Brave Beginnings Read online

  Suddenly she grew still and cried out. He smiled and watched as she slowly returned to Earth from her heightened state of bliss. And then, when she opened her eyes and smiled in return, he rolled her onto her back and entered her, holding her tightly to him and taking his time in making love to her.

  He buried his face into the nape of her neck. She held onto him and whispered his name. His thrusting grew more insistent as he neared the peak, and when he finally found his release, he moaned as his seed filled her. She stroked his back and kissed his cheek. For a moment, all he could do was remain still inside of her, wishing it could last but knowing it wouldn’t.

  The rest of the world ceased to exist, and he never felt a moment of greater peace. As soon as he could focus, he slid out of her and brought her into the circle of his arms where she rested her head on his chest and sighed with contentment. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. He was glad she stayed with him, even though it was nearing the time for supper. For a little longer, at least, it would continue to be just the two of them. And nothing else would matter.

  ~~********~~

  Chapter 16

  Larry forced aside all visible clues to his anger as he walked into the bank. He waited in line until he could speak with the teller. Once it was his turn at the counter, he said, “I have a matter to discuss with your vice president.”

  “Mr. Freeman is in a meeting right now,” the teller replied.

  “This is important.”

  The teller chuckled though he looked uncertain. “Sir, I can’t barge into a meeting and demand he speak with you.”

  “Then tell me where he’s at. I’ll go in there myself.”

  “But…I can’t.” The teller adjusted his tie and gave him a pleading look. “No one disturbs the vice president or the president when they’re in a meeting. Can’t you wait until he’s done? He’ll be out in ten minutes.”

  Larry gritted his teeth. He didn’t feel like waiting, but for the sake of the poor teller who was perspiring from worry, Larry said, “I’ll wait for ten minutes. But after that, I’m going to talk to him, and I’ll go through this entire building searching for him if I have to.”

  The teller nodded, so Larry stepped away from the counter so the teller could help the next person in line. He stood to the side of the room and studied the building until he found Ernest’s office. So that was where the rat hid out when he wasn’t going through the city causing trouble.

  He checked the clock over the front doors and let out a heavy sigh. Five more minutes. Crossing his arms, he paced the perimeter of the lobby, too frustrated to stand still. A few people shot him questioning looks, but he ignored them. One man recognized him and said hello. He returned the greeting but continued to pace. There was only one person he wanted to speak to, and another glance at the clock notified him that in two minutes, he was going to get his wish.

  To his satisfaction, he spotted Ernest leaving a room from behind the loan officer’s desk. Good. Larry didn’t wait for an invitation. He marched over to Ernest who was talking to two men.

  “Mr. Freeman, I must speak with you at once,” Larry blurted out, not caring that he interrupted the men’s conversation.

  Ernest turned his head in Larry’s direction. “Excuse me?”

  “I think you heard me the first time.”

  Ernest laughed and motioned to the two men. “I’m a little busy at the moment. If you wait over there in the lobby, I’ll be happy to talk with you when I’m done.”

  Larry frowned. “I don’t care. You’re responsible for an innocent man losing his job. I will not sit idly by while this injustice continues.”

  He glanced up at the ceiling and sighed before he offered the two men a polite smile. “Apparently, there’s a minor issue that demands my immediate attention. We’ll continue this conversation at my house tomorrow night.”

  Larry grabbed Ernest by the arm and directed him to his office.

  “Unhand me,” Ernest snapped and pulled his arm away. “I will not be treated like a wayward child.”

  “A wayward child is exactly the way you’ve been acting,” he hissed in a voice low enough so others wouldn’t hear them.

  “I will not be subjected to this.”

  “Too late, Mr. Freeman. You should have thought of that before you insisted Mr. Wilcox get rid of Chogan.”

  Ernest’s jaw clenched, but he nodded toward his office. “Fine. Come with me.”

  He followed him to the room and waited for Ernest to shut the door before he spoke. “Why did you insist that Mr. Wilcox fire Chogan?”

