When Love Comes My Way Read online

  “Holy Moses! Look what you done, Tirzah!”

  Tirzah broke into sobs. “I didn’t mean to, King. I was throwing that log at you!”

  King dropped to his knees beside the teacher, placing an ear to her chest. He shushed for silence and listened. “I cain’t tell if she’s breathing.”

  “Tirzah’s done gone and kilt the teacher,” Quinn whispered.

  The youth straightened after a few moments. “She ain’t dead,” he declared. “She’s jest out colder than kraut.”

  “I oughta go git someone to come and see about her,” Scooter said.

  “No, we knocked her out. We’ll get her on her feet again. Pud, help me carry Miss Yardley inside the schoolhouse.”

  The two boys lugged her inside and laid her on the floor beside the stove. Tirzah spread a cloth on the teacher’s forehead while debate raged over what to do next.

  The pounding in her head was almost unbearable when Tess tried to open her eyes. The first thing she saw was nine worried faces staring down at her.

  “I’ll help you to your chair, Miss Yardley,” Tirzah offered.

  “Miss Wakefield,” she corrected drowsily. “Tess Wakefield.” Why did the children look at one another, shaking their heads?

  King broke the silence. “I think you’d better rest awhile, Miss Yardley. That knock on your noggin has you plumb confused.”

  “Please help me sit up.”

  The young man obeyed, lifting Tess gently to a sitting position. Her eyes traveled slowly about the room as pieces of her memory started to return. Gradually, in bits and snatches, she recalled her life in Philadelphia, Talbot, and the moments before the wagon accident.

  Modeen bent down to stare at her. “Are you all right, Teacher?”

  “Yes. I’m fine, children.” Getting to her feet, Tess walked slowly to her desk, her head swimming, and sat down, staring vacantly at her class.

  I am Tess Wakefield. I am not Fedelia Yardley. Fedelia was swept downstream with poor old Walter Fedderson and the others.

  The children scrambled for their desks and opened their math books without her having to ask them. Tirzah was the most concerned, and before going to her seat she approached the desk to check one more time on her teacher.

  Tess smiled reassuringly at the girl. “I’m okay, Tirzah. Really. Please continue with your work.”

  Talbot. What is Talbot thinking? He must assume I was the woman swept downstream in the accident. I have to wire him immediately.

  A new, more sobering thought came to her as the children worked quietly at their desks.

  Does Jake know my identity?

  With a muffled sob, she fumbled in her pocket for a handkerchief.

  “Suppose I oughta go for Doc?” Pud whispered to King.

  “Those snowflakes are gittin’ bigger,” he said. “If you’re goin’, you’d better start now, or else someone should go with ya.”

  Tess glanced up, her head clearing. “That won’t be necessary, King. I’m going to be fine. Just a tiny knock to my head.”

  “You sure? You look all white and pasty—like you’re gonna spit up.”

  “I’m not going to spit up. And, children, I’d rather none of you mention the incident to anyone.” She needed time. Time to decide how she was going to handle this startling turn of events.

  “It’s all right with me,” Tirzah readily agreed. “If my pa heard I throwed a log and hit the teacher in the head, I’d get a whippin’ when I got home.”

  “It’s threw, not throwed, Tirzah.” Tess was surprised at how natural it felt to correct the child. She truly was the teacher, even though she had no right to be.

  By early afternoon, Tess knew she’d suffered more than a mild hit. Her head ached and her vision was blurry. The weather was becoming beastly, and in another hour it wouldn’t be safe for the children to walk home. “Class, I’m going to dismiss school early today. King, I would like you to see that everyone gets home safely.”

  She was given no argument. The children scattered like leaves in a heavy gale. The room emptied, and Tess dropped her head into her hands. Wood popped in the stove. Outside, snow fell like a thick blanket, and the wind howled around the schoolhouse eaves.

  Jake, how will you react when you discover I am Tess Wakefield and not Fedelia Yardley?

  She had so many questions, but there was one thing she knew for sure. She wouldn’t have the slightest chance of winning his love when the mistaken identity was revealed, if a chance had ever existed. Why hadn’t she given serious thought to his dream to replant trees?

