by Bobbi Smith
"Good night."
Charles retired upstairs to the room Tom had given him. When he'd gone, Paul went in to check on Mimi. This would be the first night he wasn't by her side, and it worried him to leave her alone. He was glad that Tom had offered him the parlor to sleep in. That way, if she did awake and need anything, he'd be close enough to hear her call out.
"I just wanted to make sure you were still feeling all right."
"I'm going to be fine really." She gave him a slight smile.
He bent down to her and kissed her tenderly. "You mean the world to me, Mary Catherine. God's giving me another chance with you, and I'm going to spend the rest of my life proving to you how much I love you."
She met him in the kiss.
"Mary Catherine?"
There was a question in his tone as he said her name, and she lifted her gaze to his.
"Mary Catherine, I want us to be married as soon as possible."
"Married?" She stared at him in surprise.
"Yes. I want you with me forever. Knowing you could have been killed showed me just what a fool I've been. I need you. I love you, and I don't want to face the rest of my life without you. I'll make you happy, I promise."
"I can't even think about my own happiness or the rest of my life until I know Glynna's safe."
"I know, but say you'll marry me. We'll face this terror together, and we'll worry about the rest later, once Glynna's back home with us."
"Paul, I"
"Please, Mary Catherine. Will you do me the honor of becoming my bride?"
Her heart ached. She had longed for this moment for what seemed like eternity. Paul loved her and wanted to marry her. "Yes, Paul. I'll marry you."
Paul carefully embraced her and kissed her once more. "You'll never be sorry."
"I know." She smiled up at him. "I love you, Paul."
"I love you."
He stayed with her until she grew sleepy, then left her to rest. Paul was thrilled that she'd accepted his proposal, but he knew true joy would elude them both until Glynna returned. The thought of a future without her was bleak.
Glynna lay in her husband's arms, thinking of the day to come. "How early will we be leaving?"
"Just after dawn," Hunt told her.
"I'm glad. It's time. I need to get back and make sure Aunt Mimi is all right. How long will it take us to reach the ranch?"
"Probably five days."
"It didn't take us five days to get here."
"But I don't think you want to ride back at the same pace Painted Horse rode before, do you?"
She remembered the endless miles and how the raiding party had seldom stopped. Only when the horses had been ready to drop had there been any rest. "No. I don't ever want to ride like that again."
"Painted Horse is giving us two mounts. I told him we would be ready to leave early."
"Do you think we'll have any trouble with Crouching Wolf on the way?"
"I don't know. I hope not, but we'll just have to keep careful watch and make sure we don't give him any opportunity to surprise us in any way."
"Hunt, there's something important I've been meaning to ask you."
"What?" He wondered why she sounded so hesitant.
"I was wondering... would you teach me how to shoot a gun? Aunt Mimi knows how, but I never learned."
He frowned. "If you're going to be a fast draw, I'd rather you stick to drawing with your pencils. The sketches you did of the village today were very good."
"Thanks, but please don't tease me about this. I'm serious about wanting to learn how to handle a gun. If I'm going to stay in Texas, I need to learn how to shoot so I can defend myself. Will you teach me?"
He didn't like it, but he knew she had a point. "All right."
"Thank you. You won't be sorry."
"If I teach you how to use a gun, you have to promise me something."
"Anything."
"You won't ever use it on me," he teased.
"I can't use it to steal your heart?"
"You don't have to steal my heart. I've already given it to you."
His statement so delighted her that she kissed him, and all thoughts of guns were forgotten. The rest of the night was lost in a haze of passion.
Glynna fell asleep in the early morning hours, but Hunt did not. He lay awake, waiting to face the new day. He was finally being forced to confront what he knew was to come. They would be returning to the ranch. They would be returning to the white man's world. This time of peace he'd found with Glynna here in the village would be over soon. He was going to have to give her up.
The power of the pain that came with that realization surprised Hunt. He had known when he'd al lowed himself to enjoy the time they had together that it wouldn't be easy for them to part. But he'd never thought it would hurt this badly.
A burning ache grew in his chest. He wanted to hold Glynna to his heart and never let her go. He wanted to stay in the haven of this village and love her. But he knew it could never be. He had to take her home. He had to let everyone know that she was alive and well. He had to save her reputation, and for that reason he would deny that they had been married. He would deny that he'd ever made her his-though the times they'd made love had been the most exquisite moments of his life. He would force himself to give up the woman who had touched him as no other had ever done. He loved her, and because he loved her he would let her go. And he had to prepare himself, because it would be the most difficult thing he would ever do in his life.
Hunt looked over at Glynna where she slept beside him. His desire for her stirred within him, and he could not deny himself another taste of her love, there in their sensual refuge from reality.
Turning to her, Hunt pressed his lips to her throat. Glynna awoke with a sleepy smile and reached down to draw him up to her.
"I was dreaming of you," she whispered without opening her eyes.
"Was it a good dream?"
"A very good dream."
They made love again.
For Hunt, it was a bittersweet union. The end was so near, and yet he couldn't accept it-not yet... not yet.
