or the frown on his face. Both seemed to threaten. Surely he’d never consider harming Many Horses. After all, they were brothers. It was best he understood the reason why she wouldn’t leave this village before he let his thoughts take the dangerous turn that appeared to be coming.
“I have a daughter, Little Deer,” she said. “I could never leave her.”
Bay thought she’d misunderstood the look in Long Quiet’s eyes because for a moment he appeared bitterly disappointed. When he finally spoke, his voice was hard and flat as he confirmed, “You have a child.”
“Yes. A beautiful daughter whom I love more than I thought it possible to love anyone.”
“Many Horses’ child?”
“Yes.”
Bay knew he thought she’d borne the child, and it was on the tip of her tongue to correct him. But she thought he might be less willing to let her stay if she spoke the truth. So she kept silent.
Long Quiet hadn’t thought it would hurt to discover that Bay had in fact met the fate he’d suspected at the hands of the Comanches. It was just that for a little while he’d allowed himself to imagine what it would be like to have this woman for his wife, to imagine children that blended her features and his, and to imagine growing old together. He’d wondered for the better part of three years whether he could take her from her child, to have her for himself. Now he had his answer. He could not do it. And he found that knowledge as bitter as winter wind on his flesh, and equally chilling to his soul.
“Of course you would not wish to leave your child,” he said. “I promised your sister I would abide by your wishes. I will leave here tomorrow alone.”
“No!”
Long Quiet’s brow furrowed at her outburst.
“I mean . . . do you have to leave so soon?” Bay hadn’t had nearly enough opportunity to speak with this stranger, and if he left tomorrow it could be months, years perhaps, before she was given another chance like this.
If Long Quiet hadn’t been so frustrated at the turn of events, perhaps he wouldn’t have spoken quiet so frankly. But he was frustrated, and thus brutally frank. “It would not please me to stay here and know I cannot touch you.”
“But Many Horses said you could—”
“I have never taken an unwilling woman to my pallet.”
What was she supposed to say? She couldn’t guarantee she’d be a willing partner. She wasn’t sure she could find pleasure lying with any man. She’d once hoped to save herself for Jonas Harper, but those dreams had been dashed when she’d been taken captive by the Comanches. But was what he asked so much to give if it would keep him here a little longer? Besides, the thought of being with him in the way of husbands and wives left her oddly breathless.
“And if it pleased me to have you stay . . . and touch me?” she asked at last.
His smile flashed quickly, white against his deeply tanned face. “Then of course I would be willing to do whatever pleased you.”
Bay returned his smile with one equally brilliant. “Then stay. Talk to me for a little while.”
“It shall be as you ask. What would you like to talk about?”
“Anything—as long as we can speak in English.”
“Agreed,” Long Quiet said.
Bay laughed, almost drunk on contemplation of the pleasure of an entire conversation in English. “When did you last see Cricket and Creed? How are they? And the rest of my family? Is everyone all right?”
Long Quiet smiled indulgently. “Which question shall I answer first?”
“Please don’t tease me.” Bay placed her hand on his arm, and felt the muscles bunch beneath her fingertips. “Sloan was expecting a child when I last saw her. Did she have a boy or a girl?”
Long Quiet covered her hand with his as he replied, “I wish I could tell you something, but I haven’t heard anything about Sloan’s baby.”
“What about Cricket and Creed?”
“The last time I saw them, they both looked very happy. Cricket’s belly is
“I have a daughter, Little Deer,” she said. “I could never leave her.”
Bay thought she’d misunderstood the look in Long Quiet’s eyes because for a moment he appeared bitterly disappointed. When he finally spoke, his voice was hard and flat as he confirmed, “You have a child.”
“Yes. A beautiful daughter whom I love more than I thought it possible to love anyone.”
“Many Horses’ child?”
“Yes.”
Bay knew he thought she’d borne the child, and it was on the tip of her tongue to correct him. But she thought he might be less willing to let her stay if she spoke the truth. So she kept silent.
Long Quiet hadn’t thought it would hurt to discover that Bay had in fact met the fate he’d suspected at the hands of the Comanches. It was just that for a little while he’d allowed himself to imagine what it would be like to have this woman for his wife, to imagine children that blended her features and his, and to imagine growing old together. He’d wondered for the better part of three years whether he could take her from her child, to have her for himself. Now he had his answer. He could not do it. And he found that knowledge as bitter as winter wind on his flesh, and equally chilling to his soul.
“Of course you would not wish to leave your child,” he said. “I promised your sister I would abide by your wishes. I will leave here tomorrow alone.”
“No!”
Long Quiet’s brow furrowed at her outburst.
“I mean . . . do you have to leave so soon?” Bay hadn’t had nearly enough opportunity to speak with this stranger, and if he left tomorrow it could be months, years perhaps, before she was given another chance like this.
If Long Quiet hadn’t been so frustrated at the turn of events, perhaps he wouldn’t have spoken quiet so frankly. But he was frustrated, and thus brutally frank. “It would not please me to stay here and know I cannot touch you.”
“But Many Horses said you could—”
“I have never taken an unwilling woman to my pallet.”
What was she supposed to say? She couldn’t guarantee she’d be a willing partner. She wasn’t sure she could find pleasure lying with any man. She’d once hoped to save herself for Jonas Harper, but those dreams had been dashed when she’d been taken captive by the Comanches. But was what he asked so much to give if it would keep him here a little longer? Besides, the thought of being with him in the way of husbands and wives left her oddly breathless.
“And if it pleased me to have you stay . . . and touch me?” she asked at last.
His smile flashed quickly, white against his deeply tanned face. “Then of course I would be willing to do whatever pleased you.”
Bay returned his smile with one equally brilliant. “Then stay. Talk to me for a little while.”
“It shall be as you ask. What would you like to talk about?”
“Anything—as long as we can speak in English.”
“Agreed,” Long Quiet said.
Bay laughed, almost drunk on contemplation of the pleasure of an entire conversation in English. “When did you last see Cricket and Creed? How are they? And the rest of my family? Is everyone all right?”
Long Quiet smiled indulgently. “Which question shall I answer first?”
“Please don’t tease me.” Bay placed her hand on his arm, and felt the muscles bunch beneath her fingertips. “Sloan was expecting a child when I last saw her. Did she have a boy or a girl?”
Long Quiet covered her hand with his as he replied, “I wish I could tell you something, but I haven’t heard anything about Sloan’s baby.”
“What about Cricket and Creed?”
“The last time I saw them, they both looked very happy. Cricket’s belly is
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