Brides of Idaho (22 page)

She pushed her bonnet to her shoulders and faced him full on. “So long as you don’t look too closely.”

He’d learned not to flinch at the sight of the scars on the side of her face, but it never failed to sear his insides. He touched her shoulder. “You’re lucky to be alive.” He’d do all in his power to protect her from prying eyes. But how was he to keep Miss Hamilton away?

Emotions worked across Cora’s expression—anger, sorrow, denial, and finally, resignation. “I suppose some would think so.” The flatness of her tone denied the truth of her words.

No need to agree or disagree on the subject. He knew she didn’t count herself lucky. Often enough she’d said she wished she’d died in the fire along with their parents. No amount of reassurance on his part changed her mind. He seemed the only one happy that she’d lived.

“I just wish people would leave us alone.”

He hated the harsh tone of her voice and hoped changing the subject would lighten her mood. “The house I’m going to build will be small to begin with, but it will be warm and dry and better than sleeping on the ground under dank canvas.”

She sighed. “I suppose so.”

“Do you want to come with me into the woods? I’m going to start cutting down trees.”

She looked wistful, and for a moment he thought she might agree. Then she shook her head. “I’ll stay here.”

“You’ll be okay by yourself?”

“You won’t go far, will you?”

He thought of what he’d seen in his earlier scouting trips. Seemed there might be enough suitable trees within shouting distance to start with. “You’ll be able to hear me working.”

“Then I’ll sit here and read.”

He hated to leave her. Anytime she said she’d read he figured she mostly stared into space, but he had to get a house started if he meant to beat Miss Hamilton. “I’ll be back before dark. If you need me, just come or call out.” He grabbed his ax and headed for the woods.

Mandy fumed all the way back to Bonners Ferry then pulled up hard. If she steamed into the stopping house, Joanna would start asking all sorts of questions. Joanna could get very nosy. Four years her senior, Joanna had been the mother figure for both Glory and herself since their ma died eight years ago. Joanna had only been fourteen at the time, and she’d done a good job of taking care of them. But she took her responsibilities very seriously. And heaven forbid she would encounter her other sister. Ever since Glory had fallen in love with the preacher man, Levi, why, Glory had been too high-and-mighty for her own good. As if she had figured out the answer to all life’s problems just because she’d succumbed to love.

A couple of times, Mandy had challenged her to an Indian wrestle, but Glory only laughed and said, “Poor Mandy.”

Mandy ground about and headed up the hill away from
her
place. She needed to think and plan. That miserable cur of a man thought he could claim her land, did he? Well, she’d show him he didn’t stand a chance against her.

A part of her brain mocked.
Yup, you showed him good who was boss, didn’t you? He had you sprawled helplessly on the ground. Then practically hung you from his hands.

She admitted with some reluctance that it took a mighty big man to lift her to her tiptoes. Mandy Hamilton was tall and had more muscle per inch of body than half the men she’d met, and she’d met plenty. Her insides burned with humiliation at the way the man had roughhoused her. She forced that insult aside to contemplate the urgency of building a house. She plunked to the ground to consider the quandary the man had forced upon her.

No time for a real house, even though her dreams included a tidy little dwelling with at least two bedrooms, a kitchen and a front room, and a stoop big enough to hold buckets, shovels, and a supply of wood.

She smiled. A stoop would serve as a cabin for now. No one said it had to be fancy. Just a place to live. That’s all she needed to gain ownership of the land. Of course, she could walk down to the lawyer’s office and fill out a claim, but it didn’t sound like half as much fun as beating the man at a challenge.

A frown drew her mouth down. She needed to beat him to salve her pride.

A little later she sashayed into the stopping house with several dressed grouse for tomorrow’s meal.

Joanna glanced up. “I was beginning to think you got yourself lost.”

Mandy chuckled. “When was the last time I got lost?”

Joanna grinned. “So long ago I can’t remember. Glory seems to have disappeared though.”

The sisters looked at each other and sighed.

“No doubt helping Levi put up his mission house,” Mandy said unnecessarily. Both knew where she was and why.

“Says they won’t marry until the place is finished.” Joanna giggled. “Seems she’s in a big hurry to get hitched.”

They both had a good laugh and then sobered.

“It won’t be the same without her,” Mandy said.

Joanna hugged Mandy then broke away. “We still have each other.”

Mandy developed a sudden interest in the array of pies on the table. What would Joanna do if Mandy built a house and moved into it? But it wasn’t as if she planned to stay there day and night. She’d still provide food for the stopping house and come every day to help. “You need anything done?”

“You could haul out the ashes, fill the wood box, and sweep the lean-to floor before people start arriving.”

As she did the chores, Mandy planned her house.

M
andy hurried through her morning chores at the stopping house then called, “I’ll be back later.”

Joanna waved her away. Nothing unusual about Mandy’s announcement. Almost every day she went hunting, keeping the place supplied with fresh meat. But today she swung her rifle over her shoulder and detoured by the woodshed to pick up the ax. On second thought… She took a few steps away and then backtracked…. She would take along a hammer and nails, too.

Glory had chosen the moment to get an armload of wood. She stared. “You’re going hunting with an ax?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be helping Levi?”

“He’s ordering supplies. I’m going up there later.” The way she eyed the ax, Mandy knew even mention of Levi hadn’t distracted her.

