LAURIE
Laurie stood at the window, a thin crocheted shawl of white wool thrown around her shoulders. Jeremy was quiet too, lost in his own thoughts. She wondered what had him so preoccupied, but she couldn't bring herself to ask. Not with Jason trying to reason with Richard downstairs. Not with Richard ready to destroy everything she had worked so hard to build. Again.
And how did Jason feel about that? Was he relieved at the proposition? It wasn't as though he wanted to marry her. The nightmare they were living could easily be over for him. She didn't think he felt like that, not anymore. All those things he'd said... but it wasn't like he was in love with her either. First Eli's body, then Hannah, the rain, and now Richard's " revelation." She couldn't have imagined a worse day. At least the rain had tapered off, although there was still thunder in the distance.
"He's coming," said Jeremy, straightening in his chair. She looked over her shoulder at him and again noted the long face he wore. No, something was really wrong with Jason's younger brother. She would have to ask Candy about it. He glanced away from the door and gave her a sheepish grin. "Bet you're glad to hear those footsteps."
The door opened and Jason walked in. He looked tired but determined. Her body tensed when he met Jeremy's gaze and followed his brother's silent nod in her direction. He sighed when his eyes fell on Laurie and nodded. "Thank you, Jeremy. Billy's going to take watch outside for a while. Why don't you help Josh home?"
Jeremy stood and patted Jason on the shoulder, giving Laurie a concerned glance. "She hasn't left the window since she came up," he said, halfway out the door. "Thought you'd want to know."
Jason murmured an answer she couldn't hear and shut the door behind his brother. He sat down on a chair to pull off his boots.
"What are you doing?" Laurie whispered.
He looked up, and it surprised her to see he wore a tired, haunted look instead of his lips squashed together in frustration. With her hands clasped together, her fingers picked at one another.
"I'm getting dressed for bed. You better do the same. Tomorrow's going to come early."
"Why?"
He had just pulled off his other boot. He let it fall to the ground with a clunk. "Why what?"
"Why will it come early?"
"Because your brother is here."
"Oh."
She watched him pull his shirt and jacket off in that beautiful fluid movement she had become accustomed to, although slower than usual and with the same groan he reserved for when he was exhausted. Jason unbuttoned his pants before he noticed her staring and with his hands on his hips, he cocked his head to the side with a question hovering between them.
"I just—I didn't know if you were sleeping with me, or in here, or...?"
"Isn't that where you sleep?" he asked, gesturing toward the bedroom. "And when I'm in town, don't I sleep with you? I thought we got past all that months ago."
"But, but..."
He shook his head and gave her a weak smile. "You've been spending a lot more time with Jeremy, haven't you?"
"Jason, our marriage is in question."
"In question, not invalid."
"Oh."
Jason continued to undress, Laurie watching him while she chewed her thumbnail. After taking his socks off he stood and took in a deep breath and stretched. He wore nothing but a pair of long Johns and seemed completely undeterred that she hadn't followed suit. With a not-so-innocent glance in her direction, he wandered to her and put his hands on her waist, gently pulling her to him.
He kissed her tenderly on the forehead. "I do like this dress. I'm glad you packed it when you moved in with Lottie. It would have been a shame to have lost it in the fire." He leaned into her neck and inhaled deeply. Using his soft voice he said near her ear, "When you're ready, I'll be waiting." He kissed her cheek as he released her and disappeared into the bedroom. She heard the bed creak under his weight, and all was silent.
Laurie stared at the wall. She felt silly, perhaps even a little childish, but she couldn't help herself. Was it suitable to sleep with a man she may or may not be legally married to? Hadn't they already...? Several times. Wasn't it silly to worry about anything being improper?
But that wasn't the point, was it? It was the morality of it all. It was one thing to be married to Jason and act accordingly because she thought Sherman was dead, but now that she knew he was alive? Or at the very least, the legality of it all was in question? After all, Jason was right. No one had questioned the validity of her marriage to Jason, except for the claim that Sherman was alive. But then, if she wasn't pregnant and had relations and ended up with Jason's baby knowing she might not end up with him? What would that say about her as a lady?
Was it really true? Perhaps it was a ploy of Richard's, though she couldn't imagine why Richard would want her back in his life. If he had gone back to Kenna, then her marriage to Jason made sense. He needed her objections out of the way. Without her, their father wouldn't remember her childhood friend, and what her roots were, let alone her more recent indiscretions. She would be accepted into the McConnell clan if her father ever bothered to visit. No, that was improbable, but she could see Richard taking Kenna to visit their father, something he had refused to do for Laurie. Kenna would be accepted, but not her, and Laurie wasn't sure how she felt about all of that anyway, except it made her insides ache. Not that any of that mattered if Sherman really was alive. Richard was right. It was only a matter of time until he killed her, and possibly everyone she got close to.
