Yellowstone Romance Series - Bundle (# 2-5) (12 page)

Chapter 13

Sunlight filtered in through the small window of her room, and Sarah squeezed her eyes shut tighter. She arched her back and stretched dreamily, not wanting to give in to the start of a new day. Still half-asleep, she thought vaguely that she hadn’t slept this well in days. She rotated her head, and her hand moved upward. The contact with bare skin startled her fully awake. Her leg was draped over Chase’s leg, and her hand rested on his nude chest, while her head was nestled in the crook of his arm. She bolted upright. Her face flamed with heat, and her heart raced wildly. Quickly, she yanked her leg back. What had she done? A quick glance down offered her some reprieve. She exhaled slowly. At least she was wearing her shirt. She scrambled to the edge of the bed, and held her scorching face between her hands. Behind her, she felt him stir.

“Morning, Angel,” he said, his voice raspy from sleep. Sarah bolted off the bed and yanked her door open, racing into the main room. Her breaths came in quick, shallow gasps. What had happened last night? She frantically searched her mind. She remembered entering the cabin, and Chase had gone to the river. A quick glance around the room, and she spotted her weapons and pouches where she had dropped them. She recalled sitting at the table for a moment to rest her feet. Then what happened? She couldn’t remember.

She stiffened at the shuffling sounds behind her. Her heart rate accelerated again. She bit her lower lip and squeezed her eyes shut.

“Nothing happened, Sarah.” He stood too close. She could feel his breath in her hair as he spoke. Slowly, she turned to face him.

“Why?” Her voice squeaked like a mouse. She couldn’t get the words out.

“I came back from the river, and you were asleep at the table,” he calmly answered her unfinished question.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” she whispered.

“I tried. You were so far gone, you barely moved. So I brought you to your bed. I figured you could use a good night’s sleep.”

“And you?”

“I didn’t want to sleep in that rocking chair, Angel. I swear, nothing happened. I kept my pants on, and my hands to myself.” He grinned, then winked at her.

She whirled around, mortified anew that he would speak like that.

“Lighten up, Sarah. I’m not going to ravish you. Haven’t you ever had a boyfriend?”

“A what?”

“A guy who pays attention to you. Not like that jacka . . . jerk from yesterday. What would you call it? A suitor?”

Sarah felt his warm hands on her shoulders. He applied pressure, coaxing her to turn around again. Slowly, she obliged, meeting his heated gaze. She swallowed repeatedly, and moved her tongue around inside her dry mouth, trying to stimulate saliva to flow.

“No.” she looked up into his eyes. There was something haunting about the way he looked at her. As if he was staring straight into her soul. “Do you . . . do you have someone waiting for you at home?” she asked tentatively.

He laughed. “No. I’ve never been one for attachments.” He dropped his hands and stepped away from her. Why did his answer bother her?

Grizzly whined at that moment. The dog padded over to the door.

“How are you this morning?” Glad of the diversion, Sarah moved away from Chase and patted the dog on the head, running her fingers over the wound. A thick scab had formed, and there was no excess heat or swelling. She opened the door and he trotted off.

“I fed him last night.”

She turned, her eyebrows raised.

“He ate it, but he much prefers your cooking.” Chase’s boyish grin was back. She couldn’t help but smile back.

“I’ll fix breakfast,” she said.

“Is there anything you need me to do?” he asked, and she noted the sincerity in his voice. She glanced at the wood box, then raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“I filled it last night,” he said.

“Then, no, there’s nothing I need at the moment.”

“Okay. I’ll…ah, go outside and see what that dog is up to.”

Sarah watched him turn to leave. “Chase.” He turned back around. “I….I would like to bathe later…..” Her face flamed again.

“Understood.” He smiled. “I’ll be far away when you do.” He headed for the door again.

“Chase.”

He stopped, his hand on the door. Sarah bit her lip. “Thank you . . . for not . . . you know,” she stammered. The words didn’t want to come out. He faced her and raised his eyebrows. She inhaled deeply. “Thank you for being an honorable man.”

His eyes darkened, and he stared at her for a long time. “Don’t be so sure about that, Angel.” He left and closed the door on his way out.

******

Sarah ran a brush through her wet hair, untangling the long strands with her fingers. She sat at the riverbank, gazing across the expanse of water towards the Firehole Canyon. Her thoughts strayed to the man who was quickly taking over her heart. She couldn’t help herself, but she trusted him completely. He may have told her he wasn’t an honorable man, but she didn’t believe it for a moment, no more than she believed that he came from the future. He’d had plenty of opportunities to take advantage of her. She was not so disillusioned that if he wanted to, he could overpower her easily. He may be unskilled with weapons, save for the tomahawk, but she was no match for his size and strength.

In his own way, he had protected her from Jean Luc. The memory of that kiss caused her lips to tingle, and she put her fingers to her mouth, a slow smile forming on her face. She wondered, for the first time, what it would be like to lie in the arms of a man, to be loved by a man. Her face flushed. She’d shared a bed with him the entire night, and her body had obviously sought him out, the way she’d found herself entangled with him this morning. And she had to admit, it felt nice, even if her shock hadn’t left her any time to enjoy the feeling.

