Sins of Summer (12 page)

“This is
half
your house,” Dory said calmly, although embarrassment was causing her heart to thump painfully. “The other half belongs to
me and James.” She could endure anything, she decided, as long as Ben stood beside her, his hand on her shoulder.

“Ya ain’t doin’ no whorin’ in that half either!” Louis’s anger had burst into full bloom and he failed to hear the heavy footsteps
coming down the stairs, but Ben had heard them and smiled down at Dory.

“It’s true I’ve been here with your sister for most of the night—”

Louis’s anger was so great that he would have struck Dory if not for Ben. All he could do was ball his fists and sputter.

“Ya… gawddamn wh—” The word was cut off like a slice from a sharp knife when James came barreling into the room.

“Did you say what I thought you said?”

Louis’s face turned pale as if the blood had been drained from it. He took a step back. His mouth hung open and he seemed
to have difficulty drawing air into his lungs.

Ben realized the situation had suddenly turned dangerous when Dory jumped in to fill the deadly silence.

“Louis misunderstood the reason for Ben’s being here, that’s all. Calm down, all of you. I’ll put the biscuits in the oven
and make gravy. There’s hot water in the reservoir. So wash up.” She moved out from under Ben’s hand and he let it drop to
his side. “James, did you look in on Odette?”

Ben realized that Dory was desperately trying to defuse the explosion she feared would happen. James ignored his sister’s
question. His face was hard. It showed none of the gentleness Ben had seen last night. Narrowed eyes were on his brother’s
face. He looked as if he was wound as tightly as a spring that was ready to snap.

“What did you think was going on here, Louis? Did you dig down into your dirty mind and come up with only one reason for Waller
being in the house with Dory?”

“Ya can’t be too careful with… womenfolk. And ya know Dory’s knowed to be…”

“Careful, Louis. Watch your mouth when you talk to or about Dory. You were about to call her a whore when I came in. Don’t
ever do that because if you do, I swear to God, I’ll cripple you so that you’ll walk around on stumps for the rest of your
life.”

Louis tried to shake off the chill that slithered down his spine. He began to sputter.

“As the eldest… it’s my duty to… keep a… rein on her. Lone woman like her… is game for ever’ diddler what comes along.” He
glanced at Ben, then away.

“My, my. When did you ever give a damn about Dory? You’d be happy as a lark if both of us dropped into a deep pit never to
be heard from again.”

Louis didn’t rise to the bait. He turned and looked out the door and then back to see that James had pulled a chair out from
the table and straddled it.

“What’d ya come down here for? Steven said ya left a list at the mill.”

“I came to see Dory and Jeanmarie. Do you have any objections?”

“No. Why would I? Steven said you’ve got more’n two hundred logs down, trimmed and some peeled, all ready to be reeled to
the flume.”

“And a hundred more ready to be milled.”

Louis rocked back on his heels, darting glances at Ben. Finally he said, “When’ll the engine be ready to move?”

Ben took his time answering. “That’s up to you. It’s not my engine.”

“But… it ain’t ready yet!” Louis’s voice boomed.

“No. But that’s your problem, not mine.”

“By gawd, you contracted—”

“I was fired. Remember?”

“Hell!” Louis snorted. “Nobody pays attention when Milo fires ’em.”

Ben put his hands on the table and leaned toward Louis on stiffened arms.

“Listen and listen good. That horny, sonofabitchin’ brother of yours came down here and pestered my girl. If not for your
sister’s keepin’ his hands off her, I’d a killed him quicker than swatting a fly. A man who has no respect for a woman is
lower than a snake’s belly as far as I’m concerned. I’ll not stay at a place where my daughter is in danger of being raped.
Now you tell your brother that word travels fast in this country; and after I leave he’d better not take his spite out on
Dory, or I’ll blacken his name with every lumberman from here to the coast… that is after I come back and beat him within
an inch of his life.” Ben paused and then added, “Most lumberjacks feel the same as I do about womenfolk.”

Ben’s eyes were on Louis and he didn’t see James get slowly up off the chair.

“Is that why you hit Milo?” James asked Ben.

“Among other things.”

Dory began to feel a terrible dread. What would James do if he knew Milo had grabbed Odette and had hit
her
with his fist? Would Ben tell him? At that moment Ben looked at her and sent her a silent message.
Don’t worry. I won’t tell.
Her shoulders slumped with relief. The relief lasted only until James spoke.

