Just One Kiss (The Dream Catcher Series-Book Two) (13 page)

Frank was a weasel of a man; thin, tall, and quite capable of anything. He had harsh features, but a handsome head of brown hair, and a mustache. Handsome, powerful, mean, but he wasn’t a gentleman. And she knew exactly what he wanted.

The problem was: how was she going to prevent him from taking what he wanted?

“Well now Hattie, I like that. An honest woman; how refreshing. In fact, I like a lot about you. So much so I must insist you come to my party.” He laughed.

Hattie stood up. “Gentlemen, supper is over. And I’ve already refused the party. Goodnight.”

Without hesitation, he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up to his face, and kissed her in front of her children. The kiss was hard; she felt his teeth grind into her mouth and it was meant to intimidate her. She struggled against him. “Your used goods Hattie, you’ll be at the party, or I’ll come after you. Do you understand…?”

“Mama,” Lily cried and pulled on her skirt.

Daisy started to come at Frank, but Frank slapped Hattie and she hit the floor, as Daisy and Violet flew to her side and she opened her eyes. He glared down at her. “Now, do you understand? I don’t take no for an answer. You’ll soon learn that, Hattie. You’re gonna be my woman now. And unless you want another scar on that pretty  cheek, you’ll do as I say from here on out, my backstreet woman. Naturally I’d never marry you, but I don’t mind playin’ around with you. I’ll wear you out and you’ll be nothing but a whore. You’ll be at every party, smiling and liking it. You’ll see. The party is next Saturday. You be there, or I’ll come get you. Oh, and wear something besides those old pants and shirt. I suggest a pretty dress. I’ll even pay for it.”

He dropped the coins on the floor, laughed, and left.

Lily ran out behind them, tears streaming down her cheek. She ran for the barn.

“Mama,” she cried as she ran and nearly fell at Luke and Joe's feet.

Luke bent down to pick her up and took her into his arms. He knew there was trouble. He only hoped it wasn’t something bad. “What’s wrong, honey?”

“Mama,” she cried.

“We’re on the way, baby,” Luke cried.

Hattie was just getting off the floor when they got to her. She was still crouched on the floor. Blood ran down her chin, as she tried to wipe it away, hiding what Frank had done. No use Joe and Luke getting mixed up in this.

Joe went and got a rag from the kitchen and came back to doctor her lip. Luke never left her side. He helped her up and she sat on the edge of the settee.

“Miss Hattie, are you alright?” Luke said, taking her trembling hand in his.

Chapter Eight

After they were sure Hattie was alright, Joe and Luke sat in the parlor with her. Her mouth was swollen, and she claimed a headache. She had put the kids to bed as the men told her it wasn’t for them to hear.

Sam lingered.

Hattie sat quietly on the edge of the settee, she’d almost stop shaking. Her face a mask. “It’s been a rather long night. I really should go to bed.”

Luke closed his eyes to that thought and tried not to look directly at her. The words bed and Hattie conjured up pictures in his head of how she’d look; what she’d wear or wouldn’t wear. And he tried to blank that out of his mind, but he wasn’t succeeding. He wished he didn’t react to her this way, but nothing could stop the image. “Hattie I got somethin’ to tell you and you may or may not like it,” Luke said, eyeing her closely.

Hattie raised a brow. She looked at both men. “It’s best to just say it then.”

“Alright. My name isn’t Luke Sayers,” Lee admitted, his eyes following hers every step of the way.

She breathed a little heavier, but she held his gaze. “You lied to me, after I trusted you?” Her voice sounded almost hurt. “Are you one of their men? Is that what you have to tell me?” She started to stand, but he took her hands in his and had her sit down.

He shook his head. He watched as her eyes widened a little. But she didn’t say anything yet, as though waiting for the full admission. She glanced at their hands and he smiled. He knew he shocked her, but she wasn’t one to jump to any conclusions obviously, and he saw the tremble of her bottom lip as she waited.

“Look at me Hattie,” he encouraged as he faced her, closely. “Look at me real good. I’m older, a little thinner, unshaved, but I’m still Lee Nelson,” he explained, waiting for her reaction.

“But Lee died.” She moved to turn away, looking from Joe to Lee. “I saw to his grave myself. I even said words over him.” She came to stand before him once more, her breathing erratic. She looked from one to the other and Lee found it hard to look into her eyes. He’d deceived her and he hated seeing the hurt in her eyes.

