by Connie Mason
“Either you love Storm or you don’t. If you don’t, then I see little hope for your marriage.”
* * *
Grady decided to occupy another room that night—and the night after that. He knew Storm was still angry, her feelings confused where he was concerned. He also knew that if he slept in the same bed with her nothing could keep him from making love to her. Blade’s words had been prophetic. Without love on both sides there was little hope for their marriage. Did Storm love him as much as he loved her or did Buddy’s ghost intrude upon their happiness? Did Storm love him enough to have his children?
Grady knew that Laughing Brook had deliberately hidden Storm’s letter. Had she done other things to cause trouble? Why was he being so damn unreasonable about Laughing Brook? he wondered. He supposed he really should send her back to the reservation with one of his father’s men, but he had promised Jumping Buffalo he would bring his only surviving child safely back home when Tim no longer needed her. Why couldn’t Storm understand that his honor would be damaged if he failed to keep his word?
Storm had much to think about during those days. Seeing Grady again, making love with him, had proved indisputably that she couldn’t live without him. Besides, she knew now that Grady was telling the truth about the letter she wrote and left for him, that Laughing Brook had hidden it to keep him from following her. After careful thought she decided that he had a right to know she was carrying his child. Perhaps she had misunderstood him when he told her to leave. He was still groggy from surgery and could scarcely speak coherently.
But now that she was prepared to tell Grady about the baby and admit that a misunderstanding had occurred, Grady seemed to be avoiding her. He must be using another bedroom in the sprawling house, she thought wistfully, for he certainly wasn’t sleeping with her.
One day Shannon found Storm alone in the parlor, looking as if she’d lost her best friend. “Is something wrong, Storm?” Her concern gave Storm a warm feeling. She had come to care deeply for Blade and Shannon. “You’re not ill, are you?”
Storm shook her head. “No, not ill, just confused. Grady and I seem to be growing farther apart. When he isn’t avoiding me he is out with Blade somewhere on your endless acres. I haven’t had a conversation with him since—since the day he arrived.”
“I take it, then, that you haven’t told him about the baby.”
“No, but I intended to before he made himself scarce. I don’t think he wants me anymore. I’m not even sure he ever did.”
Shannon smiled warmly. “Believe me, dear, Grady wants you. I’m his mother and I should know. Expectant mothers often feel neglected. Are you still ill in the mornings?”
“No, that passed before Grady arrived.”
“Would you like to help me in the kitchen today? I thought I’d make Grady’s favorite meal and Tim’s favorite dessert.”
“I’d love to.” They went off arm in arm, unaware of Laughing Brook, who stood out of sight in the passageway between kitchen and parlor. She had arrived just in time to hear Shannon’s words about Storm being an expectant mother.
Seething angrily, Laughing Brook stormed from the house. She saw Grady entering the stable and hurried after him. She had to know exactly how he felt about becoming a father again. Knowing Grady as she did, she assumed he would be pleased, but she wanted to hear for herself that he and Storm had reconciled. If he wasn’t pleased about the coming child, then there was still hope for her.
Grady was at the end of his tether. He was ready to shout to the world that he loved Storm, but he wasn’t sure she was ready to hear it. For the past several days he had all but ignored her, allowing her time to sort through her feelings. The simple truth was that he loved Storm and couldn’t live without her. He intended to do all in his power to make her love him as much as she had loved Buddy. He was so engrossed in his thoughts, he didn’t hear Laughing Brook enter the stable. The crunch of her moccasins on the fresh hay was his first indication that he wasn’t alone. Laughing Brook touched his elbow and he whirled to face her.
“Laughing Brook! What are you doing here? Are you looking for Soars-Like-An-Eagle?” Grady was aware of Soars-Like-An-Eagle’s tender feelings for Laughing Brook and wondered why the young brave wasn’t more forceful with her. She needed a strong hand to tame her.
“It is you I wish to speak to, Thunder. We have not been alone since we reached Peaceful Valley.”
