by Bobbi Smith
“It has been a long time, my grandson,” Night Wolf scolded, his dark eyes dancing with joy at the sight of his daughter’s child. “What has kept you from us?”
“Many things, Night Wolf, but none matter now that I am back with you.”
“You’re right,” he decided with a big smile. “Come see your grandmother.”
Soaring Dove, a short, thin woman with gentle eyes and a gentle smile, enveloped him in a warm hug. For just a moment, Blade let himself enjoy her embrace. As always, her touch reminded him of his mother and filled him with a painful mixture of sorrow and happiness.
“Hello, Grandmother,” he told her, smiling down at her with open love and affection when they broke apart. “I’ve missed you.”
“And I’ve missed you,” Soaring Dove said, tears of happiness shining in her eyes. “It has been too long, much too long.” She glanced at Angel and Lucky, who’d dismounted and stood awkwardly to one side. “She is a beautiful woman, this one. Have you finally taken a wife?”
Blade was glad that they spoke in the Wichita language. He looked at Angel and the boy, then back at his grandmother. “No, I have not married—yet.”
She gave him a sharp look. “What does that mean? When you look at her there is love in your eyes, yet you have not taken her for your wife?”
Blade recovered and flashed her a wide grin. “I said ‘yet,’ Grandmother. As usual you are far too wise and know me much too well.”
Soaring Dove looked pleased. “What is her name?”
“Her name is Angela, but we call her Angel. The boy is Lucky.” He pronounced both their names in English. “Come, I will introduce you.”
He made the introductions quickly in English. Although his grandparents could speak the language, for they’d learned it from his father, they preferred their own tongue. But as a courtesy to Angel and Lucky, they spoke English.
“It is good to meet two friends of my grandson,” Night Wolf welcomed them. “Come into our home and be comfortable. We will eat soon and you can rest.”
Soaring Dove ushered them inside, and Angel was amazed at how spacious the lodge was. The fire pit was in the center of the floor, vented through the peak of the roof. There were raised sleeping platforms along the side walls with buffalo hide curtains hung to afford some privacy. The curtains had been decorated with paintings and added much color to the inside of the home.
After they’d eaten, the men and women separated. Blade took Lucky with him, and they joined Night Wolf in visiting with the other men of the village. Lucky was round-eyed as he listened to them talking in the foreign tongue; but soon he grew bored and when Blade urged him play with the other boys in the village, he was glad to go.
Soaring Dove, meanwhile, had taken Angel under her wing and had introduced her to her friends in the village. The old woman’s warmth and good humor quickly put Angel at ease, and Angel found herself eager to learn all she could about the Wichita and Blade’s family. As they walked through the village, Angel occasionally caught sight of Blade with his grandfather and the other men. When she did, she found herself gazing at him raptly. For the first time since she’d met him, he seemed completely at ease, his guard down. He was laughing with these men more than she’d ever heard him laugh before. It was good. Blade glanced in Angel’s direction to find her eyes upon him. He smiled at her, and she couldn’t help but smile back.
“Do you care for my grandson?” the old woman asked perceptively. She’d never been one to mince words. She believed in telling the truth always.
“I love him, Soaring Dove,” she answered her honestly.
“I thought so.” She nodded knowingly as she gave her an assessing look. “But can you bear the heartache?”
Angel was confused. “I don’t understand.”
“Blade is a fine man, a good man, and you say you love him now, but will your love for him be strong enough? Will you stand by him when all others hate him for his Indian blood?”
Angel’s expression grew serious, and her eyes shone with the truth of her next words. “I will love him more, Soaring Dove. I will stay with him always.”
Again the old woman’s eyes assessed her. “We will see,” she said cryptically, then changed the subject. “Tonight, there will be much excitement in the village.”
“Why?”
