Fated Memories (37 page)

“
Oh my God, Hattie. She can’t be pregnant.” Charlotte dropped down once more on the bed. “When Eathen finds out, it’ll kill him.”

“
Yas’m,” Hattie pulled Charlotte’s head against her shoulder. “Ah specs it will.”

“
Well, we’re not gonna find her sittin’ here. I guess I’ll go tell Eathen she’s gone. And what we suspect.”

“
Ah sho’ doan envies you, Miz Charlotte.” Hattie lifted her large girth off the bed.

“
I don’t either, Hattie. I know my husband, and I know what he’ll do to the young man responsible. He’ll find hisself married before the week’s out.”

“
Does you has any idea who mout of did dis ter our baby chile?”

For a long moment Charlotte turned the faces of all the boys she knew around in her mind, then she nodded. “Yes, Hattie, I think I do.”

“
Who does you think it wuz? Miss Jessie wuz a-seein’ mos’ e’very boy in de county der fer w’ile,” Hattie peered at her.

“
That’s true, Hattie, she did see a lot of different boys. But there is just one she always talked about.”

“
Miz Charlotte,” Hattie’s dark face paled, “you doan means dat young Indian boy!”

“
That’s exactly who I mean, Hattie. I just thought about the time I saw them together. I needed her for somethin’, probably to help us with the housework. Anyway,” she threw up her hands, “I found her watchin’ Two Spirits workin’ the horses. As I recall, it had to be close to 100 degrees out that day and he didn’t have on a shirt, just a pair of tight jeans and a pair of moccasins. I must admit, I stood for a few moments enjoyin’ that sight myself. He’s such a handsome kid. As I stood there, I saw somethin’ pass between them. At the time I didn’t think too much of it. But now as I think back, I should have. I hope I’m wrong, Hattie. But I think the boy who got Jessie in trouble is Two Spirits.”

“
Does you think dat’s whar she’s gawn? Ter bes wid him?”

“
I think so. I know one thing for sure though. If it is Two Spirits, there won’t be a weddin’. Eathen’ll kill him.”

Walking across the yard on her way to the corrals, she kept watching for any sign of Jessie. She tried to catch sight of Maggie, Jessie’s horse, but she couldn’t spot her.

“
Tom,” she called out, as he walked towards the bunkhouse, “have you seen Jessie this mornin’?”

“
No, Miss Charlotte. I sure ain’t. I ain’t seen Maggie this mornin’ either,” he laughed. “Guess they must be together.”

“
Probably,” she declared, with a wave of her hand.

“
Were you lookin’ for me?” Eathen came up behind her to slip his arms around her trim waist.

“
As a matter of fact, yes, Eathen.”

“
Then look no more, my love. I’ve been found.” He kissed her full mouth.

When at last she could pull away, she asked him. “Darlin’, have you seen Jessie this mornin’?”

“
Nope.” Eathen left his arm snuggled around her waist. “It’s my guess she’s out takin’ advantage of this beautiful day. I know I’d be if I had the time.”

“
Come up to the house. I need to talk to you ‘bout somethin’.”

“
Sounds serious.” He grinned down at her, matching his steps to hers as they made their way to the house.

When Eathen had seated himself in his favorite chair, Charlotte handed him a glass of brandy.

Eathen glanced up at her. “It’s a little early in the day to start on that, ain’t it?”

“
I think you’re gonna need it.” She settled herself in the chair across from him.

“
What’s goin’ on?” He set the drink on the table beside his chair.

“
Eathen, we think Jessie’s run away. Most of her clothes are missin’ and no one’s seen her since early this mornin’.”

“
What the hell you talkin’ about? Jessie wouldn’t run away.” He leaned forward in his chair. “Hell, I give her everything she could ask for.”

Twisting her hands in her lap she plunged ahead with what she suspected. “Eathen, we think she’s run away because she’s pregnant.”

“
What…the…goddamn hell…are you sayin?!” he growled, lunging from his chair, knocking the table, drink and all, unnoticed to the floor.

“
She ain’t had a menstrual cycle this month and Hattie said she saw her throwin’ up this mornin’. When Hattie suggested callin’ the doctor, Jessie panicked and ran out of the room. Now her clothes are gone and so is she,” Charlotte finished.

