Montana Summer

All the characters in this story are fictional; any resemblance to anyone alive, or dead is simply just uncanny. All characters in this story are 18 years or older.

This is the ninth chapter of Montana Summer Series; I am simply amazed that it has gotten this far. Thanks to all the people that have kept me up late nights writing. I would also like to thank fellow writer SelenaKittyn for editing this chapter.

* * * * *

Ryan lay awake in bed. Sleep wasn't coming easily tonight. He wondered if Jessi and he could really run away somewhere new and start a life together. Montana felt like home.

Life on the ranch felt like this was the life he was destined to lead. They had talked about it, and in the end had decided to at least wait until the end of the fall semester at school before making any decisions.

There was one thing that Ryan didn't tell Jessi. He wasn't even sure how to tell her. Ryan just couldn't come to terms with the fact that Jessi was his half sister. When he looked at her he felt love, and not the kind of love that siblings have for each other. Ryan was totally in love with Jessi, a deep romantic love. What puzzled Ryan the most was that he had the same feeling of providence about Jessi that he had for life on the ranch, and the Montana mountains. It all seemed so intertwined, almost predestined. He was unable to put these feelings into words, and have them make any sense.

When sleep finally came, there was still no respite for Ryan. He saw visions of Charlie, the

Wanagi

, and a terrible storm on top of the mountain. He saw he and Jessi trying to run away from the mountains, but the mountains wouldn't let them escape. When the morning came, he felt exhausted and drained.

---

Hank and Stella walked out of the jail in the company of a balding man in an ill-fitting suit. They followed the man to a rented luxury car. The balding man directed Hank to the back seat, and Stella to the passenger side of the Lincoln.

Kenny McGuire climbed into the driver's seat. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He lit one and sucked the bitter smoke into his lungs.

"Okay, you got me all the way the fuck out here in fuckin' Mayberry, and I've bailed you're fuckin' asses out of jail. Now you better start talking, and talking fast. I hate wasting time as much as I hate wasting money."

Hank stared at Kenny's cigarette and licked his lips. "Give me a smoke first, I'm dyin' for one."

Kenny tossed the pack of cigarettes into Hank's lap and watched patiently as Hank lit a cigarette.

"That mountain we were on, the one where we found the Indian stuff- there's gold up there." Hank exhaled a plume of bluish grey tobacco smoke.

"How do you know that?" Kenny's eyes opened wide, his interest was piqued.

Hank looked out of the car window towards the mountains. There's a vein of quartz running through that mountain."

"So?" Kenny's brow furrowed, he didn't understand what quartz had to do with gold.

Hank reached into his pocket and handed Kenny a rock. "Look at it! That's quartz, and those sparkly flecks, that's gold."

"Okay." Kenny felt excitement building in his gut. "How much do you think is up there?"

"Millions." Hanks voice was quiet as a grin spread across his face.

"What are we going to do about it? How do we get to the gold?" Kenny glanced over at Stella. The way she looked at him and smiled made Kenny think that she may have some interest in him. Kenny wasn't the kind of man that had an attractive woman very often, well, unless he was paying for them.

Hank rolled the window down and flipped the cigarette butt out the window, "We need to see if we can do this legal. We need to see if anyone owns the mineral rights."

"What about Sal? Does he know about the gold?" Kenny asked.

Hank nodded. "Yes he does."

"Before we leave, I will stop and see him." Kenny rubbed his chin. "He needs to know to keep his mouth shut. I'll bail him out as soon as they release him from the hospital."

Stella reached between Kenny's legs and began to rub him slowly. She felt him growing hard at her touch. Men of action, and men with money turned Stella on. She felt a warm feeling growing between her legs.

---

Uncle Bill hung up the phone and sat back down at the kitchen table. He looked over at Ryan and spoke softly. "That was the sheriff. He wanted to let you know that the man and woman that were arrested were released on bail this morning."

Ryan looked up from his breakfast, he was glad that Jessi and Aunt Suzanne were upstairs. "You don't think they will be coming around here?"

Uncle Bill shook his head. "I don't think so. The sheriff had a deputy follow them out of town. The only stop they made was at the hospital, and they were only there for a few minutes."

Uncle Bill paused and looked towards the stairs to make sure that his wife, and daughter weren't in sight yet. He turned back towards Ryan, and said in a near whisper, "Any time you leave the ranch you just make sure that you have that Colt strapped to your hip."

