“Come away from here, Aimee,” Daniel called from where he was finishing tightening the cinches on the horses. “Don’t look back.”
“Are we just going to leave them like that?”
“Yeah.” There was not a hint of remorse in his tone. “The wolves and bears can have them.”
“You wouldn’t want to bury them?” She wasn’t sure how she felt about leaving the bodies for predators to find.
Daniel walked over to her, and gently took hold of her elbow to lead her away.
“After what they did, and wanted to do to you, you want to bury them?” he asked, disbelief in his voice.
“They’re human beings,” Aimee argued weakly.
“Hardly,” Daniel scoffed. “They will be a warning to all others that I protect what is mine,” he said fiercely. “Come.”
She stared at him for a moment. His words were a harsh reminder of the differences between their worlds, and she finally nodded in acceptance. She was too tired mentally to ponder the full meaning of his words.
She turned away from the camp, and followed Daniel without further question. Setting one foot in front of the other was pure agony. Her inner thigh muscles felt as if they had lost all their elasticity, but she knew she couldn’t possibly sit astride a horse at the moment. The sun had set fully, and a near-full moon lighted their way.
“We’ll only walk a few miles. I think I know of a spot you’ll like,” Daniel said gently. “But walking is good. If you don’t use the muscles, they’ll only hurt more.”
“I know that, that’s why I’m not protesting,” she said between gritted teeth.
They walked for about an hour when Daniel finally allowed her to stop. “This is a good place to camp for the night,” he announced. She couldn’t make out much of the landscape, but she heard running water close by.
Daniel unsaddled the horses and hobbled their front feet together so they couldn’t wander off too far.
“There were a couple of blankets tied to the saddles. They must not have gotten much use, because they don’t reek like those bastards back there.” Daniel’s voice was still full of venom. “I’ll start a fire. It shouldn’t be too cold tonight.”
“Well, I do have my own personal heat blanket,” she said wearily. “You radiate so much heat, there’s no way I could possibly get cold.”
Daniel didn’t respond. He quickly made camp. He unrolled the two blankets, and had a fire started in no time. She almost fell asleep while standing up. She didn’t realize she had been standing until Daniel scooped her in his arms and carried her away from camp.
“Where are we going,” she asked sleepily.
“There’s a reason I chose this spot.” His deep, husky voice close to her ear sent shivers down her spine. “There are several hot water pools here, and I believe it would do your aching body some good to soak in one of them.”
Aimee became instantly alert.
“Hot springs?” she asked in alarm. “But Daniel, that’s ill . . .” She stopped herself before finishing the word illegal. Bathing in the hot springs was definitely illegal in modern times, but this was 1810.
“Ill? You won’t get sick, I assure you.”
“I meant to say ill advised.” She quickly amended what she was going to say. “How do you know which ones are safe, and which ones are too hot? Surely people have boiled to death in these pools.”
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes, I trust you,” she said without hesitation. There was not another person on earth she trusted more.
“Then just relax.”
Daniel set her down, and she strained her eyes, trying to make out anything in the dim light. She saw they were near the edge of a hot spring. She could smell the slight scent of sulfur in the air.
“This one should be just about right,” Daniel bent down to feel the water. Aimee did the same.
“Oh, that feels great!” she exclaimed. The combination of over a month without a hot shower and her aching muscles was enough for her not to think twice about what she was about to do. She had never imagined she’d ever be “hot-potting” in Yellowstone!
Without hesitation or any reservation, she pulled her t-shirt over her head, and unzipped her pants and wiggled out of them. She didn’t care that Daniel stared at her. She stood unashamed in front of him in the moonlight, clad in only her bra and panties. She smiled tentatively up at him.
“Are you going to join me, or am I on my own?” Aimee asked.
“I believe it would be best if I gave you some privacy,”
She waded into the steaming pool. “Aaaaaahhhhh, this feels sooooo good,” she sighed as she sank down into the water.
