Meet the New Dawn

by Rosanne Bittner

  “Don’t talk about it now, LeeAnn.”

  “But you don’t know! You don’t know! He was … demented! Sadistic! I can’t … think about being with anyone else—ever! I just want to be left alone!”

  He forced her to him, embracing her, until she broke into sobbing against his chest and clung to his jacket. “I don’t believe that, LeeAnn.” He kissed her hair. “And the best way to forget that man is to let a man love you the right way, show you the beauty of it, show you a man can be gentle. That’s the only way you’ll get over this, LeeAnn. And some day you’ll let that happen, and the man will be me. I can’t bear the thought of it being anyone else.”

  She cried for several minutes, while Matthew began running up and down the hallway, oblivious to his mother’s problems. Joshua kept kissing her hair, then moved his lips to her temple. “LeeAnn,” he whispered. “Don’t cry, LeeAnn.” He took a handkerchief from his pocket, and keeping his left arm around her he reached up with his right hand and began wiping at her eyes and nose as she leaned back slightly. She finally met his eyes, and then he was leaning closer. She wasn’t sure why she let him kiss her. Perhaps she only wanted to know if he could be telling the truth. He met her mouth in the sweetest, most tender kiss she had ever tasted. Charles had never kissed her this way, even before they were married. It made her tremble with feelings totally new to her in spite of being a married woman with a child.

  The kiss lingered for several seconds until he finally pulled away, smiling. “See? Was that so terrible?”

  She closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest again. “Joshua, I can’t promise anything right now.”

  “You think I don’t know that? I just wanted to give you something to think about. I promise not to do that again and not to press you about anything else.” He gave her a squeeze. “Now get some sleep.”

  She pulled away, slightly flushed from the kiss. She unlocked her door, then looked up at him again, realizing he had to be much younger than Charles. “Josh, I don’t even know how old you are.”

  He grinned. “Twenty-six. Is that bad?”

  She opened the door, then bent down and picked up Matthew. “I guess not. I just thought of it. I’m twenty-eight. Is that bad?”

  His hazel eyes took in her voluptuous beauty. “I hardly call two years a problem. Considering the situation, that’s the least of our worries.”

  She smiled through tears. “I suppose so.” She put her fingers to her lips and reddened once more, feeling like a young innocent all over again. “Good-night, Josh.”

  His smile faded. “Good-night, LeeAnn. I … I hope I didn’t offend you. I do love you. I know you’re in a fix at the moment, but we’ll straighten it all out, LeeAnn—together.”

  She sniffed and held Matthew close. “I’m not offended, Josh. I’m flattered. Thank you for being such a good friend.”

  He sighed. “I want to be more than a good friend.”

  Their eyes held. “Bear with me, Josh. Give me some time.”

  He bowed slightly. “The first thing we’ll do is get you home, and you’ll be there in just a couple more days. Sleep tight.”

  He turned and went to his own room, and LeeAnn went into hers. Both of them slept restlessly that night.

  The train ride to Fort Lyon found LeeAnn Garvey more relaxed and happier than she had been in years. Nothing more was said about their feelings. What would be, would be. For now they were at least great friends. It felt good to have a man who really cared about her and intended to protect her. Little Matthew took to Josh well, and that was important, too. But LeeAnn could not bring herself to think any further than friendship for now. For the moment, the most important thing was that she was going home.

  They reached Fort Lyon, near the spot of old Bent’s Fort. What familiar territory! Her heart pounded with joy and excitement. Josh rented a buggy and horses, and they packed their gear on and headed west, for the Monroe ranch. It was nearly a three-day trip with horses, but LeeAnn didn’t mind. It felt good to be in this land again, to ride under the sun and sleep under the stars. Neither she nor Josh cared what anyone would think of their sleeping together in the wagon bed, keeping little Matthew between them for warmth. And LeeAnn found her love and respect for the man grow just because of his own respect and consideration for her. He never made suggestions or touched her wrongly, and did not even mention his love for her again. He would wait, with the care and patience only a man like Joshua Lewis could afford. His friendship was enough for now.

