by Stacey Kayne
"My sister's death has long shadowed your heart. Imp will bring life to your spirit. Time of mourning is past."
"This has nothing to do with her. Malika has been gone for eighteen years."
"Eighteen years and you have not taken a mate. Eighteen years and you do not find peace."
Jed mumbled a few harsh words.
Running Bear didn't doubt his anger. Jed never allowed talk of Malika, but much needed to be said. "We ride together many seasons, tracking the men who thirst for blood of others. We kill every one to avenge Malika and still you find no peace. The law of your people find you guilty of no crime. You find guilt in yourself."
Jed's rage-filled eyes met his gaze.
"You fear Malika chose death."
The anguish in Jed's expression told Running Bear he'd guessed correctly.
"I tell you, she did not."
Jed shook his head, not believing.
"My sister did not choose death." "You weren't there," he ground out, dropping his head back down to his arms.
"I know my sister."
"Then why did she go to the mine?" Jed asked, his expression hidden in the folds of his arms. "She knew I didn't give a damn about any pilfered gold. Hell, we were planning to leave within the week."
"Were you not heading to the mines to warn boys called O'Conner of danger?"
"I was, but she couldn't have known that."
"She could hear gunfire from your cabin, yes?"
"I told her to stay away!"
"My sister was great warrior. Even faced with death, she would not run."
Jed met Running Bear's gaze. "She didn't run away. She ran full-force into a steady stream of gunfire."
"If she believed you to be captured, do you think she would not fight for you?"
Jed opened his mouth as though to respond, but no words came. He clamped his jaw shut and looked away.
Running Bear drizzled more water over the stones. "You fight the truth, brother. You gave Malika love she longed to return, but could not. She would give you no less than her life."
Jed's elbows dropped to his folded legs, his fingers rubbed firmly at his temples. Running Bear glanced back at the steam rising from the stones, pleased by all he'd been able to say.
"Imp will bring your spirit peace."
"She's brought my spirit nothin' but trouble."
"No. Your spirit have much trouble already. I see sunlight in your Imp."
"You see her damn red hair!"
Running Bear grinned. "I see light to brighten your spirit and bring you peace. Why do you fight it?"
"Those Apache we ran into, were they looking for your camp?"
"Perhaps," he said with a shrug, accepting Jed's refusal to answer.
"You been having trouble?"
"With Apache, no. They steal my horses. Blue Coats are my trouble. They herd my people like horses and steal our land."
"Why haven't you sent word to me? Who's been coming out here, agents or cavalry?"
Running Bear smiled. "You fight for me in many battles. Now we fight our own."
"You didn't answer my question," Jed persisted.
The rest of their conversation centered around government agents, sour treaties, and the possible solutions and rebellions being discussed amongst various tribes.
As Jed rose to leave the sweat lodge, he found he barely had the energy to stand. He had truly hoped to head out by afternoon, needing to get to Shadow Canyon well before Sumner.
That overgrown Ute intentionally drained me, he thought as he followed Running Bear into the sunlight. A light breeze felt cool against his heated skin. Running Bear had given him just enough water to remain conscious.
Jed started toward the river for a much needed bath when a glimpse of red caught his attention.
Good God.
Rachell was walking towards him. Her gaze was on Running Bear's wife, her smile bright, her dark auburn hair secured in two long braids, and her dainty body clad in the buckskin britches and shirt he'd asked Red-Flower-That-Grows-In-Snow to provide.
His body surged with heat as his eyes moved over the warm curves he'd measured in his hands. His gaze settled on soft pink lips still swollen from his kisses. Rachell stopped in her tracks as she caught his gaze. Her smile faltered. Red-Flower-That- Grows-In-Snow took her by the arm and tugged her along until she stood directly in front of him.
Rachell's cheeks flushed to a brilliant pink as she met his gaze with clear reluctance. "Snow Flower brought them to me," she said, obviously noting his reaction to her clothes. "I didn't understand what she said, but I assumed she wanted me to put them on."
