by Rita Hestand
She moaned and reached to touch his lips.
One hand still massaged her breast, the other squeezed her buttock as he kissed her thoroughly. The way his hands moved on her made her groan aloud.
"Making love with you is what my dreams are made of." He whispered.
She smiled with contentment, but her facial expression changed to serious.
"Something wrong my love?" He asked, caressing her pink nipple.
"Oh darling no, but…if we aren't careful I'll be pregnant before you know it."
He rose up to look into her eyes. "You want me to stop?"
She smiled slowly then, and her hand reached to pull him down for a sultry kiss. "No my darling. Never. I love your touches, your kisses, and our making love. It's just…I could get pregnant, is all."
"Would that upset you?" He asked, pausing to look at her again.
She seemed to consider the question, but a smile broke over her face and she moved her hips to join his. "Not exactly. I just want more time with you…like this…first. Don't you see, once a baby is born, there will be little private time for us? And this is so new to me, so exciting, so….well, I don't have words for it."
"Of course I understand. And I want that time too." He moved to kiss her again. "And you are right. All I can think of is having you. Don't worry; I'll pull out before hand. We'll have our time together. I promise you."
His hands splayed against her, touching, kissing, retouching. He marveled at the joy it gave them both. She wanted him. The satisfaction that knowledge gave him made him more determined to make her the happiest of brides.
They spent hours making love, stopping only long enough to eat a bite and then continuing to explore each other's bodies.
After a while as they lay cuddling together, she put her head on his shoulder. "Do you think this enough to keep you happy until you return?"
"Hmm…I suppose. But when I return beware, run for the attic, as I plan to have my way with you for days…"
"Days…" She giggled. "That sounds like heaven."
"Not enough?" He glanced at her.
She smiled sexily at him. "Maybe…"
"We are so well suited Melanie. I never dreamed you could share yourself so easily with me." He smiled and kissed her nose.
"I'm your wife…"
"Is that the only reason you are so anxious to bed me?" He asked impishly.
"You are a magnificent lover…but then I'm sure you know that. I didn't bargain for that, but I'm certainly glad you are."
"It's wonderful to hear that, I'm so glad I please you." He wrapped her snugly in his arms.
"Please me?" She rose up to look into his surprised eyes. "You do more than please me, Joe. You set me on fire. You make me want you in the most inappropriate times. I find myself fantasizing our lovemaking all the time, and always wanting more of you than I should…Just the other day, I was talking to a friend from church and she mentioned your name and all I could think of was you and I in bed…"
"I'm yours." He said and proceeded to show her. "And always will be."
~*~
The next morning he was ready to leave after they shared a hearty breakfast and he spoke with his father again.
"Don't fall into their trap again. As I cannot afford to keep baling the two of you out. Be very careful." George frowned at him.
"Of course I will…"
"And hurry home to your new bride." George smiled.
"Thank you father, I will." Joe assured him.
"Please hurry and find Sam and hurry home." She pleaded as she walked him out on the front porch.
"I promise. Think of what fun we will have when I return then." Joe smothered her with kisses, his lips sending delightful shivers down her body.
"Go with God," she cried as he walked over to his horse that was already waiting for him.
"I love you," he assured her once more and waved to his father.
Chapter Thirteen
As Joe got closer to the Galveston Bay area, the temperature seemed to calm, and the humidity was relieved by an occasional wind. There were swamps to cross, and the music of frogs told Joe he was coming up on the Bay. Galveston was immensely big, compared to the rural area where Joe was from. Although he'd been here many times during the war and even after, he never could get used to seeing so many people and so much commerce. The city bustled with activities.
The road to reconstruction was a long one, but in Galveston, one could see the progress.
The ride here had been one of melancholy. Aside from the hot temperatures, it had been pleasant. Thinking of Melanie and her waiting for his return made him plod onward with zest. He sincerely hoped to find Sam nearly recovered from whatever was wrong. But the linger of doubt clouded his thinking.
Joe reflected heavily on the lies he'd told. Still, he had to stay focused on the reason for those lies and go on. Perhaps it wasn't an honorable thing to build his life on a lie, but sometimes people did things that weren't as honorable for a noble cause. He loved Melanie and he planned to make a good life for them.
Texas was going through a lot of major changes and so were its people. Union soldiers were everywhere. The faces of the people were solemn. The lost pride was still very evident.
The Indians had taken advantage of the lack of open forts during the war, and many settlers had been killed. Now the army was back in full force. The union army that is. A tinge of regret and a tinge of pride for Old Glory remained.
A strong man had to stay strong, Joe determined. The war was lost and the country had to rebuild.
He turned his thoughts to his brother, and wondering what shape he might find him. Their plan was working well on his end, but he wondered if Sam was having as good a luck.
What he would find here in Galveston laid heavy on his mind.
The civil war had done its damage in Galveston bay and the railroad, but the city managed to survive and there were struggles to recoup its losses. Most everyone was broke and businesses had suffered, but there was in the air a sense of old pride that the south would come back again, somehow. Cotton export was slowly beginning to boom again. The railroad to Houston and the wharves were once again in tact and busy. However, money was short and it was a slow beginning to recovery. The hungry look of the people stared at Joe as he wandered through the Bay area. Some looked so displaced.
