Fated Memories (25 page)

As though from a long way off, he heard a sound, but the blood pounding in his ears would not let him acknowledge what he heard as he continued to devour her wet body with his hungry mouth.

Jessie pushed his mouth away from her. “Two Spirits! Listen!” But he pulled her back against him. “Listen!” She pushed against him.

Then he heard it. The sound of approaching horses. “The hands are returning. You must go, Jessie,” Two Spirits shoved her towards the door.

“
Will you meet me tomorrow? Down by the lake?”

“
Jessie, go!”

“
I won’t leave until I have your word you’ll meet me.”

“
Yes. I will meet you, Jessie,” he pulled her into his arms for one last kiss before pushing her out the door. As she ran to the house, she had to force herself not to shout her happiness to the world. Two Spirits said he would meet her.

From the small window in the shed, Two Spirits watched her go. Already he regretted his promise. But he knew as he watched her, he would keep his word. Pushing his fear of their discovery to the back of his mind, he returned to his work.

***

Jessie was nearing the lake when she spied a movement up ahead in the trees. Her heart beat faster, for she knew who waited. Kneeing her small mare into a gallop, she closed the gap between them.

“
I was starting to think you could not come to me, little one,” Two Spirits lifted her from her mount.

“
I had to help Hattie clean the house. I kept thinking you wouldn’t wait.”

“
I am here, Jessie. I would not break my promise to you.”

Pushing his leather vest open wide, Jessie leaned her dark head against his broad chest, inhaling the scent of him into her mind. “I will never get enough of the smell of you. Your skin always smells so clean.”

“
I said I would never put others in danger for my own needs, but I do not want to stay away from you.” He ran his hand down her long hair warmed by the sun. “My heart is filled with shame, for I know the chance we are taking by being together. Each time I see you, I want to pick you up in my arms and carry you off to a place far away where no one will ever find us. Someplace where your people and mine will not look at us with loathing.” He turned away from her.

“
Two Spirits,” Jessie slipped her slim arms around his waist to lay her cheek against the soft leather covering his back, “it don’t matter what others think. As long as we’re together, everything will be all right.”

“
Yes, Jessie, it does matter!” He whirled to face her. “We have only just met. There is still time for us to walk away from each other,” Two Spirits tried to reason with her. When she refused to look at him, he continued. “You are young. You do not understand the danger waiting for us if anyone finds out we are meeting.”

“
Then take me away from here. I will go with you! Right now!”

“
Oh, Jessie, think!” he cried, shaking her slim shoulders. “Your father would find us. I have my family to protect and take care of. Without me to provide for them, they will starve. Why have I let myself forget everything that is important to me?”

Pulling away, she looked at him as though he had struck her. “Are you sayin’ I’m not important to you?”

He drew her against him, running his hand up and down her back, feeling her heated skin through the material of her blouse. “If I am not careful, you could make me forget everything else that is important in my life.”

“
Two Spirits please don’t send me away. I want to be with you. I want to bear your children. I want to be your woman.”

“
Jessie,” he held her away from him, staring into her damp eyes, “do you understand what you are saying?”

“
Yes, Two Spirits, I do.” In a bold move, she pressed herself against him, feeling his need for her growing stronger beneath the rough fabric of their tight-fitting jeans. “Teach me to be your woman.”

“
No! It must not be like this!” He tried to shove her away, but she held on tighter. “When we become one, you must be my wife! I will not make you unclean!”

“
Two Spirits, this is the one way we can be together. If we go before God and promise to love each other and take care of one another, why do we need someone else sayin’ words over us? Don’t you think that ceremony would be more holy than any other we could possibly have?”

“
Your beliefs and mine are different, Jessie. The Great Spirit would not smile on our union. The children we would bring into this world would not have His blessing. We can not do this,” he told her, jerking away.

“
Then I guess we won’t be together. My family would never approve of you, and your people would never approve of me. No one in my faith would marry us and no one of your beliefs would give our union their blessing. This is all we have.” She moved closer once more, but he held out his hands, keeping her at arm’s length.

