Read Jake for Free Online

he would probably have missed. “Go away, Jake. I appreciate your concern, but just go away.”
    She walked back to the creek and into the water where she scooped soil from the bottom of the river and began rocking the pan back and forth to separate the dirt and rocks from the gold. He knew the gold would settle to the bottom of the pan by the time she was done. It was a slow, pain staking process, letting the rocks and dirt wash out of the pan a layer at a time. Not too much or the gold would wash away. Too little and the gold wouldn’t separate from the soil surrounding it.
    He stood there for he didn’t know how long, watching her. Then he picked up a pan and waded into the water in front of her.
    “What do you think you’re doing?”
    “I’m helping you. The sooner you get enough gold stashed away, the sooner you’ll be able to get away from that bastard.”
    She looked down at her pan but not before he saw a smile cross her beautiful face.
    Finally, he did something right.
    ~*~
    Jake and Becky worked together side by side all day. They only stopped to warm their feet and to eat. Becky had some venison and day old biscuits she shared with Jake. Even day old, the biscuits were tasty. She had a little butter and they made sandwiches out of the meat and bread.
    The gulch the creek ran through was steep cliff on one side and less steep, but heavily forested on the other. There were several, nice, flat spots to put up a tent. He and his brother’s claim was around a bend in the creek, only 100 feet or so downstream. If he pitched a tent at this far end of their claim, he’d be able to keep an eye on Becky and Billy. Maybe just his presence would deter Billy. Of course, it could send him into a frenzy and he’d so something even worse than just beat her up.
    Billy still hadn’t come back by day’s end. She was going to have to go pick him up…again. He didn’t think he’d be able to prevent her from doing it. As much as he wanted to protect her, he knew she’d balk at his attempts. He was a stranger and trying to control her, she’d say. And she was right. But if that’s what it took to keep her safe, then that’s what he’d do. Maybe she’d let him go with her.
    She’d put the pans away and stashed the gold they’d mined. Now she was bridling the mule. Buster, she called him.
    “Becky, let me go with you to collect Billy.”
    “No.”
    “Why not? He won’t know. You could introduce me around.”
    “No.”
    “Why?”
    “Because you’d want to help with Billy. I don’t need any help with him. I keep telling you, we do just fine without your interference. Thank you for helping me today, but I don’t need your help and I don’t want it.” She handed him a small pouch. “That’s the gold you panned for today.”
    He handed it back to her. “It’s your gold. I was just helping you. I want you to be able to get away from Billy as soon as possible.”
    She took it back. “Look, Jake. You don’t know me or what I want. Thanks for the gold but stay out of my life. Today was nice, but that’s all. I don’t want to repeat it. Work your own claim and leave me be.”
    She swung up on the mule’s back.
    “Becky,” he tried again, “let me help you.”
    “How many times do I need to say it? I don’t need or want your help.”
    He looked up at her atop the mule. “I’m not going to change your mind right now, but I’m not giving up either.”
    She clucked her tongue and the mule started walking.
    “You can do whatever you want at long as you do it from your claim.” She kicked the mule in the sides and it started trotting, she did it again and it cantered quickly away from him, Becky moving gracefully on top. Her movements as one with the animal.
    He thought today had gone so well, too. Disappointed that she rejected him and his intentions, he walked back to his camp.
    “So? What’s going on with you and Miss Finnegan?” asked Liam when he got back.
    “Nothing.”
    “You spent all day