Authors: Elaine Cantrell
“I hope they haven’t gone exploring,” Lucille worried. “I’d love to see a wild horse.”
A ferocious scowl marred the good side of Jake’s face. “Better enjoy them while you can. More and more states are allowing the horses to be slaughtered.”
“That’s terrible,” Lucille cried. “Those horses are a part of our heritage. They should be left alone to run free.”
“Write letters to your congressman,” Jake advised. “It might help.”
Around nine-thirty they left their camp. They rode for about an hour before Jake veered off the trail. “This first part is pretty rocky. If you’d feel more comfortable getting off your horse and leading him, that would be okay.”
It seemed like a good idea to Peyton, but since nobody else got off, neither did she. The rocky little trail gradually widened and grew smoother underfoot, and fifteen minutes later they reached the wild horses’ home.
They tethered their mounts and climbed to the top of a huge rock from which they could see the isolated valley. It was a beautiful place. Trees were scattered across the grassy meadow that was filled with wildflowers. In the distance Peyton saw a gleaming little river.
“Look!” she cried. “There they are! Near the river.”
Everyone looked through the field glasses Jake had told them to pack. “How many do you think there are?” Feldman asked Jake.
“I’d estimate about thirty mares.”
A ringing neigh wafted through the air. Following the sound, they looked across the valley and saw the stallion. “Look, he’s a pinto!” Peyton exclaimed. “Just like Reggie.”
The stallion looked bigger than Reggie, but nature had splashed both of them with a harlequin coat. The stallion moved through his mares like a sultan through a harem, impressing both mares and humans. They watched the horses for a long time.
“They’re glorious,” Peyton said. “They don’t need civilization and stuffy barns.”
Jake laughed. “Like little boys. I imagine most little boys sometimes dream of living in the wilderness and thumbing their noses at civilization. I sure did.”
He took a look at his watch. “It’s getting late. We’d better get started.”
The horses must have guessed their destination because they appeared eager to hit the trail. They stopped at the same little river Peyton’s horse had enjoyed on the way up the mountain. “We aren’t far from Rest Thy Head,” Mr. Feldman observed.
Jake nodded. “That’s right. We’ll follow the trail through the meadow, and it’ll take us straight to Rest Thy Head.”
Mr. Feldman looked at the little river with a practiced eye. “Looks like a good trout stream to me. I wouldn’t mind coming back here.”
“Neither would I,” Peyton enthused, bouncing a little in her saddle. “I love to fish.”
Jake smiled. “We’ll do it anytime you like. How’d a city girl like you learn to fish?”
“When I was in elementary school, my best friend, who was an only child, invited me to go camping with her and her family. Her dad taught me to fish.” She sighed. “I had such a good time.”
They urged their horses forward, reaching Rest Thy Head thirty minutes later. As they rode down the driveway, reflected light struck Peyton in the eye. She squinted and looked toward the house. Annie stood in the window on the landing. She saw Peyton and waved enthusiastically. Peyton waved back. How nice that Annie had had to work today. It would be good to tell her about the accident and how Jake rescued her.
She and Jake offered to rub down the horses, but the guests wanted to help too. “Nothing like riding a horse to make you want to care for him,” Mrs. Feldman opined.
Jake nodded and smiled. Peyton couldn’t help noticing that he was still making sure to keep the bad side of his face turned from them. His stomach growled audibly. “I hope Patrick planned something good for dinner. I’m starving.”
Their work finished, everyone left the barn and went to the inn, but Peyton held back a moment. She laid her hand on Jake’s arm. “I can’t thank you enough for what you did for me back in that cave. If you hadn’t been there, there’s no telling what would have happened. I don’t think I could have huddled on that little ledge too long, and the water felt absolutely frigid. It would be easy to get hypothermia.”
Jake’s shoulder hunched as he deflected her thanks. “You don’t have to thank me. That’s what I’m here for.”
“Well, I’m thanking you anyway. I appreciate everything you did for me.” She leaned in and placed a quick kiss on his cheek.
His face turned beet red. Those blue eyes flashed. With a little sound low in his throat, he jerked her against him. For one sweet moment his lips met hers before he thrust her away. “You’re welcome.” He stalked toward the inn without a backward glance, and Peyton sighed and went upstairs on shaky knees with her heart pounding in her ears.