Grady sucked in a quick breath. He sincerely hoped Laughing Brook wasn’t going to attempt another seduction. He was getting damn tired of it. “I’m busy, Laughing Brook. What is it you wanted?”
Her eyes luminous, she clutched desperately at his arm. “I don’t want to go back to the reservation. I want to stay with you and Tim.”
“That’s not possible,” Grady said. “There is room for only one woman in my house and that woman is Storm. She’s my wife.”
Laughing Brook was growing desperate. “I will be your second wife.”
“I only need one wife.” Perhaps if he repeated it often enough she would get the message.
“Is it because Storm is carrying your child? Is that why you are willing to take her back?”
Grady went still. “What did you say?”
“Storm will give you weak children. I can give you strong children; sons and daughters like Little Buffalo, with the blood of the People flowing through their veins.”
Grady gave her an exasperated shake. “What did you say about Storm? What makes you think she is carrying my child?”
Laughing Brook saw her mistake instantly. She suddenly realized that Grady hadn’t been told about the child. He gripped her arms so tightly she winced, fearing he wouldn’t let her go until she answered his question.
“Do you hear me, Laughing Brook? Who told you Storm was pregnant?”
“I heard her talking with your mother,” Storm said with marked reluctance.
“Are you certain? Absolutely certain?” His fingers bit cruelly into the soft flesh of her upper arms.
“Yes! I know what I heard.”
A string of curses spewed from Grady’s mouth. Without another word he flung her away and strode out the door. The taut set of jaw and brusque, jerky steps gave a hint of his great anger. Laughing Brook breathed a sigh of relief and sank down on a bale of hay when she realized that his anger wasn’t directed at her, as she had assumed.
Laughing Brook started violently as Soars-Like-An-Eagle stepped from the shadows. “Why do you shame yourself with Thunder? Offering yourself to a man who does not want you brings you no honor.”
“Where did you come from? Were you spying on me?”
“I was not spying. My work often takes me to the stable.”
“I suppose you heard everything.”
“Enough to know that Thunder cannot be seduced. A fool can see that Thunder loves his wife. Why do you continue to badger him? When we are joined I will be the only man in your life.”
“I will marry no one but Thunder.”
“Storm carries his child.” A dull red crept up Laughing Brook’s face. “It is time you learned that I will be your husband. I have allowed you to have your own way in hope that you would get over your infatuation with Thunder. Your father has already given me permission to join with you. I will take you back to the reservation myself, where we will be joined according to the rites of the People.”
“You spout foolishness,” Laughing Brook scoffed, turning away.
Soar-Like-An-Eagle’s face grew dark as he swung her around to face him. “I speak the truth. You have been spoiled shamelessly by your family and need a strong hand to rule you. Swift Blade has offered me a permanent position on the ranch and I have accepted. He is pleased with my way with horses and my hard work. We will have a good life, Laughing Brook. Peaceful Valley is a healthy place in which to raise our children.”
“I will have no children by you.”
She peered timidly at Soars-Like-An-Eagle through a curtain of long sooty lashes. His forceful manner b
oth surprised and thrilled her. It was true he was handsome, perhaps every bit as handsome as Thunder, but he had never been particularly aggressive or forceful before. Suddenly she saw him in a new light. Tall and solidly built, his hawkish features and high cheekbones bore evidence of his proud heritage. He was a fierce warrior even though he had chosen a different path from Thunder.
“I have been too lenient,” Soars-Like-An-Eagle said as he planted his feet solidly before Laughing Brook. Grasping her arms, he pulled her roughly to her feet. “You are mine,” he said fiercely. “If I didn’t know Thunder was an honorable man, I would never have allowed you to accompany him to his homestead.”
His black eyes glittered as he lowered his head and with slow relish placed his lips on the exact spot where her shoulder met her neck.
She tried to pull away. Soars-Like-An-Eagle could feel her tension, the flutter of her pulse beneath his lips, the feverish warmth of her skin, and his heart soared. It pleased him to know that Laughing Brook wasn’t as immune to him as she’d like him to believe.
