Chapter 32

Emma woke with a start, wondering what had roused her. And then she heard it again, a low groan that quickly brought the events of the previous night rushing back to her.

Rising from the chair she'd been dozing in, she hurried to Shaun's bedside. He was tossing restlessly, and sweat beaded his brow.

"Jackson!" he exclaimed. "What the hell—"

She leaned forward, frowning as his words slurred and became incoherent. He was sweating out some of the whiskey. The bedclothes smelled like a distillery. His hand was knotted in the bedding, his knuckles white.

Emma shook his shoulder gently. "Shaun? Shaun, wake up."

His eyelids flew open and he stared up at her, his eyes wild.

"Shaun, it's all right. You're home."

"Emma—Emma, listen—"

"I'm here."

"Garth—" He licked his lips. "Garth's the one."

"Shh. Rest now."

"No—no time—Garth—Gotta get the sheriff."

"Later," she said. "Rest now."

He shook his head. "Listen to me! He killed Grady."

"You were dreaming, Shaun." She brushed a lock of hair from his brow. "Garth hasn't killed anyone. Go back to sleep now."

"No! Dammit—" He grabbed her hand. "Listen to me!" He took a deep, calming breath. "Jackson's the one stealing our cattle. I saw him. He killed Grady. Scalped him to make it look like Injuns did it. He was gonna kill me." He frowned. "How did I get here?"

"Blue Hawk brought you home."

He grunted softly. So the apparition he'd seen had been real. "Emma, Grady's body is in that small box canyon across the river. Send Quint for the sheriff. Murder's been done."

Emma studied her husband and realized that even though he was feverish, he was rational. "I'll take care of it, Shaun. Don't worry. Anything else?"

"I reckon not."

She bent down and kissed his cheek. "You get some rest now, hear?"

Shaun squeezed her hand. "Be careful, Emma. Don't go anywhere alone, you or Kaylee. And keep the men close to home. Where's that redsk—where's Blue Hawk?"

"Downstairs with Kay."

Shaun grunted. "Tell him to stick close."

Kaylee shook her head. "Garth Jackson a rustler and a murderer? I don't believe it."

"I don't want to believe it, either," Emma said. She took her shawl from the hall tree and draped it around her shoulders. "Noah is taking me to see Grady's mother. If we leave now, I should be able to catch her before she leaves for church. Oh, and I already sent Quint after the sheriff. And I told Roscoe to keep the rest of the men nearby until the sheriff gets here."

Emma looked at Blue Hawk. For all his natural physical grace, he still looked ill at ease while sitting in a chair. "Shaun said you should stay close."

Blue Hawk nodded. He had no intention of leaving Kaylee, or her mother, as long as the wasichu Jackson was alive. He knew the man's treachery all too well.

"Keep an eye on Shaun, dear. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Mama, do you feel well enough for this?"

"I'm fine, dear."

"You haven't even had breakfast yet."

"I'll eat when I get home." Emma hugged Kaylee, then left the house.

Kaylee sat down on the sofa, her thoughts troubled. "I just don't understand it," she said. "Garth Jackson has everything anyone could want. Why would he steal our cattle?" She shook her head. "I just can't believe he killed Grady, that he was going to kill Shaun. And yet . . ."

"Something else troubles you?" Blue Hawk asked.

"I never liked him. I never trusted him."

"My woman has the wisdom of Wanblee Galehska."

"I don't know about that."

"You must always listen to what your heart tells you, mitawicu ."

"How about what my stomach tells me?" she asked. "It's been a long busy time since supper last night. Are you hungry?"

He nodded. "I will go bathe while you eat."

"Where do you wash?"

"In the creek behind the barn."

Kaylee shook her head. "That's silly. I'll heat some water while I cook breakfast. It's time you had a hot bath."

She filled several large pots with water, put them on the back of the stove to heat, and prepared breakfast. She watched with pleasure and amusement as Blue Hawk wolfed down six hotcakes, four eggs, and four pieces of bacon, along with two cups of coffee heavily sweetened with sugar. Their troubles seemed far away just then.

"I guess we finally found something from the wasichu that you can appreciate," she remarked as he ate the last piece of bacon.

