“You love her, don’t you?” she said sadly.
He didn’t respond. He did love her. He knew it the first time he saw her, but he regretted bringing her here. Time and again, he played in his mind how he’d met her. He thought of the burning machine that would have undoubtedly killed her if he’d left her inside, the way she laughed at him when she was trying to explain things from her world that he didn’t understand, her object that created fire, and how she’d been kind to him despite her fear. He thought about how she trusted him now even if she wasn’t lucid. She’d come back to him without questioning his actions.
He pushed Suzanne’s hair away from her face to look at the cuts and bruises.
“Was Tall Deer or Walking Bull ever cruel to you?” he asked Lame Bird in a quiet voice, not looking at her.
“No. They liked to torture the slaves,” she said casually as she sat down next to him.
He knew that to be true and had hoped that they’d never bothered Lame Bird for associating with him. Neither of them had liked him and both thought he was a traitor and belonged in the white man’s world. Sometimes he thought they were right, but the white man didn’t want him anymore than the Chiricahua. He was stuck between both worlds.
He looked around for some sort of shelter, a cave or something, where Suzanne could get some real rest. “We will be followed and I don’t think she can stand much more time in the saddle or in the heat. We need to find some shelter.”
Lame Bird was lost in this vast openness. Everything looked the same. There were big rocks and cacti, an occasional desert animal, lizards, scorpions, and snakes. “I know not of any place to go,” she said regretfully.
“I do, but it will be a long, hard ride. I don’t know if she will make it that far.”
“You can take the other women and I will stay with her,” she offered.
He shook his head. “No. I must keep her with me.”
“You can come back for us.”
He shook his head again. “I can’t leave her. It was very kind of you to offer,” he told her, giving her a slight smile of appreciation.
“How far is this shelter?” she asked curiously.
“A day,” he said, pointing in the direction they would go.
“No.”
Both looked at Suzanne when she’d whispered the word, then moved back a bit as she began to thrash around.
“I will kill you if you hit me again,” she yelled, throwing her unbroken arm around crazily. “You son of a bitch, I am pregnant,” she cried. “Oh my God, he’s dead. Beau is dead.”
Cody gently took her arm that wasn’t broken and ran his fingers lightly over her cheeks and forehead. She was still feverish, but not like she had been. “The fever,” he murmured to Lame Bird, suspecting Beau was her husband and wondered if he was really dead.
Lame Bird moved closer to Suzanne and gently lifted her head, giving her some water. “She is burning up,” she told Cody.
“I know,” he murmured. “She needs to rest for more than just a little while.”
“Is there a town close by?”
“Not for days,” he said despondently as he watched the woman who wanted to be his wife give water to the woman he loved. It was a little awkward, but then he’d always known that Lame Bird was very kind and would help anyone.
He forgave her for barging into his lodge and her unkind words while she’d been there, but he never should have let her come. She should have stayed back and maybe make a fine wife to the warrior whom she’d been talking with not so long ago She had a lot to offer. She was steadfast, caring, and helped everybody. She was also very pretty with her petite body, round face, dark hair and cheerful, dark eyes. In another time, a time before Suzanne, he might have made her his wife just to take care of her, but he didn’t want to bring shame to her with his mixed blood. That fact aside, he wanted to be in love with the woman he married; although he appreciated her very much, he did not love her. She deserved that from her husband.
“We cannot stay here, Black Fox,” Lame Bird said seriously as she gently put Suzanne’s head down. “We will all be killed. They will find us and kill us.”
He knew what she was saying was true and looked around for a place for all of them to hide. The heat was almost unbearable. The women were tired, as were the horses, and Suzanne was sick. He didn’t see anything that would serve as shelter for one person let alone six people and five horses. He didn’t like to think negatively, but it looked like their luck was running out.
He knew he couldn’t turn out the women on their own. They couldn’t take care of themselves and if the sweltering heat didn’t kill them, the wild animals would, provided the warriors didn’t catch them first. Suzanne needed rest and there was just nowhere to go.
