Once he was no longer needed, Pete joined Melody in holding vigil at the window. They said nothing, but each was well aware of the difference in the behavior of a few of the spirits that wandered the charred earth. Not only were they looking more alert and becoming more animated, but they were starting to speak with each other. Pete was relieved to see that it was only a small portion of the spirits that were coming to life, but it was still enough to worry him. If bullets didn’t work on them, what were they supposed to use if those devils decided to attack? Harold’s vicious end would be embedded in his mind forever.
“I’ll shoot myself before I let them rip me apart,” he said in a voice so low and soft that Melody questioned if she heard him right. “Do ya think they’ll come at us if we stay out of sight?”
“I believe that is why we came indoors,” she mused as she contin
Melody’s refusal to abandon their boss and the courage she showed during the ordeal earned her a new and permanent respect with the men; even the newly hired ones. Jackson smiled with a heartfelt warmth in her direction as he watched her pamper Ian back to health. There was no denying that she’d make him a good wife.It was decided that the old Indian would sleep until the light of day, after which he insisted that he be taken back to his people. He was exhausted from the ordeal, the tension of fetching the old man and what happened afterward, but how could Roy refuse? He made his excuses and fell onto his cot to grab what little sleep he could manage before he’d be called upon to return the medicine man to the Blackfoot encampment. His only consolation was the old woman he knew the chief would send to his tent as a gesture of hospitality. It wasn’t even the sex that he was thinking of. It was simply the comfort of a warm, loving body
Spring 1889“Miss Bellamy! Miss Bellamy!” The teenage boy called, breathlessly, as he raced up the hillside as fast as his long and lanky legs would let him. When he reached the top, he placed his hand on his thighs to support his torso as he focused on regulating his breathing. “Miss Bellamy.” He swallowed hard while speaking. “Your father is mighty angry to find you left the settlement, once again. I fear you will not fare well if he discovers that you wandered this far away.”“Call me Lucille or Lucy. Anything, but Miss Bellamy. This is not the first time I have asked this of you, Charles.”The young man’s face reddened. “I will try to remember, Mi… Lucille.”Lucy looked down upon the valley below her. Patches of green grass as far as the eye could see struggled against the melting snow as winter made way for spring. Off in t
Early Summer 1899The settlement of Muddy Creek had long been destroyed, but that didn’t stop Ian from traveling there to inspect his newly acquired property. It was part of the parcel he’d recently purchased. The Union Pacific purchased it on speculation that the railroad would go through. When a more forgiving and favorable terrain was acquired, this land was considered good for very little and, thus, sold to Ian for a very appealing price. It may not have looked like it was worth much to the railroad, but to Ian Murry it had the makings of a good and solid sheep domain to add to his already established cattle ranch.The remains of the burned and abandoned settlement were positioned on the far west of his newly acquired thousand acres. More mountainous and hilly than his five-thousand-acre cattle ranch, it was the reason he intended to raise sheep on it. For a cattle rancher to pair his stock with sheep was unheard of
Melony Jameson paced the porch in nervous agitation. Ian was late. He’d promised her father that he’d come for dinner. She’d spent days scheming for ways to hint marriage to him and finally came up with a viable plan. Her friend, Sally Conway just got engaged to the eldest son of the Bar X ranch. It was the perfect bit of news to lead into a conversation that would hint on him asking her for since she’d returned home from school in the east. It was time to take things further. She’d worked it all out in her head, but how could she put it into motion if he didn’t show up?With summer on the horizon, the sun was setting later and later. For a young woman who came from means with time on her hands, this wasn’t always a good thing. Life could prove lonely. Any man worth a grain of salt would take advantage of the extra daylight to squeeze in a bit more work. For most ranchers, days wer
Ian was so tired from the grueling schedule he’d kept in making ready for the arrival of the sheep that he stumbled just a bit when he got off his horse in front of the little house he’d decided he’d occupy while in the newly cleaned up, former settlement of Muddy Creek.Roy, his cook’s helper who was sent there a few weeks earlier to cook for the clean-up crew, limped out onto the front porch of the house they’d salvaged for him. It was slightly larger than the one Ian would occupy, which was good since it was to serve as a mess hall as well as a bunk house for Roy. By the expanse of space that looked like it once had structures on it between that building and the one that Ian would occupy, he guessed two, possibly three buildings had once stood. Opposite the cook’s mess house was a freshly repaired house that would serve as the bunk for the eight hands. “Over here’s the cook’s hut, boss. I got a pot of
