Yellowstone Origins: Yellowstone Romance Series, Book 6

by Peggy L Henderson

  Riley leaned forward while she walked, and looked up at him again. “What? You don’t think that there’s that one special person out there just for you?”

  Cam’s jaw tightened. He turned his head slightly while keeping his eyes on their path ahead. He shrugged. “I’ve never had the urge to find such a person.”

  Until now, perhaps.

  Before he could stop himself, he asked, “Have you found your special person?”

  Riley straightened. Clearly, she hadn’t expected the question. The man she’d been with, the one who’d left her and returned to the future, came to mind. He wasn’t the man for her. Riley had courage, even if she might not see it. The man she’d been with was a coward. He wouldn’t have lived through the next day, had he remained in this time.

  “I’m not really sure,” she finally answered, almost hesitantly.

  “What about the man who left you behind?” Cam cursed silently for his question, but he had to know. He cast a quick glance at her.

  Riley raised her eyebrows. Her lips twitched in a smile.

  “Jeffrey?” She laughed quickly. “I suppose anyone who knew us would say we’re perfect for each other.”

  Cam tensed, walking next to her. His hand gripped Wo'itsa's horn bow tighter than necessary. It took all the willpower in him to keep from grabbing Riley and showing her how wrong she was about this Jeffrey.

  “Then I say to those people that they don’t know you well at all.”

  Riley’s head snapped up to him, and their eyes connected. He nearly smiled at the astonished look on her face. Had he touched on something she was aware of herself? She straightened her shoulder to adjust the pouch she carried, then raised her chin in an almost defensive gesture.

  “Jeffrey and I have a lot in common,” she muttered. “He’s smart, we share the same interests, and he’s not arrogant and full of himself.”

  Cam tilted his head, and narrowed his eyes. “Full of himself?” What did that mean?

  Riley nodded. “Yeah, full of himself.” She glanced away. Her shoulders slumped for a moment and she looked at the ground, then back up at him. Her chest heaved as she drew in a visible breath.

  “What do you remember of your life in the future, Cameron?” Her eyes glared in a challenge. “Who were your friends? I’ll go and pet a skunk right now if you weren’t part of the group of kids who made fun of the ones who were nerdy and not into sports; the ones who liked to hang out in the library and read books for fun, and played by the rules rather than get into trouble.”

  Her voice grew more adamant as she talked, with a distinct note of hurt in her tone. Cam gritted his teeth. Faint memories of his childhood surfaced. He’d always been in trouble for not following rules. Julian, the kid from boy scouts who had time traveled with him by accident, had been one of the ‘good’ kids, and had been mocked by some of the others, himself included.

  “I was never much for book learning,” he said slowly. “I suppose I was too restless. I was only a boy, and made many stupid mistakes, but since coming to this time, I’ve been taught, and I’ve learned, that a group of people is only as strong as the weakest person. One man may have skills another doesn’t, and every member of the clan is important and contributes in his own ways.”

  Riley stopped. Her eyes were wide as a doe’s when she stared at him, and shimmered in the sunlight. An incredulous look of hurt, mixed with disbelief, passed through those eyes, until they softened with an emotion Cameron wanted to etch into his memory forever. He reached for her arm and faced her. His own eyes narrowed.

  “Who hurt you, Riley?”

  She blinked several times. She shook her head, and stared up at him. It took her several moments before she inhaled deeply, and spoke again, her expression clouded with pain.

  "I always wanted to be accepted by the popular kids in school, those who were part of the ‘in' crowd, but being smart, and accident-prone just weren't considered acceptable attributes. When a guy finally paid attention to me, I was too blind to see how different we really were. I was young and stupid, and just wanted to fit in." Her stare intensified, right before she dropped her chin to her chest. Her voice quieted and cracked, and Cam leaned closer to hear. "I wanted him to like me, so I let him take advantage of me in all ways, until he finally revealed his true colors."