He looked at her across the table, one brow raised. "I like you," he reminded her with a wry grin.

"I'd better take this plate up to Shaun before you eat his breakfast, too," she said with a laugh.

When she returned to the kitchen, the water was hot. She carried the big old wooden tub into the kitchen and emptied the pots into it, then added some cool water until the temperature was just right.

Blue Hawk eyed the tub and the steam rising from it with suspicion.

"Go on, get in," Kaylee urged. "It won't bite you."

He still looked skeptical.

Kaylee checked to be sure the curtains were closed and the back door was locked. The hot water was too tempting to pass up.

"Well, if you're not going to use it, I will." Undressing, she wound her hair into a knot, then picked up the soap and stepped into the tub. She sat down, sighing with pleasure as the hot water closed over her.

Blue Hawk watched her for a moment, then stripped off his clout and moccasins and stepped into the tub behind her. Water sloshed over the sides.

"What are you doing?" Kaylee exclaimed. "There's not enough room in here for both of us."

His arms slid around her waist and he leaned forward, nuzzling her shoulder. "We will make room."

It was a tight squeeze, but very cozy, especially when she turned to face him. When he would have kissed her, she shook her head. "Oh, no," she said. "We're here to bathe."

He looked at her, momentarily taken aback, until she began to wash him. His body responded instantly to the touch of her hand dragging the soap across his skin. She washed his neck, his shoulders, his arms, his chest, his belly, and his legs. He watched her through heavy-lidded eyes, every nerve humming with desire.

"So," she asked, a smile playing over her lips, "how do you like the wasichu way of washing?"

"Very much," he replied, his voice thick with need. "But you have not washed all of me."

"I was saving the best for last."

With a growl, he caught her hand in his.

"I thought you said I wasn't finished."

"I think we will finish together." Taking the soap from her hand, he washed her until her need was as great as his, and then he lifted her from the tub and carried her, naked and dripping, up the stairs to her bedroom and closed the door.

The water in the tub was cold and it was time for lunch by the time Kaylee got back to the kitchen. She had given Blue Hawk a pair of Shaun's pants and one of his shirts to wear. At first he had refused, but when she had reminded him with a grin that it was wise to dress as the enemy did when in the enemy camp, he had seen the wisdom of it and agreed. He had refused the long underwear, though, preferring to wear nothing at all beneath the trousers, and he insisted on keeping his moccasins. She had offered to trim his hair, but he had refused, and she hadn't argued. A lot of the men wore their hair long.

He looked quite handsome, she mused as she warmed up a pot of beef stew. The blue shirt complemented his dark skin and eyes. His hair fell shiny black and clean well past his shoulders. She felt a flush sweep into her cheeks when he gazed at her, lingering on her breasts. She knew he was thinking, as she was, of what had happened earlier.

She had never known that physical love between a man and a woman could be so wonderful, so beautiful. Her mother had been reticent on the subject, saying only that a woman should save herself for her husband and try to please him in the marriage bed. She thought of Shaun and Emma and wondered why it was so difficult to imagine them making love.

Emma came home looking as though she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Shaun was asleep, and Kaylee insisted that her mother sit down and rest while she fixed her a long-delayed meal.

Emma let out a sigh as she removed her shawl and draped it over the back of her chair. She smiled her thanks as Kaylee placed a cup of hot tea in front of her.

"Poor Clarice," Emma remarked. "Tom was her only son, you know, and all he ever wanted to do was work cattle. I stayed with her while she got dressed, and then we went to church to say a prayer for him."

Kaylee set a bowl of stew in front of Emma. "I can make you some bacon and eggs if you'd rather have that."

"This is fine, dear. Nothing I could say would comfort Clarice." Emma took a few bites of stew. "I need to look in on Shaun. He's been all right?"

"Yes, Mama."

Emma nodded. "Where's Mr. Hawk?"

"I'm not sure." Kaylee smiled a sad smile. "He said he needed to get out of the house for a while."

"He's like a wild bird, Kay. I don't think he'll ever be happy living in a cage."

"I know."

Emma was finishing up her meal when Quint knocked at the back door.

