Listen to yourself! One minute you want to get out of this place, the next you want to impress her. What the heck, man. He laughed out loud at the absurdity of his predicament. On the one hand, he just wanted to go home, making sure he’d never see her again. The next moment he tripped all over himself for a girl he could never have. He didn’t have a clue as to how to win her over. Back home, all he had to do was mention he was a jock, and girls lined up to be with him.
“Something amuses you?” Sarah stared at him as if he’d just grown wings.
“Yeah. My situation here is pretty funny,” he said flatly.
“Situation?”
Chase stopped walking. He waited for Sarah to stop, too. When she turned to look at him, he said, “How far is it to that rendezvous place, Sarah?”
Her eyes widened. “You can’t be thinking of going there,” she said, her voice heated.
“I just want to know where it is.” He shrugged, pretending mild interest.
“You will never get there alive. The Blackfoot will kill you the moment you enter their territory.”
“Stop telling me how incompetent I am, dammit,” he yelled. Did everyone see him only as a failure?
“It has nothing to do with incompetence,” Sarah glared at him, her hands on her hips. “No man I know travels through hostile territory alone. It is suicide. Other trappers travel in large groups. It is safer that way. Do you wish to die?”
“No, I just want to get the hell out of here.” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. She let out an audible gasp at his harsh words. “What’s the matter, angel? Why does that surprise you? There’s nothing for me here,” he sneered.
“I…I thought you were getting along here quite well,” she said quietly.
Her words surprised him. No one other than coach Beckman had believed in him, encouraged him. When he died, so had all desire to be the best. Sarah thought he was doing well?
“Sorry I yelled at you,” he mumbled.
She walked up to him and placed a tentative hand on his arm, looking up at him intently. He clenched his jaw. “You are a good man, Chase Russell,” she said softly. He stared into her deep blue pools.
“You have the prettiest blue eyes, you know that?” His words were a mere whisper. Since when do you spout silly compliments to women, Russell? He knocked himself in the head mentally. He was turning into a lovesick tomcat. Next he’d be spouting poetry.
“My Shoshoni name is Aibehi Imaah ba’a.” She smiled at him softly. “My mother named me after a particular hot water spring she calls Morning Glory Pool.”
“I’ve seen that pool.” Chase stepped closer to her. “It’s nothing compared to your eyes.”
Grizzly barked next to him. “Great timing, partner,” Chase grumbled, reaching down to pat the dog’s head. He looked up again and grinned at Sarah. She hadn’t moved. “You’re making it hard for me to keep that promise I made this morning, you know that, angel?” Her face turned scarlet. Chase smiled inwardly.
“Don’t we have to be somewhere?” he said with as much cheer as he could muster. He headed off in the direction they’d been traveling. Another second of her staring at him so intently, and a herd of bison wouldn’t stop him from taking her in his arms and breaking his promise.
*****
Sarah stared after him. He would have kissed her again if Grizzly hadn’t barked. And she’d wanted him to. She shook her head, and ran to catch up with him. They would reach the village soon. Her thoughts needed to be elsewhere other than on the tall man walking next to her.
“Where is this rendezvous, Sarah?” he suddenly asked again.
She sighed impatiently. He wouldn’t know how to get there, anyways. What could it hurt to tell him? “Beneath the teewinots, by the great lake,” she finally answered.
He shot her an annoyed look, which made her smile. “Speak English, Sarah.”
“Teewinots…it means many pinnacles. It describes the mountains.” She hesitated, then added, “the French call them les trois tetons.” She blushed.
Chase grinned broadly at her, his eyebrows raised. “My French is a little rusty, but did you just say the three breasts?”
Sarah buried her face in her hands. Chase laughed loudly. His light slap on her back shocked her out of hiding. His boyish grin was infectious. She began to laugh. “Yes, that’s what it means,” she said between fits of laughter.
“I know that place. In my time, we call those mountains the Grand Tetons.”