Jed was thankful Rachell didn't speak the Ute language. She surely wouldn't have appreciated knowing that Running Bear's wife had given her clothes she'd made for her young son. Although, the buckskin pants took a whole new form on Rachell's feminine body, defining her small waist and the curve of her hips all too well.
"Snow Flower is implying that you want to leave today," Rachell continued. "You need to rest."
What he needed was to get away from her. Anxious to divert his gaze, Jed glanced over at Running Bear. "Snow Flower, huh?"
"I make short for Imp."
"Her name isn't Snow Flower?" Rachell asked.
"Close," Jed said, smiling at the sweet woman who put up with his annoying Ute brother. "In our language her full name would be Red-Flower-That-Grows-In-Snow." Jed allowed his gaze to stray back to Rachell. He told himself the cool morning breeze caused the prickling sensation sweeping across his sweat-slickened body, not the warm concern in Rachell's eyes as she gazed up at him.
"Has your fever returned?" she asked as she advanced on him in a rush, rising onto her tiptoes as she reached a palm toward his forehead.
"No," he said, silently ordering himself to step back, away from her touch, her scent, but his feet stayed planted on the ground.
"You're warm."
"We just came from the sweat lodge," he explained, releasing a silent sigh of relief as Rachell stepped back.
"Are you insane? Jed, you need to be drinking water, not sweating it out!"
"I was drinking water. And I don't need a nursemaid."
"Just because you're a mountain of muscle," she said, punctuating each word by poking a finger at his chest, "doesn't mean you're invincible. You nearly died yesterday."
"I'm sure it wasn't all that serious."
Her green eyes flared. "Your fever very nearly fried your brain. I know, because I'm the one who spent endless hours sponging water all over your miserable unconscious body. If I'd known you'd just bake yourself after my troubles, I wouldn't have wasted my tears and prayers!"
The image of her toiling over his rotten hide made him feel damned guilty. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "You're absolutely right."
"I-" Her mouth snapped shut. She blinked several times. "What?"
Jed tried to bite back a smile, and failed. She had the most animated expressions. "I said you're right. I do appreciate all you did for me. I shouldn't have gone into the sweat lodge. I've had a proper scolding. Can I go now?"
She lowered her gaze toward the bandages at his waist. "I didn't mean to shout at you."
"I deserved it," he said, his body coiling with tension as he watched her eyes move over his damp skin. She met his gaze long enough for Jed to see the approval of what she'd been gaping at and the spark of raw desire that burned in the wake of her silent praise.
Jed suddenly wondered if it was his loss of blood and injured side that had sapped his strength. Part of him was aching fit- to-die, but it had nothing to do with the gash in his side.
He turned away without further comment, walking off to anywhere that was away from this woman who looked at him with passion-filled eyes. He had to get a grip on his self-control. Running Bear didn't know what he was talking about. This imp was not for him. She was too damn young and too much damn trouble!
From here on in, he was keeping his hands off her.
Chapter Eleven
/> After eating her afternoon meal with Snow Flower, and a few other women and children who sat at a safe distance, Rachell returned to her teepee. Exhausted from her hours of caring for Jed, she stretched out on their bedding and wrapped herself in the warm fur blanket.
If her moody brave wanted to leave camp, he would have to wake her.
When Rachell awoke, the lantern was burning overhead from its perch high on the aspen pole. She was stunned to find that night had fallen. She sat up and stretched the knotted muscles in her back. The scent of lye lingered in the air.
Jed had bathed, and had recently been in their teepee.
Why hadn't he awakened her?
Just as she prepared to step outside, Snow Flower poked her head in. "Imp," she said with a smile, and entered the teepee. "You stay," she said in English.
"Running Bear must have talked some sense into Jed," Rachell mused. "Thank goodness."
