Chapter Nineteen
Ace rode beside Wicasi while Bonnie fell back and rode with Kai. That had been Wicasi’s idea. “A woman needs to be near her own kind. My daughter has a kind spirit.”
Ace glanced back and actually saw the two women talking. “Kai speaks well.”
“She learned from the missionary, like me. The man had a good spirit to him.”
Ace watched Bonnie and Kai talk as they handled the swing position. Clyde was riding right swing, his head down. Ace could tell the poor man’s heart was heavy on the saddle. Dallas was riding drag. He seemed okay at the back of the herd, riding slow, looking about with watchful eyes.
“You are worried,” Wicasi told Ace.
“One of my hands might die. Could be dead already.”
“And you will feel guilt, yes?” Wicasi asked.
Ace nodded. “I’m the trail boss.”
“You are also only a man,” Wicasi pointed out. “Can a man walk through rock or hold his air underwater forever?”
Ace shook his head.
“Can the flesh of man resist a bullet?”
“No…”
“The God the missionary spoke of is a God of wonder,” Wicasi went on, “who sacrificed His Son on a wooden stake—”
“A cross.”
Wicasi nodded his head. “Is the heart of man not wicked? Even within my own people, there is evil. Many moons ago, we put one of our men to death for defiling our women. His spirit was bad.”
Ace looked over at Wicasi. It felt good riding beside a decent man.
Didn’t matter a lick if Wicasi was Choctaw or not.
In many ways, Ace envied Wicasi for being Choctaw.
“Reckon if Jesus hadn’t given his life for us, we’d all be in a mess of trouble right now.
I know there’ve been times when my own heart has had some bad ways to it. Mostly during the war.”
“The white man is savage. They thrive on death. I will never understand why. My people understand that life is a gift. We are raised to respect and care for the land, the animals, and the rivers.” Wicasi pointed around.
“We all die. The spirit must leave the body. I have always wondered what that will feel like.”
“Yeah?”
“Will death not be a strange journey?” Wicasi asked.
“Reckon it will, in a way. I have faith that, when I die, I’ll go on and be with the Lord. Keep reminding myself what that fella Paul said.”
“What did he say?” Wicasi asked.
“Something along that the lines that to die is to be better off because we get to be with Jesus.”
“I see.”
Ace turned on his saddle just as the sun moved out from behind a cloud. A bright, clear ray of light splashed down, illuminating Bonnie as she removed her hat to wipe sweat off her forehead. The sun seemed to turn her hair into gold, making her eyes glow like a bit of Heaven come to earth.
He actually felt his breath catch.
Bonnie looked up at the same moment, and their eyes met briefly before Bonnie quickly put her hat back on, hiding her beauty.
How could I ever hope to get a woman like her to love a fella like me? I ain’t got nothing to offer, really. Just a small ranch. Bonnie is beautiful enough to live in some big city, but I doubt she ever will. Her heart is too wild to be tamed.
“You want to make that woman your wife,” Wicasi told Ace.
Ace turned back around on his saddle. “Ain’t gonna happen. She’s too wounded. Ain’t never gonna let a man get close to her heart.”
“Yes, there is much pain in her eyes,” Wicasi agreed. “A woman’s spirit is different,” he went on, riding easy on his horse. “A woman is strong in many ways. A woman can heal.”
“I reckon so.”
“The God I learned of is a God of mercy,” Wicasi told Ace, “but also a God of judgment. Are not mercy and judgment two horses we chase after?”
“Sure,” Ace replied.
“Offer mercy to that woman,” Wicasi told Ace, “and God will bring judgment on your enemies.”
Ace looked at Wicasi. The man held wisdom that was beyond him. Offer mercy to Bonnie? My heart. But could she ever love me back? And will this trail end well for us even if she wanted to?
“You have doubts,” Wicasi said.
“Let’s just say my mind is saddle sore,” Ace answered. “Ain’t easy for a fella to tell a woman he loves her. I ain’t even sure how I feel. All I know is that I feel drawn to Bonnie in a real strong way.”
“The trail has many ways to it,” Wicasi pointed around.
“The God I learned of controls the trail. We cannot see the end until we get there. The missionary taught me that faith is what keeps hope in our hearts during dark times. You, my friend, must have faith that God will do the right thing, even when we do not understand.”
“Sometimes, it feels like my faith is weaker than the gun I carry.” Ace turned around again to look at Bonnie, who was talking to Kai.
Looks like those two are getting along pretty good. Seems natural for Bonnie to be talking to another woman. I like seeing her like that. Too bad this part of the trail can’t last forever. All too soon, we’ll be on our own again.
Ace turned back around and let his mind go silent. He needed time to think before blood returned to the trail.