  The third day found the wagon clattering over the Monroe property, and LeeAnn’s eyes teared at the sight of the grand Appaloosas. She knew through Josh that Morgan ran the ranch now—knew about all the grandchildren and about Wolf’s Blood. The only thing she didn’t know was how her mother would welcome her. Did Abbie look the same? Did all of them look the same? Her throat ached now, her eyes brimming with tears. Now she could see the barn, noticing that it was not the same one she had left. Josh said he thought he remembered his mother writing him that the old barn had burned a few years back.

  She could see the house then. A woman was behind it hoeing up the ground for a garden. Who else could it be but Abbie, who insisted every year on a vegetable garden, one of the few people in the area who could get vegetables to grow well in ground not meant for much more than potatoes. A horse and rider came toward them now, and LeeAnn straightened and looked toward their approach, shading her eyes with her hand. The rider came closer, and LeeAnn’s eyes widened as though she were seeing a ghost. If she didn’t know better, she would have greeted him as her father.

  “Wolf’s Blood!” she said in a near whisper. He reined his mount to a halt and stared at her.

  “LeeAnn?”

  She nodded, suddenly hardly able to see him for the tears in her eyes. Wolf’s Blood looked from her to Joshua in confusion.

  “It’s a long story, Wolf’s Blood,” Joshua told him. “For the moment, it’s good to see you again. It’s been years.”

  Wolf’s Blood nodded. “It is good to see you also. But, how is it that my sister comes home with you?”

  “We’ll explain later. LeeAnn’s only concern now is how you and the family will accept her, after being away so long.”

  “Wolf’s Blood, I just found out about Father!” LeeAnn blurted out. “I didn’t know! I’m so sorry! And I’ve … been through so much … I just wanted to come home when I heard … and be with Mother … and stay here! Do you think she’ll let me stay?”

  He looked at the Indian child. “He is yours?”

  She nodded, and Wolf’s Blood held out his hand. “Climb up here with me, and keep the boy with you. I will ride you down to her. You know our mother. She will be happy you have come home. It will not matter to her what has happened before. And you bring her another grandchild. This is good for her lonely heart.”

  LeeAnn stood up and Wolf’s Blood sidled his horse up to the wagon, grasping her around the waist and lifting her up in front of him. Joshua handed up the baby and LeeAnn held him in front of her. Their eyes held.

  “Go ahead,” Josh told her. “I’ll give you some time alone. Then we’ll all talk.”

  She sniffed and swallowed. “Thank you, Josh.”

  Wolf’s Blood did not miss the look of love in Joshua’s eyes, and he was indeed curious to know what was going on. But for now, the important thing was for LeeAnn to see her mother. He turned his horse and rode down the hill, and LeeAnn could not help but be overwhelmed at how much her brother had turned out to be just like her father. Powerful bronze arms held her on the horse, and she wondered now why she had allowed herself to be ashamed of such strong, good, honest men. She had always been very different from Wolf’s Blood, she and Jeremy both so unlike the rest of the children. She wondered what had happened to Jeremy, for Josh had told her he didn’t think they had ever heard from him. How sad her father’s heart must have been over not seeing either of them before he died.

  They came closer, and Abbie’s face lit up. She t
hrew down the hoe and ran toward them, shouting LeeAnn’s name. In the next moment Wolf’s Blood was helping her down and her mother was embracing her, weeping uncontrollably, and LeeAnn wondered why she had doubted that this woman would welcome her or still love her. Abigail Trent Monroe had a tremendous capacity for loving … and forgiving.

  The group around the table was somber, for Abigail had paled to a sickening white as LeeAnn told her story. Except for Joshua, who stayed to give LeeAnn support, only direct family members were there for the moment: Wolf’s Blood, Margaret, Jason, Abbie, and LeeAnn. Abbie’s happiness over LeeAnn’s return and finding she had another grandson was hampered now by the knowledge that one of Zeke Monroe’s own daughters had married a Garvey.

  “She can’t be fully blamed,” Joshua spoke up for her. “None of you told her the whole story, and that isn’t her fault. She may have tried to change her life, but she’d not have gone so far as to marry a Garvey if she had known. And she’s been through a living hell. She’s left the man and wants to stay here with all of you, if you’ll let her.”

  Abbie tried to talk but could not make all the words come out. She sat there trembling, half choking. “It isn’t just—” She could not go on. She bent over, covering her face with her hands. Wolf’s Blood frowned with concern, coming over and grasping her shoulders, rubbing them gently.

