As soon as she shut the door behind her, Gary plopped back into bed and looked up at the ceiling. The room was dark since she had taken the kerosene lamp with her, and he suddenly became aware of how silent it was. His aunt was right. He was lonely, though he wasn’t lonely enough to stick around with Julia in this house. He did want to leave his sister. But did he have to leave town?
He rolled over in bed and unwittingly recalled how it felt to have Woape beside him. His body responded to the memory, so he rolled back to his previous position. She seemed like a sweet person. She certainly was beautiful. He didn’t think being married to her would be a painful experience. It wasn’t like she was Julia.
But marriage? Marriage was for life. Did it make sense to marry someone he hardly knew? His head ached from the internal debate raging inside of him. For the time being, he’d put the matter out of his mind and go to sleep. Maybe in the light of day, things would make better sense.
Chapter Seven
By the time Gary woke up, he heard his aunt and sister talking downstairs in the kitchen. He knew they were talking in the kitchen because of the clattering dishes. From the rise of the sun, he guessed it was just past breakfast. He wondered if he could stay in bed all day and avoid facing them and Woape. Once again, he longed for the freedom of the prairie...but this time for different reasons.
What did he do that made Woape think he proposed to her? He slowly exhaled and wondered how he could explain things to her, to let her know he didn’t mean to give her false hope. Maybe he could hide out in bed for the rest of his life and not confront the issue at all. That really seemed to be the best solution in the midst of this mess.
The sound of footsteps crept into his awareness. He laid still and waited. Someone was coming up the stairs.
“Neither one has ventured downstairs,” his aunt Erin said. “One would think they disappeared.”
“Both are probably too ashamed,” Julia replied.
Alright, so make that two people who were coming up the stairs. And those happened to be the last two people he wanted to see right now. The steps got closer to his door. He didn’t think they’d come into his room. At least, he hoped not. It wasn’t like he was making any noises. If they thought he was still asleep, that would be best.
They stopped in front of Woape’s door and knocked. He breathed a sigh of relief. Good. They wanted to comfort her. That was for the best. He never meant to hurt her feelings like he had. When they knocked again, he frowned. Something wasn’t right. He quickly stood up and went to his door. As soon as he opened it, he noticed the neatly folded pile of clothes and other items he’d gotten her the day before.
He glanced up at his aunt and sister who had opened the door to Woape’s room. They currently stood in the empty room and stared at him. Great. More staring. He forgot how nice it was to be out on the land with no one watching him.
“Apparently, when you got her those things, she thought you meant to be her husband.” Erin sighed. “This is my fault. I should have taken her to get them. It’s just that she wanted to be with you all the time, so I thought she’d be more comfortable if you did it. Oh, I should have gone with you both.”
“How were you to know that she’d take something innocent and turn it into...this?” Julia asked. “It doesn’t matter now.” She looked over at Gary. “I don’t suppose she’s in there?”
“No!” Oh for goodness sakes! Did they really think he’d bring Woape back into his room?
“Don’t take any offense to the question,” his aunt said. “The fact of the matter is that we can’t find Woape anywhere else. Your room was our last option.”
The knot twisted tighter in his gut. He knew it. He just knew something was wrong! He hurried back into his room and got dressed. As he buttoned his shirt, he studied the landscape beyond the town limits. It took a moment, but he caught sight of a woman riding east on a horse. There was only one woman he knew who wore a deerskin dress. He felt horrible. He never meant for Woape to leave. Those men could still be out there searching for her, ready to kill her at any moment, and he had been lingering around his bed like someone who couldn’t make a decision. Well, there would be no more of that. He would marry her. It was better for her to be safe with him than to risk her neck out there in the middle of nowhere.
When he finished slipping on his boots, he rushed to the parlor where his aunt and sister were getting ready to leave the house.
“I found her,” he told them.
“Where is she?” his aunt asked.
“Heading out of town.” He grabbed his hat from the top shelf of the closet and plopped it on his head. “I’ll get her. You get the preacher.”
“The preacher?” The older woman looked at him with a curious expression on her face.
He flung the door open. “We can’t get married without the preacher.” Before either his aunt or his sister could respond, he shut the door and ran to get his horse.
***
Woape did everything she could to evade him, but Gary caught up to her. Why he should bother finding her when he had such disdain for her, she didn’t understand. For some reason, she displeased him, and she couldn’t bear the shame of continuing to be in his presence. Wasn’t it bad enough Erin and Julia witnessed his rejection of her? Why did he feel it necessary to bring her back under their disapproving stares? Hadn’t she been humiliated enough?
She glared at him as he led her horse by the reins. Even the chill in the air wasn’t enough to cool the heat on her face. How could he be so quick? She wondered if he could outmaneuver Hothlepoya. She shook the question from her mind. What did it matter? Hothlepoya was back at his teepee, probably enjoying the spoils from his latest conquest. She steeled herself against the images that threatened to assault her mind. She wouldn’t cry. Not now. And especially not in front of Gary.
