The Ballad of Jack O'Dair by Johnston Linda O

Author:Johnston, Linda O. [Johnston, Linda O.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-01-25T08:00:00+00:00

The woman was as confusing as a gold strike rumor, Jack thought as he followed Jessie Jerome back along the path toward Dyea. And just as unreliable.

Even though it was still daylight, the air was cooler, and frozen mud beneath their feet crunched as they walked beneath the bare-limbed trees. He could even hear Taku's footsteps as he pattered off into the shadowy woods and back, never straying too far from Jack's side.

Why had Jessie gone to his cabin? Her claim of learning why she was here and how to go home made about as much sense as heading for the Klondike without any boots or snowshoes.

She had done that, hadn't she?

"So why did you come to Dyea, Jessie, if it wasn't to learn songs?" The question spilled from his mouth before he had a chance to consider the consequences.

She had been tramping ahead of him, as though she couldn't stand to be in his presence. That didn't bother him. He didn't care, after all.

She slowed, then turned to look at him. "I didn't make much sense back in your cabin, did I?" she said with a sigh. She waited for him to catch up with her, then walked at his side as she continued, "Not much around here makes sense to me, either. But I did come to learn songs. Really. One in particular, in fact. I've felt very frustrated that no one seems to know it."

"You've mostly talked to the singers at Helen's. One night when you're not working, I'll take you to some of the other saloons, introduce you to their entertainers. Maybe you'll find your answers there." Now, why had he offered that? The more time he spent with her, the more perplexed he felt.

He wanted her. No doubt about that. Even now, he wanted to take her back to his cabin, undress her beneath the light from a warm fire, and make love to her over and over throughout the long, dark night.

He could slake his need with any of the saloon girls in town, of course. But there was more to his need of Jessie. There was more to Jessie.

And that unnerved him.

It was all the more reason to put her on a ship out of Dyea—for her safety, and for his peace of mind.

"Tell me about the song you're wanting to hear," he told her, just to make conversation. To him, the entertainment in the saloons hadn't meant much before except as a diversion to keep drunken customers from fighting with one another. To make his job of keeping the peace just a little easier.

That had changed, though, when he had heard Jessie sing. Her voice was husky, so mellow and sweet that he could listen to her forever. . . .

What was he thinking? He balled his gloved hands into fists. He was here for penance. To help people. Many people.

From a distance.

"I . . . I can't really tell you a lot about the song," Jessie said. She sounded flustered.

Song? Oh, yes.

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