Margaret Brownley - [Rocky Creek 02] (29 page)

“I plan to give her all the love and protection I have to give,” he said.

She didn’t miss the intensity of his voice or the blazing determination on his face. Shocked to find herself wavering, she fought to maintain her earlier stance.

“I don’t doubt your sincerity, but—”

Before she had a chance to finish her thought, a male voice yelled, “Logjam!”

Suddenly the place came alive. Men ran from every direction. Downstream logs flipped out of the water like the wooden jackstraws of a children’s game. They fell with a thud, spraying water upward. Someone started beating on a metal triangle.

Every muscle in Trevor’s body seemed to come alive. “Get the flyboom,” he bellowed. No sooner were the words out of his mouth than several men ran behind a building. They reappeared almost instantaneously, pulling a series of logs chained together.

Trevor bolted past her in the opposite direction of the logjam.

She was so intent on watching the activity that it took her a moment to realize that it wasn’t only the shouts of men issuing orders that filled the air. Someone was screaming for help.

Her mouth went dry. Something about the high-pitched cries turned her blood icy cold. She whirled around.
Scooter!

Twenty-five

Never criticize your beau. If it wasn’t for his faults he’d probably be courting someone else.

— M
ISS
A
BIGAIL
J
ENKINS
, 1875

J
enny hiked up her skirts and raced to the bridge. Heart pounding, she gasped for air.

Scooter leaned so far over the wooden railing, she feared he would fall. She grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pulled him away.

“Scooter, what is it?”

He gripped the rail hard, his knuckles white. “Jasooon!”

She scanned the surface of the water. In the middle of the river, a boy clung to a log floating downstream. Jenny stared at the child in horror. The boy was in terrible danger of being crushed in the logjam.

Trevor stood knee deep in water shouting instructions. Further upstream, several pile drivers ran along the water’s edge. Men with long poles worked frantically to guide fast-moving logs away from the boy.

Jason’s log hit another and whirled about, but he hung on tight.

“I told him not to ride the logs,” Scooter sobbed. A shudder ran through his thin body. She hugged him with one arm. He stiffened beneath her touch but didn’t pull away.

“It’s all right,” she said soothingly. “Mr. Trevor will save him.”
Dear God, let that be true.

“Hold on, Jason,” she shouted. “Hold on.” Hand on her mouth, she prayed—prayed like she hadn’t prayed in years.
God, please, please, please don’t let anything happen to Scooter’s brother
.

Men frantically worked to push back the logs. Others ran to join them, dragging ropes and chains. Jason’s log crashed against another and then another. It spun around in circles and headed for several logs bound together. Jason was perilously close to being crushed in between.

“Let go!” Trevor bellowed. “Let go of the log.”

The boy held on.

Scooter pulled away from her. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “Jason, let go of the log. Swim!”

At the last possible moment, Jason let go and splashed around frantically in a dog paddle.

Trevor dove into the river, his arms and legs breaking the water with strong kicks and swift strokes. Never had she seen anyone swim so fast. Even so, the distance between him and the boy seemed insurmountable.

Jason struggled to swim ashore but he wasn’t strong enough to fight the current. Visibly tiring, his arms slowed until they barely moved.

“Swim!” Scooter yelled.

Encouraged by his brother’s voice, Jason made one last attempt to stay afloat before his head sank beneath the surface.

Jenny gasped then held her breath in horror.

Scooter let out a bloodcurdling scream. “Noooooooooo!” His arms shot up teepee style, but before he could dive into the water, she grabbed hold of him. “No, Scooter, no.” The last thing Trevor needed was to have to rescue two boys.

He fought her but she held on tight. Digging his fingers into her arms, he crumbled down until he was on his knees, sobbing.

She scanned the water anxiously. Several logs forged together, blocking Trevor’s progress. He disappeared beneath the surface. Her gaze weaved in and out of logs but she saw no sign of him. Minutes passed. Hours. Or was it only seconds?

At last, Trevor’s head bobbed up and he raised a single arm. Applause sounded from both sides of the river followed by whoops and hollers. It took a moment before Jenny realized that two heads were in the water.

She almost fainted with relief. “Look, Scooter, look!”

