Restoring Hope Page 19

  The familiar steps of her aunt approached.

  Julia looked over her shoulder.

  Erin smiled. “Dawn comes soon. We better get some sleep.”

  After Chogan helped Julia stand, he went to his bedroll.

  Erin took Julia by the arm and whispered, “Will you hunt for rabbits tomorrow?”

  Despite the cool breeze, her cheeks grew warm. “Maybe.”

  “Well, it would be nice to get a break from the jerky.” Patting her hand, she turned to her own bedroll.

  Julia thought to look at Chogan, but then, she decided she’d had enough of her tumbling emotions for one night and got ready for bed.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Woape took a bath with her child in a secluded spot along the river. The water felt refreshingly cool in the hot August day. She held Penelope and dipped into the gentle current until it reached her chest.

  “Now I rinse us off,” she told Penelope.

  With her free hand, she cupped a handful of water and poured it over her baby’s thin dark hair. After spending months without regular bathing, it felt like heaven to be clean again. She made sure to come out every day since her return. The simple action of doing this—something she’d done every day before she ran away—was soothing. There was still peace at the river.

  Once Woape finished, she came out of the water and settled Penelope on the blanket so she could dry her off. She took a moment to watch the child who gurgled. Every time she looked at her daughter, she felt as if she still had a direct link to Gary. She leaned forward and kissed Penelope’s forehead. The baby waved her arms and caught Woape’s hair.

  Laughing, Woape gently pried her fingers away. “You’re stronger than you look.”

  Her baby grunted and kicked her legs.

  “Yes. You will be a strong one, won’t you?”

  She slipped a light dress over Penelope before she stood up to put on her own clothes. She recalled the feel of the cotton fabric the white women wore, but she was no longer a part of that world so she donned on her deerskin dress.

  When she finished braiding her hair, she gathered her child into her arms, picked up the blanket and comb, and went up the bank until her feet hit the grass. She paused and thought to run back to the safety of the river when she spotted a lone horse rider making his way across the land. Frowning, she wondered why a white man would be going to her tribe.

  As he progressed, he slowed his horse. He was a good way off, but not so far that she couldn’t call out to him. He wasn’t looking in her direction which allowed her the freedom to stare at him. There was something familiar in his stature. If she didn’t know better, she think it was...

  She couldn’t breathe. No, it couldn’t be. The dead didn’t come back to life. She was seeing things. She wanted so much for Gary to be alive, she was imagining things. Her heart leapt in a mixture of hope and dread.

  Penelope wiggled in her arms, but she ignored the child.

  What if it’s him?

  But it can’t be!

  But what if it is?

  It’s absurd.

  Would it hurt to find out?

  Adrenaline shot through her and prompted her to action before she could stop herself. She took a deep breath and yelled, “Gary?” Oh, it was foolish! It wasn’t him. It couldn’t be him! It was wishful thinking that made her see things. But even as she tried to talk herself out of calling out to him again, she yelled his name a second time. “Gary!”

  And he stopped.

  She held onto Penelope, absentmindedly stroking the child’s head and back. I’m seeing things. I have to be seeing things. Her mother believed in spirits walking around, but Woape hadn’t—at least she hadn’t considered it until that moment. But no. The man who looked in her direction wasn’t a ghost. He was too real to be a ghost.

  “Woape?” he called out.

  She cried out, tears immediately tracing her cheeks. That voice. She knew that voice! “Gary!”

  One second, she was standing still, and in the next, she was running as fast as her feet could take her. She clutched the child to her and pressed forward. He was alive! She didn’t know how but he was! He rode in her direction, quickly closing the gap between them, and when their paths intersected, he jumped off the horse and opened his arms to her. She ran into them. He hugged her and kissed her. Though she couldn’t stop crying, she returned his kisses. Her husband...her Gary...was here!

  “I thought you were dead,” she said once she could speak.

  He cupped her face in his hands and smiled at her. “Almost but not quite.”

  She laughed and wiped the tears from his face. “It is good to see you. I love you.”

  “I love you too, my shadow.”

  She didn’t know why his nickname for her should make her laugh harder, but it did. The bundle in her arm squirmed. She quickly turned her attention back to their child. “This is your daughter. Her name is Penelope.”

  “She’s beautiful,” he whispered. “Just like her mother.”

  She lifted the child and placed her in his arms. Woape leaned against him, unwilling to break any physical contact with him. Now that he was really here...and alive, she didn’t want to be away from him ever again.

  “She’s tiny,” he said as he studied the baby who stared at him in open wonder.

  “You should have seen her when she was born. She was smaller.”

  “That’s impossible.”

  “It’s very possible.”

  “I wish I had been there when she was born.”

  She wrapped an arm around his waist and caressed their daughter’s cheek. “You’re here now. That’s all that matters. My joy has returned and my life is complete.”

  He glanced at her. “Mine is too.”