He took her swiftly, powerfully, trying to fight off the demons that haunted him. This was Glynna and she was his now-for this moment. As long as he held her, nothing else mattered.
He was glad for the cover of darkness, for she could not see the tears in his eyes.
Dawn came far too soon for Hunt.
"I'm sitting in a chair today whether you two like it or not," Mimi declared, giving Charles and Paul a defiant look. She had bathed and changed into a new gown and wrapper. She felt like a new woman, and she wasn't about to be denied.
"We're only looking out for you. We don't want you to hurt yourself by overdoing."
"The only thing I've overdone is the time I've spent in bed. The way I feel right now, if I get back in a bed in the next month, it will be too soon!"
"Let me help you," Charles offered.
"No. I'm going to do it myself."
She was headstrong and independent, but today, Paul wasn't going to stand for any of it.
"You can be independent some other day," he declared as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to a chair in the parlor. "There. Now enjoy the day sitting up."
Mimi had the grace to look appreciative. "I could have made it on my own, you know, but thank you."
"You're welcome," he told her, exchanging satisfied looks with Charles.
Paul quickly wrapped a blanket across her lap and tucked it beneath her legs.
"You're making me feel like a little old lady," she said.
"You don't look like one," Paul assured her.
"Thank you again." She did smile then.
Edmund came in once she was settled. They made small talk. He tried to be solicitous, but found it difficult. If Aunt Mimi hadn't agreed to accompany Glynna on the trip, none of this would have happened, and he wouldn't be stuck out in the middle of Texas right now.
The day passed quietly. It
was late in the afternoon when Mimi finally had some time alone with Charles. Paul and Edmund had gone down to the barn with Tom to take a look at the horses.
"I'm glad we've finally got a minute to ourselves. There's something we need to talk about."
He gave her a curious look.
She looked him straight in the eye. "I told Paul everything. I told him the truth about Glynna."
"I know."
"You do?" She was shocked that he hadn't said anything to her before now.
"When I first arrived, Paul came out to meet me. I couldn't help myself. I hit him. We exchanged words, and later, when we were alone, he told me that you'd told him the truth."
She could see the pain in Charles's expression, but said nothing as he continued to speak.
"What I don't understand, Mimi, is why? We've protected her all these years. Why did you tell Paul now?"
She looked tormented as she thought back to that day. It was all a feverish blur to her. "My only excuse is that I thought I was dying, and I wanted him to know before I died. He is her father, and he deserves to know the truth."
"I'm her father!" Charles countered, hurt.
"Yes, you are." She reached out and took his hand. "You've been a perfect father to Glynna, but I wanted Paul to know and to understand."
"I should have locked you in your rooms in New York and never let you out! When Glynna returns and we go back home, I think I may do just that!"
"Be nice," she scolded him. "I'm going to marry Paul."
"You're what?"
"Paul proposed and I accepted."
"That's ridiculous. He's playing you for a fool again."
"No, he's not. I still love him. I suppose I always have."
"How can you still love him after he deserted you that way? He left you pregnant and all alone!"
"I remember. But I also remember that it took two for me to get in that condition. I was a willing par ticipant. I loved him. We were happy together, and Glynna is the result of our love."
"What are you going to tell her?"
"I don't know. That's why I wanted to talk to you. I want your opinion. I don't think I should tell her the truth. She loves you. She's your daughter. I think we should leave it at that."
"I agree, but what about Paul?" No matter what his sister's feelings, he didn't trust the man. He didn't trust him at all.
"Can you go get him? Tell him we need to talk?"
Charles went in search of Paul, not at all eager for the coming conversation. He found him in the stable, and they returned to the house together.
"Is something wrong?" Paul asked when the three of them were together.
"Charles and I were discussing what we should do about Glynna. We wanted your opinion." She looked up at him, seeing the question in his eyes. "We believe the best thing to do is not to tell Glynna the truth. We think she'll be much better off if we continue to live the lie we created all those years ago. Charles is the only father she's ever known, and she's always believed Victoria was her mother. She's happy this way. I don't want to ruin her life, trying to justify my own."
Paul was quiet for a moment. His silence troubled Mimi and Charles. They feared he would go against them, and they didn't know how Glynna would react to hearing his revelations.
Paul was tormented. He had just discovered that he had a daughter! Glynna was a wonderful, beautiful girl. He wanted to embrace her fully, to let her know that he was her father, and to spend the rest of his life making up for his absence in her life and her mother's. But Paul was man enough to know that his motives were completely selfish. In wanting to tell her the truth, he only wanted to be more important in her life. He wasn't thinking of how the news would affect her.
"You're both right," he said slowly. In agreeing, he knew he was giving up the greatest gift he'd ever been given - a child. But the self-sacrifice was worth it. Most of all, he wanted Glynna's happiness.
"Thank you," they both said at the same time.
Paul lifted his troubled gaze to look at them. His expression was strained as he thought of Glynna. "Let's just hope we get the chance not to tell her."
"I would like that," Charles agreed.
