Yellowstone Heart Song (Yellowstone Romance Series Book 1) (15 page)

“Ask him if it hurts when I press here.”  Elk Runner shook his head when Daniel translated.

“She has a gentle hand.” Elk Runner grinned at Daniel. “But you would not know this, would you, White Wolf?” 

Daniel’s eyes narrowed. Irrational jealousy swept over him, seeing her hands all over his brother’s stomach. His own gut tightened. She worked the tips of the sharp scissors under each of her stitching, and pulled the cut strings through the skin.

“There. Done. It looks really good,” Aimee said. Daniel clenched and unclenched his jaw when she favored his brother with a radiant smile. 

“My wife would like to present a gift to
Dosa haiwi
,” Elk Runner said formally after Aimee stepped away from him.

“Whatever you do, don’t refuse anything,” Daniel warned her. Her head tilted up, and she raised her eyebrows in a silent question.

Little Bird, Elk Runner’s wife, stepped forward next to her husband. She was a short, plump woman. His brother’s newest son rode in a sling at her hip, crying heartily. Unaffected by the screaming infant, Little Bird held out a large animal skin for Aimee. She smiled and gestured for her to take it.

Aimee’s face lit up, and she returned the smile as she took the gift offered to her. She stroked the fine sheepskin coat, the workmanship of the finest quality. The Tukudeka were known for their excellent leatherwork, and their hides were highly valued.

“We are forever grateful to
Dosa haiwi
for saving my husband’s life,” the woman said.

Daniel translated, omitting the Indian name they had given her.

“It’s beautiful!” Aimee exclaimed. “And so soft. Thank you,” she smiled and nodded brightly at Elk Runner’s wife. Then she turned to him.  “How do you say thank you in their language?”

“
Aishen
,” he answered.

“Aishen,” Aimee said to the Indian woman.

“Eh shun,” Daniel corrected her pronunciation. Aimee repeated the word again. The woman nodded and smiled.

Several of the children gathered around Aimee, staring at her in fascination. A few of the bolder kids touched the fabric of her pants, then shyly retreated.

“It’s okay,” Aimee smiled warmly at them. “You can touch.” She kneeled down and held out her hand, and gestured to the little ones to come back to her. Instantly, half a dozen smaller children encircled her. All of them touched her hair in wonder. Aimee took it all in with a smile. Little Bird finally shooed the children off. Her infant was still squirming and crying in his sack on her hip, and she finally took him out to hold him.

“We should speak with the Absaroka warriors,” Elk Runner said. “Hear what they say about the Blackfoot raid.”

Daniel glanced at Aimee. Elk Runner slapped him on the back.

“Little Bird will look after her. Come, White Wolf. Your woman is not a child that needs to hang onto your shirt tails.”

“If you were not my brother, I would slit your throat,” Daniel growled. When had he turned into such a fool? Elk Runner laughed heartily, and headed toward the warriors. To save face, Daniel followed without a backward glance at Aimee.

 ****

Aimee’s gaze followed Daniel as he walked off. She realized he needed some time to visit with his friends. Why did he act so annoyed with Elk Runner? She shrugged it off. They behaved like true siblings, constantly bantering back and forth.

“May I hold the baby?” Aimee turned to Little Bird, and made hand signals to indicate what she was asking. The young woman handed her the infant.

“I think he has a tummy ache,” Aimee cooed. Instead of cradling him in her arms, she held him face down, and gently swung her arms back and forth, and up and down. The baby immediately stopped his crying in this new position

She handed the infant back to his mother, showing her that by holding the baby this way and putting a little pressure on the stomach, it might soothe him. The woman smiled brightly at her, and nodded. Aimee looked up across the yard. A group of men stood together away from the women and children.  Her eyes were drawn like magnets to Daniel, who stood out as the tallest in the group. He appeared to be in a lively debate with one of them. She inhaled sharply when Daniel suddenly turned to look her way. Her heart skipped a beat, and the smile froze on her face. She hadn’t seen that look in his eyes since the day in the river.

****

After the children lost their fascination with her, Aimee seized the opportunity to retreat inside the cabin to attend to some bread dough she had completely forgotten about. After punching the dough down, and setting it back in the bowl, she returned the scissors to her backpack, taking care that all her supplies were packed away properly. It wouldn’t do to have anything laying around, in case Daniel decided to enter the cabin. She’d taken great care to keep all her things hidden from view, to ward off unnecessary questions.

