The Renegade's Woman (10 page)

Typical, thought Sally. Surely they had at least as much to learn from the Indians as the other way around.

"There is much we can all do to help. " White Lily continued. "But you are right. First, we must learn to communicate with each other. I do what I can to teach them

English, but it's a big job. I could use some help. "

White Lily hesitated and took a deep breath, giving Sally a quick glance. "I wonder if perhaps there is some young woman among you who might like to come with me, back to our village, to help teach them?" White Lily looked around, again pausing at Sally.

Why did she keep-- Sally froze. Oh, Lord! This was the way!

Before she'd even made a conscious decision, she jumped to her feet and called, "I will!"

Alyssa and Mrs. Tompkins cried out in horrified unison. "Sally, you can't mean it!"

She ignored the outburst and repeated, "I'll go with you, White Lily, " and threaded her way between the blankets to receive a hug from the petite woman.

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the crowd. An indignant matriarch, Mrs. Smythe, rose up and declared, "This will never do! We cannot allow a young, unmarried girl to go unchaperoned to live with these heathens. Why, who knows what ungodly things she will be subjected to!" There was a murmur of assent among the wagoneers.

Sally knew precisely what ungodly things she would be subjected to, and that was exactly why she wanted to go.

But before she could open her mouth to argue, White Lily took her hand and announced to the crowd, "All right. Then she must marry first, mustn't she?"

That seemed to satisfy Mrs. Smythe, and people around the meadow declared that marrying would be just the thing. A scattering of amused male voices called out their willingness to do their duty.

Sally's jaw dropped. "But... "

"Which of you men will come forward to marry this delightful young woman and spend your life in our village, helping us teach English to the Arapaho?" White Lilly's questioning gaze swept the crowd. Those men who had spoken out so quickly now slunk on their blankets. "Is there no one?"

Apparently the thought of marrying her lost its appeal when faced with a lifetime living among the Indians.

Thank God. Sally let out the breath she'd been holding and dared a glance at Standing Bear. He sat his horse stiff as a pine, watching her with an indecipherable expression on his face.

White Lily tugged on her hand and smiled sublimely. "Well, then, in the spirit of the occasion, perhaps you would care to choose one of our fine young braves as your husband? We have many handsome warriors, and you would do them a great honor. "

The crowd let out a collective scandalized gasp at the very idea of her marrying an Indian man. Then someone laughed, and the mood lightened. A saucy girl's voice advised her to choose the cute one with the long staff, which produced a bevy of guffaws and other suggestions. Obviously no one believed she'd actually go through with it.

She moistened her lips. Hell, she didn't know if she'd actually go through with it.

Standing Bear had deserted her days ago, and, today, had done nothing but scowl. Did he really want to be tied to her for life? Was this his idea, or would he run for cover if she chose him? Did she even want to choose him, furious as she was over his thoughtless abandonment?

Sally stood frozen in a muddle of indecision. Serene, White Lily pulled her over to the line of mounted warriors and indicated she should choose. Okay, this is it. She straightened her spine and tried not to look too terrified.

On wobbly legs, she strolled slowly along the horses' noses, pretending to carefully consider each man. The warriors grinned and preened. The crowd got into the game and called out advice, registering their approval or lack thereof of each brave with hoots and applause. She figured, if she chickened out, at least everyone would have had a good time, and no one would suspect she'd been serious.

When she got to Standing Bear, she willed herself to be calm and looked up. Unlike the other men, he sat solemnly atop his horse, silently staring down at her with eyes blazing.

Oh, God. He was angry. He wants nothing to do with me.

Hurt sang through her body like a bittersweet lullaby. The hopes that she'd harbored crashed down around her.

She squared her jaw. He would not see her cry. She'd go on as if this man and his quiet condemnation meant nothing to her.

She forced herself to walk on to the next warrior, one of Standing Bear's companions. She smiled up at him and winked.

Suddenly, Standing Bear gave a sharp command and his horse leapt out of formation, cutting her off from the others.

"Enough!" he shouted, raising his club over his head. "I claim this woman. She will be mine!"

The meadow rang with shocked silence beneath the echo of his outrageous declaration. Then, suddenly, Ernie Tompkins' voice hissed over the people.

"She will not! This has gone far enough. Sally Hewitt ain't gonna marry no dirty heathen, and I'll kill any one of 'em who lays his filthy hands on her!"

Lightening swift, Standing Bear reached down and swung Pale As Moonlight up behind him on his pony. Gratified, he felt her throw her arms around his waist and cling to him. Relief swept through his heart. She still wanted him. She was just angry because he hadn't come to her. At first chance, he would explain about the Council Fire and she'd understand.

"She chooses me, " he yelled, so all could hear over the clamor and chaos that had erupted.

"She didn't chose nobody, " the white troublemaker bellowed, drawing his six-shooter. "Let her go, redskin!"

Standing Bear whipped his Winchester from its sheath and took aim. Suddenly, leather sang and metal clicked and a hundred guns, lances and arrows were pointing at each other. Two Otters let out a war yell and stabbed his lance into the ground.

Behind him, Pale As Moonlight let out a terrified gasp.

He saw the ashen faces of White Lily and his uncle, standing horrified next to the Leader of the Wagons, who looked equally stunned. Women cowered, children cried, and all around him light men and dark glared at each other, crackling with distrust, weapons drawn, ready to fight.

It was Standing Bear's worst nightmare, about to erupt in the living flesh, and he was paralyzed with shock at how quickly it had all happened.

"I do. "

Like a songbird, the shaky, but determined voice of Pale As Moonlight soared above the tension-filled air with its sweetness.

