Fated Memories (29 page)

“
Yeah, and if you’d keep that big disjointed nose of yours out of his business, you’d have a lot less problems too, Jake!”

“
Seems to me you’re gettin’ awful defensive of this boy.” He raised his hands as she eyed him again. “Now don’t be puttin’ your hackles up. I’m just sayin’ what it appears to be to me. Don’t none of us want to see you get hurt. Them injuns are like animals. They rut with anything. It don’t matter to them. If you say you’re just talkin’ to him then I’ll accept that, but don’t let any of us catch you doin’ anything more with him or he’s a dead red boy! It’s just that simple. And I don’t give a good goddamn if you tell your daddy what I said or not. The more I think about it, the more inclined I am to go tell him myself.”

Jessie took a step closer. “If that’s the way you feel then, by all means, go tell him!”

“
You know,” he stared at her long and hard, “either you’re one hell of a good poker-player, or it’s like you said. There ain’t a damn thing to all this. I guess, in any case, I ain’t willin’ to find out.”

“
Wise move, Jake,” she told him, walking away.

When she knew he could no longer see her, she hurried her steps to the house. She could feel the cold sweat running between her shoulder blades even though the night air remained hot and humid.

“
I just keep makin’ everything worse. If he says anything to Daddy, I’m dead and so is Two Spirits. With all that’s goin’ on, I couldn’t blame him if he never spoke to me again.”

“
Jessie,” Charlotte said, stepping out onto the porch. “Where’ve you been? I started to get a little worried about you.”

“
Just out walkin’.” She willed herself not to begin screaming and running around the yard.

“
Well, come on in and share some lemonade with Hattie and me.”

“
No thank you, Mama. I’m tired. I think I’ll go on to bed.”

Jessie tried to move past her, but Charlotte reached out drawing her close.

“
Jessie, are you sure you’re feelin’ well? You feel cold and clammy. Maybe I should send for Doc Nebinger to come out and have a look at you.”

“
What’s goin’ on?” Eathen asked, coming to the door.

“
Jessie feels like she’s comin’ down with somethin’.” Charlotte laid a hand across Jessie’s forehead. “Her skin feels clammy.”

“
Come on in here, sweetheart, and let me have a look at you.”

“
I told you, I feel fine. I just want to go to bed.” Oh, God, please let me get to my room, she prayed.

“
Your mother’s right. Even your hands are cold and clammy. Does your stomach or head hurt?” Eathen persisted, rubbing a thumb up and down her arm.

Unable to withstand their cloying touch one moment longer, Jessie erupted, “Nothin’ hurts except my eyes. I’m sleepy! Would you please, please let me go to my room?”

“
All right, calm down. Go on up to bed,” Eathen dropped a quick kiss on her flushed cheek. “If you ain’t feelin’ better in the mornin’ though, we’re gonna have the Doc out to check on you.”

Weak with relief, Jessie scooted past them, “Thank you, Daddy. Goodnight everyone.” She hurried toward the stairs.

In her room, she stripped away every stitch of clothing. Filling the wash bowl with cold water from the pitcher sitting on the nightstand, she began sponging herself off. The cold water took her mind off her problems for the moment. When she had finished toweling herself dry, she pulled a fresh nightgown over her head. Feeling somewhat better now, she walked over to the window. Pulling the curtains back, she looked toward the corrals, searching for any sign of Two Spirits. What she saw made the blood run cold in her veins. In the yard, and staring up at her, stood Jake. Even from this distance, she could see the knowing smile covering his face.

She closed the window, pulled the curtains together. She would suffer the cloying heat rather than give Jake the satisfaction of watching her pace back and forth in front of the open window. Two Spirits would return tonight, knowing that tomorrow he must be at work. He needed his job too much to stay away.

She knew that if he did stay away, it wouldn’t be because of Jake and the other hands. It would be because of her.

Chapter Seventeen

Jessie greeted the early morning with a ride to the lake. She knew there would be someone waiting for her when she got there, and he did not disappoint her.

“
Jessie,” Pehta called to her, kneeing his horse out of the trees. “I have been waiting for you.”

“
How did you know I would be here?” She reined in her horse.

“
It is not important how I knew. All that matters is that you are here.”

Dismounting, they walked to the edge of the lake. Dropping down on the grass, she patted a place beside her.

With an agility that surprised her, he seated himself beside her to take her small hand in both of his. “Two Spirits will not be coming back to your father’s ranch. The danger that lies in wait for him there is too strong.”

“
Are you sayin’ I’ll never see him again?” She pulled her hands away from him, beginning to rise to her feet.

Without a word, he pulled her back down beside him on the grass. “I am sure you will see him again, Jessie. You did a foolish thing in coming to the reservation to see his mother. Two Spirits is very angry with you.”

“
Is that where he is now, with his mother?”

“
No.” He shook his head.

“
Did he ask you to tell me he won’t be comin’ back?”

“
No.”

Out of patience with his noncommittal answers, she declared, “Then how did you know I would be here?”

“
Jessie, sometimes the spirits give us a gift. The gift of sight to see beyond what others can. The spirits gave me this gift at a young age. I know things before they happen.” His keen eyes noticed the stunned look on her face and the way she pulled her legs to the side, trying to distance herself from him. “At times I can see a person’s life from beginning to end.”

“
Can you tell what is going to happen between Two Spirits and me?” She gave him a doubtful look.

“
I can not see everything.” His eyes closed then opened as he shook his head. “As time passes, I will know more.”

“
I don’t know what I’ll do if I can’t see him every day like before.” Jessie turned onto her side, pulling on the long blades of grass.

“
Jessie did you ever hear the story about what happened here at this lake many years ago?”

