Come Home to Me by Peggy L Henderson Page B

both young and old, during these last few weeks on the trail. Had she fallen under his spell as well? He was never far from her thoughts, and more often than not, her eyes wandered, searching him out during those long hours on the trail.
    A girl’s giggle and loud whispers reached her ears, and Rachel sat up straighter. Apparently, her time of solitude was over.
    “I thought that was you walking down here by the creek.”
    Annabelle Edwards! Rachel glanced around. She couldn’t see the girl, so she was sure Annabelle wasn’t talking to her.
    “Ain’t it a bit early for you to be up and about?” A male voice spoke. Rachel’s heart sped up. Jake Owens’ voice! She bit her lips. Slowly, she tucked her knees up close, hoping they hadn’t seen her. That lying scoundrel! Hadn’t he told her the other night he wasn’t interested in Annabelle, that she was too young for him? Now they were together in the wee hours of the morning.
    “This is the only time I could catch you alone, Jake, when there’s no one else around.”
    Rachel envisioned the girl’s lip jutting out in a pout, and her lashes batting at him in a seductive way. For a fourteen-year-old, she knew quite a bit about flirting with a man.
    “Annabelle, you’re a sweet girl, but I ain’t interested. You ought to find a beau closer to your age.”
    Rachel held her breath. He truly wasn’t interested in Annabelle? With a twinge of guilt for jumping to conclusions, she recalled her earlier thoughts that he was a scoundrel. She wished she could peek around the trunk of the tree and see the look on the girl’s face. A slow smile formed on her lips.
    “Ah, poo. There’s only Michael Horner on this trip, and he’s boring. Not handsome and exciting like you, Jake.”
    Rachel clenched her fists in response to the urge to slap the girl for her irritating sing-songy voice.
    “Get back to your family before you get us both in trouble,” Jake grumbled. He definitely sounded annoyed. Good. Maybe he had been telling the truth after all, and wasn’t interested in Annabelle.
    “It’s because you’re sweet on Rachel Parker, isn’t it?”
    Rachel’s ears perked. Heat crept up her neck and into her cheeks, and her heart accelerated. Sweet on her? Jake Owens? Men like him didn’t get sweet on women. Once they got what they wanted, they moved on. Or so she’d heard. 
    “What do you see in her anyways? She’s married, and to a drunk, no less. I bet you’re wishing he falls off his wagon and breaks his neck. She won’t give you the time of day before then, Jake. She’s much too prim and proper. I’m willing to learn all the things you do with your other lady friends, if you’ll teach me.”
    He laughed. “And Mrs. Parker accused me of being brazen. Annabelle, get the hell back to your wagon. Now.” His last words were spoken in a menacing tone. He paused. “You’d better be careful. One day, some guy is gonna take you up on your offer, and you might not like the outcome. Get this through your head once and for all. I don’t get involved with little girls.” This time, his voice sounded as if he’d said something that left an unpleasant taste in his mouth.
    “Jake,” she whined. “I’m not a little girl.”
    “Then quit acting like one. Get goin’. I ain’t interested.”
    Annabelle sucked in a dramatic breath. Rachel could hear it all the way from her hiding place. “I’ve seen the way you look at Mrs. Parker,” she spat. “My mama says it’s sinful that you’re lusting after a married woman. And it’s even worse that she allows the attention. My mama says –”
    “I don’t give a damn what your mama says.” Jake’s voice deepened almost to a growl. Rachel could picture him baring his teeth. She wished she wasn’t privy to this conversation. She’d known that Mrs. Edwards talked about her behind her back, and it didn’t matter.  This was exactly the sort of talk she had expected. Not only was she seen as the wife of a no-good