“What makes you so sure I will tell him?”
“You will send him to me, for you do not want him to be hurt. You are not a bad person, Jessie, just a person in love.” He left her there, turning his horse onto the path leading to the lake.
As Jessie rode up the dirt path leading to the ranch just before sundown, Two Spirits called out to her. Reining her horse, she waited for him.
“Everyone has been searching for you, Jessie. Where have you been?” He looked over at her, his young face anxious with worry.
Slipping from her horse’s back, she walked a short ways away from him. Knowing the inevitable stood before her, she whirled to face him. “I’ve been to the reservation to see your mother. And before you tell me what a fool I’ve been let me assure you, I’m already well aware of the fact! She flew at me like a wild woman when she learned about us.”
“You told my mother about us?” He slid from his horse’s back. “What kind of demons are in your heart to make you do this?”
“I guess the same kind that is in all white women. I just went there to meet her,” she cried in her own defense. “I hadn’t planned to tell her about us. Somehow she knew.”
“My mother is very perceptive. You could not hide such a thing from her.” He took a step away from her. “I must go to her now.”
“I think first you should meet Pehta at the lake. He asked me to tell you he will be waiting.”
Spinning around, he glared at her. “You talked with Pehta, too? Who else have you spoken with?”
“Pehta came after me. I’d never laid eyes on him before today. He rode back with me as far as the turn off to the lake.”
“Yes, I will meet him. You have caused much trouble for me, Jessie.” His strong voice shook with frustration. “I do not believe you now when you speak of love. A woman does not cause her man the kind of trouble you do.” Two Spirits walked to his horse.
“You are so wrong, Two Spirits. The love I feel for you is stronger than any love I have ever known.” But he could no longer hear her.
“Where in the world have you been?” Charlotte met Jessie as she walked through the door.
Hoping her fears of the past hours and moments didn’t show on her face, Jessie replied, “I’ve been riding. I left early this morning. Why?”
“You know better than to take off without tellin’ anyone where you’re goin’.”
“I’m sorry. I felt like gettin’ away from everything for a while.” She shrugged Charlotte’s hand from her shoulder. “Is that so wrong?”
“No, it ain’t wrong to want to get away. Only, the next time you feel like takin’ off, you need to tell someone, sweetheart.” Eathen pulled her into his strong arms. “We tend to worry when you ain’t around is all.”
“I’m sorry, Daddy. I guess I didn’t think.” She swallowed against the guilty feelings threatening to overpower her.
“Jessie, is something botherin’ you?” Charlotte peered at her.
“No, Mama.” Jessie forced a smile. “There’s nothin’ wrong. I just like bein’ by myself sometimes is all.”
“So does de rest of us, Miss Jessie,” Hattie spoke up from across the room. “But effen we did dat ‘twouldn’ nuthin’ ebber gits done roun hyah.”
Knowing Hattie’s keen eye, Jessie hastened to offset her suspicions. “I’m sorry, Hattie. I know I promised to help you more around the house and I mean to keep my word, but today I just had to get away.”
“Dat’s whut you keeps sayin’, but den you tuhns roun an’ does jes whut you wanter.” Hattie pursed her lips into a firm line of disapproval. “Doan makes no nebber mine ‘bout anyone else needer.”
“Oh, Hattie,” Jessie moved across the room to throw her arms around the woman’s ample waist, “don’t be angry with me. I love you.”
Unwilling to be taken in by soft words any longer, Hattie stiffened her heart against the onslaught of tears. “Miss Jessie, Ah doan thinks you does anymo’, kase yous done lied ter ole Hattie too many times.” She pulled Jessie’s arms away.
“Why is everyone bein’ so mean to me?” Jessie looked at each of them. “Don’t anybody care about how I feel?”
“Jessie, no one is bein’ mean to you,” Charlotte breathed a sigh of impatience. “We expect you to keep your word when you say you will do somethin’.”
“Come here, sweetheart.” Eathen held his big arms open wide.
With loud sniffles, Jessie threw herself into those loving arms, crying as if her heart would break. “You’re the one who really loves me, Daddy.” She laid her tear-stained face against his broad chest. “The one who has always been there for me when I really needed someone.”
