Journey's End

by Deatri King Bey

  She’d stopped speaking to him weeks ago, but couldn’t help but react to this piece of artwork. “I love it. I wish I were half as good.”

  “We could work on your technique. You have natural talent. You just need to hone your skill.”

  She finished rinsing the baby, then handed him to Jared. She could tell Jared wanted her to continue their conversation, but she wouldn’t. Instead, she exited the tub and began drying herself.

  “I miss you, Joy.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. She loved and missed him so much, but she wouldn’t allow him to run other’s lives. She’d come to terms with Lucas and Roaring Thunder hating each other and told him so, yet he insisted on following through with his plan.

  Jared finished dressing the baby, laid him in the bassinet, then settled at the end of the bed and examined her bare leg. “You mend so much faster than I do.” His eyes traveled along Joy’s legs to her waist, chest, face, heating her all the way. The moisture she felt between her legs had nothing to do with just getting out of the bath.

  He caressed her hand and gently kissed her fingertips, whispering, “Do you know what the date is?” His kisses retraced the trail his gaze followed a few seconds ago.

  Resisting his sensual bombardment proved to be extremely difficult. “Hmm umm,” she sighed.

  He unbuttoned his shirt. “October twenty-fifth.”

  Dates meant nothing to Joy. “Oh, no. Not the shirt.”

  He grinned and dropped his shirt to the floor.

  She stopped protesting to admire his full beauty. Broad shoulders, powerful chest, rippled abdomen. She shook her head. “You’re not playing fair.”

  He unfastened his belt and pants, stating, “I’m not playing, Joy. I want to make love with my wife.” He finished undressing.

  Refusing to watch, she quickly covered herself with the towel, then hopped to the bed on her good leg in search of her night and underclothes. “I think you should sleep in one of the spare rooms tonight.”

  He lay in the bed and pulled her along, causing her to giggle slightly. “You want to make love as much as I do.” She turned her back to him in a futile attempt of ignoring him. “Why can’t we?” He began unbraiding her hair. “Can I wash your hair tomorrow?”

  “Umm, I don’t think so. I’m not speaking to you.” His light tracing of her ear with his fingertip drove her wild and he knew it. She could barely utter, “You’re not playing fair.”

  “I told you, I’m not playing.” His tongue took over where his finger left off as he drew her into his body, grinding slowly. “Make love with me, Joy. Feel how we need each other.” His hand slipped around her waist to her heat, then in.

  An unexpected surge of passion rushed through Joy. “Oh, Jared,” she moaned. “I umm…” Disgusted with herself for wanting more, she pulled away from his deft fingers. “Go sleep in the other room.” Their attraction so strong, she barely managed to scoot away.

  He followed close behind, sighing more than saying, “I think I’ll sleep here tonight.” He suckled her neck and massaged her waist. “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to. I promise.”

  “I don’t want you to sleep in here tonight.”

  “I love you, Joy. If you want me to sleep in the other room, I’ll sleep in the other room. But tell me why.” He rested his forehead on hers. “You want to make love. We should be making love. I don’t understand why we can’t.”

  She kissed his lips lightly. “You can’t chain and shackle people because they do not agree with your point of view. I’m stubborn, Jared. Will you shackle me next?”

  “I’d never…!” he said, disgust in his voice loud and clear.

  “I know you wouldn’t, love. It’s wrong to punish Lucas and Roaring Thunder because they do not agree with you. If they do not like each other, so be it. We are all grown and can do as we please.”

  He turned onto his back. “I want you to be happy.”

  “Forcing my family to live in a cave, chained and shackled, does not make me happy. I understand your intent, but this has to end.” Her hand glided over his chest and around his pectorals. His eyes darkened with passion.

  “Nursing our son makes me happy.” She lay on top of him and suckled the hollow of his neck, enjoying the feel of his hardness on her waist and his firm hands caressing her back. “Creating works of art with you makes me happy.” She licked his lips. “Loving you makes me happy.”

  He rolled them both over, careful of her leg. “The only people more stubborn than you are Roaring Thunder and Lucas. I’ll release them in the morning,” he mumbled.

