Jake (4 page)

“That’d be in competition but there’s plenty of those places anyway and regardless of what Al wants, more are poppin’ up all the time. There’s so many saloons that they don’t even name them anymore. Just number them. The No. 10 and the No. 29 and so forth.” She got up from her seat on the large log near the campfire. “Well, I best be gettin’ on back. Thanks for supper. I haven’t had an egg in a couple of years. I’d forgotten how good they are. Billy ought to be wakin’ back up by now. I ain’t seen him sneak past us here, so he must be lookin’ for my gold.”

“I’ll walk back with you,” said Jake, getting up from his seat next to her on the log.

“No need. I’ve done that path so many times in the dark, I could probably do it blindfolded.” She turned to Liam and Zach. “Thanks again. Eatin’ someone else’s cookin’ was a treat and a mighty good one.”

Jake persisted. “It’s all right. I’d feel better if you’d let me walk you home. If Billy’s awake, I’d like to make his acquaintance.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know why you’d want to do a fool thing like that. Most people who meet Billy regret it. It just makes it that much easier for him to try to beg money off you when he knows your name.”

“I’ll take my chances. Shall we?” said Jake with a bow and a sweep of his hand.

Shaking her head, she started walking home or at least to the temporary shelter that she called ‘home’. She couldn’t insist that he didn’t come with her. He might decide something was wrong. All she could hope for was that Billy was still passed out.

She didn’t want anyone else to witness her humiliation at the end of Billy’s fists. He wasn’t always that way, just when he wanted more gold or a drink. He wasn’t willing to work, but he was more than happy to take his frustrations out on her. But rarely did he hit her in the face. He didn’t want to raise suspicions in camp, though no one there would have cared. She’d seen more than one whore sporting a black eye or broken nose.

When they got back to the camp, Billy was gone.
Thank you, God
.

“Guess he must have slipped by after all,” she said hoping she didn’t sound as relieved as she felt.

“He could just be out relieving himself. I can wait a while if you like.”

“Not necessary.”

“I don’t mind,” he insisted.

Anger colored her words. “Look Jake, you don’t need to stay. Thank you for supper and walking me back here but you need to leave. Now. I can handle Billy on my own.”

“Who you talkin’ to, girl?” said a scratchy voice from behind the tents.

Becky let out a sigh and rolled her eyes, praying for patience.

“It’s nothing,” she called to him. “Would you please leave now?” she whispered urgently to Jake.

Too late. Billy came arount the corner of the tent adjusting his britches as he walked.

“It’s not nothin’, girl. We got company. Build up that fire and get me that bottle you keep hidden from me.”

Sighing again she said, “Billy, this here is Jake Anderson. He and his brothers bought the Discovery #9.”

Billy cackled, wiped his hand on the front of his shirt and held that same hand out to Jake.

Jake didn’t blink but took the proffered hand and shook it. She knew they were sizing each other up because the shake lasted overly long. When they finally released each other they both nodded like some agreement had been reached.

“Well, now, Jake, what brings you to our camp so late? Couldn’t be my little girl here could it?” asked Billy.

Becky could almost see the dollar signs in his eyes as he took in Jake’s good wool pants and clean shirt with suspenders. She had to admit he looked good. The sleeves on his shirt were rolled up and the muscle in his arms flexed attractively as he moved his hands into and out of a fist. He was doing his best to give Billy a chance.

She looked at Billy and said, “I don’t keep bottles around any more. You don’t need my help gettin’ drunk”

He backhanded her. “Don’t you give me any sass, girl. You think just ’cause that rich lady taught you to talk all fancy that you’re better than me. Well, I’m still your Da.”

Jake moved so fast she would have missed it if she blinked. He had Billy by the shirt front and lifted him off the ground. “You don’t want to ever touch her like that again.”

“I’ll touch her anyway I like. She’s my daughter and this ain’t none of your business. You can’t stop me,” croaked Billy, both hands on Jake’s arm trying to break free. “Now let me down.”