“I’ll be back with a blanket for you to dry off.” Daniel turned to head back the way he came. “l’ll see if I can find us something to eat, too. Call out if you need anything.”
She smiled as she watched his quickly retreating silhouette. She should be terrified after today’s events, but once Daniel had shown up, her world was put right again. She felt completely safe when he was near. He had proven over and over again that he was her protector, provider, and teacher. And now, would he also be her lover? The looks he gave her earlier, and the way he had kissed her told her without question that he wanted her.
She sank up to her chin in the water, and closed her eyes. It was just about as hot as she could stand it, making her skin tingle and her pulse quicken. It felt so good on her aching muscles, and she relaxed. She didn’t know whether to laugh for joy, or cry in despair.
What was she going to do? She loved Daniel more than she thought possible. Today was a turning point in their relationship. She could feel it. There was no doubt in her mind now that he had feelings for her, too. Everything about him felt so right. Making love with him was the right thing to do. She would take what she could get now, and live every moment with him to the fullest. The weeks she had left in this time would have to last her for a lifetime. Her only regret would be that she might be hurting him when she disappeared from his life. Was she being selfish? Absolutely. Was there a way to stop what was happening between them? Absolutely not.
*****
Daniel returned with a blanket a short while later. Aimee was sitting in the water at the edge of the pool. Her eyes were closed. He came up behind her, and gently put a hand on top of her head. She whirled around. He hadn’t meant to startle her.
“How do you do that?” she asked, expelling a breath of relief.
“What?”
“Not make a sound when you walk.”
He simply smiled at her, and held out his hand. “Come, I have some food for you. You must be hungry.”
She sighed, then stood and took his hand, and he pulled her from the water. He immediately wrapped the blanket around her. There was a definite chill in the air, and he didn’t want to stare at her nakedness.
“Feeling better?” he asked. He bent to pick up her clothes, and tossed them over his shoulder. With one arm behind her knees, and the other around her waist, he scooped her up in his arms.
“Much better,” Aimee wriggled her arms loose from the blanket and wrapped them around his neck.
He carried her the short distance back to camp, and set her down close to the fire, making sure the blanket stayed wrapped around her. He pulled the skewer of meat off the fire and tore off a piece for her. When she didn’t reach for it, he nudged her arm gently. A slow smile formed on his face. After today, he couldn’t blame her for her exhaustion, but she needed to eat.
She sighed and reached for the skewer he offered, mumbling a quiet “thanks.” He eased himself to the ground next to her, and they ate in silence. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around her.
“I feel so safe with you, Daniel,” Aimee said softly.
He looked down at the top of her head, and smiled. He told himself over and over again what a fool he had been. How could he have ever thought to take her to St. Louis. The thought of her surviving in these mountains kept nagging at h
im. Was he being selfish to want her with him and not return her to the city? Of course he was. He wanted exactly what his father had warned him about his entire life. But he couldn’t help it. It took almost losing her to make him realize how important she had become to him. His arm tightened around her shoulder. She was almost asleep again. Daniel nudged her one more time.
“You need to put your clothes on,” he said softly in her ear. He banked the fire while she dressed, then sat behind her on the blanket, pulling her up against him. He wrapped the other blanket around them. Aimee sighed as she leaned back into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her front, and rested his chin on top of her head. They sat like this for a moment, until he gently eased her to lie down, and wrapped his body around hers to keep her warm. She didn’t make a sound, her breaths steady and even. Daniel smiled to himself as he held this precious woman in his arms. A sense of peace and contentment that he hadn’t felt before washed over him. It was as if he finally found something he’d been missing all his life.
*****
Aimee awoke the next morning to the sounds of loud bird chirping. Her mind cleared gradually, waking from one of the best nights’ sleep she remembered in a while. She was warm and secure. She rested against a solid form, her head cradled by a strong arm. She slowly opened her eyes as memories of the previous day came flooding back. Daniel was lying on his side next to her, looking down at her intently. Aimee smiled leisurely and stretched. Her muscles felt stiff, and ached dully through the stretch.