“You’re letting him order supplies on his own?” She hoped the doubt in her voice would trigger concern in Glory and send her after Levi.

“I think he can manage. What kind of animal do you hunt with an ax?” Her eyes narrowed. “You aren’t going to go into hand-to-hand combat with a bear, are you?”

Mandy laughed. “I might.”

Glory snorted. “Even you aren’t that stupid.”

“You calling me stupid?”

Glory shrugged. “I’m not going to fight with you.”

“Cluck, cluck.” Mandy made flapping motions with one arm, the other otherwise occupied with holding the ax.

Glory simply shrugged again. “You can’t provoke me today. I’m in too good a mood.”

“Well, ain’t that sweet?”

“Unlike you, who seems determined to be miserable.”

“Am not.” Didn’t take any effort at all to be grumpy with an intruder on her land. She strode away.

“So where are you going with the ax?” Glory fell in at her side.

“You sure are hard to figure out, Glory. When Joanna needs you to help, you can’t be found anywhere—”

“I can always be found helping Levi.”

“Then when I have something to do that I don’t need help with, you stick to me like a bad smell.”

Glory punched her shoulder. “I don’t smell. At least, not bad.”

When Mandy ignored Glory’s attempt to start a tussle, Glory deliberately bumped into her, making her sidestep off the path.

“Stop it.”

“Tell me where you’re going with the ax.”

Mandy drew to a halt and faced her sister. Glory was a year older and a daredevil who liked to ride wild horses and challenge any man who abused his animals. Did Levi have any idea what he was getting himself into by marrying Glory? She sighed. Her persistent sister would not give her any peace until she found out what Mandy intended with the ax. “If you must know, I’m going to build a house.”

Glory roared with laughter then seeing Mandy’s frown, sobered. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“I’ve always wanted a house.”

“Yeah. And no doubt you think Pa will come and live with you, and you’ll be a happy family at last.”

“So what if I do? I don’t hate Pa like you do. I wish he would come back.”

Glory lifted her hands in a sign of defeat. “I don’t hate Pa. I just don’t have any expectations of him. I no longer hope and pray he’ll come back and make a home for us. Besides, in case you’ve forgotten, I’m going to make a home with Levi. He’ll never walk out on me the way Pa always does.”

Mandy kept her mouth clamped shut. They’d had this argument before.

“You don’t need Pa anymore either. We’re all independent, full-grown women now.”

Mandy hurried away.

Glory followed.

“I guess it’s too much to hope you might leave me alone.”

Glory ignored Mandy’s dig. “Where are you going to build this house?”

“I got a place picked out.”

“Oh yes. I remember. Every time we move, you pick out the place where we will suddenly become a happy family with Pa living contentedly with us.”

Mandy didn’t slow down. Not that it discouraged Glory.

“So where is this place you got picked out?”

“If I tell you, will you drop the subject?”

“Maybe.”

Mandy stopped, pointed up the valley. “On that hill over there. A nice flat clearing with hills rising on one side.”

While Glory studied the place Mandy pointed out, Mandy resumed her journey.

Glory hurried after her.

Mandy sighed loudly.

“You’ve always had this dream but never before built a house. Why now? Is it because I’m getting married? Does that make you feel like our family is falling apart even more than Pa leaving all the time? Because I’m not leaving. I’ll be real close. You’ll probably get downright tired of me being so close.”

Mandy ground to a halt and stared at Glory. “Are you out of your mind? This has nothing to do with you.” A blast of exasperation exploded from her lungs, and she lifted a hand in defeat and amazement. “If you must know, it’s because someone else thinks they can own my land. If I build a house first, it will be mine.”

“Why don’t you just file on it?”

“Because…” It made perfect sense but completely eliminated any possibility of besting the man. “I intend to claim it fair and square by getting my house up first.”

“What do you know about building anything? Seems to me any time that kind of work came up you disappeared.”

“Someone had to find food.”

“Yeah, but using a rifle isn’t a skill that will help you build a house.”

“How hard can it be?” She steamed onward, Glory sticking to her side like a burr.

“Who is this person who wants your land? A man, I assume.”

“A man by the name of Trace Owens.”

“So you’ve met him?”

Mandy’s insides flared hot at the memory.

“Is he alone, or does he have a family?”

Mandy jerked to a halt so fast that Glory had to retrace her steps. “There was someone. A woman or girl, I couldn’t be certain.”

Glory tapped her chin and considered this newest bit of information. “Did you ever think he might need the land more than you do?”

It was enough to make Mandy want to wrestle Glory to the ground until she hollered stop. “Look around you.” She waved her arm in a wide circle. “There’s plenty of other places.” She pushed past her sister and hurried down the trail. “Let him find something else.”

After a bit she realized Glory hadn’t followed. About time. She went directly toward the clearing where she would build her house.

Trace swung his ax again and again, the shudder racing up his arm a constant reminder of his despair. No point in crying over spilled milk, as Ma would say.

He lowered the ax to the ground and bent over, moaning as pain with no physical cause clenched his innards.

Bad enough Ma and Pa had died. But the reason, the treachery behind it. Behind Cora’s scars…

He lifted the ax and attacked the tree, welcoming the ache in his limbs from the hours he’d devoted to this kind of work.