“Don’t try and find your way there.” Her face grew serious. “Wait until my parents get home. Surely you can stay here that long.”
“For you, angel, I’ll stay,” he answered.
Sarah couldn’t react or reply to his comment. The sound of voices carried through the forest, as did the smell of wood smoke. The village came into view through the trees. She exchanged an uneasy smile with Chase. By the look on his face, she could tell he felt nervous, too.
“Most of the people don’t speak English,” Sarah said. “If you know French, a few can speak it. The Tukudeka tend to keep to themselves. They are mountain dwellers, and so have very little contact with other tribes, or with white men.”
“I’ll try and behave myself, angel. Wouldn’t want to embarrass you.” He shot her a devilish grin. Sarah swatted his arm with her hand, but couldn’t help from smiling back at him. She turned her face when she felt her cheeks grow hot again.
She led the way into the clearing. Nine conical shaped wooden dwellings stood erected throughout the clearing, with one smaller hut further off closer to the tree line. The freestanding dwellings were tightly covered with deadfall, and thatched with dried grasses. Cooking fires burned in front of the majority of the huts. Men and women moved around, each busy with some task. Children laughed and ran around, playing with sticks and carved figures. Dogs lay about everywhere, and some raised their heads and barked a greeting at the newcomers. Grizzly’s tail stood erect like a flagpole, the tip moving back and forth cautiously. People stopped their activities when they noticed Sarah and Chase.
A short, heavy set woman walked towards her when she and Chase entered the clearing, open-armed and smiling brightly.
“Imaah, it is good that you are here,” the woman embraced her warmly.
“It is good to be here, Little Bird,” Sarah replied. “How is Snow Bird?”
“She is in the birthing hut. Her time is near.” The woman cocked her head up at Chase, and perused him with curious eyes.
“Chase, this is my aunt, Little Bird. She is the wife of Elk Runner. You’ve, ah, already met him.” Turning to her aunt, she said, “This man is called Chase. He has seen to my safety in coming here.”
Chase reached out a hand. Sarah put hers out and blocked him. “Just nod and say hello,” she said. He nodded his head at the woman, muttering a quick hello. She continued her perusal. Sarah shifted weight from one foot to the other. She could only guess what her aunt must be thinking.
“I, ah, need to go see Snow Bird,” she said to Chase.
“I’ll be waiting,” he shrugged.
Little Bird nodded at him. “Come,” she said to him in stilted English, “you sit with..my..kuhma.” Her eyes darted to Sarah for help.
“Husband,” she supplied.
Little Bird gestured for Chase to follow her. “Sit with husband,” she said.
Chase walked off after the woman, turning once to Sarah, and said, “I’ll be fine. Go do what you need to do.”
Sarah admired his broad shoulders as he walked away. He didn’t appear to be uncomfortable here, and carried himself with confidence. With a satisfied smile, she headed off to the one wickiup that stood furthest from the rest.
******
Sarah stretched her back, and massaged her neck, groaning at the relief it brought to her tense muscles. She squinted as she stepped out of the darkened hut into the bright early afternoon sunlight. The baby had taken his sweet time in making an appearance into the world. Snow Bird had labored all through the night, and Sarah
had wished her mother would have been here to help. She had feared for her cousin and her little son a few times. But nature had taken its course, and he’d simply been a slow arrival. Right at the moment, she needed to walk off the soreness in her muscles from sitting and squatting for long hours. Snow Bird and her baby slept peacefully, and Sarah used the opportunity to leave the hut for a while. With some trepidation, she also wondered how Chase had fared the night.
Loud and boisterous children’s laughter and shouting reached her ears. She glanced around in the direction of all the noise. At the other end of the village, a group of boys clad only in breechcloths, and several girls, ran around like a flock of birds. There seemed to be two groups of kids, with one group chasing after the other.
