Mail Order Bride - Westward Changes: A Clean Cowboy Romance Novel (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 14)

by Linda Bridey

  “I was hoping you’d be here, Joe,” he said.

  “I thought we had an understanding?” Joe said.

  “We did, but this went much higher than me, Joe. I warned you there was only so much I was going to be able to do. Believe me, if it were up to me, I wouldn’t have bothered your tribe. They’ve been nothing but peaceful and honorable. Black Fox and I have come to an understanding on some things. They are to turn themselves in within three days, giving them time to bury their dead and pack up. We are negotiating on some other things and I’d like you to be a part of those talks, Joe. I’m also recommending that you become an Indian agent. I tried to get them to agree to it long ago, but again, my hands were tied. Maybe they’ll listen now.”

  “Now? After all this time? Now you think they’ll listen? You’re damn right they will. I’ll make sure of that. And so will the press. I warned you what would happen, Morgan.”

  “Joe, your father’s dead. There’re no more markers to call in, I’m afraid. Without him, well, you have no more leverage,” another voice said.

  Joe didn’t recognize Carter right away. When he did, he face turned red with rage. “You? You’re army? You rotten son of a bitch!” Mitch and Jack restrained the mayor as he moved towards the sergeant. “You left out the fact that you’re in the military, Carter.”

  “I’m sorry, Joe, but it’s my job,” he said. “I have to gather intelligence any way I can.”

  “How do you sleep at night knowin’ that your job is to help kill innocent people who have never done anything to the army? Women and children? How many did you kill tonight? Why didn’t you come and tell me you knew where they were? I would have talked to them; I could have prevented so many deaths!”

  Carter stepped closer and rifles were raised and pointed straight at him. Carter stopped his forward progress. “You had your chance, Joe, but you wouldn’t cooperate. You had a good run, though, and I admire you for your loyalty. I’m sorry about your father, too.”

  “I don’t give a damn about the bastard bein’ dead except that he can’t help anymore. That’s all I ever cared about; keeping my family safe. You get out of my sight, you piece of crap. Morgan, make him leave.”

  “Douglas, get out of here. Go back to the fort.”

  “Alone?” Carter said.

  “Take five soldiers with you and go. Now!” Morgan ordered.

  Carter said, “Joe, tell Deena that this wasn’t her fault. She didn’t know when we had lunches or we met socially that she was giving me information. I don’t want her to feel badly.”

  Joe hid his shock as he said, “Yeah, I’ll do that. I hope that you and your little band meet the same fate you meted out tonight, Carter. Who knows? You might meet that fate sometime in the near future!”

  “Joe, knock that off,” Mitch murmured. “You can’t say things like that.”

  “You can let me go now,” Joe responded. “Morgan, none of the Lakota people in this church are goin’ anywhere. They’re productive members of the community, and I want it in writing that they will not be forced onto the reservation.”

  “Your chief and I already agreed to that and with all of those present as witnesses, I will guarantee this to you. None of the Indians you have inside or their children will be taken to the reservation, and I will put it in writing. Your townspeople can stand down. I’ll expect to see you and your tribe at the fort in three days by noon, Joe. If you’re not there, well, I think you understand what’s going to happen,” Morgan said.

  Joe nodded. “Yes, I do. You’ll kill even more of them. We’ll be there.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  After the army had gone from Dawson, the crowd around the church dispersed. Marcus and Ben were helped in moving Raven to the medical clinic where the doctors were better able to tend his wounds. Hannah, their nurse, went with them to assist in his treatment. Ben told Marcus to go to the camp. He and Hannah would take care of Raven. Marcus packed up medical supplies and hitched up his buggy. He pushed his horse as fast as it could go.

  Claire took her children and Hannah’s upstairs to their apartment. Sparrow went with her to help take care of them. Many of the townspeople went to the camp to offer their assistance. Minx insisted on going with Reckless even though he argued with her about it. She informed him that short of locking her up, he would not keep her from going.

