Dream Warrior: His Savage Kiss Page 3

  Word that they were there spread like wildfire, and Tall Shadow came out of his tipi to greet them.

  "It is good to see you, my brother," the chief welcomed them in English as James stopped before him. Tall Shadow had learned the white tongue from the missionary and from James during the years of their friendship.

  "It's good to see you, too." James dismounted and helped Cari down.

  "So you have finally brought your little one to us." His black-eyed gaze was on Cari appraisingly, remembering what Silver Wolf had said about the pale-haired child he and Strong Eagle had rescued from the storm. "I have heard that she likes the snow."

  "Yes, she loves the snow, Tall Shadow." James chuckled.

  The chief nodded sagely, but his dark eyes glinted with good humor as he thought of the name his grandson had given the child. "Come inside." He beckoned them into his tipi.

  When they had settled in before the fire ring at the center of the room, Tall Shadow bid his wife, Little Cloud, to bring them refreshments. She served them herbal tea while the two men recounted all that had happened since their last visit.

  Cari sat beside her father, studying her surroundings with interest. The tipi was big, at least ten feet across, and the inside walls were painted with scenes that depicted the chief's bravery and skill as a warrior and hunter. The beds the family slept on were raised mats, and the covers were furs.

  "We have come for a special reason today," James began. "Cari wants to thank Silver Wolf for helping her and to return his buffalo robe."

  Tall Shadow spoke to his wife in their native tongue, and she hurried off to do his bidding. When she returned, Silver Wolf was with her.

  Cari didn't even try to hide her delight as she gazed up at her warrior. He seemed to fill the whole tipi with his presence. He was every bit as handsome as she remembered him to be, in his soft buckskin beaded shirt, fringed leggings, and moccasins. Tall and lean, he wore his black hair loose with a single feather woven into it. His features were angular and strong; his eyes, his most startling feature, were gray. She jumped up and ran to him, carrying the robe.

  "Silver Wolf! I'm so glad you're here. I was afraid I wouldn't get to see you. I wanted to thank you for saving me and I wanted to give you back your robe."

  Silver Wolf glanced down at the impulsive child. He saw the open eagerness in her lovely face, and he grew uncomfortable. He was glad to see that she had not suffered from her ordeal, but he was a warrior and warriors had more important things to do than spend time with children.

  "There is no need to thank me. I would have done as much for anyone; although a Cheyenne girl would never have gone out in a snowstorm alone."

  His words hurt Cari, and her blue eyes darkened in confusion and pain. She let her gaze drop away from his, and her little shoulders slumped. She had hoped he would be her friend as her father was Tall Shadow's. She'd even brought him a present, a treasure that meant a lot to her, but now, fearing he might refuse it, she secretly hid it deep in the folds of the robe.

  "Here . . ." she said softly, glancing up at him again as she handed over the garment. "Thank you."

  Silver Wolf took the bundle from her, and as he did, he saw her hurt look. Though he kept his own expression impassive, her distress troubled him. It annoyed him to find that he cared about her. He forced himself to shrug the feeling off. "Good-bye, Little Snow." With that, he was gone from the tipi.

  Cari turned to her father and Tall Shadow, her expression puzzled. "He called me Little Snow . . ."

  "Little Snow is his Cheyenne name for you," Tall Shadow explained.

  "I have my own Cheyenne name?" She brightened at the thought.

  "You will be called Little Snow whenever you visit our village."

  Cari's heavy heart lightened, and she quickly looked outside, hoping to see Silver Wolf one more time, but he had already gone from sight.

  For the rest of the day, while her father visited with Tall Shadow, she kept watch for her brave, hoping to see him again, but he didn't return. She was disappointed when they rode for home late that afternoon without ever seeing him again.

  Silver Wolf spent the day working with Wild One and seeing to his weapons. That night when he returned to his tipi, he started to put the robe away, and when he did, Cari's present fell out. He picked up the small, heart-shaped white stone and held it in the palm of his hand. It gleamed palely against his darker skin. A strange emotion tugged at him as he stared down at the stone. He didn't want to feel this attachment to the child whose life he'd saved, but he did.

