CHAPTER 2

The next morning Jeremy awakes smelling bacon. He thinks to himself, Well that's a positive sign. She's up and doing what she usually does. Maybe she feels better about things this morning and will listen to what really happened. He quickly jumps up, gets dressed, and hurries downstairs to the kitchen where Candy is placing breakfast on the table.

Jeremy comes up behind her and encircles her waist with his arms. "Good morning, Sweetheart," he says as he tries to kiss her before she squirms herself out of his arms. "Candy, are you still mad at me?"

Candy just stares at him with a drop dead look. She calls out, "Kids, breakfast is ready!" Jeremy grabs hold of her arm and she turns on him as the kids enter the room. "Don't! Don't you ever touch me! Don't you ever touch me again."

He lets go of her arm. "Candy, please can we talk after the kids leave? You have to understand what really happened."

Jamie, Joey, and Josie look at each other in bewilderment. They greet their parents good morning knowing there are still problems between them. Sitting down, they all hold hands while Jeremy says the blessing. "For this food we are about to receive, let us truly be thankful. Dear Lord, please keep our minds free to listen to the truth and our hearts full with love for one another. Amen." He raises his head and looks at Candy while Candy keeps her head bowed. He can tell she is trying to hold back the tears.

While they are eating, Jeremy asks as he stares at Candy, "Well, uh, what do you kids have planned for today after school?"

Joey answers, "JJ, Jamie, and myself are going to work on that project you told us about. I think that should take up the rest of the afternoon."

"Good, good," Jeremy replies. "That's good. Josie, what about you? Any plans?" Jeremy asks her trying to be interested in what they are telling him, but not being able to focus on anything except for Candy.

Seeing that her parents aren't really listening, Josie says, "Well, I thought I might go rob the bank. Is that all right with you Mama? Daddy?"

"Yes, Josie. Sounds lovely," Candy answers.

"Good, good. Whatever you want to do, Josie. It's fine with me," Jeremy replies.

Throwing her fork down on the table, Josie yells, "You're not listening to us! I know there's something wrong. We could tell as soon as we walked into the room. What is it? What's wrong?"

Jeremy states, "There's nothing wrong. It's just your imagination."

"Mama, are you going to tell us what's wrong since Daddy won't?" Josie asks.

Candy very quietly answers, "Listen to your Daddy, Josie."

"No, I'm sorry, but I won't listen to him. Not this time. Come on, you're worrying us. We know you're upset with each other. Really upset. I've never seen you two like this before."

"Josie, let it go," Jamie tells her. "We don't have to know everything. It's none of our business."

"Maybe you're right Jamie, but I want to know that my parents still love each other. Don't I have that right? I know something happened last night. Something so bad that Mama moved out of their bedroom. The way they're acting, I'm really getting worried," Josie says as she starts crying.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Jeremy says as he throws his napkin down as he stands up. "All right, I'll tell you this much. I love your Mama more than anything on this earth. I did something quite innocently, but she thinks I did something else. Something so horrible that she's willing to throw that love away. But oh no, she won't talk to me and let me explain what really happened. She wants to think the worst of me, well fine. You go ahead and be your stubborn self, Miss Candy Pruitt. Don't listen to reason. I don't think I have ever lived up to your expectations and I doubt if I ever will. I'm through trying." He walks over to the door, then turns around. "So Josie, to answer that question about us loving each other, I love your Mama with all that I am, but I can't answer for her. I will tell you that I don't think she has ever loved me, at least not like I love her. If she did she wouldn't always think the worst of me." He turns and heads out the door, slamming it behind him.

Candy is sitting there with big tears falling from her eyes. The kids are left speechless with tears in their eyes, except for Josie. She is bawling now.

"What just happened?" Josie demands. "Mama, is what Daddy said true? You do love him, don't you?"

Candy stands and answers, "I don't know, Josie. I just don't know anymore." She hurries from the room, goes up to the spare room, slams the door, and throws herself on the bed sobbing.

Jeremy goes up to the camp mumbling to himself all the way. Entering the tent, he sees Jason and Josh enjoying a cup of coffee together before they go out to get the crew started.