“
Wait!” Eathen threw up his hands. “Just back up one goddamn minute here! Now I know you’re wrong, because the reason she didn’t go to the reservation with Wolfer the other day’s cause of her havin’ cramps. Don’t that go along with all that female shit?”

“
It does.” Charlotte nodded in agreement. “But I think she told you that so she wouldn’t have to tell you the real reason she didn’t wanna go.”

“
Didn’t wanna go? Hell, she all but got down on her knees she wanted to go so damn bad! Didn’t wanna go! Christ! Two Spirits is all she could talk about.”

“
Eathen, I think the boy who got her in trouble is Two Spirits.”

“
In a pig’s ass!” He stomped across the room. “No goddamn daughter of mine’d lay up with a worthless Injun!” Eathen yanked the stopper out of the whiskey decanter. “I’d stake my life on that!”

“
All right, then you tell me who got her in trouble.”

“
If she is knocked up, it ain’t by no goddamn Indian!” he snorted, sloshing whiskey into a glass.

“
Who’s the one person she always talked about? Who’s the one person she always took up for? You have to stop and think, Eathen!” Charlotte moved to stand in front of him. “She didn’t get this way by herself!”

“
All right, what about that Sinclair boy?” He waved the hand holding his drink. “She sure acted like she cared for him.”

“
If that’s so, then why did she always turn him away when he came to see her? The same as she did every other boy who came around? Sure, she would go riding with them or sit out on the porch with them, but who’s the one boy she always wanted to be around?”

“
I’ll kill that son-of-a-bitch!” The color drained from his face as he strode in the direction of his den.

Close on his heels, Charlotte tried to grab hold of his arm. “Eathen, where are you goin’?” she demanded, as she watched him strap on his Colt.

“
To find Wolfer. I wanta know why the hell she came back that day they left to go to the reservation.”

“
Well, do you need your gun for that?!”

“
If I run across that red nigger bastard who put his hands on our daughter, I do!” He filled his vest pocket with handfuls of ammunition.

“
Eathen!”Charlotte spun him around to face her. “I don’t want you goin’ off half-cocked! This young man could be innocent!”

“
You better hope to God he’s innocent, Charlotte! ‘Cause if he ain’t, he’s a dead son-of-a-bitch!”

***

An angry Eathen Thornton rode onto the Browning Indian Reservation a little before sundown. Reining his horse outside Pehta’s lodge, he called out in a loud voice. “Pehta, it’s Eathen Thornton out here. I need to talk to you!”

Within moments, the lodge flap lifted as Pehta came outside to greet him. “Hello, old friend, I’ve been expecting you.”

Dismounting, Eathen followed the older man inside to seat himself before the lodge fire. “I’m sure you know why I’m here.”

“
Yes, you have come in search of Wolfer.”

“
Is he here?”

“
He will return. You are welcome to stay here tonight.”

“
Thank you, Pehta.” Eathen removed his hat to lay it on the floor beside him. “I hate draggin’ you into this mess, but it can’t be helped.”

“
You are talking about your daughter and the boy she has left with.”

“
Then it’s true,” Eathen fought against the hot bile trying to push its way up from his rolling stomach. “She is with Two Spirits.”

“
She is with the boy she loves and the one who has fathered the child she carries.”

“
I hope you have no true likin’ for this boy, Pehta,” Eathen yanked a pack of cigars from his shirt pocket, his dark eyes never leaving those of the man seated across from him, “cause he’s gonna die.”

“
So much hatred between our people.” Pehta pushed himself off the floor.

Eathen waved his words away. “It woulda been the same, no matter who got her in trouble.”

“
No, old friend,” Pehta eyes held steady on Eathen’s. “The hatred burning in your heart is much brighter for one of my own. Have we traveled so far from one another, you will now speak falsely in the heat of your anger?”

“
The son-of-a-bitch ruined my daughter!”Eathen roared, lunging to his own feet. “What do you expect me to do, just look the other way and pretend it didn’t happen? Well goddamn it, I can’t do that!”

