“I’m sorry. I can see it distresses you.”
“It’s fine. You were just trying to get to know me better. That’s a rare thing.”
He shook his head. “I thought the whole reason for your people coming west was to build a new life, but how can you do that if people have prejudged you?” He stood and took the tray from her. He washed the dishes while she watched.
He wasn’t as large as Big Red, but he was strong. Was it sinful to be attracted to an Indian? It must be if the town’s people were any indication. They had made her feel as though she shouldn’t be near them, as though she were tainted and something might spread from her to them. When the school was built, she had wanted to go so badly, but no one wanted her near their children. If she had gone, she knew in her heart they’d find a way to ban her, so she stayed home.
At Rhetta’s refusal to even try attending school, Cora had gone to town and talked to the schoolteacher. The teacher agreed to send all the work home with the other children and Rhetta could turn it back in by having it dropped off. The teacher had even stopped to see Rhetta every other week. It healed a small part of her heart to have someone other than family visiting her. But those days are over.
She’d seen several cowhands, and she worked with many but they looked at her as though she was strange. Not one had ever expressed an interest in her. She even tried wearing dresses and bringing them food. They were polite, but they hardly glanced at her.
That only made her more insecure. She loved Big Red, but she wanted to have a husband and a family of her own someday. Otherwise, her future would comprise being an aunt to all the babes the other children would eventually have. She’d have to go away. It would break her to see everyone so happy while she was alone.
“What makes you so sad? You look as though your life is over.” Swift Eagle sat down in a chair he’d placed close to her bed.
She shook her head as she tried to smile but she ended up with tears in her eyes.
Swift Eagle took her hand in his. “Tell me.”
He’d be gone soon, so maybe talking about it would help. “I… I’m tainted, and the rest of the town doesn’t want me near them. We figured it would stop in time but the story of me living with Indians grew and grew. They made things up. I’ve never been invited to another house except for the ones on this ranch. The man at the mercantile forbids me from going in his store, and one woman made it clear I shouldn’t be at their church.”
More shame washed over her as she spoke, but she drew a deep breath and continued. “They built a new school, and I was excited. I could meet people my age but I wasn’t allowed around ‘good’ children. I didn’t attend because I knew they would only send me away if I tried. The teacher was very nice, and I ended up getting my education but at home. I pretend it doesn’t hurt so the others will go to the barn raisings and parties and don’t miss out on being part of the community. I tried wearing dresses and being oh, so proper, but it didn’t matter. My parents didn’t want me, so everyone assumes I am unacceptable.” She didn’t want her tears to spill over, didn’t want Swift Eagle to see her crying, so she turned away, pretending to resettle herself in the bed and quickly swiped at her eyes with one hand.
“I love working the ranch,” she said when she turned back to him. “But I know some ranch hands don’t like it. The others just treat me like any other cowboy. Even if I wear a dress, they don’t give me a second look. I hoped for something that would never happen. What made me sad was I was thinking that’d I’d need to move to a different part of the ranch when the children got older and began to court and marry. They’ll have babies and I’ll… I think I’ll wither.” More tears leaked out, and this time she didn’t bother to hide them.
“God hasn’t looked with favor in my direction in a long time. I’m not sure what I did, why He would turn His back on me. I love everyone on the ranch, but they all have someone. Even Big Red has Amy. I just don’t fit, I don’t belong.” A sigh shuddered through her. “I shouldn’t be feeling sad. Big Red and Tara are out in the storm and poor little Hannah. My problems are nothing compared to what’s happening.”
Swift Eagle studied her for a moment, then he stood and came to sit on the side of her bed. He took her hand and held it lightly in his. “You can’t compare sadness or hurt. You’ve suffered for a long time. I’m amazed you’re still strong and so kindhearted. It hasn’t turned you bitter. Someday someone will come along and take you for his wife.”
Rhetta wiped away her tears and pasted a smile on her face. “You’re right, of course.”
