Jacie decided to change the subject. He would learn soon enough she had no intentions of sneaking around at night and crawling into tepees, for heaven's sake. "Is your mother living?"
"Yes," he said. As far as he was concerned, Sunstar was his mother, so it was true.
"What will she think of me?"
He wouldn't let himself consider an honest answer, that Sunstar would be delirious with joy. He hedged, "She never questions what I do." That was a lie, he smiled to himself to think. Unlike other Comanche mothers, she did not shy away from voicing disapproval when she felt it was warranted.
Jacie relaxed a little. "What is her name?"
"Sunstar."
"That's pretty. Do you look at all like her?"
"No. She's not my real mother. My real mother died. My father took Sunstar as his wife when I was still a child."
"And they had no other children?"
"No." Luke was starting to feel uncomfortable. Spotting a rabbit, he seized the chance to end the conversation by quickly dismounting to pursue their dinner.
They camped that night out in the open, and after their passion was spent, Jacie lay on her back staring up at the theater nature had provided for their entertainment. A star careened across the velvet curtain, and she exclaimed with delight. Never had she been able to witness a star's journey for so long, but then she'd never been afforded the backdrop of such a broad highway.
Luke lay beside her, smiling at her joy, as well as at his own. Her exuberance was infectious, and he was going to like the experience of teaching her all the wonders of that part of the earth that was theirs.
Jacie did not mind the tedious ride as they traveled north, for they did not run out of things to talk about. She asked the name of every plant, insect, or animal she saw. Luke wanted to hear more about Mehlonga and all she had learned from him. He was also eager for her to tell him about the way she had lived before, but he carefully avoided the subject of her fiancé. So the hours passed slowly but sweetly, in that special wonder-of-you-and-me time enjoyed and savored by those in the throes of falling ever more deeply in love.
Then late one afternoon, Jacie was startled to see smoke spiraling from beyond a distant ridge. "Does that mean Indians?"
"No. It means settlers, and they're friends. The Turnage family. My men and I saved them from the Tonkawa once, and now they live in peace, because they're friends to all the tribes and everyone else who passes by here. We're only a day away from my camp now, and we'll stay here tonight. Maybe Mrs. Turnage will loan you a clean dress."
The thought of a bath, clean clothes, maybe even a real home-cooked meal was thrilling, and Jacie urged him to go faster.
They topped the ridge, and no sooner had the cabin come into view when people began to appear on the porch. Luke called out, and they started waving. Two little boys and a girl ran down the steps. A man in overalls and a plaid shirt stood with his arm around a woman in green calico, both of them smiling to see a dear and treasured friend. Beside them were two teenage sons and another daughter, who looked to be the oldest.
"Praise God, Luke. It's been a long time," the man said when they rode into the yard, but his eyes narrowed at the sight of Jacie. "Who you got there with you?"
"Don't get the wrong idea, Silas. She's not a prisoner. She's with me of her own will. This is Jacie. Jacie, meet Silas Turnage and his wife, Martha. I can't remember all the names of their offspring."
Martha recited their names, which Jacie knew she'd have trouble remembering, and then came to give her a hug of welcome as she dismounted. "Welcome, child. Any friend of Luke's is a friend of ours. He's a fine man. Saved our lives, he did. But where did you come from? And look at you." She held her at arm's length for scrutiny. "Why, you even remind—"
"Martha." Luke spoke so sharply that all eyes were upon him, startled, and he realized he had reacted in a way that might raise suspicion, but he knew Martha had been about to comment that Jacie had eyes like Sunstar, and that would not do. Forcing a smile, albeit nervously, he said, "I was hoping you'd help Jacie get a bath, loan her a dress. That is, if we can impose on your hospitality for the night."
"Why, don't be silly. Of course you're stayin'. Jacie can bed down with the girls, and you can sleep in the barn, like you always insist on doin'."
Martha had started to lead Jacie inside, but Luke moved quickly to wave to the oldest daughter and say, "You go with her. I need to talk to your ma."