"Drum's out of town," Quint said, removing his hat. "He won't be back until day after tomorrow, and his deputy quit. I left a message in his office telling him we need to see him as soon as he gets back. I'd of been here sooner, but it took me a while to track down Drum's whereabouts. I saw one of Jackson's men in town, but no sign of Jackson."

"Thank you, Quint," Emma said.

"How's the boss man?" he asked anxiously.

"Resting," Kaylee said.

"Is there anything else I can do?" he asked.

"Yes," Emma said decisively. "Round up half the hands and have them go up to that box canyon and get Grady's body. If the sheriff isn't coming, it's not right to leave him for the vermin. His mother's bad enough off as it is."

"Yes, ma'am. We'll get right on it."

"And Quint? Be careful. And make sure everyone takes a rifle."

"Yes, ma'am!" He replaced his wide-brimmed hat, then shuffled from one foot to the other. "There's just one other thing . . . Some of the men were wondering . . . ah," he cleared his throat. "Is that Injun gonna be stayin' on here?"

"Yes, he is," Kaylee said sharply. "If the men have a problem with that, tell them they can collect their wages. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am, it surely is. When things start changing, they really get to going, don't they?" He turned and left, spurs jingling.

"That's just what I told Noah," Emma said approvingly.

"What did you tell Noah?" asked a masculine voice.

Emma gasped, almost spilling her tea. "Mr. Hawk, you gave me quite a start."

"He's Lakota, Mama." Kaylee smiled. "You never hear him arrive." She sobered as she turned to face Blue Hawk. "Some of the hands may be a little uneasy about—"

"Having a painted savage so close to home," Blue Hawk finished for her.

"Yes, but they'll get used to it, or they can leave."

"And if they all leave," he asked quietly, "what then?"

"We'll worry about that when it happens," Emma said.

"That's right," Kaylee said. "Where have you been?"

He shrugged. "Nowhere. Just riding. Looking around."

"Is everything all right?"

"The boy's body is protected," Blue Hawk told Emma. Entering the room, he sank cross-legged onto the floor. "I returned to the canyon. The wasichu and their stolen cattle are all gone. It is not right to leave a brave man where he fell. So I gave him Lakota burial."

Emma's eyes brimmed with tears. "That was so thoughtful, Mr. Hawk. But the men will have to bring him back for a proper Christian funeral. I hope you understand that? For his family's sake?"

"It is good for a man to be mourned in keeping with his custom," he said. "Your husband is awake."

Emma cocked her head to listen. "I believe you're right." She put her teacup aside. "I'd better go see how he is."

Kaylee put her mother's dishes in the sink, gave the table a cursory wipe, and then went into the parlor. Blue Hawk rose effortlessly and followed her. She sat on the sofa and patted the cushion. "Come sit beside me."

He did so reluctantly, not caring for its softness, afraid it would make him soft. The white man seemed to have a weakness for soft things—soft beds, soft chairs, soft clothing. He looked at Kaylee. She was soft on the outside but had great strength on the inside. She had endured much to be with him. Could he do less?

"You're not very happy here, are you?" she asked.

"Do you read my thoughts, mitawicu ?"

"No, only the look on your face. Do you want to leave here?"

Blue Hawk shook his head. As much as he wished to be among his own people, worry for Kaylee and their child outweighed his yearning for home. It would be winter soon. He knew Kaylee was nervous about the birth of their child. It was her first pregnancy, and it was natural for her to want her mother close by. It was the same for Lakota women, and he would not deny her the comfort her mother could offer.

He drew her into the circle of his arms, his fingers splayed over her softly rounded belly. His child rested there. It was a solemn, sobering thought. What would life be like for his child? The Lakota way of life was almost gone. The Army would hunt Crazy Horse and his people relentlessly, killing them or forcing them onto reservations. He did not want his child to grow up on the reservation, never to be free, forced to accept the white man's charity. He had heard that Indian children were often taken from their parents and sent away to schools where they were forced to learn the white man's language and were whipped for speaking their native tongue. Their hair was cut, and they were dressed in wasichu clothing. They were taught the white man's religion and forbidden to practice their own. What way was that for a Lakota to live? He glanced around the room. The parlor, it was called. Perhaps it would be better for their child to grow up here.

