Mail Order Bride - Westward Justice: Historical Cowboy Romance (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 6) (17 page)

At first Mitch had wondered how Owl’s participation might go over with the townspeople, but Joe had assured him that it was a good move personally as well as politically.  He’d echoed Marcus’ sentiments about helping relations between the two cultures of the area.  And so now, his bride came walking down the aisle on the arm of a Lakota brave.

That’s my Sammi.  Always has to do things differently
, Mitch lovingly thought.  He’d thought she was beautiful in her blue evening dress, but the dazzling white wedding dress made that pale in comparison.  The lacework was exquisite and the silver bow around her middle accentuated her slim waist.  Sammi’s women friends had settled on another intricate updo for Sammi’s hair, but this time small white flowers were woven throughout her strawberry-blonde tresses.

Owl felt how tightly Sammi held onto his arm and was very mindful to keep her steady on her feet.  She’d begged him to not let her trip and he had assured her that he would keep that from happening.  Owl had attended a few weddings in Dawson and he was glad he’d paid close attention to the proceedings since he was right in the middle of one.

Sammi was grateful for Owl’s strong arm because she felt weak as she gazed at Mitch.  He was extremely handsome and the way his brown eyes watched her made her pulse rate rise. 

When they reached the altar, Pastor John asked, “Who gives this woman to be married?”

Owl solemnly said, “I do,” and gave Sammi over to Mitch.  He kissed her cheek and walked back up the aisle to sit by Marcus.

Marcus whispered, “You did great.”

Owl replied, “Thanks.”  He was relieved to have done a good job for Sammi.

Mitch felt Sammi’s hands tremble and squeezed them a little harder and smiled at her in encouragement.  Sammi smiled back despite her nerves.  In Mitch’s eyes, Sammi saw how much he loved her and how confident he was and she began to calm down as she focused only on him.  All her life she’d been looking for the kind of love they shared and she had finally found it.  Sammi had never wanted anything more than she wanted to be Mitch’s wife.

As soon as she heard Mitch’s voice begin saying his vows, the rest of her fear fled.  It was replaced by a happiness unlike any she’d ever known before.  The scared young girl inside wasn’t afraid anymore and Sammi felt that Mitch’s love was finally setting her free of all fear. 

Mitch wondered at the transformation Sammi’s face undertook as the ceremony continued.  Her voice was soft but full of conviction as she swore to love and cherish him.  A wicked little light entered her eyes at the word “obey” but she said it anyway.  He smiled and almost messed up his next vow.

Pastor John gave them permission to kiss and there was no hesitation in either of them to do so.  Their kiss was tender yet passionate and as they separated, Mitch saw happy tears shimmering in Sammi’s eyes. 

The sheriff and his new wife were presented to their friends amid cheers and Sammi blushed.  She wasn’t used to that kind of attention, but she didn’t have to worry about it long.  Joe had paid for a photographer as a wedding gift for them and the gentleman taking the pictures was ready for them. 

Mitch had teased Joe that the only reason he wanted pictures taken was because he was going to be in them.  Joe was fond of being photographed, but had insisted that his motives were purely altruistic.

“Yeah, sure,” Mitch had said.  “I’m surprised you can get out of your house in the morning.  I’ve seen how many mirrors you have in your place.  You must stop at every one of them to check your hair.”

“I did not choose the décor, Mitch.  And as you can see, I get out of the house just fine,” Joe had fired back as they sat in the sheriff’s office.

The reception was a beautiful event thanks to the combined effort of Sammi’s friends.  The community center had been transformed into a true Victorian venue and Sammi felt as if she’d stepped into a fairy tale of some sort. 

Dinner was an elegant, delicious meal and Sammi had eaten every bite.  Her anxiety from earlier at the church had given her a powerful appetite.  She couldn’t pronounce everything that was served, but she enjoyed it all.  That was not the case for Owl.  Sammi had to stifle laughter as she watched Owl chew something with an expression of distaste on his face. 

Much to Mitch’s relief, Joe gave a very eloquent best man’s speech.  With Joe, it was always hard to tell what was going to come out of his mouth.  Lacey must have made Joe mind his manners when he was writing the speech, Mitch figured.