  Hot, wet, ready and trembling with need, Joy could hardly wait for Jared to join with her as lovers. Her hands explored his chest and neck, pulling his mouth down to hers.

  He slowly gyrated over her heat, teasing her senses into frenzy. So many lovely sensations swirled through her body. Then he took his time entering her, stroking long and deep. They moved as one, each fulfilling the other’s every need and want. Joy’s body tightened, her fingers dug into Jared’s back.

  “That’s it, baby,” he whispered. He thrust harder, deeper.

  Joy’s back arched as she cried out, knowing she must’ve died and gone to heaven.

  The spirits of Joy’s parents and Roger watched their loved ones peaceful slumber. Jared slept on his back, Joy cuddled into his left side, and baby William sprawled on Jared’s right side.

  “Well, Roger,” Gail said, “it took a while, but we did it.”

  Roger grinned from the feeling of warmth surrounding his heart. He couldn’t rest in peace until his brother found happiness. His eyes traveled to the four grandparents, feeling sorry for them. They’d all become close, and he knew they still had unsettled business.

  “Why do you look so distressed Roger?” Gail asked.

  “I’ll miss him.” He paused. “And you.”

  She took his hand into hers. “You will always be together because you live in his heart.”

  “What about y’all?” he drawled.

  William answered, “You don’t have to fear crossing over. We will be with you shortly.” He motioned to the other spirits. “We are a family now.” He shrugged. “If things work out, we will be crossing over with you.”

  “Wake up, Lucas.”

  Lucas stretched, cracking open his eyes. “Joy?” He squinted, attempting to focus, then shook his head. “No. This can’t be. Gail?”

  “We don’t have much time.” She kissed his forehead. “I’ve missed you.”

  Disoriented, he glanced around to gain his bearings. Roaring Thunder slept on the palate on the opposite side of the cave, and they were both still shackled. He held his arms out to her. “Can you unlock these?”

  “You’ve had the power to free yourself the whole time. I’m not here for that. I’m here about Joy.”

  The sound of the rattling chain as he wiped his face filled the cave. He’d relived his actions over and over again. “I’m so sorry, Gail. I’ll never forgive myself.”

  His gaze traveled from Roaring Thunder to Gail. “He wants me to abandon her again. I won’t make the same mistakes. He should step out of the picture and allow me to rebuild my relationship with Joy. I’m her family.”

  Clearly disappointed, Gail shook her head. “First, you allowed your grief to separate you from Joy, then you allowed your hate, now you are allowing jealousy. When will this end, Lucas?” She pointed at the sleeping Roaring Thunder. “He is just as much her family as you.”

  “He is the one forbidding her to see me.”

  “Because you have not shown the respect due him. Come on, Lucas. You expect him to step aside because you said sorry.”

  “I won’t abandon her again.”

  “Then don’t. Do what you need to ensure you can be a part of her life. Roaring Thunder is a good man. The Miwok are good people. You should be grateful they stepped in.”

  “I am.”

  “You have a funny way of showing it.”

  “He attacked me. He s
tripped me and…”

  “Did you forget you’re ordering the tribe off your land?”

  “They were drunk. I was—”

  “It wasn’t your place, Lucas. You disrespected the tribe.” She softened. “Joy doesn’t need your protection, she needs your love.”

  He lowered his face into the palms of his hands, mumbling, “You’re right, you’re right.” His eyes locked on his sister’s. “I’ve missed you, Gail.”

  “Wake up, Roaring Thunder.”

  Roaring Thunder stretched and cracked open his eyes. “Father?” He glanced over at Lucas, then returned his attention to his father. “I’ve missed you. Why have you stayed away so long?”

  “Joy needed me.”

  He jumped up, running to Joy’s aid, but came to a complete stop at the end of his chain. “Get these off me. Joy needs me.”

  Rising Sun laughed as he watched his son pull and struggle against the chains. “Why don’t you sit with me?”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Joy doesn’t need your protection, she needs your love.”

  “She has it.” His eyes traveled from Lucas to his father. “He wants to pop in and out of her life, spreading hate, disrupting our balance. I won’t allow it. The day he abandoned her is the day he abandoned any claim to her. I won’t allow him to hurt her again.”