The redheaded woman from Annalee’s saloon came up to them, holding her skirt up over her knees in an effort to cool off. She had bright blue eyes and a pretty yet dirty face. “Can I help?” she asked politely, her Southern accent deep but feminine.
Cody looked up at her. “Can you doctor?” he asked with some hope in his voice.
“Well,” she sighed and knelt on the other side of him to look at Suzanne and ran her hand over the other woman’s forehead. “She’s very feverish and should see a real doctor.”
Lame Bird leaned forward to look by Cody at the woman. “She is with child.”
The red-haired woman looked at Cody with surprise. “Is that true?”
He nodded. “It’s true.”
She took the canteen from Lame Bird and ripped a piece of her skirt away, then soaked it with water and began to clean Suzanne’s face. “Considerin’ the circumstances, you don’t have a choice but y’all shouldn’t be traipsin’ all over hell’s half acre.”
“I know,” Cody said softly as he watched her.
Suzanne stirred slightly and opened her eyes, but was too tired to move. She didn’t recognize the redhead or the Indian woman, but she did recognize Cody as tears slipped down the sides of her face. She turned away from him in shame. “Don’t look at me,” she whispered.
His heart shattered when she did that and he wondered if she blamed him for her situation. He blamed himself and deserved whatever she gave him. He should have left her with that burning thing. He could have pulled her away from it and left her there for someone from her own world to find. It would have been better.
The redhead took Suzanne’s arm to pull her back only to have her cry out in pain. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly and looked at it to find it disfigured, realizing that it was broken.
Suzanne began to sob softly. “No more,” she begged.
Cody died inside at the sight of her tears. He hated to see her cry and guilt went through him like a tidal wave. It was his fault that she looked so tired and haggard. It was his fault that she was bruised, bloody, and broken. It was his fault that her beautiful hair that shined like the sun was half gone on one side of her head. If she died or lost her baby, that would be his fault, too. He’d had no right to take her away from what she knew. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
“Luanne,” the redhead called over her shoulder to one of the other girls who was wading in the river.
The young dark-haired girl came to her. “Yes, Miss Jenny?” she said breathlessly.
“Go find me some solid sticks or something for settin’ her arm,” she said brusquely, holding her hands apart to indicate the length.
She dashed away without question.
Cheri approached them, panting with the exertion of having to climb the slight incline. She dramatically ran the back of her hand over her forehead. “Oh, it’s so hot,” she complained.
Cody had had enough of her whining and complaining. It’s all she’d been doing since they’d left the village. But he stayed quiet and just looked at Suzanne.
“She’s just slowing us down,” she said in her whiney voice, pointing at Suzanne. “You should just shoot her and bury her. Nobody would care.”
The redhead glared up at her. “
You are one mean bitch. Go sit down and shut up.”
Cody was already edgy and that sent him over. “You get out of my sight or I’ll shoot and bury you,” he said between clenched teeth. “And nobody will care.”
“We would be a might grateful if ya did,” Miss Jenny murmured to Cody and gave him a little wink, making him smile.
Their attention was drawn back to Suzanne who tried to roll away from him, still crying tears of delirium.
He was powerless to his urge and pulled her back into his arms, cradling her to his chest. “Sh-h, honey,” he whispered to her. “We’re going to help you out.”
She leaned against him wearily. “I-I think my baby is dead,” she said shakily.
He looked at the redhead, silently asking her if she could tell.
She met his eyes with a slight shrug before placing her hand on Suzanne’s swelled belly. “Well, honey there is no way to really tell until we get some peace and quiet,” she said in a serious voice. “I can listen, but you have to be very quiet.”
She took a deep breath and sniffed heavily, holding onto Cody’s arm.
He watched the woman as she laid her ear against Suzanne’s rounded belly, dreading the outcome. If she lost her baby because of him, he would never forgive himself. He should have left her alone.
