Loretta was stuffing her belongings into her satchel when Hunter stepped into the lodge. He stood in the shadows a moment, watching her. The firelight fell across her, shimmering in her golden hair, flickering across the leather that skimmed her bent shoulders. She was sobbing. The sounds cut through him.
"Blue Eyes?"
His whisper snapped her head around. She sprang to her feet, his eyes huge with shock, her lips pale. "I'm leaving, Hunter."
Hunter stepped from the shadows, his heart catching at the way she retreated. "I was not at your wooden walls that day, Blue Eyes. I have spoken it." He paused by the fire, not wanting to crowd her. "It is a God promise I make for you."
Sparkling with tears, her eyes met his. Her throat worked, and her mouth twisted. "Oh, Hunter, don't you see it doesn't make a difference?" She made a gesture toward his scalp pole. "From the first we knew it could never work between us. Somehow, for a few wonderful days, we lost sight of that. You're a Comanche. I'm a woman. We're worlds apart."
"Look into me and say you have no love for me," he commanded hoarsely.
"All the love in the world can never change this."
"Say the words to me!"
"I can't. I love you, don't you see? What I must do has nothing to do with what's between us."
"My heart sang only good things--" His voice caught, and he swallowed. "I thought the comb would bring you great gladness."
"I know that." Loretta swiped at her cheeks and sniffed. "I'm not blaming you. It's not your fault, Hunter, or mine, not even Red Buffalo's. Don't you see? This madness began long before we were born, and it'll go on long after we're all dead. Some things, no matter how sweet, how wonderful, just aren't meant to be.
"Blue Eyes?"
His whisper snapped her head around. She sprang to her feet, his eyes huge with shock, her lips pale. "I'm leaving, Hunter."
Hunter stepped from the shadows, his heart catching at the way she retreated. "I was not at your wooden walls that day, Blue Eyes. I have spoken it." He paused by the fire, not wanting to crowd her. "It is a God promise I make for you."
Sparkling with tears, her eyes met his. Her throat worked, and her mouth twisted. "Oh, Hunter, don't you see it doesn't make a difference?" She made a gesture toward his scalp pole. "From the first we knew it could never work between us. Somehow, for a few wonderful days, we lost sight of that. You're a Comanche. I'm a woman. We're worlds apart."
"Look into me and say you have no love for me," he commanded hoarsely.
"All the love in the world can never change this."
"Say the words to me!"
"I can't. I love you, don't you see? What I must do has nothing to do with what's between us."
"My heart sang only good things--" His voice caught, and he swallowed. "I thought the comb would bring you great gladness."
"I know that." Loretta swiped at her cheeks and sniffed. "I'm not blaming you. It's not your fault, Hunter, or mine, not even Red Buffalo's. Don't you see? This madness began long before we were born, and it'll go on long after we're all dead. Some things, no matter how sweet, how wonderful, just aren't meant to be.
( Catherine Anderson )
[ Comanche Moon ]
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