Ryan felt a little chill run up his back.

"Did Charlie show you anything special when you went up Baxter's?"

"What do you mean?" Ryan cautiously asked his uncle.

Uncle Bill nodded. "There's more than meets the eye up there. I know it and I'm pretty sure that Charlie knows it. I have a sneaking hunch that he showed you something up there."

Ryan nodded. "Charlie showed me lots of things up there, but there was one thing in particular that he told me that he hadn't even shown Walt."

"Uh huh." Uncle Bill reached into his shirt pocket and pulled something out and slid it to Ryan's hand. "Is this what Charlie showed you?"

Ryan looked down at the gold nugget, and then nodded. "Yes, Charlie showed me that. He wasn't sure if you knew or not."

Uncle Bill nodded. "Grandpa told me. This was just before he died. As far as I know, I am the only one that he told. I do know that your father doesn't know, and I think you know better than to tell him or your mother."

Ryan cringed at the thought of his mother finding out about the gold. Money was everything to her. She would see gold in the ground as money in her pocket. The fact that the area was sacred wouldn't matter one whit to her. As much as he loved his mother, he knew that she could never find out.

"Does Aunt Suzanne know?" Ryan asked.

"Nope." Uncle Billed shook his head. "You are the first person that I've told."

The conversation ceased as Aunt Suzanne and Jessi came down the stairs.

"What time are we leaving?" Jessi beamed happily.

"As soon as we finish this last cup of coffee." Uncle Bill laughed, knowing full well that this probably wasn't the last cup of coffee.

Everyone was heading up to one of the high pastures that was free range on BLM land. This was the annual cattle drive, a tradition from the past that was kept alive by several of the old time ranching families. They would spend four days and three nights herding the cattle back down to pastures in the valley.

Most of today and all of tomorrow would be spent rounding up the cattle into one large herd. The nights would be spent around the campfire singing songs and telling tales. Most everyone one would take a couple of hours riding night herd, keeping the cattle from wandering off.

"I'll get the horse trailer hooked up," said Ryan getting up from the table.

"Want some help?" volunteered Jessi.

"Help is always appreciated," smiled Ryan.

As soon as they were outside, Jessi slipped her hand into Ryan's. "How are you this morning?"

"I'm doin' okay." Ryan looked at Jessi as they walked towards the truck. "I didn't sleep good last night. I kept having these weird dreams."

Jessi's brow furrowed. "What kind of dreams?"

Ryan stopped and shook his head. "Just weird dreams. You and I were running away, but the mountains wouldn't let us escape."

"That is odd!" Jessi remarked. "I had a similar dream, only I was trying to get to you, I could see you, but I could never catch up."

Ryan wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "I don't know why, and I don't know if I should even be telling you this..." He looked up at the mountains for a moment, trying to form his words. "I wish I could give you a reason why I feel this way, but I can't. So much has happened to me this past summer, and that includes you. And so much of it seems like it was pre-destined, like it was meant to happen, that it's my destiny. That's how I feel about you. Like we are meant to be together. I don't want you to hold any false hopes out for us. I don't even understand it myself."

Jessi searched Ryan's eyes for what seemed a very long time and then she kissed his lips softly. "I love you, cowboy. I didn't mean to fall in love with you, but somewhere along the way I did. I don't want to love anyone but you. You are going to have to be the one to tell me it's time for me to move along. Until then, Ryan, I won't give up hope. If I don't at least hope a little..." She buried her head against his chest and held him tightly.

---

"Stan?" Lindsey looked at Stan. Her fingers twisted the edge of the sheet nervously. She gave Stan a questioning look as he was getting dressed.

"What, baby?" Stan looked at Lindsey. She was still lying in bed, the sheet partially covering her nude body.

"Can I ask you a question?" Lindsey watched his eyes.

Stan nodded as he put his shirt on. "Sure, ask away."

Lindsey began cautiously. "Last night, just before you came." She paused and took a deep breath. "You called me Becky." She caught the flicker of guilt in his eyes even before he had the chance to reply. "I just want to know what is going on."

Stan felt like the bottom had just fallen out of his life. How in hell could he have been so stupid as to call out Becky's name? He knew the damage was done, but there was nothing he could do but to try to deny it and minimize the damage. "Nothing is going on."

