by Linda Bridey
“Yeah, I do,” Sammi said.
“Also, if she were to live here in camp, she would be required to learn proper etiquette for women and abide by it, something else she is not willing to do. I could have no wife of mine defying me on a regular basis for many reasons. When my Aunt Claire or Aunt Hannah is in camp, they abide by these rules, even if they do not like it. If they argue with my uncles when they leave here, I do not know it. I only see what they do here. Rachel would be expected to do the same,” Reckless said.
“I didn’t know you were so traditional. You’d never know it by the way you act,” Sammi said with a smile.
Reckless returned her grin. “The way I act when I am in town doesn’t abuse our rules. I do not steal, I am not truly disrespectful to my elders, I do not harass the women, nor do I abuse alcohol. What my job requires me to do is also not against our laws. As long as I live up to my responsibilities here at home, there is no problem with me working at the bar.”
Sammi thought about that for a minute. She saw the wisdom in what Reckless said and her regard for Reckless grew.
Reckless sighed and pressed onward despite his discomfort in talking about the subject. “Regarding Rachel, my treatment of her has also crossed no boundaries. She would have wished it so, but I would not. I am not saying that it wasn’t hard to resist, but resist I did. I think she thought that if we did…sleep together—this term you white people have is very strange to me when you are not sleeping at all!”
Sammi laughed over that. “I agree. It’s just a polite way of saying it.”
“Why are you so afraid of saying it? I do not understand it. Never mind. The point is that I feel as though she thought that if we did, it would sway my decision about everything and that I would not hold to my convictions. When she realized that I would not betray my beliefs and the laws of my people, she became angry. Telling you only half-truths was her way of getting back at me.”
“I agree and it’s completely wrong of her and I’ve dealt with her about it,” Sammi said.
Reckless placed a hand on Sammi’s knee and said, “I do not blame you or Mitch. Rachel is old enough to know right from wrong and make her own decisions. The fault lies with her. I must tell you that I will never get back together with her because I cannot trust her not to lie about me every time she gets angry with me. Above all else, I value honesty and even a half-truth is dishonesty, Sammi. This is especially true because her half-truth led others to believe that I violated her virtue and for us, a woman’s virtue is her most valuable possession. Although there are some who would have crossed that line, I would not, since I knew that marriage wouldn’t be possible.”
Sammi held Reckless’ gaze and said, “I don’t blame you one bit and I know that you’ve been nothing but honest with me about all this. I know that the Lakota are not liars. You know what good friends Owl and I are and I’ve learned a lot about all this from him. I may not like everything he tells me, but at least he’s honest and I always know where I stand with him.”
Reckless nodded. “Yes. He is an honorable man and I look up to him greatly.”
“That he is. Thank you for accepting my apology,” Sammi said as she rose to her feet.
Reckless rose with her. “You’re welcome. They are fine gifts. If this is how you apologize, feel free to attack me every so often,” he said with a grin.
Sammi laughed and shook her head. “No, I won’t be attacking you anymore.”
“Except at work, you mean,” Reckless said.
“No, not even there. I’m quitting for good, Reckless. I have a hunch that I might be pregnant again and I can’t afford to take the chance on losing a baby if I am,” Sammi said. “Besides, I need to stay safe for my family now. I’ll still work as a deputy off and on, but I don’t think I’ll go back to working for Jake.”
Sadness and happiness fought within Reckless. He smiled and hugged her. “I’m happy for you and Mitch, and yet sad for myself because you won’t be around as much. I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too, but it ain’t like we won’t see each other and stuff. Poor Jake. He’s out a bouncer again,” Sammi said with a laugh. She gave Reckless a last squeeze and released him. “I’ll see you soon, Reckless,” Sammi said as they exited the tipi and parted ways.
Chapter Fifteen
The weekend after Thanksgiving was a busy one. Owl and Hannah moved into their new home. They had plenty of help and it turned into a social affair. Joe had let them use his Clydesdales and big wagon to haul their furniture and such, and there were enough men present that they were able to make quick work of loading and unloading it.