"Darling, are you all right?"
She looked up to see Jason leaning against the door frame with one arm above his head, studying her with a somber expression. When she took a few steps, his eyes followed her, and when she drew in a deep breath, they grew wary.
"Not really."
"We could talk about it." His voice was as gentle as the quiet pitter-patter of rain against the roof.
Her lungs constricted. It was an old problem, one that should have been resolved long ago, yet it felt as though the wounds were as fresh as the burn on her chest. "I just..." she said, gesturing helplessly. "I just can't believe it. That Sherman is alive, I mean."
Jason shifted against the door frame. "Is it possible?"
Laurie looked away, her heart racing, and she knew if she held her hands up they would be shaking. "I didn't think so."
"But now you do?"
"More like, the idea reminded me that there was a basement with a root cellar attached. It had two doors: one in the house and Sherman's slaves used the other that emptied into a shed, along with friends he didn't want people knowing were visiting Star Hill."
"So it is possible."
"I..." She paused and shrugged. "I suppose it must be."
Jason's eyebrows came up a notch. "Oh? That could make a difference." The top three buttons on his undershirt were unbuttoned, making him look even more relaxed than usual.
"Jason..."
"Laurie, I'm your husband. I don't care if Campbell is alive or dead. None of that matters, because regardless of what your brother thinks is going to happen here, I'm not leaving you. He's right - he made a mistake, only not the one he thinks. His mistake was that he thought he married you to a man that would hold you at arm's length. Six months really isn't all that long. How could he have predicted what would happen between us in that amount of time? I know I never would have guessed we had it in us."
"I don't think—"
"Your brother thought he could just interfere in your life again with my blessing. He's wrong, Laurie. I didn't work this hard to get where we are, to feel what I feel to just hand you over on his whim."
"But Richard's men!"
"I don't care if he brings the whole blasted army to Seattle. Did you hear what I said?" It was almost as bright as day with multiple lamps on, and she had never seen his eyes burn with such blue intensity. There was a sort of desperation about him, mixed with his familiar grit and determination.
"That you won't give me up without a fight? Yes, I heard you."
"Not that part."
Laurie scrunched her nose up. That was what it sounded like he was saying. The floaty feeling was back, making her a little dizzy. She swayed a little and before she fell, he was at her side, holding her up. She searched his face and saw concern, but something else too. She smiled tentatively at him, thinking he was teasing her. He didn't smile back.
"I wanted to tell you last night," he said, his voice low and calming. He snugged her up against him with his head bent low enough for his nose to touch hers, the faint taste of whiskey on his breath. "I almost did. And today... I thought we'd go for a romantic walk. You need some romance, but... well, that didn't really work out, did it?"
Jason searched her face, and Laurie couldn't answer him. His intensity took her breath away.
He shook his head and said, "After tonight, I decided I was being foolish. I should just tell you. I'm sorry, Laurie. You deserve, oh, you deserve more than this, more than I can offer you, really. If we were a courting couple, I would have dazzled those beautiful green eyes right out of your head."
"What are you saying?" she whispered.
"I'm saying that I—" Jason stared ahead, as though weighing something heavy in his mind. In the silence, her confusion gave way to understanding, and while she felt safe in his arms, it was that something that terrified her. Her eyes flitted back and forth, trying to take all of him in at once and failing.
"Laurie?" Jason whispered, coming back from wherever he had gone in his mind. He kissed her cheek and then her mouth. "Do you trust me?"
"Yes." Her chest heaved, and her heart hammered against her rib cage.
"Very soon, you and I are going to have a romantic evening. We won't think about anything except each other. There will be candles, stars, and soft music. How does that sound?"
"Positively lovely."
"Hmm." He nuzzled her neck, and she closed her eyes. He felt warm and wonderful, his breath hot against her skin. After everything else the day had thrown at her, the sensations were a welcome change. She felt herself relax in his arms. After a moment he pulled back to search her eyes. Finding whatever it was he was looking for, he bent and kissed her softly on the lips.
"I could do this all day," he murmured.
"Only if you mean to revive me from fainting in your arms. I know I've said it before, but you feel absolutely sinful."
His face broke out in a smile, and Laurie felt her own grow with his. "You realize we're standing here in the doorway, grinning at each other like a pair of love-struck idiots?" he asked after a few seconds went by.
"Then I should get ready for bed."
"Hmm." He kissed Laurie quickly and released her. "I'll be right there after I take care of the lamps."
"All right."
She set about her evening toilette, leaving the door partially open. She slipped out of her dress and thrust her hands into the sleeves of her nightgown, wishing she were a faster dresser. In a way it reminded her of when they were first married, only then she had been afraid of dressing in front of him. Now she just wanted it out of the way.
