"I'm twenty-nine." He smiled at her.
He walked off as if that was all he wanted to know.
Shannon stood there staring after him. With any other man, she'd have been ridiculed as an unmarried woman, but Jesse didn't remark on it. She wondered why. Surely, he must be thinking it. Most women were married by seventeen or eighteen and starting on a family. She never thought she'd be married, much less have a family.
The thought of children delighted her more than she cared to admit. However, she couldn't hold Jesse to this marriage. Not after making such an issue out of wanting an annulment. He wasn't the settling down type. And she had a career to think about.
Why was she thinking about these kinds of things? She'd been happy being a doctor, even though establishing a clientele had been next to impossible.
Medicine was her life.
She'd had men court her, men she liked, but she never let the relationship blossom for fear they might someday see her back and be repulsed. She'd seen it herself in a mirror at the doctor's office, and it made her feel so unattractive. She had no right to condemn a man to marriage with her. Marriage to Jesse was a mistake. It wouldn't be much longer and she'd be divorced. So why did a sadness overtake her at the thought of losing him.
Because she had invested more in Jesse than any other man. She had let him kiss her. Now she knew that had been a big mistake. It made her yearn for the things she knew she couldn't have.
Jesse had been kind and gentle and even when he saw the scars, he hadn't ridiculed her or demanded a divorce himself. He was a good man. He deserved better.
She sighed heavily and began walking back to the camp.
However, a hand came around her mouth, and she was suddenly jerked back against a hard unrelenting body. She twisted her head to see, and she came face to face with an Indian in war paint.
She tried to scream, but the scream didn't come.
One clunk on the head and she was out.
~*~
"Ain't we gonna get some breakfast around here?" Thornton complained.
"Shannon was just at the creek, to make coffee. She hasn't come back yet?" Jesse looked about with concern.
"Nope, I ain't seen her." Thornton replied.
Jesse felt a chill run up his back. He'd been with her only a few minutes ago. He rushed through the woods to find her, but there was no sign of her.
He came running back to camp, breathless and angry. He woke everyone.
"They've taken Shannon." He announced.
"The doc?" Darrel gasped.
"Yes…I was with her only moments ago at the creek, now she's gone." Jesse exclaimed, his worry increasing.
Susan came forward. "They've taken her hostage. They'll want to trade her for me….and the baby."
"But they can't…" Darrel began only to be hushed by his own rising fear.
"They'll kill her unless you hand me and my baby over to them." Susan cried.
Darrel took her in his arms. "I won't let them have you."
"Maybe we can make a trade."
"What kind of trade?" Susan's eyes became wide with fear.
"They want the baby."
"I cannot give them my baby….he's all I have in the world…" Susan cried.
Jesse stared at her. "I know this is difficult for you to understand, but you said you were afraid to go back home, well, think what it might be like for your baby, growing up in a white man's world. Do you think people would be kind to him and overlook the fact that he's part Indian?"
"No but…I can't give him up!" She screamed.
Darrel shook his head. "What are we gonna do?"
"I've got an idea. But…Susan you won't like it." Jesse said, his gaze going over her.
"What have you in mind?"
"It's the only way…" Jesse told her.
"No…they cannot have my baby. I will die first." Susan cried.
Jesse stared at her long and hard. The others were very quiet, listening.
He pulled Darrel aside, "You've got to help me, Darrel. They'll kill Shannon if you don't."
"I don't understand. What do you want me to do?"
"Take Susan away, to talk to her, keep her away."
"I want to know what you are planning on doing." Darrel insisted.
"What I have to Darrel. Unfortunately, it's the only way we are all going to get out of here alive. That boy is the grandson of the chief. They won't leave us alone until they get him. There's no other way. They won't hurt the boy. But they might kill Shannon. I've got to make the trade and if Susan is around, or hears and sees it, she won't allow it. She could get killed in the process. The only way out of this without bloodshed is to give the baby up. I think they will trade the baby for Shannon. And we can save Susan."
