yet.”
“I trimmed the ends.” He caught a strand between his thumb and forefinger and traced its length. “I hate cutting off more of it.”
“I guess I’ll just have to put it up in a granny bun on top of my head.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners when he grinned. For the first time she noticed that his teeth were exceedingly white and even.
“Put away the shears and walk down to the truck. I’ll hide you until we’re out of sight. Your mother and Frank won’t even know you’re gone.”
“Frank isn’t here. Mama is sitting by the window. I suppose she’s looking for him.” Mary Lee reached over and took her comb from the pocket of his shirt. She looked away from him toward Eli. He could tell that she was pondering whether to accept his invitation. Her face was so expressive that he knew the instant she had decided, and he was smiling when she said, “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
“What do you think, Eli?” Mary Lee waited until Jake had almost reached his cabin before she spoke.
“ ’Bout what?”
“About me going with Jake.”
“You’ll be all right with him and we need to know where to put up the signs.”
“Yeah, we do, don’t we?”
Jake couldn’t believe what he was doing. Just last night he had decided to stay as far away from her as possible. He knew that it was dangerous to his peace of mind to get involved with Bobby Clawson’s widow, but, dammit to hell, he couldn’t help himself. He just wanted a little time alone with her; then maybe he’d get her out of his system. He seemed to lose his common sense when he was with her. She had no idea how sweet she looked with her hair all soft and shiny, her mouth smiling and her little round belly poking out.
He hurried inside the cabin and yanked off his shirt. He washed quickly, pulled off his boots and pants and put on a clean pair of jeans and the blue shirt she had washed a few days before. Rubbing his fingers over his rough cheeks, he wished that he had time to shave. He combed his hair, picked up a blanket and went out to the truck. After taking out a pair of moccasins and his water jar, he carefully spread the blanket over the seat.
Jake waited beside the car for so long he began to think she wasn’t coming. Disappointment was beginning to eat a hole in his chest when she came out of the back of the house and hurried along behind the cabins.
“I had to wait until Mama went to her room.” Relief set Jake’s hands trembling as he opened the door and helped her up into the truck. “I don’t like sneaking around,” she said after he slid under the wheel.
“Slide down in the seat if you don’t want her to see you when we pass.”
She bent sideways until her head almost touched his thigh. “Is she in the window?”
“No, but stay there until we pull out onto the highway.”
When Mary Lee felt the tires hit the pavement, she sat up. “I hate having to do that.”
He grinned at her. When he looked back toward the road, she felt free to look at him. Without a hat, he appeared to be younger.
“How old are you?”
Startled by the question, he glanced at her. “Almost twenty-six.”
“Then you’re twenty-five.”
“I’ll be twenty-six tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow is your birthday?”
“Yeah. It just occurred to me this morning.” His smiling eyes met hers. Happiness sang like a bird in his chest. It was such a miracle that she was here in his dirty old truck with him.
“My daddy always made a big to-do over my birthday. I always had a birthday cake and a present, even if it was just a little something.”
“What’s a birthday cake?”
“You’ve never had one?”
“Not that I know of.”
“It’s a cake made especially for the birthday girl or . . . boy. A candle is put on for each year. After they are lighted, you make a silent wish before you blow them out. If you blow them all out without taking another breath, your wish will come true. After that everyone sings the birthday
“I trimmed the ends.” He caught a strand between his thumb and forefinger and traced its length. “I hate cutting off more of it.”
“I guess I’ll just have to put it up in a granny bun on top of my head.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners when he grinned. For the first time she noticed that his teeth were exceedingly white and even.
“Put away the shears and walk down to the truck. I’ll hide you until we’re out of sight. Your mother and Frank won’t even know you’re gone.”
“Frank isn’t here. Mama is sitting by the window. I suppose she’s looking for him.” Mary Lee reached over and took her comb from the pocket of his shirt. She looked away from him toward Eli. He could tell that she was pondering whether to accept his invitation. Her face was so expressive that he knew the instant she had decided, and he was smiling when she said, “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
“What do you think, Eli?” Mary Lee waited until Jake had almost reached his cabin before she spoke.
“ ’Bout what?”
“About me going with Jake.”
“You’ll be all right with him and we need to know where to put up the signs.”
“Yeah, we do, don’t we?”
Jake couldn’t believe what he was doing. Just last night he had decided to stay as far away from her as possible. He knew that it was dangerous to his peace of mind to get involved with Bobby Clawson’s widow, but, dammit to hell, he couldn’t help himself. He just wanted a little time alone with her; then maybe he’d get her out of his system. He seemed to lose his common sense when he was with her. She had no idea how sweet she looked with her hair all soft and shiny, her mouth smiling and her little round belly poking out.
He hurried inside the cabin and yanked off his shirt. He washed quickly, pulled off his boots and pants and put on a clean pair of jeans and the blue shirt she had washed a few days before. Rubbing his fingers over his rough cheeks, he wished that he had time to shave. He combed his hair, picked up a blanket and went out to the truck. After taking out a pair of moccasins and his water jar, he carefully spread the blanket over the seat.
Jake waited beside the car for so long he began to think she wasn’t coming. Disappointment was beginning to eat a hole in his chest when she came out of the back of the house and hurried along behind the cabins.
“I had to wait until Mama went to her room.” Relief set Jake’s hands trembling as he opened the door and helped her up into the truck. “I don’t like sneaking around,” she said after he slid under the wheel.
“Slide down in the seat if you don’t want her to see you when we pass.”
She bent sideways until her head almost touched his thigh. “Is she in the window?”
“No, but stay there until we pull out onto the highway.”
When Mary Lee felt the tires hit the pavement, she sat up. “I hate having to do that.”
He grinned at her. When he looked back toward the road, she felt free to look at him. Without a hat, he appeared to be younger.
“How old are you?”
Startled by the question, he glanced at her. “Almost twenty-six.”
“Then you’re twenty-five.”
“I’ll be twenty-six tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow is your birthday?”
“Yeah. It just occurred to me this morning.” His smiling eyes met hers. Happiness sang like a bird in his chest. It was such a miracle that she was here in his dirty old truck with him.
“My daddy always made a big to-do over my birthday. I always had a birthday cake and a present, even if it was just a little something.”
“What’s a birthday cake?”
“You’ve never had one?”
“Not that I know of.”
“It’s a cake made especially for the birthday girl or . . . boy. A candle is put on for each year. After they are lighted, you make a silent wish before you blow them out. If you blow them all out without taking another breath, your wish will come true. After that everyone sings the birthday
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