Sweet Prairie Passion (Savage Destiny) (13 page)

“That was just good-bye, Abbie girl,” he told her quietly. “We both needed that kiss. But there can’t ever be anything more than that between us. And if you really love me, you’ll keep away from me after tonight and not talk anymore about it. Please, Abbie.”

“But I love you!” she gasped, keeping her arms tight around his neck. “And you love me! I know it! I know it!”

“Sometimes love isn’t enough,” he replied. “I’ve already learned that very hard lesson, Abbie girl.” He forced her away from him. “Besides, maybe it’s just the whiskey and me remembering my wife. Go on back, Abbie.”

“No.” she sobbed.

“Go on! Please!” His voice was expressing anger again. “Go back, Abbie. I’m just feeling my whiskey. I don’t love you, you hear? I don’t love you!”

“I don’t believe—”

“
Believe it!
And stay away from me! I’m not about to let history repeat itself. Now get yourself back to camp and send Yellow Grass out here! I’ll be needing my woman tonight!”

The remark pierced her like a sword, and she bristled, wishing she were big enough to hit him.

“Go ahead!” she spat out. “A man can relieve his frustrations whenever he chooses, can’t he? That’s just fine! But a woman—a
proper
woman—is expected to suffer! I can just go back and go crazy thinking
about you with her!”

“I’m doing you a favor, little girl! It’s you I’m considering when I tell you to stay away, so go on with you!”

She choked on a sob, and they were interrupted by Olin’s voice. “Zeke?”

“Over here!” Zeke replied, still glaring at Abbie. Olin came closer and looked from Zeke to Abbie, and back to Zeke.

“I hope this ain’t—”

“It’s nothing!” Zeke snapped. “Miss Trent was just going back to her wagon! What is it you want, Olin?”

“Yellow Grass. I can’t find her nowhere, nor the preacher. Thought maybe we should check things out.”

Zeke tore his eyes from Abbie. “That bastard!” he hissed. “I’ll wager he’s got her someplace! Help me look!” Olin nodded and hurried off, while Zeke grasped Abbie’s arm and gave her a gentle push. “Get on back … and forget tonight ever happened, understand?”

“But—”

“Get!” he growled. He hurried off, and she stood there shaking and crying, his kiss still burning her lips and her body still hot and trembling. She walked back, every bone and muscle aching for him. Deep inside she felt an agonizing longing to have Cheyenne Zeke for herself. She reached camp just as the music stopped because of Bentley Kelsoe’s shout.

“My God, he’s killing the preacher!”

Everyone began running in the direction of the man’s voice, Abbie with them, and not far from camp
they could see Yellow Grass lying on the ground, naked, her hands tied behind her. She was whimpering and crawling out of the way, as Zeke fists and feet landed into the preacher who, under the light of Kelsoe’s torch, could be seen to be wearing nothing but his underwear. Abbie saw Olin coming, and she ran to him, tugging on his clothes.

“You’ve got to stop him, Olin!” she pleaded.

“Yes, stop this!” Kelsoe added. “It’s no match! He’ll kill the preacher!”

Olin just stood there with vengeance in his own eyes. “It wasn’t no match between the preacher and that Indian girl, neither,” he snarled. “She wouldn’t lay for him without him forcin’ her! She belongs to Zeke, and she wouldn’t let nobody else touch her now!”

“Hypocrite!” Zeke roared, slamming his fist into the preacher’s already bloodied face. Women gasped and turned away, and Abbie ran over and picked up Yellow Grass’s buckskin dress, laying it over her so no one could look upon her. Then she ran back to Olin, tears of fear on her face.

“Please stop him!” she pleaded again. “You’re the one who talked to me about how whites feel about half-breeds! If Zeke kills that preacher, we don’t know how the others will take it! They might want to hang him! Please stop him! Please!”

Olin looked down at her and nodded. “If it had been a white girl that the preacher molested, everybody would let Zeke kill him and think nothin’ of it. But it was an Indian woman, who don’t count for nothin’ in their eyes. Are you beginnin’ to understand things better now?”

She hung her head, while the others watched the
fight, but not a man there was brave enough to try to stop Cheyenne Zeke. Zeke pulled out a knife, and women screamed and children began to cry. Abbie thought about what Olin had said Zeke could do with a knife, but just then Olin jumped in, grabbing Zeke from behind, probably the only man who would dare to interfere with Cheyenne Zeke when he was in a fight. The unexpected grab caused Zeke to fall, and the two of them rolled and struggled on the ground, while the preacher lay unconscious nearby.