The cabin door creaked open and closed. Aimee straightened, then turned her head. She held back a gasp of surprise as she came face to face with an Indian. She recognized him as the same man she had seen talking to Daniel earlier. He wore no shirt, only a breechcloth and leather leggings, and his weapon belt hung at his hips. His ebony hair was long and the braids framing the sides of his face were wrapped in fur. She backed against her bunk and couldn’t maneuver around. Her mouth went dry when the man continued his intense perusal of her. His gaze lingered on her hair.

Glancing quickly in all directions, she found nothing that was within reach that she might use in her defense. He moved to stand closely in front of her. His hand reached out and fingered her hair. He spoke words she didn’t understand, his voice quiet but demanding. Aimee shook her head, and pointed to the door.

“I need to go back outside now,” she said firmly. When she tried to move past him, he blocked her way and his words became more forceful.

“I don’t know what you’re saying, but you need to let me pass.” Her gaze didn’t waver from his eyes. She held her chin up, and hoped that she projected bravery even as her heart raced nervously. She tried to push past him, only to have his hand snake up and encircle one of her wrists. Just as she tried to pull away, the cabin door swung open forcefully, and she sighed in relief when Daniel’s large frame filled the entry. The Indian released her, but after a quick glance at Daniel, his stare returned to her face.

Daniel’s voice was calm and quiet when he spoke to the other man. Slowly, the Indian moved aside.

“Come over here,” Daniel commanded, and she quickly complied. Daniel’s face was hard and unreadable, but she knew him well enough by now to recognize the seething anger in his eyes. “Leave the cabin.” He moved to stand between her and the other man. She took a step toward the door, then turned back.

“He didn’t do anything, Daniel. It’s okay.” The last thing she wanted was a fight between these two.

Daniel ignored her comment and spoke again to the Indian, who hadn’t moved. With hand gestures and firm words, the two men conversed. To Aimee’s relief, no one made a move to reach for their weapons. Finally, the Indian pushed his way past Daniel and left the cabin.

“The next time I tell you to do something, I expect you to obey,” Daniel growled, and turned to face her.

Taken aback for a moment by his harsh words, her temper flared. “Oh, do you now? Since when do you have the right to order me around?” Were they back to that again?

“Since you are my responsibility,” Daniel said heatedly.

“What did he want, anyways?” She was in no mood to start this old argument again.

Daniel’s eyes traveled up and down her body in a way that made her shift weight from one foot to the other.  

“You.” His eyes burned holes right through her.

“Oh.” She had already guessed as much. “So, you explained that I’m not available?”

Daniel’s face actually lightened, and his lips curved in a grin. “He made me an offer for you that I had a hard time refusing.”

“He what?” She stared at him in stunned disbelief.  “So, how much am I worth?” she asked angrily.

“He offered three ponies, two buffalo robes, and various other pelts,” Daniel answered casually. “I told him I wouldn’t take less than seven horses and six buffalo robes.”

 ”I can’t believe you think you can just barter me away like that. I don’t belong to you. What if he meets your price?” She stated heatedly.

Daniel’s grin widened. “He won’t. No woman is worth that much, and this was the only way to peacefully settle this situation.” He paused, and all humor left his face. His eyes turned even darker as he stared down at her. “Understand this: you will know when I consider you to belong to me.” With those words, he left Aimee standing in stunned silence to ponder his meaning. 

Chapter 13

Aimee left the cabin a short while later. She observed the hustle and bustle as people moved around and set up camp. Apparently the Indians had decided to stay in the valley for the night. It felt strange, having so many people about after weeks of solitude. Instead of feeling lonely, she had embraced the peacefulness of no other people around. Odd, since she was considered quite the socialite back home.

Daniel stood among a group of men, all inspecting hunting bows and lances and various other weapons. The sight brought a smile to her face. Some things were just timeless, she mused. It didn’t matter what century it was, but men apparently always wanted to compare their toys with one another, to see who had the biggest and best. The only thing that changed over the years was the type of toys in question.

Longing for some peace and quiet, she walked along the banks of the Madison. She stayed a safe distance from the water. Daniel had warned her days ago not to get too close to the edge. Recent thunderstorms in the higher mountains had caused the water levels in the rivers to rise. What had been a peaceful river a week ago now had areas of whitewater and spots where the undertow was dangerous.

She’d walked quite a distance from the cabin when excited shouts alerted her to a commotion further down river. Several boys no older than seven or eight years ran toward her, waving their hands frantically in the air. Instantly alert, she turned her head to see if anyone else was within earshot behind her.  She had walked further than she thought. The cabin and Indian camp were well around the bend. 

