CLOSE CALL

 

 

            The Christmas doin's were already in full swing when Lisa Hutto entered the church. She immediately spotted her aunt sitting with Mrs. Baxter on a bench on the far right. Lisa smiled and started toward her.

            A group of huge men stepped out from the near left. Three dark men formed a semi-circle directly in front of her, blocking her path. Lisa knew them to be the Forresters, and she shivered, hoping that they didn't know her.

            "Well now howdy, leetle gal," one greeted her pleasantly. All three grinned flirtatiously at her.

            Only slightly reassured by their obvious ignorance of her identity and subsequent lack of hostility, Lisa stepped back timidly. And stepped on someone's foot. She gasped, leaped away, and whirled. Three more men had formed a similar semi-circle behind her. The other three Forresters. Lisa made a small frightened sound. The men laughed good-naturedly.

            "Oh, I'm sorry!" she cried. "I'm sorry I stepped on you! I didn't know you were there! I had no idea!"

            "Easy there!"

            They all sought to reassure her smilingly.

            "You ain't hurted me," the one that she'd stepped on laughed.

            Lisa nodded slightly; at least the most immediate crisis had passed.

            "We're the Forresters," the original speaker introduced.

            "Oh." Lisa pretended not to have known.

            "I'm Buck," he went on, "And this here's Mill-wheel, and Lem. The three behind you is Arch...."

            The one she'd stepped on nodded politely.

            "...and Pack and Gabby."

            "Oh," she said softly, "hello."

            "And what's your name?" Buck smiled.

            Her panic rose. "Lisa," she said in a small voice, hoping that that answer would be sufficient.

            "Well, howdy, Lisa. That's a right purty name. For a right purty gal. How 'bout dancin' with me?"

            Her mind raced. She had to get away from them; she just had to, or she might just faint. "Oh, sure, but later. Kin we do it later?" She stepped back a pace, careful not to back up too far this time. "I jest got here, and...."

            "Shore, that's fine," Buck agreed tolerantly. "In a leetle while, then."

            "Thank you." She was somewhat relieved. "Kin I go now?"

            "All right," he agreed. "See you later." He stood aside.

            Lisa bolted through the opening with the swiftness and the grace of a doe.

            "My, my," he commented to his brothers, "she shore is a skeert leetle thing."

            "Yeah," Lem agreed. "I wonder why."

            "I kin tell you," said a voice from outside of their circle.

            All six Forresters turned and stared penetratingly at the eavesdropper who had come up behind them.

            A bit cowed, he cleared his throat nervously, and said, "I'm sorry; I ain't meant to intrude. Hit's jest that, I kin answer your question. I know what's wrong with her."

            Lem eyed the interloper. "Tell it."

            "When you asked her name, you notice she ain't gave you a last name?"

            "Hey, that's right," Buck agreed.

            "Hit's my guess she was prayin' you'd not insist on one."

            They watched him.

            "She's Lisa Hutto."

            "What?!"

            "Hutto!"

            "You kiddin' me?!"

            "She's his cousin," the stranger finished meaningfully.

            The Forresters exchanged looks of growing hostility.

            "No wonder she was scairt of us," Mill-wheel observed.

            "Oh yes," said the intruder. "And you kin bet she knows you-all, right enough." He grinned. "She prob'ly wondered iffen you was gonna beat her!"

            "Hm," Lem muttered, his arms folded.

            "Now watch." The outsider pointed. "See where she goed?"

            "Straight to Mis' Hutto," Mill-wheel declared.

            "Oliver's ma," Buck agreed.

            "Sure," the stranger said with relish. "Her aunt. Aunt Olivia." He mocked the name.

            They eyed him curiously.

            "Why would you tell us?" Lem wanted to know.

            "Because I don't like 'em." The stranger made a face. "Them Huttos is so biggety. Think they's better'n ever'body else." He sneered. "I seed your fight, by the way. I enjoyed it." He grinned.

            They smiled faintly in acknowledgement. Then they watched sullenly as Lisa smiled and laughed and talked animatedly with her aunt.

            "So," Buck said, "leetle Miss Hutto thinks she's too good for me, eh?"

            "We'll see 'bout that," supported Mill-wheel.

            They watched.

            Lisa spied Jody partway across the room, sneaked up behind him, and slipped dainty hands over his eyes. The Forresters saw her lips form the words, "Guess who?" Immediately, Jody responded, "Lisa!" She feigned indignant disappointment, and demanded, "How'd you guess?" She laughed and spun him around to face her. They both laughed in delight and hugged.

            Lisa moved on a few feet farther to where Penny Baxter stood. The Forresters saw as she shook hands with him in a dignified manner, and called him, "Mr. Baxter." The bearded men were unable to discern the rest of the conversation.

