Free Jake by Cynthia Woolf Page A

reading a dime novel about Wild Bill Hickok. He’d been lucky enough to get to meet the great man the day before he was shot in the back, only a few days after they’d arrived in Deadwood. David had Bill’s signature on the cover. It was one of his treasured possessions.
    “Hi, David.” Jake ruffled his hair.
    He looked up from his reading. “Hi, Uncle Jake. What you doing here? Dad said you were here last night.”
    “I was. I came back to talk to your dad and thought I’d check in on you and Hannah. How are you?”
    “I’m fine. I get to stay in today with Hannah. It’s not so bad. It’s been getting cold out and I’m just as glad to stay in the tent out of the wind.”
    “You’ve been a great help to me, standing watch like you do. I wanted you to know how much I appreciate it.”
    “Ah, that’s okay. I didn’t have to work the creek that way neither and that’s always a good thing. That’s really cold.”
    Jake went to Hannah, placed his hand on her forehead. She was cool to the touch and seemed to be sleeping peacefully.
    “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said to David, who he’d decided was a remarkable young man. Always willing to help without question or complaint. He was a little miniature of Liam with the same brown hair and gray eyes. Eyes that seemed older than they should.
    Jake pulled his hat lower and wrapped his coat a little tighter. The weather was getting colder. It was only late September, maybe even October. He hadn’t kept track of the date. There didn’t seem to be much point since Elizabeth was gone. There was no wedding, no Christmas, no birthdays. All those were gone with her. Until now.
    Now there was Becky. Jake found himself wanting to share Christmas with her. He doubted she’d ever celebrated the holiday since before she was with Billy.
    Becky brought that out in him. Made him forget for a little while about his vengeance and Elizabeth’s murder. Made him hope. Made him feel human again.
    ~*~
    Becky watched for Jake to come back from his brothers. She’d turned him away last night, even though her heart ached for him. How had she managed to fall for the man in such a short time? She told herself it was just she was lonely. That was definitely part of it, but it was more than that, too. Jake treated her like a woman not some little girl. He made her feel things she hadn’t felt before. Like having someone care for her. No one really had since Grandma Bess. Billy certainly didn’t give a damn. She was just a workhorse, a way to get money. Nothing more.
    But Jake. He was different. He cared and he didn’t have to. Protected her from Billy and didn’t have to. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone without at least being slapped for more than a week. She could usually count on a day between, sometimes two, but if Billy was in a bad way, he didn’t care about anything and Becky couldn’t move fast enough to please him on those days.
    Jake had changed that. Billy didn’t dare hit her with Jake around. Heck, he didn’t dare hit her when Jake wasn’t around. He was smart enough to know that Jake would beat him into the ground if he touched Becky. It made her smile. She felt safe, even with the bounty hunters sniffing around, she felt safe. An unusual feeling to be sure but one she could easily get used to.
    She watched Jake come over the top of the hill, striding toward her carrying his wading boots. His step echoed his strength. He was sure and strong…willing to take care of her and protect her. And he wanted to make love to her. As far as she knew, no one had ever wanted that before. Most men didn’t even realize she was a girl.
    But Jake did. He’d kissed her. Tenderly. He made her feel important. Precious. She’d never felt precious in her life. Even Grandma Bess, as good as she’d been to Becky, had never made her feel treasured, like Jake did with just one gentle kiss.
    She touched her lips, still feeling the tingle where his lips had met hers.