Instead, she turned her attention to the prairie that stretched around them. The town was a good ways off. She’d gotten far. A little further out and she might have made it to... To where? North. Hothlepoya was south of them. As long as she kept going north, it didn’t matter where she ended up. Only, Gary had her trapped. What good had running away done her? It seemed to her that no matter if she ran from the chief’s son or Hothlepoya or Gary, the result was the same. She went from one man’s authority to another. Since Gary was the strongest of them all, she shouldn’t be surprised he succeeded in the end.
Another gust of wind crossed the landscape and blew across her skin. She shivered.
Gary looked over at her and asked her a question.
She decided to ignore him. Even when he called her name, she refused to glance in his direction.
He stopped, and her horse—the traitorous beast she was!—also stilled. “Woape?”
Gritting her teeth, she stared forward, aware that there was beauty around her but unable to see it in the midst of her bitter emotions. He sighed and reached out to touch her, but she jerked away from him. What right did he think he had to do that after his cruel treatment of her?
“Sorry,” he slowly stated.
What the word meant, she didn’t know, but she detected tenderness in the way he said it.
“Woape?”
She debated whether or not she should acknowledge him.
“Woape wife. Gary i... ibero.”
Now she knew he mocked her! She shot a glaring look at him.
His eyes grew wide in surprise.
“What do you expect?” she asked him in her language. “You give me gifts and have me believe you will marry me, but when I accept, you say no!”
He spoke, not sounding angry but bewildered.
She had no idea what his game was, and she didn’t care to figure it out. She knew better than to fall for his lies again. He could lavish her with all the gifts in the world, but she’d been burned once and that was one time too many.
After a tense moment, he gave a slight shake of his head and turned his attention back to directing their horses to town.
S
he bit her lower lip and considered jumping off her horse and running. Could she outrun him? He’d have her horse to deal with. It was worth a chance. She waited until his eyes were turned to the town and quickly leapt off the horse. Her horse reacted and caused him to settle it down, which is what she had hoped for. However, her horse quickly came under his control.
The stupid animal hadn’t been so tame in the past! She knew it was a long shot, but she had to try so she continued to run. As she feared, he caught up to her, and he didn’t even have to forfeit his hold on her horse to do it. She didn’t know whether to be annoyed or impressed.
He moved his horse in front of her, and she tried to dodge him but he was too quick for her. She stomped her foot in anger and openly glared at him. Did he enjoy making her do what he wanted? All this time, she had thought he was better than Hothlepoya. But maybe she was wrong. Maybe she shouldn’t have followed him to his home.
When she saw that he was getting down from his horse, she turned to bolt, but his hand wrapped around her wrist. His touch wasn’t rough. Unlike Hothlepoya, he was gentle. The realization was so unexpected she froze in place. She didn’t want to think of how he made her weak or how her heart sped up in an unfamiliar excitement as he closed the gap between them.
“Woape,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”
From the concern in his eyes, she reasoned the words ‘I’m sorry’ were ones that expressed caring. No, he wasn’t like Hothlepoya. Hothlepoya’s eyes were always cold, and when he did smile, there was a hint of cruelty on his lips, as if he deemed everyone around him unworthy of his acceptance. Such was not the case with Gary. He felt bad for what happened the previous night and was trying to tell her that. The muscles in her face relaxed.
He took her hand and pressed it against his chest. “Ibero.” Then he pointed to her. “Wife.”
She shook her head. He’d told her no. Why did he say yes now?
He nodded. Slipping his hand behind her waist, he pulled her against him and kissed her.
The action startled her, but only for a moment. His lips were soft and warm. His body was strong and safe. So unlike Hothlepoya. She responded to him, thinking that this was much better than the kiss they’d shared before when he’d been half asleep. Now he was wide awake and making the move. Did it mean he changed his mind?
When he ended the kiss, he looked into her eyes as if trying to figure something out. He took a deep breath and smiled. “Pretty.”
She recognized the word. It meant he liked what he saw. She offered a tentative smile in return.
“Gary. Ibero? Woape. Wife?”
Was he asking her? She pressed her palm on his chest. “Ibero?”
“Yes. Ibero. Husband.”
So ibero meant husband. “Murse.” She tapped her chest. “Wife. Murse.”
“Woape, my murse.” He motioned back to the town.
When he kissed her this time, she leaned into him. It felt right to be with him. She wished she could wrap herself in his embrace and stay there forever. She rested her head on his shoulder and held onto him, closing her eyes and listening to his heartbeat.
Finally, he stepped away from her and pointed to the town. “Come.”
She nodded and got back on her horse.
He glanced in her direction. Smiling, he shook his head, said something, and hopped on his steed.
Sometimes it frustrated her that she couldn’t understand most of what he said, for how could she decide if what he meant was good or not? As he reached for her hand and kissed it, her cheeks grew warm. There were some things they could communicate to each other that didn’t require words. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze before he let it go. She could still feel his lips on it. And her lips still tingled from his kiss.
No one had ever kissed her like he did. His actions were tender. They were a great relief after what she went through with—
She closed her mind to the memory. No. She wouldn’t think of it. As horrible as it was, she wouldn’t let it tarnish the memory of this moment.