"She'd never forgive me…" Darrel cried out.
"I know that. But maybe in time," Jesse told him, knowing that a could be a lie too.
"We don't even know if they got her?" Darrel cried out.
"We will before long." Jesse promised.
"There's got to be another way!" Darrel insisted.
"If there is, I'll find it, if there isn't…."
"She's just beginning to trust us. If you do this, she'll never trust again." Darrel insisted.
"She's young Darrel, you and her…you could have babies of your own, if you marry her." Jesse insisted. "And life would be easier without that child. I know that's hard for you and her to accept, but it's the truth. If you look inside this, you'll understand that I am right. That baby has no chance in a white man's world. You've heard them all talk about her. What do you think the kid would face, trying to go to school in a white man's world. Trying to grow up, and facing this kind of thing every day. He'd be better off with the Indians, where he will be accepted."
"It's too soon, she don't trust me that much, yet." Darrel cried.
The others were getting restless.
Jesse returned to the camp and saw Thornton raising a fit at Jimmy John.
"What's the problem?"
"I'm hungry, and I need some coffee, that's the problem." Thornton replied.
"Alright, I'll fix some grub. If you shut up. If not, you'll get jerky and that's all."
Thornton grunted and settled down.
"What are you complaining about Thornton, you get fed better here than in any camp we ever had?" Jimmy John snorted.
Billy stared at them and laughed. "He's right about that, Thornton. We been eating high on the hog."
"Well, we ain't today, and I’m hungry." Thornton roared.
Jesse prepared a meal and they ate in silence.
Jimmy John looked up at Jesse. "They got the doc, don't they?"
"I'm afraid so…"
Jimmy John stared at Jesse for a minute. "You took them vows pretty serious, didn't you?"
Jesse stared at the ground for a minute and then nodded and looked Jimmy John in the eyes. "I guess I did."
"What are you gonna do?" Jimmy John asked.
"They probably already killed her, "Billy popped off.
Jesse shook his head. "No…they haven't killed her. They're gonna try to trade us…"
"For what?" Thornton asked.
"For the baby." Jesse replied. "And maybe the girl. But I think if we hold out…to trade the baby…they'll be satisfied."
~*~
Susan was out of earshot and Jesse was glad Darrel had the brains to take her away from all of them.
Darrel fidgeted for a few moments as he stood there with Susan. "I want to marry you…take you away from here, you and the baby. We could be a family. It's been a long time since I had a family."
Susan studied him a moment. "You speak of this out of pity for me and my baby."
"No…no I got feelings for you, Susan."
"Feelings. That isn't enough to start a life together. I had feelings for the baby's father, but I wasn't in love with him. The family we made wasn't right. I don't want to do that again."
"It wouldn't be like that…"
To prov
e it, he pulled her into the circle of his arms and kissed her softly.
She didn't exactly melt into his arms, but she did respond a bit. Darrel felt encouraged and the kiss lingered.
"I want to marry you…" He said breathlessly.
"I will think on it…" She sent him a shy smile.
"That's all I ask."
~*~
When Darrel and Susan strolled back to eat, Jesse pulled Darrel away from the others again.
"Darrel….I'm gonna need your help when they come."
"What do you want me to do?" Darrel asked his face screwed up seriously.
"Try to sidetrack Susan. Distract her from what is going on. I don't care what you have to do, but do it." Jesse told him.
"What do you want me to do, exactly, hold a gun on her?" Darrel sounded a little sarcastic.
"I was thinking more along the lines of you kissing her to distract her. I think that would get her attention even more, don't you?" Jesse smiled.
Darrel blushed, "Oh…oh yeah. I guess it would. Okay, I'll do it."
"Good and thanks." Jesse nodded.
"When do you think they are gonna show up?" Darrel asked.
"I don't know. Could be any time now."
