The Lumberjack's Bride Read Free Page B

money as she was accused of doing? Could she be trusted to watch the baby? Which brought up another question: Exactly what did he know about her?
    Absolutely nothing.
    â€œIf you compete, there isn’t another man around here that could beat you. That baby needs a mother, and the woman needs a place to stay. It would be a good trade­off for both of you.” The foreman walked away before Caleb could protest or comment.
    He continued to stroll through the camp. Pieces of conversations met his ears. Each man boasted about what would become of the lovely Miss Julianne once he won the contest.
    â€œI’ll have her baking a cake before sundown, if I win,” Ben bragged as he flung his ax at a tree stump.
    His buddy laughed. “Yeah, me too, but after that, she could get started on my washing. I’ve worn these clothes for over a week.”
    Caleb moved on, fighting the urge to smash both men in the mouth for their lack of consideration. As he passed Marcus Harvey and another logger, he heard Marcus crow.
    â€œShe’s a pretty little thing. I’m looking forward to making her pay for that fare she stole.” Marcus was a big burly man who enjoyed acting like a tough guy. Rumor had it he’d killed a man, but it was only hearsay and had never been proven.
    Caleb winced at the thought of Julianne or any woman at the mercy of Marcus Harvey. Finally, he wound up where Julianne stood. “How’s the baby?”
    He watched her blue eyes widen with surprise, though she tried hard to hide it. He’d evidently startled her again. He was intrigued by the mystery that surrounded the woman in front of him.
    â€œHe’s fine. I was wondering if you’ve thought of a name for him, yet.” She smoothed the hair off the baby’s face and rocked from side to side.
    Caleb wondered if she rocked to sooth her own nerves or the child’s. “Not yet, I’m thinking along the lines of Jonathan. What do you think?”
    â€œJonathan.” The name came out a whisper as if she were testing its flavor against her tongue. “It means Jehovah’s gift.” She squinted up at him. “You should consider him a gift from the Lord. I like it. It sounds strong. A man needs a strong name.”
    The question was out before he could stop it. “How did you get into this predicament, Julianne?” He watched her eyes take on a faraway look.
    Bitterness laced her next words. “I trusted the wrong man.”
    * * *
    Screams of frustration longed to escape Julianne’s throat as she watched her future being decided for her. She felt frozen in limbo where all decisions and actions evaded her.
    Strange and disquieting thoughts had plagued her all through the night, not to mention the straw tick she’d slept on, on Maggie’s floor. She’d awakened this morning sick with the struggle inside.
    Now, as she observed the two leaders of the competition, a small glimmer of hope helped her raise her chin and muster all the dignity she could.
    Caleb and one other man were in the lead. In the ax throwing, both men had hit the bull’s-eye on the target. Caleb had climbed and cut the top off of a tree faster than anyone else. The other man, named Marcus, had split more wood than Caleb. He’d only won by one log but he’d still won. And now it looked as if Caleb was using all the strength he had to fell a tree before Marcus.
    She admired the way the muscles in his back and shoulders bulged, as he dragged the saw back and forth against the tree. Rivulets of sweat ran down his face and into his eyes. Still, he continued to bunch his muscles and work faster.
    The thought of Caleb Hansen winning the race wasn’t too distasteful. The other men respected him, and it appeared most of them wanted him to win. The few brief times she’d seen him, he’d said little, the semblance of a quiet man. But her aunt had said it was the quiet ones you had to beware of. Of