At the periphery of the cluster of children, Sarah spotted Chase. Her mouth fell open. He was calling to a particular child, and held something in his hand. Just as she’d seen him do with the tomahawk, his left arm raised up and he aimed for a throw. The object in his hand sailed through the air, into the waiting arms of the little boy, who took off running in the opposite direction after catching what Chase had thrown, whooping loudly. The rest of the children ran after him, yelling like a war party of Blackfoot in pursuit.
Chase pumped his arm in the air, rooting the boy forward. Sarah stared openly at the tall man. He wore no shirt, and his lean upper body glistened in the sunlight, a sheen of sweat covering his skin. The display of solid muscle caused her face to flush, and her pulse increased.
Spotting her aunt and a group of women sitting off to the side beneath some shady trees, Sarah headed in their direction. Grinding nuts and dried berries with round stones against flat rocks, the women watched the excitement with smiles on their faces. A few older men, her uncle included, stood on the opposite end of the play field, their heads together in heated conversation, obviously discussing the tactics of the game.
Little Bird glanced up at her when Sarah approached. She motioned for her to take a seat next to her. Sarah eased herself to the ground, and picked up a flat rock and round stone, and reached for a handful of nuts from a woven basket that sat in front of Little Bird.
“What is going on?” Sarah asked, moving her wrist in a rhythmic motion, grinding the round rock over the nuts.
“Chase has taught the children a new game,” Little Bird beamed. “It has something to do with a foot and a ball, but I was not clear. Maybe he meant to say not to use the foot, because it is obviously a throwing game. The ball doesn’t look like a ball, either. He showed me what he wanted, and I sewed him the type of ball he asked for. It is more oblong in shape than round. Very interesting game, this white man plays.”
“The children seem to enjoy it,” one of the other women commented, leaning forward to look at Sarah. “Where does this man come from, Imaah?”
“First, tell us how Snow Bird is doing,” Little Bird interrupted.
“She is well, and so is her son. Where is her husband?”
“He has gone hunting with a group of the young men, in celebration of the impending birth. He went to visit our neighbors to the north. Hawk Soaring is with them, too. He will probably come for a visit with the hunters when they return in a few days.” Little Bird smiled brightly at Sarah.
“Hawk Soaring?” Sarah echoed. Why would her aunt mention him in particular? She had been friends with the man since childhood. Her brothers and he had often gotten into mischief together growing up, and Sarah had usually tagged along, to her brothers’ great annoyance. She hadn’t seen him in several months. He lived with another Tukudeka clan who favored the higher mountain ranges to the north.
“Won’t it please you to see him?” Little Bird asked.
“Well, yes, I suppose. I haven’t seen him in a while.” The expectant look on her aunt’s face, and a few of the other women perplexed her.
“You are not excited about the news?” Shining Water asked.
Sarah shook her head. “There is something you all know that I obviously do not,” she laughed.
Little Bird shot her an incredulous stare. “Your father hasn’t told you?”
“Told me what? Please stop speaking in riddles,” Sarah chuckled, suddenly feeling nervous.
“Hawk Soaring has been to see your father,” Shining Water said. “He has asked for you.” Her face beamed, obviously pleased to be announcing this news.
Sarah’s heart dropped to her stomach. She felt nauseous all of a sudden. “When…,” she choked out the words, “when did he do that?”
Little Bird looked uneasy. “We thought you knew, Imaah. This happened before your parents left for the rendezvous. We assumed your father had spoken to you.”
“No,” Sarah whispered. Her eyes darted to Chase, who was running around with the children, shouting encouragements at them. “No, he hasn’t said anything.” She swallowed back the bitterness creeping up her throat. Why would her father not tell her? What could it mean? Never had she believed that he would decide on the man she would marry someday. She always assumed that decision would be left to her.
Her parents had commented often lately that she didn’t have a husband, but she had said she wasn’t interested in a man. Did her father believe she needed to marry, and he’d made the decision for her? She’d always liked Hawk Soaring. He was a nice man, and a very capable hunter. There was no doubt in her mind he would be a good provider to a family. But her feelings for him did not extend beyond that of friendship. He didn’t send her pulses racing like…Chase. Sarah blinked back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.
