“Kate, honey, you need to wake up.”
The fog of sleep melted, the warm male voice changing quickly to the hushed tone of a woman. Kate rubbed her eyes, blinked, and focused on the face of Evie Gaines hovering over her in the soft yellow glow of a candle lamp.
“Is Jamie all right?”
“Sleeping like a log in the kids’ room. It’s Cody. He’s been hurt.”
Nearly knocking Evie over in her haste to get up, Kate grabbed her shoes and stumbled. Pulling them on, she whipped around looking for her skirt and bodice. She jerked them on, buttoned the top crookedly, tied the skirt into a quick knot.
“Honey, slow down. Keep calm.”
“How can I keep calm? Where is Cody? I need to get Jamie. We have to go—”
Evie set her lamp down, grabbed Kate’s shoulder, and held her in place. “Take a deep breath and listen. Cody’s been taken to the hotel. Vivienne and Mr. Medina are going to take you there. Jamie can stay here with me. I’ll watch over him as long as you need me to.”
Kate swiped back stray pieces of hair. Torn with uncertainty, she bit her lower lip. “I’d feel better if Jamie was with me, but if the town is a target…I need to see Cody, I need to help him…. What do I do?”
“Take another deep breath.” Evie paused. “Alton thinks this was done on purpose to make the Shoshone band look bad, same as the attack on the workmen. You heard those women from back East telling their husbands what a horrible, dangerous place this was. You go nurse Cody back to health. Alton isn’t going anywhere. The ranch hands served with him in the Army, so they’ll keep all the kids safe.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
***
Vivienne gave Kate’s trembling hand a comforting pat and turned her attention to the destruction ahead of them. At the sight of the wispy smoke still hovering in the vicinity of Bell Porter’s bawdy house, she closed her eyes and said a swift prayer for the souls of the women killed, knowing not many of the good Christians in town would bother.
As Peter pulled the wagon close to the hotel, John Avery turned to look at them until Bennett rushed out the front door.
“Sarah and our mother have done what they could, but it isn’t much. We need somebody with real doctoring skills.”
“I tried,” John said.
Vivienne let Peter help Kate down then climbed down on her own, conscious of the milling townsfolk within earshot.
The anxious seamstress grabbed onto Bennett’s arm. “Please let me see him.”
Bennett nodded and led Kate inside.
Vivienne frowned. “Where is that fool doctor?”
“He set off like a bat outta hell. Said he wasn’t treating any Indians who tried to kill us all.” John shook his head. “Cody looked bad. Real bad. Worse than that time he got hit during the war.” He fixed his stare on her. “You were a nurse then.”
“I’ll do what I can, but he needs better. He needs someone with more training. I know who can help….”
Peter touched his hand to her back.
She looked around. Where had all these damn townspeople come from? Why wouldn’t they go away? She swallowed hard, tried to damp down the icy chill traveling her spine. “My mother worked with a doctor. A good one. She’s helped at operations.”
She focused on a boy who often ran errands at the hotel. “You, go to my house and bring Miss Ella here now.”
Sharp intakes of breath broke the tension in the air. Straightening her back, Vivienne raked her gaze over the eavesdroppers, skewering the sharp-eyed newsman who wore a decided smirk.
“You want a story, I’ll give you one. I’m the daughter of a slave and a plantation owner. When he died, I was put on the block by his son-in-law because my white sister was jealous that I was smarter and prettier than her. Peter Medina bought me and freed me and taught me about business and fitting into society. So, you go and print that, and at the end of the day, I’ll still own a portion of this town.”
When Peter’s hand fell away she bit the inside of her cheek. She shifted her attention to John Avery and looked him straight in the eye until another gasp drew her notice. Was he happy that she’d been knocked to his level? Now she was just another former slave the same as him.
“Oh baby, what have you done?”
Vivienne turned to her shocked mother and took hold of her hand. “I’ve stopped hiding, Mama. Come on, we have to help Cody.”
A battle of wills raged outside the room to which Cody had been taken. In both Shoshone and Mandan, Sarah and Bennett pleaded with their mother who’d locked herself inside, refusing to allow in the distraught.
Looking as though her knees would buckle at any moment, Kate leaned against the opposite wall, her face ashen, her eyes swollen and rimmed with red. Vivienne placed an arm around her friend’s shoulders to help support her.
“She said it was my fault. She said it in English so I’d hear. She said I was a curse to Cody, that it had been foretold when he was a baby. It’s my fault he’s dying, Vivienne. My fault.”
“That’s nonsense and you know it.” She dug into the buttoned pocket inside her skirt and withdrew the hotel’s skeleton key.
She tapped Bennett on the shoulder, and he moved for her to unlock the door. Cody’s mother had placed a folding screen to block the bed from view.
“If Cody loves Kate enough to risk the prophecy, let her be here,” Bennett said to her in English. “It’s no different than Cody’s father risking his life to get the two of you away from your village when the smallpox hit.”
She opened her mouth to argue then lowered her head and stepped aside. Bennett and his sister moved the screen, and Vivienne swallowed hard. Sha-ko-ka had dressed the wounds as best she could, but the bandages were wet with blood. The lace doily on the bedside table was bloodied as well, a bone handled knife lying alongside misshapen bullets.
