Beyond the Dream Catcher Page 22

  "Silly," she teased him, and pinched his nipple through his shirt.

  "Woman you keep that up and we'll have to put the babies down for a nap." He laughed again.

  She laughed, and he quickly stripped off his shirt. She couldn't stop staring at him, as many times as she'd seen her husband, he was truly the most handsome of men. "What are you doin'?"

  "I'm not gonna get my shirt sweaty while I dig," he teased her again.

  She smiled and continued nursing, taking out her other breast for the baby.

  "Save some for me."

  "Stop it, Ben will hear…"

  "Ben's a baby too. Now, where should I start digging?" he glanced about.

  He challenged the dry dirt and bit into with the shovel that he found against the barn wall. "See, someone's been out here lately, or this wouldn't be here."

  "It isn't here….I don't know what he did with it, but it isn't here."

  He paused and looked seriously at her. "What are we going to do with the money if we find it?"

  "I don't know…give it to the Sheriff…"

  "What Sheriff?" He gestured.

  "You aren't going to find it, anyway, so don't worry. Now, since the babies are getting tired, I want to read Lee's last letter," She insisted. "Are you listening?"

  "I am…" he smiled as he dug further.

  'Dear Katherine and Chase,

  It's been a long time since I've seen the two of you and I'm sure by now you've got a couple of young ones. At least I hope you do. I hope you've found happiness. As for me, I went home for a while and then I joined the confederate army. Last I heard, I was killed somewhere in Alabama. Anyway, I went home again and found some woman on my land, with a passel of kids, homesteading it. At first I thought I'd just run her off, but then I ran into old Joe, a man that used to help me farm it with my folks and he told me the woman didn't have anywhere to go, and three kids to raise by herself since her husband died. So I got to thinking maybe I should wait, offer to work the land for her and see what happens. She sure is pretty…

  Last I heard the Captain got a promotion and was a General himself now. He's fightin' somewhere in Georgia. Thought he might run into me, but not so far. He's a career man I guess. He told that General I headed for Mexico with the two of you, led them on a wild goose chase.

  The General nearly found him out once, but that's when the war broke out and he was transferred out of there. Guess everything happens for a purpose.

  They never did find that gold. Maybe he didn't bury it. Maybe it's sitting in the top of that old oak tree.

  My best to you and yours

  Lee'

  "The top of the tree?" Chase questioned. Then his eyes darted to the tree limbs. "Yeah, he's right; it could be up there somewhere. I'm going to climb it and see what I can find."

  "Honey, you will break your neck," Katherine squealed.

  "I think Lee may be on to something," Chase decided.

  He kissed her on the lips and threw down the shovel, then commenced to climbing. He searched one side of the tree, every limb and found nothing. About to give up, he spotted something up high on the other side. "I think I've got something," he hollered down at her.

  "You're kidding, right…"

  "No…wait…" he kept climbing, and he went to the far side of the limb, it was not a heavy limb and he couldn't put all his weight on it. But it was definitely something there. Slowly he scooted himself as far as the limb would allow, then suddenly he went crashing to the ground with a loud thud.

  Katherine shrieked and ran towards him. When she got to him, he slowly lifted his head. "Looks like this saved me…" he wiggled a heavily loaded saddlebag in front of her and laughed.

  "Oh my God….Chase…you found it."

  She grabbed him round the neck and kissed him thoroughly on the lips. As he pulled her around so he could finish the kiss his hands traveled up her skirt to find her warm and ready.

  She sighed willingly into his arms when he touched her, "Honey we can't, the babies…"

  "Are asleep…" he snickered and continued to play with her.

  "You're impossible," she murmured.

  "Hmmm," he sighed.

  When he let her up for air, she chuckled and then asked hurriedly, "What are we gonna do with all that money?"

  He laughed, "We'll figure that out later…" And he began to unbutton her dress.

  "Hmm…do you think Burning Tree is still messing with us?" she asked between gasps of pleasure.

  "Nope, it's Beyond the Dream Catcher…remember?"

  The End