Jacie was too excited to notice how Luke was behaving. She went with Myra, the fifteen-year-old, and as soon as they disappeared inside, Luke pulled Martha and Silas aside and told them everything.
When he had finished, Martha had to dab tears from her eyes with a corner of her apron. "Lordy, Luke, Sunstar will be so happy. To think after all these years she's goin' to see the baby she thought was dead. I wish I could be there to witness the look on her face. Praise God."
"Now, I can't be positive it's so," Luke pointed out. "But the evidence is strong."
"I would say so," Silas agreed. "Sunstar may have copper-colored skin now like the rest of you after all the years in the sun, and she looks wore out like all of us, but when I looked into that girl's eyes, I saw Sunstar. No, there ain't no doubt about it. She's her young'un all right."
"But Jacie isn't to know anything yet, understood? I want to talk to Sunstar first and prepare her."
Martha said she thought that would be wise, adding, "Oh, she's goin' to be so happy to see both of you. Your people came by here a while back, you know. We gave them something to eat, like always, and Sunstar was tellin' me how glad she'd be when you caught up to them. She surely loves you, Luke, and it's going to be wonderful for all of you to be a family, unless—" She hated to ask but had to know. "Does Jacie want to take her ma and go back wherever she came from? I know you wouldn't like that. Neither would your people."
He was proud to be able to say, "Jacie is going to be one of us, Martha."
Martha cried a little more but got hold of herself before going inside to help Jacie prepare to be introduced to the mother she had no idea she was about to meet.
Jacie was impressed by how friendly everyone was, and she was also fascinated by the construction of the cabin. The walls were made of roughly hewn logs, with dovetailed corners. The large chinks were daubed with mud. The chimney was put together from mud-plastered sticks, and the roof was made of clapboard and anchored by weighted poles. Hard-packed mud provided the floor. There were two separate rooms connected by a roofed, open corridor like a breezeway, which Martha explained was called a dogtrot.
The wide porch in front provided storage space for harnesses, tools, kegs, and saddles, and there was a lean-to shelter on one side. The kitchen was connected by another porch running along the opposite side.
ft happened that Jacie and Myra were the same size, and Myra obligingly loaned her a dress of soft peach muslin. It took Luke's breath away when he saw her all fresh and scrubbed. Her hair, like black silk, hung soft and loose about her glowing face, and he could hardly tear his eyes from her.
Martha and Silas exchanged knowing looks. They could tell Luke was deeply smitten with her.
During a dinner of fried prairie hen, stewed turnips, boiled corn, and hoecakes, Luke shared his plans for taking the tribe to Mexico in the spring. Afterwards, he and Silas went out to the porch to enjoy cigars and some mulled cider, while the women cleaned up.
Martha chattered away about how civilized Luke was, and how it was hard sometimes, especially when he dressed like an army scout, to remember he was a Comanche. But she very carefully avoided talking about his stepmother, and winced when Jacie brought up the subject by saying, "I hope his people will accept me. Especially his mother. You mentioned her when we first got here. Do you know her well?"
"Oh, yes, yes, I do." Martha said as she vigorously scrubbed a pot that was already clean. "An extraordinary woman. She knows a lot about medicine. They rode by here one fall when my youngest, Billy, was sick with the croup. She knew j
ust what to do. She had some pokeberry leaves in her pouch and boiled them for tea, and she made a poultice out of camphor berries. Smart, she is, all right.
"Well, now." She gave an exaggerated sigh and hung up the dish towel. "Let's go join the men, shall we?" And she hurried from the kitchen, anxious to avoid more questions.
Jacie stared after her. Was it her imagination or had the mention of Luke's mother upset her? Maybe Martha knew Sunstar wasn't going to like him bringing a woman home. Maybe she even had a wife picked out for him.
Folding her dish towel, Jacie decided there was no need to worry about it now. She would just try every way she knew how to make Sunstar like her once they met.
