"Jennings, I would love nothing better than to go home, but we are all in this together and I’ll stay. Maybe when we get through this, we can stop off. I’m sure they’d be happy to fix you fellas up with some grub that’s worth eating." Leroy smiled.
The thought grew of seeing Josey, and as nightfall came, the temptation to go called again. This time, he was convinced by the corporal and he took off.
Running most of the way, he'd be there in a couple of hours. Besides, on foot he could hide if he needed to.
As he neared the farm, his gaze scanned the large yard. In the moonlight it warmed his heart. He knew where Josey slept, so he crept to the bedroom window and slowly pushed it open.
As he climbed inside, he saw her lying in the bed, sound asleep.
He bent over her and kissed her on the lips.
At first Josey barely stirred, obviously thinking she was dreaming. He smiled. "Josey honey, wake up." He called against her ear.
Josey’s eyes opened. "Oh my God, this isn’t a dream. You’re really here…" She whispered reaching toward him.
"I’m really here." He smiled.
She hugged him to her, unmindful of only wearing a gown. "I must look a sight." She whispered.
"You look like a breath of fresh air, oh God, Josey…" He pulled her tight into his arms and kissed her tenderly on the lips.
She scooted over in the bed and welcomed him in.
His hands smoothed her gown down, and that’s all he meant to do, but his hands did wander against her breast, and down to her hips over her thin gown.
"How long can you stay?" she whispered.
"Only a little while, I’ve got to get back by daylight," he murmured against her ear as his hands touched lightly over her. She squirmed and moved closer to him.
"Oh God, Leroy…I want you." She muttered as she smothered him with a hot kiss, and a body that arched against his as he lay on top of her.
"Am I hurting you?" He asked as he gently laid his gun and sword on the floor.
"No…please…" She begged, snuggling against him.
The thin gown was no barrier for him as he moved to find the hem and raise it so he could feast on her body. Once he looked at her, he couldn’t stop himself from taking the gown away as his lips lightly touched her breast. Her nipples hardened to pebbles. He took them in his mouth, one by one and savored them, his tongue circling each gently. Her hips rose to meet him.
"Oh Josey…if I take you…you have to understand…I have to leave too…and there are consequences to such action. I might leave you with child and I might not make it back." He muttered thickly.
"I know all of that. I don’t care…I love you, have loved you so long. Must I wait any longer?" Her eyes begged him.
"Oh darlin’ you offer so much…" He began as he kissed her again. His tongue waltzed with hers. Her breast needled him, and he bent to assuage the budding pebble, realizing the needs of her body were as great as his.
His finger dipped lower, finding the silk of her curls and the heat of her. His hand moved against her, then he bent his head and his lips found her there. "You taste so sweet, my love." He moaned raggedly. He moved her gently there so he could flick his tongue. His tongue circled her hard nub, and then lapped at her. He sensed her arousal as she squirmed and almost screamed the sweetness of the moment. Then he drove his tongue inside her as far as he could and made hot jolts in and out of her. She was hot, wet and squirming against him
"My darling I'm going to kiss you here, and not make complete love to you. I might get you pregnant, and I can't take that chance yet."
"I don't understand Leroy?" She cried as his lips continued to kiss her there.
"If something should happen to me, and you were pregnant. It wouldn't be right Josey. I don't want to do that to you. We'll have our time together. I promise you that, but I won't risk getting you pregnant. Do you understand?"
"I-I….Oh Leroy…" She cried out as his lips caressed her and his tongue slid against her touching the most tender part of her.
She closed her eyes and pushed herself against his loving lips. He took her to the highest point, where she wreathed against him, moaning and pulling his hair, as he continued to kiss her.
"Oh dear God, I never knew…such a wonder…Oh Leroy…I so love you."
She almost screamed when she reached her peak and his lips and tongue moved sensuously against her.
He came up to smother her with kisses and smiles.
"Oh my God, is it always this wonderful?" She asked him.