"You're lying Stan. I saw it in your eyes even before you answered." She felt the sting of tears beginning in her eyes. It hurt Lindsey that he was lying to her. "I have always been truthful with you. I told you about Ryan when we were camping, and I told you about Ryan when you and your family were out of town. Why can't you be honest with me now?"

Stan sat down on the bed his shoulders slumped. "Because she is my sister." Stan looked at Lindsey in the eyes. "She's my sister, and I couldn't stop it from happening." Stan felt that there was no sense in holding anything back now, he might as well come clean and tell Lindsey the whole story.

Stan took Lindsey's hand in his. "I'll tell you what happened." He began with the night in the motel where Becky had given him the hand job, and the he told her about his sister performing oral sex on him. Finally he finished up with what had happened the other night with Becky and him having sex in his room.

Lindsey looked at Stan. He looked like all of the air had been let out of him, "Why didn't you just tell me?"

Stan shook his head. "I don't know. I didn't think you'd understand. I don't even know if I understand."

"Do you plan to keep having sex with her?" Lindsay asked in a quiet tone of voice.

She was almost afraid of what his answer might be.

Stan looked at Lindsey and then down at the floor and shook his head. "No."

"Thanks for being honest Stan. That's all I'll ever ask from you." Lindsey wasn't sure how she felt at the moment. Her feelings were a jumble of confusion and betrayal.

Stan finished dressing. He looked at Lindsey. "I'll call you later, okay?"

His voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Yes Stan. Please call me later. There is a lot we need to talk about. You just might have to give me a little time."

---

Charlie Red Elk sat at his kitchen table and looked out over his beloved mountains. He was thinking of Ryan and what the young man had become. He had talked to his wife and son about his idea. Now he was going to meet with the tribal council this morning.

He wondered what their reaction would be when he presented his wishes to the elders. In the Lakota tradition, he was the chief, but that didn't give him absolute power when it came to tribal affairs. The true power rested in the tribal council.

Esther Red Elk sat down across from her husband and looked at him. She had seen a great change in her husband this past summer. A spark had been lit in him again. She could see the fire of the young man that she had married many years ago.

"You think they will approve of your idea just based on your word," Esther asked her husband.

Charlie came out of his thoughts; he hadn't realized that his wife had sat down. "I don't know. I hope they will. That boy is as much a Lakota as you or I, on the inside anyway." He turned his gaze from the mountains to his wife. "Do you know what Ryan told me?"

Esther shook her head. "No. What did he tell you?"

Charlie smiled and then laughed. "He told me that he would teach me how to shoot a bow from a moving horse." Charlie shook his head. "Me, a Lakota chief, and this young white boy is going to teach me how to use a bow." He took a sip of tea and continued. "I wish our young men had one tenth the passion that Ryan has. Part of my plan is to honor Ryan, and part is to try to spur some of our young people from their complacency."

Charlie's eyes grew misty. "He also told me that he knew what it felt like to be Lakota. There was pride in his voice when he said that. The way he said it reminded me of Danny Little Bear."

Esther put her hand on Charlie's hand. Danny Little Bear was the man that had talked to Charlie while he was in jail. He had also been the best man at Charlie and Esther's wedding, and godfather to Walter. For her husband to say that anyone reminded him of Danny Little Bear was beyond remarkable.

---

Ryan, Jessi, and Uncle Bill had arrived up the BLM open range just before noon. Aunt Suzanne was going to come up with Mabel a little later. They got the horses unloaded from the trailer, and saddled.

Frank Buchanan came over and shook everyone's hand. He handed Ryan and Uncle Bill a hand drawn map. "Ryan, I want you and Jessi to ride up north to the tree line, and then work your way back towards the camp. Bill and I will work our way from the other side, and we should meet somewhere here." Frank pointed to a spot on the map. "Bucky and Ernie Slidell and his boys will be up here pretty quick, and they are going to work these other areas."

Ryan mounted Bernie, and he and Jessi headed out. He smiled at Jessi atop Raoul, her favorite horse. If it wasn't for her long hair flowing down from her cowboy hat and her breasts straining her cowboy shirt, she would look like any other young cowboy.

"Feels good doesn't it?" Ryan commented as they rode along.