  Little Snow. . . . An image of her smiling face appeared before him, touching his heart. He said nothing about the gift, but placed the heart stone in his medicine bundle.

  Two

  1868

  Cari finished her final chore, snatched up her book, and dashed from the house. "May I go down to the creek now?" she called out to her mother who was busy in the garden.

  Elizabeth glanced up from her work to see her daughter standing, poised for flight, at the bottom of the porch steps. She could tell by Cari's expression that she was awaiting permission to go, and, remembering her own youth, she had to force herself not to smile. "Are your chores done, young lady?"

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "All right, go on. Just be back before dark."

  "I will," Cari called as she hurried off. She'd worked hard to get all her chores done early, and now she had the whole afternoon to herself. It was a beautiful spring day, sunny and warm. There was just one more thing she needed to make the day perfect . . .

  Elizabeth's heart was filled with love as she watched Cari. At eleven, her daughter was just beginning to show the first bloom of womanhood. Her hair had lightened to an even finer hue of silvery-blond. Her body had begun to ripen, and she'd grown taller over the past few months. Elizabeth knew that one day soon she would be a beauty beyond compare. For now, though, Cari was still an innocent, completely unaware of her loveliness, which suited Elizabeth just fine.

  Elizabeth's contented expression faded as her daughter disappeared out of sight. There was one thing that troubled her deeply, and though she'd ignored it for some time, she knew she was going to have to confront James about it soon. The thought of that conversation filled her with a sense of foreboding, and she decided that the day was just too pretty to ruin with worries. She would face that dilemma when she had to and not before.

  Cari reached the creek and followed its course to the spot that had become her favorite place in the whole wide world—the place where she'd first met Silver Wolf. That winter when she'd been lost and freezing, she'd thought it desolate, but the following spring she'd discovered it was a glorious, wonderful place. Colorful, fragrant wildflowers bloomed there in profusion, and tree limbs grew out over the water, shading it and giving it a feeling of privacy. It was her special place . . . hers and Silver Wolf's.

  As she sat on the bank with Barnie beside her and laid her book aside, Cari thought of the Cheyenne brave. She hadn't seen Silver Wolf for quite a while now, and she hoped they would meet again.

  Cari wasn't sure exactly how their enduring friendship had come about. When she'd left the Indian village that first time, she'd been certain she would never see him again. Then unexpectedly, he had come to the creek one day while she'd been playing. A bond had been forged between them during that visit, and in the three years since, she and Silver Wolf had become good friends.

  Cari enjoyed his companionship and eagerly looked forward to what little time they had together. Silver Wolf taught her about the Cheyenne, while she deliberately tried to stir his interest in his white heritage. Once she'd learned he could read and write, she'd begun to share her books with him. Glancing down at the book beside her now, Cari hoped with all her heart that Silver Wolf would come to the creek today so she could give it to him.

  The sun was so warm that Cari couldn't resist the urge to play in the water. Stripping off her shoes and stockings, she hiked up her skirts and went wading. The knee-deep water was cold, a
nd she shivered as it swirled about her bare legs.

  "Come on, Barnie!" Cari invited as she tried to splash the dog.

  Barnie, however, was no fool. She turned tail on Cari and sought higher, drier ground. A patch of sunlight just out of reach of attack by her mischievous mistress beckoned, and the dog lay down there, hoping for an undisturbed nap.

  "Don't go to sleep, Barnie! Let's play!" she coaxed.

  Faithful friend though she was, Barnie closed her eyes in answer to Cari's call.

  Cari glared at her lazy dog and muttered, "I'm going to tell Papa to get me a new puppy. You're no fun anymore. Who will I play with if you don't play with me?"

  "How about me, Little Snow?"

  The deep voice came to her from the trees just a short distance downstream, and Cari looked up, smiling brightly as she saw Silver Wolf emerge from the woods.