"Only with my love. When a man loves as deeply and completely as I do, it is always this good. And Josey Anderson I love you with all my heart." He whispered in her ear, his kisses raining over her face. "Only when two people love each other to distraction, is it this good. And when we do come together…it will be even better."
His lips dipped to capture a nipple and she jolted against him. "I’m yours now forever." She committed herself.
"Hmmm…forever, that sounds wonderful, honey. Next time I come through…we’ll get married. How’s that? I’d do it now, but there's not enough time. And I can’t stay."
"Oh Leroy, are you sure?" She murmured.
"I'd have never touched you like this if I wasn't. I've wanted you for so long, my darling Josey. You’ve just got to understand, I understood you were too young. So I settled for Rose. Thinking that way I could be near you always and take care of you too. You always managed to light a fire in me, with those subtle looks you gave me. Sometimes, I had to turn away to keep from taking you there and then. You were such an unspoiled, shy girl. But when I looked into your eyes I saw something more. I saw the backbone of your mother, the heart as big as Texas, and I knew you loved me…all along. I fought the attraction because of your age. But now…I can’t fight it any longer. Forgive me for teasing you so much. For falling in love with your sweet charms.”
She looked up into his eyes. "Oh, I only wish I’d known…" She punched his shoulder lightly.
"You were too young, and I had too much respect for your ma to go asking for her youngest daughter’s hand. I love you Josey. I always have."
"Oh Leroy, we’ve wasted so much time." She cooed in his arms.
"No my love, we haven’t wasted anything. Ours is such a sweet pure love. Every time I'm around you, my love grows a little more. The purity of our love. And I wanted you a little more each time. The gentle teasing between us was the only barrier I could throw up, when you looked at me with those puppy dog eyes and I knew you wanted the same thing I did. But with you so young it seemed almost sinful at the time. I feel I must explain my engagement to Rose to you. I was going off to war, and had no one to return to. She was beautiful and I kept telling myself that maybe she could take my mind off a young girl I shouldn’t have been looking at. There are things people do because society demands they do them. Rose was closer to my age, and you weren’t. Your mother would have been upset if I’d ask to court you at fourteen. I can’t blame her. But as I was leaving that day for the war, I suddenly realized you were no longer too young. You looked at me as a woman looks at a man. I knew that day, things had changed. I couldn't think of you as a child any longer. I didn't want to either."
"I’ve loved you since I was old enough to know what a boy was."
"My sweet Josey…will you marry me?" He murmured.
"Oh yes, my love." She murmured and sealed the promise with a kiss. "I’ve waited a lifetime to hear you ask me."
A couple of hours later, after they talked about everything and kissed each other until her face was raw from his shadow on his cheek. "Always remember I love you," He insisted. "No matter what happens, always remember."
"I will…must you go?" The tears in her eyes fell against pink cheeks.
“Yes, but when this skirmish is over, we’ll be married. I promise, my love.” He kissed her again. “Leaving you like this…is unbearable." He touched his lips to her nipples once more.
"Oh please hurry back…to me."
&n
bsp; He touched his lips to hers and then he was gone. The same way he came, through the window.
~*~
He bowed his head, his heart wrenching for Josey now. He didn’t understand this heavy need of seeing her so often. However, this last time he told her his feelings and made love to her, he had felt heaven. And he wished he could stay with her more than anything. Leaving her like this, the only satisfaction was knowing he hadn't gotten her pregnant and if he didn't make it back, there would be no regrets for her. Still, the only thing that made him keep trudging on was knowing someday he’d be with her again.
If only this campaign were over and done with.
Storms continued to hit them as they waited for Major General Marmaduke. The Red swelled and by the time they crossed, swollen to a dangerous level. The officers took every precaution not to lose men. Only a couple couldn’t swim and two others volunteered to carry them piggyback across.
Thank God Major General Marmaduke’s army was large and well outfitted. A few of his men lucked out and received uniforms and shoes.
“So how do we stand sir?” Leroy asked the commanding officer.
