Teton Romance Trilogy Bundle: Includes Yellowstone Proposal (Short Story)

by Peggy L Henderson

  He’s been trying to protect and defend you since he found you with that wolverine.

  The snapping of twigs and rustling of leaves intensified, and four Indians on horseback materialized from between the dense trees. Tori’s heart leapt to her throat. Obviously, they wanted to be heard. Black Sparrow wouldn’t need a reason for sneaking up on them. He knew that she and Lucas were at a disadvantage.

  Her eyes darted to Lucas’ broad back. Every hard muscle along either side of his spine tensed. Had he underestimated Black Sparrow again? Even though he certainly knew his way around the wilderness, his arrogance and overconfidence would surely get them both killed.

  Not to mention that he seems to be completely distracted by you, Tori.

  She had no time to contemplate that thought. Lucas lowered his rifle at that moment, and sheathed his knife. He stepped away from the fire and toward the Indians.

  “Buffalo Horn,” he greeted loudly, his hand held out to a man sitting astride a brown and white speckled horse.

  The Indian leaned forward and reached out his arm. A wide smile spread across his face.

  “Young Walker,” he returned the greeting. “I would have thought you’d have reached the Wind River by now, but it is no wonder you’ve returned.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “It seems your horse has finally had enough of you. I found your animal a short time ago downriver.” He pointed to a horse one of the other men led behind his own mount. Lucas’ gelding! “I thought perhaps I might find you on foot in the mountains somewhere. I was even prepared to inform your family of your death.” He raised his head, and his eyes shot to where Tori stood. They widened in surprise, then darted back to Lucas, who peered over his shoulder at her.

  “I met up with some old Blackfoot friends. And, I found your ghost woman.” Lucas grinned that infuriating grin of his.

  Tori hugged her wet shirt more firmly to her chest. No matter how much she willed herself to stop shaking, she couldn’t control the shivers that wracked her body.

  “Do you have an extra blanket or two, Buffalo Horn?” Lucas asked, stepping away from the Indian’s horse. “That river was mighty cold.”

  The man appraised him slowly, then her again. He pulled the buffalo robe he wore away from his body and held it out to Lucas. “Give this to the woman.”

  “Didn’t I tell you women don’t hide from me?” Lucas called over his shoulder while striding toward her. His blue eyes gazed down at her intently when he stopped a few inches in front of her. He draped the thick fur hide around her shoulders. He held tight to either end, drawing her closer.

  Tori nearly moaned when the warm fur made contact with her icy skin. The feeling in her arms and shoulders tingled back to life, and her frozen fingers gripped at the edges of the robe to pull it more firmly around herself.

  “You’ll be warm in no time,” Lucas whispered in a low tone. Water droplets trickled from strands of his black hair that fell over his forehead. If she wasn’t so stiff with cold, she might have reached up and brushed them from his face.

  Lucas stood rooted in front of her. His lips were tinged a dull blue color, and glistened with water. There was no smile on his face, only a look of concern in his blue eyes as they stared straight into her. She couldn’t look away if her life depended on it. A sensation rushed through her of being sucked into his penetrating gaze, and losing herself in the security of this man’s hold. Would he wrap the robe around them both, and perhaps pull her into a protective embrace? Her heart sped up in anticipation, and her body leaned toward him.

  “We’re safe now. Buffalo Horn is a friend.” Lucas released his grip on the fur. His thoughts must have been the same as hers from a moment ago. The difference was, he’d acted on them. He swiped his thumb across her cheek to push some wet strands of hair from her face.

  The muscles along his jaw tightened, and he abruptly turned back toward the Indian. Tori released the breath she held, and gritted her teeth. What was happening to her? Her mind and body seemed to have a will of their own where this man was concerned. She’d allowed him to kiss her several times already.

  You enjoyed his kisses. Timothy never kissed you the way Lucas Walker did.

  Tori shook her head. The many months of loneliness, and now the cold and fear must be getting the better of her. She couldn’t allow such feelings for a man. She was on the run for murder, on the run from Paul.