  "Silver Wolf! You're back!" She ran toward him in the water, not caring that she was splashing herself. She knew nothing of flirtation and artifice, so all the joy she felt over seeing him showed plainly on her face. Now her day was perfect!

  "Your dog is getting old and lazy, Little Snow," Silver Wolf teased. "She wasn't even aware I was here."

  "She knew. She just didn't bark because she knows she can trust you."

  Cari was breathless as she stopped before him, and she wasn't sure if it was from the run or just because he was there. She gazed up at him, thinking he looked somehow different than he had last fall. His features had taken on a more hawkish, powerful look. His shoulders were broader, his chest deeper and stronger, his long, buckskin-clad legs tightly muscled. The changes in him left her feeling shy for a moment, but then he smiled at her, and in that instant, her trepidation vanished. He was still her Silver Wolf.

  "I missed you," she blurted out.

  Silver Wolf gazed down at Cari, not willing to admit that he had missed her, too. "You enjoyed the winter?"

  "There was a lot of snow," she told him with a grin.

  "And you were happy." Silver Wolf found he couldn't stop smiling at her. He told himself he was a seventeen-year-old warrior with many more manly things to do, yet it didn't seem to matter. He was drawn to Cari in some elemental way he couldn't explain. Their meetings at the stream had become an unspoken ritual for them, and it was one he wouldn't break.

  "Not really. I've been lonely, but that doesn't matter now, 'cause you're here. Wait until you see what I've got for you."

  Cari took his hand and led him back to where she'd left the book. As they walked the short distance, she became aware for the first time just how very warm and strong Silver Wolf's hand was. She drew him down beside her when they reached the place and handed him the leather-bound volume. "Here. It's my Christmas present to you, even though it is a little late."

  "Thank you." His eyes met hers as he took the book from her. He handled it carefully, paging through it with interest. "I have something for you, too. Wait here."

  Silver Wolf retraced his steps and returned a few minutes later leading his horse. He took a cloth-wrapped package from the parfleche bag he'd brought with him.

  "This is my gift to you." He handed her the package.

  "What is it?" she asked excitedly as she quickly untied the thong that held it bound. To her delight, there was a pair of beaded moccasins inside. "Oh! They're beautiful! Thank you!"

  He only nodded in response to her thanks, but he was glad she was pleased with his gift.

  Cari donned the moccasins, thrilled that they fit perfectly. She tiptoed around for a few minutes, enjoying their softness. Without thought, she went to Silver Wolf and kissed his cheek. "They're wonderful. I love them."

  Her kiss surprised him and he stiffened.

  "Let's see if I can walk as quietly as you do now!" She was completely unaware of his reaction to her affectionate gesture as she hurried off toward the woods.

  Caught up in her enthusiasm, Silver Wolf followed her. They explored the forest in comfortable companionship. He pointed out the tracks of several different animals to her as they roamed the area, and he spoke to her of the many different trees and plants. They ventured into the small, secluded cave they'd discovered on one of their previous walks.

  The sun was sinking lower in the sky when they finally returned to the creek bank, but Cari was having too much fun to even consider going home yet. She slipped off her new moccasins, hiked up her skirts, and ran for the water to cool off.

  Silver Wolf paused on the bank to watch her for a moment. He noticed for the first time how long and shapely her legs had become and how rounded the curve of her bosom was against the now-damp bodice of her dress. He realized then just how much she'd matured during the past few months. By Cari's age, the girls in his village were almost considered to be women. The thought bothered him, so he refused to dwell on it. He enjoyed the simplicity of their relationship and wanted it to stay that way. He joined her in the stream.

  This time, warmed by the heat of the late afternoon, Barnie came charging in, too. She barked wildly as she ran through the water with them.

  It was near sunset before Cari realized that she had to leave.

  "I've got to go home, Silver Wolf. My mother will be worried," she told him, putting on her moccasins again and then gathering up her belongings.

  "Come, I'll take you."

  He mounted and then lifted her up before him. Cari leaned back comfortably against his chest as they rode for the ranch. It seemed a very natural thing to ride with him that way. By the time they reached the house it was almost dark, but there was still enough light for her to see her parents standing out on the porch.

