The Lumberjack's Bride (11 page)

“Won't you need help? I mean, I can help out a lot, but I'm not sure I know how to cut down trees.” She looked at him anxiously. “I love to plant, though, so I can help when you are ready to do that.”

“I'm thinking of asking the boss if he'd like to cut the timber off my property. He can bring the men and they will have several acres cleared in a week. He can keep the money from the sale of the wood.”

The excitement in his voice as he described the trees and different kinds of apples he would sell was contagious. Julianne began thinking she and Caleb would make a great team.

How could she help him make his dream come true?

“I want to help so much. It makes me happy to see you so happy.”

They had finished the washing and spread the clothes out on the bushes to dry. Julianne sat down on the log she and the Indian woman had shared. Caleb sat beside her and took her hand. “You know what makes me happier than my plans for an orchard?”

She looked him in the eyes and saw the seriousness of his gaze. Her whole being seemed to be filled with waiting. Her voice came out in a weak and tremulous whisper. “What?”

“Having you to talk to, to share my plans with.”

“But that's not helping.”

He reached out, turning her to face him. “Let me assure you, you have already helped tremendously.” She shook her head and he grasped her chin and his left eyebrow raised a fraction. “I'm not funning at all. Do you know how long it takes me in the evening to fix a meal, to keep the clothes washed and the house cleaned?” He gave an impatient shrug. “You have it all done when I get home. The firewood has been carried in, the water. My meal is ready and the house is clean.” His hand pushed a damp curl off her cheek, lingering a moment on her neck.

He leaned back on the log propping himself with his hands behind him. “The loneliness was hardest to bear.”

“But you had Maggie and the men from the sawmill. Didn't that help?”

“Sure, when there was work. But it rains so much here and that stops the work. Sometimes a month at a time. Maggie would go into town and stay with friends and I have nothing in common with the men I work with so I'd stay at the house and try and find something to do. That's when I started to whittle.”

Julianne knew about loneliness. “Loneliness comes in different forms.” At his questioning gaze she continued. “I lived in a house full of people and I felt lonely.”

He questioned her about her family and she told him of her parents' death and moving in with her aunt and uncle, the four cousins, all under the age of ten, the twins being born five years later than the older girls. She told him of the work she'd done and the raising of the twins.

“So that's why you looked like you'd eaten unripe persimmons when Maggie handed you Jonathan on the day of the contest.” Seeing the amusement in his eyes, she laughed.

“I had no intention of being tied to a baby again.”

“And now?” There was an arrested expression on his face as he waited for her answer.

“I could not love him more if I'd given birth to him myself.” Julianne spoke with quiet emphasis. “I cannot imagine my life without him.”

As their eyes met, she felt a shock run through her. The heartrending tenderness of his gaze wrapped around her like a warm blanket. He felt the same as she did, she could tell, and the idea sent her spirits soaring.

“And me? Could you imagine life without me?”

“I don't want to.” Her heart hammered in her ears. Despite his closed expression, she sensed his vulnerability. “The day only starts when you come home to me in the evening.”

In one forward motion he wrapped her in his arms. She relaxed, sinking into his embrace. His kiss when it came was slow and thoughtful.

One tiny, furious wail rent the air, pulling them apart. Caleb laughed. “I knew I couldn't keep you to myself much longer.” In spite of herself, she chuckled.

Chapter 10

J
ulianne rocked Jonathan to sleep. Caleb would be home soon. Love for him and the baby swelled in her heart. They had settled into a daily routine without any major glitches to speak of. She marveled at the changes the last two weeks had brought into her life.

Her husband cared for her. He'd shown it in many ways. She loved that Caleb made sure to spend time with her. Every evening they took long walks in the woods and by the river.

Each morning they shared a warm breakfast before he went to work. She would straighten the cabin and then take the laundry down to the river.

Her mind swept back over the events of this morning. As soon as Caleb had left for the sawmill, she'd carried the laundry to the river and before she could set the basket down, the Indian woman and her friend had shown up.