She was still brushing her hair when Jason came in, a look of surprise on his face when he focused on her at the small vanity Lottie had provided. "That was fast." He set a tiny glass of brandy beside her and touched her shoulder before returning to bed. Jason settled into the covers and watched her from across the room. "I'm glad Lottie didn't move the bed yet. Your brother's taking Josh's old room."
Laurie's eyes flitted to his reflection in the mirror, a tiny frown appearing at the ends of her mouth while she worked out a tiny knot. "Why would she move the bed, and what does Richard sleeping in the room next door have to do with anything?"
Jason's eyes widened a little, and then a sly smile appeared at the side of his mouth. "Oh, nothing. Just observations."
Trying to ignore the suggestive curve in his mouth, she kept brushing her hair, hoping the action would calm the tremor in her hands. She still wasn't sure how she felt about marital relations right now, but she was amiable enough toward keeping their routine. If he initiated marital intimacy, she wasn't sure she could say no, or if she even should.
"I'm tired," she heard herself say.
"Yeah, I am too." He turned the lamp down next to his side of the bed.
She peeked over her shoulder to see him watching her, his hands behind his head. "Was there anything else?"
"Your brother expects you to tell me why we should give up," he said in a serious tone. "I have no intention of dissolving this marriage. How do you feel about that?"
"Relieved. Wanted."
"No, that's not what I mean."
Laurie frowned and set the brush down to divide her hair into three strands. "What do you mean, then?"
He seemed mesmerized by her fingers weaving her hair back and forth, creating her nightly braid to one side of her head. Laurie tied it with a green ribbon that matched the green in her robe and stood. After she swallowed the small amount of brandy he had left for her, Laurie extinguished the lamp on her nightstand and joined him in bed. There was only the low light from Jason's lamp left, shadows falling across his face when she slipped in between the covers. Her toes immediately sought him out, but instead of holding her close as he usually did, he stayed still.
Disconcerted, she tried again. "What did you mean?"
"I mean, how do you feel about going to court over it? Knowing your brother, things could get ugly. I hate to put you through that." They were facing each other on their sides, their heads on their pillows, not touching. He reached to touch her hand, his fingers brushing hers before intertwining their fingers together. "I'd never purposely go into something that would cause you pain."
"What choice is there?"
Jason shifted a bit closer to her and brushed a stray eyelash from her cheek, keeping his voice low and quiet. "I'm not going to lie. It would hurt if you left. And if you stayed, I'd be the happiest man that ever walked the earth. But Laurie, you do have a choice. I know you think you don't, but I promise, it's your choice. A man, all he can do is ask, and wait. A woman always has her answer, no matter how he may feel about it."
"Are you proposing?"
"What if I am?"
"But we're already married!"
"So?"
"So I have more faith in you than that. In us."
He blew out a deep breath and let go of her hand to roll on his back. He stared at the ceiling, silent. Frustrated, she closed her eyes, trying to understand what he was talking about. Was this what Jason started to say to her earlier? A few moments passed between them before she felt him roll to face her again and scoot a bit closer. She kept her eyes closed.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"You're very confusing tonight."
"What I'm asking is, what do you want? Do you want an annulment? He trapped you into this. Or have you changed your mind? Do you want to stay? It's just us now, so... darling, you can be honest with me."
Laurie opened her eyes to see he had positioned his head on the pillow to where their eyes were even with one another. It was a rare view into them, though they were slightly hooded by the shadows of the low lamplight. If she didn't know better, she might have said there was fear in them.
"What I want is..."
She trailed off, unsure of herself. It was hard to be vulnerable, yet she yearned to share with him her feelings. She gave him a faltering smile. She would tell him the truth. "I want our home back. It's all I want in the world."
"Our home? You mean you want me to rebuild the cabin."
"No. Yes. Well, of course, we need to rebuild. We can't live in Lottie's saloon forever. But what I meant was, I want what we had before. You go to work; I do my household chores. You come home and we have supper. Someone might come over, or perhaps you'll read God's word or your father's journal to me by the fire. When the clock says half-past nine, I kiss you goodnight..."
"And I follow you in after. Only I would like to add something."
"Yes?"
"I wasn't... ah, we weren't making love then. I'd add a whole lot of that."
He was serious, but Laurie couldn't help but smile at one of his more scandalous remarks. "Even on a beaver pelt in front of the fire?" she teased.
"And in bed, and in the washtub, my chair... the table looked promising."
He was grinning now, and she was giggling. "You're incorrigible."
"I'm a man who knows what he likes."
