by Linda Bridey
“What were you doing in Wolfe Point?”
Deena hedged. “I can’t tell you that.”
Eddie narrowed his eyes. “Can’t or won’t?”
“Both.”
“Were these meetings before or after we were married?” Eddie asked.
“Both.”
“And in all the times you met for these secret lunches, Carter never mentioned one little thing about being in the army?”
Deena shook her head. “No. I swear I didn’t know.”
Eddie let out a sarcastic laugh. “I don’t believe you about any of it.”
“How can you say that to me?” Deena asked, as her chest grew tight with anger.
“You forget, Deena, I’ve seen how easily you can lie when you want to and make it sound like the truth,” Eddie said.
She gasped. “That was only in special circumstances.”
“Well, trying to cover up an affair would be a special circumstance, don’t you think?” Eddie said.
Deena’s face went white. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing from him. “You think I was cheating on you?”
“What else am I supposed to think? I knew nothing about these meetings with Carter, who just happens to start coming around all of a sudden, and now you won’t tell me what you were doing with him? What would you think if you were in my shoes, Deena?” Eddie asked.
“I would give you the benefit of the doubt.”
His snort of derision echoed off the walls in their parlor. “Sure you would. You’d be screaming for me to answer your questions and you know it!” The thought of Deena being with another man, especially the man who had betrayed their tribe and many of the people of Dawson, drove him wild with anger and jealousy. “I know you didn’t cheat before our wedding. That I could tell.”
Deena’s face burned with embarrassment over what he meant.
“But after? Maybe since you knew what it was all about now, you decided to see if you liked it as much with him as you did me. Was that it? You wanted to do a little comparing?” Eddie asked.
Tears of anger and humiliation welled in her eyes, but Deena turned from him and walked into their bedroom. She pulled a suitcase from the closet and put it on the bed. She tried not to think about the love they’d made in it as she opened it.
“What are you doing?” Eddie had followed her.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m packing. I can’t stay here with someone who thinks I’m an adulteress.”
Eddie said, “You’re not denying it, Deena, and you won’t tell me what you were doing, so you’re not easing my mind any.”
Deena remained silent as she put clothes in the suitcase. Eddie watched her the whole time. When she was done, she closed the suitcase and said, “I’ll be at Joe’s. I’ll also still be working, but I won’t be reporting to you. I know what I’m to do and if I need anything, I’ll go to Joe.”
“Deena, just tell me why you were meeting him,” Eddie said.
“No. I’ll take this up there and be back to start my work,” she said and walked from the room.
*****
“Of course you can stay,” Lacey said, as she and Deena sat in the parlor after she had told Lacey what had happened. “There’s no hope of working it out?”
“Not as long as he thinks I’m a cheater, no.” Deena was numb with misery. “How could he think that of me?”
Lacey said, “Maybe you should just tell him why you were there.”
“No. He should trust me,” Deena said. “Thanks for letting me stay. I’ll just put this in my old room and start work.”
“You’re not going to camp with us?” Lacey asked.
“No. I don’t want to be accused of anything to do with what happened to them, so I’m just going to stay here and work. There’s plenty to be done. I can help keep things running smoothly here so you and Joe can go help without worrying,” Deena said, and turned away from Lacey.
*****
Eddie and Deena avoided each other the next couple of days and the rift between them grew. Joe felt horrible and tried to bridge the divide between them, but neither would budge. However, he didn’t have a lot of time to spend on them since he was helping at the camp so much.
On the day of the burial ceremonies, a large number of Dawsonites attended and mourned along with the Lakota. Ritual wailing and crying filled the canyon as the bodies were placed on high scaffolding to be decomposed naturally by the elements. Reckless helped Marcus, Owl, and Black Fox raise their parents upwards. Minx and Brook stood nearby. As Reckless’ gaze swept down through the canyon, he saw the spirit of his great grandfather, Brown Stag, off to the side and felt a hard gust of air move over the crowd.
“Grandfather, why did you not send me a message so that I could have stopped this?” Reckless asked.
Brown Stag said, “You were not meant to stop it. It was inevitable.”
“But why our parents?”
“You are not alone in losing loved ones, Reckless. However, you have also been very blessed. Two very beloved people in your family were taken, but two more were given to you in return, grandson. Do you see now?”
Reckless thought about the birth of his twins.
“Ah, you do understand. As I knew you would, Reckless. You must start listening more closely, grandson. You must hear with your heart as well as your ears and mind,” Brown Stag said with a smile.
“Why is it that I can see you, but no one else does?”
“Twice you have crossed over into the land of the dead and twice you were pulled back. You have much more sight than others and must use it to help your people in the coming days and years,” Brown Stag said. His smile was kind. “You will see your parents again someday. Take comfort in that. This is the last you will see of me, grandson. It is time for me to move on for good.”
Reckless became panicked. “No! Who will guide me when I need it? Please don’t leave me. Do not leave us!”
Brown Stag pointed to his head and then his heart. “You have all you need in these places to guide you. Besides, there may be others who will speak to you. Keep your heart open, grandson. May Wakan Tanka bless you all the days of your life and all of your descendants.”
