Still, something lurked behind the mask she showed to the world, something she tried to hide from him. At times, the wildness drove her like a lioness set to pounce, and he suspected all the punishment of late was a result of an inner romantic conflict concerning Michael. Maybe this time, she’d share the root of her obsession rather than complain or plot her next attack.
When he finally caught up to her, she was lying prostrate on the ground, cushioned by the floor of wild flowers and tall grasses. Tariana had named the area Song Sparrow Meadow in honor of the bird species that regularly perched in the tree branches sheltering the secluded spot, filling the air with song.
Tariana shot upright when Jamie’s shadow fell across her. “You’re blocking my sun,” she teased while reaching for his hand to help her stand. He pulled, and when her face leveled with his, she grinned. “Oh, Jamie. It’s so good to see you. Two weeks seems a life sentence when locked in my room.”
“Maybe you should try behaving,” he suggested.
“Now where is the fun in that?” she said. That betraying smirk spilled across her face.
“I see your point.” He held up the rods. “Want to fish?”
Her eyes glistened, and she grabbed for his hand. “Yes. Lets. I need to talk. Can I unload on you?”
“Since when do you ask?” he said, “Why don’t you just let it go? There’s no need to rehash the past when you never seem to learn from your mistakes.”
Tariana grabbed his arm. “Jamie? Do you tire of our conversations?”
“Just on certain subjects.”
“Such as?”
He studied her face. How could he tell her how she broke his heart every time she mentioned the brilliant and dazzling Michael? It was as if the chap floated on some heavenly cloud of perfection and he, her secret admirer, was relegated to nothing more than the boy next door. “We could converse about stuff we have in common. Did you know there was a fishing derby coming up?” he added, hoping to change the subject to something on neutral ground.
Tariana frowned. “Of which we both know I will not be a contender. Father would never permit it.”
They trekked toward their river paradise. It was a quieter expanse of water, resulting from when the Willamette Locks had been constructed. Not only had the opening of the locks improved the economy by lowering transportation costs for products, but it encouraged new business ventures, such as building ships to transport the new surge of crops to Astoria or to European vessels.
Jamie drank in the beauty of the day, unable to ignore the brooding distraction penetrating the lines on Tariana’s face. It screamed Michael! It wasn’t that he disliked the man or had any reason to, other than that the love of his life was infatuated with him. Try as he might, the woman did not appear the least bit impressed that he also worked at the docks alongside the men who dared to dream of the big ships and their impact on life in Oregon City. It appeared that both he and Tariana were doomed to walk a self-destructive path, cursed due to Michael Frost’s existence. Tariana’s obsession threatened to strangle the breath from him daily as he clung to the fragile hope of having a future with the woman. For the hundredth time, he wondered if he should give up on his friend ever becoming his wife and move forward. As his mother mercilessly reminded him, he was about to turn twenty, and the eligible girls in town were being scooped up like butterflies in a net.
They settled on a huge, flat rock at the river’s edge, and behind them a meadow loomed, an open space in which to cast a line. “What are you thinking about?” Tariana asked. “Perhaps that might be a suitable topic for discussion while we fish.”
He bit his lip, knowing his thoughts were not open for debate. “Go ahead and tell me your woes. We both know you want to unload on someone. Might as well be me.”
Despite the lack of eagerness in his voice, she began to confess of the episode in the tree, ending with the flowers.
“They want to poison you?” he said, trying to hold back the grin. “Surely your imagination has gotten the better of you this time.”
“No! I heard it straight from Evelyn, who has a ninety-five percent proven rate of being truthful.”
“Well, if that’s the case, I should think you’d be glad to put your musings of Michael to rest. He is obviously not the man your featherbrain has conjured him to be.”
Tariana glanced his way then dropped her eyes in defeat. “You are attacking me with hurtful words today. I fear I might have misjudged my best friend, as well.”
He reached for her hand in sudden panic. That conclusion would never do. “That was not at all my intention. I’m simply trying to make you see logic. I care too much to see you continuously hurt.”
“And I care for you.” Her voice raised in anger. “Why can’t I just settle and love you? It would make everything so much easier.”
As much as he liked the idea, his heart protested. “Because settling is not what love between a man and a woman who plan to share their lives together is all about.”
“Exactly.” She jumped to her feet and brushed off her dress. “The fish aren’t biting, and I need to get back to the house. It’s almost lunch, and I daren’t forget my chores and risk finding myself back in my room for another stint.” She tousled the top of his wavy brown hair. “Besides, you’ve given me an idea. Indirectly, of course. I shan’t lay the blame on you when it all explodes in my face.”
With those parting words,