She knew her eyes were revealing too much about what she was feeling, but somehow it felt right to share those feeling with him as well. "Well, I know what I like too." She raised herself on her elbow and kissed him in a slow, passionate kiss, his long fingers wrapping around her arm. When it ended she said, "I'm so lucky it was your hotel room I stole into."
Jason brushed his fingertips against her shoulder to move her hair back and leaned forward for a quick kiss without letting go of her arm.
"But as horrifying as it is," she continued, "I must admit, Richard may be right. I was so sure Sherman had died... but it's the only explanation that makes sense. I guess I just didn't want to see it before."
She hesitated. Jason was lying next to her, listening to her talk about one of the ugliest things in the world, without comment. The idea that she was given to him in bigamy felt dark and dirty. She shook from the inside out just thinking what it meant for them, what it could mean for her if she had to go back to Sherman.
But Jason's eyes never faltered. His face remained carefully smooth as he waited for her to continue. She felt a slight tremor in his hand and traced his fingers lightly.
"Jason?" she whispered.
"Hmm?"
"Are you frightened? About us, I mean."
He hesitated. "Yes," he said and smiled weakly. "For you, for us, for the future of our family. Your brother is playing with fire, and I don't... darling, I will do anything, anything you can imagine, to keep your brother from hurting you, but I..." He trailed off looking away, the obvious not needing to be stated.
It pained Laurie to watch him wrestle with himself. Jason was a lot of things, but he was still a man. A very human, fallible, normal man. He couldn't guarantee what a judge would do, even if they could get a lawyer. She already knew from listening to Jason during several boring business conversations that lawyers were rare in Seattle.
Laurie gave him a moment, watching his inner war play across his face, and finally summoned the courage to caress his cheek, his evening stubble prickly against her fingers. "I wish things were different."
"Hmm. If things were different, there's more than a good chance we wouldn't be married."
What am I supposed to say to that! Jason's voice sounded bone-weary, but his eyes were still alert and watchful. Instead of commenting further, she asked, "Can we go to sleep now? Perhaps things will look better in the morning."
He nodded, and after fully extinguishing his lamp, turned onto his back and slipped his arm under her. She snuggled close rested her head in the crook of his arm and put her hand on his heart, feeling its steady beat under the softness of his long Johns. They rested in silence until they both fell asleep.
JASON
"Ho, Jason! All's clear!"
Jason waved back at Swede. He cut the final blow into the tree's top, and as he watched it fall gracefully to the earth, he reflected upon Laurie's question from the night before.
Are you frightened?
Here he was, pretending everything was fine when everything was definitely not fine. He had risen early that morning and left Laurie sleeping peacefully to greet her brother alone at breakfast. The man had followed him to his brothers' cabin while Jason sized up Joshua's condition, which to Jason's way of thinking, he should be back on the job in a few weeks.
When Joshua told him the doctor was coming back to Seattle, he'd had a surge of hope. If the doctor could confirm that Laurie was expecting, wouldn't that swing things in their favor? After all, it was highly unlikely that a judge would separate a woman from the father of her child, especially since the first husband had obviously abandoned her.
Not that she had answered his own question. He hadn't realized until after arriving at camp that she still hadn't told him how she felt, other than what she wanted. Was that her answer? That she wanted to stay married and live the life they had created together? But that still didn't tell him what he wanted to know. No, he really needed to have that important conversation with her in full clarity, but yesterday the timing had been off. The moment he said she needed romance he had seen by her expression that she couldn't imagine what he was talking about. Well, he was going to romance her lacy underthings right off, and the thought gave him a wicked grin.
He shoved those thoughts aside and focused on his decent. He made it halfway down the side of the tree when he felt his belt give. With a swift lunge, he hit a thick branch with his hip. He threw his arms around it to hold on as he slid off, his tools falling below.
"Jason!" Jeremy yelled from the base of the tree.
With a grunt, Jason hoisted himself up using his upper body strength, and gave himself a couple of seconds to gulp in a few deep breaths before he yelled, "I'm all right! Anyone else hurt?"
"No! We'll send someone up for ya!"
Jason's body shook with adrenaline. If he'd been just a few steps up, or a few steps lower, he wouldn't have made it. As it was, he might be bruised, but the bodily damage was minimal. He groaned and leaned against the trunk, too absorbed in his predicament to enjoy the scent of the pine or listen to the mayhem below. Why would his belt have given way? It was a habit of his to check and double-check his equipment. That's what he got for being distracted.
"On my way, Jason!" Jeremy called.
"Good!"
If it was sabotage like the flume, he was going to have to double-check every single tool in camp, and that might cost them the time they didn't have. Jeremy had done a splendid job keeping the camp running, but they were barely holding on to the slim margin Jeremy had gained during Jason's absence and Joshua's recovery. Their men needed to push through the next couple of weeks if he and his brothers were going to make the last major deadline of the year.