Snow Flower smiled, clearly not understanding what she'd said. She motioned to the dress draped on her arm as she rattled off in her own language. She immediately waved her hand as
if shooing her words from the air. She held the dress up to Rachell's shoulders, then spoke again.
"You want me to dress for supper." Rachell nodded her understanding. "It's beautiful," she said, running a hand over the colorful, finely stitched trim at the neckline. Pretty white shells were sewn across the bottom of the skirt. Her breath caught as she saw the wide beaded sash Snow Flower held up to her waist. The tiniest of beads created a pattern of three red flowers with yellow centers and long green stems which wavered across the white belt.
Snow Flower spoke again, saying something that included Jed's name. By the warmth in her eyes, Rachell assumed she was speaking fondly of him.
A short while later she followed Snow Flower from her hut, toward a huge fire blazing near the center of camp. Bundles of wood had been stacked taller than a man to create an enormous fire.
She spotted the object of her newly budding desire sitting among the ring of people in the circular orange glow given off by the fire. He was dressed in a pair of buckskin pants and one of his ivory shirts. His freshly washed hair gleamed in the firelight. He sat beside Running Bear, talking to three women standing before him, all wearing warm, inviting smiles.
A tad too inviting. She couldn't see Jed's face as she approached him from behind, but the giggling reaction of the women told her he was being particularly charming. Her muscles tightened in a sudden flash of fury.
Our marriage may mean less than the paper it's printed on, she thought as she stomped toward him, but for the time being, he's legally bound to me.
All three smiles vanished when the young women spotted her coming up behind Jed. She relished the fear she saw in their gazes before they turned and hurried away.
"You're late," Jed said, drawing her attention from the retreating women. One corner of his mouth kicked up in a wry smile as he raised his hand to guide her down beside him.
Rachell shivered as his gaze moved over her like a gentle caress, just as it had when she'd run into him earlier in the morning. But also like this morning, his eyes quickly darkened and the stern edge of his jaw flexed with tension.
He resented his attraction to her.
She dropped beside him, ignoring his outstretched hand. "I'm surprised you noticed my absence," she clipped.
As she glanced around the broad circle, she noted everyone's elaborate attire. Even the men wore colorful sashes and cloaks. Many wore face paint and feathered headpieces.
After a moment, she realized she was the focus of attention. She instinctively leaned closer to Jed.
"Jed, why is everyone staring at me?"
She looked up and found his eyes still trained on her, their color a smoky gray. His burning gaze warmed her body in a rush, making her forget about everyone but him. Lord, a body could die from the range of emotions this man made her feel.
"Your hair," he answered.
"My hair?"
"Uh-huh. Or it could have been the lethal glint in your eyes before you sat down," he said with an amused smile. "Let's test it."
He reached for one of her braids and pulled the leather thong from the end. Rachell's breath caught in her throat as he eased his fingers into the side of her hair and gently worked them down, unraveling her long braid. Gasps and whispers broke out around them as he fanned the crinkled mass of hair over her shoulder.
"It's the hair," Jed said in an easy tone.
Rachell's gaze remained fixed on the man now unraveling her other braid.
"They've never seen hair like yours," he said in a voice of pure velvet, sending a rippling wave of goose flesh across her body. "But then, neither have I."
Abruptly, he pulled his hand away. His eyes seemed to glaze over as his expression hardened.
"Anyway," Jed said, "you-"
Before he could finish, a young Indian girl plopped into his lap. Jed laughed, talking in the native Indian tongue as he tickled the girl who couldn't be more than five. When he'd tickled the little thing senseless, he sat her up in his lap. The young girl was undoubtedly a daughter of Running Bear.
Family. Jed's family.
The girl's wide brown eyes glanced at Rachell before she leaned up, wrapping her arms around Jed's neck as she whispered into his ear. Jed laughed at whatever she'd said. He tugged on one of her black braids and he said something that caused her eyes to surge even wider before she looked at Rachell as though she'd sprouted horns.
"What devious stories are you telling that child about me?" Rachell demanded.