  “That is a matter between me and Mr. Wilcox.”

  “It can’t be because he’s an Indian. That might be why no one else will challenge you, but something happened to make you single him out. What was it? What did he do to make you hate him?”

  Ernest narrowed his eyes at him. “I don’t owe you an explanation.”

  “Hmm…” Larry crossed his arms. “Just as I thought. It’s personal.”

  “What do you want with me?”

  “You know what I want. Tell Mr. Wilcox to hire Chogan.”

  “Sorry, but I can’t do that.”

  “Of course, you can.”

  “No.” Ernest went to his desk and sat down. “I can’t.”

  “You mean you won’t.”

  He shrugged. “It depends on how you look at it, I suppose.”

  Larry clenched his fists and approached the desk. “Now you listen to me, you lying rat. Mr. Wilcox and others in this town might be afraid of you, but I’m not. I’m going to get to the bottom of this, and when I do, you won’t be so smug.”

  Ernest chuckled and leaned back in his chair. “You have no idea what kind of connections I have.”

  “And you’d be surprised by mine.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Meaning there is more than one way to skin a cat. You may think you’re the big man in town, but there’s always someone bigger coming right around the corner.”

  “Are you implying that you’re that someone?” Ernest asked, not looking in the least bit disturbed by the warning.

  “No. I don’t kid myself on how influential I am,” Larry replied. “If I was, Chogan would still have his job. But I will find a chink in your armor.”

  “Is this the part where I’m supposed to be shaking in my boots?”

  Larry thought for sure his teeth would break because of the way he kept grinding them. “You are pathetic. You made Wilcox get rid of a hard working and honest employee, and all for what? To settle a personal grudge? That employee, by the way, has a wife and her aunt to support.”

  Ernest rolled his eyes. “That aunt did very well when her husband died. The man wasn’t exactly a pauper.”

  After studying Ernest for any signs of remorse and finding not even a flicker of it on his face, Larry decided further conversation would be a waste of time. Ernest wasn’t the least bit sorry for what he’d done, nor was it likely he ever would be. Men like Ernest who thought they were above reproach didn’t have the capacity to care about anyone else.

  “You mark my word,” Larry began in a low voice, “your day of reckoning will come, and I hope I’m there when it does.”

  Ernest yawned. “Is that all or must I persist in listening to more of this drivel?”

  With a low growl, Larry stormed out of the office. It wasn’t over. Sooner or later, he’d have the last laugh.

  ***

  By the end of the week, Chogan knew he didn’t have a choice. He had to work. It was more than about making money; it was a matter of being able to hold his head high. But he never imagined he’d have to resort to removing trash and horse droppings off the streets.

  “You’ll also sweep the sidewalks,” the man with graying hair said. “It’s not a glamorous job, mind you, but it’s a necessary one.”

  Chogan examined the broom, dustpan, gloves, and bag. For a moment, he recalled the summer when he’d been selected to lead the buffalo hunt. He’d killed a buffa
lo that year and earned a feather. His position in the tribe wasn’t that of a chief, but he’d been respected. And now he was worse off than a scout retrieving water for the hunters.

  With a heavy sigh, he accepted the job, knowing he had no other option if he wanted to work in Bismarck. Anthony helped him look for a job, but no one wanted to hire him. Anthony understood just as well as he did why they wouldn’t hire him, and it wasn’t only because of Ernest.

  It was better to do the job no one wanted to do than to sit idly by and have others provide his food. So he took the items he needed to do his task and decided he’d give this job the same care and attention he’d given his other jobs.

  ***

  Julia glanced at her aunt when the doorbell chimed. “Are you expecting anyone?”

  Her aunt looked up from her book. “No.”

  Erin got ready to stand up, but Julia stopped her. “I’ll get it.” She left the parlor and peered through the window by the door. She smiled. “It’s Millicent,” she called out as she opened the front door. She laughed. “Why, you’re certainly cheerful today.”

