Sunflower (47 page)

“We’ll worry about it later.”

She could tell by his tone he hoped to put her off. “Nothing to worry about, Caleb.”

He rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. “Does this mean I am forgiven?” He pulled her closer.

Analisa knew her anger had ebbed. Caleb had promised her he would take her back to Meika. She would believe him. As she looked up into his eyes she read uncertainty. More than anything else, she wanted him never to feel uncertain of her love.

“Does it mean so much to you?” She wanted to know.

“Yes.”

Analisa paused for a moment as her eyes fell to his lips. “You are forgiven. But do not think I will forget your promise.”

“I wouldn’t even try to forget. I know you better than that. You’ll see your sister.” He pulled her into the circle of his embrace.

“I believe you.”

His heated gaze made her blush. She looked over his shoulder and saw that the morning was full blown now, clean and brilliant. It was a new day. She was ready to go home.

He turned her in his arms and, as she stepped into the stirrup, hoisted her up from behind before he spoke. “Too bad we can’t stay here a bit longer.”

“I thought you were in a hurry.” She looked down and watched him glance once more around the shady interior of the cave.

“I was just thinking ... We’ve made love outdoors, in the cow shed, and in a tepee.” His eyebrows shot up as he smiled devilishly at her. “But not in a cave. Yet.”

The solid white-washed pine door of the house at Fort Sully had never looked so welcoming to Analisa as it did when she crossed the plank porch with Caleb, his hand riding gently at her waist. Pausing before the door, she glanced up at her husband and smiled. He stood tall and proud beside her, his blue eyes alive with excitement and determination. Without appearing grim, his lips were set in a firm line. Although he had not slept for two nights, his face showed no sign of fatigue.

There was still much to be done, but Analisa knew that Caleb would push himself to the limit to bring Hardy to justice. Determined to share the load, Analisa drew herself up and stood proudly beside him. Reassured by his promise to return to the camp for Meika, she knew she could wait until he captured Hardy.

They met little resistance when they returned to the fort. Caleb rode behind her, one arm firmly wrapped about her waist as he held the reins. Two enlisted men on guard duty halted them as they reached the west perimeter formed by the crude buildings.

Recognizing Analisa, the guards allowed them to pass, although one of them immediately rode off in the direction of company headquarters. She knew that in a matter of moments the entire fort would learn that Analisa de la Vega had just ridden into Sully in the arms of a Sioux brave. She could tell by the wary expression in the soldiers’ eyes that they had no idea the formidable figure who held her firmly against him was none other than the soft-spoken Don Ricardo. Somehow the thought of becoming the subject of idle gossip meant little to her this time, and she knew that it was because of Caleb.

It was impossible to recognize him as Don Ricardo now. She smiled up into his stormy blue eyes. Caleb’s long hair hung free about his shoulders. Buckskin leggings clung to his thighs. A finely sewn shirt of the same material hung open and exposed his smooth bronze chest, the fringe adorning the sleeves swaying with his every movement, and hide moccasins protected his feet. The red bandanna was tied jauntily about his throat, a startling contrast to the natural buff-colored clothing fashioned from hides.

Now as they stood together, ready to enter the house, she turned to face him and placed her open palm against his heart as he reached around her for the doorknob. Caleb stopped and stared down at her.

“I love you, Caleb,” she whispered. “Thank you for loving such a hard-headed woman.”

Eyes wide, she watched his lips until they met her own in a swift, firm kiss.

“I love you, too. Don’t ever forget it.” He kissed her quickly once again. “Besides, I knew you needed a keeper the first time I laid eyes on you.” He touched his fingertip to her lower lip. “You were wearing pants then, too.”

She looked down at her hand, which held the bunched waistband of his trousers against her. She looked back up and laughed as Caleb patted her behind before he opened the door.

Once inside the house, Analisa tried to take in the scene before her. The ever-present breeze billowed the curtain out and away from an open window. Ruth Storm was crawling on hands and knees, her skirt hiked up to allow her to move. Gathering up papers that covered the carpet, she stacked them under various books scattered about the floor to weigh them down, all the while unaware of Caleb and Analisa’s entrance.

