Johnson’s advice failed to go down well with Everett. He heard a tearing sound as Everett reached across the table grabbing him by the shirt, but he stopped himself with a grunt.
“You idiot,” he scoffed. “You know there is a fortune out there that Whip and his half breed clan have no idea about. I’m not walking away from that. I got the contract right here in my pocket.”
He seemed to think for a second about the entire plan before explaining further with another a renewed sense of conviction. “And Wilde not dying gave me the idea to come up with a little incentive that makes sure the mulatto girl signs the paper. I just bribed a stooge at the local paper to print it for me last night. I’m just glad it was her that owns the land, as I know it will work on one of her kind, but any woman sharp enough to become a Pinkerton couldn’t be guaranteed to fool.”
“And don’t forget the Mexican girl,” Johnson said, raising his index finger like an obedient toddler.
“Yeah, the one you wanna ravish in a hay loft somewhere. My sister picked a real prize when she married you, Xavier. Now what about her?”
“I was just about to–to leave where I was watch–watchin’ for the stage,” Johnson explained with a stutter. “The wind started kickin’ up and blew the paper I was hidin’ behind right out of my hands, leavin’ my face out in the clear and she saw me. I’m sure she recognized me.”
“You fool!” Everett could no longer control his anger. His voice echoed through the entire saloon and drew attention to them again, including that of attractive Mexican woman Gabriella who owned the bar, who peered down from the railing of the second story that overlooked the floor of the establishment.
“Calm down, Hale. Brother-in-law or no brother-in-law, I’m gettin’ mighty sick of the way you are talkin’ down to me,” Johnson leaned across the table giving him a hard look. “I got a notion to pull my stakes and walk away from your attempted stealin’ of what’s out there along the Rock River, and maybe you should just forget the whole thing and get yourself back to Carter Creek as in now … bad weather is closin’ in,” he cautioned.
“Fine, walk away and spend the rest o’ your life shoveling manure at this town’s livery stable,” Everett scoffed at him, testing him.
As expected, Johnson didn’t move in his chair. “Just as I thought,” Everett scorned. “Now, we are wasting time fighting amongst ourselves. We just need a plan to get Honor away from the others and get her signature on the purchase deed,” he said, lowering his voice.
“How are we fixin’ to do that?”
“I’m thinking,” Everett snarled, turning around to get the attention of the bartender with a wave of his hand. He pointed to their glasses to ask for a refill and stared distantly at the table for a while, thinking. The bartender arrived with the drink some seconds later, smiling skeptically at both of them.
“You sure you want another one of these? They’re liquid fire!” he asked.
Everett’s head jerked up immediately, his eyes glossy with happiness.
“Fire!” he yelped. “That’s it! No, take it back. I need a clear head!”
A surprised look replaced the skeptical one on the bartender’s face. He kept mute, though, and walked away from the table, taking the drinks with him.
“Durn fool,” Johnson said, shaking his head at the retreating bartender. “Talked himself right out of a sale there. Sounds like you came up with somethin’, Hale?”
“Whatever happened to you calling me boss? Never mind that. You’ve got to get out to Half Breed Haven right now and tell Honor Elizabeth that I can help her help her father. Tell her you are going to bring her to meet me at Splendor Point. That’s where you will tell her my wagon broke down on the way to see her and I’m waiting there.”
Johnson shook his head, quite confused. “Splendor Point … the place that overlooks the Rock River where it goes over Crenshaw Falls? Why there? Why don’t you just go back to the ranch?”
“A man like me showing up there is going to draw attention. You look just like another cowhand. You’ll be able to get in there with not much notice.”
“Not much notice? That little chica just saw me. She’ll pick me out,” Johnson spitting out a mass of chewing tobacco he had been enjoying behind his lower lip. His brother-in-law shot him a look of disapproval before he continued.
“I overreacted before. What did Catalina Wilde really see?” Everett shrugged his shoulders. “A man who lives and works on the main street of Alamieda? What is unusual about that? But it won’t matter because there is a way to clear most everyone out of there, giving you easier access to Honor.”