Along with the good, there was the bad. And Joe knew about that first hand.
The south had been beaten cruelly and it would take a heavy hand to restore her. He saw in the faces of the people, in the hardness of the land.
He wore civilian clothes now; no one would know that he fought for the north. He hoped he could put that aside.
Finding Sam in the sprawling city of Galveston would be no easy feat. Joe wondered where to look first.
He decided to get a hotel room and think it through before acting.
He was determined to check out the hospitals first, as that's where he figured he'd find him. Sam could have been recovering from a disease or from a beating or a fight. He knew if Sam had broken and arm or leg and it got infected they'd remove the arm or leg. He shrugged away that thought. He couldn't imagine his brother in that condition. That made him wince. He hoped that wasn't the case. During the war, a lot of men lost limbs. Some survived, some didn't. He knew on the ship the conditions were so bad that anything could have befallen his brother after he left. He wanted the best for Sam no matter what cost. He knew that the unsanitary conditions of some hospitals that were rigged in tents and such would be primitive. He feared for the welfare of his brother. He'd hadn't dared tell his father this, but a grim foreboding followed him here. He'd been trying to shake it off ever since he left home. However, the longer it took to find him, the worse things got.
When and if he exhausted the hunt, he'd have to get closer to the ships themselves and see what he could learn. Had Sam even made it off the ship yet? Could he still be a prisoner? Joe hoped that wouldn't be the case.
So he set off
the next day to check out the biggest hospital in Galveston, the City Hospital of Galveston. Many patients were seen each day, from the war wounded to fevers, the hospital was packed with the sick and wounded.
It was nearly impossible for a proper listing of patients, so Joe went through the wards to see if he could actually find his brother. It would be a slow process, but he could easily miss him if he only looked at the register.
He was heartsick when he came up with nothing after three days of searching. He'd gone through every room but the surgical areas to find Sam, and came up with nothing. No one had heard of him. No one had treated him. However, on the last day one of the nurses told him that some of the patients had been sent to St. Mary's Hospital because they had a yellow fever outbreak. He'd have to check each room thoroughly because names hadn't all been recorded due to so many ill at the same time.
Just the word yellow fever had Joe more than a little concerned. Many had died from that disease.
Joe felt some hope though of finding him at least.
The very next day he set out to find St. Mary's and see if they might have his brother.
The yellow fever had been so widespread in Galveston that St. Mary's was overflowing and had hired mid-wives, country doctors, and voluntary nurses to the hospital. The floors were packed with the sick and the wounded.
The dead were being carried out almost as quickly as the newly stricken were carried in.
It was evening, and Joe was about to give up his search when he happened to see a nurse that looked familiar. She wore some kind of white jacket over her long skirt and her hair was coiled on top her head, but at a glance, he was almost sure he recognized her. For one she wasn't a nun, for another, she looked a lot like Carmen.
"My God…is that you, Carmen?" Joe asked frowning with disbelief.
Carmen whirled about on her toes and her mouth hung open as Joe came nearer.
"Joe Armstrong…I don't believe it!" Carmen came into his arms for a moment. However, there was so much tension between them that Joe turned her loose easily. He cared deeply for Carmen for the happiness she brought his brother.
"Carmen…I'm so glad to see you. What are you doing here, in this hospital?" His eyes ran over her swiftly, and the way she was dressed. There were dark circles under her eyes and her skin was paler, but the smile on her face spoke volumes.
He could see he had put her on the defensive and he wished to set her mind at ease.
"I'm volunteering to help since so many have the fever." She explained when he looked a bit perplexed.
"Yellow fever?" Joe's brows knitted.
"Yes. The city has had an outbreak and I'm afraid all the hospitals are filed to capacity."
"I'm so happy to see you." He grabbed her hands and stared into her beautiful brown eyes. "Tell me, have you perhaps run into my brother?" Joe's concern leaked out in his voice.
Carmen's face went ashen white. Her lips trembled, her eyes misted. "Yes, he's here!"
When Joe's face burst into a huge smile, Carmen put her hand on his arm. "But first, I must tell you…he's very ill."
Joe felt the power of those words. His smile faded.
"Here! Where is he? Can I see him?"
"For a moment, you see Sam got the yellow fever on the ship, and he came here. He was treated and seemed better so released, but two days later, he was back. He contracted a secondary infection and is now quite ill. He's been here for some time. Someone from one of the ships delivered him here when he contracted the fever. The second bout was much worse and he's just now starting to recouperate."
"Dear God, can't something be done?"
Carmen shook her head, and a tear slipped down her cheek as another patient was carried outside. It was obvious the woman cared for her patients.
"Yellow fever is not something we know a lot about. He must rest and get plenty of fluids. He has jaundice and is very ill right now, but the doctors are hopeful in his case." Carmen explained. "He's an Armstrong, and of course very strong."
