Deborah Camp (27 page)

Micah is a good friend, she thought, but not so good a husband. In a way, she pitied the Sioux. Rides In A Circle was caught between two worlds, just as Copper had been and, in many respects, was still.

Her thoughts returned to when they’d stopped by the river for a noon meal. The Sioux had studied Tucker with interest. Rides In A Circle had laughed at his amusing comments, smiled at his
every word, and appreciated him with her dark, slanted eyes. Uneasiness had stirred in Copper at having another woman admire Tucker Jones. It stirred now with the memory.

The loft ladder squeaked and rattled, interrupting Copper’s reverie, and Tucker’s head came into view.

“Is she asleep yet?” he whispered to her.

Copper looked down at Valor, realizing that she no longer suckled. “Yes. Fast asleep,” she whispered back to him, lifting the baby so that she could adjust her blouse over her breast.

Tucker climbed the rest of the way and came to sit beside her on the bed. He tested its softness, bobbing up and down.

“Not bad. I like this place. You ought to have a loft at your place.”

“Someday I will.” She listened to the quiet. “What’s going on down there? Is Micah not speaking to his wife?”

“They’re eating supper, and it looks mighty good.” He rested his hands on his knees. “However, I don’t think Micah is all that pleased to have his wife back.”

“From what he told me, he wasn’t happy with her.”

“Naturally. He wants you.” He looked at her from the corner of his eyes. “But he’s going to be a papa in about five months. That changes things.”

She pursed her lips. “Yes, but he’ll never be satisfied with her. Micah … well, he … it’s hard for him to—”

“He wants a white wife.” Tucker grinned and gave her a chiding glare. “Let’s tell it like it is, Copper. He doesn’t mind bedding an Indian, but he wasn’t aiming to start a family with one.”

“Would you be happy with her?” she asked, studying him from beneath the fan of her lashes.

“An Indian?” He shrugged. “Depends on whether or not I loved her.”

“Not any Indian. Rides In A Circle. You think she’s pretty, don’t you?”

“Ann? Sure, she’s attractive.”

“She thinks the same of you.”

“Oh, did you work your medicine on her and read her thoughts?”

“I read it in her eyes. They were all over you.”

He chuckled. “She came here looking for Micah, not me.” He tapped Valor’s button nose. “Put her down and come eat something.”

“Are you okay, Tucker? After yesterday, I worry about you—”

“I’m fine.”

She identified sadness in his eyes. “No, you’re not, but when you’re ready to talk about it, I’ll be more than ready to listen.”

She made a safe place for the baby in the center of the bed by stacking pillows all around then placing Valor in the middle of the nest. They joined the others downstairs and Gus piled two more tin plates with the hot, flavorful food.

“Seen any griz close up lately?” Tucker asked Gus.

“Not lately, but soon.” Gus’ grinning mouth was surrounded by white beard. “They’ll be rousing from their sleep and groggy. That’s the best time to bag them.”

“Ann’s pony was taken by a wolf,” Tucker said. “When Copper and I were at a hot springs earlier we ran across a couple of places where Indians had killed wolf packs.”

“The wolves are plentiful this winter,” Copper said. “And hungry.”

“That makes them foolhardy and uncommonly brave,” Gus tacked on. “They’ve been howling at the moon close by here. The dogs have been having fits. Guess the pack is getting closer. I might have to sit up a few nights and ward off an attack. Had me ten goats last year. Now I’ve got two.” Gus fastened his bright gaze on Copper. “Your
baby is growing. Looks like her hair’s coming back in brown.”

Copper nodded. “Dark brown.”

“With a hint of russet,” Tucker added. “And she has Copper’s eyes, too.”

“She’s a pretty thing,” Gus agreed. “How’s her health?”

“She fares well. I’ve had a few sleepless nights fighting colic.”

“Copper takes her everywhere and Valor hasn’t even had a sniffle.” Tucker beamed. “She’s no trouble at all. Did Copper tell you that she’s trying to say ‘mama’?”

“That right?” Gus squinted at Copper. “Sharp as a porcupine quill, is she?”

“My baby will be strong and wise, too,” Ann said, her tone almost challenging the others to contradict her. “And my baby will be a son and look like his father.”

Micah hunched over his plate and refused to meet anyone’s eyes as he shoveled vegetables into his mouth.