***
Jake wandered into his own room. If Peyton really wanted to thank him, she wouldn’t have kissed him. Staying away from her was hard enough at the best of times. Why did she always make it even harder?
***
“Did you have fun?” Annie cried as Peyton came up the stairs. “I saw you riding up and waited for you.”
“Let’s sit down, and I’ll tell you all about it.” She needed to sit down. Her knees still felt shaky from Jake’s kiss.
They went into her pretty room and sat down for a chat. “The trip was fun,” Peyton started, “but it ended up being scary.”
“Scary?” Annie’s eyes widened. “Why?”
Annie blanched when she heard about Peyton’s accident. “You could have been killed! I hate those awful caves.”
Peyton shivered. “If I had been alone there in the dark I probably would have died. It was cold in the cave, and there’s no way I could have crouched on that little ledge for long. If Jake hadn’t come down after me, I might not be here.”
Annie sighed. “That is so romantic.”
“What? Falling into a bottomless pool of water and almost dying?”
Annie’s laugh tinkled on the air. “No, silly. I meant it was romantic the way Jake rescued you.”
Peyton’s head tilted. “I haven’t thought about it in quite those terms.” But now that she had, it
was
romantic.
“You should think of it in those terms,” Annie insisted. “Patrick doesn’t have any scars. He doesn’t need you the way Jake does. Think about it! You’re the only one who’s ever been able to pull Jake out of his shell. He needs you, and I know for a fact he’s crazy about you.”
“How do you know that? Did he tell you?” That kiss he gave her…
“No, he didn’t have to. I took one look at his face, and I knew.”
Another thing occurred to Peyton. “What gave you the idea that I was interested in Patrick?”
“When a woman accepts a date with a man it’s usually an indication there’s an attraction between them.” Annie waited for Peyton’s answer.
Peyton rolled her eyes. “You’ve got it all wrong. It was fun going to the movies with Patrick, and he kissed me a couple of times, but neither of us saw stars or felt any sparks. We found out we’re friends and nothing more.” She thought for a moment. “I guess maybe I kissed him to see what it would be like. It had been a long time since I kissed anyone but Drew.” She ran her hands through her hair. “I’m just getting over what happened with Drew. I don’t know that I’m ready for a relationship with anyone.”
Annie smacked her forehead with her hand. “Hello! You could do a lot worse than Jake. He worships you, and he does own half of Rest Thy Head. They do a good business here, you know. He could take care of you and your children with no problem.”
“Annie, that’s so old-fashioned! I can take care of myself without a man’s help.”
Annie nodded and looked puzzled. “Sure you can, but why do it unless you have to?”
“Jake and I did have a good time,” Peyton mused.
Annie clapped her hands together. “I told you. I knew you’d get along with Jake.”
Peyton tucked her legs underneath her. “I guess the kind of injury Jake sustained is almost worse than losing a leg or an arm. I mean, you can wear a prosthesis which looks and works almost like a real leg or hand, but all the plastic surgery in the world can’t fix those scars.” Peyton touched her own smooth skin. How would it feel to have those thick, red scars on your face?
“You should have known him before he got hurt,” Annie enthused as she leaned back in the club chair. “He was more handsome than Patrick and just full of fun and mischief. You can help him find that man again if you will.”
Peyton thoughtfully got up and wandered over to the window. “That’s a big responsibility. I don’t know if I’m up to it, or even if I’d want to consider it. Like I said, I’m just getting my own life sorted out.”
Annie made a dismissive gesture. “You can do anything you set your mind to. I truly believe that, or I wouldn’t have spoken to you about Jake in the first place.”
Peyton turned thoughtful eyes on Annie. “Are you sure you aren’t in love with Jake yourself? You sure do talk about him a lot.”
Annie smiled as if Peyton had said something funny. “No, I’m not in love with him. I like him because he reminds me of my fiancé.”
“What’s his name?”
“George. His name is George Perkins.”
“How does he remind you of Jake?”
Annie’s foot tapped the floor as she thought for a minute. “It isn’t his appearance. It’s the way he looks at life. It’s the way he approaches a problem, and it’s the way he tries to care for others. If you get to know Jake, you’ll see he and George have a lot in common.”
“When will George get home?”
Annie sighed. “I don’t think he has an exact date, but I’ll be here whenever he comes. I’d wait for him forever if I had to.”