  “You are the one hurting her.” Rising Sun shrugged. “And for what?”

  “He wants her to turn her back on the people who raised her. To forget us.”

  “He wants her to forget what he’s done. And no one can make Joy do anything. He couldn’t control her when she was a child. What on Earth makes you think he can control her now? She loves us. We will always be her family, just as Lucas will always be her family.”

  “I just get so angry when I think about what would have happened if you hadn’t found her.”

  “Have you thought about what would have happened had Lucas kept her?” Roaring Thunder slowly shook his head. “Lucas wasn’t emotionally capable of caring for Joy. She would have been miserable. In a way I’m grateful to Lucas.”

  Roaring Thunder rolled his eyes. His father continued, “I gave your mother everything she wanted, except a daughter. She was happy but…” He shrugged. “I’m sure you understand.”

  He understood all too well. Raven wanted a daughter; they both did.

  “He shouldn’t have abandoned her. I don’t know how it should have played out, but I know she was to come into our care and Lucas was to continue being a part of her life.”

  “How do you know?”

  He grinned. “I know Joy’s parents well. They’ve been watching over their baby. But there was only so much they could do. Only so much we all could do. Stop dwelling on what could have happened. Lucas is punishing himself enough.”

  “You’re right. You’re right. How will I get us out of these chains?” He rattled his chains.

  “Talk to Lucas. I’m sure you two can come up with something.”

  Jared woke to the smell of a real country breakfast cooking. Joy and the baby were still sleeping on him, so this meant Raven must be missing her husband. He kissed Joy’s forehead. “We have guests.”

  “You made eggs?” she asked groggily.

  He caressed her back as he rose. “No, baby. Time to rise. We have guests.”

  Jared held the baby close to his body, then fetched Joy’s crutches and handed them to her. They’d dressed for bed when the baby woke for his early morning feeding. “This spring I want to move further south. How about somewhere close to the reservation. It’s only a week away.” He laid the sleeping baby in the bassinet. “Well, maybe two with this little guy.”

  “You really can’t take the cold, can you?”

  He followed her into the kitchen, remembering the doctor’s, and the town’s people, both black and white, reaction to their marriage. After observing mindsets on the reservation, he decided to live closer to an Indian community than a traditional town.

  He bumped into Joy, practically knocking her down. He grabbed her quickly, then saw the reason she’d stopped so abruptly and smiled. “So you decided to join us for breakfast.”

  Lucas pulled a chair out for Joy. “Good morning. Roaring Thunder and I thought the least we could do is fix breakfast for you.”

  Joy dropped her crutches, hugging them. “I’ve missed you both.” Her nose scrunched up and she pulled away. “You two stink. Why didn’t you soak in the hot springs before coming into the house?”

  Both men’s mouths dropped wide open. Jared laughed.

  “She said we stink, Lucas.”

  “You do.” She hopped over to Jared on her good leg, choosing to sit in his lap, instead of her chair. “When did you release them?”

  Still tickled, he replied, “I didn’t. They must have finally set their differences aside and worked together. Wolf weakened a few of the links on the chain enough that if they pulled together, they should be able to free themselves. And as you know, I had the key sitting right here on the table.”

  Lucas stared at Joy, dumbfounded. “You said we stink.”

  “When’s the last time you had a real bath or washed your clothes? Of course you stink.” She turned to Jared cooing, “Will you wash my hair today?”

  Roaring Thunder and Lucas burst into laughter, simultaneously saying, “We stink.”

  “Come on, brother. Let’s bathe before we offend someone.” They left the cabin together still laughing.

  Journey’s End

  Jared left Joy in the middle of a field, sitting on a log, drawing while he gathered wood.

  “Joy,” Lucas called as he approached. “The baby is ready to eat.”

  Hearing his son’s whimper, Jared turned back to Joy. Halted by the image he saw, he froze. Lucas was holding his hand out, calling to Joy, but her eyes were focused on the distance. Jared could see her parents and Roger walking away, exactly as she had painted.

  Roger glanced over his shoulder, waved goodbye to his brother, then finished the journey with his heavenly family.

  The End