Ian refused to succumb to the desire to stay in bed when he heard his men rousing outside. He sat on the edge of the narrow cot and focused on getting his bearings straight while he watched Roy fill the pitcher on the washstand with warm water.“Mornin’, boss. Looks like it’s gonna be good weather for the sheep delivery.”“Your job is to cook, not be my manservant.”“Jackson put the word out for a housekeeper to tend to the cleaning and stuff like this, but nothin’ yet. I don’t mind helpin’ out.”Ian ran his fingers through his thick, brown hair. “Finding a man willing to do that type of work won’t be easy and I’m not sure a woman would want to come this far away from civilization.”“We heard tell of a widow some miles up north who might work. Her man was killed by a bear last winter. She’s got three
The old cook had removed Ian’s coat and covered her with a clean sheet. “I don’t feel right washin’ down such personal parts, boss. I ain’t no doctor. It don’t seem fittin’ touchin’ her there.”“It’s good of you to respect the lady’s modesty, Roy, but if we don’t get her cleaned up, she’ll surely die. Those bites look angry.”“Ya’ve got blood on yer coat. If I don’t tend to it right away, it’ll stick,” the old cook whined.Ian heaved a sigh. “Okay. You tend to my coat and I’ll clean the girl up as best I can.”“I’ll wash her for ya, boss,” said a young man who Ian had yet to be formally introduced to. By the lecherous look in his eyes, Ian knew he’d have to refuse the help.“You men get back to business. I’ll tend to things here. Let me
The crew may have been smaller than Ian intended to start out with, but they settled the sheep into their new home with remarkable speed and competency. Ian felt even more confident about his decision to raise sheep by the end of the day than he had in the beginning. The satisfied smile he’d worn during their evening meal stayed put right up until he entered his house and came face to face with a very beautiful, but frightened, young woman crouched in the corner of the room.He chastised himself for getting so involved with his sheep that he forgot about the poor girl. He couldn’t believe how callous and self-indulgent his behavior was. He hadn’t even been thoughtful enough to bring her dinner. When he spotted the remnants of the same meal he’d just eaten on a plate sitting on the small table, he breathed a sigh of relief. At least Roy kept his presence of mind and looked out for the girl. He’d also provi
Melody’s refusal to abandon their boss and the courage she showed during the ordeal earned her a new and permanent respect with the men; even the newly hired ones. Jackson smiled with a heartfelt warmth in her direction as he watched her pamper Ian back to health. There was no denying that she’d make him a good wife.It was decided that the old Indian would sleep until the light of day, after which he insisted that he be taken back to his people. He was exhausted from the ordeal, the tension of fetching the old man and what happened afterward, but how could Roy refuse? He made his excuses and fell onto his cot to grab what little sleep he could manage before he’d be called upon to return the medicine man to the Blackfoot encampment. His only consolation was the old woman he knew the chief would send to his tent as a gesture of hospitality. It wasn’t even the sex that he was thinking of. It was simply the comfort of a warm, loving body
Once he was no longer needed, Pete joined Melody in holding vigil at the window. They said nothing, but each was well aware of the difference in the behavior of a few of the spirits that wandered the charred earth. Not only were they looking more alert and becoming more animated, but they were starting to speak with each other. Pete was relieved to see that it was only a small portion of the spirits that were coming to life, but it was still enough to worry him. If bullets didn’t work on them, what were they supposed to use if those devils decided to attack? Harold’s vicious end would be embedded in his mind forever.“I’ll shoot myself before I let them rip me apart,” he said in a voice so low and soft that Melody questioned if she heard him right. “Do ya think they’ll come at us if we stay out of sight?”“I believe that is why we came indoors,” she mused as she contin
Jackson marveled over how quickly Adam managed to maneuver his way across the charred grass, while Angel still struggled to gain ground toward them. It was a testimony to the strength of the medicine man’s magic. He turned to the old man and asked, “How long do you think you can hold her back?”“She is very powerful. I have called in the ancestors for help. We will see if they can give it.”“If they can’t?” Jackson asked with raised brow.“She will take possession of his soul and leave the body where it lies.”Adam scowled. “I see the mess house is singed, but still standing. I need to either get him into the mess house so that I can treat him or fetch my doctor’s bag so that I can do something for him here.”Pete’s fear of the happenings kept him from following Adam and Melody when they returned from the river. The ex