“You thinking of putting your family in a skin lodge like Pierre Sartain does or build them a proper structure?” Gus asked. “Of course, you can live here until you throw something together.”

Micah shrugged and spoke around his food. “Lodge is good enough. The first time she don’t get her way, she’ll run back to her people.”

“Not so!” Ann pounded a fist on the table. “I not run. You keep yourself from me and I get no pleasuring. You tell me you tired of being my man and maybe I should go, so I go.”

“A husband and wife must face each other every morning, come rain or shine,” Copper said. “That’s what marriage is all about. You can’t break apart every time there’s a disagreement.”

“She’s not my wife. We’re not really married.” Micah’s glance at Ann was sharp and degrading. “I traded for her.”

“Now, Micah, you know good and well that a trade is as solemn as a marriage license in these parts. Especially among the Indians.” Gus patted Ann’s hand. “Anyway, she’s got your seed growing in her belly and that’s a connection stronger than any other.”

“I don’t know that it’s my baby. We’ve been apart a spell, remember.”

“You don’t know that it isn’t yours either,” Tucker said, his upper lip lifting in distaste.

“Nobody asked you for your opinion,” Micah shot back.

“Nobody asked me either, but I’m offering it,” Copper said, fixing Micah with snapping brown eyes. “I’m ashamed of your behavior, Micah McCall. I always thought you to be an honorable man. You came to my rescue and helped me when I was without friends or family. How can you be so cruel to your wife? And she
is
your wife. The Sioux gave her to you in good faith. You didn’t have to trade for her. The trade was yours to make and accept. I can hardly stand to sit at the same table with a Lakota, but I do so to honor you. She’s your wife and I respect her because of it.”

“I never thought of it as a real marriage. She was just—”

“A bed warmer,” Copper said through clenched teeth. “While I was with the Crow I saw many trappers take our young women to warm their beds. Sometimes these poor women would return, abandoned by their white husbands and ruined for any union among their own men because to the Bloods the women are still married. I never thought you’d be one of those stinking, low-down whites who used Indian women for their whores.”

“Copper,” Tucker said warningly. He looked from her to Micah and placed a hand on Copper’s arm. “Don’t go saying things you’ll regret,” he whispered to her.

“It’s a pity such things have to be said a’tall,” Gus commented, rising from the table. “I’m for a smoke before the fire. You women are probably all tired out. Y’all can take the beds upstairs. Us men will bunk down here.”

Copper rolled her head on her stiff neck and mentally agreed with Gus, feeling as if she’d been dragged the last mile to Gus’ cabin.

“You will sleep up there with me?” Ann asked warily.

Copper nodded. “I’m so tired I’d sleep in a snake pit tonight.” She challenged the woman’s gaze for another few moments. “Just stay clear of me and my baby.”

The two exchanged a long, speaking glare before Ann moved toward the ladder and climbed it to the loft.

“Tucker, will you check on Ranger and Hauler? With the wolves around …”

Tucker patted Copper’s arm again. “Don’t worry. I’ll see to them before I turn in. You’ll be okay up there?” He glanced at the loft.

“I’ll be sleeping before my head hits the pillow. ’Night all.” She kissed Gus’ cheek as she passed him on her way to the ladder.

“I’ll look at the stock,” Micah said, grabbing his coat. “I need to stretch my legs and commiserate with the stars.”

Gus nodded and planted a hand on Tucker’s shoulder, preventing him from rising. “Good idea, son. Me and this soldier blue will smoke the peace pipe.”

When Micah was gone Tucker furrowed his brow at Gus. “Peace pipe? Didn’t know we were enemies.”

“We’re not. It’s just an expression, greenhorn. Smoking the peace pipe is what friends do.” He sat near the hearth and filled his bone pipe. “Want a smoke?”

“No, thanks.”

“Have you finished off that bottle of spirits I left you?”

“I think I have a swallow or two left.”

“That’s good.” Gus chuckled. “You and Copper must be getting along better than I thought.”

“You thought we weren’t getting along?”

“Micah painted a picture of discontent. He said you were bringing Copper trouble and that Copper would have to ask you to leave to keep herself and her baby from harm.”

Tucker pulled a chair closer to the flames and straddled it. He crossed his arms on the back and rested his chin on them. “I volunteered to leave, but Copper asked me to stay on until spring as we’d agreed.”

“Did she have to twist your arm?”

