With Mic’s help, Lillian sorted through the things that had been in the trunks. Two of the trunks were salvageable, but Robert had destroyed the others beyond repair. Those had been taken out of the cabin to clear a space for her to go through what she could save because she wanted sufficient time to go through everything. Mic had obliged her by putting everything in the corner with the two remaining trunks close by before he left her alone to continue her work.
It’d been a long couple of days, but it was such a relief to know she no longer had to worry about Robert. He was gone, never to hurt her or anyone else. And though she wondered about her brother for a brief moment while she was hiding in the log, in her heart she knew Albert was dead.
If he’d been alive, Robert would have brought him along to get her money. Even if she hadn’t cared much for what Albert did, it’d been a sad realization to know she’d never see him again. But to be fair, he should have known better than to get involved with Robert. She had warned him, but he shook her warnings off as mindless woman’s talk.
Well, at least Mic had the sense to realize she had a brain and knew how to use it. She wouldn’t have believed it was possible to get out of a tight spot with three men who wanted to get to her money, but Mic had taken the time and patience to work with her and she did it. Never again would she doubt her ability to protect herself, though she hoped she’d never have to resort to sticking something in another man’s private region ever again. Even if it was the only way she managed to get away, she hated doing it.
Pushing aside the memory, she gathered her garments. Most were ripped beyond repair. But she was able to save a shirtwaist, two petticoats, and a skirt. She’d mend the skirt, but that would be easy enough with Mic’s mother’s sewing kit. The ripped garments would have to be rags or find other uses. In one of her ripped up petticoats, she caught sight of her cameo and gasped in excitement. It wasn’t damaged. Of all the things she had worried about, she prayed the cameo might be saved. And as luck would have it, it was in perfect condition. Besides the hat she lost, this was the only thing she had dared to take with her that held any special meaning to her. It had originally belonged to her great-grandmother, and one day she would pass it on to her daughter.
She stood up and placed the cameo in the small box by the bed. She would only wear it for special occasions, even if all she was wearing was a man’s shirt and pants. Sure, one of Mic’s brothers might tease her about it, but she didn’t care. She’d just toss a joke or two right back at him.
She went back to the clothes, curtains and blankets and saved as much of Mic’s mother’s and Abby’s things as she could, which turned out to only be about a fourth of the things originally there. She placed everything she would repair in the two trunks. Then she decided to put the money that was in the underside of the mattress in one of the trunks. Now that she knew no one would be looking for it, she felt safe letting it be there. But even so, she opted to keep the coins tucked away under the floorboard. It didn’t hurt to keep one hiding place. She didn’t know if the money would ever be needed, but if so, she would make sure it would be used to help, not to cause any more harm.
Satisfied, she gathered the things she couldn’t save and carried them down the stairs.
Jeremiah was struggling to get out of the makeshift bed by the stove. She dropped everything in the corner of the room and hurried over to him. “If you want to get up, then you need to ask for help.” Slipping her arm around his waist on his uninjured side, she added, “Now you can get up.”
Jeremiah smirked, drew her closer, and looked at Mic. “See. She does like me.”
She glanced over at Mic who was leaning against the wall behind her, shaking his head. “I didn’t see you over there,” she called out.
“Because she had eyes only for me,” Jeremiah said, kissing her on the cheek. “She’s the most wonderful, thoughtful sister-in-law there is.”
“I told you what she did to that man, Jere. You’d better keep your hands to yourself or you won’t have anything to share with your future wife.”
“Now, Jeremiah, you know I only have eyes for Mic, but one of these days, we’ll get you a wife, and we’ll do it without you having to sneak up behind her and scare her.” She waited until he was standing steady. “Where do you want to go?”
Jeremiah frowned, looking confused by the question. “Go?”
Mic’s chuckle turned into a full belly laugh. “He wasn’t going anywhere. He was trying to prove that he didn’t need anyone to help him.”
She sighed. “But you do need help. You were floundering around like a fish out of water just now.”
“Was not,” Jeremiah said, stepping away from her with an indignant glare, ruining it when he stumbled against the table. “Dagnabit!”
“I stand corrected. You’re more like a drunk bear.” Though she tried to sound serious, she burst out laughing and patted him on the shoulder. “Are you going to make me get the skillet or will you get back into bed and heal?”
He glared at her. “I’ll have you know, I’ve been taking care of myself longer then you’ve been alive and I’ll go to bed when I please,” he glared at Mic, “and get up when I please. And when it pleases me to... Forget it, my leg is killing me.”
Shaking his head, Mic strode across the room and grabbed his brother around the waist and laid his arm over his shoulder. “I’d hate to be a woman who gets in a fight with you. She’d not know if she was coming or going.”
“Well,” she began, “if I get a chance to talk to her, I’ll tell her how to handle him.”
She walked up to Mic, and making sure Jeremiah didn’t see it, she rubbed Mic’s behind then winked at him when he looked at her. She couldn’t help it. Every time she looked at her husband, he only got more attractive, and it was much too fun to see how far she could push him before he caved and made love to her.
Mic grinned at her and winked.
“Oh, please don’t. I can’t handle weeks trapped with you two giving each other those looks.” Jeremiah groaned, though his arm was thrown over his face and she doubted he’d seen anything.
“If we leave you alone, do you promise to be good and stay in bed?” she asked him as she stepped closer to Mic so that her breasts pressed against his arm.
“If it will get you two to stop, I swear that only a fire or the need for an outhouse will get me out of this bed.”
“Well, that sounds reasonable to me,” she relented and took a step away from Mic. “And if nothing else, the sooner you heal, the sooner you can get back to doing whatever it is you do when you’re not here.”
Mic grabbed her hand and pulled her from the house before Jeremiah could say anything. They moved quickly toward the path leading to the lake.
She giggled as they rounded a bend in the path and hurried along with him, glad that they were finally alone. “You’re not going to take advantage of me out here, are you?” she asked, hoping he would.
“You don’t have a hairpin in your pocket, do you?”
Stopping him when they reached the lake, she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him, wiggling her body against his. “There’s nothing in my pockets. You’re perfectly safe.” Unable to resist teasing him, she shot him a seductive smile and brought her hand to the bulge in his pants and stroked it. “Alright. I lied. While I don’t have any hairpins on me, the truth is you’re in grave danger. I fully intend to have my way with you. And there’s no one around to protect you.” She unbuttoned his pants and slid her hand in so she could feel his bare skin. “I’m afraid you’re at my mercy.”
With a smile, he challenged, “Do your worst.”
“Oh, I will.” And without a single complaint from him, she proceeded to follow through on her promise.