“Hi.” Julianne swallowed nervously. She noticed there didn't seem as much tension as at their first meeting.

The woman pointed to Jonathan, then pointed to herself. Julianne thought for a moment before giving her consent. The woman had asked permission this time before holding Jonathan. That showed that she had no evil intent, surely. The brave was there, too, so he could easily demand that Julianne hand over the baby, but instead he waited quietly also. Julianne reached to take Jonathan out of the sling around her neck. She noticed the flicker of relief in the brave's eyes and the soft smile of happiness on the woman's face.

Jonathan began to fret as he was lifted into the other woman's arms. She snuggled his tiny body close and breathed him in, then settled him at her breast. Julianne felt a moment of envy.

“Morning. Star.”

Julianne startled. The man gestured toward the woman. “Her name. Morning Star.”

“You speak English.” Julianne stumbled in her excitement as she stepped toward them.

“Little.” He shrugged and a tiny smile tipped up one corner of his mouth. “Name?” When she was slow to comprehend, he pointed at her and repeated, “Name?”

“Oh. Julianne.” She kept her words to a minimum, copying him.

“Julie. Anne.” He nodded at his wife and repeated Julianne's name to her.

Morning Star dragged her gaze from the baby and looked at Julianne with a smile as bright as the sun. She seemed to look into Julianne's very soul, then she nodded as if coming to some decision and said, “Friend.” She lifted Jonathan to her shoulder and patted his little back. His head wobbled back and forth till he settled against her.

The brave wandered slowly upstream leaving the two women alone. Julianne sorted the clothes into two piles, whites and darks. The woman continued to feed Jonathan, paying little attention to Julianne. Julianne wondered what the lady did with her own baby. Did she have so much milk she needed to feed two? And what caused the look of sadness on the faces of both her and her brave? As if she sensed Julianne's questions she burped the baby and laid him in the sling Julianne had placed in the basket after she'd dumped the clothes on the ground.

Julianne tied the clothes bag to her leg and stepped into the water. She looked up in surprise when a splash told her Morning Star had entered the creek with her. To her utter amazement Morning Star picked up a wooden tub that Julianne hadn't noticed before, and dipped it in the stream till it filled. She pointed to Julianne's leg. Julianne bent to untie the bag, fairly certain that's what the Indian woman wanted. She couldn't help the smile pulling at her lips when Morning Star began to shave tiny flecks of soap into the tub of water.

She watched silently as Morning Star took a thick piece of smooth wood and began to joggle the clothes up and down, round and round, till the clothes couldn't be seen for the soap suds. She handed the stick to Julianne and ran up the bank and returned with a second bucket. She filled it full of water then began to wring out the soapy clothes. She shook out each shirt and tossed it in the clean water.

Julianne giggled and grabbed the next load of clothes and washed them while Morning Star rinsed. In barely more than an hour all the clothes were drying on bushes and the buckets were emptied and stashed between two logs back off the bank. Julianne placed her hands on her hips and surveyed all they had accomplished. It had taken her most of the day the last time she'd washed the men's clothing.

“I can't believe we accomplished so much in so little time. And they smell wonderful.”

Morning Star raised her eyebrows in question. She sat on the ground, her legs under her, back straight as a rod. Julianne sat down on the other side of the basket where Jonathan slept.

“Work. Fast.”

Morning Star smiled and shook her head. “Friends work. Much better.”

Julianne leaned back on her hands and lifted her face to the morning sun, which was midway in the sky. Such a beautiful sight to see. Most often it rained or drizzled, but today the bright rays reflected off the water casting an almost blinding light. She felt her spirits rising. She had a friend. Her workload had been much easier today. Surely the Lord was smiling on her.

Julianne had brought two biscuits with pork, and she held one out to Morning Star. Morning Star opened a pouch around her neck and handed a beef jerky strip and a small square of corn bread to Julianne.

“Why you…fear…inside?” Morning Star struggled with her words but her question cut to the quick.