  Millicent blushed as she stepped into the house. “Conrad asked to court me!”

  “He did?” Erin asked from the parlor.

  “She’ll want all the details,” Julia said and shut the door.

  “Oh, I don’t mind telling her everything.” Millicent quickly removed her hat and coat and hung them up. “It still seems like a most splendid dream.” She grabbed Julia’s arm and asked, “That must sound silly, I know, but I fear if I wake up it’ll be a day like any other. I’d be sorely disappointed if it was a dream.”

  Julia laughed. “I felt that way when I married Chogan. It was too good to be true.”

  “Exactly. So you do understand.”

  She nodded and directed her to the parlor. “I’ll bring out the coffee and cookies. Don’t you dare start in on your news until I return.”

  “I’m sure we can find other things to discuss to fill the time,” Erin assured Julia, her eyes twinkling as she moved over on the couch to make room for Millicent.

  Julia rushed through the task of getting the coffee pot, cups and plate of cookies on the tray so she could be sure they didn’t start the conversation without her. When she returned, she was happy to see Erin was describing the book she was reading to Millicent. Julia poured the coffee and handed the women their cups before she sat across from them.

  “I’ll lend it to you when I’m done,” Erin promised. “I think you’ll like it.”

  “It certainly sounds good.” Millicent took a sip of coffee. “I do so enjoy books featuring adventures in far off places. I don’t have a desire to travel, mind you. I’m quite content with where I’m at, but I love to imagine venturing off.”

  “You surprise me,” Julia commented, stirring a spoonful of sugar into her cup. “I didn’t think you had such an adventurous spirit.”

  Millicent chuckled. “Keep in mind, I said I take joy in reading about it, not living it. I much prefer my safe world. I could never be as brave as you.”

  “Brave?” Julia asked.

  “Oh, you went across North Dakota in unfamiliar territory.”

  “Yes. But I had Aunt Erin and Chogan with me.”

  Erin shook her head. “Don’t be so modest. You were ready to rush right off by yourself to find Gary. You didn’t give any thought to your safety.”

  It was true, so Julia didn’t deny it. “The important thing is Gary was alive. Enough about all that. Millicent, tell us about Conrad. How did he ask if he could court you?”

  Millicent blushed as her smile widened. “He came by to discuss politics with my father. You know how my father loves such talk.”

  “Do I ever!” Erin shook her head in amusement. “He’s been that way ever since he was a child. It’s a wonder he never pursued a political office.”

  “He says he’d rather be the spectator.” She giggled. “The way he talks, you’d think he was discussing a circus, though he does take it seriously from time to time.”

  “And what of Conrad?” Julia asked. “How does he view it?”

  Millicent turned her attention to Julia. “Oh, quite seriously. But that’s to be expected since his brother is the state senator, don’t you think?”

  “It might not matter so much how Conrad handles it as long as his brother takes it seriously. It is his brother’s job after all.” Julia raised her cup to her lips.

  “It sounds like your father gets along well with Conrad then,” Erin said.

  “Oh, I should say so. They have the occasional squabble, but one can tell it’s in good fun,” Millicent replied.

  Erin finished her cup of coffee and set it on the table. “So Conrad talked to your father. Then what?”

  “Well, he asked my father for permission to court me!”

  Julia took a good drink from her coffee and inwardly chuckled at the way Millicent bounced on the couch. “I assume your father called you into the parlor so Conrad could ask?”

  “He did,” Millicent said. “He found me helping Mother clean the bedding and told me Conrad wished to speak with me. Oh, I was so nervous. Even now, my hands tremble at the memory.”

  Erin shot Julia an amused look.

  Julia secretly agreed that Millicent had a tendency to be dramatic, but it was how Millicent was, and they found it an endearing quality.