  “It is not what you think,” he told the rest of them. His eyes rested on LeeAnn. “No one can blame you for something you did not know. The secret was kept for a reason. But none of you know the final truth about Winston Garvey, not even Dan and Bonnie. Only Father and I knew—and Mother.” He met Joshua’s eyes. “I think you should know now. And perhaps it will only accent more what a demented and dangerous man Charles Garvey could be.”

  Abbie broke into sobbing. It had been seventeen years, and still she could not forget the horror of it.

  “Somehow Winston Garvey figured out Father was the one who could tell him about the half-breed son he wanted to find and kill.” He looked at his brother and sisters. “You remember when Father was away during the Civil War, and outlaws came to the ranch and threatened to kill all of us if Mother did not go with them? When Father returned, he and I searched for Mother. We brought her home several weeks later. I think you remember what condition she was in. She almost died. Father and I never told you exactly what had happened to her.” He looked at Joshua again. “Winston Garvey had hired those men to take her away—to him. Garvey and two of his men kept her prisoner in an abandoned mine. They … tortured her … and they raped her … trying to get her to tell where you were. She did not tell them.”

  The room was dead silent, except for Abbie’s quiet weeping. LeeAnn paled. “My God!” she finally whispered. “And I married his son!”

  Joshua’s eyes teared. “Someone should have told us—me, my mother. What can I say, Wolf’s Blood? I … I owe my life to her.”

  “No one is to blame but Winston Garvey—for any of it. And we could not tell you because …” He looked around at all of them. It had been seventeen years. What could be done now? And who could be trusted more than these people? Besides, Zeke was dead. “Because we wanted no connections between Winston Garvey and myself and my father. That was very important.”

  LeeAnn frowned. “Charles told me his father disappeared one night, after an Indian raid on his ranch.”

  Wolf’s Blood’s dark eyes held hers. “Yes. He disappeared. And so did the two men who helped him hurt my mother. They were left in so many pieces in so many places that they could not possibly be found.”

  Her eyes widened. “You! And Father!”

  He nodded. “And I am the one who wounded Charles Garvey at Sand Creek. He rode with that bastard John Chivington, and he killed the Cheyenne girl I loved, and other women and children.”

  She put a hand to her head, astounded. Her own father had killed her husband’s father! Her husband had killed the girl Wolf’s Blood loved, and Wolf’s Blood had crippled Charles Garvey. How frightening it was to know how easily fate ruled people’s lives. She stood up on shaky legs and walked around the table toward the door. “I … I see I can’t stay here after all,” she said quietly. “I unknowingly … betrayed my family in the worst way, especially my parents.” She looked at her still-weeping mother. “I’m sorry, Mother. There is nothing else I can say. I’ll … find a place to go. I’m sure it’s difficult for you to even look at me.”

  She turned to go out.

  “LeeAnn!” Abbie called out, raising her head. LeeAnn turned, and Abbie wiped at her eyes. “I waited … all these years to see you again,” she told her daughter in a strained voice. “Now your father is gone. I want you to stay. Please don’t leave again. Not just for me … but for Zeke. He would never let you leave again.”

  LeeAnn’s chest ached with love. “Are you sure?”

  Abbie nodded. “You’re … our daughter. We understood why you felt you had to go away … after the Comanches. And how were you to know about the other?” She stood up. “Don’t leave me, LeeAnn.”

  The girl looked from her sister Margaret to her brothers. “What about the rest of the family?”

  “If we were all kicked out for our mistakes, none of us would be here, except maybe Jason,” Margaret spoke up. “He hasn’t been out there in the cold, cruel world enough to make any mistakes.” She tossled her young brother’s hair and he blushed. Then she sobered again. “After what I did in Denver, Father could have told me to go to hell, LeeAnn. But he didn’t. He and Mother just wanted me to come home.”

  LeeAnn nodded, then looked at her mother again, walking up to Abbie and hugging her. “I’m so sorry, Mama,” she whispered, feeling like a small girl again.

  Abbie patted her back and turned to Wolf’s Blood. “Go and fetch Ellen,” she told him. “LeeAnn hasn’t seen her yet. See if Ellen and Hal can both come and bring the children. We’ll have a real family get-together—maybe roast a side of beef.”