Maddie had given Sammi dancing lessons, but she hadn’t caught on until Seth stepped in and explained it to her in terms she could understand.

“Think of it as a graceful fight, Sammi.  Only, Mitch isn’t your opponent, he’s your fighting partner.  You know how when you’re fighting side by side with someone and even as you’re punchin’ some guy in the face, you’re watchin’ out for your buddy?” Seth had said.

“Seth, I hardly think that you can compare dancing to fighting,” Maddie had said.

“Maddie, she gets what I’m tellin’ her,” Seth said.  “I speak her language.  You might as well be talkin’ French to her right now.”

Sammi said, “Yeah, I understand.  We gotta move together and keep away from the blows aimed at us.”

“Exactly.  Instead of ducking, though, you’re gonna spin,” Seth had said and led Sammi successfully through a turn.  “That’s it!  Now do it again.”

Maddie had laughed and said, “Seth, this is a bizarre dancing lesson, but it’s working.”

Seth had chuckled and had taken Sammi on another spin around the room.

Now, Sammi tried to remember everything Seth and Maddie had taught her as she stepped into Mitch’s embrace.  “It’s just like a fight,” she said softly.

“What?” Mitch asked with a frown.

“I said I’m so happy tonight,” Sammi answered.  She hadn’t realized she’d spoken out loud.

Mitch smiled down at her and said, “Me, too.”

Sammi settled into the steps and found that Mitch was a good dancer who helped her when she became a little unsure.  They laughed a little and that made it better for Sammi.  Mitch couldn’t take his eyes from her as they moved together.  Everything about her was unbelievably beautiful and Sammi forgot to be worried about tripping as she saw love and desire in Mitch’s eyes.

Sammi hadn’t been the only one to receive dancing lessons.  When Marcus had told Owl that he was going to have to dance with Sammi at the reception, Owl had vehemently objected until Marcus said that Seth and Maddie would teach him.  Owl was curious and had agreed to the lessons.  Seth had loved teaching Owl because the brave was an excellent student.  His natural athletic ability and extensive physical training made Owl light on his feet. 

Seth hadn’t been quite as enthusiastic when Owl had taken Maddie’s hand and proceeded to gracefully lead her in a beautiful waltz.  Maddie had laughed at the look of jealousy on Seth’s face and whispered to Owl to dance with her again.  Owl had readily complied.

When the bride and groom dance ended, Owl approached Sammi with a happy look on his face.  He held his hand out to her and bowed.  Sammi laughed and gave him hers.  Owl spun her around and stunned the crowd as he waltzed with flair.  Sammi was as flabbergasted as the rest of them and laughed as they danced. 

Mitch loved hearing Sammi’s laugh and grinned as his wife danced with her friend.  Then everyone joined in and Owl returned Sammi to Mitch. 

Sammi smiled up at Mitch.  “I had no idea he could dance like that.  I mean, I know he’s a good Lakota dancer, but I didn’t know he knew how to waltz.”

“Me, neither.  You looked beautiful out there,” Mitch said.

“Thank you,” Sammi said.  “I’m just glad I didn’t trip when you and I were dancing before.”

“I think you’re a better dancer than you think you are,” Mitch said.

              “You’re very good for me, Sheriff.  You make me feel good about myself,” Sammi said.

              Mitch said, “Well, Mrs. Sheriff, I’m glad.  You’re good for me, too.  You keep me on my toes.”

              Sammi laughed.  “Yeah, I guess I do.”

              “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Sammi,” Mitch said.  “We’re going to have a very exciting life together, I think.”

              “Yes, we are,” Sammi said.

              Owl pulled Joe aside during the reception and said, “Meet Black Fox outside.”

              “Ok, thanks,” Joe said. 

              The Lakota chief stood outside the back door of the community center when Joe emerged from the building.

              Joe held out his arm and Black Fox grasped it and did not release it.  “We have decided that we will vote for you, but this comes with a warning; we will not hesitate to defend what is ours.  As you said, we have lived here in peace for quite some time.  It is not our wish to create war, but if it is forced on us, we will defend ourselves and our land.  You will need to be mindful of this going forward.  Are we agreed?”

