Forever by Your Side (Willamette Brides #3) - Tracie Peterson Page 0,62

so much pain. The government did not care how the soldiers hurt us. We did not want war, but now I fear we will have it again.”

“Why do you say that?” Connie asked.

Ann and Ruth exchanged a look. “There is so much unrest,” Ann finally said. “The men—they are not happy. I fear it will lead to war.”

Ruth nodded. “I fear for my child.” She put her hand to her stomach.

“Is there talk of war?” Connie pressed. “I have heard rumors.”

“There is always talk of war. Each time the men hear of someone standing up to the white man, they get ideas.”

“Sam says we will defeat the white man,” Ruth said, her voice a whisper. “But I am afraid for what it will mean for us.”

Connie shook her head. “Is Sam your husband?”

“Yes. Samson Sheridan.”

Now she understood. “I met your husband. The Sheridans were once good friends to my mother and father.”

Ruth nodded. “I know. Now there is only bitterness between my husband’s family and yours.”

“There is no bitterness in my family. My father misses his friendship with Joseph. Do your husband and father-in-law not realize they would have been killed like so many others? If they had left the reservation, the soldiers would have hunted them down and killed them. They didn’t even care about returning runaways to the reservation. It was too much trouble. They just shot them and left them to rot. It shames me deeply to think of our soldiers acting that way, but it was how they did things and probably still is.”

“Sam has so much hate,” Ruth said, shaking her head.

Ann sighed. “It is true. I knew his mother. Of all her children, he was the happiest. But not anymore . . . I fear for him.”

“I do too,” Ruth said, wiping tears from her eyes. “I fear soon I will be a widow with a child, dependent upon others for my well-being.”

“Why do you say ‘soon’?” Connie asked. “Do you know of something specific that is being planned?”

Ruth looked upset. She turned to Ann, a look of questioning in her eyes. Ann nodded, and Ruth turned back to Connie. “There is talk of a war coming.”

Ann held her stepdaughter’s hand. “We hope it is nothing more than talk, but the men are making plans. They’ve been working with someone outside of the reservation, but I do not know who. It must be a white man, however. Who else could bring them guns?”

“Someone is bringing the men guns? Have you ever told my parents or Agent Singleton?”

“No. If word got back that we had, we would be shunned forever,” Ann replied. “We are so afraid for what might happen. If our men kill the white settlers, the soldiers will come and kill all of us.”

Faith scooted her chair closer to Ann’s and put her arm around her old friend. “If you know anything about it, you must tell us. We won’t say where the information came from, but we must stop a war if we can. You are right that there are so many white people who want only to see the real people dead. We cannot let them win.”

“Why do you care so much about what happens to us?” Ruth asked.

Faith looked around. “Can you keep a secret? Would you swear an oath to me to say nothing of what I tell you?”

Ann smiled. “Of course. You are my friend—like a daughter to me.”

Ruth gave a reluctant nod. “If my stepmother says it, then so do I.”

“I am part Indian. If they work to kill all of the Indians, they will probably want to kill me too.”

Connie wasn’t comfortable enough to include herself in that statement as well, but she nodded to confirm that what Faith said was true. She didn’t know if the women believed Faith, but Faith didn’t seem to think they would question her.

“My mother was forced by a Cayuse brave, and I was born,” Faith explained.

“You do not look Indian,” Ruth said, staring hard at Faith’s face.

“No. I don’t. My mother said that was God’s blessing for me, because I lived with white people. But I also lived with Native people, and I love both. I know people can live as one and love the other—if they allow God to control their hearts.”

“We believe in the one God,” Ruth replied. “My mother taught me.” She looked at Ann and smiled. The smile faded as she continued, “But my husband does not believe in God. He did once, as did