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Lee’s attention riveted on her. The man affronting her, a Jeffries, caught his attention too. That alone would be enough for Lee to interfere and help her, but he waited, needing to know more. Since the war he tempered his actions with reasoning, no longer the hot head he had once been. He’d learned the hard way to make sure what he was jumping into before he jumped.
“Mr. Jeffries you’ve tried to burn me out, and financially ruin me in this town, but as long as I can, I’m holding onto that land, do you understand me? The land is already mine, and I aim to hold onto it too.”
“How did you manage to buy supplies this morning, when you can’t pay your taxes?”
“Not that it’s really any of your business, but I sold my mother’s broach. Will there be any more questions, Mr. Jeffries? I’d like to get home now.”
“Perhaps you should have put that on the taxes. It’s a shame…the Sheriff will evict you next month, and then what will you and those little girls do?” the man asked, as his eyebrow raised and his lips curled. “Pretty little things, shame to see them live in such poverty.”
“Let me worry about that, Mr. Jeffries. Now, will you please get out of my way so I may do the same for others here…” the woman asked, her voice strained, her patience obviously waning and her pride very much in tact. People gathered about watching, but no one interfered. No one would, he was a Jeffries, and she was a Negro.
A breeze caught her hat and tossed it across the street, and Lee got a better look at her, so well rounded and built, with hair that caught the sun’s attention and burst into long lovely tresses of black silk.
Strange, Lee shuffled his feet and leaned against the building to watch, the woman was undoubtedly beautiful, but there was more than outward beauty to admire about her. She had spunk. He liked that. He’d seen enough painted ladies in his life to appreciate wholesome beauty. He bent and picked her hat up and strolled over to the wagon to hand it to her. That’s when he saw her eyes; black orbs stared at him for a moment, then flashed as she raised her chin a notch.
It was that flash he recognized. Her eyes were full of life. Her eyes were magnificently bold, brown, holding a softness in their depths. He held his breath as recognition hit him in the heart and other places unsuspecting. Hattie!
God, he’d recognize her anywhere, those same lovely eyes that tore into him when she looked at him. But she didn’t recognize him, of that he was certain. And she hadn’t acted as though she even noticed his missing arm.
It was no wonder Jeffries stared at her so. She put most of the white women in this town to shame.
He handed her the hat and smiled. She nodded to him, barely giving him the time of day, but under the circumstances he knew she wanted to get away from this man.
Lee liked her grit, not many women would stand up to a Jeffries in this town, not many men either, Lee decided with a grin. Yes sir, he sure liked the grown up Hattie.
Still, the fact that she’d had children and obviously a husband made him curious and envious. He hadn’t thought about the husband part. Thinking of someone else holding her, kissing her…Lee felt a stab of jealousy for the man who had held Hattie’s love and attention.
He silently scolded himself. Hattie wasn’t for him. He had to remember that. Why, he’d be run out of the state if he even thought about taking a black woman to marry. No, he had to get Hattie out of his thoughts, somehow, or he’d be fightin’ another war. He needed to get home and find out for himself what all was going on. But first he needed to go to the bank and check on the taxes, while he still had the money to pay them.
Lee watched as she urged the horses onward and the wagon pulled out from the dry goods. She handled her small team of horses well, and Lee gauged her as a hard working woman too. Her supplies looked modest enough, and he wondered why Jeffries had been so upset.
The last he’d heard Jeffries had wanted his land too, but it had clearly been deeded to Lee and his brother Dil long ago and that much had to be secure. However, back taxes could have been a problem, and he’d take care of that today.
At least he planned on going by the bank, but Jeffries began talking to some other men on the corner and he heard them saying something about watching the woman. Once more his protective instincts came forward. This was his little Hattie, and he had to take care of her, didn’t he? At least ‘til he could contact her husband, warn him of the trouble in town.
Determined not to get himself mixed up in something that definitely wasn’t his business, he decided he ought to head home first and find out what had been going on since he’d left. Old Joe would know. Surely the taxes could wait one more day, they’d waited this long.
About an hour later, he ambled onto the property, slowing, cooling his horse down. The hot sun bore down on him, as familiar landmarks reminded him he was on Nelson land once more. He smiled, wondering if Dil might be home too. He had an itch to see his brother, it had been a while. But when he heard a strange noise over the next rise he approached with caution.
Dismounting, he walked to the edge of the next hill and crouched down. Young laughter peeled the air. Three little girls were all running about the countryside, and their mother had spread a blanket and offered them food. Lee smiled.
Hattie sat on a blanket near the wagon. She was letting her hair down now and trying to keep it out of her face. Her hair was wide and full like her face and bounced about her shoulders. Her face was perfect in every way, angled, soft lips, flaring nose, and eyes wide and wondering, and lips so full and kissable.
He shouldn’t be thinking of her like this. But every time he saw her he thought of taking her into his arms and kissing her senseless. Of making love to her way into the night, of laying his head on her full breasts. Nothing had changed, he still wanted Hattie Tanner.
She was his little Hattie, wasn’t she? His...no. Little, no!
She’d grown into a lovely woman. And a white man with a black woman just after the war, in this country was asking for trouble, and Lee knew it. Even though the war was over, the hatred wasn’t. As much as he tried to tell himself it was an impossible situation, it didn’t stop the longing. Those silly little kisses they’d shared so long ago had spoiled other women for him. He only thought of her.
Intrigued, Lee watched her come to life now. Gone were the lines of trouble from her young face, replaced by smiles and happiness. This was an outstanding view as she lay on her elbows propping her head to watch the children. Her full breasts were more exposed than she knew and his libido responded in kind to every breath she took. His hand itched, wondering for only a second what it might be like to hold them there, more than two handfuls, and he’d bet pillow soft. He could imagine his head pillowed against them, his lips savoring the taste of them. He mentally scolded himself, but he couldn’t shake his own reactions. In that brief second he realized he wanted her. And his next thought doomed him: he couldn’t have her. She had children and was probably married.
Fascinated, he planted himself on the ground and watched them. The kids were playing tag, and of course the little one was it. Sam was herding the other two girls along to hide. Lee chuckled. She’d slip and fall, the others would pick her up and she’d run after them, laughing all the way. The puppy licked the little one’s face each time she bent over, and she giggled. A strange sensation ran through Lee as he watched.
He’d served the army until the war broke out, then joining the confederacy. Since he hadn’t spent his soldiering money he had a small bundle, probably enough to pay the taxes on his land. He hadn’t had the time.
He had to admit, Hattie had crossed his mind a time or two, but each time he had scolded himself telling himself she was way too young and not for him. She was a Negro, and he was a white man. Why did the hate consume so many? Why couldn’t people just live the way they wanted to? Even thinking in that direction would cause trouble. But on the other hand…it could be worth it. He’d be kicked out of the state for even thinking about her like that, but he couldn’t stop thinking along those lines. Just one look at her now told him he wanted her. Only her!
Hattie’s sweet face filled with a quiet peace now. Beautiful. Lee lingered on her features. From this distance he could admire Hattie all he wanted and she’d never know it. No one would know it. Her smile drew a totally different picture on her delicate face. Lee remembered those eyes, the black orbs that searched him out in the dim room as they stood away from each other that day. The fire in her eyes that still burned long after the kiss ended.
