Spirit Journey: Historical Western Cowboy Romance Novel (Dawson Chronicles Book 3) by Linda Bridey

already got one baby.”
                  Dino laughed.  “Well, you might be pregnant and have a baby, but you’re still a pretty girl.  I mean that in a strictly platonic way.”
                  Peanut smiled.  “I’d hope so.  How do you know he likes me, though?  You said he’s shy around girls he doesn’t know.  It could just be that.”
                  Dino moved over closer to her.  “With a lot of us being raised around the Lakota, we’ve sort of adopted some of their ways.  Skip’s been around my family since he was born.  One of the ways a brave shows his regard for a woman is by bringing her nice things, or by doing stuff for her, like making her comfortable every day when she’s riding his mule, for example.”
                  Peanut laughed even as she thought over Skip’s behavior the past few days.  He helped with Annie and had brought berries and other treats to her.  He hardly spoke when giving them to her, but he always smiled before going away again.  Could it really be true that he liked her that way? 
    Even if it was, Peanut wasn’t interested.  She’d just been betrayed in the most heinous way by the man who was supposed to have been in love with her.  She had no interest in getting involved with anyone again.  She had much more important things to worry about. 
                 
    *****
     
                  “Runner, here,” Ken Merrick said.
                  Runner came back to the present and took a dish of peas from Ken.  “Thanks.”
                  “They’re gettin’ closer, huh?” Ken asked.
                  “Yes.  I can’t wait to see them again.”
                  Ken’s wife, Doreen, said, “I’m sure you can’t.  They’ll be so happy to see you.  How will they know where you are?”
                  Runner said, “I’ll tell Reckless the next time we communicate.”
                  He knew that not everyone would believe him about his abilities, but he’d proven himself to the older couple a few times, and the Merricks were firm believers in the boy’s skills.
                  Doreen sighed.  “I’m looking forward to meeting them, but I don’t want you to leave us.”
                  Runner smiled.  “I know, but I have to go back home.  You can come visit me.  I’ll write you, too.  I’ll miss you.”
                  Doreen patted his arm.  “Of course you have to go with them.  They’re your family.”
                  Runner said, “You’re my family now, too.”
                  She chuckled.  “I never thought I’d become family to a handsome Indian boy, but I love you.”
                  “I love you, too.”
                  “All right.  Enough with the mushy stuff, you two,” Ken groused.
                  He was going to miss Runner, too.  The boy had wandered onto their property out of the blue one day and had been with them ever since.  He’d offered to do work around their homestead in exchange for sleeping in their barn and a little food.
                  Doreen had taken to Runner right away and had insisted that he take one of the extra rooms in their house.  He’d come at a good time—Ken’s logging business had picked up and Runner was strong and dependable.  Already six feet tall when he’d arrived, he now stood six-three and he’d gained a lot of muscle from all of the physical work.
                  Ken didn’t know what he was going to do without Runner.  More than Runner’s great work ethic, Ken was going to miss playing games and hunting with Runner.  He was going to miss all of their serious conversations and hearing about Runner’s family.  He and Doreen had never been able to have children, and Runner helped fill that