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"Nothing happened between me and Moon, Jack."
"Nothing?"
"Well, I mean, we didn't… you know."
"You're saying you didn't… Well, I understand. And I believe that. But," his brow raised, and he eyed her keenly. "Something did happen between you two, and I can see that plain as day."
"Look, he was in my barn, he killed a man, the man was trying to… " She couldn’t say it and Jack nodded.
"Go on."
"Earl had courted me for a while, and decided I owed him something more. I didn't agree. Moon heard us arguing over it and came out. Earl attacked Moon, and Moon killed him with his knife. All the while, my father was standing right outside the barn, waiting to bring judgement itself down on me. Moon took me with him. Oh, he didn't want to, but I followed him until he finally gave up arguing with me. I asked him to Jack. And I know that is selfish of me, but I had to get away. He thought better of it. But I insisted. You see life had become impossible for me there. The killing just made me see how impossible it had become. He knew instinctively that I was afraid of Earl and my step-father. He's protected me. The second man, well, I had to protect Moon. We were sort of in this together."
Jack sipped his coffee, "You don't have to explain anything to me. Moon's a good man. I like to think I helped raise him. I know what kind of person he is. It's in his nature to protect, that much I know."
"Aside from myself, Moon was the only one that knew what took place in that barn.
"When the man stabbed him in the arm, I became afraid for him. If he killed Moon, I didn't know what to do next. I had to kill the man. We were in this together."
"Of course, you did. I guess for a woman it's hard to reason these kinds of things out."
"We were forced to protect each other."
"And you got feelings for him, don't you, gal?" Jack asked.
"I-I."
"Your eyes give you away. So does his."
"Oh but… "
"I won't say no more about it. It's between you and him. But I know what I see, gal. And sooner or later it's going to come out and your going to have to make up your mind what to do about it. Moon won't force himself on you, I can tell you that much."
"I know, but… " She blushed. "We have too much to worry about now." She told him.
"It's okay, time will take care of it." Jack patted her on the hand. "Tell me something, do you see him as just an Indian?" Jack asked.
She blushed and shook her head. "No, and I guess that sounds strange to you, but you see, my father taught me to see everyone as the same. He was an Indian agent and for years he tried to treat them right. But he got so frustrated that they'd no sooner sign a treaty and Washington would move them off good land and give them bad land to live on. So, he raised me to think that all men, no matter their color were the same. They all bled the same color blood." she said softly as a slow smile spread over her face. "I see Moon as a man, that's all. And he doesn't understand that."
"That's good girl. That's really good." Jack smiled and put the dirty dishes up. "I'm glad to hear you say that. 'Cause that's the way I see him too. "
"My being here could cause all kinds of problems. I should leave. But I don't know where to go. How to start over." She told him as she washed the dishes for him. "I have no money, not even the clothes on my back are any good to me. How can I start over, Ja
ck? Where do I go from here?"
"I don't know if Moon would admit it, but we need you here. You would be welcome as part of our family, if you want us."
Lissa stared at the old man and came to kiss his forehead. "That is so sweet, but I too don't know what Moon would think of it. He might think I'm imposing. Which I don't want to do. You’re his world and I have not yet been invited into it. If I knew what to do, where to go, I would. I'm a little lost, Jack."
"Your wise too, aren't you?"
"I know what is right and wrong." She smiled.
"That's better than most these days. I like you gal. Tell me; what kind of a man was your father?"
She sank into the chair at the table. How could she describe him? "In the first place, Harold Carter is my step-father. Until my mother died, he was pretty nice. He wasn't educated except in life. He got by very well by the skills he knew and what he had learned from nature. But after my Ma died, he became bitter and drank a lot. I became his maid, cook and housekeeper. That's all I was. That was my life. That and teaching school on the mountain."
Jack eyed her seriously now, "Yeah, but there's more to this than you're tellin'."