              Joe said, “Yes, we are agreed.  I am indebted to all of you, Chief, and I’ll do everything in my power to keep the peace.”

              Black Fox let his arm go then and smiled.  “These are from White Horse,” he said and gave Joe a pair of beautiful moccasins. 

              Joe took them and looked at the expert craftsmanship of them.  “They’re beautiful!”  Joe took off his boots and slid his feet into the moccasins.  They were so comfortable that Joe was almost loath to put his boots back on.  He took out his wallet and gave Black Fox another twenty dollar bill.  “Will you please ask him to make my wife a pair?”

              Black Fox laughed softly.  “Yes.  I will do that for you.  We’ll have you wearing that loin cloth yet, Joe,” he said and left.

              Since Mitch was the only law enforcement officer in Dawson, Sammi said that she didn’t mind if they postponed their honeymoon until after competent deputies had been hired.  Mitch had appreciated her understanding.  Her sense of civic duty was one more reason Mitch knew he’d made the right choice in picking Sammi as his wife.

              However, in deference to their new status as a married couple, the townspeople tried to not bother them for the next several days to allow them some private time.  Mitch and Sammi used the time to start remodeling their home.  Joe had offered to send in a crew of contractors, but Mitch and Sammi wanted to do as much of the work themselves as they could. 

Maddie subscribed to various home décor magazines and was happy to share them with the newlyweds.  Mitch and Sammi pored over the magazines picking out things they thought would help restore their stately home’s previous grandeur.  They decided to begin with their bedroom and sent an order off to a company who made the appropriate items needed.

A week after their wedding both Sammi and Mitch returned to work.  Mitch was frustrated because he’d had no real leads on Sammi’s stolen belongings.  She tried not to think about it too much, but it was hard not to.  The theft of her engagement present from Mitch was the most painful loss.  The beautiful rifle stood for a symbol of his love for her as much as her engagement and wedding rings.

Mitch hadn’t given up on finding her things and made regular trips to see if Otis had been approached to buy any of them.  He’d also gone to Wolfe’s Point to check with the gun shop owner there, but he’d had no luck there either. 

Sammi appreciated his efforts, but despaired ever finding the collections or the rifle.  Owl even kept an eye out in his village in case any of it showed up there.  One night after work, Owl appeared sad as he walked Sammi home.  He was normally very talkative, but he was quiet.

“Ok, Owl, what’s wrong?” Sammi asked.

Owl sighed and stopped walking.  “I leave for winter, um, this many weeks,” he said and held up three fingers.

“You’re leaving right after the election?  When will you be back?” Sammi asked and tried to not let her sadness show.

“You say ‘May’, I think,” Owl replied.

“That long?” Sammi said with dismay.

“Sorry.”

She smiled.  “Don’t be.  They’re your family.  You have to be with them.”

Owl nodded.  Not for the first time he wondered how Marcus could deal with being separated from either family.  Before Sammi, he hadn’t made friends with many white people, but Mitch and Sammi had become important to him, the same way Claire had when she’d become engaged to Marcus.

He wasn’t as frequent a visitor to Marcus’ white brothers’ ranch as Black Fox or He Who Runs, so he wasn’t as close to them as his brothers.  This was a new experience for him.  He wanted to go with his family, but he also wanted to stay with his friends.  There was also Marcus, Claire and their children that he would miss, too.  He reasoned that Marcus must experience the same kind of feelings when their Lakota tribe followed the buffalo south to the warmer climates.

Owl was also worried for Sammi’s safety.  Who was going to walk her home when he left?  However, there was no way that Owl could stay.  His family needed him and that was where his first loyalty lay. 

“Yes,” he said to Sammi.  “I miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too,” Sammi said as they resumed walking.

Mitch had trouble sleeping on the nights Sammi worked.  Even though he knew she was in good hands with Owl, it didn’t completely prevent him from worrying.  He tended to doze until he heard her come in the front door and lock it behind her.

That night he heard her come in, but she didn’t come upstairs.  Mitch listened but didn’t hear her footsteps on the stairs.  He got out of bed and went downstairs.  Mitch found her sitting at the kitchen table in the dark. 

“Hey,” he said.

“Hi,” Sammi said.  She was trying hard to not cry.