The women helped get the kitchen set up and curtains hung. By Sunday night, most everything was in place with the exception of some things that Owl and Hannah hadn’t been able to decide where to put yet.
Sunday afternoon Claire and Sparrow helped Sasha clean her new house. Hannah was an excellent housekeeper so there wasn’t too much to do outside of sweeping the floors and removing a few cobwebs. Sasha was excited about moving into the house and could imagine her furniture in it. Ben showed up as they were finishing to see if there was anything he could help with.
Claire and Sparrow smiled at the way Sasha’s face lit up at the sight of him. They both understood what that was like. Claire still felt that way about Marcus and she knew that was never going to change. Whenever Sparrow saw Jack, she felt such a big rush of happiness that there was no stopping the smile he brought to her face.
Sasha had imparted to the other two women that she and Ben were in love and they couldn’t have been happier for her. She’d laughed and commented on how she felt like a young girl experiencing her first true love. As they worked, Sasha realized that it was true. She’d never really been in love with Ken. He’d never made her feel the way Ben did. Sometimes she became weak-kneed just looking at him.
“How are you ladies doing here?” Ben asked as he stepped through the door.
Sasha smiled. “Fine. We’ve just finished up. How does it look?”
Ben looked around and said, “Empty.”
Swatting his arm, Sasha said, “Quit being a smart Alec. You know what I mean.”
He chuckled and said, “It looks nice and clean. Now all it needs is your things. What day will it be delivered?”
“Wednesday, barring any complications,” Sasha answered.
Claire said, “I’d be glad to lend a hand once school is out that day.”
“And I can help all day,” Sparrow told her. “I’ll bring Danny.”
“Thank you both. I’ll take you up on that,” Sasha said.
“Good,” Claire said. “It’ll be fun.”
Sparrow said, “Well, I should be getting over to Hannah’s house so I can feed Danny.”
Claire also left and almost as soon as the door shut, Ben took Sasha in his arms and kissed her long and hard. When the kiss ended, Sasha said, “My goodness. What was that for?”
Ben arched an eyebrow. “Does there have to be a reason? I love you and I love kissing you.”
Sasha chuckled. “I love you, too, and I love kissing you, too. I’ll confess that I think about both much of the time.”
Ben held her tighter and his green eyes met hers in an intense look. “I do, too. I don’t want you to think that’s one-sided at all, sugar.”
Sasha pulled his head down so she could kiss him and Ben groaned as he tightened his arms around her. She wished the moment could go on forever and suddenly knew that if Ben wanted her right then, she would give herself, even if there was no furniture. He made her want to be reckless and daring, something she’d never had the courage to be before.
Ben wanted her like no other woman he’d ever been with. He considered the possibilities of where they were and then dismissed each option. Knowing how insecure Sasha was about her skill as a lover, Ben wanted them to be comfortable and unhurried. Ben gently drew back from her and held her a moment as he got his breathing under control.
Sasha didn’t understa
nd why he was holding back. Surely he sensed how much she wanted him. “What’s wrong?”
Ben chuckled. “Absolutely nothing, except we don’t have any furniture here. Might I suggest we go to my place?”
Sasha moved so she could look at him. “You mean…?”
Ben smiled. “You tell me.”
As Sasha considered it, she bit her bottom lip and Ben had the urge to bite it himself. Then she nodded and gave him a big smile. Ben took her hand and pulled her from the house. He waited impatiently as she locked the door and mounted her horse. Swiftly they rode for the Watering Hole, anticipation building with each stride their horses took.
When they reached the bar, they made short work of unsaddling the horses and rubbing them down. Sasha picked up her skirts and ran up the stairs to his apartment. They kissed as Ben unlocked the door and pushed her inside. It was a little chilly in the apartment as the fire had burned low in the parlor, but neither one of them felt the cold as they wrapped their arms around one another.
Ben laughed as Sasha bit his earlobe and said, “There’s my she-devil.”
“She-devil?” she asked as she pushed his coat off and looked at him.