The commander stared steely eyed at the lieutenant. "Our Louisiana troops pushed Banks back. In addition, Banks is the more ambitious of the two. Now Steele is hemmed in at Camden, but he needs food badly. Bad enough to try something. He’s got a wild idea, according to my sources, that he’s gonna get a supply of corn to his men. However, we got other ideas. We’ll surprise him by our forces. He isn’t expecting that, I can tell you. He’s no idea how many soldiers we have. We’ll do a surprise attack."
"General Banks and General Steele are trying to take Shreveport?" Leroy asked amazed at the gall.
"Yes, thanks to General Taylor, Banks has been pushed back, and Steele evidently didn’t think much of the plan to grab Shreveport, and turned back to Camden. A man can get comfortable with what he has during a war. Steele’s been hampered by muddy roads and swollen rivers, so he’s sittin’ at Camden, and his men are nearly starved. They cain’t hold out much longer. We have twelve artillery, and thirty-five hundred men. They aren’t expecting us. We’ll drive them back and win a victory for the South. And believe me son, the South needs some victories."
"Sounds like a plan. Thank you for the clothes and shoes, they were much needed." Leroy smiled as he turned to leave.
The general nodded and lit another cigar.
The general’s words fell upon Leroy with gratitude. "We’re happy to have you with us, Lieutenant; we’ve been hearing good things about you and your men. This battle will be more like a turkey shoot than anything else, we outnumber them so. I’m sure you will be glad in the days to come, but mark my words, war is never pretty, and the spoils of which are never worth as much as we think. However, it is the results of each small skirmish that adds up to victory in the end. We will be victorious, but even so, it won’t be glorious by any means."
Leroy turned to look at him and noted the sadness in his eyes. At that moment he wasn’t sure what he meant, but he wouldn’t be forgetting those words.
~*~
April 18, 1864
Poison Springs, Arkansas
There was eeriness in the air, something big was about to happen, something so tangible, Leroy couldn’t be still, hidden among the thick bushy area along the roadside to Camden.
Colonel John Williams of the Kansas Color Brigade met the battle at Poison Springs. General Maxey of the Confederate troops stood front and center of the attack, attracting Williams into battle. From the looks of it, Williams must have figured he could well handle Maxey’s troops as he didn’t hesitate to charge them, but he was in for a full force surprise when he was attacked to the right and center flanks. Williams led and defended the precious supply wagons with his accumulated troops of twelve hundred. However, he was outwitted at every turn. Leroy, only a short distance from the man, could almost read the doubts clouding Williams as he defended himself and realized he was outflanked and there was no choice but to retreat.
The rebel yells were loud and victorious, rattling the artillery. At last the South had something to bolster with, Leroy smiled to himself.
Cannons boomed. The gunpowder created such a thick smoke it was hard to make out the enemy or see their marks. Blood ran thick in the creek bottoms as from four hundred to six hundred men lay dead, in less than half an hour. Bile roiled in Leroy’s stomach at the sight before him. And over a hundred prisoners were taken by the southern forces. When Williams realized it was a useless defense, he and his men tried to escape in the creek beds but were pursued by the 1st and 2nd Regiment of the Choctaw. Many of Williams’ men were killed and scalped. Leroy grimaced.
Finally over, at least six hundred Federals lay dead, with many wounded. The victory added four artillery captors, a hundred and ninety-five wagons of corn, and twelve hundred mules to the Confederate’s goods. Again Leroy’s men didn’t receive one scratch. A solid victory for the South and once again Texas was safe.
Leroy and his men reflected on the horrors of the battle, it had gone like most until the end, but when the Choctaw Regiment perused and killed most of the Federals trying to escape, Leroy saw the treachery of war in action, this was more like a slaughter. Yells and screams, the stench of death, the blood and gore and all for two hundred wagons of corn and confiscated crops from Arkansas. Still no one argued that the battle needed fighting and no one was crying over the Federals’ deaths, but a stillness settled in the land that stayed with Leroy’s men until they were once again across the Red River.
