people.”
She ignored that. “Weren’t you supposed to begin work this morning?”
He was ashamed. He’d forgotten. “I guess I was. I suppose Jessie has already left?”
“I don’t know,” Rachel sighed. “She never tells me anything.”
“Well, mornin’, young feller.” Jeb came around the porch and spotted Chase. “Noticed your horse didn’t sleep in his stall last night. You just gettin’ back from somewhere?”
“Yep,” Chase replied, offering nothing further.
Jeb grunted, seeing he wasn’t going to get any more information. He turned to Rachel, dismissing Chase by giving him his back.
“Thought you’d better see this, so you don’t go gettin’ all fired up like before,” he told her grouchily.
She snatched the note from Jeb and read it quickly, groaning. “Not again.”
Chase dismounted and read the piece of paper.
Jeb,
I need to get away for a while. Look after things for me. Tell Mitch to start the drive without me if I’m not back before he’s ready. He can handle things. You know where to find me if I’m needed.
Jessie
“So where’s she gone this time, Jeb?” Chase demanded.
“Where she went last time,” Jeb said none too kindly.
“Are you going to start that again?” Chase exploded.
“You know where to find her, Jeb. You have to go after her,” Rachel said.
“Can’t do that.” He shook his head stubbornly. “Not unless she’s needed, like she says.”
Rachel turned to Chase, those big eyes so full of anxiety. “All right, Rachel,” he groaned. “I haven’t done this much riding since I covered California searching for my father.”
She placed a hand on his arm. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this, Chase.”
“I know,” he said. “But that daughter of yours won’t appreciate it when I catch up with her.”
He wasn’t at all pleased about this second wild-goose chase. And the fact that Jessie had run away made him feel decidedly uncomfortable after what had happened the night before. She was gone because of him.
Chapter 14
I T was so wonderful to be with White Thunder and his family again, wonderful to put away her guns and wear the Indian dress Little Gray Bird Woman had helped her make, to braid her hair and wrap fancy beaded and quilled thongs around her braids. It was wonderful. But it wasn’t the same as before, because there was an intruder this time.
Little Hawk had followed her to the Cheyenne village. He had not returned north at all but had stayed in the area. If he’d been skulking around, watching her, couldn’t he have seen her with Chase that night? She was more embarrassed than she’d ever been in her life. Why did he persist in following her? White Thunder couldn’t explain, saying only that Little Hawk had requested to speak with her.
She had managed to forget about Little Hawk the night before. She and White Thunder spent long hours talking, and she had unburdened herself to him, especially about her father’s death. His sympathy had managed to make her cry, which was good. Then she went on to tell him about Rachel and her recent troubles, but he had no solutions to offer. For some reason,she said nothing about Chase. Perhaps she was too ashamed.
This afternoon, Jessie waited in the tepee with her friend for Little Hawk’s arrival. They had the large tepee to themselves. White Thunder’s little brother was off with his friends, using half-sized bows and arrows to hunt for prairie dogs and rabbits. Runs with the Wolf was outside gambling with some of the older men. Wide River Woman and Little Gray Bird Woman were tanning a buffalo hide behind the tepee, and their soft voices came to Jessie every so often. She had to grin at their conversation.
“I saw you smiling at Gray Kettle, daughter, and I have told you many times you must never exchange glances or smiles with a man, and certainly not one who is courting you.”
“But it was only a little smile, Mother,” Little Gray Bird Woman
She ignored that. “Weren’t you supposed to begin work this morning?”
He was ashamed. He’d forgotten. “I guess I was. I suppose Jessie has already left?”
“I don’t know,” Rachel sighed. “She never tells me anything.”
“Well, mornin’, young feller.” Jeb came around the porch and spotted Chase. “Noticed your horse didn’t sleep in his stall last night. You just gettin’ back from somewhere?”
“Yep,” Chase replied, offering nothing further.
Jeb grunted, seeing he wasn’t going to get any more information. He turned to Rachel, dismissing Chase by giving him his back.
“Thought you’d better see this, so you don’t go gettin’ all fired up like before,” he told her grouchily.
She snatched the note from Jeb and read it quickly, groaning. “Not again.”
Chase dismounted and read the piece of paper.
Jeb,
I need to get away for a while. Look after things for me. Tell Mitch to start the drive without me if I’m not back before he’s ready. He can handle things. You know where to find me if I’m needed.
Jessie
“So where’s she gone this time, Jeb?” Chase demanded.
“Where she went last time,” Jeb said none too kindly.
“Are you going to start that again?” Chase exploded.
“You know where to find her, Jeb. You have to go after her,” Rachel said.
“Can’t do that.” He shook his head stubbornly. “Not unless she’s needed, like she says.”
Rachel turned to Chase, those big eyes so full of anxiety. “All right, Rachel,” he groaned. “I haven’t done this much riding since I covered California searching for my father.”
She placed a hand on his arm. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this, Chase.”
“I know,” he said. “But that daughter of yours won’t appreciate it when I catch up with her.”
He wasn’t at all pleased about this second wild-goose chase. And the fact that Jessie had run away made him feel decidedly uncomfortable after what had happened the night before. She was gone because of him.
Chapter 14
I T was so wonderful to be with White Thunder and his family again, wonderful to put away her guns and wear the Indian dress Little Gray Bird Woman had helped her make, to braid her hair and wrap fancy beaded and quilled thongs around her braids. It was wonderful. But it wasn’t the same as before, because there was an intruder this time.
Little Hawk had followed her to the Cheyenne village. He had not returned north at all but had stayed in the area. If he’d been skulking around, watching her, couldn’t he have seen her with Chase that night? She was more embarrassed than she’d ever been in her life. Why did he persist in following her? White Thunder couldn’t explain, saying only that Little Hawk had requested to speak with her.
She had managed to forget about Little Hawk the night before. She and White Thunder spent long hours talking, and she had unburdened herself to him, especially about her father’s death. His sympathy had managed to make her cry, which was good. Then she went on to tell him about Rachel and her recent troubles, but he had no solutions to offer. For some reason,she said nothing about Chase. Perhaps she was too ashamed.
This afternoon, Jessie waited in the tepee with her friend for Little Hawk’s arrival. They had the large tepee to themselves. White Thunder’s little brother was off with his friends, using half-sized bows and arrows to hunt for prairie dogs and rabbits. Runs with the Wolf was outside gambling with some of the older men. Wide River Woman and Little Gray Bird Woman were tanning a buffalo hide behind the tepee, and their soft voices came to Jessie every so often. She had to grin at their conversation.
“I saw you smiling at Gray Kettle, daughter, and I have told you many times you must never exchange glances or smiles with a man, and certainly not one who is courting you.”
“But it was only a little smile, Mother,” Little Gray Bird Woman
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