"Why, good morning, Jeremy!" Jason greets him. Seeing that Jeremy is not in a good mood he adds, "Jeremy? Jeremy, what's wrong?"

"Nothings wrong! I just want to know the damn assignments for today. Is that too much to ask?" Jeremy shouts.

Jason and Josh look at each other dumbfounded. "No, I guess not. How's Candy and the family?" Josh asks.

"Candy! Candy? You want to know how Candy is? Why don't you ask her since she won't even talk to me."

"Now Jeremy, calm down," Jason tells him. "What is Candy mad at you for this time?"

Shaking his head, Jeremy answers, "You name it, I'm guilty. I can't do anything right, according to Miss Pruitt." He slumps down on his cot and holds his head in his hands, "Oh Jason, Josh. What am I going to do? I love her more than anything, but I'm tired of living like this."

"Hold on. Let me get the crew started, then we'll talk," Jason says as he heads out of the tent. "Corky, Billy, Swede, get your crews headed out. Let's see if we can finish these jobs early. If so, we'll call it a day and have a long afternoon of freedom." Re-entering the tent, Jason sits in the chair. "All right. Out with it. What does Candy accuse you of now?"

"Well, I did screw up, but I had a good reason or so I thought." He tells them everything that happened. "She's moved into the spare bedroom and won't even talk to me so I can't explain it to her. I blew up at breakfast and said some things that maybe I shouldn't have." Shaking his head he adds, "You know as old as we are now, I thought we were past all this. I thought she knew she could trust me."

"If you want my honest opinion, Jeremy, I think Candy is worried about you leaving her for a much younger woman. She's letting her insecurities get the best of her," Josh says.

"I don't know, Josh. She has to know how much I love her, but yet. . ."

Jason adds, "I think Josh may be on to something here, Jeremy. Ever since the story broke about Paul leaving Amy for a younger woman, a young saloon girl at that, one of Billie's girls, well us men have had to put up with a lot of questions from our women. They're all afraid we're going to leave like Paul did."

"When did this happen? I haven't heard anything about Paul doing that," Jeremy adds.

"Yesterday morning. I guess Candy didn't tell you because of what was happening with the two of you. But Peggy sure let me know," states Josh.

"So did Allyn. The women see that they're getting older so they think their men want someone younger, prettier than them," Jason says.

"I don't know, Jason. I tell Candy how beautiful she is and how much I love her all the time. Why can't she understand that? Besides Billie isn't younger than Candy. I think they're probably the same age."

"Well, Jeremy, sometimes a woman just let's her jealousy override her brain. You know Candy has always had a jealous streak, when it came to you being around other women. Back then though, she knew she could compete because she was young and beautiful. But now she looks in the mirror and sees this older woman and she doesn't think she can compete anymore with a young pretty girl," Jason says.

Josh adds, "And seeing you come out of a brothel with a half dressed Billie, and knowing that Billie has never tried to hide her feelings for you, well it's no wonder Candy reacted like she did."

"So you're saying I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill. I don't know. You haven't seen Candy. She's put me through hell before, but not this bad. I mean we've always been able to talk it out before. But now she won't even talk to me. This morning I grasped her arm to try to get her to talk and she looked at me like she wanted me dead. She told me to never touch her again." He runs his hand through his hair. "Somethings happened to her. She started acting differently when we went to Alaska. She was so emotional and short tempered. We attributed it to her being seasick, but she's still like that. So it must be something else. She won't talk and I can't reason with her."

"Why don't you take the day off and go try to talk to her again. Or maybe Allyn could go over and talk to her."

"I don't know about Allyn, Jason. I'm afraid Candy will get even angrier knowing that I had Allyn talk to her. If you can spare me today, I think I will go home and try to talk with her."

"That's good, Jeremy. You do that. Oh and good luck brother," Jason says.

After Jeremy has left, Josh tells Jason, "I think I'll run home and talk to Peggy. See if she and Allyn will drop in on Candy to invite her to lunch. They do that often, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Good idea, Josh. But tell them to be discreet. No use giving Candy more ammunition to use against poor Jeremy," he chuckles.