Scooter moved his hands away from his face. “Is Jason—?”

“Yes, yes, he’s safe.” She lifted her eyes to heaven. “Thank you, thank you, God!”

Jenny tugged on Scooter’s arm, helping him to his feet, and together they watched Trevor swim with the boy to the river’s edge. Several men rushed to take Jason out of Trevor’s arms and carry him to dry land.

“Let’s go,” she sang out. “Come on.”

Scooter raced across the bridge ahead of her, his bare feet seeming to fly. Already a crowd had gathered around the younger boy.

“Jason, Jason!” Scooter pushed his way past the men and skidded on his knees to his brother’s side.

Jason’s blue lips trembled, but he was awake and responsive. He coughed and a stream of water trickled from his mouth. Though Jason was four years younger than Scooter, the two boys were similar in appearance. They even had a similar sprinkle of freckles.

Trevor attempted to put Scooter’s mind at rest with a wink. “He’ll be fine.” He then set to work pulling off Jason’s wet clothes. Both Jason’s arms were bruised and one side of his face scratched, but otherwise he seemed okay. After making certain there were no serious injuries, Trevor wrapped Jason in someone’s dry shirt.

“That was some ride you took,” Trevor said. “Bet you won’t try that again.”

“I’d say he’s one lucky fella,” said a tall, muscular man. He stuck out an iron hook. “See this, boy? Lost my hand while ridin’ a log.”

Jason stared at the hook with saucer-wide eyes.

Trevor called out to one of the men in the distance. “We need a blanket.”

Someone held a canteen to Jason’s lips and he took a swallow.

Jenny kneeled next to Scooter, her hand on his back. He was trembling and her heart went out to him.

Jenny backed away to give Trevor more room to work. Something blue caught her eye next to the bushes that separated the river from the main road. It looked like . . .

She blinked.
No, no, it can’t be. Please don’t let that be Mary Lou’s skirt.

Trying not to seem obvious, she inched her way toward the row of bushes. A high-button shoe lay on its side next to a ruffled white petticoat. No doubt about it; Mary Lou was up to her old tricks again and had resumed her scandalous habit of swimming with nothing on.

Jenny seethed with anger. First, Mary Lou sneaks out of their hotel room to be with a man. Now this. Oh, the shame, the shame. What would the girl do next?

Jenny glanced at the men. They all stood facing Jason with their backs turned toward her. So far no one else had noticed the shocking display of woman’s apparel spread out in plain sight. Nor did anyone suspect the nearby presence of her stark-naked sister.

She quickly scanned the nearby bushes. Mary Lou ducked, but not soon enough. “Stay down,” Jenny hissed.

Keeping a watchful eye on Trevor and his men, she quickly gathered Mary Lou’s clothes and tossed them into the bushes. That girl would be the death of her yet.

She moved back to Scooter’s side just as someone came running up with a blanket. Trevor unfolded it and wrapped it around Jason. The boy had stopped shaking, but he still looked alarmingly pale.

Trevor made a funny face and Jason gave a wan smile. “I’m gonna take you to see Doc Myers. We want to make sure everything’s okay.”

Scooter wiped the tears from his cheeks with the palm of his hands. “We ain’t got money for no doctor.”

“Don’t worry,” Jenny said. She had every intention of paying whatever bills were incurred.

Trevor looked up at her. “It happened at the sawmill. I reckon that makes it my responsibility.” Without further ado, he lifted Jason into his arms and carried him to the nearby horse and wagon one of his workers had supplied.

“All right, men. Get to work. We got ourselves a logjam.”

The men picked up their equipment and raced away. The bridge shook and groaned beneath the hammering of caulked boots as the men hastened across to the other side.

After Trevor placed Jason into the back of the wagon, he swung into the driver’s seat and picked up the reins with one hand. Waving at Jenny with the other, he called, “See you at my wedding.”

“Your . . . ?” Jenny’s mouth dropped open, but she couldn’t help but smile. The nerve of the man. Despite her reservations, she liked him, liked the way he handled Jason, liked the way the other men seemed to respect him. She especially liked the way he looked upon mentioning Mary Lou’s name.