“How you figure, boss?” Johnson asked.
“That’s better,” Everett sneered at his lackey. “As you recall, during the tedious days we were observing Judge Wilde’s actions, we saw them ring that fire warning bell system they got rigged up on the side of the building. Twice while we were there, blazes were spotted on their property and someone would ring that bell to assemble everyone at the stables to prepare to fight the fire. That ought to empty out Cedar Ledge.”
“Yeah, but what if Honor is one of them that goes out to fight the fire?” Johnson asked thoughtfully.
“I’ve been asking around discreetly since we found out she owned the land we want. To a word, everyone describes her as some kind of hot house flower, a debutante,” Everett snorted at the imagination. “Imagine that—a mixed colored girl acting as if she was some full blown white society woman! But I don’t care about any of that. The point is if she is like what I’m hearing, then I think we can count on her not going out to fight a fire.”
“That’s a mighty big if,” Johnson pointed out.
“Good Christmas! I damn well don’t need your criticism!” Everett thrust his finger at Johnson. “If you got a better plan, speak up now!”
Everett rose to his feet when, as usual, Johnson said nothing. “Come on, let’s get going,” he urged. “We’ve got to get my carriage to Splendor Point to stage the break down.”
As soon as they stepped into the outside street, as if the wind knew of their plan, it fell heavily on their faces, whirling down the long old street.
“Feel that?” Johnson inquired. “That wind; it’s blowin’ straight off the Los Mochis Flats … the only way back to Carter Creek for you. No way you’re gettin’ back there today. There’s sure to be one of those killer sand storms formin’ out there.”
Everett shook his head, stubbornly hurrying into the street.
“I’m not concerned about forecasts; I’m concerned about getting Honor to sign my paper! Let’s move!” he yelled.
*****
Mrs. Chow smiled at everyone as she set down a tray with a pitcher of lemonade and glasses on it. She glanced at Dutch first, before fixing her hazel eyes on a Lijuan.
“Thank you, Mrs. Chow,” Lijuan expression was one of pure affection.
“Thanks no necessary,” Mrs. Chow waved her hands in a ceremonious way. “Good to have you home. Mr. Chow look forward to see you.”
“I will stop by and see him soon. Tell him I look forward to seeing him too,” Lijuan happily promised.
Mrs. Chow’s grey eyebrows flickered together in understanding before she excused herself with a nod. As soon as the exit door closed behind her, Lijuan heaved a short sigh and poured herself and Dutch some lemonade. She passed Dutch a glass and set the pitcher down afterwards, concentrating on her drink, and ignoring Bright Feather. Dutch however glanced at his companion and then the pitcher, surprised she hadn’t been offered any.
“Would you like a drink, Bright Feather?” he asked her.
“That would be most welcome and considerate,” Bright Feather said in a quiet voice, briefly shifting her eyes to Lijuan who looked away instantly.
Dutch, oblivious, poured her a glass and handed it to her with a doting smile. Bright Feather thanked him just as he turned to Lijuan and spoke to her cheerily.
So, Lijuan,” he said, “you remember Bright Feather, Blue River’s half-si
ster?
“Yes, of course,” Lijuan responded, faking a smile. “I had heard in letters from Catalina that you have been spending a lot of time at Cedar Ledge. Frankly, I was surprised to hear you had returned to the Alamieda area. Last I knew, you were on some grand quest.”
“I am not sure I would describe it as that, but it was a challenge, and now that I have achieved it, I have returned to the lands I call my home,” Bright Feather stated, pride clearly in her voice despite her attempt to downplay her accomplishment.
“These last few years, travelling the southwest, learning all the Indian languages? That sounds pretty grand to me. You always have such an interest in the different languages,” Lijuan argued.
“Oh, yes, absolutely. It started when I was very young. You know that my—I guess in English you would call him my stepfather. He took the role as the designated person from our tribe to establish trade relations with many tribes. It was his way to get my mother, myself, and Blue River away from our tribe as much as possible due to the troubles Blue River’s birth heralded for our tribe.”