"Boy, I thought you were a goner," Jeremy said, pulling himself up the tree and handing Jason a leather belt to strap himself into. "Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with this belt."
"Thank you, Jeremy. I guess I was pretty lucky."
"Yeah. Me too. I wouldn't have wanted to have to tell Laurie the father of her baby fell out of a tree."
Jason had the belt around his hips and paused. Blast, he hadn't thought of Laurie's feelings when he had begun work that morning. She was going to be furious when she found out. "Uh, yeah. You realize we don't know for sure if she is or isn't yet. Ah..."
"Expecting? Pretty sure she is."
Jason studied the grip he had on the belt and gingerly put his weight on it and winced. Yep, his hip was bruised. He glanced at Jeremy.
"Why do you say that?"
"Lottie says things when we're talking. Did you know Laurie doesn't go a day without losing at least half her breakfast, and sometimes lunch?"
"Yeah. Sometimes." He started the slow slingshot maneuver down the tree. "Doesn't matter much. I'll get the doctor to look at her after he checks out Joshua's arm and leg... well, and Aaron's rib."
"Yeah, good luck with that."
Jason, surprised by Jeremy's dry tone, glanced up and got some bark in the eye. Cursing a little, he shook his head while blinking a few times.
Jeremy paused and said, "Sorry."
"What do you mean, good luck with that?"
"Didn't Josh tell you? She's afraid of the doctor."
"Oh, that. She'll be fine."
"You sure?"
Jason grunted with impatience. "Yes, I'm sure."
Jason made it to the ground and unbuckled his belt to hand to the waiting Swede. "Where's that other one?" he asked, the frustration and anger he was feeling feeding his barked orders. Corky silently handed it to him, and Jason inspected it while Jeremy finished his climb down. When his brother finished untangling himself from his belt, Jason showed him the tiny cut in the belt where the large tear started. "This wasn't recently made, either. Must've been used a dozen times before I did. How was this missed?"
"I don't know, Jason," said Swede. "We always check the equipment. You know that."
"Corky, who else has been inspecting our belts?"
"Oh, just me and Swede, here. And McGee sometimes."
"Don't forget McAllister and Franklin," Swede said, tucking his hands into his pants pockets. "We were trying to keep things going, Jason. Jeremy and I had to go to meet you that day by your cabin, so Corky used those two other fellas to fill in."
"Yeah, that's right, I forgot about that," said Jason, and blew out a steady stream of air.
"It's not like they hadn't helped before, and even then they only helped just a little," said Corky. "Everyone's been pushing double these days."
Jason didn't have to look at Jeremy to see he was overworked. And while Jeremy hadn't grown taller during Jason's absence, Jason could see the extra muscle building in Jeremy's biceps. He'd earned more respect from their men, but Jason couldn't help but wonder at what cost. Candy's absence since he'd come home was troublesome.
"Where are they now?" Jason asked out loud.
"McAllister!" yelled Swede and beckoned him with an exaggerated gesture. Jason could see McAllister swing an ax into a tree and trot their way. "He wasn't out here earlier, Jason. He just started an hour ago."
"An hour ago?!" Jason asked, his voice rising. "Since when do we start the workday an hour before lunch?!"
"What's the trouble, Boss?" McAllister asked, sounding a little winded. Jason's eyes narrowed. That short of a trip shouldn't have been that strenuous.
"Where were you this morning?"
"Oh, that. I did some hard-drinking last night. Toasting Eli, you know? Woke up, and it was late. Sorry, Boss."
"You didn't inspect the equipment this morning?"
"No, sir. That was earlier this week."
Jason showed McAllister the belt. "And you know nothing about sabotage?"
"Sabotage? Who'd do that to you?"
"That's what we're trying to figure out."
"Could be someone wasn't payin' too close of attention and it got overlooked," suggested Corky.
"Cut like that?" said Swede. "I don't think so."
McAllister started laughing, and Jeremy took a step toward him. "I don't see what's so funny. Jason could have died!"
"Oh no, no, you got it all wrong," McAllister said, stepping closer to Jason. His eyes were bloodshot and there was a hint of hatred in his voice. "It couldn't be me. I want nothing to happen to the boss here. I was laughing at the idea that it could be negligence. Who's got it in for you, Boss?"
"That's what Jason's askin'," snapped Corky. "He's askin' you if you done it, and if so, why. No need to be funny about it."
"I'm not being funny," McAllister said, his voice going low and menacing.
"Easy," said Jason, stepping between the two men. "We haven't interviewed everyone yet. Uh, McAllister, thank you for being so upfront."