  Wolf’s Blood smiled. “I will get them. I can get there today yet.”

  Moments later Wolf’s Blood was riding east to his sister’s ranch, his heart lighter. They would all be together—all but Jeremy. But maybe some day Jeremy would come home, too, although he would not be as ready to welcome his wayward brother as he had been to welcome LeeAnn, who at least had a reason for what she had done. But he would not think about that now. They would have a royal feast and all be together, and he knew that someone else would be with them, too. They would all feel him walking among them as they ate and laughed and played with nieces and nephews. The one strength that had kept them a family was gone in body, but not in spirit.

  Joshua ended up staying for two weeks. It was a good time for all of them, and Abbie knew it was time to make a decision herself. She had promised Zeke she would do something for the Indians. The children were all settled, and it was obvious that LeeAnn and Joshua would inevitably end up together, once she settled matters with Charles Garvey. Joshua would soon be going north to see Dan and Bonnie. It was time to make the announcement. She stood up as they all sat around campfire: Joshua, LeeAnn, and Matthew; Margaret, Morgan, Little Zeke, and Nathan; Wolf’s Blood, Sonora, Kicking Boy, and Iris; Ellen, Hal, and little Lillian Rose; and twenty-year-old Jason. She motioned for all of them to be silent, and they quieted. They studied their mother as she obviously prepared to tell them something. She was still beautiful, still small. Her hair remained a lustrous reddish-brown, with only a hint of gray. Her eyes were still large and clear, and few wrinkles marred her smooth skin. For all the hell she had suffered over the years, she was indeed in marvelous health; and for all her five feet two inches, she was still a pillar of strength to the whole family.

  “I have been thinking about something for a long time,” she told them, “preparing myself, weighing the facts, remembering some promises I made to your father. I have waited to do what I must do because first I wanted to be strong enough. I had to know I can survive not only without your father, but without Wolf’s Blood.” Her
eyes met her son’s. “I am afraid that in your father’s absence I moved the share of the burden onto you, my son. I turned to you for my strength, because you are so much like your father. That was unfair. And I think that I can get by on my own strength now, the strength that your father said I always had but didn’t know. I guess he was right.”

  Wolf’s Blood frowned. “What are you saying, Mother?”

  “I am saying it’s time for me to leave here and go north.”

  There were a few gasps and some whispered objections. Abbie put up her hands. “Hear me out and please don’t try to stop me,” she told them. “Joshua will be going north soon to see Dan and Bonnie, so there is someone who can take me. Jason has often talked of wanting to be a doctor—one who helps Indians. Dan and Bonnie tell me there is a very good doctor at Fort Keogh who is getting old and who would not mind training someone. Jason would have the added advantage of being part Indian and understanding Cheyenne ways and superstitions. He could go with me and begin learning about doctoring. I in turn could teach, nurse, help some of the Indian women learn to cope with their new way of living—whatever. I made your father a promise, and more than that, he saw in a vision that I would not always stay here—that I would do something to help the People. It’s time I started doing it.”

  She turned to Margaret and Morgan. “You have run this ranch with little help for a long time,” she told them. “Zeke told you years ago that when he was gone the place was yours if you wanted it. I am giving it to you. I’ll sign over the deed. You two are settled and happy, and Little Zeke is eleven now, old enough to help out. You belong here. And Morgan, you’re as good with horses as Zeke was. He taught you many things.”

  “But, Mother—” Margaret spoke up.

  Abbie waved her off. “Let me finish.” She turned to Ellen. “Ellen, you and Hal have your own place. And you also are happy and settled.” She moved her eyes then to Wolf’s Blood. “And you, my very precious son, are free to do whatever your heart tells you to do. I know that for a long time you have wanted to take Sonora south to find some of her people. You have stayed here because of me. Your father has been dead for seventeen months now, and it is time for all of us to get on with our lives. I am sure the other children understand when I say that I would miss you most of all, because when I see you I see Zeke. But perhaps that isn’t so good after all. I am sure Margaret and Morgan would tell you that you are free to live here as you always have and be a part of this ranch. Or you can go south—except I want your promise that if you do, you will come back and not stay there.”