Peyton laughed. “You look as happy as a fox in a henhouse as my first grade teacher used to say. Your George sounds like a wonderful man.”
Annie burst into laughter. “That’s a good one.” She stood up and glided toward the door. “You and Jake can be as happy as George and me if you’ll just let yourself. Trust me; Jake is your future.”
***
“Let’s go and sit on the porch,” Peyton suggested after they finished with dinner that night.
For answer Ashley picked up Griffin, and the sisters went outside to find that Jake and Patrick had had the same idea. “Can we sit with the bosses?” Peyton teased, “or is this a private pow wow?”
“We’d be delighted to have you,” Patrick gallantly replied as he pulled up a chair for Ashley.
Peyton nudged Jake with her toe. “Okay, mister, aren’t you going to get me a chair too?”
Jake scrambled to his feet. “Coming up.”
They all settled down and sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the beautiful twilight. Peyton sighed when a mourning dove called. It sounded so sad and homey at the same time. Griffin broke the peace and quiet when he struggled out of Ashley’s arms to roll his little car along the porch. Patrick watched as if the child fascinated him.
“Griffin’s a cute kid,” he finally said.
Ashley sat straight up and stared at Patrick. “You like children?”
Jake answered for his brother. “He sure does. I think it’s because he’s such a …”
“Shut up, you.” Patrick kicked Jake’s chair for emphasis. “Let’s ask these ladies about the play. Something tells me they’d make perfect additions to the cast.”
Ashley laughed. “What play?”
Patrick stretched his long legs out in front of him. “Over the Labor Day weekend Rest Thy Head puts on a historical reenactment of the founding of Waterbury. People from all over the place come to watch it. Frankly, it’s a great moneymaker for Rest Thy Head. It’s fun too.”
“I’ve never acted before, but it does sound like fun,” Ashley enthused, her eyes shining as she looked at Patrick.
Patrick studied both women. “Ashley, I see you in the role of Sally. You look somewhat like her.”
“Who was she?”
“Sally’s the daughter of Colonel Waters, the founder of Waterbury. Have you ever noticed the portrait above the fireplace in the living room?”
Ashley nodded. “Yes, I have. It looks old.”
Jake joined the conversation. “It is old. An itinerant artist painted it for Colonel Waters when Sally was only sixteen.”
Ashley picked up Griffin’s car that had rolled under her chair and handed it back to him. “How did you come by the portrait?”
Patrick puffed his chest up and answered in a ringing voice. “You are looking at Colonel Waters’ great, great, great, great, great grandsons. There are probably a few more greats; I just got tired of saying it.”
“Wow. Almost royalty.” Peyton bowed her head to Patrick. “No wonder people let you guys do the pageant.”
Jake hooted. “I imagine they want us to do it because no one else wants to.
Ashley picked up Griffin who was trying to climb into her lap. “Tell me about Colonel Waters and Sally.”
Patrick laughed. “Okay, remember you asked for the history lesson. Colonel Waters was a major player in Virginia politics during the 1850’s. He was a strong believer in states’ rights who advocated secession at least ten years before the Civil War actually broke out. He owned a huge plantation near Hopewell which isn’t too far from Richmond. His wife and daughter, Sally, were social leaders who were admired and copied in everything they did.
“When the war broke out, Colonel Waters immediately volunteered. He knew what he was doing, too, so it wasn’t long before he was on Robert E. Lee’s staff. He stayed with Lee during the entire war and was with Lee when he surrendered. At Gettysburg he led a charge where he had a horse shot out from under him. He was wounded in his right hand and in his left leg.”
Peyton shivered. “We studied the Battle of Gettysburg in school. It was nothing but a bloodbath. Did the colonel keep his hand and leg? Amputation was the prescribed treatment on the battle field.”
Jake shrugged. “His leg had to be amputated, but he kept his hand.”
Ashley pulled Griffin away from the edge of the porch. “What happened when he went back home?”
“Oh, the federal government confiscated his plantation, and of course all of his slaves went free.
“He hired a freed Yankee prisoner to help him get a cabin built on some land he owned back in the sticks,” Patrick continued. “The general was mortified when Sally fell in love with the guy. He threatened to disown her, but Sally was the kind of girl who always got things her way, so eventually the colonel and his wife agreed to the marriage.”