McAllister seemed to snap out of the dark mood just as fast as he had slipped into it. "Sure thing." He grinned at the men staring at him. "Guess I haven't got all the liquor out of my system yet. Maybe I oughta go get some food in my belly."
"Good idea," said Jason, eyeing the others. "In fact, why don't we all break for lunch?"
"Franklin's probably eating lunch now," Swede said. "We could go find him and ask him some questions."
"That sounds fine. It's been a long morning, and I know I'm famished. Make sure all the men know to inspect their equipment, even if they were using it this morning."
"Everyone?" asked Corky.
Holding up the belt, Jason said, "Look here, the way it's cut. See? Just enough to start the split until it gave way. I could say the same for an ax or saw. We don't want anyone getting hurt if we can help it."
"Sure, Jason. We'll go tell everyone right away." Corky took the broken belt from Jason and cast a glowering look at McAllister. "Just in case anyone wants to argue about it."
McAllister shrugged his response.
"Thanks, Corky," said Jason, and together with Jeremy started back to camp at a much slower pace than Swede and Corky, McAllister moving faster than all of them.
"That was strange," said Jeremy quietly.
"Well, he was right. He needs to get off the bottle. I know I'm hitting it a little too hard with Laurie's brother in town." He scoffed at himself and said, "Actually, I've been pretty bad since Laurie entered my life, but I was getting a little better."
"Where d'you dump him, anyway?"
"Oh, he and his men wanted to look over the cabin where we found Eli. I'm sure there's nothing else there, but he's got to show me up. Show Laurie he's still in charge."
"But he's not."
"Not where she's concerned. He said he'd meet me at camp."
They walked for a few moments in congenial silence when Jeremy said, "Look, Jason, I uh, ah... I need to tell you something, and I don't know how t-to say it."
Jason smiled at his brother and gestured for him to go ahead.
"Well, I just, I just wanted you to hear it from me."
Jason sucked in his breath. What more could Laurie possibly have endured while he was away? "Go ahead. I'm listening."
"It's about Candy and me."
Jason felt his stomach knot and automatically frowned. "What about the two of you?" And then in a moment of pure joy hit him like a sunbeam. "Wait, don't tell me. You've set the date again!"
"No, we didn't set the d-d-date," Jeremy said with a definitive shake of his head.
"Oh." The joy dissipated as quickly as it came. "Then that means..."
"Yeah. We figured maybe things weren't working out for a reason."
"Yes, but not because of the two of you. Just because Laurie and I—"
"Jason, let it go. We have. It's, it's for the best."
Jason's eyes softened. Jeremy and Candy had been a solid fixture in his mind since he'd watched his younger brother flirt with her on board the Shamus O'Flynn during their trip with the other brides around the horn. Sure, the couple had broken up a few times before, but they always mended their fences. There was always hope.
He gave Jeremy a sad smile and put his hand on his brother's shoulder as they tromped past the towering pines. "Well, whatever the outcome, I know you've always done what's best for you, and for Candy. Let me ask you something though. Why didn't you build a cabin this year?"
"Right, Jason," Jeremy said, his sarcasm clear. They broke out of the trees and entered the camp a few feet away from the mess tent. "With everything going on around here."
"It's almost over," said Jason, keeping his voice soft.
"Is it? Because last time I checked, you've got some pretty big problems. Like your marriage."
"What about my marriage?!"
"Oh, come on, Jason! Nobody knows how that's going to turn out."
"It's not a question for me, or for Laurie. We'll get it all straight and things will go back to normal."
"Will they?" Richard asked from his seat inside the tent. One side had been tied back to allow the mountain breeze to cool the area, and Jason belatedly realized his brother-in-law had heard more of their conversation than Jason was comfortable with. He was sitting with a cup of coffee in front of him, his hat pushed to the side on the table, alone.
"Yes, yes they will," Jason said, sitting down next to Richard and winced. That was going to be some bruise. He glanced at Richard's face and thought of Laurie's confession of wishing things were different. Well, maybe he could help that come to pass. He motioned to Richard's cup and said, "Jeremy, would you mind getting me a cup?"
"Sure. I'll be back in a second."
Jason watched Jeremy retreat and turned his attention back to Richard. "Alright. You've met my brothers, talked to my friends, and you've just come from the cabin I built for her. So?"
"I have to admit, I'm impressed. I know she didn't believe me, but I did some checking on you before the wedding. Folks in Tacoma are aware of you and your mountain, and as I told you before, you have a decent reputation. Glad to see I didn't make the same mistake twice."
"Yet you want to move her again. What exactly is it you're punishing her for?"
Richard's face a shade of green, and he looked long into his coffee cup before answering. "What has she told you?"