Jessi took a deep breath of the mountain air. "It never gets old, coming up here." She looked at Ryan. "Looking at you, it's not hard to imagine that I have gone back in time." She got a mischievous smile on her face. "I love you, cowboy. But I what I want to see is what that mooch of a horse of yours will do." With that, she swatted the hindquarters of her horse and galloped across the rolling landscape.

Ryan laughed as put his spurs lightly to Bernie. "Go get her!" he yelled to his horse.

Bernie responded like he had been shot out the end of a gun, he loved the thrill of the chase. The other horse had a bit of a head start, but even with the extra weight of Ryan as a rider Bernie, held the advantage. He was bigger and stronger than Jessi's horse and Bernie loved to run.

---

Five men were what constituted the Wolf's Creek Lakota Band Council. None were under the age of fifty-five. They took their seats in the Tribal Council house and watched as Charlie Red Elk stood before them. All of them wore their hair in the traditional fashion, parted in the middle, the long braids going part way down their backs.

Willy Running Deer was the eldest member of the council. Generally, out of respect for his age he was recognized as the leader of the council. He stood up and looked at Charlie. "Okay Charlie, we are ready to hear you now."

The council listened with stoic faces, not betraying any emotion as Charlie finished making an impassioned speech. "He knows of our ways, and maybe he knows more of the old ways better than most of us. He spoke to me and my son of the pride he has for the Lakota, and these were words he spoke from his heart. I am proud to call him my brother. He has a spirit guide, and a powerful one. He has protected our sacred ground, and I have to add, with significant peril to his own safety. He has met our enemy with bravery in his heart, and his actions. He has earned a place among us, as one of us."

Willy Running Deer spoke up. "Has this ever been done before?"

Charlie nodded. "Yes it has, with Ryan's great-great-great Grandfather, Little White Wolf."

The council whispered among themselves for a few minutes, then Willy Running Deer addressed Charlie again, "So this is just a ceremonial honor you would like to bestow on the boy?"

"Yes, it is only ceremonial," Charlie replied.

"Then we have no objection, we would be happy to welcome him as an honorary member of the Wolf's Creek Lakota band." Willy Running Deer smiled at Charlie.

Charlie stood and opened his arms. "Thank you my brothers. You have made an old man happy, and proud this day."

---

Tony (Sal) Salvatore lay in the hospital bed staring blankly at the ceiling. While his outward demeanor was quiet and impassive, inside was another story. Kenny had just been in to see him, and to let him know that his bail had been posted and that once he was released from the hospital he was a free man.

Kenny had told him, "Keep your fuckin' nose clean and get the fuck outta town as soon as you are released."

Sal's mind churned. He still couldn't believe a damn snot-nosed kid with an antique single action Colt had taken him down. Sal was plotting his revenge. Yeah, he would get out of town all right. But that wouldn't happen until he had taken care of a little business — a little business with a young cowboy.

---

Most of the leaves of the deciduous trees had turned to color from soft yellows to brilliant reds. There was a chill in the air up here in the high country. It smelled like autumn, that crisp, cool smell. It wouldn't be long before the snows would come, and stay for the winter.

Ryan pulled the map from his pocket and examined it. He passed it over to Jessi. "Looks like we're where we're supposed to start but I don't see any cattle."

"No, it's not uncommon. They'll move around a lot during the day." She pointed at the map. "We need to work our way up the tree line and then back towards where we started from."

As they rode along, Jessi looked over at Ryan. "Are you going to miss me when you go away to school?"

Ryan's smile was sad. "What do you think? Of course I'm going to miss you." Ryan sighed softly. "Why did you even have to ask that?"

"I just wanted to hear it from you, that's all."

"What about you? Are you going to miss me?" Ryan quipped.

Jessi's face turned sad. "I will miss you, cowboy. I will miss you more than you will ever imagine."

Ryan started at the large granite monolith that reached towards the sky. He hesitated for a moment. "Are you going to date while you're at school?"

She stopped her horse and looked at Ryan. "No. Not while I have one grain of hope for us." A tear appeared in the corner of her eye as she asked, "What about you?"

Ryan had turned Bernie and had moved right beside Jessi and her horse. He leaned over and kissed her softly. "No Jessi. I love you. There is no one that could replace you."

Jessi looked down at the ground. "Have you thought about transferring schools?"

Ryan nodded. "Yes. I have. I will probably transfer next fall."