Reckless left where he now stood with his wife and sister, running towards Brown Stag, but the man faded from his vision quickly. By the time he reached where his great grandfather had stood, he had disappeared. Reckless’ shoulders slumped in dismay as he realized that Brown Stag was truly gone.
Suddenly, he heard his eagle cry from above. He looked up and then ducked as the bird of prey dove down at him and cried out. Up he soared again and came back once more, but he hovered this time, beating the air at Reckless with his mighty wings. Reckless did not fear the beautiful bird as he looked in its eye. He knew that he would not see this eagle again, either.
As they looked at each other, Reckless swore the bird winked at him and then with an ear-piercing cry, the eagle lifted off again, rising ever higher in the sky before flying away over the canyon wall and out of sight. Though he still grieved, Reckless also had a sense of peace settle over him as he turned and rejoined Brook and Minx.
*****
Eddie sat in his office, trying to go over the budget, but it was useless. All he could think about was his wife and how much he missed her. It had only been a couple of days, but he craved being near her and to know that he couldn’t talk to her, touch her, or laugh with her, depressed him. The one time he’d tried to talk to her about the situation, she still refused to tell him why she’d been in Wolfe Point seeing Carter.
He hated Carter with a passion, both for what he’d done to their tribe and for whatever role he had in Deena’s life. If he met up with the man again, he would probably kill him. He hadn’t liked him from the first moment he’d met him and couldn’t fathom what Deena had ever seen in him.
Eddie sighed and threw down his pencil in frustration. He had no idea what to do about the situation with Deena. He was not good at resolving conflict between t
he sexes because he’d never really had to do it. At least in such a serious case as this. All he was asking for was the truth. Why was it so hard for her to tell him? Husbands and wives shouldn’t have secrets. He groaned aloud just as Lacey came into the office.
“Hi,” she said. “Are you busy?”
“I was tryin’ to be, but it’s not working,” he said with a grim smile. “What can I do for you?”
“Any luck at all with talking to Deena,” she asked.
“Nope. She won’t budge and I can’t just accept that she won’t tell me what I want to know. If it’s nothin’ bad, why not tell me? I don’t get it. Do you and Joe have secrets from each other?” Eddie asked.
“No, we don’t,” Lacey said with a smile. “I remember what Joe said to me the day we first met and I tried to lie to him about why I had a bruise on my cheek. He said, ‘Miss Reagan, let’s not start off this relationship with a lie’. We’ve been truthful with each other about everything since then.”
“That’s what I want. I mean, even if I don’t like what she tells me, I want to know the truth,” Eddie said. “I know I’m not blameless. I said a few horrible things to her.”
“Don’t let it go on too long, Eddie,” Lacey warned.
“That’s really up to her, Lacey. When she decides to fill me in on everything, I’ll be ready to listen and work things out, but I can’t do that until she’s ready to talk to me.”
Lacey sighed. “Ok. I understand. Well, I have to go. I’m going along with Joe and the tribe to the reservation.”
Eddie’s face took on an angry, depressed expression. “I still can’t believe it. And that snake, Carter, better hope I don’t ever see him again. Tell Black Fox how sorry I am and that I’ll keep in touch.”
“I will. See ya, Eddie.”
“Bye.”
After she’d gone, Eddie leaned his head back against his chair and blew out a breath. It seemed like the whole world was upside down at the moment and he didn’t know how to right it again.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The line of Lakota traveling to Fort Peck was mainly silent as they entered a new chapter of their lives. A very depressing chapter. Chief Black Fox stared stoically ahead except when spoken to by Joe, who rode on his left side, or Raven, who rode on his right. Every so often, Black Fox would look surreptitiously at Joe and it would make him smile a little. The man’s face was extremely expressive and it wasn’t hard to guess what Joe was thinking about.
One moment the mayor would look furious, then amused, then confused. Black Fox would take humor where he could get it because what they were about to do was anything but humorous. Surrendering was the hardest thing Black Fox had ever had to do, but there was no avoiding it any longer. He once again pushed his own anger, hatred, and fear down deep. He must keep a level head at all costs to make the transition as easy as possible for his people; a near impossible feat, he was sure.
He was grateful to Joe for his continued support and friendship, as well as that of his white family. He knew that somewhere behind him rode many who were not Lakota by blood, but in spirit, who were devastated that their family were being forced to live so far away from them. They would ride as far as they were allowed before turning back.
Dean and his brother, Seth Samuels were among this group. They talked quietly as they rode, their faces grim and their hearts heavy. Suddenly Dean picked up a voice he knew well. In disbelief, he watched as his daughter Katie raced by them on her cowpony towards the front of the line.
“Damn her! I told her to stay home!” Dean said.
“And I told you that was a waste of your breath,” Seth said with a smile.
Dean threw Seth an annoyed look and started moving his horse to go after her. Seth grabbed Dean’s reins, stopping him. “Leave her be, Dean. Leave her be.”
