The Five Dollar Mail Book 3: The Road Home

55: Resurrection

Cover painting by Angela Taratuta. Chapter artwork of Jesse by Laura Hollingsworth. All graphics by me.

Book 1: The Green, Book 2: Lynch's Boys, Book 3: The Road Home, and the Riders & Kickers Anthology are available on Amazon under the name Regina Shelley. So if you hate waiting for chapter posts and/or want a more polished read, the finished product is available now.

This ain't what I think it is...is it? Jesse halted in his tracks, startled. Still Water Woman was watching him, her eyes bright, as she held open the large blanket draped across her shoulders. He realized that he was seeing more than a woman beckoning him to stand with her under a shared blanket outside her lodge, as the setting sun burned away on the deepening horizon. He knew he was seeing something profound, something life-changing. For him, and for this woman who had saved his life. A trembling had started inside him, an almost fearful euphoria. "Runs Laughing..." he breathed in Lakota, letting go of the child's hand. "Go get Two Elk."

"I'm here, Wacanga," the old man said in English. He'd been sitting in front of Still Water Woman's lodge, puffing a pipe as he stared into the fire. "I'm chaperoning. And you don't speak well enough to manage this on your own."

There's that word again, Jesse thought, watching Still Water Woman. "Two Elk...is this what it looks like?"

"If it looks to you like a beautiful woman inviting you to speak to her as a suitor, then yes. It's what it looks like."

He nodded, rubbing his hand over his heavily stubbled face. She is beautiful. He could see how beautiful she was every time he looked into those impossibly warm, soft brown eyes and saw her soul in them. 'Speak to her as suitor?' I would never be so lucky in my life as to be with a woman like this. Not even now. I can't let her go on thinking that...she's been through enough without me addin' to it.

"Two Elk..." he said, glancing at the old winkte, the flare of regret inside him nearly bowling him over. "I'm going back home eventually." The words felt empty on his lips, as though a ghost was speaking through him. "I'm not staying forever. You know that."

Two Elk got to his feet and shambled over, the dentalium shells and beads in his hair tinkling like windchimes. He turned to face Still Water Woman, translating Jesse's words. She nodded, softly murmuring back in Lakota.

"No one ever is," Two Elk translated. "Everyone leaves eventually. Just the earth and sky stay. But you are here now."

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I'd be lyin' if I denied I didn't have feelings for you, Still Water Woman. And I'll never lie to you. Ever. But I don't' wanna hurt you."

Two Elk spoke, and then then repeated her murmured words. "It will hurt no matter when you leave, and no matter what happens. We do not have tomorrow. We only have today."

She smiled at him, tears glistening on her sooty eyelashes. "We will part someday. Tomorrow or some day after. Nothing will change that."

He nodded, his heart pounding. Her words shook him awake, put an urgency into him. The idea of leaving her sent a pang through him that was almost physically painful. "This is today," he whispered, stepping forward toward her. He let her settle the blanket across his shoulders, the tension in his body and soul dissipating. The scent of her, leather and sweet smoke and the intoxicating spice of her skin filled his senses. He'd never felt so safe, or so comforted, in his entire life.

She handed him the edge of the blanket and beckoning him hold it in place. He sighed as her warmth settled against him, knowing how dangerous this was, how desperately he had to fight the urge to sweep her into his arms and kiss her. He wanted to. In fact, it was all he wanted. He was way past denying the truth of his feelings.

Runs Laughing had slipped away, unnoticed, and he realized that they were being completely ignored by the others going about their business around the camp. He figured that the entire point of the blanket was to signal privacy, even if it wasn't really a private place. They could talk and be alone together, but with the safety of others nearby.

I reckon it ain't much different than sparkin'.

Two Elk nodded, drawing a mouthful of smoke from his pipe and turning away. "You saved her, you know, he said over his shoulder. "And I don't mean from the white men at the river."

"I saved her?"

"Wacanga..." Two Elk limped back over to the fire and sat down."You weren't the only one that needed to be brought back from the edge of death."

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