“I’ll always be there for you, Jessie.” He tipped her face up to his. “I promised you the first time I ever laid eyes on you, that as long as I had breath in my body to protect you, I would. You’ll always be my little girl.”
“And you’ll always be my knight in shinin’ armor, Daddy.” She swiped at her tears as she snuggled herself deeper into his loving arms. “No one can ever hurt me as long as I have you.”
Rolling her dark eyes at Jessie’s dramatics, Hattie called back over her shoulder. “Supper bes ready, effen any body’s hongry. Effen day ain’, den Ah guess Ah’ll jes’ th’ows it ter de hawgs.”
“I think that’s our hint to get to the table.” Eathen grinned, hugging his daughter tight against his hip.
“I don’t blame Hattie for bein’ miffed at us. She works hard around here.”Charlotte laced her arm through Eathen’s and walked with them to the table. “Sometimes I think we take her for granted.”
“As soon as supper’s over, I’ll clear the table and do the dishes all by myself. Hattie can relax the rest of the evenin’. Maybe that’ll make her love me again.”
“Hattie loves you, sweetheart. Don’t ever doubt that.” Eathen dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “She just wants you to start showin’ some responsibility.”
After everyone seated themselves at the table, Hattie bowed her head. “Lawd, we thank you fer eve’y spec of food on dis table, an’ thank you fer givin’ me de strent ter cooks it by myseff. Amens!”
“You said a very nice blessin’, Hattie, and I’m sure God’s smilin’ on you for doin’ it all yourself.” Eathen grinned over at her.
“Ah doan mind wukin’ my fingers ter de bone fer dis fambly.” She plopped a large slab of butter on a golden-brown biscuit. “Dis fambly bes all Ah gots. An Ah bes pleny thankful.”
“Hattie, this family couldn’t survive without you,” Eathen told her, the teasing grin gone now from his face. “One of the best days in my life is when I found you in Mississippi and you agreed to come back to Montana with us.”
“Mist’ Eathen,” she sniffed, laying the biscuit down on her plate, “effen you doan hesh yo’ mouf, Ah’s gwing ter starts blubberin’ an’ den all dis good food’s jes’ gwing ter goes ter waste.”
“The food’ll still be here after I’ve said what I need to say. There are gonna be some changes made around here,” he declared glancing around the table. “Hattie, I’ve heard the complaints you been makin’ ‘bout not gettin’ any help.”
Hattie’s dark eyes widened in alarm. “Mist’ Eathen, it wuz wrong of me ter bes worrit ‘bout dat. You pays me ter tek keer of yo’ fambly an’ dat’s jes’ whut Ah’s gwing do. You woan heer me complainin’ ‘bout nuthin’ no mo’!”
“If you’re not gettin’ the help you need,” he slammed a fist down hard on the table, “I better, by damn, hear you complain! You’re part of this family and I don’t ever want you to worry ‘bout leavin’ here. Jessie’s gonna start helpin’ ‘round here. As of tonight.” The tone of his voice and the fire in his eyes left no room for argument.
After a loud blowing of her nose on her white starched apron, Hattie picked up her fork to begin eating her dinner. For the first time since coming to live on the ranch, she remained silent throughout the meal.
***
All that next day, when she
could pull herself away from the household chores, Jessie watched and waited for any word from Two Spirits. By evening, she had taken to pacing the floor.
“Jessie, what in the world’s the matter with you?” Charlotte glanced up from the afghan she had been crocheting. “You’re pacin’ like a caged animal.”
“I’m just restless, Mama. I think I’ll go out for some fresh air.” She peered through the screen door. “It looks like a beautiful night out.”
“That sounds like a good idea.” Charlotte affixed her crocheting needle in the half-finished afghan to drop it along with a ball of yarn inside a bag beside her chair. “I’ll go get Hattie and we’ll all go out for a breath of night air.”
“If you don’t mind,” Jessie smiled her best little girl smile, “I’d kindda like to be alone.”