“A nice way to put the rise of Black Hawk and his Omegas,” Lijuan snickered.
“I suppose it is,” Bright Feather conceded, staring into her glass.
“You know something, Bright Feather? Your English is better than most of the people in Alamieda,” Lijuan commented, noticing the way she pronounced every word rather accurately.
“I perfected that first,” Bright Feather beamed.
“So, you did.”
“The good news is that Bright Feather’s linguistic skills are about to pay off,” Dutch chipped in.
“How so, David?”
“Colonel Caine at Fort McCallister has sent a request up the chain of command to hire Bright Feather as an official scout and interpreter or just a general liaison with the Indians our troop has to deal with. It’s going to be good for her. She will be provided room and board at the fort as well as pay,” Dutch announced.
“Fort McCallister where you live?!” Lijuan stared suspiciously at both, short of words for a moment. “Bright Feather, is your chief going to be okay with this? I know he’s your uncle, but we know how leery he has been about white men and the Wilde family in particular since father caused the split in your tribe.”
Bright Feather stared at her cup again, her voice dropping down a notch.
“I have not yet broached the subject with Chief Thunder Cloud,” she admitted.
“I’m sure that’s going to go over very well,” Lijuan said dryly, downing the rest of her lemonade in an instant. “Excuse me, David. I should see Mr. Chow,” she said afterwards, rising to her feet.
She exited the room immediately as Dutch nodded his approval. She gave one long glance at Bright Feather before gently closing the door behind her.
“I do not think your sister likes me,” Bright Feather said, ending the silence that ensued after her exit.
“Hey, come on, that’s crazy,” Dutch laughed “That’s just the way she is. Plus, she’s all keyed up about our father. Don’t take it to heart.”
“I suppose you are right,” Bright Feather recoiled into the seat beside Dutch, dropping her empty cup into the tray. “But what is with this calling you David?”
“Well, it-it is my real name. She’s the only one that I will let call me that. When I was a little boy, I took to calling myself Dutch and it kind of stuck for the entire world minus one Lijuan Wilde,” he explained, his eyes glistening with memories of their childhood.
“Well, I prefer Dutch,” Bright Feather whispered, fluttering her eyes seductively at him welcoming his gentle kiss that followed her cue.
*****
The rays of the afternoon sun had changed colors twice in the past hour. Whip’s bedroom glinted with darker shades of orange color now as the sun gradually left its position in the middle of the sky, tilting towards the distant horizon.
Catalina and Cassandra sat at opposite sides of the large bed, sometimes glancing at Whip’s body with worry. Cassandra gently mopped his forehead with a damp cloth while Honor and Blue River stood at the foot of the bed, discussing the accident that had led to their father’s situation.
“From what I gather from Cattie, it was your quick action that probably saved Daddy’s life, getting your rope and pulling him up out of the ravine,” Honor said, clasping her fingers together in appreciation.
“It was Catalina that rode swifter than the wind to get the doctor and spirit him back to help the judge,” Blue River replied rather modestly.
“Which was remarkable too!” Honor commended, briefly turning to Catalina. “But you got him up out of there. Well done, young man.”
She laid her hand on his shoulder and awkwardly pulled him into a very long hug before extolling him a second time, “Well done” again.
“T-thank you, Miss Honor. Please excuse me,” Blue River stammered, tears instantly filling his eyes as he hurried to take leave of the room.
“Now, what was that all about?” Honor asked, staring blankly at everyone.
“Clear as the nose on my face. Don’t know why you are askin’,” Catalina frowned. “He’s not used to you treatin’ him for like what he is—you know—your brother!”
“That is not fair!”
“I’m not sayin’ it to be mean, Honor, but you do keep your distance from him,” Catalina insisted.
“She’s got you there,” Cassandra pointed out.