  Now the plan seemed so logical, so noble. Then it had been impractical and frivolous to both her and Talbot, but she had witnessed firsthand the pine’s destruction and seen what man was doing against nature.

  Will you ever forgive me, Jake? Is there a way I could convince you that if I had known the true problem I would have readily agreed to the replanting, even been here to help?

  God, forgive me. If I had only known, I would have respected Your land more, Your earth.

  Lifting her head, she knew she had to talk to someone. Echo would tell her what to do.

  She rose, banked the fire, grabbed her coat, and closed the schoolroom door behind her.

  Snow was falling in blustery sheets by the time the Burnes’ cabin was in sight. Coming here was foolish. Tess should have gone directly to her room. The storm was worsening, and it appeared the area was in for a heavy blizzard.

  Deep drifts covered the timber roads. Tess struggled to maneuver the growing banks, her boots sinking deep into the terrain.

  An angry wind hurled snow through the tall pine as she struggled toward the log shack. Tears were frozen on her cheeks, and she realized her life was a sham.

  Earlier she had started to resent the crude logging town, the hard life, the endless snow, and the heinous children. She thought of Jake. Now she longed for the familiar, the sane. This way of life would be taken from her when the truth came to light.

  How could she return to her prior life now that she had experienced the sweetness of falling in love? She loved Talbot, but she knew it was different than what she felt for Jake. Maybe it was appreciation for what he’d done for her over the years, but she was definitely not in love with him.

  And her hat boutiques? The stores she had borne like children? After seeing the land left stripped and barren, how could she return to making hats for customers so vain and sheltered that they never gave the environment a thought?

  She was so caught up in her thoughts that she wasn’t paying attention to the path. Her hands shot out to break a fall as she tumbled headlong into a snowbank. She hadn’t noticed the fallen log blocking her way. Snow blinded her as she struggled to regain her footing. A sharp gust of wind snatched her bonnet and sent it whirling into the storm.

  Pulling herself to her feet, she glanced down, realizing she hadn’t tripped over a log.

  She’d tripped over a body.

  25

  With a strangled gasp, Tess recognized Waite Burne. Her heart jumped into her throat as she reached out to touch him. Drawing back, she realized he was frozen stiff.

  “Oh, Echo,” she whispered, her head swimming. Where was Echo? Tess made a quick search of the area, satisfied that Waite was alone before she started to run, her boots covering the remaining distance to the cabin. Collapsing against the door, she lifted her fist and pounded twice. Echo answered the summons, her eyes lighting up when she recognized her visitor.

  “What are you doing here on a day like this?”

  “You… have to… come…” Tess gasped, reaching out for her friend’s hand as she struggled to catch her breath.

  “You’re near froze, ma’am. Come in and let me fix you a cup of tea—”

  “Waite… he’s…”

  “He isn’t here. Really, it’s all right to come in. I’m so happy to see you, Fedelia.” Echo drew her inside, and then she filled the teapot with water from the pitcher. “I never dreamed you’d pay a visit on such a worrisom
e day.”

  Tess’s head was swimming from the earlier blow and the shock of finding Waite’s body in the snow. Echo’s voice sounded as though she were speaking from a drum.

  When she didn’t respond, Echo turned to glance at her. “Won’t be no trouble at all. I was about to make a cup for myself when you knocked.”

  Tess closed her eyes. Jake. She had to get Jake, but he had told her last night that he would be way over on the south road, working.

  The smell of supper cooking lent the appearance of normality. A lantern burned on the table, casting its warm rays over the sparsely furnished room. The table was set for a couple: two plates, two cups, two forks, two spoons, two knives. Fresh coffee perked on the stove. Everything was as it should be, yet Tess knew that nothing about this day was normal.

  “It’s frightful out there,” Echo remarked as she carefully measured tea from a jar into two cups.

  “Echo, please listen to me.” Tess finally caught her breath and crossed the room to grasp the young woman’s shoulders. “Something’s happened to Waite.”