“
Then we will not be together.” His young voice echoed her words.

Hot tears blinded her as she whirled, running to where her horse stood waiting. Without giving herself time to think, she yanked the reins from around the tree branch. Placing one booted foot in the stirrup and grabbing hold of the saddle-horn with the other, she swung herself onto the horse’s back, ignoring the hot tears streaming down her face. The pain in her young heart stabbed her without mercy as the distance between them widened.

Riding into the yard, she threw the reins to the first ranch hand she saw. “Rub him down. He’s had a hard ride.”

“
Are you all right, Miss Jessie?”

“
Just do as you’re told!” she told him over her shoulder.

“
Yes, ma’am,” he muttered, eyeing with pleasure her long slender legs and round hips encased in tight denim.

Luck was with her as she walked through the house and up the stairs to her room, where she locked the door. Throwing herself on the bed, she at last allowed herself the luxury of venting her pain in private.

“
He don’t care about me. If he did, he would take me far away where no one would find us. His mother and sister would be cared for. He’s only using them as an excuse!” She flipped onto her stomach, beating her fists against the pillows.

“
Jessie, can I come in?” Charlotte tapped on the door.

Wiping her face on the long sleeve of her blouse, Jessie got off the bed to unlock the door.

“
Jessie, I saw you going to your room. Is anything wrong?”

“
No. I just don’t have anything to do’s all.” She plopped back down on the bed.

Coming across the room, Charlotte lifted Jessie’s long legs out of her way before seating herself on the side of the bed. “If you feel that way, why don’t you ride over and invite Jack Sinclair to come for supper this evenin’? I’m sure he’d accept.”

The thought of spending an evening listening to Jack Sinclair go on and on about what he planned to do with his life left her feeling even more depressed. Then an idea popped into her mind that made her sit straight up in bed. “Mama, I think that’s a wonderful idea!”

“
Then wash your face, comb your hair, and go see him.” Charlotte ruffled Jessie’s hair with affection.

Dropping a quick kiss on her mother’s cheek, she ran for the door. “I’ll tell Hattie to set an extra plate.”

With a yelp, Hattie jumped out of the way, just in time to keep from being smacked by the swinging kitchen door as an excited Jessie rushed past. Grabbing the teakettle off the stove, Jessie poured hot water into a washpan, following it with a dipper of cold. As Hattie watched her, Jessie doused her flushed-face over and over then snatched a towel off the rack.

“
Whar’s you gwing in sech an all fiahed hurry, Miss Jessie?” Hattie dumped the soiled water into the sink.

“
I got somewhere to go, Hattie.” She flipped her head forward to begin brushing her long dark hair.

“
Ah kin see dat. Ah wuz astin’ whar you is a gwing.”

“
I’m goin’ over to Jack Sinclair’s to invite him for supper tonight. You don’t mind cookin’ for one more do you, Hattie?” Jessie asked from beneath her cascade of hair, the brush poised in her hand.

“
No, Ah doan mine, effen it’ll makes you happy.”

“
Oh believe me, Hattie; it’ll make me very happy!” She tossed the brush back on the stand before running out the back door.

“
Ah declairs dat chile doan nebber cleans up affer herseff,” Hattie pulled long strands of red hair from the brush to throw it into the trash basket. “Ah pities de man she falls in love wid. He ain’ nebber gwing ter knows a peaceful day.”

Walking across the yard, Jessie called out, halting the man leading her horse toward the stables. “Sam, don’t bother puttin’ her away. I’ve decided to take her out again.”

“
All right, Miss Jessie, whatever you say. Glad to see you’re feelin’ better.” He handed her the reins.

“
Thanks, Sam.” Jessie swung herself into the saddle. “And you’re right. All of a sudden I feel just great,” she laughed, heading her mount down the lane. She had almost reached the cutoff when she spied Two Spirits riding towards her. Spurring her horse into a run, she rode past him without a backward glance.

“
That should give him something to think about, Maggie,” she told the small horse as they continued on their way down the lane.