Joining the others on the porch, she watched Luke in the lantern's glow. He was engrossed in what Silas was telling him, his face an angry mask as he learned that a northern band of Comanche had been attacked while on their way home from a friendly council with government officials.
"They were camped near a Wichita village situated near Rush Springs," Silas recounted. "The Second Cavalry under Captain Earl Van Dorn, along with over a hundred Indians from the Brazos Reservation—Shawnees, Delaware, Wichita—hit without warning. Over fifty Comanche were killed, three hundred horses taken. The survivors scattered."
"Damn him." Luke got up and began to pace angrily about on the porch.
Martha also stood. She did not like such upsetting conversations and had already sent the children to bed. Now she moved to go inside, motioning for Jacie to go with her, but Jacie pretended not to notice, wanting to hear everything. If she were going to be living as an Indian, she felt she should know as much as possible about what was happening to them.
"Van Dorn should have known about the band's recent council with the government," Luke raged on. "Things like this only enforce my people's belief that white men can't be trusted."
Silas drew deeply on his cigar. "Well, he was wounded. So was Ross, the one leadin' the Indians from the Brazos. Two of the survivors came by here in the night. Martha, she treated their wounds best she could and fed 'em. They said things were getting real bad, that the Comanche will raid or starve now. I tried to tell 'em that's only going to make the citizens of Texas even more hostile. But they won't listen. There's just too much going on, especially on the reservations. And if it weren't for the army, mobs of white men would be attackin' them. There's talk now of movin' them up to Indian Territory or to the Wichita Reservation near Fort Cobb."
Luke slammed a fist into his open palm. "It won't happen to my people. Come spring, we move south. We will not go to a reservation."
Martha cleared her throat, a signal to let Silas know she did not like the tension and wanted the evening to end. He obliged by saying good night to their guests and followed her.
Martha was no fool and had all ideas Luke and Jacie had been sleeping together like man and wife out on the trail, but she maintained a Christian home and had no intention of allowing them to carry on under her roof. But in all fairness, she knew neither of them expected it and gently called to Jacie, "Come along now, dear. You can bed down with the girls in their room across the dogtrot."
Jacie responded politely, "Yes ma'am. I'll be right there."
Martha gave them a moment alone, and Jacie went to Luke to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Maybe you should think of going to Mexico right away. If things are getting worse, it might not be safe to wait."
"We have to," he said, irritable, but not with her. It was the situation that made him bristle. "We have to dig in for winter. I'm going to bed now. When the others are asleep, come to me. I'll be in the barn, You can slip back inside before it's light."
He bolted down the steps to disappear around the corner, with Jacie staring after him. She had no intention of sneaking out. What if the girls awoke and found her gone? And what if Martha or Silas heard her leave? Jacie would take no chances on making them think ill of her.
Besides, she thought with a determined lift of her chin, it was time Luke found out that she was not going to be at his beck and call when it did not suit her.
Chapter 24
Martha was beside herself as she made breakfast, frying thick slices of ham and baking huge, fluffy, lard biscuits. She was trying not to think about what a joyous day it was going to be for Jacie, because she did not want to appear nervous. But she had never seen Luke so somber, and she was not about to ask him what was wrong. She and Silas had talked long into the night about how hard it might be for him, because no matter what he thought, Jacie might not want to stay. They had not been around her long enough to decide whether she was really in love with him and had the makings of an Indian wife. But, Martha thought as she broke eggs into the skillet and began to scramble them, it was his life, and she and Silas weren't about to interfere.
After breakfast, they all gathered in front of the cabin to say good-bye. "Remember the smoke signals I taught you how to send should you have any trouble," Luke told Silas. "I will bring the warriors and get here as fast as I can."
Silas clasped his hand. "I know you would, but we've been here long enough now for every Indian around to know we only want peace and that they can always find food and shelter here. You just look after yourself, and your woman." He grinned at Jacie.
Martha hugged Luke and whispered in his ear, "I hope everything turns out the way you want it to."
He did not respond and stepped quickly from her embrace.