"The sooner the better," Mimi said. Then, turning her gaze toward the window, she asked, "I wonder where she is. I wonder if Hunt's found her yet."
Hunt's mood was dark as he said good-bye to Painted Horse that morning. He feared that if his cousin continued his dangerous raiding off the reservation he would never see him again. Their parting was solemn. He looked back only once to find Painted Horse watching him go.
Hunt set a steady, ground-eating pace as he and Glynna headed for the Rocking M.They rode for several hours without speaking.
"You're awfully quiet." Glynna finally broke the silence between them.
"I've been thinking about Painted Horse-and worrying."
"He's chosen his path."
While Painted Horse had not harmed her in any way, his raiding party had killed Diego, and Crouching Wolf had shot Aunt Mimi. She'd never felt comfortable in the village, but with Hunt by her side, she'd felt safe. Had she been a true white captive, the experience would have been completely terrifying.
"I know raiding is not the answer for them, but I'm not sure there is an answer. The Comanche way of life is over. The white men are everywhere, and they're not going to stop coming."
"You make it sound as if you're not one of them," she remarked. "You and your father own a ranch. You've settled here."
He cast her a sidelong glance, realizing again just how innocent she was about the way of things. "I'm not accepted in the white world."
"You could be."
"Maybe things are simple back in New York City, but out here they're not. I learned that lesson when I was young, and it's one I'm not going to forget."
"What happened?"
"Let's just say, when I was fifteen I was made to understand that I wasn't as good as whites. They didn't want me around, so they ran me out of town."
Y•
He hesitated to tell Glynna about Jenny and her brothers. It was an ugly, sordid tale. He had learned a lot from it, though. After a moment's thought, he decided to go ahead and tell her, for maybe then she would understand.
"I was accused of attacking a white girl named Jenny Ross. I did kiss her, and her brothers caught us. They decided that I'd tried to ruin her, and they beat me up pretty bad."
"How bad was it?"
"I was unconscious. When I finally came to, I struggled home, packed up and left. Her father had been there looking for me. He wanted to kill me. Luckily, I got away."
"How awful! Why didn't that girl just tell them what really happened?"
"You've got to understand. She tried to tell them, but they didn't want to hear."
"Well, she obviously didn't try very hard."
"Glynna, I'm a half-breed. The truth didn't matter to them. All that mattered was that my mother was Comanche."
"Well, they were wrong. You're a human being. That kind of prejudice must have been terrible for your parents," she sympathized, trying to imagine being so hated... so ostracized. How horrible to be immediately judged as unworthy because of one's parentage, and how unfair!
"My mother died when I was young. My father had to live with it, though. That's why I was hesitant to come here to the ranch and help him. I didn't want to cause him trouble."
"But Paul said you have friends in town."
He shrugged. "A few."
"That's more than some white men can say."
He was quiet. He didn't respond.
"Tell me about your mother. What was she like?"
"We didn't live in town when she was alive, so my memories of those times are happy enough. Hon estly, though, I don't remember too much about her."
"And your father never married again?"
"No. He didn't want anyone else."
"He must have loved her very much."
"He did."
"We do have that in common," Glynna
told him. "My mother died when I was still a baby. My father never remarried, either. Aunt Mimi is the closest thing to a real mother I've ever had."
"You were fortunate to have her. I like her."
"You do?" She was surprised. She had never heard him admit to liking anyone before.
"She's honest and intelligent, and she knows a good horse when she sees one." He grinned.
"She is a very special person. I don't know what I'd do without her. She was widowed long ago, but her husband left her a lot of money. She's used it to travel and have wonderful adventures. She's the one who planned this trip for us."
"I'm glad she did," Hunt said.
"So am I."
Hunt glanced over at Glynna and thought she looked beautiful. She was riding with a natural, easy grace. He would never have guessed that she was New York City born and bred.
At the thought of Glynna's life back east, Hunt tensed. With each mile they covered, they were coming closer and closer to the end of their time together. She was promised to another man. Though she had told him that she loved him when they were making love, Hunt knew Glynna didn't belong to him. No matter how much he wanted her, it could never be. He pushed the thought away. They still had four more days together.
"I just hope Aunt Mimi's all right," she went on. "Not knowing about her condition is awful. I've tried not to think about it, but I heard her scream during the raid and I haven't been able to forget it."
"Wes and Gib were taking her straight back to the house when I left them. I'm sure they got the doe out to the ranch right away."
"Aunt Mimi had an ulterior motive for coming to Dry Creek, you know," she told him, changing the topic to distract herself from her worries.
"She did? What was it?"
"She knew Paul Chandler from years ago, and she wanted to see him again."
"Paul's a good man. She could do worse."
"I like him, too." Glynna gazed at the wilderness surrounding them. "It will be good to get back."
"Very good."
They didn't stop until late in the afternoon, when they found a small stream to camp by. Once the horses were bedded down, Glynna sought Hunt out.
"All right, Mr. McAllister, it's time."
"Time for what?" He could not imagine what she wanted.