  He didn’t have to ask to know what she meant with her words, and a surge of protectiveness swept through him. Riley inhaled a deep breath, and continued. “I fell into the trap of wanting to be socially accepted, but I learned fast and hard that it’s pointless to try and fit in with people who aren’t your type.” She glanced up again, and looked him in the eye. “From then on, I decided that it was safer and okay to be among people who weren’t part of that crowd, and I hid behind my books and academics. It’s where I was accepted for who I am.” She raised her chin, and swiped at some hair in her face.

  “And you believe I am like the man – the boy – who hurt you?”

  A distinct rosy hue crept into her cheeks. “You look like the kind of guys I swore I’d stay away from,” she stammered.

  His brows rose. “Look?”

  Riley shifted weight, and almost glared at him. “Yeah, let’s face it, Cameron. If you had grown up in the future, you’re the kind of guy that would have women fawning all over you.” Then her eyes softened, and she even smiled. “I’m glad you grew up here, where arrogance isn’t a favorable attribute.”

  “But I’m the kind of guy you stay away from, is that right?” he challenged. She was attracted to him, but she didn’t want those feelings because she’d judged him based on his looks? Cam shook off his annoyance at her words.

  “Yes.” She nodded quickly, and averted her eyes.

  “So, if we had met in the future, you would have stayed away from me, because I’m not like you, because I wouldn’t have lived a safe life inside books,” he continued to push.

  “Yes, we would have been too different.” She quickly shook her head. “I mean, we are too different, but I’ve learned that you’re not arrogant, and I’m sorry for judging a book by its cover.”

  Cam’s grin widened. Her answers intrigued as much as they annoyed him. At least he understood her better, just as she understood him, but this conversation also led him down a path he shouldn’t be taking. He glanced toward the mountain – Riley’s path to get home.

  For the first time in many years, he cared about more than simply living each day without a clear purpose. How could he give her up?

  “The shaman would say we balance each other out,” he muttered.

  “What?” She gaped at him, and her forehead wrinkled, as if he’d said something incomprehensible.

  “I think your words come from fear, not because it’s something you really believe.”

  She laughed, a little too quickly. “Fear of what?”

  Cameron reached for her hand. Her soft palm fit so well in his, and that familiar warm sensation whenever he touched her traveled up his arm. He’d told himself over and over again that she needed to return to her time, but his heart had other ideas. He could easily carry her off right now, away from the Sky People, and bind her to him.

  All the anger and frustration he’d experienced over the years came rushing back, that others had controlled his life. He mentally shook his head. He couldn’t do that to Riley. He had to send her back to her time, but he could at least make her see that they weren’t so different after all. He offered a smile when she looked at him with apprehension in her eyes.

  “You fear failure, so you avoid things you think you might fail at.” He caressed her palm with his thumb. “When I was brought here, it took me a long time to learn how to shoot my bow.” He chuckled. “I was ready to give up, because I could never hit my intended target. Day Star’s husband, the man who taught me, told me that I was in control of the bow, not the other way around, and that the barriers would fall away when I no longer allowed the bow to control me. I was good at everything else – my knife, the tomahawk – just a
s I was good in my old life playing sports.” He chuckled. “The bow gave me problems, just like the book learning in the future, so it was easier to just give up. If I simply let myself fail, I couldn’t be disappointed for trying, and still failing. When I finally did as he told me, and took control of the bow, it became easy, and I excelled.”

  Cam stepped up to her. He lifted his hand to her cheek, and stroked her soft skin. “You’re smart and beautiful, Riley, but those are the least interesting things about you. Don’t you know that you have the strength in you to challenge yourself in other things besides book learning?”

  Her eyes widened at his question. Cam’s fingers lingered along her cheek. He nodded, his gaze locked on hers. The longing in her eyes drew him closer.

  “You’ve proven it already. How many of your friends do you think would have survived capture by the Bakianee, then endured walking without shoes for an entire day, or continue to survive in an unknown time?”

  Riley stared at him, her mind clearly processing what he’d said. Was she even aware that she leaned into his touch?

