by Linda Bridey
Skip nodded. “That’s right. You were gonna keep traveling with us anyhow, so just keep doing that. Live in the moment, as they say.”
“You’re a pretty smart fella.”
Her gaze moved over his face, touching on his well-defined cheeks, strong jaw, and his sensual male mouth. When she looked back into his eyes, she saw that they had darkened. Claude had looked at her that way, and her breathing quickened as she realized that Skip wanted to kiss her. She shouldn’t have, but she wanted him to.
Skip’s shyness rose again and he couldn’t force any more words past his lips. Lowering his gaze, he created some space between them and took out a hanky from his pocket.
Taking it from him, Peanut said, “I’m really tired of having to use one of these.”
Skip said, “Things will get better.”
He patted her shoulder, suddenly awkward around her once again. However, when she held out a hand to him, he took it, making sure she didn’t trip as they walked back through the woods to their day camp.
*****
Black Fox found Skip along the bank of the small creek they’d camped by that night.
“No luck?” he asked, sitting down next to him.
“Nope. I’m not getting any answers. I don’t think there are any frogs around here.”
Eyeing Skip’s wild hair, he said, “You look like a shaggy dog.”
Skip laughed. “Yeah. I kinda like it, though. I never let it get long before.”
“I like it, too. It makes you look even funnier than normal,” Black Fox joked.
“I love you, too,” Skip said sardonically.
He tried a couple of frog calls, but they were met with silence.
“Dang. I was hoping to get at least a couple. Peanut keeps having cravings for them and I wanted to make some for her,” Skip said.
“That is very kind of you,” Black Fox said. “You like her, do you not?”
Skip’s cheeks warmed. “Am I crazy because I do?”
“You are crazy, but not because you are attracted to her. Why do you feel that you are crazy?”
“Because I’m just a boy and I don’t have anything to offer her. Besides, I can’t even talk around her.”
“You are no longer a boy, Skip. You are a young man. You graduated, remember?”
Skip nodded. “Yeah.”
Black Fox asked, “If you could talk around her, what would you say to her?”
Skip jumped right in. “So much. I’d tell her how beautiful she is—she’s gorgeous. I love her red hair and those big blue eyes of hers! And she’s such a good mother, too. And she’s strong to have protected Annie even while she was falling down a mountainside and had her leg stuck under a boulder.
“That takes real courage and love for your baby to do that. And she’s funny and feisty and sweet, too. And smart. I’d tell her all about my family and Dawson and our friends and my job, too. And jokes, too. Anything, really. But it doesn’t matter. I’ll never tell her.”
Black Fox frowned. “Why not?”
“She’s too hurt right now and the last thing she needs is some weird guy who can’t even talk to her pestering her. She’s got a baby and one on the way, and they’re way more important than me. I know she doesn’t want anything to do with a man, and who can blame her? The last one was the biggest, most awful jackass in the world. It won’t be easy for her to trust a man again,” Skip said.
“It depends on the man,” Black Fox said. “If she were yours, how would you treat her?”
“I’d show her how special she is every day. Like Pa does with Ma. He’s always bringing her flowers or little treats. Takes her out and sometimes they just go for a walk. He makes her laugh when she’s sad and he makes supper because he knows she’ll be tired when she gets home. A lot of guys won’t do housework, but he does all the time. It’s so funny that he won’t let her scrub floors. He doesn’t want her getting callouses on her pretty knees,” Skip said.
Black Fox laughed. “He has said that to me, too. One day he scolded me because I did not scrub floors for Beth. He said I should care more about her knees.”
Skip laughed, too. “Yep. That’s Pa. He might not have just one job, but he works a couple and helps bring in money. I would do the same thing so that Peanut didn’t have to worry about where the next meal was coming from or if there was enough money to take the kids to the doctor or just so that there was a little money for special things.”
Black Fox was surprised. “You have very strong feelings for her. I did not know that.”
“I told you I was crazy. How can I feel like this? We just met and she was almost murdered and I can barely talk to her and she has a baby and we just met and she doesn’t know me—”
“You already said that,” Black Fox interjected.
Skip chuckled. “Sorry.” He sighed. “I haven’t even kissed a girl, but I’m thinking that far ahead about her.”
The chief was stunned. “You have never kissed a girl?”
“Nope. I can’t talk to one let alone kiss one.” Skip groaned and buried his face in his hands. “I wish I was different. I wish that all the time.”
“I do not wish you were different and neither do many people. Your father used to say the same thing until he came to understand why so many people love him. The same is true for you, Justin,” Black Fox said.
“I know. I make everyone laugh and that’s a good thing.”
“It is much more than that. You are a good, kind, decent young man. You are always willing to help whenever necessary. Like the way you help with Annie. No one has to ask you to; you just do it. It was your idea for Peanut to ride Dash and you fixed his saddle for her every morning. You are very thoughtful and intelligent,” Black Fox said. “You are an excellent hunter and a good tracker, too. You also fight well. If I had known you back when my grandfather led our people, you would have been a very respected man. Not that you are not now, but Grandfather would have held you in high regard.”
Skip grinned. “He would have?”