The boys gestured wildly at her and pointed down river. A small body tossed around in the turbulent water.

“Oh my God!” Aimee kicked off her moccasins and sprinted barefoot along the shore of the river. The water moved so fast, she wasn’t sure if she’d catch up.

“Go! Get help!” She waved her arms in the direction of the camp, and hoped the boys understood what she wanted. Several boys took off in the direction she indicated. A couple followed her. When she finally caught up with the tumbling body in the river, she jumped into the fast-moving water without a second thought. Ignoring the bitter cold, her head broke through the surface of the water. She gasped for air, then pulled herself through the current while her body was churned and pelted by rough waves.

She continued to struggle through the current, her target bobbing out of the water then disappearing from sight time and again. She herself struggled to remain above the waves, swallowing and choking on mouthfuls of muddy river water. Her arms and legs became heavy like lead, but she finally caught up with the lifeless body of the child, and pulled him to her. Struggling to keep them both afloat, she backstroked toward what she hoped was the shoreline. She tried frantically to hold the child’s chin up above water.

Exhaustion overtook her quickly as her arms and legs grew heavier by the second. How much longer could she keep going? Strong arms reached out to her and a man called her name.

“Here, take the boy!” Aimee shouted. She passed the child over to the arms reaching for her.

“Give me your hand, I’ve got you both.” Daniel’s voice sounded frantic.

“No, the current is too strong. Just take him.” She thrust the boy at him and with a final burst of adrenaline, kicked her arms and legs into motion.

She fought against the strong force of the water, but it was no use. She wasn’t going to make it. She had no more strength left as she struggled to keep her head above water. Invisible anchors tugged at her legs and pulled her under.  The thought to give up entered her mind, but strong arms encircled her waist and pulled her through the current. Moments later someone lifted her onto dry land. She coughed and gagged, and forced herself onto her knees, where she coughed some more to expel the river water she had swallowed. Tentatively, she raised her head, and Daniel knelt in front of her. He was dripping wet. The look on his face was one she hadn’t seen before. Did he look scared?

“The boy?” she finally managed to choke out.

Daniel shook his head. She found a renewed reserve of strength at his meaning.

“No! I know he was alive when I had him. He can’t be dead!”

She lifted her head and spotted a group of people around a lifeless little body on the muddy ground. A woman’s wailing spurred her to action. She stumbled to her feet, even as Daniel tried to pull her back.

“Let me go!” She pulled away from him and fell to her knees in front of the boy. With trembling hands, she felt for a pulse and put her ear to his chest.

“He’s not dead! He’s got a pulse!” She wasted no time. She started rescue breathing. One breath every five seconds. After several attempts, she started chest compressions. Thirty compressions, one breath, two breaths. Finally, the little boy gave a strangled cough. He coughed and sputtered some more, and expelled river water from his lungs.  She turned his body onto his side, and slapped at his back. The group of people around her murmured, then shouted. The woman who had been wailing fell to her knees and hugged her child firmly to her. Then she looked at Aimee, her expression one of thanks and awe. Aimee nodded and smiled weakly in return, then slumped back on her rear. The full impact of her exhaustion finally overtook her.

“He needs to be kept upright, and warmed up,” she whispered weakly. Hopefully Daniel was close by to understand. She was about to collapse completely to the ground, her body shaking violently from the cold, when strong arms pulled her against a wall of warmth. She was lifted and held against a steely chest. Craving the warmth, she wrapped her arms around Daniel’s neck and laid her head against his shoulders as he carried her back to camp.

****

 Daniel had never experienced fear such as this before. He recalled being frightened as a child plenty of times, but blinding fear for another person when he saw Aimee in the river was an emotion completely foreign to him. He wanted to throttle her in anger when she thrust the child into his arms and pushed away from him in the water. He’d been left with no choice but to get the boy to shore first, then return for the brave little woman who was losing her battle with the churning river.

He watched in wonder alongside the Tukudeka as she seemingly breathed her life force into the boy’s body. He had no explanation for what he saw. Who was this woman? This was the second time he had witnessed her bring someone back from the brink of death. He had never bought into the superstitions of the people who had raised him, but in this moment, he found himself wondering if magic and supernatural forces did actually exist. Right now, those were the only explanations he had for what he had witnessed. Would that explain how she ended up in these mountains, and how she had survived on that ledge?

He carried Aimee inside his cabin. Magic or not, she was as real and soft as any other woman, one he had come to care for more than he wanted to admit. He didn’t want to let her go when he gently laid her on his bunk. Exhaustion had overtaken her and she had drifted out of consciousness. Quickly, he started a fire in the hearth. He had to get her out of her wet clothing, even though she would probably be furious with him when she woke.  