  “You kissed me last night,” he mumbled, unable to keep the words inside. All he had to do was dip his head slightly, and he could continue what she’d started.

  Her face reddened, and she pulled away. Cam gripped his bow to keep from reaching out to her and preventing her escape.

  “Yeah.” She laughed softly, and shook her head. “I don’t know what came over me. It was an impulsive mistake, and I’m sorry for – ”

  Twigs snapped loudly beside them, and a deer darted from the shrubs into their path. Riley screeched. Cam grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side. He’d been too pre-occupied with her to pay attention to his surroundings. Annoyance shot through him at his carelessness, as well as at her last words. She’d been sorry about her actions, just as he’d suspected. Their moment of closeness was gone.

  “We’d best keep moving,” he said, releasing her. “And I need to be more vigilant. Next time it might be something other than a deer.” He shot her a hasty look, then added, “Keep walking in the same direction. I’ll be close.”

  Her eyes widened. “You’re leaving me alone again? Do you remember what happened last time, with the bear?”

  “Keep to a straight line, and don’t wander off again, then you won’t run into bears like last time. I won’t be far.” Cameron nodded curtly, and headed off at a jog. He had to get away before his frustration got the better of him.

  When had he ever allowed his mind to become so clouded? He had put them both at risk by not paying attention to his surroundings. He was also treading on dangerous territory by having these personal discussions with Riley.

  Cam was ready to run up the mountain to find Naatoyita, and demand he send Riley home this instant. He should have insisted that she stay behind at the village. How much longer could he remain in her company without telling her how she affected him, or that he was losing his heart to her?

  By the time the sun started to sink in the horizon, they’d reached the base of the mountain. Cam scouted for a place to stop for the night and rest in preparation for the long ascent in the morning. They’d made good time today, but he hadn’t pushed Riley as fast as he could. She needed to conserve her strength for the steep climb the following day. A small creek cascaded through the trees, and that’s where he told Riley to make camp.

  “I’ll return after I make sure there’s no danger nearby.”

  Riley nodded quietly, and dropped the sheepskin and the pouch she carried. He caught her grateful smile just before he moved through the trees to find a trail they could use in the morning. It would be a steep climb, no matter what.

  It was nearly dark by the time he made his way back to where he’d left her. The strong odor of burning wood sent him into a run down the slope. He was still too far away from camp to see Riley, but a blind man could see the heavy smoke from a fire.

  “What did she do?” he mumbled, as his frustration from the day erupted into annoyance. The smoke would alert every Bakianee within miles.

  When he reached their camp, the smoke was dense enough that it stung his eyes. Riley, enveloped in a gray cloud, coughed and waved a hand in front of her face. A small, dead pine tree, no taller than his waist, ignited in flames next to her. She cursed, and grabbed for her sheepskin, waving it at the fire. Her actions only created more smoke, and increased the size of the flames. Cam rushed up to her and pushed her out of the way. He smothered the tree with his own bedding.

  “Why is there so much smoke?” She coughed again when she saw him, and pointed at the fire. “I can’t get the campfire started, but I manage to start a forest fire.” She held her arm over her face, and coughed again.

  Cameron kicked dirt onto the pile of wood she’d called a campfire until the few flames suffocated completely. The smoke continued to rise into the air, and hung in a thick veil around them. He grabbed Riley’s pouch off the ground, while she clutched at her sheepskin, looking mortified.

  “We need to find a different place to camp,” he said roughly, as the tension that had simmered near the surface all day exploded fully into anger. Anger at himself, because he shouldn’t have left before setting up a proper camp, and anger because Riley would be out of his life the following day. “Follow me,” he growled.

  She rushed up to him, and grabbed her pouch from his hand, glaring at him. "Why are you so mad?" She rubbed at her eyes, and blinked. "I'm sorry about the fire, but I thought I could do something useful since you're always disappearing on me."