“Do you like that, little one?”
“No! Not from you,” Laughing Brook denied in a voice not quite believable.
Soars-Like-An-Eagle laughed. “What about this?” His lips roamed upward, dancing across her throat, her cheek, before pressing against her mouth with firm insistence.
It was Laughing Brook’s first real kiss, and she groaned in response to the magic touch of his warm lips against hers. Liquid fire surged through her veins, and Laughing Brook forgot for a moment that it was Soars-Like-An-Eagle and not Thunder who was kissing her. The kiss seemed to go on forever, until Laughing Brook felt dizzy and her head began to whirl. When he released her she fell back against him, staring up at him with an arrested look on her face, making no effort to move away.
“Laughing Brook,” Soars-Like-An-Eagle groaned, “you don’t know how long I’ve waited for this moment. I have loved you for many years. It’s been agony waiting for you to grow up.”
Laughing Brook swallowed convulsively as she felt his hands on her breasts, touching her where no man had touched her before, and when they slid down to cup her buttocks and pull her close, she felt the hard thrust of his manhood nudge the soft roundness of her stomach.
“You belong to me, little one. From now on you will leave Thunder alone. If you make a fool of yourself over another man again I will beat you. Do you hear me!”
Mutely, Laughing Brook nodded, shocked and enthralled by the change in Soars-Like-An-Eagle. Her eyes grew round as saucers as he swept her up in his arms and carried her to an empty stall, where they would be hidden from view. She gasped aloud when he lowered her to the mound of sweet-smelling hay he had placed there just this morning and dropped to his knees beside her.
Chapter Nineteen
Grady left the stable in a rage, his expression thunderous. How dare Storm keep something as important as having a child from him! he fumed angrily. She’d had plenty of time to tell him he was going to be a father since his arrival. What made his anger even more profound was the fact that she had said nothing when he asked her pointedly if she wanted children. Her silence had led him to believe she didn’t want his children. He tried to bring his temper under control before he entered the house, but his jerky steps and murderous expression gave him away.
Shannon took one look at him as he strode through the parlor and felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. She hurried after him.
“Grady, wait! Has something upset you?”
“Where’s Storm, Mother?”
“I sent her upstairs to rest a few minutes ago. Can’t it wait?”
“I think not.” His face was set in grim lines, his mouth taut.
“Has Storm done something to displease you?”
“You could say that, Mother. Why am I the last to know my wife is carrying my child? You did know, did you not? And I imagine Father knows too.”
Shannon blanched. She knew it was wrong of Storm to keep her state of impending motherhood from Grady, but she had expected Storm to inform Grady in her own good time. Obviously Grady had stumbled across the information on his own and was in a rage over being kept deliberately uninformed.
“We knew, son, and Storm would have told you very soon, I’m sure of it. Don’t go to her now. Give yourself time to calm down before confronting her.”
“I’m sorry, Mother. This can’t wait.” Turning on his heel, he mounted the stairs.
“If you hurt Storm, I’ll never forgive you,” Shannon called after him.
Suddenly Grady went still. He turned slowly and faced his mother. “I’ve given you little reason to be proud of me these last few years, Mother, but I would never stoop to abusing a woman.” Then he turned and continued up the stairs.
Alone in her room, Storm had taken off her dress and petticoat and stretched out on the bed. She did seem to tire more easily these days, and the afternoon heat was oppressive. The sheets were cool against her cheek and she closed her eyes. But no matter how hard she tried to drift off to sleep, thoughts of Grady kept intruding. If he continued to avoid her, she would have to track him down and tell him about their child. Soon no one would be able to mistake her condition.
Her stomach was no longer flat. A little bulge protruded where once she had been slightly concave. Her breasts were larger than she could ever remember them being, and somewhat tender to the touch. But it was her narrow waist where the most noticeable difference lay. It was at least two inches thicker than it had been before her pregnancy, and she had already let out the seams in her dresses. She knew if she and Grady had been on intimate terms these past days he would have noticed the changes immediately.
