talking and getting to know each other better.”
“Good. I agree. We should spend more time together getting to know one another. Let’s talk about it later. You go sit down. You need to eat some breakfast.”
There he went again with that you-need-to-fatten-up thing. Sherry rolled her eyes and made her way to a table while Stag finished setting up the other tables and chairs. Marissa joined her, face glowing.
“Good morning,” Sherry said. “You look happy.”
Marissa leaned very close to whisper in her ear, “I think I’m pregnant! Don’t tell anyone, okay?”
Already? Sherry counted in her head. “It’s only been a month, girl.”
Marissa’s smile had a happily guilty curve to it. “Actually, it’s been two and a half months. Me and Red Wing were together a few times in the Clan camp before he went to Omaha to look for my son. I haven’t had my period, and I’ve been feeling a little queasy in the morning for the last week.”
For someone with morning sickness, Marissa looked pretty perky. Sherry studied her, smiling at the woman’s pink cheeks and bright eyes. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks. Don’t tell anyone, though,” she repeated her earlier words. “It’s too early to know for sure and I don’t want Red Wing to be disappointed if I’m not.”
“Sure.”
“I need to see the doctor without making Red Wing freak out.”
A baby. Sherry glanced down at her flat stomach. She and LeRoi decided early that they didn’t want to start a family right away, and she was glad of it. Children would have made things much more difficult for them. But Sherry wanted to be a mother. She wanted to be the mother she hadn’t had. And she wanted the father to be a real father, not like hers was. She looked around for Stag, wondering if he would be a good dad. She thought he would be. Her memories of the Clan camp were a little fuzzy, but she remembered a number of boys in camp. They seemed to be happy and secure. Abused or neglected children didn’t act happy and secure, especially around strangers.
“Doctor Whitten isn’t coming around here anymore, is he?” Marissa asked.
“No, he hasn’t come for weeks.” Sherry tapped her finger against her chin, thinking. She liked the doctor who’d paid daily visits to the Plane Women’s House to treat the injured. A doctor who made house calls was unheard of back home. One who accepted home cooked meals as payment? A myth. But Doctor Whitten did both. “Maybe you should tell Red Wing. If you say you need to see the doctor without telling him why, he really will freak out.”
“Maybe I could sneak off and see him alone?”
Sherry arched a brow. “Girl, don’t be stupid. Can you so much as go out to use the outhouse without at least two of the men keeping an eye you?”
“I guess not, and that’s inside the fence.” Marissa sounded glum. “I’ll wait a while.”
Now that the tables were set up, the women were filling them. Sherry saw Stag standing by the door, speaking to Des with urgent gestures. After a minute the men both glanced at her, then nodded at each other before splitting up. Stag walked to her table and sat down.
“Good morning. Marissa,” he said politely, before leaning over Sherry. “I’ve been thinking about what you said, Sherry,” he remarked. “We do need to spend more time together. It’s going to be a beautiful day. I’ve arranged for us to have horses so we can go for a ride after lunch. We can talk and get to know each other better.”
His casual tone seemed off. She blinked at him. “Well…” She hadn’t been riding in years, but she felt like she owed him something. Yesterday morning she hadn’t been kind to him. Besides, it would be nice to leave the compound. “Alright. But I’m on kitchen duty for supper tonight, so we’ll have to get back early.”
“I already talked to Des, so he’ll have someone cover for you. If we’re out late, that is,” he added hastily. “Your name is pretty.” He
“Good. I agree. We should spend more time together getting to know one another. Let’s talk about it later. You go sit down. You need to eat some breakfast.”
There he went again with that you-need-to-fatten-up thing. Sherry rolled her eyes and made her way to a table while Stag finished setting up the other tables and chairs. Marissa joined her, face glowing.
“Good morning,” Sherry said. “You look happy.”
Marissa leaned very close to whisper in her ear, “I think I’m pregnant! Don’t tell anyone, okay?”
Already? Sherry counted in her head. “It’s only been a month, girl.”
Marissa’s smile had a happily guilty curve to it. “Actually, it’s been two and a half months. Me and Red Wing were together a few times in the Clan camp before he went to Omaha to look for my son. I haven’t had my period, and I’ve been feeling a little queasy in the morning for the last week.”
For someone with morning sickness, Marissa looked pretty perky. Sherry studied her, smiling at the woman’s pink cheeks and bright eyes. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks. Don’t tell anyone, though,” she repeated her earlier words. “It’s too early to know for sure and I don’t want Red Wing to be disappointed if I’m not.”
“Sure.”
“I need to see the doctor without making Red Wing freak out.”
A baby. Sherry glanced down at her flat stomach. She and LeRoi decided early that they didn’t want to start a family right away, and she was glad of it. Children would have made things much more difficult for them. But Sherry wanted to be a mother. She wanted to be the mother she hadn’t had. And she wanted the father to be a real father, not like hers was. She looked around for Stag, wondering if he would be a good dad. She thought he would be. Her memories of the Clan camp were a little fuzzy, but she remembered a number of boys in camp. They seemed to be happy and secure. Abused or neglected children didn’t act happy and secure, especially around strangers.
“Doctor Whitten isn’t coming around here anymore, is he?” Marissa asked.
“No, he hasn’t come for weeks.” Sherry tapped her finger against her chin, thinking. She liked the doctor who’d paid daily visits to the Plane Women’s House to treat the injured. A doctor who made house calls was unheard of back home. One who accepted home cooked meals as payment? A myth. But Doctor Whitten did both. “Maybe you should tell Red Wing. If you say you need to see the doctor without telling him why, he really will freak out.”
“Maybe I could sneak off and see him alone?”
Sherry arched a brow. “Girl, don’t be stupid. Can you so much as go out to use the outhouse without at least two of the men keeping an eye you?”
“I guess not, and that’s inside the fence.” Marissa sounded glum. “I’ll wait a while.”
Now that the tables were set up, the women were filling them. Sherry saw Stag standing by the door, speaking to Des with urgent gestures. After a minute the men both glanced at her, then nodded at each other before splitting up. Stag walked to her table and sat down.
“Good morning. Marissa,” he said politely, before leaning over Sherry. “I’ve been thinking about what you said, Sherry,” he remarked. “We do need to spend more time together. It’s going to be a beautiful day. I’ve arranged for us to have horses so we can go for a ride after lunch. We can talk and get to know each other better.”
His casual tone seemed off. She blinked at him. “Well…” She hadn’t been riding in years, but she felt like she owed him something. Yesterday morning she hadn’t been kind to him. Besides, it would be nice to leave the compound. “Alright. But I’m on kitchen duty for supper tonight, so we’ll have to get back early.”
“I already talked to Des, so he’ll have someone cover for you. If we’re out late, that is,” he added hastily. “Your name is pretty.” He
Similar Books
