A Bride Worth Billions (18 page)

I woke up naked under a pile of blankets in front of a roaring fire. Job was nowhere to be seen until he bound in the door.

“Good morning! I had a burst of energy today so your woodpile is fully replenished. When I leave, you should be set for the rest of the winter. God, I feel great today. I’ll be able to rejoin my father in Oklahoma City as soon as I finish the porch. It won’t take long as the sky is clear and I won’t have any weather delays.”

“Good morning.” I thought that after baring all I would receive more than a greeting the next day. It seemed like Job couldn’t wait to leave my side. “Sounds good Job. Aren’t you a bit exhausted after last night?”

“Not in the least. I’m feeling on top of the world. Thanks to your care, my leg is healed and whatever Black-Wing included in that herb packet did the trick. Why don’t you focus on the inside of the cabin today because the sooner I finish the porch, I can get out of your hair.” Job smiled.

I was crestfallen. The confidence that I thought I had developed didn’t help me speak up to Job. Making love was a beautiful thing and perhaps I had misinterpreted what it meant to him. I was embarrassed which in my case made me close up as a clam.

I may have well been living with my brother during the next few days. Job worked hard on the front porch and it was built to withstand many Oklahoma winters to come. As a special favor, he saved the sled and added some fancy accents. He also built a rocking chair to place on the front porch. I appreciated the gesture but wished he had made two. I had the future in mind but it appeared Job did not, or at least one with me. Black-Hawk had brought over venison, which I prepared for dinner with some cornbread. My cabin was beginning to look like a home and I was proud of it.

“I have news Cass,” Job announced.

“Do tell,” I was excited to hear what he had to say.

“I’m finished and tomorrow I return to the mill to help my father. What do think about that?”

I knew it was my chance to tell him that I loved him too and would rather he stay but I chickened out. “The deck is beautiful Job and Seth will be overjoyed to get you back.”

“I have confidence that you’ll thrive here on Grist Creek. Making friends with the local Indian tribe is not often as easy as it’s been for you. I won’t worry about you now that you have friends looking out for ya. Having help nearby will take a load off your mind too. On my next trip out here, I’ll bring a bell that you can ring if you ever find yourself in distress. The Indians use smoke signals but in your case, I would steer clear of fire of any kind.” Job laughed.

Our final dinner together was bittersweet. I had grown used to having company in the cabin and especially to having Job by my side. I began to wonder if he was half-asleep when he told me he loved me and didn’t even remember what he said. If I had responded would things have been different because I would have said
I love you too
; scary words when I had never spoken them to a non-family member. After dinner, Job packed up his sleep roll on which he had been sleeping for weeks and where we spent hours together.

“I’m leaving at first light so I’m packing up the wagon and hitching up my team tonight.”

“Do you plan on sleeping on the floor?” I said hoping that he planned to snuggle with me in my bed.

“Doesn’t bother me. I’ll throw a pelt over my head. Sleeping on a hard surface will do when I’m as tired as I am. I’ll be in a soft bed when I get to my Fathers place tomorrow if he hasn’t replaced me by now.”

“I’m sure Seth’ll be thrilled to have you back.” I hesitated before deciding to leave him with some clue that I would miss him. “You’ll be missed around here Job. Funny how feelings change.”

“Yup. Feelings change when you least expect em to.”

Job grew pensive and made a trip out to the wagon. At this point, I decided a mistake had been made and I had misinterpreted lust for love. I hoped that my parents weren’t looking down on me because what I had done was shameful. I gave myself fully to a man before knowing his true intensions. Job took a list of supplies I would need on his next trip to Grist Creek, which would not be for six weeks at least. I would do fine until then because we had been careful to ration what I had and we were able to pluck some things that weren’t destroyed for the Dale ranch. Most importantly, I salvaged one cow and two pigs.

We went to sleep and Job was gone by the time I opened my eyes. Opening the front doors of the cabin, I noticed the angle of the sun changing and the winds were calm. I was going to make it through the first winter and there was no time to dwell on past mistakes.

In the mornings I began throwing open the shutters to let in the cool spring breeze. Spring was not far off and with the help of my Indian friends, I planned a small crop of potatoes and corn. I didn’t consider myself a farmer by any means but had learned to take on challenges as they came along.

Black-Hawk knew how to speak English but I found that many of the Chickasaw people lacked the confidence to use it. Some other tribes saw this as giving in to the white man so they relied on hand gestures, which I came to understand. Bright-Leaf was a woman, maybe the wife of Black-Hawk, who came to visit often and taught me about food preparation that I knew nothing of from my years in Boston. After the first few visits, her English became almost as good as my own and we became friends. I spoke of Job a great deal although I never told her the intimate night we shared together. It had been five weeks since Job left and Bright-Leaf was teaching me to use a loom. I was not feeling well and she had given me some ginger root to ease my queasiness. 

“Your Job is returning soon. He should stay with you. A woman needs a man; a husband. You work very hard but will not be able to keep a homestead for long alone.” Bright-Wing batted her large brown eyes.

“There are some white women who do not take a husband and I think that will be me.”

Bright-Wing remained silent for a few moments and I noticed her eyes were focused on my belly. The thought had come to my mind that perhaps I was carrying Job’s child but I had refused to believe it.

“You cannot hide from the truth Cassandra. Time is swift like the wind and you must tell Job.”

I became flustered. The truth is not something I was ready to face.

“I have to get home Bright-Wing because I see the sun is setting soon. Thank you for the lesson.”

I got on the horse that the Chickasaw people had given to me in exchange for some firewood and other supplies. The horse was worth much more than I had to give but I was a part of their community and they took care of me. That night I lay in bed with my hand on my belly and thought of Job as I did every night. I wasn’t showing yet so I could get away with not telling Job about the baby on this trip, although it was the right thing to do. I didn’t sleep that night because I was feeling ill but also because the roof was leaking. The constant dripping was torturous.

