Authors: Linda Bridey
Tags: #Romance, #Historical, #Victorian, #Western, #Historical Romance, #Westerns
“What’s the problem?” Owl said in Lakota to his brother.
Black Fox asked, “Why have you been working for the sheriff at night when you’re supposed to be on sentry duty?”
“Because I’m making good money,” Owl responded.
“So you have left us unprotected on the east side?” Black Fox asked.
Owl gave Black Fox an angry look. “Of course not! I’m not an idiot. Silver Ghost has taken a couple of shifts and so has Brown Snake. Besides, I’m only gone for a few hours and then come back and take over like normal.”
“Silver Ghost? Why would he do that?” Black Fox said. “Or Brown Snake, for that matter.”
“Silver Ghost said that I should take the job because I could make some money, but that he couldn’t cover my shifts all the time. Brown Snake owed me some favors, so that’s why he’s doing it,” Owl said. “I don’t see the problem.”
Black Fox said, “The problem is that I wasn’t informed. Need I remind you that I’m chief now and I have to know everything that goes on.”
“I’m so sorry that I didn’t clear it with you. Would you like to know every time I take a leak, too?” Owl said. “Look, now you know. If something like this happens again, I’ll make sure to tell you myself. Honestly, I didn’t think it was a problem.”
Black Fox said, “The job is over, Owl. I need you here. I’ll also have a chat with Silver Ghost.”
Owl made a dismissive gesture and said, “Don’t be mad at him. He was only helping me out. If you need to be angry with someone, be angry with me. I’m still doing this job, though.”
“No, you’re not and that’s a direct order,” Black Fox said.
Owl was furious. There was no way he could refuse a direct order from the chief without being severely punished. It didn’t matter if he was Black Fox’s brother or not. To disobey would be foolhardy. “Yes, oh great chief,” Owl ground out between clenched teeth.
He turned to Mitch and said, “What you need?”
Mitch had watched the heated exchange between the brothers and felt that he was the cause of it. “Last night, when you followed Sammi home, did you see anyone else around her place?”
“No. No one around,” Owl said.
“Did you see anyone out on the streets carrying two big suitcases?” Mitch asked.
Owl turned to Black Fox for a translation. Black Fox gave it to him.
“No. Nothing. Ok?” Owl said.
Mitch decided to press his luck a little and said, “If you do, will you tell me?”
“No. Not work for you no more,” Owl said.
“Why?” Mitch asked.
Owl jerked a thumb in Black Fox’s direction and said, “Ask big chief,” and stomped off.
Mitch watched Owl leave and asked, “What’s going on?”
Black Fox sighed. “I did not know he was not on sentry. He is putting me in a bad position by not informing me he was working for you.”
“I’m sorry, Black Fox. I had no idea,” Mitch said.
“It is not your fault. Do not feel bad,” Black Fox said. “I am grateful to you for coming because now I know.”
“Ok, well, thanks, I guess. I’ll get going. I’m sure you’re busy,” Mitch said.
“Goodbye, Sheriff,” Black Fox said.
As Mitch left the camp, he gave a low whistle and passed from the camp unhindered. Owl appeared on the trail ahead of him.
Mitch smiled at him. “Seems like I got you in trouble. Sorry.”
“No problem. I give back money you pay for week,” Owl said.
“No, Owl, you keep it for your trouble. Thanks for helping me out,” Mitch said.
“Ok. Thanks,” Owl said. “I go before chief get mad.”
“Ok,” Mitch said to the thin air. Owl had melted away incredibly fast. “How the heck does he do that?”
Mitch found his future wife at the bar. “Hi, Sammi,” he said and sat down by her at a table.
“Hi, Sheriff,” she said and handed him the tablet he’d given her.
“Thanks,” he said and flipped through the pages. As he read the items on the list, Mitch thought that the good news was that a lot of Sammi’s stuff was rare, which would make it stand out. He decided that he would go see Otis to find out if anyone had been in his shop trying to sell any of her stuff.
“Sammi, I’m serious about you moving in with me. I don’t want you there alone at night,” Mitch said. He figured that he might as well get the worst over with. “I have a confession to make.”
Sammi looked at him and said, “What is it?”
“I, uh, had a friend of mine sort of follow you home at night,” Mitch said and held her gaze.
“Sort of or he did?” Sammi asked.
“He did,” Mitch said.
“For how long?”
“The past couple of weeks.”
Sammi’s jaw clenched and she said, “You didn’t think I could manage, is that it?”
He sighed. “Sammi, it’s a combination of things. You’re not invincible. You work until late and it’s not a good time of night to be out and about. I’m the sheriff. It’s my job to keep you safe. You’re also the woman I love and I want you to be safe. So I had Owl, Marcus’ brother tail you from here to your cottage and then leave once you were safe inside. That’s all the longer he was there.”
Sammi tried to see things from his point of view. She could see how it would prudent. If the situation had been in reverse, she might have done the same thing. “He must be very good, because I never knew he was there.”
“He is. It’s scary, actually,” Mitch said.
“It’s ok,” Sammi said and crossed her arms over her chest.
Mitch arched an eyebrow at her. “It is? I thought you were gonna kill me.”