            Lisa was approached in turn by a blond man bearing a strong resemblance to Oliver. She hugged him in delight and danced with him.

            "Now who's that?" Buck demanded.

            "Tony Hutto," the stranger provided with a sneer.

            "Another one?!" bellowed Mill-wheel.

            "Yep."

            "Cousin to Lisa or brother?" Lem wanted to know.

            "Cousin. Tony's pa and Oliver's pa and Lisa's pa was all three brothers."

            "But they each only had one young un?" Lem assumed.

            "That's right."

            The dance ended. Tony bowed elaborately to Lisa, and she curtsied formally to him. They laughed. Oliver's mother went to them and praised them and hugged them. Then, she turned melancholy about something. The Forresters made out the lip movements, "miss him so much," followed by Lisa's sympathetic, "I know." Lisa hugged her comfortingly, and then they read the words, "He'll be back." They saw Mrs. Hutto's sad, "I hope not," and observed her quick glance in their direction. Lisa hugged her again.

            Lisa strolled alone to the snack tables, and the Forresters immediately realized that that was as close to their area as Lisa was likely to get. They made their move.

            Lisa didn't even see the Forresters move in on her. When she turned from the snack tables, she was surrounded. She gasped.

            "I think we'll have our dance now, Miss Hutto," Buck emphasized her last name.

            "Oh my god," she said in a small voice.

            He moved forward unsmilingly.

            "Oh please, I'm afraid!"

            "Dance with me." He reached for her.

            "Please don't hurt me!"

            Buck took Lisa ungently into his arms and held her tightly. She buried her crying face in his chest. He held her firmly and danced slowly, not straying far from his brothers.

            "What are you gonna do to me?!"

            Buck gave no answer, but merely regarded her coldly.

            The song changed, and Buck handed her to Mill-wheel. As his arms enveloped her, Lisa cried harder. She was passed on to Arch, then to Pack, and then to Gabby. With each man, she pleaded to know what would happen to her, but received no reply. She was then passed to Lem. Lisa trembled violently in his arms. She made no attempt to question him, but looked frantically to her family and friends to see if they saw. They did. A worried Penny Baxter had a comforting arm around a panicked Olivia Hutto. Tony and Jody stood nearby.

            Warning Tony back, Penny cautiously approached the evil circle.

            "Buck?" he began carefully. "Is somethin' wrong? Kin I he'p?"

            Buck saw through his approach. "Stay outen it, Penny."

            Penny dropped the facade. "Please don't hurt her! Please, Buck, in the name o' God...!"

            "Back off, Penny. Now."

            Lisa felt Lem's arms tighten across her spine. "Please, Mr. Baxter. It's all right. You best listen to 'em."

            Penny hesitated.

            Lem squeezed her harder.

            Lisa stifled a gasp. "Oh please, Mr. Baxter! Really!" She winced.

            Penny saw the situation for what it was, and backed off regretfully, with one more pleading look at Buck. He withdrew.

            The song ended. Lem handed Lisa back to Buck. She accepted him almost gratefully this time.

            Buck took her in his arms, slid one hand beneath her chin, and tilted her face up to his.

            "No!" Lisa whimpered.

            Buck kissed her hotly.

            Throughout the kiss, Lisa issued little crying sounds.

            After the kiss, Buck stared into her face, his eyes blazing. "So you figger you're too good for us, eh?"

            Lisa sobbed.

            Buck reached down dramatically and caught both of her legs over one powerful arm. He lifted her like a baby. He and his brothers moved to the door as one.

            Lisa screamed.

            Tony ran up behind them, catching up to them not far from the door. He tried to stop Buck. The other five Forresters turned to pound Tony. It was over in seconds. They walked out of the church.

            Minutes later, Oliver and Twink arrived from Boston. Oliver ran to help Tony where he sat, bleeding and cussing, on the floor.

            "Who hurted you?!" Oliver demanded.

            "Who do you think?!" Tony spat. "Your damn Forresters!"

            "What?!"

            "And they takened Lisa!"

            "Oh my god!"

            Penny and Jody rushed to Oliver and Tony, and the four ran out of the church in pursuit. They came up short at an amazing sight: Mrs. Hutto holding the mounted Forresters off at gunpoint.

            "You boys stay back!" she ordered her son, nephew, and the Baxters. "Now I'll tell you agin! Buck! Let my niece down offen that horse, or I'll blow Lem's head clean off!" Her aim was steady and true.

            After exchanging aggravated but hopeless glances, as well as murderous glares at the newly-arrived Oliver, the Forresters gave in, and Buck grudgingly let Lisa slide down from his horse. Smart enough not to get between her aunt's gun and Lem, she ran straight to her cousins. With sullen expressions, the big dark men rode off toward the scrub.