“Little Crow is going to offer for Laughing Waters. He is a brave warrior and has a rich family, but she has not shown him any preference. His uncle visited her family last night, and it was agreed that Little Crow should come tonight for a visit. It will be interesting to see if she wants him. If she does, there will be a big marriage feast tomorrow night.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
“Tomorrow night will not be a happy one for Little Crow.” Soaring Dove smothered a chuckle at the thought of the vain warrior being refused.
“There will be a marriage feast,” Blade said confidently as he and Night Wolf joined them. He knew Little Crow, and he knew no maiden would turn him down.
“Only if Laughing Waters agrees,” his grandmother countered. “We will find out tonight.”
“She would be a fool to refuse him,” Night Wolf said.
“And Laughing Waters is no fool,” Soaring Dove agreed.
As darkness fell, the news came that Laughing Waters had indeed agreed to marry Little Crow. Everyone in the village was happy that there would be a great celebration the next night.
“Angel, would you like to stay here an extra night? The horses could rest, and we could join in the party.”
“I’d like that,” she agreed quickly. Soaring Dove had put her at ease among the people, translating for her and helping her fit in. It hadn’t been long before her fears had disappeared. She enjoyed the company of these genuine friendly women.
“Good.” Blade bid her good night and left her at the hut with his grandmother while he went to join the men to talk and tell stories.
Angel was given a bed all to herself with a curtain to give her privacy from the men. She slept soundly that night despite the foreignness of her surroundings.
Lucky had been having fun playing with the boys, and he regretted having to go to bed when Blade called him late that night. When Blade told him they would be staying an extra day, he was thrilled. He looked forward to another day with his newfound friends.
When Blade finally retired for the night, he lay on his sleeping platform across the lodge from Angel, contemplating his future. She had fit in far more perfectly than he’d ever hoped. There had been no disdain or hatred in her eyes when she’d met his family and mingled with his mother’s people. She had been open and curious and honestly interested. Soaring Dove had even taken him aside and told him that she was a woman worth having. That coming from his grandmother, who would have preferred him to marry an Indian girl and live in the village, was high praise. The wedding feast tomorrow night would give him the opportunity he sought, and he determined with a firm resolve to ask Angel to marry him then.
Chapter Nineteen
The wedding celebration began just after sundown the next day. Little Crow and his family came to Laughing Waters’ home with presents suitable for the woman he was taking to be his bride. The gifts were extravagant. Her family was given four horses and three buffalo robes, and it was obvious to all that he loved her very much. The feast followed, and all were welcomed, for Little Crow was a very rich, very important man in the tribe. The food was delicious and more than plentiful. The Wichita were a farming people, and the bounty from their gardens was prepared in many different ways. Buffalo meat was served along with other Wichita staples. The bride glowed under the attentions of her handsome warrior-husband, and all present wished them many healthy children together. It was a celebration the village would long remember and relive.
Lucky had been with his friends all day, learning to use a bow and arrow, swimming in the small creek nearby, and racing their horses. He’d never known such a carefree life, and he regretted that they had to leave so soon. When hi
s friend, Sitting Dog, invited him to spend the night with him at his lodge, Lucky went in search of Blade and Angel to ask permission. He found them sitting with Blade’s grandparents amidst the revelers. Dropping down on the ground beside them, he watched the dancing rituals with interest.
“Angel, Sitting Dog has asked me to stay the night in his lodge. Can I?”
Angel deferred to Blade because he knew the customs of the people, and he thought the idea a wonderful one.
“That’ll be fine, but just remember we do have to leave in the morning.” Blade had an ulterior motive. If Lucky were occupied elsewhere, he’d have Angel to himself. That would give him the time he needed to propose.
“We can’t stay any longer?” It was as close as Lucky would let himself come to begging.
“I’m sorry, Lucky. I know you’re having a good time and you’ve made many friends here, but I have to get to California.” She was truly sorry that she had to put an end to his good times so soon.
Lucky understood, though, and felt ashamed for having so easily forgotten the danger to her nephew. He reminded himself that staying with Angel was the important thing. She needed him, and he was determined to help Blade protect her. Thinking of Blade, then, he slanted a look at him, wondering if he’d thought any more about proposing. Blade had said he was waiting for the right moment, and tonight certainly seemed like the right time to Lucky.
