by Linda Bridey
When he came back up to the counter, she asked, “Reckless, why did you stay in our relationship for so long if you knew it was doomed?”
His eyebrows rose dramatically at the completely unexpected question. “Why do you ask me this?” He was slightly uncomfortable, which was unlike him. She’d blindsided him and he felt a little off-kilter.
“I was just trying to figure out why we stayed together as long as we did when it was apparent that it was never going to work,” Rachel said. “I don’t think we were really in love or we would have found a way to make it work. Sort of like Raven and Zoe did. They’re very much like we were and they’re very happy.”
Reckless tread lightly. He didn’t know where this was leading. “I do not think it is wise to talk about this here.”
Rachel looked him in the eye. “You forget how well I know you, too. You’re stalling, Reckless. No one is in here right now. Answer the question.”
His lips thinned in annoyance, then he shrugged. “Ok. I am not sure you will like my answer, but I will be honest. I think we were using each other. Not in a malicious way, but our relationship was mutually …um … beneficial. We had fun together, you were lonely, and I was able to avoid courtship since I was seeing you. There were fathers who would have tried to force a marriage upon me, but since I was seeing you, that could not happen.”
Rachel absorbed what he told her, unsure of how to feel. She should be furious, but she wasn’t. A snort of laughter escaped her, surprising both her and Reckless. She dissolved into helpless laughter and Reckless looked at her as if she’d gone crazy. This made her laugh even harder. She leaned over the counter as her mirth consumed her. It was several minutes until she could straighten up. She felt dizzy as she looked at Reckless.
He gave her a slight smile. “Why does that amuse you?”
“It makes me feel so much better. You weren’t rejecting me because of me personally. It was because you didn’t want to get married at all right then,” she responded.
“Yes. It was not until after you left that I realized it was time to start looking for a wife, but someone from my own culture. But had we been in love with each other and both of us willing to make compromises, I would have worked hard to keep you,” Reckless said.
Rachel nodded. “I believe that about you. I also know that you could never live as I do and I’m sorry that I tried to force you to do that and in such a horrible way.”
“So you have already said,” Reckless said with a nod.
Rachel eyed him for a moment. “I don’t think you believe me.”
Reckless sighed, a sound Rachel knew meant that he was not comfortable answering her. It was funny how she still remembered so much about his behavior after all of this time.
“It is not that I do not believe you. It is that I am uncertain as to whether I can fully trust you yet. I am not trying to hurt your feelings, Rachel,” he said.
“Have I given you reason not to trust me since I’ve been back?” Rachel asked, stung by his admission.
“No. It is only that you do not fully comprehend all of the trouble you caused me and I do not want anything else to happen,” Reckless said.
She stared into his eyes and saw the uncertainty there. She gave him a curt nod. “You were right. This wasn’t the place to start this conversation.” She began ringing up his merchandise. “You’re also right about me not understanding how much I hurt you. However, you have my vow that I won’t cause you any more problems.”
Though she offered him a smile, Reckless could tell by the tension in her shoulders and her pink cheeks that she was upset. He wasn’t sure what to do about it, though. He’d spoken the truth and he felt he was justified in his feelings, especially since these were things he’d never gotten the chance to say to her. Still, she was making a vow to him and he knew she understood how much that meant to him.
He smiled a little then. “Ok. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now get out of here. I’m busy,” she said with a forced laugh.
He didn’t move for a moment, unsure if he should say more or not and then decided against it. Then he turned and left the store, sighing as he went.
Chapter Ten
Joe Dwyer entered Will’s new store, expecting to look around at what he had available. However, there were only two pieces of furniture in the showroom; a small table and chairs set and a hope chest, and that piece had a sold sign on it. Joe knelt and looked the chest over, running his hands along it and lifting the lid. Inside and out, the chest was finely crafted and would last decades.
Joe rose again and saw a sign on the counter that said, “Come and get me”, with a big arrow pointing to a doorway. He smiled and stepped through the door. Instantly the sound of a saw hit his ears. Will stood at a work table towards the back of the huge room cutting boards. Off to the left, Joe saw all kinds of furniture. Most of the items had sold signs on them with the names of who’d bought them. He looked at Will and then back at the furniture and then grinned.
“Holy smokes, Will! They about put you out of business in one day,” Joe said as he neared the other man.
Will nodded and kept sawing. “I know. I can’t believe it. That’s why I’m back here. You should see all of the orders I have already, too.”
Joe came around to hold the ends of the long boards Will was sawing so they stayed in place. “I can imagine. If you didn’t do such good work, it wouldn’t be like that. I’ve got one more order for you.”
“What’s that?”
“I saw that hope chest you got in the showroom. I’d like one for Emily. It doesn’t have to be done right away of course, but I don’t want to forget about it,” Joe said.
“Isn’t that something Lacey should have input on?” Will said. “Usually it’s the mother who picks that sort of thing out.”
Joe thought about that for a moment. “Humph. I guess you’re right. When’s that one getting picked up?”
“In a couple of days,” Will said as he finished with those boards and changed them out for other ones.