Vivienne tapped her mother on the shoulder to see.
She nodded and looked to Sha-ko-ka. “It’s good you dug them out.” She addressed Vivienne. “We need another table or wooden chair for my herb jars. Get me a cup and boiled water, and some more cloth, and the strongest liquor you can find.” She felt Cody’s forehead and exposed chest. “He’s not too warm, but we’ve got to get some tonics into him so a fever doesn’t take hold.”
Vivienne quickly went about the tasks her mother had set as she had many times before on the plantation. It wasn’t until after they’d thoroughly cleansed and dressed the wounds and fed Cody healing herbs tinctures that she had time to reflect on her earlier actions. What had she done? No one here had known the truth, not Cody, not Bennett, no one beyond her mother and her friends, Myra and Hank…and the sheriff.
As much as she hated to admit it, Matt Logan’s racist views did have some supporters around these parts, and if these orchestrated attacks rallied more to their view, did she even have a place here anymore? Would she have to leave? Did she have anywhere else to go?
She hadn’t looked long at Peter’s face, but even he’d been taken aback by her admission to the newsman. There was no way he would openly be with her now, not once his Washington friends got wind of things—and they would as soon as they returned from the Gaines place to head home.
She let the gentle rub of her mother’s hand upon her back silence the worrisome thoughts. “We’ve done all we can, baby. The rest is in God’s hands.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Vivienne whispered.
Chapter Fourteen
Vivienne and her mother convinced Kate and Cody’s family to come downstairs with them at least long enough to get a cup of tea. Cody was holding his own and rest would go far to helping him heal.
John Avery sat in the dining room just outside the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee. “How is he?”
“Alive.” She poured herself a cup and moved beside him for the cream and sugar and tried not to remember how it had felt to be held flush against him. “What happened?”
“Bennett found him in the foothills between here and t
he road to his uncle’s place up in the mountains. When daylight comes, I’ll go take a look around, see if I can find a trail. I couldn’t see much a bit ago with the dark closing in, but it looked like Cody got a couple shots off. I saw some blood away from where he was found.”
Vivienne nodded. Peter was conspicuously absent, but she didn’t want to dwell on that just yet. “They burned Belle’s place to the ground?”
John nodded. “Killed all but one—that young Chinese gal from San Francisco. She was roughed up some but should be okay. I put her and Belle up at the jail for now.” He sipped his coffee and looked at her over the cup rim. “I don’t suppose you’d give them a room here?”
“I don’t suppose I would, sorry. This is a respectable hotel.”
“And you know all about keeping up appearances.”
She jostled her cup, and the coffee sloshed over the side and onto the white tablecloth. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Whatever you want it to mean.” He finished the final sip and stood. “Is it all right to check in on Cody before I try to get some shuteye?”
“Just for a minute. Don’t disturb him.” She stared at him, hating the way part of her wanted to fall into those deep brown eyes of his.
John gave her a lingering look as though he’d read her mind then turned away.
“Sheriff?” Though the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach gave the answer, Vivienne had to ask. “Have you seen Mr. Medina?”
“He left. Said he was going to head back to Alton’s place to let the Washington people know what was going on.”
So this was it. She’d sealed her fate for good.
She wanted to cry at the loss of dreams but knew saving her friend’s life was more important than her own happiness.
***
Walking back to the jail, John couldn’t deny he felt sorry for Vivienne even though she’d gotten caught up in a mess that was her own doing. She wasn’t the first to take advantage of being able to “pass,” and his gut told him she wouldn’t be the last. From the looks he’d seen from a few of the business owners’ wives when she made her announcement, he doubted she’d be invited to any more of their calls or afternoon teas, but he was sure she’d find a way to rise above.
And that was one of the things that drew him to her. And now that her secret was out, he couldn’t help but wonder if he should do something to act on that spark of attraction between them. Before he could speculate further, the sight of Belle Porter leaning against the doorjamb of the lockup and counting some bills took over his focus. He approached, scanned the first cells visible where he’d made places for her and the Chinese girl. The girl was gone.
“Now see here. The offer of a roof over your head did not include conducting your business in my jail. You want to keep whorin’ in the face of what happened, then go on and have at it—just not in here.”
She tucked the money into her dress top, stepped closer, and ran her palms up his chest to twine her arms around his neck. “Don’t worry. I didn’t sully your lovely new jail by screwing around on your desk. All I did was take care of Mai Ling.”
John smirked. “Selling for the night is a real good way to take care of her.”
Belle licked her full lower lip. “I didn’t sell her for the night. Someone bought out her contract. She’s her own woman now.”
“She’s a kid, hardly more than a frightened little deer. Setting her loose on her own is worse than keeping her under one of your contracts.” He wasn’t surprised when her reply was just a shrug. “Who bought her out?”
“Does it really matter?”
“It might.”
Not offering a reply, she removed his hat and hung it on the peg to the left of the door then slid herself around to massage his shoulders. “Don’t worry about it. Why don’t you let me give you a massage? You’re all tense, and I’m sure you need some rest.”