“Well, it is not intentional. Once this is all over it is something I vow to work and get to know my little brother better in the future. Girls, it is just I never know quite what to make of that young man,” Honor raised both palms in resignation. “He is so quiet. I do not know what goes on beyond those blue eyes of his, then there is his whole Indian side to him. As it is the natives of this land still remain a mystery to …”
Honor stopped in mid-sentence as her eyes fell on something she had failed to notice before.
“What?” Cassandra asked, following the direction of her eyes to an empty gun belt that was hanging from the bedpost.
“This!” Honor gasped, snatching the leather belt from the mahogany bedpost.
“Oh yeah, when we first brought Papa back here and got him out of his clothes, we just slung that up there and forgot about it,” Catalina explained.
“I care nothing for the holster. I want to know where the gun has gone to!” Honor shrieked.
Catalina fell silent, obviously having no answer to her question.
“Where is the gun, Cattie!?” Honor asked again. “You know how much that pistol means to Daddy. It was a gift from his TRUE friends in the Navy as a goodbye gift when he was forced out of the service and headed west to our life here. All because the Navy saw fit to drum him out for having the audacity to fall in love with a colored woman … my mother.”
Cassandra, sensing how emotional Honor was becoming, crossed over and laid a hand on Honor’s shoulder. “Miss Lizzie … how I miss her even after all these years. I wish you could have known her. There was a time when she was the only mother Dutch and I ever knew,” she recalled compassionately.
Honor crossed her arms and dropped her gaze to the belt. “Yes, well, we all know I failed to get the chance to know her because she died struggling to give birth to-to me,” she sulked.
“You don’t get to do this!” Cassandra hissed. “You’re not going to be blaming yourself for what happened to Miss Lizzie.”
Honor turned her back to Cassandra in pain, holding the belt so close to her chest.
“The gun!” Catalina suddenly yelped. “It must still be in the ravine somewhere. I’ll go get it, Honor Elizabeth.”
“That’s a good idea,” Cassandra praised, preparing to leave too. “I’ll be going along. I want to have a look at that bridge for myself.”
Cassandra grabbed Honor’s hand and gently squeezed it before turning towards the exit with Catalina. Honor remained unmoving until the sound of the door shutting jerked her back to consciousness. She glanced around t
he room a while, before hanging the belt back on the bedpost and sitting beside Whip on the bed.
“Oh, Daddy! I did not know my mama, but I have known the finest man that has ever lived. He is right here in this room. I need him badly. Your Buttercup is here,” she whispered, stroking his hair.
For a brief moment, unsure whether it was the tears in her eyes that deceived her or whether it had really happened, Honor thought she noticed that Whip stirred on the bed. She angled closer immediately, wiping the tears from her eyes and staring at him hopefully, but Whip was still in his unconscious state.
A disappointed Honor looked away afterwards, her thoughts returning to the mother she never knew.
*****
Dutch closed the door behind him, wondering how they had both managed to cross the long hall and enter the room before resisting mashing their bodies together. The shutters of his old room had been draped down, but it didn’t matter. He knew every inch of her body without the light slithering over her well-honed body and tan skin. He preferred it this way, anyway; the room was dark and the walls were thick enough to keep the noise outside. The only sound he would love to listen to at the moment was her breaths as his hand traveled the length of her shapely legs, finding the smooth curves underneath her dress, especially the warm spot between her thighs that had always been wet for him.
“Will you suckle me down there again?” she asked already knowing the answer even as he dipped one of his fingers into her growing wetness.
Of course, he planned to pleasure her everywhere. He intended to have his mouth, his tongue inclusive, on every pleasure spot on her body. There was no woman he had ever loved more. His love for Bright Feather alone had been one of the things that recently kept him sane.
Dutch offered no words for her. Instead, he draped her dress over her head, ridding her of the buckskin material. Her coffee colored skin gleamed in the darkness at him while the round curves of her breasts requested the suckle of his lips. He inched closer, pushing her back towards the bed and positioning his body between her thighs. When his lips closed around her tiny bud, she moaned appreciatively, roving her palms all over his chest.
The Wildes of the West 1_The Daughters of Half Breed Haven_Old west fiction of action adventure, romance & western family drama Page 18