  Cam turned to look at her. He gritted his teeth in frustration. “You used green wood,” he grumbled, without completely answering her question. “Let’s hope there are no Blackfoot in the area.”

  “Well, if I’d had a book about the proper ways to build a fire and what kind of wood to use, this wouldn’t have happened.” Her hand flew to her hip, and her glare intensified. “Or, better yet, if you had stuck around and showed me how to do it.” She flung her pouch over her shoulder. “Hasn’t it ever occurred to you that it’s not a good idea to leave an incompetent novice alone in the woods for hours at a time? Or are you trying to see how long it takes before I do something stupid enough to get killed?”

  He forced his eyes from the devastated look on her face. Hadn’t she listened to a word of what he’d told her earlier? He didn’t see her as incompetent, only inexperienced, but perhaps that was the problem. He’d left her alone too many times, because she’d proven that she could hold her own.

  And because you wanted to keep your distance.

  She was right. She could have been killed during that bear encounter, and again today with this fire.

  It wasn’t her fault that he hadn’t taught her how to properly build a campfire. Frankly, he should be surprised that she’d been able to start one on her own, and she didn’t deserve to be chastised. Her anger right now was good, though. It would keep them both on guard, and he wouldn’t have reason for his mind to stray to tender thoughts for her, like it had done all day.

  Cameron stared at her, then headed into the trees. “I think I’m the incompetent one,” he mumbled under his breath. Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Riley shifted underneath her sheepskin cover. She was lying on one half of the hide, while the other half covered her, and cold air crept into her cocoon whenever she moved. A fire crackled nearby, and the birds chirped noisily above her in the trees, making any additional sleep impossible. She stretched to ease the stiffness in her legs.

  The thick pile of fur in her hut back at the village had been the softest thing she'd slept on since coming to this time. She really missed her bed back home. She rubbed at her eyes and yawned. Her mind was foggy from lack of sleep. Another thing she missed – her morning coffee.

  Last evening, Cameron had led her away from the smoky camp she’d created, and they’d walked for at least another half hour before he’d stopped along a narrow creek that seemed to trickle straight out of t
he ground. He’d started a new campfire, which had produced almost no smoke, and they’d eaten a cold meal of dried venison and some nuts and berries in awkward silence. Although she hadn’t asked if he’d show her how to do it right, she’d discretely watched and taken mental notes.

  Riley had spread out her hide on one side of the fire and excused herself to go to sleep shortly after, even though she had really been wide awake. She'd been so full of confidence to start a fire, after everything she'd learned at the Tukudeka village. Day Star had shown her how to do it several times, and she'd been eager to try it on her own. If the Tukudeka woman had told her not to use a certain type of wood, Riley hadn't understood.

  After Cameron’s little pep talk about letting go of her fears of failure, she’d been ready to prove him right. Instead, she’d nearly burned down the forest. She’d be going home the following day anyway, back to the familiarity of her books and classrooms, so what did it matter if she knew how to make a campfire that didn’t smoke out every living thing for miles around?

  Tears had stung her eyes, and she’d never felt more foolish, not even when she’d stepped in wet cement in the parking lot of some fast food joint several years ago. Too absorbed in her own mind, thinking about something she’d been currently studying in school, she hadn’t paid attention and stepped into thick, wet cement of the new sidewalk that was being laid. People inside the place who’d seen what she’d done had laughed, and even clapped.

  Rather than stopping to turn around, she’d kept going until she’d reached the other side of the sidewalk. The construction workers had yelled at her, a few throwing up their hands in exasperation. She’d been too embarrassed to even go in and order her food after that, and had dashed back to her car. She’d gone home to hide in her room for the rest of the afternoon. To this day, the experience still made heat rise to her face.

  Cameron hadn’t laughed at her about the fire, because the situation hadn’t been funny, but he’d clearly been mad. He’d set up their new camp in silence, with a brooding look on his face. Wanting to disappear and analyze what she’d done wrong, Riley had slipped under her sheepskin covers. He'd barely raised his head to look at her when she'd quietly said good night.