Brave the Wild Wind

Chapter 21

JESSIE woke first. She understood what had happened, got up quickly, and silently gathered her things.

She pushed Blackstar to his limit, riding not to the ranch but to the range, wanting to throw herself into hard work so she wouldn’t have to think. How had it happened? She could have stopped it. It wasn’t as if he’d forced her. She had wanted him. But why? Damn!

It was quite late when Chase woke, and it didn’t take long for him to see that there was no trace of Jessie in the cabin. Damn all independent women, he swore, feeling as though he’d been taken advantage of.

His irritation increased as he rode back to the ranch, thankful that he knew the way, at least. He was fed up with having this one particular woman turn him inside out. He didn’t act the same when he was with her, couldn’t even think straight when she was near him. He would tell Rachel what she needed to be aware of, give Jessie her father’s promissory note, and light out.

When Chase entered the house, Rachel was in the parlor. She was sitting in a rocker, crocheting, looking fetching and demure in a gown of moss green with black lace. He remembered the Ewing household, how soothing it had been to sit and watch her crocheting or knitting, or arranging flowers. Gazing on Rachel’s beauty eased his troubles, always had. Without Jessie on his mind, it might still have worked.

“Is she here?” he asked.

“No. A young man, Blue, rode in for supplies about noon,” she explained. “He told Jeb she was out on the range working.”

Chase sat down heavily and sighed. “I might have known she’d get right back in the thick of things. Are they still rounding up the herd?”

“Yes. Jeb says it’ll only be a few more days before they’re through. He’s going to town tomorrow in fact to get the supplies they’ll need for the drive.” She looked back to her lap as if she weren’t going to say any more, but she added softly, “Chase? She wasn’t really with Indians, was she?”

He wondered how she knew he’d found Jessie, then decided to skip it.

“Actually, Rachel, she’s been visiting these Indians for about eight years.”

“Then it’s true!”

“You haven’t heard the worst. I found her with the Cheyenne. They’re friendly with her, but other whites are not welcome in their territory. I nearly got killed, in fact. My horse was stolen, and I had to fight to get him back. I was kept tied up for half a day, and if Jessie hadn’t told them she knew me, I’d have been tortured, maybe killed. That’s the kind of company she keeps. Nice, isn’t it?”

Rachel stared at him, knowing he had more to say.

“The closest friend your daughter has is a half-breed Cheyenne called White Thunder. They’re so close she bathes naked in a creek with him standing a few yards away.”

“I don’t believe it.” Rachel was shaking her head.

“I saw them. And I still haven’t gotten to the worst. She has a suitor, a Sioux warrior. He wants to marry her, and the only reason she refused him is that he has a wife. She said as much! She claims the only place she’s found happiness is with the Indians. Who knows? The next warrior who asks for her might not already have a wife. You just might find yourself with an Indian for a son-in-law, Rachel.”

She was so stunned she couldn’t speak. Finally she said, “What am I going to do?”

“You’re her mother,” Chase replied angrily, “not to mention her father’s choice of guardian. You’ve got the power to control her. Do it. Stop letting her do as she pleases.”

“But how?” Rachel implored.

“How the hell should I know?” he snapped, then relented. “Oh, Rachel, stop it, please. You’ll think of something. But you’ve got to stop putting me in the middle of it. I’ve done what you asked, and I’m lighting out of here in the morning.”

“But, Chase—”

“You’re not talking me into staying here any longer. I checked on Bowdre, and he’s just what you thought he was. But he no longer has any right to bother Jessie,” he said proudly.

“Why not?” she cried.

“I played cards with him.” He paused. “I won the note.”

She gasped. “You won the note? What did Jessie say?”

“She doesn’t know yet, but I’ll give her the note before I leave. If there’s any more trouble with Bowdre, it will be trouble for the sheriff to handle. I won the note fairly. Bowdre’s got no further claim. And I’m through here.”

“Of course. It is selfish of me to try to keep you if you want to go. Chase,” she said softly, “thank you.”

Chase grinned despite himself. “Now don’t try your tactics on me, lady. They won’t work.”

“I’m sorry,” Rachel said sincerely. “It’s just that I feel so helpless when it comes to my own daughter. You don’t know how much she hates me, Chase. If I told her to stay away from fire, she would walk into one just to defy me.”

“Why does she hate you, Rachel?” he asked quietly.

She looked away, saying evasively, “I told you. Her father taught her to.”

“But why?”

“I used to live here, you know. Oh, not in this house. There was only a small, three-room—”

“I know. Jessie told me her father built this house just because you could never live in it.”

“Did he? Well, I don’t doubt it.” She was silent for a long time before she went on. “I came home here one night, and he beat me, then threw me out.”

“Why?”

“He accused me of being unfaithful. Called me a whore,” she added distastefully. “But he never gave me a chance to defend myself. He beat me so badly I nearly died. I would have if old Jeb hadn’t found me and taken me to the doctor at Ft. Laramie.”

“Does Jessie know that?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t think so. I gather that she feels I deserted her. Thomas might have told her that. I wouldn’t put anything past a man who would make his daughter believe her mother was a whore!

He was so spiteful over the years, never allowing me to see her. Yes, I don’t doubt that he told her I deserted her.”

“When Ewing found you, you had just come from here?” Chase asked thoughtfully.

“Yes.”

Chase whistled softly. “The boy is his, isn’t he? Billy is Thomas Blair’s son!” Rachel wouldn’t answer or look at him, but Chase pressed her. “You never told him, did you?”

“Thomas had already taken one child from me,” Rachel said defensively. “I wasn’t going to let him have Billy, too. Besides, he never would have believed Billy was his.”

“But why haven’t you told Jessie?”

“She wouldn’t believe me, either, Chase. She doesn’t believe anything I tell her. I think she would rather hate me. It’s easier for her that way. She’s afraid to care about me, afraid she’ll be hurt again. When I think of how she must have been hurt by all of this, my heart bleeds for her. But I can’t reach her if she won’t let me.”

Chase was thoughtful. What Thomas had done to Jessie was unnatural. It was an outrage. But damn it, it just wasn’t his concern—it wasn’t!

“I’m not going to get involved in this, Rachel. This is between you and Jessie.”

“I know.” She smiled in understanding. “And don’t worry about it. I’ll work it out somehow. I’ve involved you in my daughter’s affairs enough as it is.”

God, if she only knew how involved he’d become, he thought.