  “Let’s see. You take sugar in your tea, don’t you?” Echo picked up the teakettle to pour hot water into the cups. “I like three teaspoons—sometimes four. Waite says I have a terrible sweet tooth.”

  “Echo.” Why wasn’t she listening? It seemed she wanted to avoid any mention of her husband.

  “Waite’s gone,” she admitted. “And I don’t care. I plain don’t care anymore. He was liquored up when he left. If he got hurt in a fight, there’s not a thing I can do.”

  Tess’s voice was barely above a whisper. “It’s more serious than that.”

  “What happened?”

  “I’m not sure, but he must have fallen…Echo, he’s dead.”

  “Dead?”

  Tess nodded. “He’s lying out front so cold… and so quiet…”

  Echo turned and placed the two cups of steaming tea on the table. She didn’t appear to comprehend what Tess was saying.

  “Echo? What should we do? We can’t leave him out there.”

  Finally, her friend looked up. “Waite’s dead?”

  Nodding, Tess said softly. “He’s not far. When did you last see him?”

  “Last night. He was mad at me and left the house. Said he was going to Shadow Pine.”

  “He must have started out, fallen, and hit his head. When did he leave?”

  “Just before supper. He told me he was leavin’ and not comin’ back—but I didn’t believe him. He’s always saying mean things like that.”

  Tess moved to comfort her friend. “Oh, Echo, you should have come for me. Have you been alone since then?”

  “Yes, but I’m always alone, except for my Bible and the dogs.”

  Sinking into the nearest chair, Tess tried to think. She had to go for help. She couldn’t handle this alone. She sensed Echo putting a cup of tea gently between her fingers. “Drink this, Fedelia. You’ll feel better.”

  The hot liquid seared Tess’s throat, but she drank it anyway. Her mind refused to function, Waite lay dead in the snow, and Echo was acting as though they were having a tea party.

  Finally, Tess summoned the strength to push the cup aside and murmur, “I have to find Jake.” Mechanically she got to her feet. The entire day had been a nightmare. First she was hit in the head, then her memory returned, and now she had found her friend’s dead husband. “He’s over on the south road. It’ll take a while.”

  “No need to hurry.” Echo took a sip of her tea. “Waite’s not going anywhere.”

  It occurred to her that the woman was in shock, which would explain her bizarre behavior. Resting a hand on Echo’s thin shoulder, she prompted gently, “Get your coat and come with me.”

  “I’ll stay here and keep the fire going. You go on.”

  Shocked by her refusal, Tess shook her head. “Please, Echo, you can’t stay here alone.” What if she were to wander outside and find Waite? “Get your coat. You’re coming with me.”

  “I’ll be fine. You take the lantern and bundle up real tight.” Echo stood up and went to the cupboard. She returned and lifted the lantern’s globe to trim the wick. She lit it and then replaced the globe. Handing the light to Tess, she said, “Tell Jake that if he hasn’t eaten yet I’ll have extra.”

  “Yes… all right.” Tess edged toward the door. This was another bad dream.

  Echo smiled. “I think I’ll sit a spell and read my Bible.”

  “That’s good.” Her fingers fumbled blindly for the latch on the door. “I’ll be back as quickly as I can.”

  “All right, ma’am. I’ll be here.”

  Outside, Tess sucked large amounts of bitter-cold air into her lungs. Despite the rest and tea, her head was still reeling from the earlier blow and the now shocking events, but she had to get help. Jake would know what to do. She struggled over mounds of deep drifts in the thickening darkness. Blizzard winds howled.

  The wildly swinging lantern cast distorted shadows over the disappearing path. Ordinarily, she wouldn’t consider taking this remote road alone, but she barely noticed the grotesque shapes of branches and limbs that eerily reached out and threatened to snatch her. Her blood pounded, and her lungs filled with the scent of the resinous pine.

  What would Echo do? Waite Burne was a pitiful human being, but he had fed and clothed her, and provided a roof over her head.

  Straight ahead, Tess detected a faint light and the sound of men’s voices. “Jaaaake!”

