Tales of Western Romance (32 page)

“
Why would anyone be following
us?”

Blue Hawk shook head. “I don’t know,” he
said, but it wasn’t entirely true. He could only think of one
person who would be following them, and only one reason why. He
turned in a slow circle, his gaze searching the trees and brush
growing near the river’s edge for the warrior who was stalking
them.

He had his back to Lynnie when she let out a
startled shriek. Whirling around, Blue Hawk ducked just in time to
dodge the knife in Ese’henahkohe’s hand.

With a wild cry, the warrior spun around and
charged again.

Blue Hawk threw himself to the left to avoid
the blade, pivoted quickly, and tripped the warrior when he came
charging back a third time. Before the warrior could regain his
feet, Blue Hawk was on him, pinning him to the ground with a knee
in the small of his back. Catching hold of the warrior’s knife
hand, he slammed it against the ground until Ese’henahkohe released
it.

Blue Hawk grabbed the weapon and pressed the
blade against the side of the warrior’s neck, just under his ear.
“Why did you attack me?” he asked, in Cheyenne.

“
I want the woman. I captured her. She
is mine.”

“
She is not yours. You dishonor
yourself by trying to take that which belongs to me.”

“
You are not one of us,” the warrior
said, his voice thick with scorn. “There is no dishonor in stealing
from our enemies.”

And no changing his mind,
Blue Hawk
thought. Grabbing a handful of the warrior’s hair, he jerked his
head back and laid the edge of the blade against his throat. “I
will have your word that you will leave me and my woman alone,” he
said, “or I will cut your throat here and now.”

The warrior said nothing, though Blue Hawk
felt his body grow taut.

When the warrior remained mute, Blue Hawk put
enough pressure on the knife to draw blood. “Your word,” he
repeated curtly.

“
You have it,” Ese’henahkohe
said.

Rising, Blue Hawk backed away from the
warrior, the knife at the ready, just in case.

Ese’henahkohe rose slowly to his feet, his
expression wary. Then, head held high, he walked swiftly back
toward the camp.

Lynnie let out the breath she’d been holding.
“Why did he try to kill you?”

“
Don’t you know?”

She shook her head.

“
He wants you, and the only way to get
you is through me.”

Lynnie stared up at him for a moment, then
sank to the ground. “What did you say to him?”

“
I asked him to give me his word that
he wouldn’t try anything like that again.”

“
And you believed him?” she asked
incredulously.

Blue Hawk nodded, then offered her his hand.
“Come on, I think we’d better go back.”

She let him pull her to her feet, sighed when
he drew her into his arms.

“
It’s all right, Lynnie. He won’t try
it again.”

Taking her by the hand, Blue Hawk started
back toward the village. He glanced at her from time to time. It
was easy to see what she was thinking, so he wasn’t surprised when
she said, “I want to go home.”

“
Right now?”

She nodded. “It’s not just because of what
happened today,” she said. “I know I said we could stay for a few
days, but I can’t. I have people depending on me. Jase and the
cowboys will be back by now. If they come looking for me…” She
shook her head, not wanting to think of what might happen if there
was a fight between the Indians and her cowhands. But it was more
than that. She had responsibilities at the ranch, a payroll to
meet, bills to pay, supplies she had ordered that were waiting to
be picked up. “I’m sorry.” She bit down on her lower lip. “It’s not
just that. My father loved the ranch. It was his whole life. When
he was dying, I promised him that I’d look after it.”

“
It’s all right, Lynnie,” he said,
giving her hand a squeeze. “I’ll take you home
tomorrow.”

She nodded, afraid to ask if he would stay
with her when they returned to the ranch, or if he would come back
here and live with the Cheyenne.

* * * * *

She didn’t know how Daniel accomplished it,
but the Cheyenne not only returned her horses, but sent three
warriors along with them to help drive the herd back to the
ranch.

Once the ranch house was in sight, the
warriors turned back.

“
Why did they leave in such a hurry?”
Lynnie asked, staring after them. “I didn’t even get a chance to
thank them.”

“
They probably wanted to avoid a
fight.”