“I was hoping you’d say something like that,” said Jake as his left fist connected with Billy’s jaw.

Billy flew out of Jakes hand, knocked over a camp stool and landed on his back on the ground next to the campfire.

“If you’re smart, you won’t get back up, you sorry sack of shit.” Jake stepped toward him.

“No! Jake, please. I’m all right,” implored Becky, hoping she could salvage the situation. If she couldn’t she was in for the beating of a lifetime when Jake left and if Jake found out…she didn’t want to think about it. Billy would kill him as soon as look at him and he’d do it sneaky like. Maybe a knife in the back. Billy had no honor.

Jake stopped and looked over at her. “If you’re sure?”

She nodded. “I am.”

He stepped over to her. “You let me know if he treats you like that again. I’ll take care of it.”

Her gaze flew to his and then to Billy’s. She saw determination in both of them. She nodded. “I’ll be fine. He’s just a little testy.”

“I don’t care what he is,” his fingers gently touched her face where Billy’s hand had connected with it. “There’s no excuse for hitting you.” Without looking away from her, he said, “Do you understand that, old man? No excuse. Don’t hit her again.”

Jake dropped his hand and walked out of the camp toward his own.

When he was out of sight, Billy turned to her. “You better hope that boy don’t come back here. I’ll slit his throat when he’s sleeping or maybe someone else over there at that camp. You understand, girl.” He landed his right fist to her jaw, sending her crashing back to the ground. “No one tells me what to do. And I found that gold you hid in your bloomers. Don’t you be holding out on me no more.” He picked up his hat and left for Deadwood and the nearest bottle he could crawl into.

She stayed on the ground until he was gone from view and then picked herself up. She righted the camp stool and added more wood to the fire. Gingerly she touched her jaw. She wouldn’t cry. It had been a long time since she cried. Billy beat that need out of her years ago.

There was going to be a bruise. Could she avoid Jake for a few days until it went away? She wasn’t sure how she’d do that when she’d have to go fetch Billy, but maybe she could do it at night and he wouldn’t see her pass. She closed her eyes. He wasn’t deaf, none of them were, and they’d all hear her go past and then he’d come out to see if he could go with her and then he’d see the bruise. She sighed. There just wasn’t much to do about it.

She slumped on to one of the camp stools and stirred the fire while she thought about Jake. No one had ever stood up for her before. Lots of people had seen Billy use his fists on her but no one had ever stopped him or even given a second glance for that matter. Until Jake.

Banking the fire, she got ready for bed. Tomorrow would be a long one. Her jaw was already starting to hurt and by morning would not only be sore, but swollen and colorful. She hoped Jake would think it was from the blow he saw Billy give her, not the one she got afterward with his fist instead of the flat of his hand.

She went into the tent and checked her stash. She’d dug a hole beneath her bedroll and was stashing some gold there every day. Someday, if her luck changed, she’d be able to get away from Billy. As far away as possible. For now, she was stuck, she needed the gold and so she had to stay with him, but after this, no more. She’d put up with enough of him. Taken care of him all these years because of guilt that shouldn’t have been hers to feel. And out of obligation to Grandma Bess. But her repayment to her grandmother, for raising her, was over. She was done…with Billy. She couldn’t do any more for him. He’d ruined himself and was ruining her. She had to get away. Sooner rather than later.

~*~

Pain, throbbing like a giant stomping on her jaw, woke her. The whole left side of her face hurt. She touched it gently with her fingertips. Unless she was mistaken, and she didn’t think she was, her cheek and jaw were very swollen. Nothing to do about it except put a cloth soaked with the icy water from the creek on the injury and see if she could get the swelling down some.

She walked down to the creek from her camp. They pitched their tents on a flat spot up the hillside from the creek. Even Billy was smart enough to know not to be too close to the water. Just a little extra rain could send flood waters racing down the creek. When she got down to the shore of the rushing river, she knelt, took a cloth from her pants pocket and soaked it in the freezing liquid.