Joe held those, too. “Ok. I’ll send Lacey down to look at it tomorrow. You’re right. She might want a different design or something. What’s this gonna be?” he asked indicating the boards he held.
“Different things. The boards you just held for me are part of a gun cabinet, these are gonna be a bedframe and the next set are part of a sideboard that Horace over at the Grady House wants for in the dining room,” Will said.
Joe’s eyebrows rose. “You’re gonna need help, Will.”
“I know. Rachel is gonna come work with me in a couple of weeks. She’ll run the showroom part and I’ll work on building the stuff. I’m still gonna need help with stuff like this; cutting boards, varnishing. More of the easy stuff that’s still time consuming,” Will said.
“How much can you pay?” Joe said, his mind already going over people he knew who needed work and might be a good fit for the job.
“Not too much to start, but as things keep going, I’d be able to give them a raise.”
“Could you do ten dollars a week?” Joe asked.
Will grinned. “Why? You lookin’ for a job, Joe?”
Joe laughed as he put the board ends on the pile with the rest. “No, but I might know someone who is.”
“That’s right. I keep forgetting that you know everyone and all about their lives,” Will said.
“I don’t know all about their lives, but a lot. It makes me a better mayor to know what people need,” Joe said. “So what about it? Ten a week?”
Will wiped sweat from his brow with a sleeve and thought about it. Then he said, “I can’t do more than eight right now.”
“Good enough. I’ll send Hawk to you,” Joe said.
“Hawk?” Will asked. “Who’s that?”
“Squirrel and Striking Snake’s oldest boy. He does odd jobs for me, but he does a lot of carving and whatnot. Sort of like Marcus. He’s pretty talented at it. He’s a strong boy. I’ll bet he’d enjoy working
for you,” Joe said.
“Does he speak English?” Will asked.
Joe laughed. “Better than some white people. I’ll warn you, though. He’s not a chatterbox. So if you’re looking for someone who’s company for you, he’s not it. He really only talks when he has something to say.”
“Sounds perfect. When you’re doing a bunch of hammering and stuff, you can’t hear what someone’s saying, anyway. Send him my way and have him bring something he’s made so I can see the kind of work he does,” Will said.
“All right. I’ll go home through the camp and have him come down,” Joe said.
“He could just come tomorrow morning, Joe,” Will said.
“He could, but it looks like you could use the help now,” Joe said.
Will smiled and said, “Ok.”
“So things are going good with you and Rachel, huh?” Joe asked as he put down more boards.
“Yep. Real good,” Will said as he thought about their “business meeting” at lunch time.
“Thinkin’ about proposing?”
“I’ve thought about it, but I’m not sure we’re quite there yet,” Will said.
Joe nodded. “Better to be sure before you do.”
“Well, I’m sure about my feelings for her, but she wants to take things really slow after some stuff that happened in Canada,” Will said.
“You mean stuff with a man, right?” Joe asked. “Did he cheat on her?”
“I really can’t talk about it, Joe.”
“Sorry. You’re right. It’s none of my business. I just hate the thought of her being treated badly. I still remember when her parents died in that fire. Poor kids. I think in some ways it was harder on her than on the boys. I mean, it was hard on all of them, but she’d had more time with them and I think she felt more lost without them since she was so much older than they were at the time,” Joe said.
“I never thought about it like that, but it makes sense,” Will said.
“I think that’s why she got herself into some trouble with Reckless and all,” Joe said. “Sure she had Sammi and Mitch, but it wasn’t the same for her, you know? She lost her parents, her home, and had to completely adjust her life. I know Sammi said she’s always felt like Rachel has held her and Mitch at arm’s length and I think she’s probably right. I’ve always been grateful that Daddy didn’t remarry after Mama died. I would not have wanted to be close with whoever the poor woman would have been. There’ll never be another one like Mama and I would never pretend otherwise.”
“I can understand that.”
Joe nodded. “She was lookin’ for somewhere to belong and didn’t know where to turn to find that place. Probably felt like she didn’t really belong with the Taylors, but what choice did she have at that time? I understand because that’s what I felt like for a long time after Mama passed. I certainly didn’t belong with Daddy, but there was the business to consider and I was not gonna let him have it. Nope. Over my dead body was I gonna hand it over to him. Do you know why I was such a womanizer, Will?”
“No, why?”
“Because I knew I was never gonna find any other woman who would ever mean as much to me as Mama did. Isn’t that terrible? Some people would say I was too close to her, but I don’t care. As soon as Lacey came along though, I knew I’d met the woman I was meant to be with the rest of my life. I wish all the time that Lacey and Mama could have met.”
Will shook his head and said, “I don’t think it’s terrible, Joe. There’s always one or two people in our lives who we’re that close to and when you lose them, it affects everything else you ever do for the rest of your life.”
Joe said, “I guess you’re right. I think the man who’s most important in my life would be Randy.”
“Your butler?”
“Yep. He’s the closest thing to a father I’ve ever had. I mean a real father, not the jackass who sired me. Randy came to work for us when I was sixteen and he’s been with me ever since. I don’t know what I would have done without him when Mama died. Luke was there for me, too, and some others, but Randy’s the one who kept me from completely fallin’ apart.”