The woman smiled at Suzanne. “Mama Mama,” she said in a childlike voice.
She laughed a little through her tears. “You heard a heartbeat?” she asked hopefully.
She straightened with the smile still pasted to her face. “I sure did. You’ve been so sick an’ all, you probably haven’t noticed him movin’. He’s okay, sweetie,” she comforted her patting her on the shoulder affectionately.
“Thank you. You are so kind,” she rasped and began to cough again.
Cody held her as she drifted back to sleep and looked at the redhead with doubt in his eyes only to have the woman shake her head sadly.
He threw his head back and gritted his teeth in anguish. She had lost her baby and it was his fault. What was he going to tell her? She would blame him for everything and she was justified. It was his fault. He’d had no right to take her out of her surroundings. If he’d left her there, she would still be fine.
“She’s pregnant?” Cheri exclaimed in surprise, pointing at Suzanne who was still lying across Cody’s knees with her cheek against his chest.
He looked up at her. “I’m getting mighty tired of you,” he seethed. “You’ve done nothing but complain since we left. I’m about to leave you here for the other warriors to find.”
“Well,” she huffed indignantly and spun away and headed back for the river.
The redhead stood up and looked at Cody. “Are you the child’s daddy?” she asked him quietly.
He nodded as he looked into Suzanne’s bruised and battered face, feeling terrible for what had happened to her. “Are you sure about the baby?” he asked quietly.
“As sure as I can be,” she said sympathetically. “It’s hard to tell, ya know, but I didn’t hear nothin’. I’m sorry.”
He nodded sadly. “Thank you for helping us out.”
“You’re helping us. My name is Jenny,” she said in a soft voice.
“I’m Cody. This is Suzanne,” he said in a hushed tone, giving her a slight nod as she still slept on him.
She nodded. “I’m glad to meet you. I’ve seen you around the fort and in the saloon.”
“I did spend some time there. I’m an Indian agent. Well, I was anyway. It’s good to meet you, too.”
“I wish I could say the same about that old chief of yours. He and that younger guy were ornery sons a bitches,” she said thoughtfully.
He nodded. “They were, but they won’t be hurting anyone again. I’m sure we’re being followed. We need to get moving.”
She thought for a moment. “I think what we need to do is get the two of you hidden. Then I can take the others into the next town.”
He looked up at her with surprise. “You know your way?”
She gave him a small smile. “I was married to the scout who led the army out here. He used to take me scoutin’ with him sometimes and let me tell ya, there wasn’t a whole lot of scoutin’ goin’ on,” she said with a teasing wink and a little laugh.
He couldn’t help but smile at her charm. “I’m sure. So, where is he now?
“He was shot and killed in a saloon shootout in Kansas a few years back,” she said thoughtfully. “Anyway, I’ve been from Canada to Mexico and I think I can lead these frail little gals out of here,” she said a little more brightly.
“I assume you can handle a gun.”
“Honey, I was born with a gun in one hand an’ a knife in the other,” she said proudly with her hands on her hips. “I’m a good shot, Cody. I can do this,” she said seriously. “When we get to the next town, we’ll send somebody to help you.”
“They won’t help me, but she desperately needs it,” he said quietly, looking at Suzanne again.
“I can see that. The next town is four days’ ride. Give us ten to get somebody back here.”
He nodded. “Thank you,” he murmured and looked around for a place to rest.
She pointed toward a distant wall of rock. “There is a cave behind that wall. It’s farther than it looks and it’s not as close to water as it could be, but you would be safe.”
He knew the desert well, but didn’t know about that particular cave. “How do you know this?”
“My husband and I camped there.”
He nodded. “Okay. We will go there. In the meantime, you need to get going and ride hard. The warriors aren’t far behind us,” he told her seriously.
“We will,” she assured him. “We’ll leave you an extra canteen and some food.”