“Did I sleep too long?” she asked groggily.
“You could lie here all day and I wouldn’t mind,” Daniel whispered. “Those two grizzlies over there, though,” he gestured with his head in the direction of the woods, “aren’t too happy with our presence here.”
Startled by his words, she bolted to a sitting position, her eyes darting around nervously. Daniel’s arm pulled her back down.
“Daniel,” she protested. Why was he so relaxed with two bears so close?
“Shhhh,” he grinned broadly. “They’re young. Their mother probably cast them out just recently. They won’t bother us.”
“Okay.” She hesitated, then relaxed again. She wriggled to turn and face him, and entwined her arms around his neck. Daniel bent over her, closer to her face.
“Good morning,” he smiled, and kissed her on the forehead.
“You’re going to have to do better than that,” Aimee scoffed with faked indignation. She pulled his face to her and kissed him soundly on the lips, enjoying the rough feel of his day-old growth of stubble against her skin. He apparently needed no further encouragement. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply, one hand on her hip, pulling her closer to him. Her body responded instantly. Delicious chills spread through her, and she clung to him with wild abandon, pressing her body to his wherever she could. God, how was it that he sent her mind and body spinning out of control like that? She had been kissed plenty of times, but this was a totally new experience. His hand at her waist stroked and kneaded, pulling her against his growing arousal, which sent new waves of desire through her.
When they broke apart, Daniel reminded her, “It’s a long way back to the cabin,” and pushed himself up. Leaning over her, he kissed her once more, then whispered, “Not here,” with a hint of regret in his voice.
“Are you still planning to take me to St. Louis?”
Daniel stared hard into her eyes. “For selfish reasons, I think I may not be able to.” He stood up and ran a hand through his hair, then turned to look for the horses.
She sat up and watched him walk off. Puzzled by his behavior, she wondered why he was holding back. It was obvious that he wanted her, so why did he pull away? With a long sigh, she left her warm spot, and walked on stiff legs to the creek to splash water on her face. The hot water the night before had definitely helped soothe the tightness from her muscles. Once she got moving, she felt confident she wouldn’t be sore for very long.
Daniel wasn’t taking her to St. Louis. That was one problem solved. Her other problem seemed to be much worse, though. He had said for selfish reasons he wouldn’t take her away from here. The implications of those words caused her heart to speed up. She sighed. She had to stop thinking about what would happen at the end of her three months when Zach returned, and just enjoy the time she had left with Daniel.
*****
Daniel found the horses and saddled them up. His mind kept going over the events of the last few days. He had been ready to take Aimee back to the city for her own sake, and now, in the course of one day, that had all changed. A month ago, it would have been easy to just take her to his bed. Now it was different. He finally admitted to himself that he wanted her for his wife, not merely as a woman to share his blanket. He would protect her and keep her safe, he reasoned. She was much stronger than his mother had been. She could survive here. She didn’t want to go back to the city. He wouldn’t even consider the man she was supposed to marry. He had not come for her.
Daniel’s mind flooded with all these thoughts. How was he going to claim her as his wife? She had no family he could go to. In the Shoshoni tradition, he would offer furs and meat to prove his ability as a provider to her family. In the white man’s world, he knew it was customary to ask the woman’s father for her hand in marriage.
When he finished readying the horses, he concluded he had to abandon all tradition and simply take her as his wife, as Elk Runner had suggested all along.
“Are we ready to go?” Aimee’s question pulled Daniel out of his thoughts. He turned and smiled warmly.
*****
Daniel chose a different, more direct route back to the Madison Valley. He stopped often to let Aimee off her horse and walk so her muscles wouldn’t tighten up again. By late afternoon, the cabin came into view.
“Now that’s a sight for sore eyes,” she smiled at him.