As if just thinking of him had conjured him up, the door flew open and Grady stepped into the room. She didn’t notice his glowering expression as she cried out his name in joyful welcome. It wasn’t until he slammed the door behind him and stomped toward the bed that she knew something was amiss.
“What is it, Grady? Are you angry about something?”
“You could say that.”
“Do you want to tell me about it?”
“Oh, I’ll tell you, all right. But first, take off your clothes.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Take off your clothes—all of them.”
Storm’s mouth went dry. “If you want to make love, you have only to ask. What’s wrong? I’ve never seen you like this before.”
“I’ve never been this angry before. Are you going to take off your clothes or must I do it for you?”
A tremor of fear snaked down Storm’s spine. She had a good idea what had angered Grady. She took her time removing her underwear, stockings, and shift. When she lay naked and vulnerable to his penetrating gaze she glanced up at Grady, taking heart when she saw something flicker in his eyes. But it quickly passed, replaced by simmering anger. She started violently when he bent down and placed a large callused hand on the swelling beneath her ribcage.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Hearing that I’m to become a father in a roundabout way makes me furious.”
“I wanted to tell you. I truly intended to tell you.”
“When? After I discovered it for myself?”
“If you hadn’t been avoiding me, I would have told you days ago.” Her voice was rising steadily. How dare he direct his anger at her when she was guilty of nothing. She would have told him in her own good time.
“When am I to be a father?” he asked in a voice far too calm for her liking. She feared his icy contempt more than she feared his anger.
“In six months.”
“I see. And what would you have done if I had gone back to Oklahoma alone as you insisted?”
Storm’s chin jutted out at a stubborn angle. “I would have survived.” Suddenly she flung his hand aside and jerked upright. “And get your hands off me. I won’t let you intimidate me. You might frighten big bad gunslingers, but you don’t frighten me.”
Grady rocked back on his heels, shaken b
y Storm’s words. Good Lord, had he sunken so low that he resorted to intimidating pregnant women? “I’m not trying to frighten you, Storm,” he said more reasonably. “I just want to know why you saw fit to keep your pregnancy a secret from me. Did you think I wouldn’t want our child?”
“I didn’t know what to think,” Storm admitted shakily. “I told you before, I thought you no longer wanted me in your life. When you showed up at Peaceful Valley with Laughing Brook I assumed you preferred her to me. Telling you about our baby would have only complicated matters.”
“For the last time, I never told you to leave. What you thought you heard wasn’t what I said. I was wounded and helpless when you left. Laughing Brook stayed to care for me and Tim. I’ve always wanted you, Storm. Grandfather Spirit predicted long before I knew you that I must meet and conquer the Storm before I would find peace. I believe the Storm he spoke of was you. He also said Thunder can exist only in the bosom of Storm.”
“I don’t understand,” Storm said softly. A glimmer of hope soared in her heart, but she desperately wanted to hear Grady say the words. She had waited so long.
“I think you do, lady,” Grady admitted in a rare moment of confidence. He dropped to the bed beside her, his voice harsh with emotion. “I know I can never take the place of Buddy, but dammit, Storm, I love you. I know your first husband was special to you, just as Summer Sky was special to me. But since I met you I’ve come to realize that Summer Sky was the love of my youth. You’re the love of my life.”
Storm was so shocked by Grady’s admission, her voice froze in her throat. Grady loved her! Truly loved her.
“You don’t know how sorry I am that I had a hand in Buddy’s death. If I could bring him back I would.”
“Stop!” Getting to her knees, Storm threw herself at Grady. He opened his arms and brought her against his heart. “What’s done is done. Of course I loved Buddy. He was the only man I ever really knew, the friend and companion of my childhood. But we had such a short time together as man and wife that I never really had a chance to know him as a lover.”