"About you? Not much. I haven't asked, and your sister isn't one to volunteer information about the people in her past. The best I can figure, the two of you have a very complicated relationship."
Richard leaned forward in his seat. "I don't mean to hurt her, let alone punish her."
Jason worked hard not to snort.
"I'd just as soon leave her here. Especially if she's going to have a baby. Which, I can't tell if you're saying that to keep her here or not, but it doesn't matter. It has to be annulled."
"Still trying to convince me?"
"I know she didn't try."
Jason decided to try a different tactic. "I know I asked you this before, but why not let her divorce Campbell instead? It makes more sense."
"Sure, in life. But not on paper, and it won't keep things from getting worse."
Jason noticed Jeremy hurrying back, two steaming cups in his hands. "Worse?"
"I think at first he just wanted to scare my sister. Terrorize her, ruin her life."
"Well, from what I've learned about her life, I'd say he'd already accomplished that, no thanks to you. You shot what confidence she had managed to salvage when you put her in that asylum."
Richard scratched his head. "I thought she lost it in San Francisco, I really did. All that talk about a ghost killing a girl in the opera house." He took a sip of his coffee. "It's not hard to convince a judge your sister has lost her mind when she's confessing her dead husband threw a woman at her from two stories up and then chased her through the opera house only to set it on fire. No one believed her. I'm not even sure she believed herself. The only thing that anyone was sure of was that she was scared out of her mind."
"Thank you, Jeremy," Jason said when Jeremy set a cup in front of him.
"Cookie's bringing a couple of plates in a minute. I wasn't sure if you'd eaten," Jeremy said to Richard as he sat down next to Jason.
"I'm fine, thanks."
Jason cleared his throat and shifted in his chair. "What changed your mind? Before coming here?"
"Tacoma. You'll recall the last time I saw you and Laurie, there had been a murder in town."
"I remember."
"Kincaid saw Campbell the night before in a saloon. You know how strangers can look like people you've known?"
Jason's mind flitted over how he kept thinking Jenny reminded him of someone. "Yes."
"That's what I thought Kincaid had done because he said Campbell was thinner than he remembered. So I followed him back to the saloon, but Campbell had left before we got back. We looked all over, nothing. Then we heard about a murder, and when the sheriff told me the details, I had a feeling in my gut. The woman had blonde hair braided like Laurie likes to wear it. You know, here, on the side," he said, motioning to the side of his head.
Jason nodded.
"But Laurie was with you and didn't seem any worse off than she was before."
"So, you just left her, with a stranger, with the suspicion that her first husband might be alive and actively seeking her harm? How could you have even imagined he was a good choice for her?!"
"Look, you didn't know Campbell. The man had everyone snowed by his Southern ways. Very appealing to the ladies. Laurie seemed amiable to the idea."
"She's never said so," said Jason, his eyes piercing. "And I got the feeling there's more to it than your lover admits to."
Richard frowned. "Miss Cowan is not—"
"I've been there, talked with Miss Cowan and Jenny both. And Doreen."
Richard eyed Jeremy uncomfortably. "Fine. But there isn't any reason to talk to Laurie about it. I'll make her an honest woman when I get back."
"Why didn't you before?" Jeremy asked.
"I didn't have the chance. I was in and out, trying to find out what I could. Two of my guys headed back to Louisiana. I got the wire from them only a few days before I left for here."
"But you knew I was coming to San Francisco. That's why you really left," said Jason.
"It might seem that way, but it's not true. Ask Kincaid or any of my men. I did know you were coming, but I left as soon as we fished out a lead. I had to be certain it was Campbell who was spotted after his plantation burned down. Same fire Laurie insisted he died in. Seems he tore up the land office that sold the property for Laurie. She sold it cheap, not that I blame her. She hated it there, and with good reason."
Jason scoffed and itched an eye. "Understatement."
"Jason, do you think there's a possibility of Laurie knowing about her husband being alive back then?" asked Jeremy.
"No, Jeremy, I don't."
"I don't either," Richard said, shaking his head. "No one goes into an asylum on purpose."
"But you took her out."
"She was better," Richard answered Jason. "They told me she wasn't seeing her 'ghost' anymore, and she was behaving normally. But that would make sense, because how would Campbell get to her in there?"
"But you were taking her to an asylum in Olympia," said Jeremy. He glanced at Jason for confirmation. "You told us that."
Richard ran his hand through his hair. "She started seeing him again. And that's why it's getting worse. Do you realize that the murders of the Muse Killer have all been within a day's ride from here?"
"What of it?" Jason asked. "We seem to have a missing girl here in Seattle, too."
"I know."
"Wait, are you saying Laurie and Josh's attacker is the Muse Killer?" Jeremy asked, tensing next to Jason.