“
Are you talkin’ ‘bout the Blackfeet that were killed here?

“
Yes.”

“
Sure. Everyone’s heard that story. Frank McKennah and some of the other men around the county got together and killed everyone in the camp.”

“
How do you feel about that?” Pehta asked, watching her.

“
Why, I think it’s terrible, of course.”

“
My brother, Appearing Wolf, led our people at that time. As war chief to the Kainah, it fell to him to protect us against our enemies.” Pehta’s deep voice filled with emotion.

“
Oh God!” She reached out to him. “Pehta, I’m so sorry. How terrible for you.”

“
Of all my people, I am the one who survived. The reason is I had been in a Crow camp, talking with their leaders about banding together against the whites.”

“
Why?” she whispered, staring at him.

“
The whites made it harder and harder for us to live on our land. Your mother and father had been some of the first whites to come here and build.”

“
Pehta, they didn’t do anything to your people. Mama’s told me this many times. She said they had no problem with the Blackfeet bein’ so close.”

“
Your mother could not speak for all the whites, Jessie. Had she been able to, there would have been no trouble between your people and mine.” A slight smile touched his face. “Of this I am sure.”

“
Pehta,” she gazed at him, “could it be you feel guilty because you had not been there to help your people when they needed you?”

Smiling at her insight, he nodded. “There is not a day that passes I do not think of this. My brother had been a great leader. He should not have died so young. He should have been our next chief.”

“
I’m sorry. I’m sure he would have been a good chief.”

“
He would have been a great chief,” he corrected her. “At the time of his death, his wife carried their first child. The child would have been born before the first snow fell.”

“
What was his wife’s name?”

“
Tia.” His dark eyes took on a softer glow as he spoke her name. “No other in the village could compare with her. Although beautiful of face and body, she did not think herself better than the other women of the tribe. And Tia behaved like a warrior.” His voice gained strength as he spoke of the woman he had known all those many years ago. “She had no fear.”

“
It sounds like you loved her very much.” Jessie pulled one of the many wild flowers growing nearby to hold it to her nose.

“
If my brother had not made her his wife, I would have tried to make her mine. But there could never be any room in her heart for anyone except Appearing Wolf. Even though she fought against that love for a long time.”

“
I’m sorry about what happened to them, Pehta. Prejudice is a very bad thing. Even now,” she turned her face away to gaze across the lake, “it reaches out to destroy what Two Spirits and I have together. When will it end?”

“
It will not end in our lifetime, Jessie. What you feel in your heart for one of my blood will bring only sadness and death to you both.”

“
Then you see our love dying,” she whispered her words.

“
Sometimes from one’s death, a whole new life can be reborn. Only the Old Ones know how this can be. I learned many years ago not to question them in their wisdom.”

“
I don’t understand all your words, Pehta. But somehow I feel better for hearing them.”

Getting to his feet, he reached out his hand to her. “Jessie, the Holy Spirit put you on Mother Earth for a reason. It is not for us to question that reason.”

“
I want you to tell Two Spirits about something that happened to me last night.” Jessie grabbed his hand, pulling herself to her feet.

Pehta turned his full attention on her.

“
One of the ranch hands saw Two Spirits and me where we go to meet among the trees. He threatened to tell my father. I am pretty sure I talked him out of it but, of course, I can’t know for certain.”

“
Will this man harm you?” he asked the fear for her safety showing upon his face.

“
No,” she shook her head. “He’s just tryin’ to protect me from what he feels is a bad relationship.”

“
Jessie, if Two Spirits does return, do not meet where you have been together before. You must find a safer place, where no one will see you.”

“
Pehta, does this mean you don’t find our love for each other a bad thing?” Jessie’s eyes flashed with pleasure.

“
Your love for Two Spirits and his love for you is already out of everyone’s hands. You will be together. This I can promise you.”

“
Oh!” she squealed, throwing her slim arms around his neck. “You don’t know how glad I am to hear this!”

Stunned at her reaction to his words, Pehta pulled her arms away from him.

“
I’m sorry,” she said, her cheeks growing hot with embarrassment. “I shouldn’t have done that. It’s just that your words filled my heart with such happiness, I forgot myself. It won’t happen again.”

“
Do you see the clearing between those two tall pines?” He pointed straight ahead.

“
Yes.”

“
Get on your horse and ride in that direction. Two Spirits waits for you there.”

“
Pehta!” she squealed, again starting towards him.

Throwing up his hands, he stepped back out of her way.

“
Sorry. I’ll go now,” she twirled herself around with happiness, and then ran to her horse. “Thank you, Pehta,” she called back over her shoulder.

***

Seated on a blanket he had spread over a floor of pine needles, Two Spirits waited for Jessie to come to him. For days he had warred with his need to see her, talking through the long nights with Pehta about what he should do, then turning in anger on his old friend when Pehta told him he could not make his decisions for him.

“
What is it about this girl that holds my mind in such a fog?” He spoke his thoughts aloud, needing to hear the words that tormented him without end. “I have seen many white girls and none of them have turned my head with their pale skin they protect so from the sun.” He raised his hands, rubbing them across his burning eyes and trying to blot out the mental images of Jessie’s soft skin kissed by the sun, glowing a rich golden brown. His fingers ached to twine themselves around her long strands of soft shiny hair that held the flame of fire and the smell of wild flowers. But he couldn’t have her. They came from different races and her father, being one of the most powerful men in the state of Montana, made their mixing of those races a deadly choice.

“
I can not allow my people to pay for my lust!” He pushed himself to his feet and, stooping down, grabbed up the blanket, rolling it as he strode to his horse. “She will see this can not be.” He tied the blanket on the back of the horse and, swinging himself into the saddle, turned to leave.