Wild Lilly (15 page)

Her heart ached for him, remembering how his parents had recently been murdered. “I can’t sell my land just because of Lee. If I did, I’d be reinforcing that he can do whatever he wants to whoever he wants and get away with it.” She traced a finger over his chest and continued in a soft voice, “Besides, I’m thinking about keeping that land so I have a proper dowry when I get married.”

The words hung between them and she regretted her own boldness. Despite the intimacy of their interactions, Paul McGregor was still very much a stranger to her. Replaying the words in her mind, she hoped she didn’t sound desperate for a husband when she said that.

Keeping his gaze lowered, he rubbed his cheek over hers. “Whoever marries you will be the luckiest man in the world.”

Three sharp whistles pierced the air again and he frowned in the direction of the camp. “Time to go, sweetheart. Those three whistles are Morning Hawk’s way of telling us we have company.”

She stretched like a cat. Her headache was gone, but reality slowly started to filter past the haze of her pleasure. With a sigh, she looked toward the camp and picked some leaves out of her braids. “Let’s go see who’s here.”

Chapter Nine

My People

Paul dropped Lilly’s hand and moved in front of her as they swished through the tall grass toward the teepee. The sun had almost completely set and twilight descended over the plains. Morning Hawk and his wife stood with three Indian braves and their horses. The braves all had stoic expressions on their faces, their dark eyes unreadable above their knife-sharp cheekbones.

She examined the men with wide eyes. Each wore only a loincloth and buckskin leggings, exposing more hard male flesh than she had seen in her entire life. Outside of her Grand-mère’s paintings, that was. All three also had geometric tattoos on their bodies, and one had a tattoo covering half his face.

Corina took a deep breath as they approached and started toward them, but was held back by Morning Hawk’s hand on her shoulder. Paul stopped before they reached the men, and each group measured the other. The crunch of the horses grazing on grass was the only sound that broke the silence.

She started to walk forward, but Paul put an arm up, blocking her way.

“What is going on,” she whispered into Paul’s ear. Corina gave her an apologetic look but didn’t make a move toward them.

“Morning Hawk, who are your visitors?” Paul voice was mild.

“These are my tribesmen. They have come to visit the graves of their ancestors. This is Sleeping Bear.”

Morning Hawk gestured to the tall man with impressive muscles and tattoos on his chest and shoulders. His hair was parted down the middle, and the center of his scalp was painted red.

“Sun Eagle.”

The brave with the bone-bead necklace and sculpted cheekbones continued to stare at them. Tattoos covered his muscled chest and torso in a complex series of circles and lines. His ears were pierced by silver wire strung with small turquoise beads.

“And my brother, Winter Mist.” A sneer lifted the thin lip of the brave with gold hoop earrings and a yellow stripe of paint going down the center of his head.

Paul tipped his head in their direction. “Pleased to meet you.”

Winter Mist spit on the soil and the Comanche men began to argue in heated voices. Morning Hawk gestured toward them while his brother paced the ground like a lion getting ready to pounce. Sun Eagle joined in, pointing at Lilly with an angry expression and taking a step toward her. Paul tensed and put his hand on the butt of his gun.

Corina moved slowly to their side and said in a hurried whisper, “Sun Eagle and Winter Mist want to take Lilly hostage. The government has taken away more of our land, and they want to use her to negotiate. Morning Hawk is trying to argue against it, but it’s Sleeping Bear that I am worried about.”

Morning Hawk saw Corina talking to them and yelled something at her. She strode quickly back to his side, her shoulders stiff as she kept her eyes on the ground.

“Paul, what are we going to do?” Lilly pressed herself against his back so tightly she moved with his breath.

“I don’t know,” Paul answered in an apprehensive voice. “The Comanche signed a peace agreement in 1874, but if the land of their reservation has been taken away, it may push them into war.”

“War?”

“Yeah. You didn’t think the Indian Wars were a thing of the past, did you?”