“Yes, and that is a high compliment.”
“It sure is and I’m really proud that you think he’d like me,” Skip said.
“You have a lot to offer a woman. It is also a special man who is willing to accept children who are not of his making. It shows great strength of character. Perhaps Peanut is not ready for romance, but I am sure she would not mind having a special friend. If you are willing to be patient, you may be rewarded. Stranger things have happened, such as a Lakota chief helping to run an orphanage,” Black Fox said. “Or your father performing Shakespeare in a wood shop.”
He and Skip laughed at that.
Black Fox rose. “I will leave you to think about that. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Grandfather.”
Black Fox nodded and walked away. He stopped where he’d made Peanut wait in the shadows. He gave her a wink and patted her shoulder before going on his way. As he lay down to sleep that night, Black Fox smiled to himself over his machinations. He was a romantic at heart and he enjoyed playing matchmaker, which was why he’d arranged for Peanut to hear what was in Skip’s heart.
Skip would never have been able to say all of that to her, but now she knew how he felt. What she did with that knowledge was up to her, but he thought that perhaps a seed had been sown. One that he hoped might take hold and flourish. He prayed that Wakan Tanka might bless the two young people with new love and happiness.
He also praised Wakan Tanka for their success in finding Runner and looked forward with great anticipation to seeing his grandson again. As the moon shone down, Black Fox thought, Yes, Great Spirit, my heart is full of gratitude for the many blessings that You have bestowed upon me and my family. I ask that You continue to help us and keep us safe until we return home.
Chapter Seven
Runner waited anxiously for his family to arrive at the general store in Pringle. He couldn’t keep still, instead pacing back and forth. His family was almost there—his people. If it hadn’t bee
n so important, he would never have left home. Besides, he’d needed time to accept certain truths.
He’d hurt his loved ones, but it had been necessary. The sacrifice that Wakan Tanka had asked of him had been one that he’d been more than willing to make for his family’s sake. He only hoped that they would truly forgive him once they knew all of the reasons behind his actions.
Ken and Doreen had offered to come with him to meet his family, but Runner had politely declined, knowing that there might be some unpleasantness. He prayed for a peaceful reunion as he continued to pace in the hot July sun.
*****
Power hummed inside Reckless’ body as they approached Pringle and he wondered how Runner withstood it all the time. He must have gotten used to it. It filled the air and he breathed it into his lungs. His spirit felt ready to fly at a moment’s notice and he had to work hard to stay inside his body. It wasn’t time to let it loose.
Mike rode beside him and noticed that Reckless often closed his eyes while they moved along.
“Are you all right?” he asked in Lakota.
Reckless nodded. “Yes. The power is almost overwhelming here. The spirits are not happy. It is good that Runner has brought us here.”
“Why are they not happy?” Mike asked.
“I do not know, but Runner will,” Reckless responded.
Mike fell silent then, letting Reckless concentrate.
*****
No one made very much noise as they neared Pringle. An expectant tension hung in the air, making them feel as though being loud would be disrespectful. Even Jonathan and Dino, who were always clowning around, were uncharacteristically quiet.
They entered the tiny town and saw a lone figure standing by the mercantile. Raven’s eyes never left it as he put his horse into a trot. Runner’s smiling face came into focus and Raven marveled in the changes in his son, how much he’d grown and matured. Happiness filled him and he slid from his horse while it was still moving.
Runner felt like a little boy again as he ran for his father, not caring that he was almost nineteen winters old. The two men collided, wrapping their arms around each other and holding on tightly while tears of joy flowed down their faces. Neither could speak for long moments as their hearts spoke for them.
Finally, Raven drew back, holding Runner’s face in his hands. “Look at you! You have grown so much! You look well, my son.”
Runner beamed. “I am well, Father. I am so happy to see you. I have missed you so much. You look well, too. I see you have not missed any meals.”
Raven laughed. “No, I am well fed.”
Black Fox playfully nudged Raven aside. “It is my turn,” he said, before embracing his grandson.
Runner hugged him back. “I missed you, Grandfather. I have been waiting for you. There is so much to tell you. Brown Stag waits for us all,” he said rapidly, his expression almost frenzied.
“Shh. There will be time for that, Grandson.” He didn’t want Runner to become overwrought. “Let us just enjoy seeing each other again.”
Runner brought his emotions under control somewhat and nodded as Black Fox released him. He’d seen that Hailey had accompanied them and he sensed her anger. This would be a hard greeting.
“Hau, sister,” he said as she came to stand before him.
When he’d left, Hailey had been on the same eye level as him. Now she had to look up to meet his gaze. “Han, brother. How could you leave like that? How could you break our mother’s heart? All of our hearts?”
“Please try to understand. This was a journey I had to take. Brown Stag came to me and I could not refuse him,” Runner said. “You will see that I had good reasons for leaving. Please do not be angry when I am so happy to see my big sister again.”
Hailey’s temper cooled in the face of his contrite behavior. She’d never been able to stay angry with her little brother. Tears of happiness fell from her eyes as she hugged him.
“Never do that again! Do you hear me?”
Runner smiled. “Yes. I hear you.”