  Another Indian rode forward and handed Lucas his own robe. He nodded in thanks, and pulled the fur around his shoulders.

  “You haven’t seen a Blackfoot war party, have you?” Lucas addressed the man he’d called Buffalo Horn.

  “Eight warriors are searching the river downstream. They are heading in this direction. They will find you before the sun settles behind the mountains.” The man wore a stern expression and shook his head. “I have said many times that your foolhardy ways will get you killed, Walker. You have always enjoyed taunting the Blackfoot, but I would not have believed that even you would put a woman in danger.”

  “I’m trying to get her to safety, not risk her life,” Lucas grumbled, sounding agitated.

  The Indian studied him intently. Then he smiled and nodded his head.

  “If she is the Ghost Woman, she should have nothing to fear from the Blackfoot.”

  “Well, she angered them enough that I don’t believe she is safe alone in the mountains anymore.”

  Buffalo Horn smiled. “It is easy to anger the Blackfoot.”

  “She saved my life and denied them the pleasure of torturing me to death.”

  The Indian’s eyes shot up. He appraised her again with a new sense of appreciation in his eyes. Tori held her chin up. What did this Indian know about her?

  “Our hunting camp is not far. You come with us, we will lead the Blackfoot off your trail. You can rest for the night, then take the Ghost Woman to safety in the valley your family calls home.”

  “That’s what I intended to do,” Lucas growled.

  Why did he sound so angry? Without looking at her, he kicked some dirt onto their fire to extinguish the flames, then held his hand to the small of her back and led her to his waiting horse.

  * * * * *

  Tori fastened the last button on her shirt, and sighed in relief. Finally, her clothes were dry enough that she could discard the buffalo hide she’d been wrapped in for the last several hours. Sitting around in nothing but that robe among nearly a dozen men, waiting for her clothes to dry, had given her a decidedly uncomfortable feeling.

  At least she hadn’t been cold anymore, wrapped in the thick fur. What on earth had compelled her to jump off a snow-fed waterfall without question? She shook her head. A soft smile formed on her face. Nothing she’d ever done before meeting Lucas Walker had made her feel so completely alive and free.

  Tori stepped from behind the bushes that had concealed her while she dressed. Lucas instantly appeared before her, and she nearly collided with him. That intense look in his eyes, and his smug grin sent her pulse racing just as it had so many times already over the course of the last few days.

  Admittedly, she’d felt some odd attraction to Lucas from the moment she first saw him that day she woke from her illness, when he was standing just inside her cabin door. Hell. Thinking back on it, he’d caught her eye a little more than a year ago when all those people were at her cabin. The day her father had been shot. Her growing attraction to this man over the course of the last few weeks scared her as much as it exhilarated her.

  You’ve been alone for too long, Tori. Nothing good could come of any silly notions she might have about Lucas Walker.

  Drawing in a slow breath, she lifted her chin and raised her eyebrows. If she wasn’t careful, the man before her could easily steal her heart.

  A fluttering sensation pulsed in her chest. She groped for a memory of Timothy, and what it had felt like to be in love with him.

  Love? Tori swallowed back the sudden lump in her throat. Had there been this overwhelming feel
ing of exuberance whenever Timothy looked at her? Had his touch made her heart race in her chest as if it would burst through her ribs at any moment? Had she ever felt as free and uninhibited around her first beau? Would she have followed him over a frigid waterfall?

  Tori nearly laughed. Timothy would never have considered such a jump. He was quiet and reserved, and not a man who would take risks.

  She raised her head to stare up at Lucas. He had handed over her dry shirt and britches a few minutes ago with a devilish smile on his face, and promised to keep watch in front of the stand of bushes she hid behind to conceal herself while she dressed.

  “Who’s going to keep a watch on you?” she’d asked, glaring at him. “You don’t exactly have a reputation for averting your eyes when it’s appropriate.”

  “You’ll just have to trust me.” He’d grinned and slowly turned his back.

  Tori stared up at him now when Lucas didn’t step aside to let her move fully out in the open.

  “I didn’t look.” The laughter in his voice was unmistakable. His words pushed thoughts of Timothy from her mind.