  They stood there for a couple of minutes, and even as she felt him and saw him, she was afraid it was all a dream. She’d been used to nightmares. Though they had decreased in frequency, she still had them from time to time. But she hadn’t once dreamt that Gary would ever be with her again. She tried to shake herself awake, just to be sure this wasn’t a dream, and when her attempts failed, her heart settled. No. It wasn’t a dream. Thankfully, she was wide awake.

  “You must be tired and hungry,” Woape said, reluctant to break the comfortable silence. “I’ll fix you something to eat.”

  “How long have you been here, back at your tribe?”

  Surprised at his question, she replied, “About a week.” Noting the relief on his face, she asked, “Why do you ask?”

  “I’ve been here earlier this summer, and the men I talked to said that they didn’t know where you were. For a moment, I thought maybe they were lying.”

  “They told you the truth. After I thought Hothlepoya killed you, one from my tribe came and tried to bring me back here, but Hothlepoya found us so I had to run. I did a lot of running until my father found me. Then he brought me and Penelope here.”

  “A man named Chogan said he lost you when some Sioux Indians chased you onto a train.”

  “Is Chogan alright then?”

  “He is. He’s with Julia and Erin.”

  She frowned. “But I left your sister and aunt back where we lived.”

  “Julia figured out I wasn’t dead, so she joined Chogan and Erin in looking for you and me.”

  She didn’t know why Julia should care. She thought Julia would be glad to have her gone, but she gave the matter no more thought. What did it matter now that Gary was here? And at least she could tell everyone that Chogan was safe and on his way home. Chogan’s family would be relieved. They feared Hothlepoya had harmed him.

  Gary handed Penelope to her so she took the child in her arms. He wrapped one arm around her waist and led the horse to walk with them. “It sure does feel good to have you back by my side.”

  She leaned into him, not in any hurry to get back to her tribe. She wanted to enjoy this moment where she was alone with her husband before they were surrounded by curious family members and friends who’d want
all the details on everything that had occurred. Up until then, she hadn’t had the strength to explain it, and they had honored her request to wait. But now that Gary was with her, the heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. And she could rejoice in the retelling of the events. The season of tears was finally at an end.

  ***

  That night, after Woape settled Penelope to sleep, she slipped into bed with Gary. Due to his arrival, her father had given them a bigger room to share. It was meant for her and Citlali, but thankfully, it was for her and Gary instead. And there was nowhere else she’d rather be than with Gary. This was much better than being with Citlali. She couldn’t imagine coming to him with a sense of anticipation. She didn’t realize how much she missed lovemaking until she felt Gary’s naked body press against hers.

  She never thought she could enjoy a man touching her after Hothlepoya had been with her, but Gary had eased those wounds so they no longer held any power over her. Now, she had the freedom to enjoy the pleasures meant for this moment.

  “I missed you,” Gary whispered.

  “I missed you too,” she replied.

  He brought her closer to him and kissed her.

  She let out a soft moan, aware that her body was already ready for him. It seemed the length of time since they’d last been together heightened her awareness of him and made her that much more eager to feel him inside of her. She didn’t think such a sensation would be so overpowering, but it was and she didn’t have the kind of patience required for her to take things slow. Besides, she reasoned, there were going to be more times—many more—so it didn’t matter whether they rushed this one or not.

  Careful to keep quiet, she rolled on top of him. She took him inside her and bit her lip, trying not to groan too loud. She didn’t remember it feeling this good.

  “Woape.”

  His voice almost sounded like a sigh of contentment, but his hands which cupped her breasts and the urgent movement from his hips told her he felt the driving need to continue as well. She took his cue and moved with him, surprised that the tension should mount so quickly and that her release should be as intense as it was. Before the sensations had time to ebb, he gasped and she knew he had joined her in sharing this moment. Her body responded to him in another wave of pleasure.

  In slow increments, her body relaxed. Satisfied, she got off of him and snuggled against him. He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. He took her hand and pressed it against his heart. She smiled. His heartbeat was sure and strong. Just the way she liked it.

  Soon, he fell asleep, but she was too excited to sleep. She wanted to stay awake and enjoy being with her husband again. She realized that Penelope would wake up in a couple of hours and want to be fed, but what did losing sleep matter? Gary survived Hothlepoya’s attack. He’d managed to escape. And now he was with her, loving her in a way no other man could. All she wanted to do was savor this moment in time—and so that is what she did.

  ***

  Woape knew she’d have to speak with Citlali. He’d been there when she returned with Gary, but they were surrounded by so many people there hadn’t been a chance to explain things to him. And as much as she dreaded this, she knew she had to do it. She owed him that much, especially after she ran off the first time they were supposed to wed.

  As she left her family’s lodge that morning after breakfast so she could take care of the crops with her female relatives, she saw Citlali collecting his bow and arrows, probably getting ready for the hunt. She glanced at Gary and her father who remained seated in the center of the lodge, talking and getting to know each other. Her father cradled the baby and spoke in broken English. The two men seemed to be having a good time, and that made her happy.

  “They said you can stay with your husband today.”

  Woape turned to her younger sister who came around the side of the lodge, carrying a small basket. “Are you upset with me?” she asked.