Sarah sighed. He’d told her he didn’t want any attachments. Why was she even entertaining the notion that he might be interested in her? His heated looks told her he saw her as a woman, but he hadn’t acted on it, not really. Did she want him to? She wasn’t sure.

Hastily, she buttoned up the last two buttons of her clean shirt, then carefully wrapped her cake of scented soap that her brothers had brought from St. Louis last year in cloth, and grabbed her blanket off the ground.  Glancing around to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything, she headed back to the cabin.

She opened the door, and gasped. Chase sat in the rocking chair, hands in the air. An Indian stood over him, his bow drawn taut, ready to release a deadly arrow.

“Uncle, no!” Sarah called in Shoshoni, and sprang forward. The Indian turned. His features relaxed, but his bow didn’t.

“
Paite.
I find this strange white man in your home, but not you. You are well?”

“Yes, Uncle. Lay down your weapon.”

He did so reluctantly. “You know this man?” The Indian gestured towards Chase, who hadn’t moved. His eyes shot from Sarah to her uncle.

“I know him,” Sarah confirmed. Her palms began to sweat. How was she going to explain this? In the Tukudeka tradition, a man and woman living in the same lodge for more than a few days was as good as a declaration of marriage. Her uncle lowered his bow, and stepped back. He looked at her, then at Chase, but didn’t say anything.

“What’s going on, Sarah? Who is this guy?” Chase finally lowered his hands, but kept one near his tomahawk.

“This is my uncle. His name is Elk Runner,” Sarah explained. “He won’t hurt you.”

“Oh yeah? From where I’m sitting, I thought he was about to blast that arrow in me. Two days ago, some clown points a rifle at me, and today I’m staring down an Indian with an arrow pointing at my gut. Forgive me for getting a bit jumpy.”

Elk Runner’s eyes followed the conversation. Sarah wasn’t sure how much he understood. Her mother had taught him and his family some English, but mostly they spoke in the Shoshoni dialect whenever they were together.

“Walk outside with me,
paite
.” Elk Runner turned and left the cabin.

“I’ll be right back.” Sarah shot Chase a nervous glance, and followed her uncle. She ran to catch up with him as he walked towards the Madison.

“Uncle, what brings you here?” Her pulse quickened. This was an awkward situation.

“Snow Bird has asked for you,” Elk Runner replied. He turned and looked towards the cabin. “Her time is near. I have come to take you back to the village with me.” After a pause, he added, “Your father has asked that I watch over you while he is away. But it appears that you’ve found your own guardian.”

“He was brought here by some Absarokas. They found him near death. I’ve helped him recover.”

“So I see.”

Sarah groaned silently. Her uncle didn’t miss anything.

“He lives in this cabin with you?”

“Please, Uncle, it’s not what you think. He is lost. He can’t find his companions. I believe they have left him for dead. I was hoping when my father gets home, he will help him return to his people.”

“Your father will not be pleased with this.” The man’s tone was serious, but Sarah saw the sparkle in his eyes, and the mischievous curve of his lips.

“I have done nothing inappropriate,” Sarah said firmly.

“No, I don’t believe you have,” he said slowly. “You are truly your father’s daughter.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Elk Runner’s smile widened. “Only that your father was also honor bound at one time, and refused to act on his feelings for a woman.”

Sarah’s eyes narrowed, and she shook her head. “You speak in riddles, Uncle.”

“Are you certain this man can be trusted?”

“He has already shown that he would protect me from men with vile intentions.”

Elk Runner’s face darkened. “You are in danger from someone?”

“No. Chase spoke up for me, and Grizzly actually killed the man. It was the trapper Jean Luc Briard. He remembered me from rendezvous last year.”

“Yes, your father has mentioned him. That is why your parents did not want you to attend this year. An unmarried woman is like fresh meat to a starving grizzly bear.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “I can see that your thoughts about uniting with a man have changed.”

Sarah’s face flamed, which would only serve to confirm her uncle’s perceptiveness. “I have no such intentions,” she stated hotly, and turned away from him, hoping he hadn’t seen her face.

Elk Runner laughed. “As I have said, you are your father’s daughter. I recall similar words spoken by him when he first found your mother.”

Those words made her turn back and face him. “Tell me how they met.”

Elk Runner studied her. A devilish grin lit up his face, and he appeared much younger all of a sudden. “I came to your father, and told him I had seen a white woman who appeared to be lost in the woods. He didn’t believe me, but when we found her again, she was near death on a cliff in the canyon.”

“The canyon?” Sarah’s heart beat faster. “The canyon of the
E-chee-dick-karsh-ah-shay?”

“No. The Little Buffalo River. Just beyond the falls.”

“Did she ever say where she came from?”

“I never found out. It didn’t matter. Your father needed a wife. He fought against it for a long time, but I could see from the start that she would be his woman. I fear he would still live a solitary life if not for her.” He paused and studied her through narrowed eyes.  “Why these questions about your mother? Perhaps you should ask her.”