*****
Black Fox also heard his niece calling to him and urged his horse ahead a little because he knew what was coming. He was both annoyed and very happy that she was there. She pulled her cowpony to a slow walk and threw her reins to a startled Joe. She slid off the pony and ran for Black Fox. He couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face as he held down a hand to her and helped swing her up behind him on his horse.
Immediately, she squeezed him hard enough to make him grunt. “Easy, little one. You will break this old man’s ribs.”
“You are not old, uncle. Pa will be mad, but I could not stay away,” she answered in Lakota. “I wanted to ride as far as I could.”
Black Fox grunted his understanding. “Do not tell him, but I am glad just this once that you disobeyed.”
The chief heard his son snicker and grinned. He was glad that Raven was well enough to make the journey, but knew his son was not happy about him decreeing that he also stay in Dawson. So be it. He had heard about the rampant poverty on the reservations and he knew that Raven would be able to find a job quickly and make money for their band, just as Reckless did. He wasn’t about to let his people starve because the military didn’t know what they were doing or didn’t care about their needs.
Black Fox knew that Joe would have given them unending funds, but he didn’t want to rely on Joe. He’d done plenty as it was. He also didn’t want the other bands getting jealous and inciting fights because they had more than they did. That wasn’t the Lakota way. Material possessions outside of horses and weapons were not meant to be kept in great quantities.
He felt Katie’s hands pat his chest and smiled at her unspoken attempt to comfort him. He would not tell anyone, but it actually was a comfort to have her with him. Then he looked over at Joe again and thought about the way the man had cut himself in grief, the same as any Lakota would do. He knew Joe was not the only white person who had and it amazed him that they had acquired so many white friends and family members. It made him happy to know so many cared, also sad because it was that many more people to say goodbye to.
He sighed and looked at Raven, who sat brooding on his horse and frowned. His son was tall like him, yet had his mother’s softer facial features. He would have easily found a wife on the reservation with his handsome looks and genial personality, but that was not the path he wanted for their son. He thought of Minx and knew that she, too, had wanted to go to the reservation, but he didn’t want her baby born there. It would be hard but in time, they would be happy again. His own daughter, Winona, was not like the others and would not survive outside their tribe.
Too soon the dreaded fort came into view and it was time to bid farewell to those who would go back to Dawson. Black Fox sighed and stopped his horse to begin the heart-wrenching task.
*****
Deena rode her third horse of the day, concentrating on the animal very hard to avoid thinking about her husband as anything other than a trainer who was giving her instructions. This was another horse that was having trouble learning how to switch leads smoothly and Eddie was trying to improve the ability since the horse was a cowpony and needed to do it properly.
“Deena, I said keep him in the opposite lead for at least five minutes before letting him switch again,” he complained. He was doing his best to not be overly hard on her just because they were having problems, but it was hard not to take out his frustrations on her, especially since she was the cause of them.
“I’m trying, believe me,” Deena said.
“Why should I?” The words were out before he could stop them.
She brought the horse around and came to a stop in front of him where he stood in the center of the riding ring. “If you’re gonna make cracks like that, you can just leave me be and I’ll have Lacey help me.”
Eddie smiled sarcastically at her. “I think that’s a good idea. I’ll go get her. In the meantime, do as I said.”
Deena rode her horse away from him to keep from watching his nice backside as he left the ring.
The tension between them had escalated and Eddie had taken to eating at his apartment. His empty place at the table made things a little more strained
than they already were. It had been two weeks since the tribe had turned themselves in and Joe was morose much of the time. Minx was just as bad, and the two of them butted heads continually. Charlie was barely able to hold his tongue in check with Joe because he was keeping Minx under tight wraps. Emily was a bright spot at their table and sometimes her chatter was the only thing that made them smile.
Deena went to Alice’s frequently to lessen the chances of seeing Eddie. Every time she did, it was like a dagger was driven into her stomach and her chest hurt. At the same time, he infuriated her with his smart remarks and condescending attitude. Often they ended up in a shouting match that left them both shaken and filled with desire for each other.
No one around the Dwyer estate seemed to be sleeping well, except the children and Randall, who simply refused to let it all get to him. Until it did. One night as they were all sitting around the table, including Eddie, three separate bickering matches broke out and Randall could take no more. Calmly, he motioned to Emily, who sat laughing at all of it and had her follow him to the playroom.
“Now, you stay here until someone comes for you. I have to talk to the grownups and it will be boring. Perhaps draw me a picture. I need a new one. Will you please do that?” he asked.
“Sure, Randall,” Emily said, and started getting out her paper and crayons.
Back out in the dining room among all the chaos, Randall drew in a deep breath and shouted, “Shut the hell up!”
Everyone froze in place as though time had stopped. They looked at the butler in utter shock. They had never heard Randall yell, much less swear. It was so amusing that Randall almost smiled, but he kept the expression from his face.
“Now, you are all being complete ninnies. Eddie and Deena, you are fighting and acting utterly foolish about something that could have been settled long ago. Deena, simply tell Eddie what it is he wants to know. No matter your reasons for not telling him. Just tell him. Eddie, stop being a sarcastic ass. Perhaps if you had, she would have told you by now. There, that should solve that issue.”
Eddie and Deena looked at each other but remained silent.