Blue Eyes…" He trailed his lips down one of her braids until he found the sweet curve of her neck. "Make a picture for me, yes? So I can see what you fear."
"What good will that do?"
"Fear is a strong enemy. I would stand beside you."
She sighed. "Hunter, are what I fear."
Releasing her shoulders, he slipped his arms around her, placing his palms beneath her breasts. He smiled at the way she gripped his wrists to make sure his hands didn't wander. "I strike fear into you because I am a man?"
"It isn't funny."
"I do not laugh. It is a sad thing, yes, that your husband is a man. A very terrible thing."
She rewarded him with a tremulous laugh, looking at him over her shoulder. "It that you're a man, exactly. It's what will happen between us you're a man."
"Many good things." He felt her tense. "Little one, you will trust, eh? I make no lies. What is between us will be very good."
"I try to believe that, really I do. And then I remember."
"Make a picture of the remembering, eh?"
"I can't."
Hunter tightened his hold on her. "It is a memory of your mother?"
"Yes," she admitted. "My mother and what--the Comanches did to her. The memories hit me, and I feel so frightened. I start wondering what it'll be like, you know, between you and me. And then I start wondering it'll happen. And the first thing I know, it's bedtime. And I'm terrified will be the night. I can feel you watching me. And I'm afraid you'll get angry if I sleep by Amy."
"And I have blown like the wind, yes? Angry because you sleep away from me?"
"No. But I know you have every right."
"So you wait for my anger, and it does not come." He turned her in his arms and raised her chin so he could look into her eyes. "And the fear grows, until it is big like a buffalo?"
"Yes," she admitted in a quavery little voice.
Hunter sighed and pressed his cheek against the top of her head. "Ah, little one, I am sure enough a stupid man. We must make talk, yes? It was my wish to make your fear small, not big. To become your good friend, not your enemy.
"What good will that do?"
"Fear is a strong enemy. I would stand beside you."
She sighed. "Hunter, are what I fear."
Releasing her shoulders, he slipped his arms around her, placing his palms beneath her breasts. He smiled at the way she gripped his wrists to make sure his hands didn't wander. "I strike fear into you because I am a man?"
"It isn't funny."
"I do not laugh. It is a sad thing, yes, that your husband is a man. A very terrible thing."
She rewarded him with a tremulous laugh, looking at him over her shoulder. "It that you're a man, exactly. It's what will happen between us you're a man."
"Many good things." He felt her tense. "Little one, you will trust, eh? I make no lies. What is between us will be very good."
"I try to believe that, really I do. And then I remember."
"Make a picture of the remembering, eh?"
"I can't."
Hunter tightened his hold on her. "It is a memory of your mother?"
"Yes," she admitted. "My mother and what--the Comanches did to her. The memories hit me, and I feel so frightened. I start wondering what it'll be like, you know, between you and me. And then I start wondering it'll happen. And the first thing I know, it's bedtime. And I'm terrified will be the night. I can feel you watching me. And I'm afraid you'll get angry if I sleep by Amy."
"And I have blown like the wind, yes? Angry because you sleep away from me?"
"No. But I know you have every right."
"So you wait for my anger, and it does not come." He turned her in his arms and raised her chin so he could look into her eyes. "And the fear grows, until it is big like a buffalo?"
"Yes," she admitted in a quavery little voice.
Hunter sighed and pressed his cheek against the top of her head. "Ah, little one, I am sure enough a stupid man. We must make talk, yes? It was my wish to make your fear small, not big. To become your good friend, not your enemy.
( Catherine Anderson )
[ Comanche Moon ]
www.QuoteSweet.com