AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Joe sat down on the floor with a thump. He glanced up at Luke and sent him a sly smile. “I do know that you wouldn’t intentionally hurt her. Thank the Lord, I do. But you better figure out something pretty fast, because he aims to have that woman, one way or another. He’s mentioned it several times, in front of the kids even. And I do mean have her. He comes around a lot, makin’ lewd remarks, puttin’ his hands where they don’t belong, all in front of her kids too. She’s terrified of him, but short of killin’ him, which she’s been tempted to try, she don’t know what to do. And he don’t care if she wants him or not. She’s gonna be right back where she started from, if we don’t do somethin’. I’m just glad you showed up, because I wasn’t sure I could do enough to help her. And the day is comin’. Mark my words on it.”
“The way you was talkin’ I didn’t think you wanted me to do anything.” Luke joined him.
“Simmer down, boy. I didn’t know all this had happened between you. So you are the one she really loves after all. Well, if that don’t beat all. Oh now look, I was feelin’ you out.” Joe smiled slowly. “Tryin’ to figure just what you felt for the girl. I pretty well guessed by the eyes you been makin’ at her. But I guess truth be known if I was young, I’d probably want her too. She is a beauty. Prettiest thing I ever seen. I was glad to hear her tell about Dil though and the way she told it, as though she respected the man for what he did. Don’t rightly know why she did tell it. Unless maybe…she’s got a feelin’ for you. For Luke Sayers, too. I never seen two people fall so fast though. But it made me feel good knowin’ how well Dil was with dying, knowin’ the Lord as he must have. And I reckon it did you too. And, like you said, she is family. So you and I got to protect her. But Lord, it will start a war all over again and you know it,” Joe said sadly. “And that Frank, once he gets her, he’ll just make a whore out of her, for himself. That’s all. And we cain’t let that happen.”
“Some things are worth fightin’ for Joe; she’s one of them. I’ve known that all along. I didn’t understand it before, but I do now,” Luke said. “The south might have lost the war, Joe. But by fightin’ we made a statement about how we feel. And they got to respect that. If you don’t fight, there is no respect. I walked away from her once, I won’t do it again. I won’t leave her again. She’s mine Joe, she always has been.” Luke glanced up at the house; all the lamps were lit up. “Wonder what he’s doin’ now.”
“Quit your frettin’. He ain’t gonna do nothin’ as long as those kids are there. He cain’t kill ‘em, and they’d be a convincin’ witness. So he will wait. But the first chance he gets, he’ll take her; the first time he catches her alone. He don’t want her for keeps, don’t misunderstand. She raises too much hell, and she is a Negro. But it’s the takin’ he wants. He wants to bring her down; humiliate her. Make a tramp out of her so she loses respect for herself. And that will happen unless you or I stop him. You see it ain’t got a thing to do with love or feelin’s. He wants to break her. Mainly because she ain’t sharin’ the water rights and she came in here and took over what he wanted. Got his daddy all stirred up. Now if ole Frank can take her down, daddy will be happy, and she’ll give him the water to be rid of Frank.”
“When the time comes, Joe, I’m gonna tell her who I am. I’m workin’ on a plan now.”
“That would be good. But unless you move into the house, how you gonna keep an eye on her?”
“I don’t know. I’ll just have to try…”
“That’s my thinkin’ too.” Joe nodded.“Luke, you got to be careful. Don’t want to have to fill that grave out there.”
Luke smiled. “I’ll be careful. With you around, I can’t be nothin’ else. Thanks, Joe. Just watch my back Joe, just watch my back.”
***
“Hattie, Pa’s throwin’ a big party next week.” Frank cast his brothers an arrogant wink. “Will you come?” Frank asked, as he bit into the chicken fried steak.
Hattie looked around the table at her children. The scowl on Violet’s face told her she didn’t like it. Daisy’s bottom lip pouched out, already her temper was flaring. Lily frowned at Frank, but there were tears in her eyes too. How could children know?
“I don’t think the people your Pa invites to his parties would appreciate someone like me showin’ up. And I think you know that as well. I’m surprised you’d ask me, though. I’m sorry, I must refuse. I want to live in this town, not make a spectacle of myself,” Hattie said with as much control as she could muster. Her hands twisted in her lap at the suggestive glances he was giving her. His eyes flew to her clothes. She suddenly noticed the difference in his glance and in Luke’s. Luke eyed her with pure desire; Frank eyed her as though he wanted to own her. She knew exactly what Frank wanted. Even her children knew he was up to no good but what could anyone do?
Violet looked up and excused herself out the back door. “Excuse me, I forgot something.”
She scuttled out the back door and found Luke outside waiting for her. “I saw you starin’ in.”
“Good girl, look, we don’t have time to argue about this, but this man, this Frank, he’s not a good man, Violet. And he wants to harm your mother. We can’t let that happen. So you and the others stay up ‘til he leaves tonight, ya hear?”
“Okay, but what good will that do?” Violet asked, snatching her doll from the ground where she’d dropped it and shrugging.
“Just do it, okay?” Luke asked.
“Okay…”
“And Violet, if he tries to hurt any of you, get word to me, quick,” Luke advised.
Violet nodded, started to turn away, then called his name, “Luke?”
“Yeah, honey…”
“Thank you for helping me. My Mama was scared the other day when they shot at me.”
“I know darlin’.”
Violet wrapped her arms around his neck as he bent down to hold her hands and saw the doll. He hugged her hard for a minute, feeling something deep within himself.
“Good thinking, honey. Don’t worry. I’ll be just outside if you need me.”
“I fergot my doll; don’t want her getting wet, Mama,” Violet said as she passed them at the table, her eyes straying to Frank and then at the floor.
“You could have done that later.” She smiled at her.
“Yes um, but I fergot.” She frowned at her. “I didn’t want to leave it on the porch ‘cause Daisy said it might rain.”