  “What?” Tori shook her head to focus on what he’d said.

  “I didn’t look while you dressed,” he repeated. “I was tempted, though.” He winked at her.

  “Well, exercising a little self-control might do you some good.” Tori narrowed her eyes. Before she had a chance to move fully away from the bush, Lucas took a step closer. Their bodies nearly touched. The warmth coming off his skin seeped through her shirt. He gazed down at her, and his smile faded. “I told you before, it’s hard to look away when I’m faced with someone as beautiful as you.” His voice deepened.

  Tori held her breath. His blue eyes drew her in. She had no words to rebuff his compliment. There was no mockery in the way he spoke, nothing but raw truth that he perceived her as a beautiful woman. She swallowed hard, then shook some hair from her face.

  “Well, you’re rather easy on the eyes yourself, Walker, but it might be better for your safety as well as mine if you pay more attention to your surroundings. Unless you are always this inattentive, which I find difficult to believe. You did grow to adulthood, after all, so there must be a sensible man somewhere in that thick head of yours.”

  Tori cursed under her breath. Why did she have to open her big mouth and admit to him that she found him attractive? Knowing the arrogant lout, he’d only use that information to his advantage. She didn’t wait for a response. She stepped around him and headed for one of several campfires that blazed in the small clearing where these Bannock had set up their camp. Large pieces of meat sizzled over the flames, and her stomach grumbled in response. No doubt Lucas was as famished as she. They had barely eaten in two days.

  It was difficult to ignore the looks some of the Indians shot her way. Awe and wonder filled their eyes. No one had approached or spoken to her since they arrived in camp.

  “They think you’re part spirit,” Lucas whispered in her ear. His warm breath tickled her cheek. Tori held back a surprised gasp. When had he walked up behind her?

  “Ridiculous,” she hissed. “Why would they think that?”

  “Because none of them believe that an ordinary white woman could survive in the mountains by herself.”

  Lucas stepped up beside her. “They have a deep respect for you, even if you aided one of their enemies, Tori. Don’t ridicule their beliefs.” For once, he sounded serious.

  The Indian Lucas had spoken to earlier, Buffalo Horn, approached. His eyes darted from her to Lucas, and back to her. He gestured with his arm to one of the fires.

  “Come. Eat. You will be safe here for the night. My warriors have chased the Blackfoot dogs back into the mountains.”

  “Thank you,” Tori stammered. She shot a quick glance at Lucas.

  “Tomorrow we’ll reach my folks’ homestead,” Lucas added. “We’re grateful for your hospitality tonight, Buffalo Horn. We’ll manage on our own come morning.”

  Why did he sound agitated again? Buffalo Horn’s lips twitched and curled in a slow smile. His sharp eyes continued to volley between her and Lucas.

  “Let’s get some food,” Lucas grumbled, and held his hand to the small of her back, coaxing her ahead of him.

  “You have made a wise choice, young Walker,” Buffalo Horn called after them. “I can see that it will be a good match.”

  The pressure of Lucas’ hand on her back increased. He didn’t respond to the Indian. What had he meant with those words? Tori shot Lucas a questioning sideways look. He didn’t meet her gaze. Instead, his eyes focused on the fire ahead.

  After they accepted the meat one of the other men offered, Lucas led her a short distance away from the fire, to where more furs had been spread on the ground. Tori lowered herself onto one of the hides. With a drawn-out groan, Lucas sat on the ground beside her. She perused him for a moment. He hadn’t said a word about it, but he had to be in pain from what he’d endured during his captivity.

  Wordlessly, Lucas handed her a large chunk of meat. Famished, she’d never tasted better venison. She licked at her glistening fingers after devouring the food. Her eyes caught Lucas watching her intently, and her heart skipped a beat.

  “Why’d you kill your intended, Tori?” His eyes blazed as if he meant to look straight into her mind.

  The question was unexpected. She swallowed before meeting his gaze. How much should she tell him? She’d already said that she killed Timothy, but there had been no time to tell him what had really happened. Would Lucas believe her? Why should he? No one else had listened to her side of the story.