“No. Is he going to still follow me home?” Sammi said. “Now that I know, he wouldn’t have to hide.”
“No. He, um, had to go back to doing his job at the Lakota camp,” Mitch said.
“Ok.”
Mitch was worried about Sammi’s lackluster responses. It wasn’t like her at all. “I’m so sorry, honey.”
Sammi nodded. “Me, too. My knife and gun collections were really important to me, but it's the loss of the rifle you got me that hurts the most.”
“I’m going to do everything I can to get all of it back, Sammi. In fact, I have a couple of ideas about where to look. But before I do that, I want to go get your stuff and take it to my place. Come on,” he said and got up.
Sammi followed him without responding.
After being depressed throughout the day, Sammi’s mood became angry and she was even more harsh than usual at work that night. Jake noticed it and let it go for the most part. However, towards the end of the night, Jake pulled her aside and said, “Sammi, ease up a little, huh? We don’t want to start losing customers.”
Sammi sighed and said, “I’m sorry, Jake. You’re right. I’m just a little touchy, I guess.”
“A little?” Jake teased her.
Sammi laughed. “Yeah, a little. Don’t worry. I’ll behave.”
Jake patted her shoulder and went back to serving drinks.
Sammi flopped down in an empty chair at Jamie and Luke’s table.
“Are you ok?” Luke asked.
“No. Yes. I will be,” Sammi said. “I have to stop taking my frustrations out on the customers or I’m going to lose my job.”
Jamie said, “Jake said that?”
“No, I did. All right, Sammi. Get it together,” she told herself.
Luke said, “Do you always talk to yourself?”
Sammi smiled. “Not always.”
“It’ll be ok, Sammi. You need to take your mind off it, so tomorrow, you and I are going to get Lacey and go get dresses for Friday night,” Jamie said.
Sammi groaned. “I forgot about that.”
“It’s not the end of the world. We’ll get you something that’ll make you look like the perfect sheriff’s wife. Mitch will be so proud,” Jamie said.
“I want to please him,” Sammi said. “I don’t want to embarrass him. He has such an important job.”
“You won’t embarrass him. Leave it to me and Lacey. You’ll see,” Jamie assured her.
She and Luke left shortly after that and Jake began closing up. Sammi helped and then left to go home. She would never admit it to anyone, but she couldn’t help be a little scared. As she walked, Sammi paid very close attention to her surroundings. As she walked past the bank, a shadow separated from one of the walls.
Sammi pulled her gun and said, “Stop right there.”
“Don’t shoot,” said an unfamiliar voice.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“Owl,” he said and came forward. His smile was friendly.
Sammi started giggling when she saw that he was dressed in only his loin cloth.
“What’s funny?” he asked.
Sammi holstered her gun and said, “You running around almost naked. Not that I’m not enjoying it or anything, but still…”
Owl only caught half of what she said, but he got the gist of what she meant. He laughed. “White people wear too much clothes. Women too many much. But not you.”
Sammi began walking again and Owl fell into step with her. “So you like the way I dress, huh?”
“Yes. Beautiful woman,” Owl said.
“You’re sweet. My fiancé thinks so, too,” Sammi said.
“Sheriff lucky man,” Owl said.
“Thanks for protecting me,” Sammi said. “I can take care of myself, though.”
“Yes. I know,” Owl said. “I do my job.”
“And what a good job you did, too. I didn’t know you were there,” Sammi said.
Owl smiled. “Good.”
“I thought you weren’t gonna be following me home anymore?” she asked.
“I not. I walk with you,” he said and nudged her with an elbow.
Sammi laughed. “You know what I mean. What about your job at home?”
His expression darkened for a moment and then he said, “It fine. Why you not go that way?” he said when she turned to go up a different street.
“I moved in with the sheriff,” Sammi said. “He didn’t want me staying alone.”
Owl nodded. “Good idea. Might come back.”
Sammi shrugged. “I’ll shoot them.”
He stopped her and said, “Can’t shoot all at once if more than…” He held up one finger.
Sammi said, “You sound like Mitch.”
“Smart man.”
“Yes, he is. Well, this is home now,” Sammi said.
“Ok.”
She held out her hand to him. “Thanks, Owl. Nice meeting you.”
He took her hand and placed it on the inside of his forearm and placed his on the inside of her forearm. “Goodbye, sister,” he said. “Now you say, ‘goodbye, brother’.”
“Goodbye, brother,” Sammi said and grasped his forearm firmly.
“Good,” Owl said. “I give you Lakota name.”
“Me?” Sammi said.
“No, other yellow hair woman here. Yes, you,” Owl said.
Sammi laughed. “What is it?”
“
Zuya wichasa winyan.
Warrior woman,” Owl said. Swiftly he kissed her cheek and released her arm.
Suddenly he was gone and Sammi stood in awe. “Mitch was right. It is scary how he can do that.”
“Told you,” Mitch said.
Sammi jumped. “Don’t do that!”
Mitch chuckled. “Am I going to have to worry about you kissing Indians in the moonlight?”
She smiled as she mounted the stairs to the porch. “He kissed me, not the other way around. Are you jealous?”
“No. Yes,” Mitch said.
“You didn’t have to wait up for me,” Sammi said. “I was fine, as you can see.”