  Upon reaching their tipi by the stream, many were angered to find that the home had been destroyed. Reckless noticed, but he and Minx simply kept running past it, down the trail to the camp. When they entered the canyon, the devastation that met their eyes was horrific. There were some tipis on fire and broken equipment and all kinds of ruined possessions littered the ground. Both white and Lakota bodies lay all about. Blood was visible on the grass and dirt.

  Brother and sister saw Black Fox giving directions on the far side of the compound and ran to him. Upon hearing them call his name, he turned towards them. Minx flew into his arms, sobbing, and the chief also put an arm around his nephew. Reckless looked into his uncle’s eyes and saw the deep sorrow there. It was then that Reckless knew for sure that their parents were gone.

  “Uncle, Raven is at the clinic. I think he will recover,” Reckless said.

  “Thank you for telling me,” the chief responded.

  “Where are they?” Reckless asked.

  Black Fox led them to where his wife, Wind Spirit, and Mike had laid out Eagle Woman and He Who Runs. They had been washed and dressed in their finery, as was the Lakota custom of preparation for burial. The brother and sister knelt and took their parents in their arms. Reckless looked into his father’s eyes and saw the life light was gone from them. Even in death, his father’s face held the fierce expression he’d been known for.

  Reckless kissed He Who Runs’ forehead and gently laid him back down. He moved over to his mother, whom he resembled, and took her from Minx and kissed her as well. After giving Eagle Woman back to Minx, he knelt at the heads of his parents and took off his shirt. Taking out his knife, he drew cuts on his arms as he sang a mourning song.

  Others heard and began joining in the song. Minx could not sing through her tears and wails of grief. Mike heard the singing and lifted his voice as well from where he was. He worked on suturing a severe laceration on a woman’s leg. He’d been tirelessly treating those he could help and praying for healing power the whole time. There were some he knew would die and he prayed over them and helped them meet their deaths with dignity and comfort.

  Though he was white, he had fought along with his Lakota family and counted coup. There were some, who would judge him for this, but he’d been helping protect his family and he would have done so no matter who was attacking them. Now, all he cared about was helping his family however he could. His exceptional memory pulled up the appropriate prayers that White Horse had taught him, along with the necessary medical treatments for various wounds.

  He finished suturing the wound and dressed it. Suddenly someone grabbed him and pulled him into an embrace. Both Dean and Tessa, his parents, held him close.

  “Oh, Michael! We have been so worried about you. All of you. Are you hurt?” Tessa asked and started looking him over. There was blood on him, but she didn’t know if it was his or if it belonged to the people he’d been treating.

  “I’m fine, guys. Really,” Mike said. “I have some cuts and bruises, but nothing serious. I left them much worse off than me, believe me.”

  Dean looked into Mike’s eyes, which were now on the same level as his and saw a change in his son. Like Jack, Mike had taken lives and Dean’s heart broke that both of their older boys had been forced to do so in order to protect their family.

  “Reckless’ parents are dead,” he said.

  Dean reeled a little at the news and Tessa let out a cry of grief. It was Mike’s undoing and he sank to his knees and let all of the pain out in a scream of anguish while he pounded the ground with a fist.

  Tessa and Dean knelt with him and put their arms around him, crying
with him. Dean and He Who Runs’ relationship had often been contentious, but over the years they’d come to respect and like each other. Dean had considered him and Eagle Woman family and their deaths greatly saddened him.

  Joe had taken care of some things in town and then came to the camp. When he saw the destroyed camp, he felt faint and had to take some deep breaths to keep conscious. He found Black Fox and he couldn’t speak at first as he looked into his friend’s eyes.

  Finally, he said, “Whatever you need, it’s yours. You only have to ask, brother.”

  Black Fox nodded. “Thank you.”

  “I’m so damn sorry. I tried everything I could to keep this from happening. They should have come to me so I could have arranged something so that people wouldn’t be killed. I’m so sorry about He—”

  Black Fox put a hand over his mouth. “We do not speak the names of our dead or they may become bound to this life.”