“
A fight? I don’t understand…” Her
words trailed off at the sound of horses coming up fast behind her.
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Jase and a half-dozen cowhands
riding toward her, their rifles drawn.

Lynnie held up her hand as they drew closer.
“Stop!”

Jase reined his horse to a dirt-scattering
halt and the cowboys pulled up behind him. “Dammit, woman, they’re
getting away!”

“
They returned our horses,” Lynnie
said. “Put up your rifles.”

Jase stared at her as if she had lost her
mind. “Adele said they kidnapped you and ran off the rough
string.”

“
It’s true,” Lynnie replied calmly.
“And then they let me go and returned the horses.” She smiled at
Daniel. “Thanks to our new hand.”

“
Redskin was probably in on it,” Jase
said, his voice thick with accusation.

“
That’s enough, Jase,” Lynnie said
curtly. “Get these horses corralled. Now.”

Jase’s eyes narrowed as he glanced from
Lynnie to Blue Hawk and back again. “You heard what the boss said,”
he hollered. “Let’s round ‘em up.”

“
I don’t think he likes taking orders
from a woman,” Blue Hawk remarked as he watched the cowhands drive
the herd toward home.

“
I know.”

Blue Hawk grunted softly. Jase Abbott was
going to be trouble, no two ways about it.

Blue Hawk rode the remaining distance to the
house beside Lynnie. Dismounting, he tossed the dun’s reins over
the hitching post, then lifted her from the saddle of the
palomino.

“
Thank you. Will you come to
dinner?”

“
Sure.”

“
I’ll see you then,” she said. “Right
now, all I want is a hot bath.”

Blue Hawk grinned at her. “Sounds good.”
Conscious of watching eyes, he took up the reins of both horses and
headed for the barn, wondering how long it would take before Abbott
confronted him.

Not long, as it turned out. Blue Hawk had
just finished locking the door on the palomino’s stall when Abbott
barged into the barn, flanked by two of the cowhands.

“
We don’t want you here,” the foreman
said, his voice flat. “Ain’t no place on the ranch for a dirty
half-breed.”

“
Is that right?”

Abbott nodded. “Take one of the horses and
ride on out of here. Do that, and there won’t be any trouble.”

Blue Hawk shook his head. “I don’t take my
orders from you.”

“
No? Well, you’d better by damn start
if you know what’s good for you.” Abbott took a step forward. “I’m
aimin’ to marry the boss and I don’t like the way you’re sniffing
around her skirts.”

Blue Hawk blew out a deep breath. “I’m not
leaving. If that means I have to fight you and every cowboy on the
ranch, then let’s get started.”

Abbott glared at him.

“
What are you waiting for?” Blue Hawk
asked, gesturing for Abbott to come closer. “Let’s do
it.”

Abbott took a step forward.

Blue Hawk waited until Abbott cocked his
fist, and then he broke the foreman’s nose.

Abbott howled as blood sprayed from his nose.
And the fight was over.

Blue Hawk rubbed his knuckles as Abbott and
his cronies hurried out of the barn.

Grinning, he muttered, “Thanks,
Neyho
.” His father had always told him the best way to win a
fight was to draw first blood.

His father had been a hell of a warrior back
in the day. Two Hawks Flying had been a name to be reckoned with.
He had taught Blue Hawk how to read trail sign, how to find food
and water, how to navigate the prairie using the sun or the stars
as his guide.

In the old days, Cheyenne males had been
taught from childhood that war was the noblest pursuit, the only
road for a true warrior to follow. Blue Hawk recalled the stories
his father had told him, stories recounting the thrill of battle.
Among Cheyenne warriors, the bravest feat of all had been to count
coup on a living enemy and live to tell the tale. Blue Hawk had
often heard the story of his grandfather, Black Owl, who had ridden
out in front of his people. Alone, and armed with only a coup
stick, he had ridden through the enemy line, counted coup on one of
the Ute warriors, then turned and ridden back to his own people. It
was a story Blue Hawk and his brothers had heard many times while
growing up.