Mitch sat down with her and said, “Are you ok?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why are you sitting down here instead of coming to bed?” Mitch asked.

Sammi’s old habit of using anger to ward off tears rose up again.  “Why don’t you stop hovering over me like a mother hen?  Go get some sleep,” she snapped.

Mitch’s expression darkened but he didn’t say anything.  He got up from the table and left the kitchen.  Sammi immediately felt guilty.  She got up and went after Mitch.

“Mitch, I’m sorry.  I’m so sorry,” she said.  “I shouldn’t have talked to you like that.”

Mitch was about halfway up the stairs.  He stopped and turned to look down at her.  “Did something happen at work?”

“No.  It’s Owl.  His tribe is going south for the winter and he’s leaving right after the election,” Sammi said.

Mitch heard the hitch in her voice then.  “You’re really going to miss him, aren’t you?” he said as he came back down to her.

“Yeah.  I am.  But that’s his family and he has to be with them.  He can’t stay here just because of me,” Sammi said.

Mitch put an arm around her and began leading her upstairs.  “You’re right, but it doesn’t mean you’re not sad about him going.  Don’t worry, with the election coming up and the holidays right around the corner, you’ll be busy and it’ll be spring before you know it.”

“I know,” she said as they reached their bedroom.  “You’re right.  It’s hard.  I’m so used to seeing him almost every night that it’s going to be so strange walking home by myself.”

Mitch hadn’t considered that part. 
Who is going to walk her home,
Mitch wondered.  He knew that Sammi would let him do it.  She was always concerned about him getting enough sleep so he wasn’t tired during the day.  It was inconvenient that they worked different shifts, but he wasn’t sure what to do about it.

Sammi watched her husband closely and could read his thoughts.  “Mitch, I’ll be fine.  I did it before and I can do it again.  I know you were worried about Jessie pulling something, but it’s been how long and he hasn’t done anything except insult us.  I can deal with that.”

Mitch nodded but didn’t say anything and Sammi knew that the subject wasn’t closed.  As they settled into each other’s arms, Sammi tried to have as much confidence inside as she had conveyed to Mitch.  Sammi decided that she’d become too soft regarding her feelings of competency in managing her safety. 
Time to toughen up again,
Sammi thought as she snuggled against Mitch. 

Friday night at the Watering Hole was rowdier than usual and Sammi was kept busy with one thing or another.  Joe and Jamie had gotten the crowd whipped into a frenzy and it continued even after they were done singing.  Sammi could have throttled them.  Boonie had to go back to the clink to dry out.  There were three separate arguments over poker, one of them involving Joe.  Sammi got so mad at him, that she asked him to leave.  When it looked like he was going to resist, she reminded him that it wouldn’t look good for a mayoral candidate to get thrown out on his can.  Joe had departed soon after. 

A bad fight broke out and for the first time, Sammi had had to ask for Mitch’s help in dealing with it.  They had quickly gotten rid of the guilty parties before it became an all-out battle in the bar.  Luke had helped Mitch take two of the men to the jail.  Having enough, Sammi had pounded on the piano and given the order for everyone to settle down.

By the time the night was over, she was exhausted.  Owl was waiting for her as usual.

Owl said, “Hi.”

“Hi, Owl,” Sammi said.

Owl noticed the fatigue and said, “Bad night?”

“Yeah.”

He shook his head.  “Too much booze.”

“True.”

Owl stayed silent.  It was evident that Sammi wasn’t in the mood to talk.  As they turned at the corner that led towards her home, Sammi and Owl heard a commotion up ahead.  Owl drew Sammi off the street into the shadows.  From their vantage point, they saw a group of three young men coming in their direction.

One of them said, “Listen, we gotta get rid of this stuff.  We can’t keep it forever.  There’s gotta be somewhere to sell it.”

“We’re gonna have to go farther away.  The sheriff’s been keeping close tabs on the gun shops around here.  Then there’s that flyer.  We can’t even sell it privately ‘cause someone might recognize it,” said another.

Sammi knew they were talking about her stuff.  She was about to confront them, but then thought better of it.  It would be better to follow them and recover her things.  Sammi was torn, however.  She’d promised Mitch that she would get him if something happened, but if she went to get him now, the culprits would be long gone.