"I do choose him, " she repeated more strongly, shifting behind him so she could be seen by all. "This is the man I will marry. "

He felt her hand light softly on his shoulder and he thought his heart would burst with pride. What had he done to deserve this brave, splendid woman?

"But you cain't!" His adversary's face dissolved with the pique of a roused porcupine. "You cain't want to be a renegade's woman!"

"I can and I will, " she said, sliding off his pony. "Don't you see how important this is? By becoming a teacher, I can make a difference in our world. How better to start the healing than two people joining freely in Holy Matrimony? Mrs. Smythe is right, I can't go to them single and unchaperoned. This is the only way. "

"But it ain't right. It ain't Christian!" the white man exploded.

"Yes, it is. Or will be, just as soon as Mr. Monroe performs the ceremony. "

The preacher hurried through the crowd to their side. "Yes, of course. Of course I will. "

"Now, put down your weapons, all of you. I won't have guns drawn at my wedding. " Pale As Moonlight looked up at Standing Bear pleadingly, a mixture of love and fear shining in her eyes.

There was nothing he could do but obey. They might shoot him down like a dog, but it didn't matter. He would gladly die to make the fear in her eyes go away. He lowered his Winchester and slid it home in its leather sheath.

First one gun hammer was released, then a rifle uncocked, then a chant of weapons being neutralized sang through the meadow.

From a nearby blanket came a choked sob. Pale As Moonlight's sister stumbled toward her and fell into her arms. "Oh, Sally, are you sure? Are you very sure you want to do this?"

"More than anything. "

Her sister searched her face. Standing Bear saw exactly when she began to understand. Her eyes widened and her lips parted. "The guard... You've been meeting all along!" She barely whispered, so only the three of them could hear. "You're in love with him!"

"Yes, I love him, " Pale As Moonlight whispered back, hugging her sister fiercely.

Her gaze found his, weaving a powerful spell of love and promise all around him. She smiled and, right then, he knew he would always be her captive, heart and soul, for all eternity.

"From this day on, my life belongs to Standing Bear, " she said for all to hear. "And I will always be his woman. "

Epilogue

Pale As Moonlight leaned her chin on her fist, which in turn rested on the smooth expanse of Standing Bear's naked chest. She shot him a roguish grin, savoring the sweet taste of victory.

"You will be punished for this, " he calmly informed her with a tug on his bonds.

Her grin widened. She was counting on it.

But not before she inflicted a little punishment of her own, first.

"Let me loose now, and I'll go easy on you, " he continued, again pulling on the ropes that held him spread-eagled in a soft nest of feathers and fragrant pine needles. She had been gathering feathers for a month -- long ones, fluffy ones, decorative and plain -- and pine needles all morning. Just the greenest, most tender shoots, stripped of the hard bits, and slightly crushed to emit a cloud of tangy perfume.

"Not a chance, " she answered. Two years it had taken her -- the whole time since Standing Bear had led the village up into the high mountains -- to acquire the tracking and trapping skills needed to bring the man down to this delightful position, and she planned on taking merciless advantage of the occasion.

She probably wouldn't get a second chance.

"You will be very, very sorry. "

"I doubt it, " she murmured, and trailed a finger lightly down the middle of his abdomen until it was stopped by a solid, fleshy barrier. "Ah, what's this?"

"The instrument of your reckoning. "

She glanced up. Oh, dear. He'd been reading her Shakespeare volume again. She was in trouble. A little shiver of anticipation slid down her spine.

"I believe you've got that backwards, my love. " She rose up on her knees, untied her wide, beaded belt, and pulled her chamois dress over her head so she was completely nude.

His gaze raked her hungrily. He reached for her but the sweetgrass ropes prevented his hands from moving more than a couple of inches. He jerked at them in frustration. She gave him a coy smile and his eyes narrowed dangerously.

She'd tied his bonds well, so she figured she had about half an hour before he wriggled loose. Maybe less -- if she got him really excited. The thought had its appeal.

Going down on hands and knees, she climbed over him and positioned her body above his. Tantalizingly close, but just out of reach. She let her long, silky hair fall forward, dragging the ends across his chest. A long shudder racked him at the fairy contact, and she bit back the urge to cover him with kisses. Time enough for that after they'd both been thoroughly, exquisitely punished.

"Please, " he said in a gruff voice, with just enough genuine pleading in his tone that it got her attention. "Please, don't tickle me. "

She tipped her head. Oh, ho, what was this? How had it happened that for two years she'd missed this little nugget of personal information? Possibly because every time she'd tried it before, she'd always landed on her back within two seconds, all thoughts of tickling knocked completely from her mind.

"Now, would I do something naughty like that?" she innocently said. "Especially when you ask so prettily?"

"Yes. "

She gifted him with an evil grin. How well he knew her.

He squirmed, giving the ropes around his wrists a substantial yank. There was just a glimmer of panic in his eyes.

Lord, life was sweet.

She ran her hands up and down the muscular geography of his torso and arms. He really was incredible. Magnificently masculine. Tall, lean, and breathtakingly, achingly male.

And every single delectable inch of him belonged to her, to do with as she pleased.

"I love you, " she whispered, and lowered her lips to his. His hot, velvety mouth welcomed her with eager devotion.

"I love you, too, " he answered in a voice gritty with desire. "Untie me and let me show you just how much I love you. "

Reaching for her belt, she kissed his nose. "No. "

He let out a miserable groan, then tensed as she placed the wide strip of soft leather over his eyes and tied it in place. "What are you doing?" His voice actually cracked.

She chuckled. "Relax. I promise this won't hurt. Much. "

"Woman, I'm warning you--" Under her, his body bucked.

Oh, yes. This was going to be an experience to savor.