“Thank you,” he said gratefully. “Lame Bird,” he called to his friend who wasn’t far. When she got to him, he explained what was going on and told her to go with Jenny. Her safety depended upon it.
Cody gave Jenny one of his pistols and a few extra bullets that she slipped into the bodice of her dress with a sassy smile, getting a smile from him.
Luanne came back with a bunch of sticks and set them next to Jenny. Then the four of them set Suzanne’s arm, getting a cry of pain from her as Jenny tied the sticks to her arm with strips of cloth from her own dress.
Cody gave her a slight smile. “You’re not going to have anything left of that thing at this rate.”
She smiled. “I can assure you that I don’t care.”
Jenny and Lame Bird helped with getting Suzanne back into the saddle before heading off in a different direction than Cody and Suzanne.
Chapter 24
Cody inspected the cool and spacious cave when they got there several hours later. He cleared the brush off to one side and lit a small fire before he brought in Suzanne. He wanted to be sure it was free of snakes, scorpions and anything else that would cause her more harm. He shoved a few scorpions out the door with his foot, but found nothing else. He went to the horse where she was slumped over his neck and pulled her out of the saddle, carrying her inside.
He made a bed for her with his blankets, but not so close to the fire where she would get hot. He helped her to lie down, giving her a little drink of water before making her more of the concoction he’d received from Lone Wolf’s wife.
He slowly fed her the entire cup and was glad that she didn’t throw it up. It smelled bad and he knew it tasted bad, but it was helping her and she didn’t seem to mind it so much anymore.
After he had her settled in, he went hunting and got two more rabbits. He dug some edible plants out of the ground and cleaned them in the river, getting more water before he headed back to the cave to make some stew.
~~~
Suzanne woke up feeling much better, although her arm was killing her. She smelled the stew and her stomach growled as she watched Cody stir the small pot. She couldn’t remember when the last time was that she had some real food.
She looked at him, thinking he w
as very handsome. Dressed in jeans and a loose white shirt and boots with his long hair flowing down to the middle of his back, he reminded her of a movie star or even a rock star. His skin was deep bronze, probably from being out in the sun all the time, but she knew his heritage had something to do with it, too. He was tall, muscular with chiseled facial features, dark eyebrows, and dark eyes. He was brave and fearless yet kind and gentle. He didn’t look like he was much older than herself, but she didn’t have the nerve to ask him. It didn’t matter. After all, wasn’t this just a dream?
Cody looked at her and smiled a little. “You’re awake,” he observed. “How are you feeling?”
She struggled to a sitting position, but made it on her own. “I’m better. Thank you.”
He knew she sounded better, but that didn’t mean she really was. He moved over to her and eased her back down. “You should rest,” he told her gently. “You aren’t well yet.”
She didn’t fight him, feeling exhausted. “I’ve been sleeping a lot,” she said apologetically. “I should be helping you.”
“Do what? There’s nothing for you to do. You just rest,” he said with gentle insistence. “You need to get your strength back.”
She tried to sit up again. “But I feel better. I can help,” she protested lightly.
“I know,” he said patiently, easing her down again. “But you need to take it easy.”
“I feel better.”
“You’re still rattling in your chest. You’re still sick. You stay where you are and I’ll take care of this.”
She coughed heavily for a long moment, spitting up phlegm from her lungs. “Sorry,” she panted. “Do you have a Kleenex?”
“A Kleenex?” he asked in confusion, never before having heard the word let alone know what it meant.
She couldn’t help but laugh. He was so innocent sometimes. “Don’t make me laugh,” she begged breathlessly. “It hurts.”
He smiled and cleaned up the mess with his handkerchief. “I don’t know what a Kleenex is,” he said good-naturedly.
“I know. I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s a thin piece of paper that’s really soft so you can blow your nose into it or fix your makeup or, in my case, spit into it. It comes in different colors, too. Blue, white, pink, yellow…” she trailed off. “Some are even scented and have lotion in them.”
For the Love of Suzanne Page 12