“All right, Jessie,” Charlotte cast a quick glance across the room to Eathen, “but if you need me, I’ll be here.”
Once outside, Jessie ran toward the bunkhouse, keeping herself alert for any unusual sounds. When she heard loud laughing and talking, she slowed her steps towards the corrals. A light breeze blew her hair across her face. She swiped it back in place. Stopping at the fence, she scanned the pens. All the horses had been brought in for the night, except for one. Two Spirit’s big paint remained absent.
“Evenin’, Miss Jessie,” Jake drawled, striking a match against a post as he leaned back against the fence. “What you doin’ out here all alone?”
At the sound of his voice, Jessie jumped back, then whirled to face him. “I came out for some fresh air,” she told him in a cold voice, already turning to leave.
“Think I could find somewhere better’n the corrals,” he jeered, “if it’s fresh air I wanted.”
“I mean,” she punctuated her words with contempt, “I’m outside for somethin’ to do. I get restless stayin’ in the house all the time.”
“Pears to me,” he pushed himself away from the fence, “you ain’t been stayin’ ‘round the house here of late.”
At the snide inflection in his voice, Jessie drew herself upright. “I didn’t know my movements interested you, Jake.”
“Well, they don’t really.” Jake cupped his chin in one hand to run slow fingers up and down his stubbled cheek. “But a few of us have noticed you makin’ a lotta trips,” he nodded beyond the corrals, “to that tree line over yonder.”
Although her heart beat a wild thudding inside her chest, she made up her mind not to show it. “If you have a point to make, Jake, why don’t you make it?”
“Now, Miss Jessie, I’m well aware this ain’t any of my business,” he smirked, edging closer to her, “but I don’t think your daddy’d like knowin’ you been meetin’ ole Johnny Two Spirits out behind the trees late at night. Now would he?”
The slap she delivered across his smug face echoed throughout the still night. “Don’t you ever insinuate such a thing to me again, Jake! I ain’t been meetin’ nobody! If that’s what you and the rest of the hands think, then by all means, Jake, go to my father with your dirty suspicions! But don’t you ever voice them to me again!”
“All right,” he held up his hands, “so maybe we got a little rash in what we thought. We saw the two of you talkin’ over in the tree line one night and I guess we jumped to conclusions. There ain’t no reason to go botherin’ your daddy with this, Miss Jessie. We all need our jobs.”
For a long moment she remained quiet, giving him time to think on all he stood to lose if she went to her father with what he believed could be going on with her and Two Spirits. Finally, taking a deep breath to relax herself, she replied, “If that’s so, then you think about your jobs the next time any of you start givin’ Two Spirits a hard time. For your information, he needs his job too. Not to play poker or spend money on women either! He needs it to feed his mother and sister.”
Jake could feel his anger at being dictated to by a female starting to rise. “There ain’t no reason to get all riled over a dumb injun. If he’d stay on the reservation like he’s suppose to, he wouldn’t have any problems.”
“Yeah, and if you’d keep that big disjointed nose of yours out of his business, you’d have a lot less problems too, Jake!”
“Seems to me you’re gettin’ awful defensive of this boy.” He raised his hands as she eyed him again. “Now don’t be puttin’ your hackles up. I’m just sayin’ what it appears to be to me. Don’t none of us want to see you get hurt. Them injuns are like animals. They rut with anything. It don’t matter to them. If you say you’re just talkin’ to him then I’ll accept that, but don’t let any of us catch you doin’ anything more with him or he’s a dead red boy! It’s just that simple. And I don’t give a good goddamn if you tell your daddy what I said or not. The more I think about it, the more inclined I am to go tell him myself.”
Jessie took a step closer. “If that’s the way you feel then, by all means, go tell him!”
“You know,” he stared at her long and hard, “either you’re one hell of a good poker-player, or it’s like you said. There ain’t a damn thing to all this. I guess, in any case, I ain’t willin’ to find out.”
“Wise move, Jake,” she told him, walking away.
When she knew he could no longer see her, she hurried her steps to the house. She could feel the cold sweat running between her shoulder blades even though the night air remained hot and humid.