When Pehta remained silent, Eathen whirled to see Wolfer standing just inside the door. For a long moment, they stared at one another. Then Wolfer held out his hand.

“
Eathen, I thought you’d show up here sooner or later.”

“
Wolfer.” He clasped the other man’s hand in a strong grip. Dropping down on one of the leather rugs spread on the floor, Wolfer crossed his legs in front of the fire. “Sit down, Eathen. I think we’re in for a long night.”

Retrieving the pack of cigars that had fallen to the ground, Eathen offered them around. As each man took one, Eathen hunkered down in front of the fire pit, reached for a lit piece of kindling. Touching the burning wood to the tip of his cigar, he puffed until the end glowed red. Tossing the charred strip into the coals, he relaxed back against his bedroll. “I guess, like Pehta, you know why I’m here.”Eathen glanced around the lodge, taking in the clothes hung on a willow pole strung across one side of the lodge. The banged up cooking pots stacked in the corner and the rumpled beds made of animal skins and blankets. His mind made a quick comparison of Jessie’s bedroom at home and his hands shook.

“
You’re here because of your daughter and Two Spirits.”

“
Am I the only one in this whole goddamn state who didn’t know ‘bout this?”

“
Eathen, your daughter came here some time back to talk with Aleah, Two Spirits’ mother. She told her about being in love with Two Spirits. By the time your daughter rode out of here, Aleah stood screaming so loud everyone on the reservation knew Two Spirits had a white girlfriend and that she is the daughter of the man who is supposed to be supplying the cattle to this reservation. I’m real surprised you never heard ‘bout it.”

“
Maybe if I’d had true friends like I thought I did,” he glared at the two men seated nearby, “I would have.”

“
I realize that’s anger talkin’, Eathen,” Wolfer told him, his voice calm and quiet. “Otherwise, you’d leave this lodge right now.”

“
Are you sayin’,” Eathen’s brows lifted in doubt, “neither of you knew ‘bout this? I find that pretty goddamn hard to believe.”

“
By the time we learned of their feelings for one another, the damage had already been done.” Wolfer glanced sideways at Eathen. “Didn’t she tell you what happened on the way out here?”

“
She didn’t tell me shit,” Eathen talked around the cigar clamped between his teeth. “She put me off with some made up story about not feelin’ well.”

“
I’m surprised, because I didn’t treat her with a lot of kindness. In fact, I turned her over my knee and busted her ass.”

“
You did what?” Eathen growled, jerking the cigar from his mouth.

“
You heard me,” Wolfer told him, “I said I busted her ass.”

“
You better have a damn good reason for what you did, Wolfer!” Eathen uncrossed his legs, preparing himself to move if he needed to. “I’ve never raised my hand to her and she’s my daughter!”

“
It’s plain to see you never raised your hand to her, Eathen. If you had,” Wolfer kept his eyes focused on the other man’s cold stare, “maybe we wouldn’t be havin’ this talk right now.”

“
When a father does not teach his child the difference between giving love and using love,” Pehta spoke up, “they grow up thinking they can do no wrong.”

“
I’m still waitin’ for you to tell me why you put your hands on my daughter, Wolfer.” Eathen told him, as though Pehta had not spoken.

“
The only one that little girl of yours cares about is herself.” Wolfer jabbed his cigar in Eathen’s direction. “She knew what would happen if she had anything to do with an Indian. Hell,” Wolfer threw his hands wide, “even your own hands beat the shit out of him because of his race. You can’t lay all the blame on Two Spirits, goddamn it!”

“
I guess I shoulda expected this from the two of you,” Eathen picked up his hat.

The pain reflected in Pehta’s dark eyes, at Eathen’s slur on their friendship, unleashed the last shred of control Wolfer held on his emotions. “Where the hell do you think you’re goin’?”

“
Well, I’m sure as hell not gonna stay here.” Eathen started to rise. “You two already made up your minds Jessie did all this by herself.”

“
Please, old friend,”Pehta spoke up, holding out a hand to him, “don’t leave it like this. We’ve been friends for a lot of years. Stay and talk this out.”

On a shuddering breath, Eathen eased himself back down. “All right. I’ll stay. But don’t think I’m gonna forget about what you did to her, Wolfer.”