She didn’t answer. The tales of the Indian Wars that she read about seemed like something that happened a long time ago in a land far away. She silently cursed herself for her ignorance in getting them into this situation. What was she thinking, riding off by herself as if she were the only person in the world?

The angry shouts were interrupted by a deep and low voice. Sleeping Bear spoke, and the men immediately listened. Whatever he said did not go over well with Winter Mist and Sun Eagle, but they ceased their argument after one sharp word from Sleeping Bear. Corina’s eyes darted over the two groups and Morning Hawk’s face closed into an impersonal mask.

“I think Sleeping Bear is a leader of some kind,” Paul muttered back to Lilly.

“You think so?” she asked in a sarcastic whisper.

Morning Hawk murmured something to Corina and she ran over to them, her face tight with worry. “Sleeping Bear has ordered that Lilly will be taken back to the reservation, where the tribal council will decide what to do with her. They do not know she owns this land. Morning Hawk told them she is a schoolteacher from back east living in Caldwell. Paul, they will let you go.”

He growled out, “No way in Hell.”

Corina blew a stiff breath out of her nose. “That’s what I thought. Morning Hawk is trying to negotiate for you to come with her. They respect your trade status with the tribe. It might be enough to grant you access.”

Lilly rubbed the side of her head. The dull ache had returned with a vengeance. “What should I do, Corina? If we try to leave, what will they do?”

“If you try to run, they will catch you. They would lose face as warriors of the tribe if you managed to escape.”

Corina glanced over her shoulder at the men. Sleeping Bear was observing them closely, especially Lilly. He tilted his head and the long, thin beaded braid of his hair slid over his wide shoulder. “Paul, if they let you come with us, there’s something you need to understand.”

He did not take his eyes off the group of men, now illuminated by the light of the fire. “What’s that?”

Corina smoothed back a wisp of Lilly’s braid. “Sleeping Bear is attracted to Lilly. This is a good thing and also bad.”

Paul placed a possessive arm around Lilly’s wrist and hissed, “He will touch her over my dead body.”

Corina stepped in front of Paul, blocking his view of the braves and forcing him to see her. “If you die, Lilly will be out there all alone. I will do what I can for her, but I must bow to the wishes of my tribe. You have to keep your jealousy under control, Paul. You are not her husband.”

“Tell them we’re married,” Lilly blurted out over Paul’s shoulder. He turned to look at her, his eyes wide with shock, and she blushed hard enough to make her head throb.

He raised his hand to stroke her face, but Corina stopped him. “No. They know you’re not married. If you show your affection for her, they will think she is a woman of loose morals. You must hide your fondness for each other.”

Morning Hawk called out to Corina, and she turned back to them with a grim expression. “They are ready to talk to you. Remember, no touching. Some of the Comanche understand English, Sleeping Bear especially, so don’t assume what you say is private.”

Creeping Fox had joined the men, and he stood next to Sun Eagle and Winter Mist, all three of them sneering as Paul and Lilly entered the firelight. Corina gestured to Sleeping Bear across the fire, and spoke to him in a pleading tone. Sleeping Bear let his eyes roam over Lilly’s figure, returning to her face with an inscrutable expression. She was held by his dark eyes in the firelight, a tall man with a smooth, muscled chest. He was as big as the bear he was named after.

Morning Hawk spoke first. “Paul Strong Horse, you will be allowed to come with Lilly, as her escort, to make sure she comes to no harm. Sleeping Bear wishes to take Lilly to see the reservation. He is aware she comes from a powerful family, and he hopes she will use her influence to speak to the government about the suffering of our people.”

She opened her mouth to protest, then shut it quickly when Paul stepped on her toe. He continued to study the braves, but kept his foot on her moccasin.

“Tell them I would be honored to see the tribe. And I will report fairly of the conditions of their people, and my treatment by the tribe.” She held Sleeping Bear’s gaze as she finished speaking the last part, challenging him.

The braves behind Sleeping Bear gaped in surprise as he laughed. He nodded at Lilly and offered in a rough accent, “No harm will come to you, Lilly.”