They had been taught that dying in battle was
not to be feared. A man who died in battle was spared the miseries
and frailties of old age. In the old days, when a man was very sick
or had lost the will to live, he would decide to give his body to
the enemy. He would then ride into battle unarmed, counting coup on
as many of the enemy as he could before they struck him down.

For as long as he could remember, Blue Hawk
had yearned to be a warrior like his father. Shadow had known Crazy
Horse and Gall, Sitting Bull and Geronimo, Laughing Wolf and Calf
Running and Black Elk. Great warriors, all.

And now he was here, torn between his
yearning to ride with the Cheyenne and his desire for a woman.

If only it was possible to have both.

* * * * *

Lynnie dressed with care that night in a navy
blue dress that flattered her figure. She brushed her hair until it
shone, then pulled it back with a pair of tortoiseshell combs that
had belonged to her grandmother.

After a last look in the mirror, she made her
way downstairs and went into the kitchen where Adele was putting
the finishing touches on dinner.

“
Smells wonderful,” Lynnie
said.

“
My best pot roast,” Adele said, “with
new potatoes and freshly shelled peas. And apple pie for
dessert.”

“
I don’t know what I’d do without you,”
Lynnie said. A knock at the door made her heart skip a beat. “He’s
here!”

“
Dinner will be ready when you are,”
Adele said.

With a nod, Lynnie hurried into the foyer.
She paused, taking a deep, calming breath, before opening the door.
“Come in.”

“
Thank you.” He whistled softly. “You
look lovely.”

She smiled, pleased by his words and the
admiration in her eyes.

“
I would have dressed for dinner,” he
said, crossing the threshold, “but this is all I’ve
got.”

“
We’ll have to go into town and buy you
a change of clothes,” Lynnie said, leading the way into the
parlor.

“
No need.”

At his words, her heart skipped a beat. Did
he intend to return to the Cheyenne then?

He winked at her. “I’ll buy my own when I’ve
earned my keep.”

“
You’re already earned it,” she said,
relieved that he intended to stay. “A change of clothes is a small
price to pay for rescuing me and saving the herd.”

Blue Hawk thought that over a minute, then
nodded. “Okay, boss.”

“
Dinner’s ready, if you’re
hungry.”

“
Yes, ma’am, I surely am.”

* * * * *

Lynnie was as good as her word. Next morning,
after breakfast, she had one of the hands hitch up the team and she
and Blue Hawk drove into town.

He glanced from side to side as she drove
down Elm Creek’s main street. The post office and the sheriff’s
office were made of brick. Most of the other buildings were made of
wood; many had false fronts, giving them the appearance of
two-story buildings. Times hadn’t changed much, he thought. Most of
the businesses here were similar to the ones back in Bear Valley –
clothing stores, shoe shops, candy store, doctors and dentists, a
lawyer’s office. The main difference was in the number of
saloons.

Lynnie brought the team to a halt in front of
Crosby’s Mercantile. Blue Hawk tied up the team, then lifted Lynnie
from the wagon seat, his hands lingering at her waist. She looked
as pretty and fresh as a daisy in a yellow shirtwaist and long
brown skirt.

With a murmured, “Thank you,” she stepped up
on the boardwalk.

Blue Hawk followed her into the mercantile.
There were rows and rows of shelves and counters filled with all
manner of merchandise, cook pots and pans, barrels of sugar and
flour and pickles, a cabinet filled with cures for all manner of
diseases, many of which he’d never heard of, boxes of cigars, sacks
of tobacco and papers for cigarettes, a shelf that held a number of
firearms and a variety of knives.

Lynnie by-passed them all and headed for the
back of the store where several shelves held men’s pants, shirts,
and footwear. “Pick out whatever you like,” she said.

With a nod, he selected a pair of black
whipcord pants and a gray wool shirt.

“
I like this one,” Lynnie said, picking
up a dark blue shirt.

With a nod, Blue Hawk started to put the gray
shirt back on the shelf, but she stayed his hand. “I think you
should have both.” She held up her hand when he started to object.
“I won’t take no for an answer.”

“
You’re the boss.”