Darrel nodded. Intentionally, Darrel led Susan off into the woods to talk to her. Kissing her was a pleasure and she didn't seem to mind that much the first time.
Sure enough, early afternoon the Indians showed up. Two of them came toward the camp. One spoke English.
"We want the baby…" The young Indian said his hands empty of weapons.
"Only if we get the white woman…." Jesse acknowledged.
The young Indian spoke to the old one who stood beside him and spoke in their native tongue. The old one looked about, and then spoke.
The young Indian nodded. "We will trade…"
Just like that. It seemed too easy.
Jesse went to get the baby, as the young Indian brought Shannon out from cover.
Jesse stared at the baby for a moment. "Little one, I hate doing this. I really do, but you'll do better with them I think than in the white man's world."
He brought the baby and saw Shannon standing there in some kind of shock.
She shook her head vehemently. "You can't do this!"
Jesse stared hard at her. "He'll be better off with them, I promise you."
The young Indian took the baby and the old Indian shoved Shannon at him.
Jesse took Shannon in his arms and held her close to him.
The young Indian nodded. "It is well…we go now."
Jesse nodded.
Shannon watched them lead the baby away and tears ran down her cheeks.
She turned and plummeted Jesse in the chest. "Why did you do that?"
"Stop, you'll break your wound open. I couldn't sew it." He glanced at her shoulder where blood oozed.
"I had to do it. They wouldn't leave us alone until they killed us all. All they really wanted was the child…."
"But Susan….oh my God…Susan!" Shannon wailed.
"Good to see you again, doc." Jimmy John smiled.
Thornton and Billy said nothing. However, when Darrel and Susan came back to the camp, it got extremely quiet again.
When Susan went to check on the baby, she screamed aloud. "No!"
Darrel tried to console her but she pushed him away. "Why did you do such a thing…?" She cried as tears rushed down her cheek and terror lit her face. "So that's why you kissed me so."
"That's not the only reason…." Darrel tried to convince her.
"My baby…my baby!" She cried, her arms outstretched to the sky.
Shannon came to try to console her, but Susan wouldn't acknowledge her.
"You! You’re the reason my baby is gone!"
"I'm sorry, I truly am…"
"If it wasn't for you….my baby would be here. I hate you!" Susan cried and ran to the stream.
Darrel ran after her.
"Don't cry Susan. Listen to me…I want to take care of you. I want to marry you. Don't you understand? I care for you." Darrel cried out to her.
She turned on him swiftly. "Go away; I will never trust you again."
"Susan…think about this. You were being selfish, trying to keep the baby with you when you had no way of supporting it, feeding it, clothing it. With them…he will be alright."
Susan heard his words but she shook her head. "But…I'm his mother…"
"Maybe someday, he'll know that." Darrel told her.
"How can he know that? He'll never see me again." She cried.
"Maybe not, but I have a feeling that in his heart, he'll know you. And that you loved him." Darrel said quietly.
She stared at Darrel for a long moment, then bent into and cried. She cried for a long time.
Darrel went back to camp.
"That girl will never be the same." Shannon shook her head in despair.
Jesse came to stand beside Shannon, "Give her some time. Once she realizes it is best, she'll resign herself to it."
"You've never been a mother, how can you say that? If it weren't for me, she'd have her baby. It's my fault." Shannon protested.
"No it isn't." Jesse took her by the arms and shook her until she looked into his eyes. "That baby is much better off with them, than with us. We aren't even in Texas yet, and we've lost two men. We don't know if we'll make it. You knew that from the beginning, that's why you are here. Listen to me, the baby belongs with a people that will accept him, not taunt him because of his skin color. He hasn't a chance in a white man's world. With them that baby will grow up with his own people. They will love and accept him as theirs. With us, he'd be nothing but a breed. And constantly reminded of it. Deep down in your heart, you know that as well as I."
Shannon considered his words, but she wasn't happy of the outcome.