Across the room, Galileo howled piteously, voicing disgust at being tied with Analisa’s apron strings to one of the ladderback chairs near the dining table. Kase knelt on the floor beside the cat’s chair, his back to the front door. Unaware of his mother’s entrance, he continued to wield a small paintbrush as he attempted to paint the animal’s front paw with green watercolor. Pages covered with the boy’s earlier artistic endeavors littered the tabletop along with a thin, open tin containing a child’s watercoloring set.

While Analisa and Caleb stood unnoticed drinking in the confusion, Abbie Oats appeared in the kitchen doorway, puffed furiously at her clay pipe, and feigned a swat at Kase with her dish towel.

“Untie that creature this minute, lad, or you’ll get no dinner from me.”

“Aw, Abbie! Ruth said I could paint him.” He pointed at the struggling black and white cat.

“Now!” the cook bellowed as she sent him a threatening look. “She meant paint a
picture,
not the cat. You know very well what she meant.”

Kase shrugged and began to comply as he fought with the knots in the apron strings. He grumbled to himself as he worked.

“She should have
said
what she meant.”

“Kase Van Meeteren Storm!”

Analisa stepped forward, embarrassed by her son’s apparent lack of respect for the cook. What had happened to the orderly home she’d left only two days before? At the sound of her voice, pandemonium broke loose as Ruth, Kase, and Abbie all spoke at once.

“Mama!”

“It’s about time!” Abbie barked.

“Oh, Caleb!” Ruth rose, papers forgotten, and moved across the room to greet them.

Galileo gave one last howl before he wriggled free of his bonds, and Kase ran to his mother, grabbed her around the knees, and held on. She lifted him up and hugged him to her, pressing her cheek against his. He pulled away and planted a kiss on her lips before he turned to greet Caleb.

“Kase!” Startled, Analisa stared at the boy’s face. “What happened?”

A blue-green shadow darkened the hollow beneath his left eye.

“Nothing,” Kase said. “What happened to you?” He traced the bruise on the side of her face.

“I fell down. Now tell me what happened.”

Caleb broke away from Ruth’s welcoming embrace and caught the boy’s chin in his hand. Analisa felt her stomach knot as she inspected her son’s black eye, fearing he’d been forced to face prejudice so soon.

“What happened, Kase?” The seriousness of Caleb’s tone warned the women not to interfere.

“I ran into a gate at the stables.” The boy met his stepfather’s stare straight on. “I did not cry, though. Zach said I could if I felt like it, but I didn’t.”

Both Caleb and Analisa looked to Ruth for confirmation.

She nodded. “That’s really all that happened.” She tousled the boy’s midnight-black hair, which was cropped in an even line just above his eyebrows. “He’s going to watch where he’s going from now on, aren’t you, dear?”

“Ja.”
With a final hug, Kase looked at his mother. “Put me down, Mama.” When she complied, he stared up at Caleb, studied the man intently for a moment, then in a piping voice asked, “Why do you look like a dirty Red Indian, Papa?”

With the important business at hand, Analisa knew full well that Caleb could ill afford to spare even a moment and so was touched when he knelt down and spoke to Kase with quiet patience.

“Where did you learn those words, Kase? Dirty Red Indian?”

The boy looked at Caleb with uncertainty, puzzled by his concerned expression. “From the other boys.”

“What do they mean? Do you know?” Caleb laid his hand gently on the youngster’s shoulder.

Kase shrugged, glanced at his mother, and continued, “The Red Indians are those people that live out there.” He pointed in the direction of the agency, which lay a few miles away. “They dress like you are now. They kill people and cut off their hair and roast ‘em.”

Eyes smarting with tears, Analisa pivoted and moved to the table where she began stacking up her son’s paintings. Abbie moved to her side immediately and began to help while Ruth remained beside Caleb and listened while he spoke quietly to Kase.