He kissed her forehead before he got up.
Somehow, she thought confiding in him would make her feel better, but it had only made her feel worse. She rolled a bit, facing the fire. Her wound hurt. She wished Swift Eagle would wrap his arms around her but that would never happen. She almost laughed. Imagine Pa warning Swift Eagle away from her. Pa would have nothing to worry about.
Chapter Five
No one was feeling very festive. Tensions were high as they all waited for Tara, Big Red, and Hannah to return. Christmas was less than a week away, and Swift Eagle had made more than his share of dolls. The doll house was more interesting to put together. Cora and Luella had brought different kinds of paper over for Rhetta to make snowflakes. He even hung a couple from the beams above them.
Now he stood outside and looked in all directions. If he was going to go get them, he’d have to go now. He only knew which direction they had gone in when they left. No one knew how far they had traveled or if they were even heading in the right direction. He’d had his pack ready for days, and he had sat with each of the other men to fashion a map. He knew the way to town, and he knew where game trails should be. Locations of line shacks were marked, as were canyons and streams. He only knew what direction they had headed.
Rhetta would be fine. She’d had a fever for one day, and he had worried, but she was past that now. Zander and Patrick promised to spend the nights with Rhetta. Everyone had advice for him.
He walked back into the house and sat on the bed. She sure was beautiful, though she didn’t think she was. “I’ll be back as quickly as I can, but I want you to be prepared. They’ve been gone long enough that there is no telling if they are alive or dead. Remember you are loved. You are not alone.” He put his arms around her carefully and held her close. Against his chest, he felt her heartbeat quicken, and he pulled back, looking into her eyes as she gazed back. Dipping his head, he brushed his lips over hers and then got up and grabbed his bag. “I’ll be back.”
He strapped on his snowshoes and was off, traveling quickly to where they had found Rhetta.
Lord, I have talked with many about you and I’m a believer. I’ve been told you are a God with compassion. It’s not for myself I pray but for those who are missing and for Rhetta. I think she is losing her faith. Keep her safe and help guide me please.
The gunshot had come from the west, actually more northwest. He headed in that direction. The snowstorms had wiped out all tracks, but he knew other ways to follow a trail. It looked as though they were not heading toward town. He pushed on until he found the game trail he had been told about. He followed it for a bit and then went back the way he had come. Nothing bigger than a rabbit had been that way in a while.
They must have had some plan to keep themselves warm. The line shacks were too small. No one had mentioned any caves on the property. He kept going until he spotted something small flapping from a small bush. It was a piece of cloth and it had been tied. Good. Tara and Big Red had left a trail. He checked the map and there wasn’t anything that way but a bunch of cattle. It was a false trail, he just knew it. He went in the opposite direction. He found broken branches on the brush he passed. Something larger than rabbits had gone by here. He checked the map to be sure he knew where he was and kept going.
There was a line shack not far ahead. He might as well see if anything was there. The wind started blowing strong again, each gust stirring the top layer of white
, powdery snow. He was going in the same direction as the wind, for now at least, so it wasn’t hitting him in the face. Even with snowshoes it wasn’t easy going with so many snow drifts. He took a drink of water from his canteen and ate a strip of dried meat. He kept going, sensing a need for urgency.
The line shack popped up ahead, barely visible with the blowing snow. Swift Eagle lay down by a tree and watched for a while. They’d been here, he could feel it. He slowly got up and made his way to the shack. He broke the door open and stood with his rifle ready to kill if he had to. It was empty.
It wasn’t hard to figure out either they spent many nights here or they were here and then Big Red and Tara were here. There were many open cans and the firewood was gone. He went back outside and stood still with his eyes closed. He turned east and started walking again. Something told him his quarry was circling around for some reason, first heading north-westward and then shifting to the east again.
A few frozen hours later, he came to a cave no one had mentioned. Again he hid and waited. He saw no one, so he crept up to it, taking cover behind outcroppings of rock and bushes that never dropped their greenery. He was on the right track. Someone had built a fire here. It was probably more than a few days ago, though. He went back out and checked the sky. Still clear, so he’d push on.