This was the woman his brother loved and he knew from the dark spots under her eyes that she had been doing everything to help him help him. She looked pale and tired herself.
He put his arm around her. "He'll get through this, I just know it."
"I sincerely hope so." She glanced at him. "He didn't know me the first time I tried to help him, but he was full of fever then. But after the remission, he did and he's fighting it. He's so much like you. I guess it's because you are twins."
"Of course." Joe nodded.
"I have to tell you something. I…I know…he's Joe."
Just the way she said his name told him Carmen knew everything.
"He told you?"
"Not exactly…but I know. He couldn't hide that from me. I called him Joe when I first found him here. But he shook his head and said his name was Sam. I was so drawn to him, and something told me something wasn't right. After a brief while, I realized he was Joe. I guess that happened when he kissed me."
She blushed. Joe stared at her long and hard.
"I know him too well. I suppose you two have reasons for this mascaraed?
"Have you told him that you know?"
"No…I wanted him to be well before we spoke of it. Besides, the way I kissed him, should have told him all he needed to know. Joe was always…amorous."
Joe stood there; not knowing for sure what to say, especially since he didn't know Carmen that well, but something told him she was completely for their scheme.
"I'm so glad you are with him. It's just a miracle though. I want you to be happy Carmen. And if…Sam makes you happy then that's all that matters. I married Melanie…"
As though that said it all, Carmen nodded. "I see." Carmen smiled and nodded. "I'm glad. Are you happy?"
"Yes…I am, more than I can say. It was all I ever wanted, and you two…Joe told me how it was between you. I wish you well Carmen, I really do. I want my brother to be happy."
"Thank you, it means a lot to me that you understand. I know his father doesn't. There will be obstacles…" Carmen continued to smile.
"We shouldn't speak of it again. But…I worry that when he gets well and marries you, if father will hate us both for the deception?"
"It could turn the tables, he might hate Joe." Carmen said, "That is why I have been thinking maybe we shouldn't marry. I don't want to drive a rift between them."
"Father doesn't hate you, Carmen…"
"Oh yes, yes he does. He hates that I am Spanish. I understand to an extent. But this scheme, meant Sam gave up a lot…for me. I cannot believe he loves me that much. As much as I love him…"
"Well believe it. We talked for a long while about it before we decided to deceive everyone. It was the only way for us both to be happy."
"And…did you tell Melanie?"
Joe hung his head and shook it. "No, she's still an innocent in this. I needed time to make her fall in love with me, before I told her."
Carmen put a hand on his. "When will you tell her?"
"I don't know. Our life together is so very good. I hesitate to break the news."
Carmen looked sadly at her. "Tell her soon, my friend. Before I marry Sam and we come home, I must know that she can accept and live with this too."
"Oh but you have nothing to fear of that?"
"She loved Joe…"
Joe stared at the floor a long moment. He nodded. "But if I tell her too soon, she might still want to go to him."
"Then as soon as you can…Besides, Joe never faced her with the truth, obviously. And that makes me feel guilty. It makes me sad for her."
"Yes, of course. It must. But rest assured all will be revealed soon enough."
She nodded almost sadly. "Well, one thing is for certain, Joe can't tell her until you two marry."
Joe nodded. "Yes you are right, and it should be done before he returns."
"It would be better…I can't believe she didn't know though. I mean, I know you two look alike, but you've never acted alike."
"I think there is a small suspicion there, but she obviously does not want to believe it. You wouldn't believe how happy we are together…"
"I'm glad."
Then she changed the subject as though it were not important. "I came down here when I heard about the disease and I knew the two of you were here, somewhere. Ole Jen, she told me pirates had captured you both. I had to come. I just didn't expect to find him. Nor so ill. I'm staying with a cousin for now. I want to see him get over this. The hospital needs all the help we can give. And I've informed my father I would not return until the worst is over."
"You volunteered to help?"
"Yes, I've studied nursing under Dr. Pruitt. When I heard there was such need of nurses, I came. Dr. Pruitt is here too, we came together. Of course my father didn't want me to, but I felt the urgency."
"Is Sam…going to make it?" Joe asked, almost afraid to let anyone see his own vulnerability.
"No one thought he'd make it this far. He's a strong man. Don't be alarmed if you see blood in his eyes or nose, it's common. And his skin is yellow…but that will subside when he heals from this. I am making him drink lots of liquids and he's confined to bed. There are many with this fever here. Since he relapsed, he has to rest, it's very important. He's not strong yet. I cannot allow him out of bed yet…and that is quite difficult because you know how stubborn he can be."
Joe smiled. "Yes, I do."
Before she showed him to his brother she turned to look straight into his eyes. "Tell Melanie, as soon as you can. Before we return, I want her to know the truth. She deserves to know the truth and I don't want to be the one to tell her."
Joe looked peaked. "I'll do my best to find the right time. I know I must, it weighs heavy on me, but…I wanted to make sure she cared for me first. And there's father…we cannot tell him, no matter what. Although, if he goes back as Sam, he will live in a house especially built for him on the south side. Since I married Melanie, father has given us Golden Manor."