Song of the Road (39 page)

“How’s Gaston handling all this?”

She laughed happily and moved his hand down to rest on her abdomen.

“Feel him. He’s kicking up his heels. He can be born here. Not someplace where . . . nobody cares for him.” The sudden tears that filled her eyes were happy tears. “Oh, it just makes me so mad. I even cry when I’m so happy I’m about to burst at the seams.”

He laughed. It had been so long since he laughed that the sound was strange even to him.

“Don’t do that. At least not before supper. I can’t wait to tie into that chicken pie. I’ve got to clean up a bit. I can’t come to a celebration smelling like a barnyard.”

“I hadn’t even noticed. I was so anxious to tell you about the money.”

“Can we talk tonight? You’ll not run off to the bedroom?”

“Not if you don’t go to town.”

“It’s a date?”

“I’ve never been on a date.”

“Then it’s time you were.” He kissed her forehead.

Trudy waited on the porch with Deke. They watched Mary Lee run to Jake.

“I told you that she was in love with him.”

“Yeah, ya did, darlin’. The way she’s been actin’ has almost tore him apart.”

“She can’t believe that he’d care for her . . . the way she is now. She couldn’t stand it if she thought he only felt sorry for her.”

“If a man loves a woman, that’s when he thinks she is the most beautiful, darlin’.”

“But it’s another man’s baby?”

“The other man only planted the seed, darlin’. The important part is when the seed breaks ground. It will need food and water and lots of love to grow straight and strong. Without those things it will die.”

“Ah, Deke. At times you show perfectly good sense.”

“I’ve been tellin’ ya that I’m smart as a parcel of lawyers, darlin’. No one’s lookin’. Give me a kiss before I go clean up. I’ve been lookin’ forward to it all day.”

All the cabins except one had been rented by the time they sat down for supper. Mary Lee’s happiness was contagious. Jake could hardly eat for looking at her. Her smiling eyes went to him often. Trudy told how scared Eli had been when he looked out the door of number six and saw a car in front of the house and a man on the porch.

“He tore out of there like his pants were on fire.”

“Jake told me to keep my eye out. I’d a done it even if he’d not told me,” Eli said defiantly.

Mary Lee’s eyes met Jake’s. “There’s no need now, is there?”

“It’s always wise to be alert. Men, good and bad, travel the highway.”

“Are Yancy and the other men who jumped on you and Deke still around?”

“I’ve not seen them.”

They are here,
querida.
I would watch over you every minute of the day if I could.

“That’s good. I didn’t like that Yancy. His eyes were too close together.”

“And I’d say that’s a mighty good reason not to like him,” Trudy said.

Mary Lee felt guilty being so happy when her mother had been gone only a week. She couldn’t help herself. She felt safe here in the midst of her precious friends. Regardless of what happened between her and Jake, she would have this to remember. She was almost too excited to eat, but she ate the large helping Trudy had put on her plate.

When the meal was over, all that was left was a small piece of cake.

“Eli will eat this before the night is over.” Trudy draped a cloth over the cake.

“Not if I get to it first.” Deke got up to help Trudy clear the table.

When Mary Lee went to get the dishpan from under the sink, Trudy took it from her hands.

“Me and the motorcycle cowboy will do the dishes. You’re too juiced up tonight. You just might break every dish in this place, and we’ll need some of them for breakfast.”

“For the love of heaven!”

“Mind the little darlin’, Mary Lee. She’s showin’ good sense for a change.” Deke gently shoved her toward the back door.

“Well, I guess I know when I’m not wanted.”

“You’re wanted,
mi amante.
Eli can stay in here and see that these two don’t kill each other, and he’ll take care of a car if it comes in.”

“I should help. Trudy cooked most of the supper.” Mary Lee was protesting as Jake, with his hand in the small of her back, was urging her out the door.

Eli watched until they reached the truck, then turned with a puzzled look on his young face.

“What changed her mind? She hasn’t given him the time of day all week. He was so down in the mouth he’d gotten downright crotchety at times — not that I blamed him.”

“She’s been worried half out of her mind about that loan.” “Do you think she likes him?”

“She more than likes him, clabberhead.”

“Fiddle! I don’t know anythin’ ’bout women.”

“Not many men do.” She looked knowingly at Deke, who grinned and chucked her under the chin.

“I know ever’thin’ about women, darlin’. Just ask me somethin’.”

“Do ya think she’ll marry him?” Eli was like a dog with a bone; he wasn’t going to let go.

“She has to be asked first. You heard what he said the other night. He considers himself a jailbird and not good enough for her, and she thinks he just feels sorry for her.”

“That’s a bunch of bull. He likes her a lot. I know he does! Hell and damnation! If all you’re going to do is look at each other with calf eyes, I’ll go listen to the radio so you can smooch.”

“Thanky, son. I’ll do the same for you someday.” Deke threw his arm around Trudy.

“One of these day’s Mary Lee’ll catch you cussin’ and you’ll wish you were in . . . China.”

“Hush, darlin’. He’s gone. Give me a kiss.”

Chapter 28

“W
E HAVE A DATE.
R
EMEMBER
?” Jake’s soft voice was close to her ear.

“Where are we going?”

“Out to look at the stars.”

“We can see the stars from here.”

“We’ve seen these stars. I know where there are new ones, bigger and brighter.”

“Aren’t you smart?” Excitement quickened her heartbeat.

“I put a clean blanket over the seat.” With his hand beneath her elbow, he helped her step up onto the running board and into the truck.

“Where are we going?” she asked again when they turned west on the highway.