She remembered something Reverend Wells had said.
Sometimes God brings couples together for His own purpose
.

It would be interesting to know God’s purpose in bringing this particular couple together. Mr. Trevor had no idea what he was getting himself into. Surprised by the thought, she shook her head. A match made in heaven? Hardly.

She ran her hand across Scooter’s back. “My wagon’s next to the silo. Wait for me there and I’ll drive you back to town. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry.”

A sudden brightness flickered across his face, but he left without saying a word.

She waited for Scooter to cross the bridge before she turned toward the bushes where her sister still hid. “You can come out now.”

Mary Lou stepped out, slapping branches away from her face. She was fully dressed. Her wet hair hung in long limp strands down her back. She looked a mess but no less defiant.

“Why were you at the mill?” she fumed, hands on her waist.

“Me?” Jenny fought to control her anger. “Why are
you
here? Swimming like . . . like some common tramp. What if someone had seen you?”

Mary Lou showed no sign of backing down. “I was upset and hot and . . . The swimming hole is well hidden. No one saw me.”

“
I
saw you.”

“How was I supposed to know that you and everyone else would come running over to this side of the river?” Mary Lou covered her face with both hands. “You had no right to come here. No right at all.”

“I talked to Mr. Trevor,” Jenny said calmly.

Mary Lou dropped her hands to her side. “I don’t care what you say, I love him and he loves me.”

“That does not excuse your disgraceful behavior.”

“Don’t say it.” Mary Lou covered both ears with her hands. “I don’t want to hear it!” She stomped away and Jenny chased after her. She grabbed her by the shoulder and swung her around.

Mary Lou glared at her. “How could you? You’ve ruined everything!”

“We need to talk.”

“I’m not talking to you. Not ever again.”

Scooter drove up in the wagon. As if sensing the tension in the air, he stopped and his expression stilled.

“We’ll discuss this later,” Jenny said. She nodded toward Scooter, hoping her sister would take the hint.

Mary Lou opened her mouth to argue then changed her mind. She stormed to the wagon without another word.

Jenny was still furious with her, of course. Why wouldn’t she be? Sneaking out in the middle of the night. Swimming in the altogether. As for the match, naturally she had reservations. Anyone who knew Mary Lou would have concerns.

Still, she couldn’t help but think that something was at work here over which she had no control. God’s plan?

Was that why she had such difficulty finding suitable husbands? Did God also have a hand in that misprint that brought her to Rocky Creek in the first place? Was it possible that Sarah was right? That God really did have a plan for bringing people together?

Dear God, please let it be true
.

Startled to find herself talking to God several times in the course of a single hour, she climbed onto the wagon seat and took over the reins.

Mary Lou didn’t say a word on the way back to town. She sat with her arms folded and glowered. The moment they reached the livery stable, she jumped out of the wagon and ran to the hotel. That was just as well. Jenny was in no mood to deal with her. Not yet. At the moment, she was more interested in the welfare of the Maxwell brothers.

“Is she mad because you caught her swimmin’ naked?” Scooter asked.

Alarmed, Jenny glanced around to make sure no one else heard. She then gave him a stern look. “How do you know . . . Never mind, don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.” She stepped off the boardwalk and started across the street toward the café.

“Come along. Let’s go and eat. I’m famished.”

A short while later, Jenny sat watching Scooter gobble down everything Redd put in front of him.

“That boy eats more than a dozen cowhands,” Redd said, looking pleased. He obviously considered the boy’s ferocious appetite a compliment to his cooking.

Scooter didn’t talk much, and when she questioned him about his father, he clammed up completely.

This worried her. The boy was protecting his father, but from what? The two boys were neglected, that much was clear. The question was, were they also physically abused? Judging by the way Scooter tightened up when she hugged him earlier, she feared she already knew the answer.

“Come on, I’ll take you home,” she said. Maybe she could talk to his father, though she doubted it would do any good. If nothing else, perhaps she could get a better idea what kind of home life the boys had.

No sooner had they stepped outside than Scooter let out a strangled cry.

Alarmed, she touched his arm. “Scooter?”

All the blood had drained from his face. Following his gaze, she stared at a man staggering toward them.