As the horses splashed through the Gibbon River, she glanced longingly at the inlet of the Firehole. A bath would be great. She was covered in grime and trail dust. Turning her head, she noticed a wicked grin spread across Daniel’s face. He guided his horse along the banks of the Madison until he reached the spot where he had tossed her in the river so many weeks ago.
“Why are we stopping here?” she asked, as he jumped off his horse.
Daniel walked around to her horse and wordlessly pulled her out of the saddle.
“Daniel, what . . . ?” She couldn’t finish her sentence. He strode a few feet into the river, and tossed her out into deeper water.
When her head emerged again, she shouted “Do you take some perverse pleasure in throwing me into this river?”
Daniel had already unbuckled the belt at his waist and was pulling his shirt off over his head. He quickly removed his moccasins and leggings, and dove in after her. When his head popped up in front of her, he snaked his arms around her waist.
“I have some unfinished business here.” His voice had gone husky.
“Oh?” her heart began beating faster. She shivered in anticipation.
“Unfortunately, you’re about to make a dishonest man out of me.”
“What do you mean?” she frowned.
“The last time we were in this river together, I told you afterwards that I would not repeat my actions. Do you remember?”
“Yes,” Aimee smiled. The day he nearly kissed her in the river. It seemed so long ago now. Where would this relationship be now if she hadn’t told him to stop that day?
“Well, here we are again, and I wish to finish what I started then.”
Daniel lowered his face to hers, and this time there was no stiffening in her body, no words to tell him to stop. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and buried her fingers in his hair, meeting his hungry kiss with a moan.
The current carried them lazily while they were wrapped in each other’s arms. When Daniel pulled back, she was breathless. “How come you get to undress first, but I’m in my clothes?” she managed to whisper.
“Be
cause I like the way your wet clothes cling to your body when you get out of the water.” He flashed her a purely mischievous grin.
“Daniel, you are a . . . ”
“Pig, I know,” he finished her sentence for her. He kissed her again before maneuvering them to shore.
She climbed out of the water, and wrapped her arms around her waist. Her body shivered uncontrollably in the late afternoon breeze. The smoldering look in Daniel’s eyes as he hoisted himself onto the riverbank was worth the cold.
“You better get to the cabin and warm up,” he whispered as he hugged her to him.
“What about you?” she asked between chattering teeth.
“I need to tend to the horses. I’ll be along shortly.” His hand cradled her cheek, and he kissed her gently one more time.
Aimee turned and ran for the cabin. She quickly stripped out of her wet clothes and wrapped herself in a blanket. She piled kindling in the hearth and set fire to it with her flint. After adding wood, a warm flame grew, and she sat for a moment, feeling the warmth on her wet skin. She rummaged through her pack for her last pair of clean underwear and bra, putting them on after a quick drying off with the blanket. She realized that a set of her clothes must be lying around outside somewhere. Hopefully they were still there from where she had dropped them two days ago when she ran from those trappers. She would have to look for them in the morning. The sun had already gone down.
With no clean shirt available, she slipped on one of Daniel’s homespun cotton shirts hanging on a peg on the wall. She rolled up the sleeves several times to free her hands. The shirt fell almost to her knees. Her eyes darted around the dark room, lingering on her bed. With trembling hands, she lit the lantern on the table. She sliced some bread and meat, and set these on a plate. The cabin door creaked, and she spun around.
Chapter 17
Aimee stood by the table. Daniel quietly opened the door and walked in. He hadn’t dressed, and wore only his breechcloth. Her fingers dug into the wood. He hadn’t yet looked her way. Silently, he tossed his shirt and leggings on his bunk, propped his bow and arrows by the door, and hung his pouches on the wall. Her heart stopped when he slowly turned. His heated gaze scanned her from top to bottom. Their eyes finally met. The dancing flames in the hearth reflected in Daniel’s eyes, and the cabin suddenly was much too warm. His silence, and his penetrating stare caused her mouth to go dry. She slowly walked towards him on rubbery legs. I feel like a nervous bride on my wedding night.
Yellowstone Heart Song Page 18