“California.”

“California?” In the light from an approaching car she could see a flash of white teeth and knew that he was smiling. “Do you have enough gas?”

“When we run out we’ll have to thumb it the rest of the way.” The face he turned toward her was relaxed, smiling. He looked younger, more like the boy she had met years ago. When he reached for her hand, she put it in his. She could feel every nerve in her body responding to his touch.

“I suppose you’ll expect me to stand along the highway and hold my dress up showing my knees like Claudette Colbert did in the picture show
It Happened One Night
?”

“Why did she do that?”

“Show her legs? To catch a ride.”

“Did you see the picture?”

“No. Trudy told me about it.”

“We’ll go to a picture show sometime.”

Mary Lee didn’t know what to say. Their two clasped hands rested on the seat between them. He released hers when he slowed the truck and turned off onto a dirt road. A short while later, he pulled over and stopped.

“It’s high up here and might be a little cool, but I want you to get out and look at the sky. Wait,” he said when she opened the door. He hurried around to help her out. “The ground is rough. I don’t want you to fall.”

He held her close to him as they walked a short distance. When they stopped, they were on a rocky ledge overlooking the river.

“That’s the Pecos down there.”

“I can hear it.”

“Look at the stars,
querida.
Aren’t they bigger and brighter than the ones in town?” He had moved behind her and, with his hands on her upper arms, pulled her back to lean against him.

“It’s because there’s no light anywhere out here,” she said in an awed whisper. “It’s beautiful and so quiet. It’s like we’re the only people in the world.”

“Yeah. I see a big star with your name on it.”

“Where?”

He tilted her chin. “Up there next to that little one.”

“I see it now.” She turned her head and laughed up at him.

“Several years ago, when I had my land, there was a place like this. Sometimes I’d go out there at night, look at the stars and daydream.”

“What did you dream about?”

“What most men dream about, I suppose. A home, family, horses grazing on my own land.”

“Then they took it all away, didn’t they?”

“Not all of it. I still have the dreams.” His arms moved across her chest and enfolded her. “Cold?” His lips were close to her ear.

“No.”

“You shivered.”

“Because what they did to you was so unfair.”

“Do you have even a little bit of suspicion that I might have been guilty?”

“Absolutely none.”

“Lord!” he sighed. “I was afraid to ask.”

“After I met you, I knew you hadn’t done what you’d been accused of.”

“How did you come to that conclusion?”

“Well, for one thing . . . if you’d been guilty you wouldn’t have come back here.”

“I wouldn’t let my accusers think they’d run me off.”

“They’ll think that when you and Deke go to Oklahoma.”

“Where did you get an idea like that?”

“Mr. Fleming offered you a job.”

“If I wanted to leave here, I’d sure take him up on the job. But my life is here and I suspect Deke’s is too . . . now.”

She took a shallow breath, then said, “Uh-oh.”

“What’s wrong?” he asked anxiously, and loosed his arms.

“Gaston’s playing football.”

Jake chuckled softly. “Little stinker wants our attention.” He moved his hand down to her waist. “May I reassure him that we know he’s there?”

“Do you think that’s what he wants?” She guided his hand beneath the loose shirt until it rested on her roiling abdomen.

“We’ll find out if he calms down. Calm down, little man,” he said softly as if he were gentling a flighty little mare. “There, now, it’ll be all right. You’ll be out of there soon.”

Mary Lee was moved almost to tears on hearing his soft voice talking to her baby. This big, rough, sometimes violent man was everything she’d ever hoped to have as the father of her children but never dreamed she would find.

His large hand moved slowly and carefully over her swollen belly. She could feel his heart pounding against her back and his warm breath against the side of her face as he stroked the lump that was the baby inside her.

“I can never get over the wonder of it,” he said softly. “I can feel him moving. He’s in a hurry to get out and face the world.”

“He . . . might be a she.” Mary Lee was so moved emotionally, she could barely speak.

“A pretty little girl with blue eyes and dark auburn hair.” His mouth was close to her ear.

“I’ll take whatever I get.” Leaning against his strength, she closed her eyes. She would remember this moment forever: his strong, warm hand stroking her belly and the child within, the star-studded sky overhead and darkness wrapping them in its warm blanket.

“He’s quieted down,” he whispered.

“He must know how happy I am right now.”

“Are you happy being with me?”

“Can’t you tell?”

“You’ve hardly looked at me lately.”

“I’ve been about sick with worry over losing the court.” “That’s all settled now. You don’t worry. Hear me?” His nose was buried in her hair.

“I hear you. Jake? Eli has got to go to school. He’ll not want to go and leave me. You’ll have to help me persuade him.”

“Will Trudy be there during the day?”

“If she doesn’t leave with Deke. I want her to be happy, but I’m selfish. I don’t want her to go.”

“Deke’s crazy about her. I was hoping they would take to each other.”

“I’ll be able to pay her now for helping me, and I can have the telephone connected. I was worried about how I’d let the doctor know when the baby comes.”

“I’d better get you back to the truck before you get cold.” He drew his hand reluctantly from beneath her shirt.

They walked back, his arm around her holding her securely to him. Inside the truck, he reached for her and she went willingly to nestle against him. Her head was on his shoulder, her warm breath on his neck. She was soft and warm and so damn sweet. He wished to God they could stay here forever. He was holding heaven in his arms.

“Jake?” Her soft voice came out of the darkness.

“Yes,
querida mía.
”

“You told me one time that those Spanish words meant ‘stubborn little mule.’ I don’t believe you now. What do they mean?”