* * *
They forded the river and rode doggedly north. When Luke made no attempt at conversation, Jacie assumed he was angry because she had not gone to his bed the night before, and she decided to ignore him.
She had no way of knowing he was so deep in thought over the poignant reunion ahead that he was unconcerned with anything else.
She rode on the pony so they could travel faster. Luke wanted to reach camp by nightfall. Martha had packed a bag with ham biscuits from breakfast and cold prairie chicken from dinner the night before. They ate as they rode, stopping only to water the horses and tend to their own needs.
The sun began to set, bathing them in shadows of sherry and gold. Luke had spoken only to point out precarious spots along the trail. Annoyed, Jacie was starting to wonder if this was how he would behave when she didn't obey his command. Finally, weariness making her cranky, she could hold back no longer and demanded, "Would you mind telling me how long you intend to pout because I didn't go to you last night?"
"I'm not pouting," he said tonelessly.
"Then if you aren't mad, why have you ignored me all day? Is something wrong?" Suddenly she started to worry that maybe he was actually beginning to feel he had made a mistake. After all, it was going to take a lot of patience and understanding between the two of them, as well as from all of his people, for her to adjust to such a totally foreign way of life. Or maybe that was not it at all. Maybe an Indian girl was waiting to marry him, and he was wondering how she would react.
He cast a sideways glance at her and saw how her brow was furrowed with anxiety. "I just have a lot on my mind, Jacie. It has nothing to do with you," he lied, wanting to put her at ease. "But I was disappointed you didn't come last night," he added.
"I was afraid someone would hear me sneaking out."
"Someone might hear you tonight, but don't let that stop you. I miss having you sleep in my arms." His smile was warm.
She was not sure she could do it, was not sure of anything right then.
Luke could see she was still tense. "Many things are going to be different, Jacie. We both know that. Your new life isn't going to be easy, I'm afraid. But don't worry. I'll help you every step of the way. I don't intend to ever let you go."
Her eyes began to shine to think of all the tomorrows they would share, and the uneasiness left her face as she said, "Luke, I can look back now and see my old life wasn't easy, because I was trying to make myself believe in a love that was not meant to be. I've found my true love, and I don't intend to ever lose you."
His breath cau
ght in his throat to see the love mirrored on her beautiful face. "Come here," he said huskily, reaching to take her reins and pull her pony close beside his stallion.
Their lips met and held in a searing kiss of silent avowal of love, and she clung to him and felt the familiar shudder of desire. Forcing herself to pull back, she warned him in a shaky voice, "If we don't stop this, we won't reach your camp till morning."
"You just come to me when you can." He kissed her once more and somehow knew she meant what she said, that she would never leave him.
Digging his heels into his horse's flanks, Luke set him into a full gallop.
It was time to end one journey... and begin another.
* * *
Iris stood at the cooking bag, which she had made by tying the ends of the stomach lining of a buffalo to four poles. It was new, freshly made, and would last three to four days before it became soggy and soft from the heat. Then it too would be eaten. Meanwhile, she was cooking stew and had started the water to boiling by dropping in hot fist-size stones. Then she added meat and prairie turnips.
She was not hungry herself but was helping cook for the other women, who were busy working with the game the hunters had brought in the day before.
There were deer to be skinned and cut for drying, and buffalo, the hides to be treated for tanning to make clothing and blankets. It was a busy season, and they had to work fast, because the men had set out again and would be returning in another day, bringing more trophies to be readied for the cold months of winter ahead.
Iris was about to sample the stew when she heard Gold Elk, who'd been left to guard the camp, calling out to her as he ran from his lookout post. "He is back, Sunstar. He is back."
She set aside the wooden tasting spoon and wiped her hands. Now she could rest easy. Always when Luke was away, she worried, but now he would be home for the winter. But seeing the look on Gold Elk's face as he reached her, Iris was not altogether sure she should relax just yet. "What's wrong?" she asked anxiously. "Is he hurt?"
Tin-Stars and Troublemakers Box Set (Four Complete Historical Western Romance Novels in One) Page 119