He waited for her until she rode by his side. It was strange to be next to him this way, as if he saw her as an equal. She liked it. It made her feel as if she had some value. At least, more value than Citlali had attached to her. She studied Gary’s profile, wondering what changed his mind about her. She realized she wouldn’t understand it until she learned his language. But there was time. He was going to marry her, so she had the rest of her life to find out everything there was to know about him and his world.
Chapter Eight
The preacher pronounced them man and wife, and Gary kissed Woape. It wasn’t the way he pictured his wedding when he did give it thought, which hadn’t been often in his life. Weddings were more of his sister’s imaginings. She talked of a church, a gathering of family and friends, and adorning herself in a white dress she’d make herself. He figured his wedding would be similar, except instead of a dress, he’d wear a nice suit.
Such was not the case for him. He and Woape stood in his aunt’s parlor, and his guests consisted of a happy looking aunt and a sour looking sister. He thought Julia would protest but she held her tongue. He reasoned that Julia was relieved he was at least doing right by Woape...not that there was anything to ‘do right’ about. But how could he prove it?
Woape was beautiful in her Indian clothes. It was strange that she hadn’t married yet. From what he recalled in talking to others at his last job, it wasn’t unusual for Indian females to marry at fourteen. Woape was older than that, but still younger than him. Not that such things mattered. For whatever reason, he happened to find her when he did, and he was convinced that there was a purpose in it. What that purpose was, he’d find out sooner or later.
“Congratulations,” the preacher said, breaking Gary out of his thoughts.
He blinked and turned to the older man. “Thank you, sir.” He shook the man’s hand. Looking over at Woape again, he said, “Murse. Ibero.”
She nodded, and he figured she understood that in his culture, this is how their marriage became official.
“You two make an adorable couple,” his aunt gushed, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. “It’ll be good for you to have a wife, Gary.”
“Man isn’t meant to be alone,” the preacher agreed. He closed his book. “I better get back to preparing this Sunday’s sermon.”
“Well, I appreciate you coming on short notice,” Gary said, holding Woape’s hand. Now that he’d warmed up to the idea of being married, he realized it wasn’t so bad after all. In fact, judging by the kisses he had shared with Woape so far, it had a particular appeal to it.
“It was my pleasure.” The preacher placed his hat on his head and left the house.
Gary caught Julia’s scowl as she walked up the stairs. That was it. There was no way he was going to keep living in this house with her. He waited until his aunt stopped telling Woape how pretty she looked before speaking to her. “Aunt Erin, do you think I could get Matthew’s house?”
“So now you’re staying?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye.
“I’m not opposed to being in town.” He lowered his voice so Julia wouldn’t overhear. “I don’t want to stay in this house, and I think you know why.”
Growing serious, she nodded. “I do. And I think Matthew would be happy to talk to you about his property.”
“Good.” He turned to Woape. “You stay with Erin. I’m going to find a place for us to live.” By the expression on her face, he knew that she didn’t understand him. Of course, she didn’t understand him. She had a limited vocabulary of the English language. “Woape here.” He pointed to the floor. “With Erin.” He pointed to his aunt. Pointing to himself, he motioned to the door. “I...Gary...go. Then return.” He then motioned to the floor and himself.
As soon as he took a step toward the door, Woape followed.
He glanced at his aunt who was chuckling. “You’ll have to take her with you.”
“But I also have to find a job. I can’t take her with
me for all of that.”
Still in good humor, she said, “Then let’s try this method.” She put her arm around Woape’s shoulders and steered her to the kitchen. “Cook for Gary.”
Woape looked over her shoulder at him.
He sighed. What could he do to help her understand he’d return? Inspired, he took off his hat and put it on her head. He wouldn’t leave his hat behind. “Gary return to Woape. Ibero. Murse.”
She relaxed and nodded. Then she turned to Erin.
His aunt laughed. “Well, that settles that. When you get back, we’ll have supper ready.”
“Alright. I don’t plan to be any longer than an hour.”
On impulse, he gave Woape a light kiss. Being affectionate with a woman was new, but he certainly enjoyed it. His spontaneous nature had led him to do many things in haste in the past, but he knew, deep down, that this was one of the best things he’d ever done. Content, he headed off to see Matthew. With any luck, he and Woape would be under a different roof before the night was over.
***
It wasn’t what Gary expected his first home to be like, but considering his limited funds, it would have to do. And it wasn’t one he owned. Matthew agreed to let him rent it until he could afford to pay for it. Gary realized this was going to take awhile. He wasn’t used to waiting, but he realized it was time he started to learn how to do it. The house had very little. Matthew didn’t feel like lugging his cook stove or his washtub out of the house.
And that was pretty much all Gary currently had to work with. Well, that and the camping gear he’d taken with him when he left town. Maybe he should have accepted his aunt’s offer for some money to buy furnishings, but he wanted to do this himself. He had enough to buy a couple of items. He was just in too much of a hurry to get away from Julia, he didn’t care that all the stores were closed and he and Woape would have to sleep on the floor.
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