  "I'm home, Mother!"

  Elizabeth and James looked up. Cari could tell that her father was relieved to see her but that her mother looked angry.

  "I told you to be here by dark!" Elizabeth's tone was sharp, for she was barely able to contain her unhappiness over seeing her daughter with Silver Wolf. She saw, too, that Cari was carrying her shoes and stockings instead of wearing them, and she wondered what she'd been doing that she would be coming home barefoot.

  "I'm sorry, Mother. We were having so much fun I forgot," she apologized, hanging on to her belongings as her father helped her down from the horse's back. She smiled up at her friend. "Thank you."

  James smiled at the brave, too, hoping to deflect his wife's ire. "It's good to see you, Silver Wolf. How's Tall Shadow?"

  "He is well."

  They talked a few moments longer, then Silver Wolf, sensing the white woman's mood, bid them good-bye.

  Elizabeth observed Cari as she watched the half-breed ride away. She saw how her daughter's gaze followed him and how her face glowed with happiness. It was in that instant that Elizabeth made her decision. It was time. She could no longer avoid the confrontation she'd known was coming. This friendship between Cari and Silver Wolf had to end, and it had to end now. Silver Wolf was no longer just a young brave. He was a man, and she wanted her eleven-year-old daughter far away from him.

  Elizabeth knew Cari was still a child, but soon she would be a woman. This was a very delicate time in her daughter's life, and there was no way she could let Cari continue to be exposed to that Indian's savage influence. She would discuss it with James later tonight when they were alone. It was time to get Cari away from here. It was time to do whatever was necessary to ensure her daughter's future.

  James was unaware of his wife's thoughts as he put his arm around Cari. As they headed for the house, he asked, "Did you have a good time at the creek?"

  "Oh, yes!" Her eyes were alight with happiness. "I was so glad when Silver Wolf came. He's my friend, Papa . . . and look! He gave me a pair of moccasins!" She paused to lift her skirts to show her father the gift he'd given her.

  Elizabeth turned back at her words and the sight of Cari wearing moccasins hardened her resolve She loved James, but her daughter's future was at stake. No matter what her husband's objections, she was going to take her daughter back East as soon as she could arrange it. She was
going to enroll her in a school for girls and make certain she learned to be a lady. Then she was going to see her married to the finest gentleman she could find. Her expression was grim as she went inside.

  It was some hours later, when she and James lay in bed together in the dark of their bedroom, that she finally broached the subject.

  "James . . . there's something we have to talk about."

  He'd known she'd been furious since Cari had returned with Silver Wolf, and he'd been preparing himself for what was coming. "If it's about Silver Wolf . . ."

  "No, I want to talk about Cari, about her future."

  He frowned into the darkness. "Her future?"

  "I think we should take her back East for a while."

  "Why?"

  "James," she said softly as she rolled to her side and raised up on her elbow to look down at her husband. She rested one hand on his chest as she spoke. "She's a young woman now. She has her whole life ahead of her. She should be getting ready to attend parties and dances and wear ballgowns, and yet here she is . . ."

  "Is this such a terrible place to be? Have you been so unhappy?"

  "I'm thinking of our daughter. There are no social gatherings to speak of. How in the world will she ever meet someone suitable if she stays on the ranch? I want to take her back to Philadelphia so she can do all the things a girl needs to do before she marries and settles down."

  "No, I can't go." His answer came quickly and emphatically.

  "I could take her then."

  The thought of all those long, lonely days and nights without his wife and daughter was just too difficult to consider. "I don't want you to go. I want you here with me."

  With great tenderness, she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Oh, James, I want to be with you, too, but don't you see? Cari isn't a little girl anymore."

  "She's a child, Elizabeth," he persisted.

  "Not for long," she replied, remembering her own youth and how she'd matured so rapidly once she'd turned twelve. One day she'd been playing dolls and the next, she'd been all grown up. It had been exciting, but it had also been frightening. "She's almost a woman."