They were headed toward the end of his friends’ property boundary. The going was hard over rough terrain. What would he find after such bad storms? That was one reason he hadn’t promised to bring anyone back. He drank more water and ate the bread he’d wrapped that morning. The sun was going down, but the sky was clear, and he could use the stars as a guide.
His face felt as though it had frozen. The wind had shifted, and now it was trying to push him back. He kept going, plodding forward step by step. He might have to find some wood and get warm. Maybe he should go into the canyon and get away from the wind. He picked up what wood he found, knowing he would need it to make fire enough to keep him warm. He came to the canyon, right where he had been told it would be.
He was tired, but he was used to going past his limit. So he kept walking.
Out of nowhere, a voice spoke, but he couldn’t make out the words. When he looked around, he saw no person speaking. A chill went down his back. What was he hearing? He heard it again. Instead of staying close to the wall to avoid the wind, he walked into the center of the canyon and looked hard at his surroundings, having only the moonlight with which to see. He was about to go back and make a fire when he saw a glint of metal in the wall of the canyon a little higher than his head.
He walked until he was right under it. He’d have no cover climbing up to it. He waited patiently for more voices. He was certain it was Big Red and Tara speaking.
“Hello!” he called.
There was silence.
“It’s Swift Eagle!”
He heard a cry of joy.
“Do you have a rope?”
“Of course.”
“See if you can lasso it up here. We can tie it so you can climb up and take a look at this door. We’ll need tools to get it opened.” It was Big Red’s voice.
Swift Eagle pulled the rope out of his back and lassoed it above his head a few times before he sent it in the direction of the door. It would probably take a few tries.
“Got it!” Big Red called. “It’s tied off. Come on up.”
It didn’t take long at all until he stood on a tiny ledge with a barred door in front of him. Big Red and Tara were behind the bars.
“What is this place?”
“We don’t know. We finally caught up to them and they had Hannah. The door was open, but they got the jump on us and used Hannah as a shield. They pushed us in here and locked the door. I don’t know if the key was inside or what,” Tara explained.
“Hannah is alive?”
“She was three days ago,” Tara said grimly.
“Have you had food or water?”
“We have both with us,” Big Red said.
“I need to study this lock for a few minutes.” He stared, puzzled at what he was seeing. “These are handcuffs, old ones. Well-made too. But I can get you out.”
The screw key had been left in the one they couldn’t reach. Swift Eagle unscrewed the first one then the other. He pushed the door open and Tara was in his arms in no time.
She then grabbed her things. “Let’s go.”
“It’ll be a couple hours before we can get back down. I’d say roughly four hours,” Swift Eagle told her.
Her eyes filled with tears. “No!”
“Tara, you know better,” said Big Red. “We wait. Listen, just a few minutes ago, we were certain we’d die in this place. The sky is clear. We’ll have no more snow tonight. Swift Eagle, warm up by the fire.”
“Big Red, my baby—”
“I know, sweetheart. We’ll get her back and then have the pleasure of torturing those two.”
“Did they say where they were going?” Swift Eagle asked.
“The mentioned Canada, but I’m not sure they know which way is north,” Tara answered. “It’s Eddie Connor and Chuck Klass from our wagon train. They waited nine full years to get their revenge.”
“They’ve probably have been watching your place for a while.”
“How’s Rhetta? She’s not dead?” There was torment in Big Red’s eyes.
“She’ll be just fine.” Swift Eagle smiled, a sense of fondness for the girl creeping over him. “She’s a bossy woman.”
As they took seats around the fire, Tara starting crying. “Thank you, God! We’ve been thinking the worst.”
“I dug the bullet out and eventually stitched her up. She had one night of fever. I put her bed in the big room in front of the fireplace. I knew she wouldn’t stay in bed otherwise. Like I said, bossy.”