“Jeez, Joe. I didn’t know he’s been with you that long. No wonder you’re close to him,” Will said.
“He’d have made a great father, Will. I don’t know why he never married and had kids. He kicks me in the ass when I need it, he’s always there for moral support, and my kids love him. He and Lacey are close. I keep tellin’ him he’s not allowed to ever die. When that dreadful day comes, I’ll never have another butler. I know that much. I don’t want one. Aw hell. I didn’t mean to get into all of this,” Joe said as he felt tears gather in back of his eyes.
Will said, “I don’t mind, Joe. I don’t know that much about you other than what most people know.”
Joe laughed. “Well, it’s just like when I sing; I’ll keep going if I have a willing audience. All right. I have to get going, but I’ll send Hawk along to you.”
“Thanks for the help and the visit,” Will said.
“You bet.”
*****
“You did what?”
Joe frowned. “I know you heard me, Hawk. What’s the problem?”
The Lakota youth frowned. “Why did you tell this man I would work for him without asking me?”
“I didn’t tell him you would, I said I’d send you down there to talk to him,” Joe answered and then said, “Although, he could use the help today.”
“Today?”
“Yeah. It’s only a couple hours or so, but it would help him out. He’s got a lot of work to do,” Joe said. “It’d be a good job.”
Hawk crossed his arms over his chest and said, “Perhaps I’m busy.”
“Doing what?”
“I didn’t say I was, I said perhaps I am. You didn’t know that, though. You just assumed I wasn’t busy.”
Joe rolled his eyes. “Ok. You’re right. I should have checked with you first. But since you’re not busy, there’s no harm goin’ to see if you want the job or not, right?”
Squirrel came walking by on her way back from the river and said, “Joe, please tell my son that it would be stupid not to at least talk to the man.”
Hawk scowled at her and said, “Please tell my mother that I am a grown man and I do not need advice from her about men’s work.”
Joe just looked back and forth between the two of them, knowing that he didn’t need to say a word. He still didn’t understand the purpose of avoidance relationships, but he respected the Lakota tradition.
“Joe, perhaps my son would like to stay and eat elsewhere since I think the tipi is becoming too crowded and that I only feel like cooking for three.”
Hawk made a growling noise of irritation in the back of his throat and stomped off to their tipi. He came back out with a recent piece of whittling and said, “Fine, Joe. I’ll go, but only because I could use the money.”
Joe and Squirrel exchanged amused looks as Hawk jumped on his pony and rode away.
*****
Will was startled when he heard someone knock on the showroom door. “C’mon in,” he called.
The young man he assumed must be Hawk stepped through the door and walked over to him.
“Hi,” he said. “Are you Hawk?”
“Yes. Here.”
Will took the carving Hawk handed to him and said, “I’m Will,” as he held out a hand to him. He was surprised when Hawk grasped his forearm instead of shaking his hand, but he followed Hawk’s lead.
Will turned his attention to the carving. A grizzly bear stood in the middle of a river, a large trout dangling from its jaws. Will was amazed at the fine detail of the piece. The wet texture of the bear’s fur and smoothness of the fish had been carefully rendered. Will knew how much time and effort went into making a carving of that caliber and it was obvious to him that Hawk had worked hard on it.
He smiled and handed it back to Hawk. “That’s great work, Hawk. You’ve definitely got an eye for detail.”
&
nbsp; “Thanks.”
“So did Joe tell you how much the job pays?”
“Yes.”
“Does that sound good to you? That’s the starting wage, but I plan on paying more once things get off to a good start,” Will said.
Hawk didn’t look at Will as he said, “Looks like things have already gotten off to a good start.”
Will followed his eyes to the sold pieces that lined the wall awaiting pick up. Then Hawk’s gaze met his and the brave arched an eyebrow at him. Will couldn’t believe it. The boy was going to haggle with him over the pay he’d been quoted.
“I thought you said that Joe told you what the job pays.”
“Yes, you told Joe. You didn’t discuss it with me yet. You just said I do good work. Eight-fifty a week,” Hawk said.
Will thought about it and said, “I can’t go higher than eight a week.”
Hawk frowned.
Sudden inspiration came to Will. “I really can’t pay you more than eight dollars a week, but I would be willing to let you put your work on display so people could buy it or give you orders. Marcus used to do that before he became a doctor and got too busy.”
Hawk thought about the offer and saw that it was a good one. “You know my uncle?”
“I know a lot of your family, Hawk. He’s a good man,” Will said. “Do we have a deal?”
Hawk nodded. “Yes. We have a deal.”
“Good. I’ll see you in the morning and I’ll show you what I want you to do,” Will said.
“I’m not busy. I can stay.”
Will nodded. “Ok.”
Quickly Hawk moved to a pile of boards. “These need cut, right?”
“Yeah. How did you know?”
“They’re already marked,” Hawk said with a shake of his head, as though in pity of Will. “I could see that from over there.”
“You could?”
Hawk laughed. “Yes.”
“Joe said you don’t talk much,” Will said.
The brave just shrugged. “I’ll get these done before the end of the day.”