  “I went to the parlor, hardly able to stand the suspense,” Millicent continued. “He gave me a most charming smile and held my hands. He asked how I was doing, and I said fine. Then he said he must speak his heart right away, so I encouraged him to do so. That’s when he stated his intentions. I had to stop myself from appearing too eager, but inside my heart was bursting with joy. Of course, I said yes, and we made plans to meet his parents. I hardly slept a wink all night. I should be tired today, but I’m wide awake.”

  “The coffee won’t help,” Julia teased.

  “Oh, you’re right,” Millicent said. “But I don’t care. A love realized is to be cherished, and if I miss a few winks for it, then I gladly do so.”

  “We’re happy for you,” Erin replied. “Conrad comes from a good family. You couldn’t do much better.”

  “I agree,” Julia added. “He’ll make you happy, and I agree with what you said about love. Enjoy every moment of it.”

  “Oh, I will!” Millicent put her cup back on the saucer she held. “I want a love like you and Chogan have.”

  “Yes, Julia and Chogan share something few people do,” Erin commented, winking at Julia. “I have a feeling that Conrad will be as good for you.”

  “Julia, that reminds me,” Millicent began, a concerned look on her face. “I heard Chogan lost his job, but no one is sure why. If you do not wish to discuss this matter, I will not press you.”

  Julia sighed. “It’s all because of Ernest.”

  “Ernest? Ernest Freeman? The one who wanted to court you?” Millicent asked.

  “Yes. Guess why he found a reason to tell Mr. Wilcox to fire him?”

  “Surely, you jest.”

  Erin shook her head. “I’m afraid not, Millicent. Ernest claims that Chogan attacked him and insisted Chogan must not be allowed to represent the Tribune anymore.”

  “Chogan didn’t attack him,” Julia added, her anger threatening to come to the surface. “But Mr. Wilcox doesn’t care. He fired Chogan anyway.”

  “And people believe such hearsay?” Millicent asked.

  “Apparently, Ernest carries quite a bit of weight in this town,” Erin replied.

  “A little too much,” Julia muttered.

  “What will Chogan do now?” Millicent asked, turning her concerned gaze to Julia. “Will you stay here or go to his tribe?”

  Julia blinked in surprise. “I didn’t think of going to his tribe.” She didn’t know why the option hadn’t occurred to her before.

  “He’s looking for another job,” Erin told Millicent.

  “Oh, then I’m sure he’ll find one soon,” Millicent re
plied. “I heard he was a most admirable worker. It’s unfortunate this had to happen. He was happy at the Tribune, was he not?”

  “He was,” Erin said. “But some things weren’t meant to be.”

  “That is quite a shame,” Millicent softly replied. “The world is not always a fair place. I am not so naive as to believe this, but I like to think that justice prevails in the end.”

  “Chogan would not agree with you on that,” Julia said.

  “Perhaps I have a smidge of naivety in me.” Millicent shrugged and offered an apologetic smile.

  “It’s a good quality to have,” Erin said, patting her arm. “There’s no harm in having hope, and things do look hopeful for you.” She chuckled. “Julia and I are excited for you!”

  Taking her mind off of Chogan, Julia smiled at her cousin. “Yes, we are. So when will you see him again?”

  Julia and Erin listened as Millicent told them the plans she and Conrad already made, and for the moment, Julia was able to put Ernest and the Tribune far from her mind.

  ~~********~~

  Chapter 17

  Chogan dumped the horse manure into the trash can and caught sight of Ernest on the other side of the street. Ernest glanced his way, smirked, and dropped a piece of paper into the street. Chogan gritted his teeth and stomped in Ernest’s direction, ignoring the horse and rider that was coming his way.

  Ernest chuckled despite the flicker of uncertainty that crossed his face. “Finally, a job you deserve. I’m sure Julia’s thrilled she married you now.”

  Chogan reached him and stood close—almost a foot taller than his nemesis.

  Ernest took a step back but continued to make an appearance of bravado. “You think Julia will like knowing the man she married is savage enough to attack an unarmed man?”

  “You leave her out of it,” Chogan growled.