“Good,” she squeaked and cleared her throat. “I will take your word on it.”

Paul moved closer to Lilly, ignoring Corina’s warning glare. “When do we get to leave?”

Morning Hawk answered. “You will stay with us for three days. Then you are both free to return home.”

“If that is what you wish,” Sleeping Bear added, a predatory gleam in his eye as he inspected Lilly. Paul began to reach for Lilly when Corina interrupted.

“It’s getting late, and Lilly is hurt. She needs to get some rest before the long ride tomorrow.”

The men continued to observe each other, and Corina let out an exasperated huff and pulled Lilly into the teepee. Low voices rumbled outside as Lilly leaned back on her furry buffalo skin and rubbed her temples.

Keeping her voice low, she asked, “Corina, how much trouble am I in?”

Corina arranged the buffalo rugs around the fire in the center of the large teepee and added another log. The wood snapped and a spark flew up through the smoke hole. She didn’t answer Lilly, but spooned some of the stew into two bowls for them.

“Here, eat this. You’ll need your strength for the ride tomorrow.” Corina crossed her legs and sat on the buffalo skin next to hers. Her green eyes darted over Lilly’s face.

She took the bowl as her stomach rumbled. “Thank you.”

They ate in silence, Corina glancing at the closed flap of the teepee.

“I’m not sure how much trouble you’re in,” Corina finally replied, brushing back her long, auburn braid. “They have made a promise that you can leave after three days, but I believe Sleeping Bear is going to try to win you from Paul.”

“Why in the world does he want me so badly?”

Corina arched a brow and said in a wry voice, “Aside from being young and beautiful? Sleeping Bear’s first love was a white woman with blond hair. She resembled you a little. She died of cholera and he never really got over it. His father is the tribal shaman. He had a vision when Sleeping Bear was born that his life would be saved by a white woman, with light eyes, who loved him.”

Lilly ate another spoonful of stew, turning over Corina’s words. “Is that why the other men listen to him? Because he’s the son of the shaman?”

“Yes, but he’s also a formidable warrior. He is greatly feared on the battlefield and vicious when his anger is roused. Sun Eagle is his blood brother and will abide by his wishes.” Corina set the empty bowl aside with a sigh.

Morning Hawk lifted the flap of the teepee and spoke quietly with Corina. She turned away as they shared a gentle kiss, and he left with an armful of furry buffalo hides.

“Morning Hawk and the men will sleep at the campfire tonight. I realize this is all very strange, but try to get some sleep. Paul is right outside if you need him.”

Corina moved about the room, singing softly to herself as she cleaned and arranged the family’s possessions for the move. Lilly lay down and examined the firelight on the wall, snuggling beneath the blanket Corina placed on her. There was so much to consider, but the only thought in her head before she fell asleep was the sinfully magical time spent with Paul by the river.

Late the next afternoon, Lilly had her first glimpse of Corina’s tribe. It was a massive gathering of horses, campfires, and people. At least a hundred teepees pierced the sky, different-colored ribbons and feathers on top of each teepee’s long pole. A few horses wandered around the campsite, but most grazed in a large herd next to the camp, supervised by men and boys on horseback.

Her eyes grew wide as she tried to take it all in. The tribe was so much bigger than she’d ever imagined, and this was one of many tribes that roamed the plains. Whistles sounded the air as they approached, and a half-dozen children ran to greet them. The children wore the same clothes as the adults, but their buckskins were even more heavily ornamented with beading. They shied back from Paul and Lilly, but chattered excitedly to the native men. Sleeping Bear rode on one side of Lilly, and Paul on the other. Neither man spoke to her during the long journey south and neither budged an inch from her side. All of her comments were met with grunts and single-word answers, so she just gave up and let them glare at each other.

Storm pranced uneasily at the unfamiliar smells and snorted at a dog that got too close. She ran a soothing hand over his side. Catching Paul’s eye, she tried to smile past her unease. He gave her a wink and turned his attention back to the braves. He had been acting oddly all morning, but she chalked it up to the situation they found themselves in.