  Jake glanced up when he heard Tess’s voice mingle with the yowling wind. His brows drew together in a frown, and he watched her wading through snow toward him.

  “Jake!”

  Sliding down a hillside, he moved quickly to meet her. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Waite!” she gasped. “You have to come now!”

  “Waite?” Jake’s frown deepened. “He didn’t show up to work today. What’s he done?”

  “He’s dead!”

  “Dead? Where?”

  “He’s lying in the snow, some yards from his house. Oh, Jake, it’s awful!” She knew her voice bordered near hysteria, and she threw herself into the safety of his arms. Hugging him tightly, she felt the familiar sense of security wash over her. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t Fedelia Yardley. She was oblivious to everything except that she loved this man, and she wanted him to make her world right again.

  He held her close for a few moments, soothing her, and then he pushed her back by the shoulders, keeping his hands on her arms to steady her. “Are you hurt?”

  “No, no, it isn’t me. It’s Echo… and Waite. He’s dead, Jake!”

  “Where is Echo?”

  “She’s back there in the cabin…” Tess broke off sobbing, but then she took a deep breath and forced herself to go on. “She’s acting so strangely. She just sits there drinking tea as if nothing happened!” Closing her eyes, Tess relived the horror of the terrible scene she had witnessed.

  “Anything wrong, Jake?” Fred called from a waiting sled.

  “Trouble at the Burnes’ cabin. You and Joe had better come with me.” He turned and set Tess’s feet back in motion. “Are you sure Waite’s dead?”

  “Yes!”

  “Do you have any idea what happened?”

  “Echo said he’d been drinking. He must have lost his footing.”

  “One of the men said he saw him over in Shadow Pine early yesterday afternoon, drinking heavily.”

  “Echo said he didn’t come home last night.” Tess broke out in fresh tears.

  “Get in!” Fred pulled the sled up beside them. As soon as they were onboard, it zipped off.

  When they reached Waite’s body, Jake rolled the jack faceup and searched for a pulse. “He’s been dead for hours,” he murmured. Then he stood and walked to the house.

  Echo answered the door at the first knock. Tess saw her open Bible on a footstool beside the fire. She met Jake’s eyes. Tess had never seen such pain as she saw in their agonized depths.

  “Wait
e’s gone,” she said.

  Reaching for her hand, Jake said quietly. “You’re going to be all right, Echo.”

  “He said he was leavin’ me, but I knew he didn’t mean it. I knew he’d be back. See.” Her gaze swept the set table. “I’ve cooked for him and made all his favorite things. Fried potatoes and onions…”

  Jake reached out to cup her face with his fingers. “You were a fine wife, Echo,” he said. “Waite was a blessed man.”

  Their eyes met, and Tess witnessed a strange but unmistakable message pass between the two people. The message of understanding flashed in Echo’s eyes.

  “He’s not comin’ back, is he?”

  “No. He isn’t coming back.” He squeezed her hand.

  She reached out and touched his face. “I know you will be worryin’ about me, Jake, but you don’t need to. I’ll make it fine without him.”

  He nodded and stepped to the door. He opened the latch and called, “Fred, you need to take the body back to camp. Joe, you head on over to Doc’s place and tell him he’s needed out here. I want him to look at Echo.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Right away, Big Say.”

  Tess gently placed a cool cloth on her friend’s forehead. Echo tried to smile, but tears rolled from the corners of her eyes. It was the first emotion she had shown, and Tess found the sign encouraging.

  The dam burst then, and the young woman’s shoulders heaved. The silent gesture tore at Tess’s heart. The passing of her husband was finally sinking in, and Echo was trying to deal with it the best she could.

  Sinking down beside her, Tess cradled her friend, and they shared a good cry together. When the heart of the emotional storm passed, they held each other tightly. She knew Echo was frightened. The woman had no one now.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you,” Tess promised. “You don’t ever have to be afraid anymore.”

  “I…love…you…so…much,” Echo said, and her voice reminded Tess of the day that she had held Juice Tetterson in her arms. The young seven-year-old had been crying and sniffling that afternoon because she’d fallen and scraped her knee.