“That’s enough, Zeke!” Olin shouted. “She ain’t Ellen! She ain’t Ellen!”

Zeke raised up and shook the big, burly Olin Wales off his back as though he were just a bug; then he whirled and faced the man with his knife.

“Since when do you move in on another man’s fight?” he snarled, waving the knife. Everyone stood frozen, certain that Zeke was going to use the blade on his own friend. He was full of whiskey and not thinking straight, and Olin knew there was more than just the preacher on his mind.

“He’s learned his lesson!” Olin shot back. “There’s women and children present! You want little Mary to see you gut out a man? Is
that
what you want?”

Zeke circled the man menacingly.

“Go ahead and use your knife!” Olin growled. “God knows I can’t beat you in no knife fight! Use it on me and show these people that what they’re thinkin’ about half-breeds is true! Show little Mary! Show them all! You want to cut up a man who’s tryin’ to take your life, that’s one thing. But I ain’t pullin’ no knife on you, my friend, and that preacher there ain’t in much shape to do no more harm. Yellow Grass ain’t
Ellen, Zeke. And she’s okay. You gonna kill me just ’cause I try to stop you from doin’ somethin’ stupid?”

Zeke’s body relaxed some. Then he glanced over at the preacher and around at the others. He straightened and slowly put back the knife. Then looking over at the frightened Yellow Grass, he said something to her in her own tongue, and she hung her head when she replied through tears. Zeke turned to the others.

“The preacher led her out here by confusing her with smiles and gestures,” he told them, “as though he had something to show her. She’s ignorant and trusting. When he got her out here he bent her arms back and forced her down through pain! That’s the kind of
Christian
your preacher is!” he snarled. “She stayed quiet while he stripped her and relieved his filthy, lustful needs with her! She kept quiet because she was afraid he’d tell everyone she was loose—that she induced him to come out here with her! In the Indian world, when a man’s woman is loose, he has the right to disfigure her face or cast her out—or both. She didn’t want to shame me! Until I deliver her to her people, she belongs to
me!
”

“And would you have … uh … disfigured her -if it had turned out that way?” Connely asked snidely.

Zeke glared at the man. “I’m not even going to answer that! All of you can believe what you want, because it’s in your grain to always suspect the worst from Indians and half-breeds! I’ve never hurt a woman in my life, but I wouldn’t expect you to believe that!”

“Zeke,” Trent spoke up. “Don’t hold it against all of us. We appreciate what you’ve done so far—especially with little Mary. You’re the reason for our
celebration tonight. Without you, there’d be a small grave on this trail. We apologize for the preacher. He had no right hurting Yellow Grass. Please tell her that.”

Zeke’s breathing calmed, and he brushed dirt from his clothes. “Sure,” he replied disgustedly.

“Zeke, we know the preacher did wrong. But we couldn’t let you just murder him,” Kelsoe spoke up. “We just don’t settle things that way. I hope you don’t let what’s happened cause you to quit on us.”

He looked around at all of them with angry eyes and replied sarcastically. “I won’t quit on you,” he growled. “An Indian keeps his word!” He walked over to Yellow Grass and picked her up in his arms. She put her head on his shoulder and cried, and he said something to her softly and walked off with her. At that moment, Abbie knew that the woman would be the victim of Cheyenne Zeke’s savage fury and his manly needs that night. And she wished she were Yellow Grass.

The next morning found everyone involved in the bustling preparation to move on, anxious now to make up for lost time. Some of the men didn’t feel too well after a night of too much whiskey and dancing, including Jason Trent. LeeAnn floated through breakfast, actually offering to help, lost in her own world of happiness over the wonderful night she had had with Quentin Robards. It dawned on Abbie only then that LeeAnn and Robards had not been around for most of the dancing and singing, nor during the fight between Zeke and the preacher. She forced from her mind the terrible hurt she’d felt when she’d pictured Zeke with
Yellow Grass the night before, but jealousy burned at her insides when he finally showed up in camp astride the big Appaloosa with Yellow Grass, looking very happy and sitting straddled behind him, her arms about his waist.

