For Love

Chapter 18

LAURIE

Breakfast had been a hearty affair of steak, eggs, giant slabs of bread, and greasy gravy with pitchers of coffee and milk. Jason spent some time with Laurie at the breakfast table, but the moment Jeremy stood, Jason and Joshua left with him after Jason carefully left instructions for Laurie to finish her breakfast. He was awkward in his request, but she did as he asked and ate slowly to savor every bite. She realized she was going to miss the logging camp when Swede—Big Swede, Jason had reminded her with a laugh—waved at her with an ax on his shoulder, beginning the trek to wherever Jason had him cutting trees for the day. She waved back with a smile and stood. She cleared her dishes from the table and thanked Cookie before heading back to the tent.

The camp had grown relatively quiet with the men leaving for their various jobs, and as she wandered between the tents Laurie wondered if Jason's men would breathe easier with her gone. Her husband was taking her home today, and part of her yearned for her former routine while part of her dreaded the loneliness she faced. She stepped toward the office tent to open the flap when Joshua's voice rang out.

"I don't see how setting up more guards around the place is going to help. We've already got guards around the flume, and there's still the rotation for the night watch around town. At some point, Jason, a man has to sleep!"

"I know that," Jason snapped back. "But this is the same guy Christopher saw before."

"A man wearing a mask. Do you know how that sounds?"

"Yeah, I know. Doesn't matter. Christopher saw him, and I saw him last night. I think Laurie did too."

Laurie's heart hammered in her chest. Jason and Christopher saw him? That had never happened before. No one ever saw him except her, so it couldn't be her masked man, could it? Laurie hadn't been sure the night before. She thought she saw a glint on a gold mask, but it could be her eyes playing tricks on her because that was who she expected to see. Perhaps they meant a mask like a bank robber. They wore masks sometimes, like bandannas and such, didn't they?

Jeremy's voice was softer, causing Laurie to lean forward. "Then why lie to her?"

"I didn't lie to her."

"But you didn't tell her the truth, either." Joshua sounded agitated, and Laurie winced at the bitterness infused in his words.

"I told her everything is fine, and it is! How many times do I have to say it?! I care about her. Laurie's late husband and that piece of work for a brother treated her unfairly. I'm still not sure what to make of her father's choices regarding her welfare, but I'm not about to add to the list of charges against mankind. Not on purpose."

"I think you both should cool it," Jeremy said.

"Not now, Jeremy," said Joshua.

"No? Because I'm the one with a cracked skull."

"And that's another thing," said Jason. "What were you doing out there?"

"Oh, well excuse me, big brother. I heard you and Laurie whispering, so I thought I'd go for a little walk to give the two of you some privacy. How was I supposed to know there was a crazy nut wandering around out there?"

"That's hardly the point!" said Joshua.

"No? Then what is the point?" asked Jeremy.

"Jason's mishandling of the whole affair."

Laurie put her hand to her mouth.

"Mishandling?!" Jason exclaimed.

"That's just what I said. Mishandling."