"None of your business," he said curtly, as she'd said to him many times during the past week, but his silvery eyes twinkled with playfulness.
Rachell stared up at him in amazement. This was not the Jed Doulan she'd come to know. She knew Jed had a tendency to tease, but this playfulness she hadn't expected. Children were apparently quite agreeable to his disposition.
He spoke again to the girl, then reached over and brushed his hand across Rachell's hair. The girl looked questioningly at Rachell, before moving closer to Jed. He spoke again, taking the girl's small hand and reaching it toward the hair draped across Rachell's shoulder. The girl flinched as her fingers met the wavy fibers, as though expecting to be burned.
"You told her my hair was made of fire," Rachell said accusingly.
"I was just going along with the rumor. The way those rippling strands capture the firelight, it's not hard to believe."
Rachell glanced at the thick wavy mass draped over her shoulder while Jed spoke to the girl. The gold highlights in her hair did appear to flicker, but hair made of fire? She shook her head then reached toward the girl.
The child froze like a startled deer at the sight of Rachell's hand moving toward her. Rachell smiled as she stroked one of the girl's black braids.
The young girl beamed a happy smile toward Jed.
"I believe you just made a new friend," Jed said.
"She's precious. What's her name?" Rachell touched her lightly on the tip of her nose. The girl giggled with delight, returned the touch then snuggled back against Jed.
"Little Dove. She's the youngest of Running Bear and, ah, Snow Flower's seven children."
"She adores you."
"She's too young to know better," he said, again tugging on one of her braids.
Running Bear leaned forward and said something to his daughter. Little Dove jumped up from Jed's lap and scurried away. A moment later a group of women made their way into the circle, all carrying bowls and wooden platters of food. Little Dove walked straight to Rachell and spoke as she set a plate before her. She giggled when Rachell thanked her then went to sit on the other side of Running Bear, with her older brothers and sisters.
Rachell watched the handing out of the other bowls and platters. Conversation hummed amongst the large group as men, women, and their children shared their meals from one large serving dish.
Rachell glanced down at her smaller platter piled with meat, b
read and what looked to be stewed weeds. Jed reached toward the large serving bowl in front of Running Bear's family. She took a piece of meat from her overflowing plate and subtly scooted the wooden platter toward him.
"Are you sharing with me?"
She smiled. It seemed to be enough. Jed eased toward her and took a piece of flat bread from her plate.
As she ate, she gazed up at the tall flames reaching toward the dark, star-flecked sky. Tall streamers of fire danced in the light breeze. Amber specks floated high with the rising waves of heat, blending with the stars in the black sky. Feeling an odd sense of contentment, she listened to Jed's deep voice as he talked to Running Bear in his Ute language.
A sharp shift in the wind blew a gust of warm air sprinkled with small glowing embers toward their side of the fire. Rachell shielded her eyes. Jed twisted toward her, sheltering her with his body from the smoke and hot specks of orange. His expression flinched, and she knew the sudden movement had hurt his side.
The whirling wind ended as quickly as it had begun. Jed sat back, rubbed at the bandages under his shirt and resumed his conversation with Running Bear as though he'd done nothing at all. The protective reaction rekindled Rachell's desire to be close to him.
She glanced back up at the large fire, focusing on the wood beneath the transparent flames. A bright light glimmered from hot spots deep inside the blazing bark as the orange glow licked across the surface, surrounding the wood in shimmering heat.
That was how Jed had made her feel, lost in flames, consumed by the strange heat he so easily evoked deep inside her body.
Jed noticed Rachell staring at the fire with a heavy frown and sullen green eyes. She'd barely nibbled at her supper, the only food missing being what he'd eaten. Running Bear had made a comment earlier in the day about her small appetite. If there was anything small about Rachell, it wasn't her appetite.
"Rachell, are you feeling okay?"
Her head snapped up as though he'd startled her from deep thought. Her blank stare told him she hadn't comprehended his question.