Zeke rode straight up to Abbie, his face showing no emotion. “Morning, Miss Trent,” he said rather formally. Their eyes held a moment, and she blushed from the memory of the night before thinking of his lips on hers and his hand touching her breast. It was all like a dream now; yet it was true, and her jealousy burned scorchingly. She could not bring herself to smile or even reply. She just glared back at him with tearing eyes. Zeke slid down off his horse, then reached up and lifted Yellow Grass down.

“Mind if Yellow Grass continues to stay in your camp?” he asked. “I don’t trust the others to be kind to her. I know you will.”

Abbie could have hit him. By counting on her kindness, he’d put her on the spot. Surely he had to know how she felt about Yellow Grass, but he was relying on Abbie to care more about Zeke’s concern for the woman than about her own jealousy. She couldn’t turn him down; he knew it. And she almost hated him for the half smile that was on his handsome face.

“Of course,” she replied curtly.

“I’m obliged,” he returned with a nod.

“Would you … like some coffee?” she asked, hoping she wouldn’t burst into tears in front of him.

“Had some. But there is something out there a ways I’d like to show you, if your pa doesn’t mind.” He turned to look at Jason Trent, who suspected something had already occurred between Abbie and Zeke.
And because of Abbie’s despondent mood, Jason was sure Zeke had told her to turn her thoughts elsewhere. Trent appreciated what the man was trying to do, and he trusted him. “I’d like to show your daughter a rare flower, Mr. Trent,” Zeke told the man. “Perhaps you wouldn’t mind her walking out there alone with me for a moment?”

Trent read the look in Zeke’s eyes. “It’s all right. You did save her from that Givens man, you know. Why should I worry if you want to go show her a flower?”

“Nobody knows better than me that people can make something out of it,” Zeke replied. “I wouldn’t want to bring your daughter any bad talk.”

“Let them say it to my face and I’ll knock their teeth out!” Trent replied. Zeke grinned and looked down at Abbie. “Will you walk with me?” She pressed her lips tight, wanting to kick him. “Please?” he asked, his eyes full of pain and apology. She wondered how she could ever say no to such a man.

“I’ll walk with you,” she replied sullenly. Zeke took his horse by the reins and led it along, Abbie walking beside him until they were out of hearing range.

“Well, where’s the flower you spoke of?” Abbie asked, trying to sound cold and uncaring.

Zeke sighed. “There’s no flower and you know it,” he answered. “I just… wanted to get you alone for a minute, Abigail. I want to apologize … for last night.”

She felt her heart going soft again and hated herself for it. But when she stopped and looked up at him, her love again took control.

“Perhaps
I
should apologize,” she replied. “Olin
told me not to walk out there after you. I did a foolish thing. It was much too bold of me, and I hope you don’t think I don’t have any morals. I’ve never done anything so stupid in my life.”

Their eyes held. “I don’t consider it bold or stupid, Abbie,” he replied. “And it wasn’t wrong, because of your feelings. You’re the nicest girl I ever knew … except for my Ellen. You’re sweet and innocent and pretty, and I had no right saying what I did to try to scare you, touching you like I did, kissing you. I was drunk and I’m sorry. I took advantage of your feelings, and it was an almighty poor thing to do.”

“I don’t recall objecting,” she replied. “There is nothing to forgive. I asked for it. It was dumb. I know you don’t care about me.”

“That’s not completely true.” He sighed. “Abbie, look at me, will you?”

“I … can’t,” she replied, the tears coming again. She turned away from him. “I’m too ashamed. I made a God-awful fool of myself last night, and you must have had a good laugh when you thought about it.”

He stepped close behind her, afraid to touch her for fear people would see. “That isn’t so, Abbie girl,” he said softly. “I never once laughed, nor would I even think of it.” He pulled his horse around to where it would be between them and the wagon train, then gently turned her and lifted her chin with his big hand, forcing her to look at him. “I’m honored you have such feelings for me, Abigail. And I appreciate the concern you felt last night in coming to me. But most of what I told you was right, except when I said I
didn’t care. It’s just that… it seemed easier to try to frighten you and make you hate me … so you’d leave me alone. Being associated with me can only bring a lot of hurt, Abbie. My mind is made up on that, and I wish you could understand. My mind’s been made up for years—ever since I lost my wife and son. If you really care about me, then you’ll respect my wishes and take the advice of someone older—someone who knows about things you don’t know, who’s already been through things you’ve never experienced. I won’t talk to you much after this morning, because it’s best that way. But I have to know you understand, or I’ll go crazy with worry about you.”