She gazed into his eyes, and came closer, to pound her fist against his chest, but the minute she touched him, she clung to him so hard he didn’t know what hit him. She just stood there holding onto him for a long while. He didn’t mind. Joe stood quietly watching.

Her hands trembled where she clutched him. “When were you planning on telling me?”

She poked a finger into his chest then stopped abruptly.

“Not for a while; I needed to know a few things first, but this changes things. I can’t allow the Jeffries to treat you like this. It will stop. And it will stop now.” She raised her head, her eyes narrowing on him. “I will not stand for a Jeffries to touch you or manhandle you in any way, that much I promise you. You are family now, Hattie. You, Sam, Joe and the kids, you’re all I have left.” Lee’s voice faltered.

His words astonished her as her eyes softened somewhat on him. She stared long and hard, and her voice dropped an octave, “Yes, I guess you are Lee. You talk like him. He’d say the same thing. I thought there was something so familiar about you when I met you, I just didn’t know what it was. I kept getting these feelings. But it’s been so long, I couldn’t be sure. And you were supposed to be dead.”

On his way out, Joe smiled at her. “Lee is a good man, Miss Hattie. A fair man. He came home, but he knew there would be some troubles about. That’s why he was extra careful not to play out his hand right away. You see, the Jeffries don’t know it’s him yet. There will be more trouble when they find out.”

“Trouble?” She looked surprised. “Because of me?”

“No, not you! I’ve had run-ins with them before,” Lee explained, gathering her hands in his. “No, you were a surprise, but not a trouble. But the Jeffries have wanted this land as long as me and my folks have had it. They want the water that’s on it. My Pa, he never would share it. Had the Jeffries been a nicer bunch, I might have shared it. But it’s too late for that now. They wanted this land at one time. But now they want my family and they especially want you, and you know I won’t let that happen.”

“I know they want the water,” she said calmly. “I never thought it was me they wanted. But why are they so adamant? I can’t pay the taxes anyway. If they wait, we’ll all be out of here.”

“No, we won’t. I’ll pay the back taxes. But it might be best if they don’t know who I am for a while. I’ve got the money to handle that. I came prepared for that. I knew if I still owned the land, I’d need to take care of the taxes too, so I have the money, and then some.”

“But that’s not what they want right now,” Joe spoke up as he turned to look at them both at the door. Then seeing how Hattie squeezed Lee’s hands, he smiled and left.

“I’m sorry I drilled you and your daughters about Dil. But I had to know how he died.”

She bowed her head and her eyes seemed glued to the floor. Then suddenly she clung to him again. “Oh God, I can’t believe you’re alive.”

Just then, Sam walked into the room. “Is it true…you’re our Lee?”

Lee smiled. “It’s true, Sam. And I’m mighty glad to be able to tell you.”

Sam grabbed him too and hugged him. Lee was touched and hugged him back.

While Sam hugged him too, Hattie’s hands squeezed against him, and her breasts pressed into him. Lee reacted, but as Joe left, he took her in his arms. They stood there for a long while, just holding onto each other, the three of them.

When she pulled away, she looked into his eyes. Tears clouded them as she dabbed them. “I guess you’re not the only one that did some lyin’.”

“What do ya mean?” He edged away from her and toward Sam.

“It doesn’t matter, not right now.” Choked with emotion, she tried to explain, “I guess you was a real good judge of character, ‘cause Gloria was a ma to us; treated us like her own.”

“Good to hear that. I thought she might be. That’s why I deeded the land to her when I was injured…I didn’t think at the time I’d make it back at all. I wanted you and Sam taken care of.”

“She worked so hard to make sure we had everything. She read your letters to us. We knew you went to war, that you sent Gloria the deed; she must have known something about her death ‘cause she had the deed transferred into my name. But, being a Negro, I figured someone would want me off the land, so I went to the Marshal, the one she was sweet on and asked him to witness those papers. That way, if they wouldn’t recognize me, they might honor his signature. And the judge did. But I saw the death announcement in the paper one day and it was such a shock. Me and Sam, we knew you wanted us to take care of the place. That’s why we came. But we don’t belong here; and if we leave maybe the trouble will go too, besides,  this is your home. We’ll go if you want us to, we won't mind. We don’t want to bring more on you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, you’ll stay here where you belong. Now, how’d you get a judge to let you in the place?”