Julianne's hands shook as she sought for simple words her friend would understand. How did you explain to someone from such a different background that your own flesh and blood might do you harm? Before she could form the words Morning Star continued.

“You hur, hurreee,” Morning Star stumbled over the new word, “through woods, looking behind and to side, fearful. Then hurreee to do wash and give small time to play. Why? To hide from your man, yes? I no understand.”

Julianne watched a quizzical look cross her friend's face.

“Your man, he is not a man of honor?”

The very question cut to the core of Julianne's heart. She'd thought Morning Star was talking about her uncle; instead, she'd picked up on the very root of Julianne's deception.

“Caleb is an honorable man, Morning Star. The very best.” Sorrow ate away at Julianne. She'd cast an unfavorable image of her husband, the man she'd come to love with all her heart. Her own lies had caused this damage.

She jumped to her feet, pacing the river's edge. How could she have done this to a man who had shown her the best things life had to offer? And he'd freely given his trust. What kind of person repaid such kindness like this?

A slight tug on her sleeve drew her attention.

“I not mean to cause friend pain.” Morning Star extended her hands toward Julianne. “Please, to have my lunch.” She offered her food as an apology.

Julianne smiled and placed an arm around the other woman's shoulder.

“No, you eat your food. You did not upset me.” Julianne struggled to maintain an even, conciliatory tone, when she wanted to howl and cry in frustration. “I have been dishonest with my man, and I am ashamed.”

“Then you honor him. With trust. A warrior not strong if doubt his woman is loyal.”

They began to gather the clothing, silently folding, both seemingly lost in thought. Finally Julianne decided to do a bit of her own questioning. She touched Morning Star's arm to get her attention. She struggled with how to ask the question. Finally she decided a little sign language might help her.

She pointed to Morning Star's eyes. “Sad. Why?”

Morning Star moaned and Julianne had never seen such grief line another person's face. She shook her head at Morning Star. “I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me.”

But Morning Star seemed compelled to share. She pointed to Jonathan, then pointed to her belly. Then she reached down for a handful of dirt and let it gently filter into the wind. Julianne felt a wretchedness of mind she'd never felt before. Morning Star had given birth to a baby and it had died. That's why she had milk to feed Jonathan. Tears blinded her as she reached uncertainly for her new friend, clasping her in a tight hug. Morning Star wept aloud, rocking back and forth in Julianne's embrace. Carried away by her own response she failed to notice the arrival of Morning Star's husband till he cleared his throat. Morning Star ran to him and he wiped the tears off her face. He handed her something and she turned and held it out to Julianne. It was a waterskin filled with a liquid. She pointed at Jonathan then smiled sadly. She walked away with the brave.

They parted as friends, but as Julianne thought back over their visit she felt she'd lost respect in Morning Star's eyes. She instinctively knew her new friend would never show anything other than devotion to her husband, yet Julianne had already dishonored her marriage vows with lies that seemed only to multiply.

Julianne still felt uncomfortable keeping the secret from Caleb, but she would soon have enough money to pay him back, and then could reveal what she'd been doing. If at that time Caleb forbade her from taking trips to the river alone, she would bend to his will.

Until then, she felt her only option was for Maggie to continue to drop off the laundry two or three times a week and pick it up every Friday with payment for the work done.

Julianne pulled her thoughts back to the present. She loved the time she spent with Caleb. Her favorite time of the day had not changed. It was still when her husband came home for the night.

Spring slowly turned to summer and the days grew a bit longer. Caleb and Julianne took long walks in the woods after supper. He always showed her something new. But what impressed her most was when he gave her his total attention and shared what he'd done during the day.

It seemed as though once a week he'd bring home something new for her. First, it had been Maybell, the cow. Then he'd brought home a dozen hens and two roosters. Seeds for the gardens were next, both vegetable and flower.

She'd learned her husband was quite good with a knife and wood. He'd made several more nipples for Jonathan, a rocking chair carved with the same markings as the baby's crib and her headboard. But her favorite piece was a box.