They gently laid Ian on the porch so that they could better inspect his condition, as well as come up with a plan to get through the sea of raging fire and spirits to where the old Indian sat. They’d concluded that they were witnessing the reenactment of the fire that killed the settlement.“Damn,” Jackson hissed. “She’s bit him so many times that his flesh looks like chopped meat.”Roy shook his head. “I had no idea she was so crazy. She seemed normal when she first got here, but, as time wore on, she changed.”“As did he.”Roy nodded. “As did he.”“We’re gonna need Doc to look at him.”Roy shook his head. “Let’s get him to the old man before we do anythin’ else.”Mike’s bellow of surprise as he was tossed through the closed door shook them both to the core. They were even more sh
Roy stared out of the window in disbelief as he watched the old Indian sit peacefully next to the fire he’d built while men, women, and children in flames scrambled all around him. Their screams permeated the inside of his head. “Is this real?”“It sure feels real,” Pete stammered as he and Jacob tossed water onto the shutters in hopes of preventing the rustic building from catching fire. “We need to be doin’ this to the outside. ““Do ya really want to brave goin’ out with that ghost mob after seein’ what happened to Harold?”Adam stepped forward. “Do you think they’ll pay us any mind with all that’s happening out there now? They weren’t on fire when they attacked Harold.”“Ya mean, killed Harold,” Jacob corrected.Mike had to make several attempts to light his cigarette with his trembling hands. “Ho
Ian’s hand cupped Angel’s breasts as she leaned back against his chest. She could feel his pecker pressing against her backside as his desire mounted. It had been less and fifteen minutes since they’d made love in the bedroom, yet he was ready for more; as was she. Her voice was soft and husky as she slowly unbuttoned her shirt to expose her hardened nipples. “I love it when you touch me there.”He turned her body enough to allow him to bend down and gently nibble on a hardened rosebud. His muffled voice came from deep in his throat as he asked her if she liked him nibbling her.“I like you doing all that you do. It makes me feel warm and beautiful. I can’t get enough.”His calloused hands deftly unfastened her pants and pushed them to the floor. “You are irresistible. So beautiful. You’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes o
Eluwilussit shuddered as he walked the perimeter of the camp. He felt as if he was invading a burial ground that was filled with the spirits of the dead who had yet to find peace in the afterlife. Invading a ground of such unrest was never good. Regrets for agreeing with the council to tend to this white man’s problem abounded.It was his brother’s son, Kitchi, who had so foolishly allowed himself to get tangled up with a bunch of wild white men. He had no doubt that Kitchi wouldn’t have survived their vicious treatment if Roy hadn’t come along and rescued him. He listened to his nephew tell the story of how brave Roy was to face down half a dozen men on his own for the sake of an Indian boy he’d never met at many tribal meetings. He spoke of how fast Roy was with a gun and how he’d shot the pistols out of two of the men’s hands and wounded another in the shoulder before the rest of the
Jackson and Adam were in the middle of trying to convince Melody that it was better to leave the camp before things got any weirder when Mike announced the return of Roy. All conversation stopped as they watched the horses enter the camp with a majestic sureness.Roy’s bay was in front of the paint that carried a medicine man who sat like an erect statue. The contrast between them was stark. It wasn’t just the fact that the bay was tall and sleek with the typical western tack and the paint was shorter and stocky with drawings on its face and body and a brilliant colored blanket on its back. It was also the way the two men carried themselves on the backs of their steeds. Roy greeted them with a broad smile while he sat in a casual way that showed he was adept on horseback. The medicine man’s stone-like face looked straight ahead. It was as if he didn’t know they were there, or didn’t care.Whe
Ian was just going into the house when Melody and Jackson returned from the river. He stopped and politely bowed to her while keeping one foot on the ready to step onto his porch.“I’m so glad we caught you, Ian. I wanted to see if you would join us for dinner tonight?”“Your father is waiting for you, my dear. I believe he is eager to leave,” Ian said in a gentle tone that hinted of the love she knew he still felt for her.“But, we’ve had no time to speak,” she said with a sweet smile.The door opened far enough for Melody to see Angel’s shaded form. Her blonde hair hung wild and free around her shoulders. At closer inspection, she could see the flesh of the woman’s legs beneath the hem of the oversized man’s shirt that hung well below her knees.Ian took her gloved hand in his and brought it to his lips. “I must get back inside