“You went to the agency once with Zach and your mama. Did you see the Indians there?”

“Ja.”

“What were they like?”

“Huh?”

“What were they like?” Caleb pressed him.

The boy shrugged. “People.”

“What else?”

“I played with them.”

“Did they hurt you?”

“No.”

“Did you see them hurt anyone?”

Kase shook his head.

“They are just like you and me and Mama. There are good and bad Indians, just as there are good and bad people in every land.” Caleb sighed and stood up, looking down at the boy’s open, upturned face. He cupped Kase’s cheek in his long brown hand, his thumb gently tracing the bruise beneath the boy’s eyes. “I don’t want you to call them dirty Red Indians ever again; Never call anyone names, Kase.”

“No, Papa.” He dropped his gaze to the floor. “I’m sorry.”

Caleb placed his forefinger beneath the boy’s chin and tilted his face upward. Their eyes met again. Analisa watched silently from across the room and felt her heart trip at the sight.

“And always look people in the eye when you say you are sorry, so they know you mean it.” Caleb smiled down at Kase to lighten the mood before he went on to explain his appearance. “I am dressed like this because I have been living with the Sioux Indians. It is part of my job.”

“Mama, too?”

Caleb glanced in Analisa’s direction and sent her a wry smile. “She thinks it is her job, too.” He laughed, and the seriousness of the moment passed. He then issued instructions to the child. “Go clean up that mess while I talk to Ruth.”

Hurrying to do as he was told, Kase ran to the table. Caleb strode across the room to lower the window, and Ruth sat on the settee and watched the fluttering pages of her work settle to the carpet.

“Why didn’t I think of that?” she asked of no one in particular. Patting the top of her head, she swiftly located her glasses and, satisfied that they were securely anchored in her hair, left them there. She looked first at Caleb and then at Analisa, her snapping hazel eyes taking in every detail of their disheveled appearance as well as Analisa’s bruises. “What happened to you two?”

Abbie crossed the room to stand, hands on hips, and listen to the exchange. A ring of smoke hovered over her head as she puffed nervously on her pipe. Analisa glanced up, too exhausted to remind the woman she was to smoke only in the kitchen or outdoors. Abbie remained standing while Analisa lowered herself to sit beside Ruth on the settee.

“I’m done!” Kase announced before Caleb could begin.

“Good,” Caleb said. “Now go outside and sit with Scorpio. I had to leave him out in front of the house. Be sure he doesn’t eat your mama’s flowers.”

Kase folded his arms across his chest, stood his ground, and stared pointedly at Caleb. He crooked an eyebrow and studied the man before he asked, “How come every time the grown-ups talk, you tell me to go outside and see Scorpio?”

Caleb turned to Analisa and indicated the boy with a nod of his head. “He’s yours all right.” Then to Kase: “Go.”

With a deeply exaggerated sigh, the boy scuffed out of the room and the door closed soundlessly behind him.

After briefly relating their experiences, Caleb quickly outlined his mission at Sully for Ruth and Abbie. After giving them the essential facts in the case, he turned to Ruth for help. He continued to stand beside the settee.

“What do you think of Williamson, Ruth? Do you trust him? Could he be involved with Hardy?”

Ruth did not hesitate before she answered. “No. I’ve gotten to know him quite well since I’ve been here, and I truly believe he is too honest to become involved in illegal dealings. After all, he’s only here to relieve General Stanley while he is in the east. Besides, he’s a Libra.” When they both stared blankly, she explained, “He’s a romantic; he’s sensitive and, very judicious. I don’t think he would support or even condone the agent’s actions.”

Caleb reached down and began to rub Analisa’s neck and shoulders as he spoke. She felt the tenseness in her muscles dissipate with the strong kneading of his fingers.

“Why do you ask, Caleb?” Ruth wanted to know.

“I’ll need his help. Either that, or I’ll have to use the power given me to commandeer a company of his men.” He glanced down at Analisa. “You look exhausted.”