He had to give her credit. The way she flicked her tongue at the back of his neck and eased her arms around to caress his chest did bring some life back to his lower half. But as tempting as she was, she wouldn’t satisfy the ache inside him. He untangled himself and turned to face her. “Why don’t you go on back and make use of that cot I fixed up for you?”
“Where will you sleep?”
“I’ll be fine out here at my desk.”
She bit her lower lip, twirled a strand of black hair around her fingertip. “That’s not very comfortable.”
“I was in the Army a long time. I’ve slept in worse places. I appreciate your offer, but I’m not interested.”
The sweetness fell from her smile, and the expression in her eyes darkened. “You think you have a chance with her now that she’s one of us? You can think again. Vivienne is too uppity and thinks too highly of herself to be bothered with a plain old lawman.” With that, she huffed her displeasure and sashayed into the cell area, closing the wooden door firmly in his face.
She was probably right, but he wasn’t in the mood to think on it now. He settled himself in his chair, tilted it back, and propped his feet on the desk. Matt Logan had to be the one who’d bought the Chinese gal, and that meant he was feeling pretty cocky with himself, thinking that if Cody was out of the picture, Bennett wouldn’t have the heart to push for the railroad and Alton Gaines’s voice wouldn’t hold much weight. Logan’s freight business would still be the only game in town from the main railhead, and the best they could hope for was to keep Cody’s other brother from inciting a war with the Army.
John closed his eyes, a wry smile on his lips. “Come to Freewill,” his friend had said. “It’s the most peaceful place in the whole damn country.”
***
Bennett was beside the bed when Cody regained consciousness before dawn. “I’ll get Kate and—”
Cody clamped a hand over his wrist. “No,” he said in a croaking whisper. “Water?”
“Not too much at once.” Bennett pulled the cup back after a couple sips, waited a moment then offered him another sip. When Cody indicated he was through, Bennett set the glass aside. “Now can I get Maman and Kate?”
“No.” Cody’s breathing was labored, and he closed his eyes a moment as if marshalling his strength. “I need them to think I won’t make it. Let Logan think he’s won.”
“You can’t. They’re worried sick already.”
Cody grabbed him again. “It has to be this way for now.” He closed his eyes again, keeping them closed as he spoke. “Bear and his warriors are holed up in the mountains near Pierre’s cabin. Get there now. Make sure he knows I’m alive. Make sure he stays put until we tell him. Tell him we’ll need him. Tell him he gets to be a hero.”
Despite his misgivings and worry, Bennett couldn’t help but smile. “Little brother always feels like he has to prove himself.”
Cody fell back into a deep sleep, and Bennett struggled with the urge to tell the womenfolk he’d regained consciousness. His brother may have been just a scout during the war, but he was a damn good strategist, finding fault in some officers’ plans long before the faults had been pointed out in men’s blood on the battlefield. If Cody’s plan was to wait it out a bit, then that was the plan he’d follow.
Even at the cost of broken hearts and women’s tears.
Chapter Fifteen
John craned his neck when he heard the hushed voices of Vivienne and Peter Medina drifting down the long corridor to Cody’s sickroom.
“My feelings haven’t changed, chèrie,” Peter murmured. “But there’s more to consider than my own desires.”
She replied with a sharp, bitter laugh that warmed John’s heart.
“A piece of me will always love you and be grateful for all you’ve done for me and my mother,” she said, her tone suggesting she wasn’t bitter all the way through. “But I’m tired of living the lie. I don’t know what will happen, but I like it here. I want to stay and try to keep my business open and maybe watch it grow once the railroad comes through.”
“If it comes through.”
Vivienne sighed. “Even if it just passes us by, it means more people will know about Freewill and surely more will stop and maybe settle the area. Unless you want to take the house away since you’re responsible for the investments that paid for it, Mamma and I will have a roof over our heads. If you choose to take the house, we’ll make do somehow and build a little shack if we need to. We know how to grow our own food and make our own clothes, and that’s all we really need to live happy and free.”
They’d moved closer, and John could just make out Peter Medina, who reached over, no doubt stroking Vivienne’s face or tracing his thumb across that kissable mouth of hers.
“You are so strong, so unlike the other women I know. A world different than the one my parents chose for me to marry. I would be honored to have you pass strength on to my daughter as she grows.”
She sighed again, and there was a tremor in her voice. “She looks so much like you. I’m sure I’d love her like she was my own, but….”
John clenched his hands.
“I want to be more than a mistress. And if we had children who were darker than us, how would you feel?”
“I would love them.”
“In private I’m sure you would, but what about in public? What would you do when meeting some influential new business contacts or relatives you haven’t seen in years? Would you marry me? Could you proudly introduce an obviously black child as yours and not hesitate for even one second.”
“Of course I would.”
“Listen to yourself, Peter. You say the words, but you had to think them first. It was just a tiny pause, but that signals doubt to me. I deserve better. My children deserve better, no matter how many fine things you could give us and how much you might dote on us when proper society wasn’t watching.”
She sniffled, and John wanted more than anything to wipe away those tears.
“Vivienne…” Peter Medina’s voice drifted as he pulled her close.
Dreams, Deceptions and Desires Page 11