“This getting married looks like fun,” the boy prodded, hoping to urge Blade on. He was surprised when Angel looked a bit sad.
“With the right person, marriage can be a wonderful thing, but it’s a lifetime obligation and not one to be taken lightly,” Angel told him, her thoughts on Elizabeth and Michael and how he’d blinded her sister with his smooth ways. “It’s important that two people know each other very well before they get married.”
“If I were older I’d marry you tonight, right this minute, Angel,” Lucky vowed, giving Blade a look that spoke volumes.
Blade saw the challenge in his gaze, but pretended to ignore it.
“If you were older, I just might accept,” she replied, oblivious to the undercurrents between the two men in her life.
“Just?” He pretended outrage.
“I like to keep my beaux guessing, like Laughing Waters did Little Crow,” she teased, happy and light-hearted again. Glancing up, she saw Sitting Dog waiting for him. She smiled as she urged, “Go on. Have fun. Your friend is waiting. There’s no need to sweet talk me any more; you know I love you.”
“G’night.” Lucky raced off with his friends.
The boy’s goading worked, and it wasn’t much later that Blade suggested to Angel that they take a walk. She was more than willing to leave the crowd of celebrants and spend some time alone with him. Since they’d come to the village, he’d spent most of his time with his grandfather and, while she understood, she’d missed his company.
The moon provided all the light they needed to escape from the noise and confusion. As they walked farther away from the brightness of the village’s fires, the sky came into focus and Angel could see the thousands of stars that sparkled in the heavens.
“It’s a beautiful night,” she breathed as they stopped near the creek.
The gentle sound of the water rushing by, coupled with the soft, cool night breeze, made the moment idyllic. It was almost as if they were truly in paradise.
“Did you like the wedding feast?” Blade asked as he slipped an arm about her waist and drew her to him. He thought she looked absolutely breathtaking tonight. Her hair shimmered, cascading down her shoulders, and she’d worn her one dress.
Angel wrapped her arms about him and rested her head against his chest. He felt warm and solid, and she felt safe in his arms. “It was much like most parties, I think—a lot of food, drink, dancing, and laughing. Weddings should be happy times, but when Elizabeth got married, I wasn’t happy.”
“You weren’t? Why?”
“I was young, but I knew even then that Michael was no good. I’d seen him kissing a maid in the front hall of our home while he was waiting for Elizabeth. I tried to tell her, but neither she nor my aunt would listen. They thought Michael was perfect, and I was the one who was punished.” Angel sighed. “If only I could have convinced them that night—if only they’d believed me, none of this would have happened.”
“But Angel, if they had listened, you wouldn’t be here with me right now,” he murmured, holding her close and loving the feel of her slender body in his arms. “Good has come out of it. There’s Christopher, and you saved Lucky, and you saved me.”
She looked up at him in surprise at his last words. “I saved you?”
“Hmm,” he said softly. “I was alone in the world, and you made me whole again.”
Blade gazed down at her, his soul aching with the depth of love he felt for her. He knew now what Little Crow must have gone through the night before when he was awaiting Laughing Waters’ answer, and he sympathized greatly with the brave warrior. He’d faced down many a gunfighter in his time, but he’d never known a greater fear of failure than he did now.
Blade knew he would have no better opportunity to ask her to be his wife. Everything was perfect. The moon had cooperated, lighting the night with its soft, romantic glow. The breeze was just light enough to cool them. A night bird called out its lilting song, adding a exquisite touch of serenity to the moment. He was in heaven, and she was his guardian Angel.
“Angel, I love you. If I could, I’d ask my grandfather to go to your home right now with gifts of horses and robes.” He watched her expression carefully. He was hoping to see joy there, but he was prepared for rejection. “Angel . . . Love.... Marry me.”