Tucker laughed. “No. No, she didn’t.” He pulled his mouth into a frown. “McCall’s right about me being trouble for Copper. If I was any kind of man, I would have left her before now.”

“You’ve kinked up Micah’s romantic plans, that’s for sure.”

“Seems to me that Ann’s done that.”

Gus nodded. “You first, then her. I do believe that Micah will choose the proper path. He’ll accept his wife and child, but he won’t be happy about it.” He scrutinized Tucker for a minute. “Why is your chin dragging on the floor?”

“Copper wants to talk to that Sartain fellow and get him to shut his mouth about me.”

“Micah spoke to Pierre. I don’t think he’ll be giving you any more trouble.”

“Soldiers came looking for me yesterday and Copper convinced them that I was dead and buried.”

“Good for her.”

“It seems to me she has enough to keep her occupied without having to save my hide every time
she turns around. I would find some way to repay you, if you’d let me borrow a horse at dawn.”

Gus narrowed his blue eyes. “You running out on her?”

“I’m doing what I should have done days ago. Gus, that sweet lady has done enough for me.”

“True, but you’ll leave without thanking her or saying farewell?”

“I’ve thanked her and she won’t let me say farewell. She looks at me with those big, brown eyes and I can’t for the life of me break away from her. This is the only way, Gus. Will you help me?”

Gus puffed on the pipe for another minute before he answered, “You’ve thought on this sufficiently, it appears. You can saddle the white mare. Leave her at Fort Laramie and I’ll collect her next time I’m there. The livery man there knows me. I imagine he’ll feed the mare until I get there if you offer him one of those buckskin shirts Copper made you. Her beadwork is coveted by most.”

The Sioux moved on quiet feet across the loft floor and eased herself into the bed set against the far wall.

“What were you doing?” Copper asked, sitting up in bed. “Are you trying to steal something?”

The Sioux grunted with affront. “I listen.”

“To what?”

“The two downstairs.”

“Their talk is none of your business.”

“Not mine. Yours.”

Copper stared at her through the darkness. “What’s that mean? Talk straight.”

“The Tucker man is leaving before dawn. The old one is giving him horse to ride to fort.”

Copper looked toward the ladder, an impulsive voice telling her to go down it and give Gus and Tucker a tongue-lashing for plotting behind her back, but then a calmer voice spoke to her. She lay
on her side and relaxed. Sleep washed over her, as warm and refreshing as the hot springs. She dreamed of Tucker’s loving mouth on her breasts, her throat, her trembling, timid lips.

D
awn was an hour away when Tucker stepped lightly to the corral. Nothing stirred in the wavering moonlight. His footsteps faltered. Nothing? He stopped to stare at the empty corral.

“Holy shit!” He pushed up the rope closure and shoved the gate out of his way. Racing through the corral, he hung a hand around a support beam and careened around it and into the roomy barn. Gus’ mule turned its big head toward him and blinked sleepily. “Where the hell … they’ve been stolen!”

Retracing the path of his own footprints, Tucker returned to the cabin and burst inside. Gus rose from his crouch beside the hearth.

“The stock is gone. Somebody stole them last night!” Tucker announced between panting breaths. “Those damned dogs aren’t worth piss! Not one yelp or bark or growl. We ought to shoot the lot of them.”

“Hold up, pilgrim.” Gus scratched his white beard a moment and squinted at Tucker. “All the horses are gone?”

“The only one left is your mule.”

“Isn’t that peculiar? And the dogs never barked while the horses were being rounded up? Doesn’t figure, does it?” Gus stumped to the door and looked out. “Patrol and Sentry aren’t around. What does that tell you?”

“Maybe the horse stealers killed them.”

“And maybe the horse stealer took them, too.”

“Why would they …?” Tucker gaped at Gus. “You don’t mean … she wouldn’t … why?” Shaking his head, he bounded for the ladder and scrambled up it. When his head cleared the second landing he called in a loud whisper, “Copper?”

Someone stirred in the bed farthest from him. “She’s not here.”

He smothered a curse. “Where is she, Ann?”

“She said she was going visiting and would be back tonight.”

“Aw, hell!” Tucker climbed back down. Gus was coming in from outside. “Ann says Copper went visiting and will be back tonight. Why did she take all the horses, for Christ’s sake?” It took every ounce of willpower not to let loose with a string of juicy words and a howl of rage. “What’s gotten into her, sneaking off in the middle of the night without telling us?”