She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I can’t leave him. He’d be all alone. I can’t just leave him like my mother did.”
“Your mother’s dead. He killed her. Beat her to death, just like he will eventually do to you.”
His words were like a punch to the gut. “That’s not true!” She could barely breathe. “Don’t say something so awful!”
“You know it’s true. Painful, yes. But the truth.”
“No, she just left one day. She was insane and didn’t know what she was doing.” Birdie paused and wrapped her arms around her body. “My pa didn’t kill her…” Even as she said the words, she knew she was lying. She had always known he killed her, but just didn’t want to face the harsh reality.
Jeremiah pulled her into a hug and whispered, “All right. All right.” He pulled away to look into her eyes. “But we don’t want to risk having him hurt you any longer.”
Tears threatened to fall, but Birdie had become a master at keeping them at bay. Crying solved nothing. Jeremiah must have seen the pain in her eyes, however, so his voice softened.
“I will tell you the truth. I can’t love you like you deserve. Like a man loves a woman. But I can provide you a safe and secure life. But right now we need to figure out where to settle you in until I return. I promise you that I will do my best to make this all right by you.”
She nodded. “There might be a place I can stay…”
17
Rem stood before the fire, resting an arm on the mantle he personally carved, thawing the ice that flowed in the veins of his hands. The stinging wind this evening had an extra bite, and he couldn’t help but worry about Birdie being cold in it. The only thing that helped ease the anxious ball in his stomach was the knowledge that no snow was falling, and not a single cloud in sight. He reached down and stoked the fire, stabbing at the wood like he wanted to do to Jedson Bluebell. Damn that man. It took all his might not to storm through the woods and beat the living tar out of Birdie’s pa and then pick her up effortlessly and carry her home—his home. But those were thoughts of a crazy man. He couldn’t go and rescue her and claim her for his own. That wasn’t the way things were done in these parts, and her pa could have the town folk up in arms if he wanted to.
“She’s a fighter, son,” his ma said as she came up behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder. “She knows we are here. I made that much clear.”
“She shouldn’t have left. I have half a mind to snatch her up and force her back here.”
“That girl is one stubborn mule, I’m not so sure you wouldn’t have a fight on your hands.”
Rem huffed. “Her pa is going to kill her one of these days. Birdie’s body is too frail to take the wholloping he gives her.”
“I know. I was going to make up some of those biscuits she likes so much and bring them to her tomorrow. I found some old clothes in a chest that don’t fit me anymore. I’m sure she could find good use for them.”
Rem spun around and glared at his ma. “I don’t want you going anywhere near the Bluebell homestead, ya hear. That man is dangerous.” He turned back toward the fire. “Birdie has no business staying there.”
His ma squeezed his shoulder. “She really got to you I see. I haven’t seen you worry or care so much.”
Rem turned to look at his ma. “Anyone with a heart would care.” He sighed and shrugged. “Ain’t much we can do I reckon.”
“Hmmm,” his ma hummed. “No son of mine is a quitter. Since when did you lie down and not fight for what you believe in?”
“I’ve always minded my own, Ma.”
“The minute you carried that girl across your threshold, you stopped minding your own, and you damn well know it.”
The knock on the door was welcomed. Rem didn’t like the way the conversation was headed, so he readily moved to open the door before his ma could. It wasn’t quite supper time yet, so it wasn’t too late for company, but he and his ma weren’t one for visits. When he opened the door to find Birdie standing next to an unfamiliar man, his heart stopped.
“Hi, Rem…I’m sorry to bother you. This here…this here is Jeremiah.” Birdie stumbled over her words. “I was hoping we could talk to you.” The puffs of white air coming from her mouth and the way her body shivered against the elements almost had him seizing her into his arms and rushing her to the fire.