it, taking in a deep breath. As he exhaled, he watched the smoke swirl upwards in the still afternoon air before it vanished.
If he had to leave her, he decided firmly, the least he could do was make sure she could take care of herself.
Maddie didn't want to talk about the morning's events. When Jake came into the house for the noon meal, he'd asked how she was feeling. She'd responded that she was fine, and when it seemed that Jake was ready to expand on the outcome, Maddie quickly rose from the table and began clearing the dishes, making more noise than was necessary to drown out Jake's voice.
It was impossible to do, but she was determined to pretend it had never happened. Not only had she - again - found out how inadequate she was, she'd learned a hard lesson. She'd learned that Jake and Caleb were exactly the same. And the tears burning her eyes were for something she should have known didn't exist.
How could she be such a fool? She'd been taken in once by charm and good looks. She'd suffered for it, and thought she'd learned. In fact, when Caleb died, she'd actually believed it was a sign that she was ready to take charge of her own life.
Then, in a few days, she'd made the same mistake again. She'd fallen in love with a man who pretended to be kind, and gentle, and care for her. He'd kept his ugly temper in check, fooling her until she trusted him.
And then, she'd seen the truth.
Heavens, perhaps she should be grateful for Carruthers. If not for him, she might not have learned until it was too late - until Jake's anger was directed towards her.
It was only a matter of time. She knew that from experience. There was only one way to deal with it. She had to stay out of his way. That was simple enough. But how was she supposed to stop loving him?
"Is this the map Carruthers gave you?" Jake picked up the folded piece of yellowed paper from the table. Finally, Maddie had filled Jake in on what Carruthers had told her.
"Yes."
"Not far from here. Looks like it's over by the old Blue River mine."
Maddie shrugged. She'd lived near Willow Creek for three years, but Caleb had made a point of keeping her ignorant of the surrounding area. New York City could have been just as close as Blue River, and Maddie still wouldn't know how to get there.
"You didn't know anything about this?" Jake asked.
"No." Maddie carefully lifted the pastry and set it in the pie plate, then began spooning apple filling into its centre. "Caleb didn't discuss his business dealings with me."
"I think we should take a ride over there in the morning."
"Why?"
"You could be a rich woman if there's gold or silver on that land. And since Carruthers was in such a hurry to get you to sign the papers, seems to me there might be a reason."
"I suppose that's possible ..."
"Maybe we could have another picnic ..." He gave her a leering look. "Take a dip in that stream, then warm up--"
That was something she definitely was not going to do. The farther away from Jake she could stay for the next few days, the better off she'd be. "No."
Jake glanced at her curiously. "No? Why not?
Did he really have no idea what his actions that day had done to her? To how she felt about him? How could he expect her to forget what had happened?
"Have you ever made love outdoors, Maddie?" he asked. Jake got up from the table and crossed to where she was rolling out pastry for pies. "I want to make love with you under the trees, with the sun shining. I want to see you - all of you--"
"Stop it!"
Confusion registered on his face. "What is it?" he asked, reaching out to draw her into his arms.
Maddie backed away. "Stay away from me."
"What?"
"I mean it, Jake," she said. "Don't you touch me." Don't pretend to be the kind of man who is gentle and tender, she added silently. Don't think you can fool me into trusting you.
"What's the matter with you?" Jake's voice grew louder. "Ever since Carruthers showed up here, you've been acting like I'm the one who attacked you. Why are you so afraid. He's gone."
"But you aren't."
"What the hell does that mean?"
Tears clouded Maddie's vision, and she blinked rapidly to try to stop them. "You showed your true colors today, Jake. You're exactly the same as Caleb. You deal with your anger with your fists. I thought you were different. But you aren't." Tears started to flow, and Maddie angrily brushed them away with the back of her hand.
Jake's finger grazed her cheek where a smudge of flour had streaked her skin. "I am."
Maddie shook her head. "No, you're exactly like him. You can't control your anger."
Jake's gaze darkened, and he took another step towards her. "I'll tell you this once, Maddie. And then we'll never mention it again. I am not your husband. I don't know what kind of hell he put you through, but I can tell you this. I've never raised a hand to a woman. And I never will."
Maddie gazed up at him. He seemed so sincere, she was tempted to believe him. She wanted so badly to believe him. But Caleb had promised her the same thing, after every drunken binge. She couldn't afford to believe Jake. Her independence, and even her life, depended on it.
She shook her head in denial. "I won't allow another man to treat me that way."
"No real man would treat a woman that way."
Did he really believe that, or was he merely saying the words he knew she needed to hear? She couldn't be sure.
True, he had never lifted a finger to her. Could it be true that a man could be violent enough to almost kill another human being, yet show only tenderness to those he cared about? If only she knew.
"It's up to you, Maddie," he said, his voice softening. "Either you believe me, or you don't. I don't know anything else I can do to convince you that I'd never hurt you."
"You can't guarantee you'd never be violent again."
"No," he agreed, "I can't. And if anyone tries to hurt you again, I can't promise I won't lose control and kill the sonofabitch. But I guarantee you I will never lay a finger on you."
Did she dare believe his words? Or were they merely a way to make her lower her guard, to lull her into feeling safe, only to use her trust against her? She was afraid to take the chance.
"There's nothing you can say to convince me that violence is the answer."
"I didn't say violence is always the answer. But sometimes, it's the only way."
"I don't believe that."
"Then it looks like we're at a stalemate, doesn't it."
Maddie raised her gaze to meet his. "I suppose it does."
"Then I'll stay out of your way as much as I can."