  Onawa seemed surprised by the question. “No. Your husband is alive and has found you. It’s a good thing.”

  “That’s not what I meant. I meant the decision our father made with Citlali’s father, that you will marry Citlali when you turn sixteen.”

  Her cheeks grew pink as she broke eye contact with Woape. “I do not oppose the agreement.”

  “You want to marry him?”

  She shrugged. “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be with.”

  Woape breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe things worked out for the best after all. “That’s good. I thought you might think of him the same way I do.”

  Her sister looked up at her. “No. But I may not be to his liking.”

  “He doesn’t love me. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “There isn’t someone else he’d rather marry?”

  “I don’t think so. Both he and I grew up being told we would marry. I never heard him talk about wanting to marry anyone else. I think he’s been too involved in hunting to think of other matters, and since he was promised to me, why should he take note of the other young women?”

  “I hope he’s not disappointed.”

  “Do you want me to ask him? I’m about to go over and talk to him.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “No!”

  Startled, Woape blinked at the fervent tone in her sister’s voice. “Alright. I won’t.”

  She relaxed. “I’d rather think he’s looking forward to it.” Motioning to her empty basket, she said, “I should go. I need to gather some buffalo berries for the meal tonight.”

  “I’ll join you soon.”

  Nodding, she headed for the shrubs lining the stream close by.

  Woape gathered her courage and strode toward Citlali before she lost her nerve. He’d just turned to get his horse ready when she reached him. “May I speak with you for a moment?” She cleared her throat to ward off the shaky tone.

  “Yes.”

  Again, she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. She hated that. Citlali was never one to show his emotions, and it was hard to decide how she should proceed. “I’m sorry.”

  “There’s no reason to be sorry. Your husband is alive. He was the white man who came here, but we didn’t know he was married to you. We didn’t give him much of a chance to talk either. We thought he might mean you harm, as the Sioux did when they came through here looking for you.”

  “Yes. About the Sioux...” She picked at the beads around her neck. Should she tell him everything?

  “You did not wish to marry me, so you left.”

  For a moment, she couldn’t think of how to respond. She hadn’t expected him to come out and say it, nor did she know what to do with his stoic expression. Was he upset, relieved, angry, or happy?

  “He makes you happy. You belong to him.”

  She didn’t know what else to say, but then again, she rarely knew how to talk to him. At least he accepted it. That was all she could hope for. “Thank you, Citlali. I hope my sister will make you happy.” For her sister’s sake, she didn’t tell him that her sister loved him. Sure, it was more of a childhood crush, but in time, Woape knew it would grow into something more.

  “I’m sure she will,” he replied.

  Still, Woape could not decipher his feelings. She hoped her sister would be happy with him. “Good luck on the hunt.”

  He nodded and turned his attention back to the horse.

  As soon as she stepped away from him, she breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. Now she could truly get on with her life.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Three days later, Gary found a spot near the campfire in the center of the tribe and laid out the blanket so Woape could sit. He sat next to her and put his arm around her. Penelope yawned and settled in her arms.

  He grinned at Woape. “I think our daughter purposely sleeps early so she can wake us up in the middle of the night.”

  She giggled and whispered, “You’ve also woken me up.”

  “Yes, but I had a good reason,” he teased before he kiss
ed her cheek.

  Around them, the others found a place to sit on the ground. The air around them was festive. The hunters had returned with two buffalo, and the meal had been one of the best Gary had ever tasted. Now it was time for the hunters to receive the honors due to them.

  Not surprising, Citlali seemed to be favored by the chief. In the short time Gary had been there, it occurred to him that Citlali was revered by others in the tribe. On this particular night, he received a new set of bow and arrows.

  Then one of the men stood and made an announcement that excited the people.

  “What did he say?” Gary whispered.

  Woape looked at him. “The Okipe Ceremony will start tomorrow. For four days my people pray for many crops, good health, and an abundance of buffalo.” She smiled. “It is much different than what you’re used to.”

  Before he could ask her how it was different, Woape’s brother who hadn’t been far from Citlali since he’d been among the hunters, stood up and ran to the edge of the crowd. It took Gary a moment to realize that his aunt and sister had arrived. Just as the people had surrounded him when he arrived with Woape, now they gathered around the newcomers. He remained still for a moment as he decided what to do.

  Woape settled the internal debate for him when she stood up.

  He joined her and got ready to lead her to them when his aunt managed to escape the crowd who excitedly asked Chogan questions. He couldn’t recall a time when he saw Aunt Erin move as fast as she did, but the woman came up to them before he had time to blink and hugged them both at once.

  “You’re safe! We were so worried!” Erin took a step back and wiped the tears from her eyes. “If this doesn’t make my year, nothing will.” She patted Gary on the arm before turning her attention to Woape. “How are you doing, dear? How is your child? Did you have a girl or a boy?”

  Woape laughed. “A girl. Her name is Penelope, and I am doing well. Gary’s alive.”

  “Yes. Julia figured it out a few days after you left.”