Leroy's thoughts were glum that evening. What good was victory, if the guilt and the gore remained in one's mind like a festering sore.
Once they crossed the Red, Leroy’s men began to relax.
“I hope with all my heart we don’t run into that again,” the Corporal frowned at Leroy. Leroy grimaced too; he hadn’t felt as elated as he should, knowing his Texas was safe again. A soldier victorious had to look back though and realize that the victory had a huge price.
Sometimes through the weariness, one paused to wonder…was it worth this massive sea of death?
At Mark’s Hill another victory was scored for the Confederates and Steele was pushed even further back. By the time the skirmish at Jenkins Ferry hit, Steele retreated to Little Rock and on April 26th, he evacuated Camden. At last the Confederate Army had the Federals on the run.
Chapter Fourteen
Just after the last skirmish at Jenkins Ferry, Leroy and his men were finally headed toward home again. Once they crossed over the Red things became more peaceful again.
True to his word, Leroy headed straight for the Anderson farm with his men. He knew his men would get a couple of good meals, and he’d get to see his Josey, his true love.
When Leroy walked into the yard, it was uncommonly quiet. Somewhere off in the distance he heard wood chopping. The chickens scattered in the barnyard.
Hank came out of the barn with his pitchfork and spotted them.
With a big grin he ran to greet his brother. "Leroy…is that you? I didn’t recognize you with that long hair and so much of a beard."
"It’s me, little brother, how is everything here? It’s so quiet." Leroy asked glancing about for some sign of Josey.
"We are all okay. It's good to see you in one piece. We've all been worried about you. Come on in, the girls will be glad to see you." Hank motioned.
Leroy turned to his men. "Make yourself at home boys, we’ll have a fine meal in no time I’m sure." He smiled.
The men threw their hats up in the air and yelled like Indians. The noise brought both Rose and Josey to the porch.
Rose smiled but didn’t run to kiss him. She stood back shyly. After all, she was pregnant. "Good to see ya Leroy." She said in a husky voice.
"Rose, you look well." But as he spoke he was looking at Josey who just stood there as if not knowing what to do.
"Josey…" He could no longer control the huskiness of his voice as he looked upon her.
/> She swallowed hard, and came down the steps toward him. However, she stopped a good distance from him, and just smiled. "Good to see you, Leroy." Her voice was raspy.
Leroy took a deep breath. "Where’s your ma?" He asked still not taking his eyes from her. Josey’s glance fell to the ground, and when she raised her head, there was a tear in her eye, but it never fell, just seemed to quiver there.
"She’s gone…"
Leroy closed his eyes, then after a long silence, he looked at her again. "Well…my men are a might hungry for some good food, and I sorta promised them…"
"Oh…of course…we’ll get started right away." Josey said breathlessly.
Josey turned to go inside, and Rose lingered looking through the crowd of men for some she recognized. "Joe Bonner is that you?" She cried out with glee.
"Shore is honey, you look…pretty as a sunflower." The man said and hugged her to him. Leroy followed Josey to the house.
She opened the door and obviously didn’t realize he was right behind her.
When she did, she half turned and he twisted her quickly into his arms and planted a hungry, hot kiss to her lips. Warmth flooded him, as if someone let the sun in. Her lips were soft and this time not shy or still.
"Oh Leroy." She whispered as he barely turned her lose. His lips trailed over her nose, her cheek, he breathed into her ear, and nibbled her neck.
"I’m sorry... about the welcome…I just…didn’t."
"You don’t have to explain. But I had to have this…I had to. I’ve carried you with me everyday into battle and everyday there was the memory of you that kept me going. Forgive me for being so forward, but Lord I’ve needed you so."
"Oh Leroy…" She said and smothered him with another kiss, this time hot, steamy, and wanton. His hand lingered at her breast, curling about the burgeoning tips with his finger.
His kisses grew heated and he knew he was moving too fast, but he couldn’t help himself, she smelled of sweet sunshine and lilacs and of home.
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