“What is this about Milo bothering Odette?”

“He was probably just funnin’,” Louis said quickly. “You know how Milo is.”

“That’s the trouble.” James’s voice was quiet—too quiet. “I know how Milo is with women. He’s bragged about it to every man
in the territory.”

“That’s all there is to it. Brag.” Louis shrugged, trying to act indifferent, but it didn’t quite come off. His shoulders
and neck were stiff as a board.

“Dory.” James turned to his sister. “What happened?”

With her back turned, Dory forked the sausage patties from the skillet and added a few spoonfuls of flour to the grease.

“Milo was in one of his flirting moods and as usual went too far. Odette is shy and not used to… to being… teased. Oh, shoot,
my biscuits are getting too brown.” Dory glanced at Ben before she bent to peer into the oven. As usual his face was unreadable.

“Waller, I’d be obliged if ya’d not take it to heart what Milo did. Get what ya need from the smithy and get the engine goin’.
Yore girl’ll not be bothered no more. My word on it.” Louis stood on first one foot and then the other while he waited for
Ben to reply.

Ben took his time answering. He weighed his options. Odette wouldn’t be well enough to travel for at least a week. And, he
needed the money. There was another reason for staying, too—one that, if he thought about it, would fill his mind until there
would be no room for logical thinking. He hadn’t even dared to bring it out and mull it over until now.
Dory Callahan and her little red-headed mite were seeping into his heart, little by little.
Maybe if he stayed long enough he would see that she was a woman just like any other and get her out of his system.

“I’ll stay and set up your engine… if you keep Milo away from me and my girl. It should be ready to move in about a week or
ten days. I don’t like working for you, Callahan.”

“Our money’s good as anybody’s and yo’re gettin’ plenty. I suppose ya’ll go to Malone,” Louis sneered.

“It’s no business of yours where I go after I leave here.”

Louis stomped out the door. He was smart enough not to press his luck after Ben had agreed to stay and finish the job. Beside
that, he felt the need to get back to the mill and give Milo a dressing down before he ran into Waller again.

As soon as Louis left, Ben went back upstairs to see about Odette. He returned saying she was awake and thirsty. Dory had
the meal on the table and insisted the men sit down. She filled a pitcher with fresh water and left the room.

“Dory keeps things from me,” James said, reaching for the biscuits. “She’s just like Ma was—always trying to keep peace between
Louis and Milo and the rest of us.”

“Women are like that… I guess.”

“What really happened between you and Milo?”

“You heard it once.” Ben split open two biscuits and covered them with gravy. “Your sister’s a damn good cook.” “Milo’s got
a mean streak a yard wide.”

“Yeah,” Ben said. “Mean and crazy to boot.”

“He mouths off at Dory some, but he knows better than to touch her.”

Ben lifted his head and looked James in the eye. “You don’t come down here very often, do you?”

“I try to make it ever’ couple of weeks. Can’t always do that in the dead of winter. I’ve got a crew to work.”

“You should get your sister and her little girl out of here. Get them set up in a town. This is no place for a lone woman.”

James carefully placed his knife on the side of his plate. “You know something I don’t?”

“I know Louis is mouthy, but Milo is dangerous—not only around women, but around men. He’s got the devil riding on his back.
His temper causes him to lose control. I’d not work with him around a saw blade or on the river. Too many things can happen
accidentally.”

“You think he’d hurt Dory or Jeanmarie?”

“If he was in the right mood and she crossed him.”

“Dory said he teased Odette. Scared her.”

“It was a little more than that, but not enough for me to kill him.” Ben spoke with a certainty in his voice.

James let out a shuddering sigh. “Godamighty.”

“Odette can’t hear. She reads lips some but goes mostly by actions and facial expressions. She knew Milo wasn’t funnin’.”

“How old is she?”

“Sixteen. Almost seventeen. She’s the most important thing in the world to me. She’s smart. She reads and writes with a good
hand. Ciphers, too. Some think that because she can’t hear, she’s not bright. That’s not so.”

James lowered his head and continued eating. He liked Ben Waller. He talked about his daughter as a father should. Ben was
the first man James had met who he thought was good enough for his sister and would be able to take care of her if something
should happen to him. He hoped Ben and Odette stayed a while so Dory could get to know him.