The cold cloth felt like heaven against the hot pain in her face. She held it there until the cloth warmed and then repeated the process again and again. Finally, she felt a little better. She could move her jaw without pain and her teeth didn’t appear to be loose.

Going back up to the tents she put on a pot of coffee and made some cornmeal mush for breakfast. She wouldn’t have eaten at all but knew she needed to if she was going to get in a full day panning. There was the gold that Billy took to replace, after all. She had to keep a little hidden where he could find it or he’d get suspicious. Luckily for her, he didn’t stick around to see just how much she got out of the creek bed every day. She’d bide her time. She could withstand anything for the freedom she saw down the road. There was light at the end of her tunnel and she was closer to it than ever.

CHAPTER 3

Jake hadn’t slept a wink, even after he heard Billy go past on his way to Deadwood, to get drunk. He couldn’t help but worry about Becky. Had Billy left her alone after he’d left them? Or had he taken out his anger at Jake on Becky?

Learning to control his temper was a constant struggle for Jake. Growing up mostly alone and angry at his brothers for leaving him behind when they joined the army, hadn’t helped. He was too young, they said. Someone needs to help Mom and Dad, they said. He knew it was true, but that didn’t keep him from being angry at the situation.

But he thought he’d gotten it under control until last night. He’d been right to defend Becky, but he probably could have done it without violence. Except, people like Billy didn’t seem to understand anything but violence. He didn’t believe he’d have Billy’s attention if he hadn’t laid him out by the campfire.

Unable to stop worrying, he threw down his gold pan by his tent and went to check on Becky. His imagination gave him fits with all sorts of bad scenarios. He walked upstream to her claim. She was standing with her back to him in knee high water, panning the soil from the river bottom for nuggets and flakes of gold. He watched her as he approached. She concentrated on her pan as she walked to the bank, set the pan down, and then turned toward him, gun drawn. When she saw who it was, she holstered the weapon.

“That’s a good way to get shot,” she admonished him.

He ignored her scolding. He grabbed her by the shoulders and stared at her face. “I’m going to kill the son of a bitch.”

He saw the moment she realized what he’d said and why. Her hand flew to her cheek and she turned away from him.

“It’s nothing.”

He turned her back to face him. “Nothing! Your jaw is swollen, black and blue and your lip is split. That didn’t happen from the slap I saw him give you last night. He beat you after I left.”

“Leave it be, Jake.”

“No. This can’t be allowed to continue. I’ll teach the son of a bitch about beating up women.”

“And then what?” She put her hands on her hips and shouted at him, “You can’t protect me all the time.”

“The hell I can’t,” he threw back at her.

“You can’t. There’s plenty of times Billy and I are alone.”

“The hell I can’t,” he repeated. “I’m moving my things here. You’re not going to be alone with that bastard anymore.”

“I don’t need your protection from Billy. I told you, he was just testy last night.”

He wasn’t going to win this and she was right, he really didn’t know what he was doing. He didn’t know her or her situation. Last night might have been the exception rather than the rule, but that still didn’t make it acceptable. He barely knew her and was making noises like she belonged to him. High handed or not, he wasn’t going to let what happened to Elizabeth happen to Becky. Another woman would not die because of him.

“Will you at least let me—”

“Let you what? Take over my life. A life you know nothing about. You don’t know me at all. We just met for gosh sakes.” She turned her back to him and picked up her pan, sifting her fingers through the sludge at the bottom, pulling out a couple of tiny nuggets that he would probably have missed. “Go away, Jake. I appreciate your concern, but just go away.”

She walked back to the creek and into the water where she scooped soil from the bottom of the river and began rocking the pan back and forth to separate the dirt and rocks from the gold. He knew the gold would settle to the bottom of the pan by the time she was done. It was a slow, pain staking process, letting the rocks and dirt wash out of the pan a layer at a time. Not too much or the gold would wash away. Too little and the gold wouldn’t separate from the soil surrounding it.