“Yes. When you get like this, that’s what you remind me of and I love it,” he said as he threw the coat to the side.
Sasha began working at the buttons of the shirt he wore. She couldn’t get to him fast enough and became impatient with the buttons. Ben laughed softly when she cursed at them. Finally she got it open and pressed a kiss to his bare chest. Content to let her do with him what she would, Ben let her set the pace.
Suddenly ravenous for him, Sasha backed him towards his bedroom, kissing him and touching him the whole way. Her forcefulness excited Ben beyond belief and he encouraged her actions with words and caresses that let her know how much he liked what she was doing. Reaching his room, they finished undressing and Sasha shoved him onto the bed. Both of them laughed.
“Come here, she-devil,” Ben said, and Sasha needed no further urging.
That evening Sasha learned just how good a lover she was. Ben was fierce, fun, and generous in bed. He also made her feel cherished and loved; the most important things she needed. Those he gave her in abundance and her confidence as a woman was restored.
“Stay,” Ben said as they lay entwined together. It was somewhere near midnight and Ben couldn’t see the sense in her leaving right then. “It’s cold out there. Stay here and I’ll keep you warm.”
Sasha snuggled closer to him and said, “Okay. I really don’t want to leave. I’ll just leave early in the morning.”
Ben tipped her chin up so he could kiss her and asked, “Are you afraid of someone seeing you leave here?”
Sasha sighed as she looked into the jade eyes that she loved so much. “I don’t know. On one hand, I don’t want people to think badly of me and on the other, I really don’t care what they think. Does that make sense?”
He grinned at her. “Yes. I understand that. I vote for the latter. You already know where I stand on this issue.”
“Yes, I know,” she said as he ran a hand over her arm. “But you know how people talk.”
“People need to mind their own business,” Ben groused. “Stay and leave early.”
Sasha smiled at his coaxing. “I already said I would.”
“So you did. Are you hungry?” Ben asked. “I’m starving.”
“Ravenous. What are you going to feed me?” Sasha said.
“How do you feel about omelets?” Ben asked.
Sasha rose up on an elbow and Ben looked down at her enticing naked form. “I love them, especially when they’re made by a gorgeous man such as yourself.”
Ben grinned. “Then let’s go eat and then have dessert.”
Sasha giggled and said, “I think that’s an excellent plan, Dr. Walker.”
“Ben?” Marcus frowned when Ben didn’t respond to him. He threw a pencil at Ben. It hit Ben’s forehead.
Ben jumped at the contact and said, “Why did you do that?”
Marcus laughed as Ben fired the pencil back at him. He caught it with ease and said, “I’m trying to talk to you, but you’re in another world.” Marcus’ grin was sly. “I bet I can guess at what’s got you so preoccupied.”
“Mind your own business, Marcus,” Ben growled at him. “What did you want?”
Marcus said, “Well, you know Mike’s leaving for school after the first of the year.”
“Yes. I’m aware,” Ben said as he yawned and smiled. Sasha was the reason for his pleasant fatigue. They hadn’t done much sleeping.
“Well, I’d like to go with him to Chicago and help him settle in. I can show him around so he’s a little familiar with where things are and maybe introduce him to a couple of my old professors, if they’re still there,” Marcus said. “Do you mind? I’ll be gone about two weeks.”
“Not at all. I think that’s a good idea. He’s bound to be nervous. He’s never been away from home before and Chicago is huge compared to Dawson,” Ben said. “Hannah and I will handle things here. Not to worry.”
Marcus gave Ben a grateful smile. “Great. Thanks. I owe you.”
“Then be my best man at my wedding.” Ben enjoyed the surprised look on Marcus’ face.
“You asked Sasha to marry you?” he asked.
Ben shook his head. “No, but I’m going to. She’s the one I’ve been waiting for. I knew it when I met her all those months ago and I’m not going to waste a lot of time getting her to the altar. Will you do it?”
Marcus said, “I’d be honored, Ben.”
“Thank you, sir,” Ben said with a smile.