“Odette is hungry.” Dory made the announcement happily. She paused in the doorway to smile at the men at the table. “Her throat
is sore, so I have to fix something that will slide down easily. If we had fresh beef, I’d make beef tea. There’s nothing
more strengthening than beef tea. Remember Mama saying that, James?” Dory continued to chatter while she moved a skillet over
to the hot part of the stove. “I think she could eat milk toast. I’ll butter some bread and brown it in the skillet. Oh, shoot,
I’ve got to run down to the cellar. Yesterday’s milk is still in the pail.”

James grinned at Ben and stood. “I’ll get it, Sis.” As he passed her, he flung an arm across her shoulders. “You’ve got the
runnin’ off at the mouth this morning, curly-top.”

After James disappeared through the cellar door, Dory turned to look at Ben. Her eyes were shining.

“I was rattling on, wasn’t I? I’m just so happy Odette is better. I haven’t been that scared in a long time. Papa took down
just like that and was gone before James could get back with the doctor.”

“We’re lucky your brother came home. I had heard about the Indians using sweat lodges, but I didn’t have any idea it would
help Odette.”

“James is awfully smart. He knows a lot of things,” she said proudly.

“I’m glad you’ve finally admitted it.” James came in carrying a pail with a cloth draped over it.

Dory laughed. “Oh, you! Go finish your breakfast. As soon as I put some milk on to heat, I’ll refill your coffee cups.”

Dory was feeding Odette the bread and milk when James and Ben came into the room. Odette’s large blue eyes went to Ben, then
flicked briefly to James and back. Ben stood behind Dory and spoke slowly.

“Feeling better?”

Odette nodded. She glanced at James, then back to Ben. “You going?” Her voice came out in a whisper.

Ben shook his head. “Not till you’re better.”

Holding the almost empty bowl in her lap, Dory reached for James’s hand and pulled him closer to the bed.

“This is my brother.” She spoke slowly as her lips formed the words. “His name is James.”

Odette looked at him, then turned her face away.

Dory put her fingers on the girl’s cheek and gently turned her so she could see her lips.

“He is good. Not like Milo. Not like Louis.” Odette’s eyes clung to Dory’s. “Don’t be afraid of him.” Dory shook her head
as she spoke.

“Hellfire! I could kill those two sonsofbitches!” James snarled.

“Honey,” Ben leaned over Dory’s shoulder. “We’re going to stay here a while. Dory will take care of you.”

“Mama!” Jeanmarie came into the room rubbing sleep out of her eyes with her balled fists. “Uncle James!”

“Hello, little red bird.” The child ran to him and he scooped her up in his arms.

“I didn’t know you here.” She planted a wet kiss on his cheek.

“You were sound asleep when I got here.”

Jeanmarie turned her angelic smile on Ben. “He Odette’s papa.”

“Yes, I know. Odette is sick and you’ll be sick too if you don’t get something on your feet.”

James cupped the child’s small feet in his hand to warm them. He looked down at Odette. Her eyes, clear and unafraid, met
his. They never flickered. He suddenly forgot the child in his arms. Even forgot where he was. The most unexpected feeling
possessed him. Dear God! She was the softest, most exquisite thing he had ever seen. James did something he had cleverly avoided
since he had been old enough to appreciate women. In that instant he fell in love… and he didn’t even know it.

Odette watched Jeanmarie wrap her arms around the man’s neck. His face was not that of a stranger. Now she remembered. He
had bent over her, lifted her, brushed the hair from her cheeks. Her papa and Dory had been there. This was Dory’s
other
brother. They had had the same mother and father. Now she could see the family resemblance even though the man’s hair was
dark reddish brown.

Ben watched James and recognized his interest in Odette and put it down to the fact that he probably had not been around a
deaf person before—especially a pretty young deaf girl. Yet an uneasiness nagged at the recesses of his mind, an uneasiness
that he shoved aside when Jeanmarie leaned from James’s arms toward him.

“I kiss Odette’s papa.”

“There’s nothing like a fickle woman,” James said disgustedly as Ben lifted Jeanmarie from his arms.

“It isn’t every day I get kisses from a pretty girl.” Ben accepted her kiss and kissed her cheek in return.