"Let me be more specific," said Richard. "I don't just think their attacker and the Muse Killer are the same, I think it's him. Laurie's first husband."
Jason had been picking at his lower lip while listening. Then he grinned a slow grin. "So you admit, we are legally married."
Richard groaned. "Not technically, but yes, I had made sure everything would hold up. I'm not unaware of my sister's plight, but that's immaterial. You have to annul it. More and more people are getting killed, and it will get worse. I have a feeling he's killing more than women now."
"Why?"
"That fella you had watching your cabin. Eli?"
"Yes?" asked Jason.
"I heard he was stabbed."
"That's the general opinion," said Jason.
"With a Shakespeare sonnet tucked in his pocket? The reverend pulled it out after we dropped Eli's remains off with him."
Jason's exchanged a look with Jeremy.
"Didn't you ever consider the idea that he and your disappearing girl might be victims, not just a woman scorned and a dead drunk?"
"Not until yesterday." Jason blew out a breath and frowned, then looked at Jeremy. "What was it Eli wanted to tell me? That night when I was headed to San Francisco? I figured he was just boozed up."
"I don't know. He was talking crazy, about graves and how you played Hamlet with that traveling acting company a year ago. He insisted he be allowed to watch over Laurie while you were gone. We knew he wouldn't stay s-s-sober long enough to be much help, so we told him to watch the cabin. Kinda wondered if it wasn't him that started the fire."
"Yeah, I've heard some other folks wonder the same thing," Jason muttered. To Richard, he said, "We just found out yesterday that Hannah's disappearance may not be as innocent as we thought. We had imagined she eloped with a local."
"Mr. Bolt, I have your lunch ready." Cookie placed a plate of piping hot food in front of him.
Jason started. He hadn't seen the camp's cook approach and wondered how much time they had spent talking. "Thanks, Cookie," he said. Jeremy looked up and thanked Cookie as well. As the cook walked away Richard continued.
"Well, you could continue to go the way you're going and lose someone else to him, or you can annul your marriage, let me get her out of here, and watch all the bad things in your life quickly disappear."
"How does that help Laurie?" asked Jason.
"It gets her out of immediate danger. Look, I've seen the firepower you've got going here. Neighbors looking after neighbors. Did it help that girl or the dead man? I heard there was another woman kidnapped as well?"
"Franny. She was almost kidnapped while everyone else was busy putting out your cabin's fire," said Jeremy when Jason's eyebrows raised.
"I hadn't heard that," admitted Jason.
"And are all these kidnappings and killings normal for Washington Territory?" Richard continued.
Jason and Jeremy shared a look. "Okay, it's been a hard summer," said Jason. "Normally there isn't such a concentrated amount of hardship. And no, it isn't normal for the same man to be kidnapping and killing, plus who knows what else. But what's not uncommon is for men to keep their women close. To protect them as best they can. Many of us keep an eye on where our family members are, and sometimes even that's not enough. You're in the wilderness here, Marshal, and whether it's from man or beast, there's always a risk. If you didn't want your sister here, you shouldn't have forced her to marry a logger. It's not an easy life."
"A problem I'm trying to rectify." Richard stood to leave and picked his hat up from the table to settle back on his head. "I've already asked the circuit judge to make an extra trip out here. You have a few days to convince her."
"And if I don't?"
"Then it will be more painful for both of you."
Jason and Jeremy watched him walk out of the tent, and then Jason stood and followed. He made it to Richard's side when the lawman mounted his horse.
"You said things would get worse. More kidnappings? Killings?"
"He'll be after you. He's the jealous sort, and since you and Laurie say you have... Look, Campbell will kill anyone and anything you love, and knowing him, he'll do it right under your nose."
"Like sabotage?"
"Sabotage?"
"Well, we have a flume that keeps breaking. I figured out it was deliberate just before I went to San Francisco. And today, before we came to lunch, my belt broke while I was still too high off the ground. Would have killed me except I was near a branch."
"And that's sabotage?"
"It is when the belt's been cut."
"And if one of your men had fallen and broken his neck?"
"Well, it would ruin our reputation, I suppose. It might be hard to keep a decent crew."
"Your company's reputation? Meaning eventually, you would lose business, possibly even more. Right under your nose, Mr. Bolt," Richard said, putting his finger to the side of his own. "Convince her."
Jason watched him leave and shook his head. He slowly made his way back to Jeremy, suddenly not interested in the untouched lunch on his plate.
"What're you going to do?" Jeremy asked him.
"I honestly don't know."
Jeremy speared another bite of Cookie's cornbread creation on his plate. "Like I said, Jason. Almost over, nothing. Sounds to me like you've got a crisis brewing."
Jason closed his eyes and silently agreed.