Raymond Sinclair walked out of the barn as Jessie rode up. In all his fifty-six-years of living, he admitted to himself, he had never seen any female who looked as good as she did. Raising his hand in greeting, he walked over to welcome her.

“
Hello, Mr. Sinclair.” Jessie swung her long legs to the ground. “Is Jack to home?”

“
Yeah, I’m sure he’s around somewhere. Come on up to the house and we’ll search him out,” Raymond laughed, thinking his Jack had to be one lucky young man to have Jessie Thornton come callin’.

As Jessie and Raymond walked through the kitchen door, Jack looked up over the glass of milk he had just poured for himself. Trying to decide whether to finish off the milk in one large gulp or to set it down on the table, Jack opted for the former, raising the glass to his mouth and leaving it there until he drained it.

“
Good thing we got a lotta milk cows on the place,” Raymond said as his son wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt.

“
What brings you over, Jessie? Thought you was mad at me.” Jack turned to set the empty glass in the sink.

“
I came over to invite you to supper Jack, in way of an apology.” She flashed him her brightest smile.

“
In that case, I guess I could come to supper, since you rode all the way over here to ask me.” Jack grinned back at her.

“
Sure you’ll go to supper, Jack.” Raymond gave him a light punch on his shoulder. “It ain’t every day a man gets an invitation to spend an evenin’ with the prettiest girl in the county.”

“
All right, just let me get cleaned up and changed then we can leave. Daddy,” Jack winked at his father, “can I trust you to be alone with my girl while I get ready?”

“
All depends on how long you tarry, son.” Raymond laughed with good humor.

Jessie bit her lip at Jack’s bold insinuation. She really did hate to use him this way, but she had no choice. If Jack wanted to think she cared for him then so be it, as long as it suited her purpose.

“
Come on, Jessie, have a seat.” Raymond pulled out a kitchen chair for her. “Janet will be real sorry she missed you. She had to go into town for a few things, so I guess you’ll have to make do with me.”

“
How is Mrs. Sinclair doin’?” Jessie lifted the tall glass of cold lemonade Raymond set down on the table for her.

“
Oh Janet’s fine. ‘Course when she hears ‘bout you ridin’ all the way over here to ask Jack to supper, she’s gonna be even better. Janet’s gettin’ to the age where she’s startin’ to think ‘bout havin’ grandkids. Maybe,” he reached across the table to give her hand a light squeeze, “she’s gonna get her wish sooner’n she thought.”

Jessie could feel the hot color spreading across her cheeks, and she looked up, with great relief, to see Jack coming through the doorway.

“
Ready to go, Jessie?” Jack strode towards her.

“
Yes,” she pushed back her chair, “Hattie’ll be wonderin’ what’s keepin’ us.”

Away from the Sinclair ranch, Jessie felt her uneasiness over Raymond’s embarrassing comment begin to subside. She looked over at Jack, a light smile pulling at her mouth. “I hope you don’t think me too forward invitin’ you over without any warnin.”

“
Heck, no.” Jack swung his head to the side. “I’m just glad you ain’t sore at me anymore. I shouldn’t’ve made that stupid crack about Indians workin’ off the reservation anyway. Guess my jealousy got the best of me.”

His apology about the reservation comment helped to deflate some of the heat rising up about his jealousy. “Forget about it, Jack. Maybe after supper, we can go for a walk. It’s gonna be a beautiful night.” Jessie tossed her head, sending her long red hair flying in the breeze.

The scent of her floated on the light wind to play havoc on his already aroused senses. Unable to voice his thoughts right then, he smiled. The thought of walking in the moonlight with Jessie was a dream come true for Jack. A dream he had nourished since the day she rode into their yard with her father ten-years ago, a mere six-years-old to his grown-up eight. Wearing a light-blue cotton dress that rode up over her knees, she sat astride a snow white pony. Her little nose had been pointed to the sky and her dark red hair hung to her waist. Her big blue eyes had glanced at him then moved away and, as she tugged on her father’s sleeve, she looked every bit the spoiled little girl of the richest rancher in the county. From that moment on, Jack had been captivated by Jessie and he had made up his mind right then that someday she would be his.