There were no buttons or strings to undo on her shirt. Awkwardly, he pulled it up and over her head. He shook his own head in the process, and contemplated her odd clothing again, even though he was used to them by now. Her pants were another dilemma. There were no ties that held them together at her waist, and he fumbled with the strange button. When he finally had that undone, he still had to pull and tug to get the britches past her hips. In frustration, he thought to just cut the cursed things off her, but thought better of it. Aimee stirred at his none too gentle treatment, and he strained to hear her murmur, “just undo the damn zipper.” Baffled, he had no idea what she was talking about. Her hand reached where he’d undone the button at her waist, and tugged on the small metal charm that dangled there. Her britches widened, and she managed to wriggle out of them herself.

Daniel had no idea how to remove the contraption at her breasts, and he wasn’t going to try. He quickly pulled some blankets and furs over her, and cursed himself for staring at her near-naked body. He gently brushed some strands of wet hair out of her face as he leaned over her. Slowly, he lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers for a feather light kiss, while his fingers caressed her cheek. Molten heat coursed through his veins and he quickly pulled back.

“My brave little
gediki
,” he whispered. His lips widened in a smile.  He tore his eyes off her sleeping face to rummage through the trunk under his bed for a dry shirt for himself.

His cabin door slowly opened, and his foster mother, Gentle Sun, and Elk Runner’s wife Little Bird entered quietly. Another woman, the mother of the drowned boy, was with them.  

“We will tend to your woman.” Gentle Sun strolled past Daniel, and pushed him aside, mindless that he was nearly twice as tall as she.

His woman
. If only it were true.

“Go now. Elk Runner and some of the other hunters are going to bring back fresh meat. It has been decided there will be a hunt and celebration in honor of
Dosa haiwi
and her bravery. The spirits have sent her to you, and she has been a blessing to the people as well.”

Daniel silently bowed his head to his mother in respect. He didn’t want to leave Aimee’s side, but he would not disobey the old woman. With one more glance at the sleeping woman in his bed, he grabbed his rifle and left the cabin.

****

The men returned from a successful hunt late in the afternoon. The elk would feed the entire group this night. Talk around the camp was only of Aimee and her bravery for jumping into the river to rescue the child, and the magic some had witnessed when she brought him back to life. Daniel played along good-naturedly with the men who teased him about the powerful woman he had chosen as his wife. He was thankful that Elk Runner kept his mouth shut and didn’t reveal the truth of the matter to anyone. Aimee would no doubt have a dozen suitors by night’s end if they knew he had no claim to her. As it was, that Absaroka warrior had already tried to barter for her. 

He was anxious to see if Aimee was all right. He hadn’t wanted to leave in the first place. If she was awake, she couldn’t communicate with anyone. She might need him.

The sound of her voice and jovial laughter carried to his ears as he approached his cabin, and it set his heart racing with joy. The urge to see her overwhelmed him as he opened the door. Immediately, the women’s chatter died as he entered.

“My son, I have taught you better manners than to enter a woman’s lodge unannounced.” Gentle Sun’s firm voice assaulted him.

Woman’s lodge? What the hell
. This was still his cabin.

His gaze drifted from his foster mother to the bunk where he had left Aimee hours before. She sat between Little Bird and the other woman, while Gentle Sun stood at the hearth. The breath left his lungs at the sight before him. Aimee raised her eyes slowly to meet his, a soft smile on her face. The baby on her lap caught his attention. He cooed and gurgled as she held him in a sitting position. Daniel’s eyes fell on the deerskin dress Aimee wore. The two women on either side of her braided and adorned her hair with shells and feathers.

He had never seen anything as beautiful as the fair skinned, fair-haired woman on his bunk. He knew her curves all too well from her unusual white man’s clothing. Seeing her in that dress, however, raised his awareness of her femininity to even greater heights than he cared to experience, especially since three glaring women confronted him at the moment.

“The mighty fearless hunter is left speechless by his woman’s beauty,” Little Bird remarked, laughter in her voice.

“His eyes will drop out of his head if he keeps looking at her like that,” the other woman chimed in.

“Mother, you will no doubt be a grandmother again very soon.” Little Bird motioned with her head to Gentle Sun. “If we leave them alone now, White Wolf might not let her join the celebration tonight.”

“It would be about time my other son gifted me with some grandchildren,” Gentle Sun croaked.

The women all laughed in unison. Aimee’s head turned from one to the other before meeting his eyes again.