He greeted the rest of the family, but Reckless declined to embrace him.
“It will be too much for me,” he said. “Please do not be offended, cousin.”
Runner smiled understandingly. “When I first got here, I had to literally crawl, so I understand. It is like climbing a high mountain where the air is so thin. It took me a while to get used to it. You are much stronger than me, though, so you are able to stay upright.”
“Barely,” Reckless said, sitting down on the porch of the store.
“We will stay for a little while so you can rest,” Runner said.
Eric introduced Runner to Jaylyn and Peanut.
He smiled at them. “It’s good to meet the Four Winds that Wakan Tanka sent to guide them here. I’m sorry that we’ve been rude in speaking Lakota. We can’t help ourselves.”
Jaylyn said, “It’s ok. I would’ve been surprised if you hadn’t. It’s good to meet you. We’re lucky that your family came along or else we’d be dead.”
Runner said, “We were all destined to meet.”
Reckless stood again. “I am all right now.”
“Ok,” Runner said. “I’ll take you to meet the people who’ve become family to me. You’ll like them.”
He retrieved his horse and the rest followed him down the road. A few people watched with curiosity as the procession went by. Runner spoke to a couple of them, but ignored the others.
Raven rode next to him. “They do not seem friendly,” he said in Lakota.
Runner’s upper lip curled. “They are not. They do not like Indians and they do not like that I criticize what is being done to Paha Sapa and Wa-shun Wakan. I will explain all of that later.”
Raven put a hand on his arm. “Please tell me that you are coming home with us.”
“Yes, Father. Once we do what I brought you here to do, I will return home again,” Runner said.
Relief flowed through Raven and he took his hand away. Black Fox suddenly let out a surprised gasp. The rest of their party stopped when he halted his horse. Up ahead, a black fox sat in the middle of the dirt road, its amber eyes trained on the chief.
“It is my spirit helper,” he said, dismounting.
Slowly he walked towards the fox, careful not to scare it away. However, the fox showed no fear, allowing him to walk right up to it. Black Fox knelt on one knee, stretching out a hand to the beautiful animal. As it had on the day Black Fox had first encountered his spirit helper and namesake, the fox took his hand in his mouth, exerting a gentle pressure with his fangs. It was a reminder of the bond between them.
Black Fox smiled. “It is good to see you again, brother. Thank you for letting me know that it is good that I have made this trip.”
The fox let his hand go, licked it once, and trotted off into the bushes along the side of the road. Black Fox stood back up and turned back to the rest with a grin on his face. Lifting his arms to the sky, he let out a war trill, which was immediately echoed by his family.
“It is good!” he shouted and trilled another happy cry.
Jaylyn and Peanut didn’t know what to make of it all, but Annie gave a happy shriek and clapped enthusiastically. Peanut noticed that Squirrel and Hailey had joined in, so she assumed that women were allowed to participate.
Reckless watched his uncle walk back to them, but his image wavered, flickering back and forth between the present-day chief and the young man he’d once been. It meant that Black Fox’s soul was being rejuvenated by the power around them, almost like a battery being recharged.
Black Fox mounted his pony and took off at a canter even though he didn’t know where they were going. The need to race along on his horse was overwhelming and he couldn’t hold back the urge. His family followed along, laughing and trilling with him.
Eric urged Jaylyn forward with him and she laughed as their horses tore down the road. She felt free and more alive than she had in a long time. As they galloped along, she understood the appeal o
f living as the Lakota once had. Their way of life was simple, beautiful, and exciting and she felt privileged to be included on their journey.
Peanut couldn’t ride that fast since she held Annie, but Skip stayed back with her to keep her company.
“You can go on ahead,” she said. “You don’t have to miss out on the fun.”
He smiled at her. “I don’t mind.”
Peanut had seen Skip in a new light ever since the night Black Fox had purposely arranged for her to overhear their conversation. “Are you ever going to say more than three words at a time to me?”
“I’m trying.”
“Well, try harder. You talk to that mule more than you do to me. It made me think you were mad at me or that you didn’t like me,” Peanut said honestly.
Skip’s eyes rounded. “Of course I like you! That’s the problem. I like you a lot. I mean a lot. More than I should, I guess. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I’m sorry. I tried to show you how much I like you, but I know that’s not the same thing as talking and sometimes people need to hear things. I know that, but it was the only way I could think of to make you see that I like you.
“I know you were just betrayed and all, but I think you’re beautiful and Claude was the biggest ass in the whole world not to appreciate you and Annie and to try to kill you! And if I ever saw him, I’d kill him. He deserves no less and I’d make it a slow painful death, I’ll tell you that!”
The flood gates had opened and Skip couldn’t shut his mouth.
“You’re too good for the likes of him! You deserve someone who’ll appreciate you and Annie. And your other little one on the way. You’re so strong and kind and I love the way the sun turns your hair into a flame and the way your eyes shine when you smile. Ok, that’s probably way too much more than you want to know or wanted me to say, but you wanted me to talk, so now I am and you’re probably sorry about that.”
Peanut’s stomach hurt from laughing so much. “Way too much more?” she managed to get out.