“Joe.”

She shook her head and a tear fell. For the first time, her eyes met his and burned with a brilliance. Lee wanted to kiss her right there, but Sam was still standing beside him and he wasn’t sure it was a good idea.

“Knew what?” Lee asked, staring into her dark eyes.

“That…me and Sam wanted to come out here, with you.”

Lee closed his eyes and smiled. “I’m glad you came.”

“I didn’t know nowhere else to go.”

Lee nodded. “You did right. I planned to come get you when I was settled anyway. That is if you wanted to come. Gloria too.”

“Then you’re not mad at me?” she asked, almost breathlessly.

“Not at all,” he admitted. “I’m very pleased.”

“As far as I’m concerned this is where you belong unless you want to leave. Now tell me, has Frank ever hurt you before?” Lee asked.

“He’s been a little aggressive, but never quite as bad as tonight. Why does he want me? He can have any woman in the valley I’m sure.”

Lee frowned and looked at Sam. “He wants to destroy you. For who you are, what you are. Owning land in Alabama isn’t safe, Hattie. I didn’t stop to think about that but I thought you’d have Gloria. The Jeffries look down on people, like many others I guess. And because you are a desirable, beautiful woman and he wants you that way too. And it angers him that he wants you. It’s a little hard to understand I guess from your viewpoint. But a love-hate relationship is very dangerous. And it’s very dangerous for you to be alone here. He wants to tear you down, for all to see, and make you as filthy as he sees you.”

Hattie nodded. “I know…but I won’t let him.”

“Wrong,
we
won’t let him.”

He looked at Sam now. “You’ve done gone and grown up on me, Sam.”

Sam smiled.

After a long talk, Sam relaxed and sat down, but Hattie seemed to want to settle some things. “You won’t regret letting us stay on, Lee. I’ll continue to keep the house up, the meals cooked and help in the fields when I can. And Sam, why, he’s almost a man, he can…”

Lee stared at her from across the room. He came stomping up to her. “You won’t be my slave, Hattie. You nor Sam. You’re family. Remember that, both of you. My family.”

“That’s right, and family helps family.” Sam smiled at Lee. “But I gotta get some sleep. I promised to help Joe tomorrow. Night, Lee. Night, Hattie.” Then as though he thought of something he turned around. “I’m shore glad you’re home.”

“Me too. Now get some sleep. We’ll talk more tomorrow, Sam. Night.”

“But we’re not family!” she finally cried out once she knew Sam was gone.

“Dammit,” he ground out and brought her against him. Their lips met in a storm of emotions. His lips were harsh and cruel at first, but when she softened against him, he groaned and pulled her closer, exploring her inner recess with his hot mating tongue. Her hands clinched, and unclinched against him, as she added fuel to the fire with her complete submission. For long moments, they held each other, kissing, loving, touching.

He finally turned loose of her with a hard thrust and stared into her eyes.

“I gotta get some air.” And he stomped nosily out the door. He stared at her over his shoulder. “That was as good as I thought it would be. Maybe better.” Then he slammed the door with a thud.

***

Joe helped Lee move into the house. But Lee was determined not to stay too close. Until he decided exactly where Hattie did belong he needed to stay away, to think clearly. In reality, Hattie was black and he was white and Alabama would never accept them as a couple. Lee knew it. He hated it, but he knew it. No preacher would marry them here. And if he did what he wanted, he’d be no better than Frank, making her his love slave. He would not do that to her. She was a good person, a decent person. He would not shame her. But as God was his witness, he wanted her. He wanted to claim her as his own. He’d watch out for her from a distance. Living in the same quarters as she, was also dangerous for her too, in more ways than one.

He worked long hours in the field, took his meals with all of them and stayed away as much as possible.

Hattie hadn’t said much about it. But the kids came into his room from time to time to talk to him. All but Daisy; she was the suspicious one.

“Mama says we’re family now,” Violet said one afternoon when he was pulling his boots off.

Lee smiled and looked at her cute little face, her hair in pigtails, with ribbons at the bottom. “Yes, that’s right. We’re all one family now.”

“I’m glad. I like you, Mr. Luke…” She smiled. “And I’m glad you are gonna take care of my Mama.”