  Joe nodded his understanding and Black Fox took his hand away. “I forgot about that. But I am so very sorry. I loved them both and I’ll always mourn them. I’m going with you when you turn yourselves in. Morgan wants me to be in on the negotiations. You know I’ll fight like hell to get you the best possible deal. I noticed the army is starting to take their fallen soldiers.”

  “Yes. As soon as they are all gone, we will bury our dead. We have started building the scaffoldings. We do not put them in the ground as you do. They are placed high on scaffolds so they are closer to the sky and can travel faster to the next life. We will put their most valuable possessions with them and let nature take care of them,” Black Fox explained.

  Joe nodded as he got choked up again. “I wish I could have done more, Black Fox. I wanted to keep you safe. I even paid my father to help because he had all kinds of army friends who were high up the chain of command. But now he’s dead so I have no more influence. Damn it! I’m so sorry.”

  The chief put a hand on Joe’s shoulder. “Do not feel badly. You have done more than anyone else would have. I am proud you are our friend and grateful to you for helping us stay free as long as you did. You cannot blame yourself, Joe. There are some things that are beyond your control.”

  “I know. What do you need me to do? You just name it and I’ll do it.”

  “If you do not mind swinging an axe, we need saplings and small trees in order to build scaffolding,” Black Fox said.

  “Point me in the direction of an axe and I’ll get started,” Joe said as he took off his shirt. “Where are Reckless and Minx?” he asked.

  Black Fox pointed and Joe saw them. “Thanks. I’ll go see them and then get started on those trees.”

  Joe saw the cuts on Reckless’ arms and his short hair and a lump formed in his throat again. Minx’s hair had also been cut and she had cuts on her forearms. Joe saw his fallen friends and went down on his knees by them. Briefly he touched them and then Minx embraced him. He held her, rocking her, and telling her again and again how sorry he was.

  Reckless was spent, his grief cried out for the moment. He watched Joe with his sister and caught Joe’s eye. Joe reached out a hand to him. Reckless took it and nodded his thanks to him. Then he let it go and went to talk to his uncle.

  Black Fox gave him a slight smile.

  “Uncle, I am going to the reservation with you. My place is with our people,” Reckless informed him.

  The chief put his hands on Reckless’ shoulders. “No, nephew. You are better to stay in town. You can be of great use to us there. Joe and I will work it out that you will be able to come to us as you please. It is better for you to be free than cooped up on a reservation.”

  “I want to be with all of you,” Reckless said. “I need to be with you.”

  “And you will be as much as possible, but you will not live on the reservation. I am your chief and your uncle and this is what I have decided. It is the same for Owl, Raven, and Minx. She is better with Joe. Do not try to disobey me in this,” Black Fox said in a stern tone.

  Reckless felt anger flare inside him as he looked into his uncle’s eyes. “You would deny me my family and the choice of how I live my life?”

  “Do you not see that you have an opportunity to continue to show the whites around here that they have nothing to fear from us? Do you not see that any money you earn still helps us? By staying free, you are helping us more than if you come to the reservation,” Black Fox said. “Do you really want your wife and children to be prisoners?”

  Reckless didn’t want to see his point, but he acknowledged the wisdom in his uncle’s words. He heaved a sigh and nodded. “I will do as you ask, chief.”

  Black Fox smiled and hugged Reckless. “You have always made your parents proud, even with all of your crazy actions. They often remarked upon it.”

  Tears started anew in Reckless’ eyes. “Thank you.” He brushed them away. “I will go help with the scaffolding. We will need a lot of it.”

  Black Fox watched him walk away and then looked to the sky. “I do not know why this has happened, but I pray that you will make it clear to me, Wakan Tanka. Until then, I will continue to do my best for our people, even though my heart is heavy with grief.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Joe arrived home at dawn the next day, exhausted, dirty, and bloody from where he’d cut his arms in a visible sign of his grief. Lacey couldn’t reconcile his appearance with that of her usually impeccably dressed husband. These things combined with his shorn hair made him look so different. He’d kept his shirt on until they’d gone into their room so that he didn’t frighten Emily.