“What about Zander and Patrick?”
“They are staying with Rhetta while I’m out here. They’re anxious, but they were glad the storms stopped so I could go. If you two are worn or weakened in any way, I could—”
They both said a firm “no” in unison.
“We’ll move on first light. We might as well sleep.” Swift Eagle spread his bedroll. “How well do you know your neighbor to the east?”
“He gave up his land claim. I don’t know… Wait, you don’t think—?” Big Red’s eyes widened.
“I certainly do.”
* * *
Everyone had been so kind, but she just wanted to be alone. Rhetta needed to be able to relive the kiss Swift Eagle had given her. Well, it wasn’t much of a kiss, but it was his lips on hers
But imagining made her feel unsettled, restless. This was Swift Eagle’s fault, letting her get ideas in her head. Hadn’t she been content before he’d arrived?
She’d been looking forward to working with her pa on the dolls and the houses. Doing it with Swift Eagle had been so different. There had been many exchanged glances and smiles. Warm feelings had edged into her awareness. He’d never lived in a house, and yet he’d built one for little girls and their dolls. He had a good heart.
Dawn had told her the story about her rescue with more detail this time. She included all that Swift Eagle had done to nurse her while they traveled at the same time. He had risked everything to help her. “A man of character” was what she’d called him.
Rhetta knew she wasn’t fooling Dawn; she knew how Rhetta felt. It was all so new and exciting she wanted the world to know, and yet she didn’t want anyone to suspect. They would just pity her when he left. She had no doubt he’d be leaving right after Christmas, perhaps sooner after he came home with her pa and Tara and little Hannah. He probably didn’t want to live in a house or get married, certainly not to someone so much younger than he. But what did she know about his life and how he wanted to live it?
He was so handsome and kind and proud. He had integrity and seemed honest, and he wouldn’t blink if she wore buckskins. Tara wore them occasionally. He took care of her out of obligation. Plus he was in love with Luella, eve
n though Luella was married to another. Perhaps she didn’t need time alone; her dreams disappeared too quickly.
It would be best not to think of him at all, but when she closed her eyes, she saw his face. His cheekbones were high and prominent, his eyes were pools of wisdom and kindness, and his lips were very masculine… yet so soft. He put them to good use with his many smiles. The copper tint to his skin only made him even more handsome.
“Rhetta? Aren’t you going to show me how to make snowflakes?” Essie asked.
Rhetta had shown her every year for some time now, and Essie was often better at crafting them than she was. But she enjoyed showing the children how to do things. The first Christmas had been the best one. Luella had been perplexed why anyone would string popcorn and put it on the tree. Tara had never seen anyone bake gingerbread cookies and put those on a tree. The snowflakes Rhetta made had enchanted Cora. It really had been the first time she’d felt as though she truly belonged.
She’d learned how to embroider and had made Big Red a few handkerchiefs. Everything was crooked, but his eyes had filled when he saw them. He’d given her a porcelain doll and it was so special to her; she took it with her everywhere. She’d asked him to build a small cradle and he had. She still had both in her bedroom.
Tara had made new buckskins for her while the other women made her dresses, under garments, and an apron. They’d gathered in Declan and Luella’s place, and it was just the right size. The children hadn’t been born yet except Essie. But it was the love from everyone, and she could feel it.
It seemed to be a time when everyone put their worries of surviving the winter away. They’d had more than enough supplies. Big Red and Tara hunted. They even had canned peaches they had purchased that they used for special occasions, sometimes not so special too.
They had taken a big chance and purchased cattle. Everyone knew cattle shouldn’t be purchased in the fall because they had to be fed all winter, but Tara was able to secure more than enough hay. Rhetta remembered the men spent a lot of time looking after the cattle and chopping wood. Then come spring, they’d hired a few men and purchased more cattle and what Big Red had called prize horses.
Candle Glow and Mistletoe: Romance on the Oregon Trail Book 5 Page 5