Sasha floated through her day. She went to visit Sparrow and Danny, but couldn’t keep her mind on their conversation. Sparrow noticed her daydreaming and said, “I can guess what you’re thinking about.”
Sasha smiled and blushed. “Yes. There’s a certain doctor that I can’t stop thinking about.” She wasn’t sure if she was going to tell Sparrow about the time she and Ben had spent together the previous night.
Sparrow smiled. “I can tell. I’m not sure that you’ve heard much of what I said.”
“I’m sorry, Sparrow. I can’t help it,” Sasha said.
“I understand. It’s the same way with Jack. There are some days when I miss him so much even though I saw him in the morning and I’ll see him in the evening. While he’s at work, I can’t wait for him to get home,” Sparrow said.
Danny sat in his highchair by the table. He waved his hands and babbled happily. Sasha took one of his hands and kissed it. He laughed and banged his other hand against the high chair’s tray. His dark eyes smiled at her.
“He is absolutely adorable,” Sasha said.
“I know,” Sparrow said. “I love him so much. Jack and I don’t want to wait too long to have another baby. That way he’ll have a brother or sister to play with who’s close to his age.”
Sasha smiled. “I’m sure working on that is enjoyable for you,” she said with a naughty smile.
Sparrow gaped at her for a moment and then laughed. “You are bad, but yes, it is.”
The conversation turned towards womanly things and Sasha blurted, “Ben and I…well…last night.”
Sparrow’s eyes grew big and she said, “You and he…?”
Sasha nodded. “And it was the most magnificent thing I’ve ever experienced. I don’t regret one second with him.”
Sparrow laughed again and said, “You deserve to be happy after what you have been through and if Ben makes you happy, so be it.”
Sasha giggled and said, “You have no idea. Or maybe you do.”
The two friends laughed together and then decided to go for a walk since it was a slightly warmer day.
Jake put his head down on his desk and banged his forehead on it a little. “Sammi, you’re killin’ me here. I’m happy for you, if you are pregnant, but you’re gonna quit for good?”
“Jake, I have to,” Sammi said. “It’s hard for me, too. You know how much I love
this job, but the fact is I can’t take a chance on losing a baby and I have a family to raise. I have to play it safe for their sakes. I’m sorry, Jake.”
Jake saw that she was close to tears and came around the desk to hug her.
Sammi sniffed and said, “I have to be pregnant. I’m having those mood swings again. I think that’s why I went after Reckless the way I did. I’m not in control of my emotions and that’s not a good thing. Maybe Ben will help out more until you get a replacement.”
“Maybe. I think he’s busy with Sasha a lot though, so I don’t know about that. If you think of anyone who can do the job, let me know. I’ll get an ad in the papers and see if I get any bites,” Jake said.
“I will. I’ll put out some feelers for you,” Sammi said. “I’ll still be around, Jake. Well, I better get going. See ya.”
Jake said, “Bye, Sammi.”
He sighed as she left and sat in the chair she’d just vacated. He was down to one bouncer again, which wasn’t a good thing given the size of the place and how much more popular the Watering Hole had grown. Pushing out of the chair, Jake sat behind his desk again and began to write up a help wanted ad.
Ben was in surgeon mode that afternoon. It was an unexpected event that brought Rick Westlake, the other deputy in town, into the office. Rick had been dealing with a man who’d been holding his wife hostage in their home. When he rushed the house, the man had fired on him and the bullet lodged in his left bicep. Rick had pushed past the pain as he so often did, and had broken the door down.
He’d apprehended the man and dragged him off to the jail. The neighbor woman who’d alerted the officer to the bad situation was tending to the wife. When Rick had walked into the Sheriff’s station with a blood stain spreading down his coat sleeve, Mitch had gotten up and taken the prisoner from Rick. The deputy had been very calm about being shot and said, “I guess I should go to the clinic.”
Without waiting for permission, he’d walked over and into the building. Upon seeing Rick’s condition and hearing what had happened to him, Hannah had gotten Ben right away. Mike happened to be in the clinic and Ben said, “How would you like to learn how to remove a bullet?”