  When Lacey helped him out of it, she gasped when she saw the lacerations on his arms.

  “What happened? Why do you have these cuts?” she asked.

  Joe said, “They’re to show my grief.”

  She looked at him with a startled expression. “You did this to yourself?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, Joe. Let’s get you cleaned up. I’ll have a bath drawn for you.”

  “Thank you, darlin’.”

  Lacey went out into the hallway and shut the door. She found Randall in the kitchen with Addie.

  “Randall, Joe is home. Can you have Brit or someone get a bath ready for him?” she asked.

  “Of course. Right away. How is he?”

  Lacey shook her head and walked back out of the kitchen.

  Randall and Addie exchanged sad glances and Randall went to carry out her request.

  *****

  After breakfast, which was a mostly silent affair where no one ate very much, Joe had Emily go to the playroom so he could talk to the grownups present.

  “The actual burials won’t be until tomorrow morning. I’ll go back later on today after I sleep some. Anyone who wants to come along and help would be welcome. I’m gonna take the Clydesdales and load up a bunch of stuff from Elliot’s to take to them. They need food and clothing. I know it won’t be Lakota clothing, but at least they’ll have something to wear.”

  Eddie said, “I’ll go back with you.”

  “Me, too,” Deena chimed in.

  Joe looked at her and said, “I’d like to talk to you and Eddie alone for a few minutes. Let’s go to my office.”

  Eddie and Deena looked at each other and then followed Joe. Once in his office, he said, “Deena, your buddy, Carter, said to tell you that none of this is your fault.”

  Deena frowned. “Carter? What does he have to do with this?”

  “You didn’t know he was in the military? I find that hard to believe,” Joe said.

  “He is? He never mentioned that to me.”

  “Not in all the times you met him for lunch?” Joe asked.

  Eddie jumped into the conversation. “You had lunch with him? When and why?”

  Deena looked at Eddie and said, “It was only a few times and we were just catching up.”

  “Where? At the Grady House?” Eddie asked.

  “No. Wolfe Point,” she said as she met his gaze.

  “You neglected to te
ll me about these lunches,” Eddie said.

  “Y’all can talk about that later, Eddie,” Joe said. “What kind of information did you give him about our tribe, Deena?”

  Deena could feel her ire begin to rise. “What are you accusing me of?”

  “I just want to know what you told him.”

  “Nothing, really. Mainly just about how nice Reckless is and that he’s a good bouncer,” Deena said.

  “Nothing about where the camp was? Think hard,” Joe said.

  Deena looked Joe in the eyes and said, “No, nothing about the camp. I don’t know where it is. I know where the old one was, but not the new one. Why would Carter say such a thing? I swear I didn’t mention anything that would have led anyone to them.”

  Joe nodded. “I believe you. I’m just trying to figure out how they found them. I know there are people who know, but they’re people who wouldn’t say anything.”

  “And you think I would?” Deena said as her chin rose.

  “Not on purpose. As far as you knew, Carter was just an old friend.” Joe cast a look at Eddie and saw that his friend’s face was slightly red, a sure sign Eddie was angry. “Without him sayin’ anything, you wouldn’t have known he was in the army. He was sneaky and knew what he was doing, too. Thanks for clearing that up for me.”

  “Sure,” Deena said and turned on her heel, leaving the office in quick, angry strides. Eddie was right behind her. He took hold of her arm and stopped her. “You may have satisfied Joe, but not me. We’re goin’ home to talk about a few things, wife.”

  Deena didn’t like the hard light in Eddie’s eyes. “Fine.”

  They walked in silence to the first barn and up the stairs to their apartment.

  “How many times did you meet with him?” Eddie said without preamble.

  “Maybe three or four times, Eddie. We just had lunch,” she said.