“I just keep makin’ everything worse. If he says anything to Daddy, I’m dead and so is Two Spirits. With all that’s goin’ on, I couldn’t blame him if he never spoke to me again.”
“Jessie,” Charlotte said, stepping out onto the porch. “Where’ve you been? I started to get a little worried about you.”
“Just out walkin’.” She willed herself not to begin screaming and running around the yard.
“Well, come on in and share some lemonade with Hattie and me.”
“No thank you, Mama. I’m tired. I think I’ll go on to bed.”
Jessie tried to move past her, but Charlotte reached out drawing her close.
“Jessie, are you sure you’re feelin’ well? You feel cold and clammy. Maybe I should send for Doc Nebinger to come out and have a look at you.”
“What’s goin’ on?” Eathen asked, coming to the door.
“Jessie feels like she’s comin’ down with somethin’.” Charlotte laid a hand across Jessie’s forehead. “Her skin feels clammy.”
“Come on in here, sweetheart, and let me have a look at you.”
“I told you, I feel fine. I just want to go to bed.” Oh, God, please let me get to my room, she prayed.
“Your mother’s right. Even your hands are cold and clammy. Does your stomach or head hurt?” Eathen persisted, rubbing a thumb up and down her arm.
Unable to withstand their cloying touch one moment longer, Jessie erupted, “Nothin’ hurts except my eyes. I’m sleepy! Would you please, please let me go to my room?”
“All right, calm down. Go on up to bed,” Eathen dropped a quick kiss on her flushed cheek. “If you ain’t feelin’ better in the mornin’ though, we’re gonna have the Doc out to check on you.”
Weak with relief, Jessie scooted past them, “Thank you, Daddy. Goodnight everyone.” She hurried toward the stairs.
In her room, she stripped away every stitch of clothing. Filling the wash bowl with cold water from the pitcher sitting on the nightstand, she began sponging herself off. The cold water took her mind off her problems for the moment. When she had finished toweling herself dry, she pulled a fresh nightgown over her head. Feeling somewhat better now, she walked over to the window. Pulling the curtains back, she looked toward the corrals, searching for any sign of Two Spirits. What she saw made the blood run cold in her veins. In the yard, and staring up at her, stood Jake. Even from this distance, she could see the knowing smile covering his face.
She closed the window, pulled the curtains together. She would suffer the cloying heat rather than give Jake the satisfaction of watching her pace back and fo
rth in front of the open window. Two Spirits would return tonight, knowing that tomorrow he must be at work. He needed his job too much to stay away.
She knew that if he did stay away, it wouldn’t be because of Jake and the other hands. It would be because of her.
Chapter Seventeen
Jessie greeted the early morning with a ride to the lake. She knew there would be someone waiting for her when she got there, and he did not disappoint her.
“Jessie,” Pehta called to her, kneeing his horse out of the trees. “I have been waiting for you.”
“How did you know I would be here?” She reined in her horse.
“It is not important how I knew. All that matters is that you are here.”
Dismounting, they walked to the edge of the lake. Dropping down on the grass, she patted a place beside her.
With an agility that surprised her, he seated himself beside her to take her small hand in both of his. “Two Spirits will not be coming back to your father’s ranch. The danger that lies in wait for him there is too strong.”
“Are you sayin’ I’ll never see him again?” She pulled her hands away from him, beginning to rise to her feet.
Without a word, he pulled her back down beside him on the grass. “I am sure you will see him again, Jessie. You did a foolish thing in coming to the reservation to see his mother. Two Spirits is very angry with you.”
“Is that where he is now, with his mother?”
“No.” He shook his head.
“Did he ask you to tell me he won’t be comin’ back?”
“No.”
Out of patience with his noncommittal answers, she declared, “Then how did you know I would be here?”
“Jessie, sometimes the spirits give us a gift. The gift of sight to see beyond what others can. The spirits gave me this gift at a young age. I know things before they happen.” His keen eyes noticed the stunned look on her face and the way she pulled her legs to the side, trying to distance herself from him. “At times I can see a person’s life from beginning to end.”
Fated Memories Page 21