She looked over at Owl and smiled.  She leaned close and whispered her plan to him.  His dark eyes widened and he shook his head.

“I’m going with or without you,” she said.  “They have my stuff and I’m gonna get it back.”

Owl rolled his eyes and said, “Fine.  We go.”

Quietly they followed the trio at a safe distance so that they could duck behind something to avoid detection if needed.  The three young men kept talking but Sammi and Owl couldn’t make out what they were saying.  When the men stopped at the livery stable and collected their mounts, Sammi swore.  There was no way they would be able to follow them undetected on horseback.

Owl understood what the problem was and whispered.  “It ok.  I track them.  We find them.”

“You can do that in the dark?” Sammi said.

Owl nodded. 

Sammi again felt a twinge of guilt over not notifying Mitch about what was going on, but pushed it away.  This might be the only chance she got to get her stuff back.  “Ok,” she said to Owl.

They let the riders get a little ways ahead of them before setting after them.  Sammi followed Owl through the shadows as he unerringly tailed the horses.  Sammi marveled at Owl’s skill at travelling swiftly in silence.  She kept close and tried to be as quiet as possible.  The horses quickly left them behind, but Owl was unconcerned.  He was a highly experienced tracker and easily tracked the group of horses. 

They’d gone several miles before Owl slowed down and pulled her behind a tree.  The three horses were tied outside a cabin.  Owl put a finger to his lips and then proceeded to climb the tree in order to see if there was a guard outside the cabin.  He watched for some time before being satisfied that no guard was present.

Owl dropped to the ground next to Sammi.

“We gotta get in there.  Here,” Sammi said and held out her knife to him.

Owl shook his head and showed her his own knife.  Sammi nodded and put hers away again.  They cautiously made their way to the cabin and peeked in a window.  They saw four youths sitting at a table.  Sammi’s knife collection was spread out on the table.  A jolt of anger pierced Sammi’s chest as she saw her beloved possessions in the hands of the young thieves.

Owl looked at her with a question in his eyes.  She nodded that they were hers.  Owl motioned for her to follow him back behind the tree.

“I have plan,” Owl said.

Sammi nodded and the two of them began to plot their strategy.

Mitch gave Sammi a half hour past the time she was normally home before going to look for her.  He woke Beulah and put her on Sammi’s scent.  He saddled and mounted Rico and followed the bloodhound.  Beulah didn’t bay because the trail was slightly muddled.  Mitch called her off and bade her to trail him to the Watering Hole which was dark now.

Going around to the back door Sammi usually came out of when leaving for the night, Mitch put her on the scent again.  Beulah sniffed around and picked up Sammi’s scent and took off up the street.  When Beulah headed towards home again, Mitch grew frustrated.  He thought that Beulah was confused again until Beulah left the street and explored the bushes.

Then she came out of the bushes and headed back down the street again.  She led Mitch to the livery stable and then she took off running through town towards the road leading out of town to the east.

“Where the hell are you going, Sammi?” Mitch said as he set Rico after the bloodhound.

Sammi and Owl decided to get rid of the horses so the men inside the cabin couldn’t get away.  Quietly they led the horses a ways up the road and then sent them running away.  Going back to the cabin, they tried to assess exactly how many were inside.  They still saw only the four from before.  Sammi presented her arm to Owl.  The plan was to make it appear as if Sammi was hurt.

She would distract them at the front door while Owl snuck in the back.  Owl said, “I sorry,” and then cut Sammi’s left triceps enough to make it bleed fairly well.

Sammi’s breath came out in a hiss as fire sliced along the cut.  “Wish me luck,” Sammi said to the brave.

“Good luck, Warrior Woman,” Owl said and left her. 

She slipped off her gun belt and put it on the ground behind the tree. Then she partially pulled her shirt from the waist band of her jeans and tucked her gun in the back of her jeans.  Sammi bent over and grabbed some dirt and rubbed it on her face and clothes.  She ran over to the cabin and stepped up onto the porch.  Taking a deep breath she knocked on the door.  There was some scrambling around inside and an urgent conversation took place before the door was opened a crack.