  “I am accused of killing him,” she whispered, amending her original answer. Her voice trembled. She hadn’t spoken about that day to anyone in nearly four years.

  Don’t tell him anything.

  Lucas continued to stare at her, searching her face. “How long were you in the mountains with your pa? From the stories I recollect hearing about your pa living the life of a hermit, I’m guessing it had to be at least a couple of years before we met for the first time over a year ago.” He paused, and waited. Tori lowered her chin and blinked away the tears that pooled in her eyes.

  His hand reached out, and covered one of hers. He gave a gentle squeeze.

  “I wouldn’t put it past you to kill someone, Tori, but how old were you at the time? Why would a young girl kill the man she supposedly would have married?” Lucas paused. His stare intensified. “Unless he did something to hurt you.” His voice was almost harsh.

  Tori’s head shot up. She shook it from side to side. “I didn’t kill him.” The desperation in her voice sounded foreign in her own ears. “I’ve never killed anyone until a few days ago.” Had she even killed either of those Indians she’d hit over the head with a rock?

  “Someone falsely accused you?” His stare turned murderous.

  Tori pulled her hand from Lucas’ tightening grip. He looked ready to strike out at someone. She nodded slightly.

  “How do we clear your name?” he asked forcefully.

  “We?”

  “Yeah, what can I do to help you clear your name, so you’re not running and hiding away from everyone anymore?” Lucas touched her shoulder, his warm hand sliding slowly up and down her upper arm.

  Tori swallowed back the lump in her throat. “There’s nothing you can do. I’ve been accused, and it’s my word against Timothy’s family.” It was crazy to think that Lucas could help her. She would not bring up Paul’s name. This was not Lucas’ fight, and she would not drag him into her troubles.

  “Maybe if you start at the beginning, and tell me what happened?” His voice softened, and the menacing scowl left his face. His lips widened in a reassuring smile, and his brows rose expectantly.

  Tori steeled her jaw, and pulled away from him. Her papa had told her to trust no one. She didn’t know anything about Lucas.

  Then why does it feel as if I could trust him with anything, even my life?

  “It’s none of your concern,” she said firml
y, and sprang to her feet. “I’ve already said too much.” She drew in a deep breath. “I’ll go with you to the Jackson Valley in the morning, Lucas, but then we have to part ways.”

  Tori snatched up one of the furs from the ground, and rushed to the far end of camp.

  Chapter 15

  Lucas reined his gelding to a stop and squinted into the distance. The vast Jackson Valley loomed before him. He could just make out the small outlines of several log structures nestled between some tall aspens and cottonwoods.

  Behind him, Tori shifted on the horse’s back. Her thigh bumped against his backside, and Lucas clenched his jaw. All morning, he’d endured the sweet torture of having her so close to him. Buffalo Horn didn’t have a spare horse, or so he’d said, leaving them no other option but to ride double. The Indian had smiled smugly just before Tori and he left the Bannock camp this morning.

  Lucas hadn’t been able to leave the Indian camp quickly enough at the crack of dawn. Although he was grateful for Buffalo Horn’s help, the way the Indian had looked at him with that knowing smile on his face had grated on his nerves. He’d swallowed his pride and allowed the Bannock to come to his and Tori’s aid, because their predicament had been rather dire. Irrational anger with the Indian had filled him for making him feel like a weakling and tenderfoot, like a man who couldn’t protect his woman.

  Worse, Buffalo Horn had seen right through him where Tori was concerned. How often had Lucas boasted that he didn’t want or need a woman in his life? Buffalo Horn had boldly proclaimed that Lucas had made a wise choice. Whether Tori had understood the meaning of those words remained to be seen. She’d been silent all morning, not that she was a chatty woman under normal circumstances.

  After crossing a shallow section of the Snake River a while ago, he’d urged the gelding into a lope to reach his family’s homestead quicker. To keep from falling off the horse’s back, Tori’d had no choice but to hold on to him. Too bad he couldn’t keep up that kind of pace the entire way home, so she’d keep her arms wrapped around him. The moment he slowed the horse to a walk, she’d let go.