Angel’s heart ached with happiness as she gazed up at the man who would be her husband. “I love you, too, Blade, but there’s one more thing I need to know before I can give you my answer.”
Blade’s throat tightened. He’d told her everything. She knew the truth of his life. He couldn’t imagine what else it was that she needed to know. “What is it?”
Angel was having a hard time trying to keep a straight face as she asked with great seriousness, “How many horses would your grandfather bring?”
Blade was so intent on the moment that it took him a second to realize she was teasing. When it finally dawned on him, a slow, sensuous smile curved its way across his handsome lips. “You are worth every horse I own on the ranch. I’d gladly walk the rest of my days just to claim you for my own.”
Joy surged through Angel, and her tears fell unheeded. “Yes, Blade. Oh, yes! I’ll marry you.” Her mouth found his and she told him with her kiss, everything he’d ever wanted to know. She loved him. They would be together always.
Alone in the night, they shared a heated embrace. Blade’s lips moved hungrily over hers, starving for a full taste of her love. Angel couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her when his hands cupped her breasts. Excitement coursed through her. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. She drew back, her eyes glowing.
“Love me, Blade.”
Blade needed no further invitation. He was filled with desire. They sank down on the soft grass, and he moved over her.
“You’re so beautiful, Angel. I can never get enough of you.”
“I don’t want you to,” she whispered, pulling him down for a flaming kiss that left no doubt in his mind what she wanted.
Her hands moved over him, unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it from his shoulders, then slipping back to caress the hard muscles of his chest and to twine her fingers through the mat of dark chest-hair that covered him. As she trailed her hands lower, wanting to please him, hoping to arouse him as he aroused her, he groaned in animal enjoyment.
“Easy, love, or we’ll be done before we start.” He caught her wrist and drew her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her palm.
“Hurry, Blade. I want you now,” Angel encouraged, eager to be one with him again. She longed to feel her breasts naked against his hair-roughened chest and to f
eel the power of his manly pride deep within her.
Blade worked to free her from the gown, and she helped him, slipping quickly from her clothes. She came back to him, wanton. This was Blade. She loved him, and he loved her. She would give him the gift of her love tonight. To seal her acceptance of his proposal with the brand of her body. They were one, and would be one, now and always.
Angel lifted her arms and clasped him to her. The heat of his body seared hers. She moved beneath him restlessly for her body felt empty and unfulfilled. He had shown her love’s full joy, and she wanted to share that wonderful intimacy with him again.
Blade was in exquisite agony. He wanted to hold back, to make their lovemaking last, but tonight Angel was the aggressor. Her movements beneath him were enticing, and her bold caresses stirred his already smoldering passion to an inferno. When, at last, he could bear it no more, he fit himself to her and sought the center of her desire.
Angel hugged him tightly as he thrust forward and made her his own once more. It was ecstasy to be one with him. She kissed him wildly, urgently moving her lips against his.
There could be no resisting. Blade willingly surrendered. He began to move, seeking the tempo that would bring them both the greatest excitement. Their bodies were joined, and so were their spirits. His hands traced fiery paths over her silken limbs. He explored the fullness of her breasts and then moved lower to grasp her hips and lift them tighter against him. As his need grew, he moved quicker and harder. Angel did not resist the power of his desire. It filled her with soul-stirring excitement to know that she could rouse such frenzied passion in him. She wanted only to please him.
They strained together, seeking that pinnacle of passion that would free them both from the bondage of their desire. Ecstasy burst upon Angel in an explosion of rapture.
“Blade!” she cried out his name as she clung to his wide shoulders, breathless before the enthralling pulse of pleasure that pounded through her.
At her abandoned cry, Blade knew he’d satisfied her and he gave in to his own frenzied need. His body shuddered as he poured the proof of his love deep within her. In that moment, it almost seemed they could reach up and touch the heavens. Sated, they lay together, their bodies molded as one, their hearts beating in unison, their minds focused on the future they both believed in.