With spring came rain and the leaky roof was no longer tolerable. There were still boards left over from the old porch so I decided to perform repairs. I was no longer nauseous but the roof although not very high, made me dizzy. I was determined to get the roof finished by the time Job arrived, which would be any day. I thought of the initial bet that I made with Job on the day we met. If I were to leave my cabin on Grist Creek at this point then I would have to be dragged away kicking and screaming.

The sun’s rays penetrated the canopy of loblolly Pines that surrounded my cabin. The day was perfect and I was pounding one of my final nails when a flock of swifts flew above my head. I was startled and slipped. First, I slipped a few feet to the edge of the roof when I grabbed for a board that wasn’t secure and fell to the ground. I laid on the ground unable to move and screamed for help at the top of my lungs. The last thing I remember before I lost consciousness was the angelic face of my friend Bright-Wing.

“Cassandra. You’re going to be fine. We’re all going to be fine my sweet.” Job patted my abdomen.

“What happened Job? I was fixing the roof and a bird scared me. I must have fallen and hit my head. My ankle hurts too. What about.” Tears were flowing down my cheeks.

Job placed his fingers gently to my lips. “Shh. Our baby is going to be fine. Bright-Wing says there has been no bleeding and you must have fell in a way to protect our child. He or she is tough like you.”

“I was afraid to tell you Job. I thought you’d be better off continuing your life in Oklahoma City with your family. I’m sorry Job.”

“Sorry? I love you Cass and I have since I laid eyes on you. I told you on the night we made love but you didn’t respond. As far as spending life with family; my family is right here with you and the baby here on Grist Creek.”

“I love you Job Morgan. I won the bet didn’t I?”

“I have never been happier to lose a bet. I think our child will need a last name shared by a mother and father. Will you marry me Cassandra O’Brien?”

“Yes, I will Job Morgan.”

Job and Cassandra were married on the banks of Grist Creek before the birth of their son. He was named Edward after Cass’s Father. They built their small cabin into a beautiful home. A place to live and more importantly a place to love.

THE END

Prologue

“Where do you think you’re going?” 

I didn’t bother to turn around.  I was beyond angry.  I was beyond reason.  I had let Josh turn me into a monster.  I was sickened by my actions.  But I was done.  I wasn’t going to let Josh have any more power over me.  My whole body was shaking with rage now. And I felt bile rise in my throat as my stomach twisted in knots.  Regret was driving me mad as my mind focused on all the terrible things I had done in the name of love. But I knew now that I had been foolish; love didn’t hurt innocent people. No, our relationship hadn’t been based on love.  It had been based on manipulation, power and greed. I wasn’t going to give Josh the satisfaction of knowing he still held power over me through the awful things he convinced me to do.  I was done letting that monster control me.

“Sky, would you just wait?  You’re overreacting. Would you just listen?” he said with frustration in his voice as he grabbed my arm, forcing me to a stop.

How could this have happened?
I thought to myself as I turned around and faced him.  I regarded him without showing a hint of emotion as I studied his classic “All-American” features with his tall, strong build, blue eyes and blonde hair.  He was handsome, well-off and ambitious.  What woman wouldn’t have fallen into his web of deceit?

Tears now threatening to spill, I turned my face away. I thought to myself, perhaps another woman would be pulled into his lifestyle of lies, but not me, I was done being stupid.  Despite the tears, I tried to downplay how upset I was.  Maybe I couldn’t control my emotions as well as I thought.  My voice came out shrill. “Let go of me,” I said shaking his hand off my arm easily. “Don’t touch me! Don’t you dare touch me ever again!” I shouted at him so loudly that I scared myself.

He didn’t step back. Instead he came closer, so that his body was less than an inch away from my own.  He was almost touching me and I could see the fury now in his suddenly cold ice blue eyes. 

He grabbed me by my chin roughly, hurting me as he dug his fingers into my skin.  I tried to pull away but he wouldn’t let me move.  I pushed at his chest and he brought his other hand up and slapped me hard against the face.  I whirled back in shock as pain engulfed my face, but yet he didn’t let go of my face and I cried out as he continued to press his fingers unrelenting into my soft skin. 

“You want to go.  Then go.  But you’re nothing without me.  Nothing.”  He said softly.  His words cut through me like a knife.  And at that moment, I hated him.  I hated him with every fiber of my body. 

“You really think you’re somebody? You’re no one.  You’re nothing but a two-bit, no good, whore.  You’re not worth sh---” he didn’t get the rest of his words out as my knee connected with his groin and he momentarily loosened his grip on my face.

I ran then, clawing at the door and flinging it open.  Not stopping to think, ignoring the blinding pain on one side of my face, I ran down the hall to the stairwell exit---panting and crying as I took the stairs two or three at a time.  Stumbling and injuring my ankle as I ran as if my life depended on it in what felt like seconds, I crashed through the door on the ground floor and sprinted down the street.  I didn’t stop running until my chest was heaving and I couldn’t breathe. 

I collapsed against a wall, tears still running down my face.  My heart pounded.  Sweat pooled between my breasts, soaking the sheer top that I wore with only a lace bra.  I pulled in vain at the tiny mini-skirt I wore trying to lengthen it so it covered my long legs, suddenly feeling modest.  And as I stood there in the alleyway trying to calm down, I swiped at the tears and wrapped my arms around my middle hugging myself. 

And if things weren’t going badly enough, it began to rain. 

“Dammit,” I whispered as the rain went from a soft mist to a sudden downpour.  I hunched my shoulders to fend off the cold rain as it drenched my body, preparing for the long walk home.  I looked behind me, every now and then, afraid of what Josh would do to me if he found me.