Jimmy John heard them talking and he nodded. "Doc, it ain't your fault. And Jesse's right. The baby has a better chance at life with them, than he ever would in the white world. I knew a breed once that grew up with the whites. He was never happy. When he was a kid, the others picked on him, called him names. He was never really accepted into the white world. He tried, for many years. He wore white man's clothes, cut his hair, went to school, but he never fit in. But that baby is the grandson of the chief, he'll be respected. He'll have a chance to have a life. I know it's hard to believe and harder to accept what was done to the white girl. Still, it was the only way to avoid bloodshed. The ranger is right, ma'am. He done the right thing. And it took a lot of guts to do it. I was the boss of my gang, because I took the responsibility to do so. Jesse had no choice. Those Indians wouldn't stop until they got that baby. We'd all be dead and nothing accomplished. This way, the kid has a chance to grow up and be accepted there."
Jimmy John had never said so much in his life and when he was through, he fell silent again.
Shannon considered his words too, and in a way, they made more sense than anyone else had.
"He was a stinking redskin, why were you worried about him?" Thornton asked.
"Yeah," Billy shouted. "Better him there, than us dead."
Darrel came up to him and kicked him in the side. "Don't you ever talk like that again, Billy. I can't believe the doc saved you so you could act like this."
"Maybe she should have let me die…"
Jimmy John looked at Darrel, "That's the kind of thing that baby would face every day. Don't you see?"
Susan came back to camp that evening, but she wouldn't speak to anyone, including Darrel. Darrel felt at a loss. His feelings hadn't changed for her. But how was he going to ever let her know now?
Chapter Fifteen
One of the horses went lame, but thankfully, they still had Elmer's, so they shot the lame horse and moved on.
"Must you kill the animal?" Shannon had asked, as she sadly looked at the poor animal in pain. "I could doctor him…"
"No, we don't have time for that. It would be cruel to let a horse be a cripple. A dog yes, maybe, but n
ot a horse. He's better off now."
"It just seems so cruel." She cried and went off to cry alone.
"The doc's got a soft heart, don't she?" Jimmy John smiled.
"Yeah…too soft sometimes." Jesse frowned.
"Well…she might be a doc, but she's a woman first." Jimmy John smiled. "And if you let her get away, I might have to get out of jail and find her myself."
Jesse laughed. "I believe you would. You're right about that. I just don't think she knows what she wants yet."
"Then maybe you ought to tell her!" Jimmy John chuckled.
Just as they were going down the last mountain, a rockslide began and they had to run for their lives. Rocks flew every which way, big ones, little ones, all aimed right at them. Dust and grit covered them. Everyone scattered until it was over. When the dust flew and the rocks finally came to a halt, the air cleared and they saw Darrel was injured.
Shannon treated his wounds, most were just cuts and scrapes, but his leg was broke and Jesse helped her make a splint for him. He also began making a walking stick for him to lean on that same evening.
There was a nearby stream so Shannon and Susan both indulged in a bath.
Jesse came out to the creek to stand guard over them. "You know you could all use a bath…" Shannon hollered at him.
"You're right about that. Maybe if you girls don’t take all day, we might indulge." Jesse suggested casting her a glance over his shoulder.
"Fine, we'll get out, but you keep your back turned." She demanded.
"Yes ma'am." He turned totally around and stared at the camp.
After they both washed their hair, and scrubbed themselves good, they came out and dressed in the thick of the bushes.
He turned around too abruptly and saw Shannon standing there in her undergarments. He couldn't turn away, she was breathtaking. She didn't know it, but the last rays of the sun shone through her clothes, outlining her body in a silhouette no man could turn from. From the sweet curve of her breast, to the rounded fullness of her hips, she was the prettiest thing he'd ever laid eyes on.
His mouth fell open but no words came.
Then when she saw him staring, hers fell open too.
Shotgun Bride (Book Six of the Brides of the West) Page 13