“Imaah,” Little Bird said gently. “I can see that your heart lies with another. Does this white man plan to ask for you?” She patted Sarah’s arm.
“No,” Sarah laughed half-heartedly. Her throat constricted tightly. She couldn’t even swallow. “He has no such intentions.”
Chapter 16
Chase spotted Sarah sitting in the shade with her aunt and several other women. How long had she been there? He hadn’t noticed her coming from that hut. All morning, he’d played an improvised version of football with the village kids. He’d even been able to communicate to Little Bird about making him a football shaped ball. It was a far cry from a real pigskin, but it served its purpose.
He motioned to the kids to keep playing, then strode over to where Sarah sat. She looked worn out.
“Hey.” He grinned down at her. He knelt in front of the women, and stuck his hand in the basket, scooping up a handful of nuts and berries, and flashed them all a bright smile. One of the women swatted his hand away, but she had a wide grin on her face.
His attention returned to Sarah, who sat quietly. She looked like she was about to cry. Her aunt kept darting him curious glances, and the other women leaned their heads together, whispering.
“Everything alright?” he asked. “Nothing happened to the mom and baby, did it?”
Sarah looked directly at him for the first time. “No, they’re fine.”
“Then why so glum?” He didn’t wait for an answer, and reached his hand out to her. “Come on, angel, I’ve got just the thing to cheer you up.”
Her eyes widened.
“Come on,” he coaxed. “The opposition is losing pretty badly. They need a wide receiver who can run fast. I think you’re just what they need.” His grin widened. He knew she had no clue what he was talking about. She hesitated, then reached out to grab his hand. He pulled her to her feet the instant she made contact with it. She shot a nervous glance over her shoulder at the women, and Chase noticed them smiling brightly, wondering vaguely at the reason. He led her towards the group of waiting kids.
“You want me to play?” Her eyes grew round.
“Yup.” Chase tugged her along when her steps began to falter.
“I don’t know how,” she protested, a slight note of panic in her voice.
“It’s really easy, angel. All you have to do is catch the ball that this little guy,” he pointed to a young boy with a wide smile on his face, “is going to throw
to you, and then you run with it.” Pointing into the distance, he continued, “see that row of rocks lying on the ground down there?” She nodded. “That’s your goal. If you reach those rocks and run past them, you’re safe, and your team scores.”
“That sounds easy,” she said. “All I have to do is run with that ball?”
“Catch it and run,” Chase nodded. “And don’t let anyone on the other team catch you.”
“Okay. If it will help, I’ll try it.” She smiled at the group of kids.
“Excellent,” Chase beamed. He motioned for the kids to take their positions, pointing fingers at kids and showing them where they should stand. Then he handed the ball off to the boy who was his designated quarterback for the opposing team.
“Sarah, you need to stand behind this line of kids. They’re going to try and prevent this guy,” he pointed to the boy holding the ball, “from throwing it to you, and also to catch the ball themselves. Got it?”
She nodded affirmation.
Chase took up a position at the front of the line towards the outside to give the boy the advantage of a clean throw. He nodded his head, and the boy jumped back, aimed, and threw the ball. All the kids started shouting at once, and mayhem ensued. Sarah had to run forward since the throw fell short of where she stood, but she caught it at the last second before it would have hit the ground. Smiling brightly, she whirled around, and ran in the direction of the goal.
His heart beat faster at watching her. She would have been a natural at flag football or maybe softball. She had the athleticism for it. Chase darted after her. Her head turned, and he caught the surprised look in her eyes when she saw him in pursuit. Her laughter spurred him on, and it didn’t take much for him to overtake her. She screeched when she realized she’d been outrun. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down, twisting his body so she’d land on top of him, then quickly rolled her underneath him.
“You’re not allowed to do that,” she squealed. “That’s not fair.” Her face was flushed from the excitement, and his gut tightened in response to her radiant smile.
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