And then he heard Shaun's voice, bellowing for Emma, and he wondered if staying here would be wise. Kaylee had told him of her stepfather's hatred for Indians. Would Shaun Randall's hatred extend to his own grandchild? Children were prized among the Lakota. Not only did parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins contribute to the rearing of a child, but the rest of the village was in volved as well. Was it so among the wasichu ? Or would Kaylee's stepfather turn his back on the child because of its mixed blood?

Shaun was a horrible patient. One day in bed had him complaining about everything. He complained about the broth Kaylee prepared, and then the soup Emma prepared, declaring that he was a man, not a child, and he wanted something he could sink his teeth into. His grumblings and groanings could be heard throughout the house. At the end of her patience, Emma threatened to have Blue Hawk tie Shaun to the bed if he tried to get up one more time, and that, finally, brought peace to the household.

Kaylee and Blue Hawk looked at each other, suppressing their smiles, when Emma entered the parlor that afternoon, a harried expression on her face. "That man is going to drive me insane. If he isn't complaining about the food, he's insisting he's well enough to get out of bed. That gunshot wound's not twenty-four hours old! He's lucky to be alive. Doesn't he know that?"

Kaylee could no longer suppress her smile. "Blue Hawk's the same way, Mama."

Emma laughed.

Blue Hawk scowled at Kaylee.

"Well," Emma said, "I give up. If the man wants steak, I'll give him steak."

"I made potato salad and beans," Kaylee said. "Do you think he's strong enough to get out of bed? We could make a picnic in the yard. It's such a nice day."

"What is a pic-nic?" Blue Hawk asked.

"It's when you spread a blanket on the ground and eat outside."

Blue Hawk grunted softly. His people had been having picnics all their lives without knowing it.

"That's a good idea, dear. I'll ask Shaun." Emma glanced around. "Do you need help with anything?"

"No, Mama."

"All right." Emma drew a deep breath. "I expect we'll be down directly."

They made their picnic in the shade of the big old tree that grew alongside the house. Kaylee carried the plates and glasses outside, and after she and Emma got Shaun propped up on a comfortable mound of bedding, Kaylee went back inside to cook the steaks. Emma stayed outside with Shaun.

Blue Hawk kept Kaylee company in the kitchen. "Do you think this is a good idea?" he asked, glancing out the window.

"You two will have to talk sometime."

"I do not think your stepfather and I will have much to say to each other."

"Well, he owes you a thank-you, if nothing else. You saved his life, after all."

Blue Hawk grunted softly. He didn't think Shaun Randall would enjoy being reminded of that fact. Knowing how Shaun felt about Indians, he had avoided the man since bringing him home, which hadn't been too difficult since Shaun was bedridden.

"Well, the steaks are done," Kaylee announced. "If you want to eat, they're being served out there. You ready?"

With a nod, he followed her outside.

Shaun's scowl was firmly in place when he saw Blue Hawk trailing after Kaylee. He said something to Emma, who laid her hand on his arm. It didn't take much to figure out that Shaun had protested his presence and Emma was trying to calm him.

"Everything looks wonderful," Emma said as Kaylee sat down. "Doesn't it, Shaun?"

"Yeah, wonderful," her husband muttered.

Blue Hawk sank down across from Shaun, and the two men eyed each other warily while the women served the food. Emma hovered over Shaun, watching each bite he took, looking as though she would like to feed him herself.

"Emma," Shaun said at last, "enough is enough."

A blush rose in her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she said with a self-conscious smile. "I've just been so worried about you. So afraid."

"Well," Shaun replied gruffly, "now you know how I felt the last couple of months."

A long look passed between them.

The color in Emma's cheeks burned brighter. "Well," she said, her hands fluttering over the napkin in her lap. "More lemonade, anyone?"

Kaylee laughed softly, and the spell was broken.

Shaun fixed his gaze on Blue Hawk. "You saved my life. I reckon I owe you a debt."

"No. You are related to Kaylee and as such, you are related to me. There is no debt to repay."

"Well," Shaun said gruffly, "I'm obliged to you just the same."

It wasn't much, Kaylee mused, looking from one man to the other, but it was a start.