This was it, the last time they would ever eat together beside a fire. It was insane to feel sad, but she did.
Soon after they finished eating, they arranged their respective beds near the dying fire and retired for the night. Loretta lay on her back, gazing at the stars. Hardly more than an arm's reach away, Hunter slept. At least she guessed he was asleep. She never knew for sure. He could be still as death one minute and on his feet, wide awake, the next. All afternoon he had been quieter than usual. Perhaps he was a little sad, too. Tomorrow they would have to say good-bye. The word sounded lonely inside her head. And so final. Somehow, God only knew how, she had grown fond of him. Enough to make her wish they might meet again, one day. It would be best if their paths never crossed. She had her world, he his, and the two didn't mix. Never could, not in a million years.
She remembered his mother thumping heads with her spoon, Blackbird's merry laughter. The word no longer struck terror in her heart. Would it after he rode off tomorrow? Loretta sighed. Once he left, they would be enemies again. Their truce was tentative. If he came to the farm, Uncle Henry would shoot him. The thought wrenched her heart.
"Hunter?" she whispered. "Are you awake?"
Silence. She pulled her buffalo robe to her chin and shivered, though she wasn't cold. Memories of those first few days washed over her. Of his arm around her while she slept, the heat of his chest against her back, how terrified she had been. Suddenly the stars above her blurred, and she realized she was gazing at them through tears. She squeezed her eyes closed, and hot streams ran down her cheeks into her ears. She crying, she wasn't. Couldn't be. It didn't make sense.
A sob snagged in her throat and made a catching sound. She clamped a hand over her mouth, furious with herself. How could she have come to a Comanche? Could she forget her parents so easily? It was unthinkable. Unforgivable.
"
"
Loretta leaped and opened her eyes. Hunter knelt beside her, a dark shadow against the blue-black, starlit sky.
"You weep?"
"No--yes." Her voice came out in a squeak. "I'm just feeling sad, that's all."
He sat down beside her and hugged his knees, gazing off into the endless darkness. "You will stay beside me?
Soon after they finished eating, they arranged their respective beds near the dying fire and retired for the night. Loretta lay on her back, gazing at the stars. Hardly more than an arm's reach away, Hunter slept. At least she guessed he was asleep. She never knew for sure. He could be still as death one minute and on his feet, wide awake, the next. All afternoon he had been quieter than usual. Perhaps he was a little sad, too. Tomorrow they would have to say good-bye. The word sounded lonely inside her head. And so final. Somehow, God only knew how, she had grown fond of him. Enough to make her wish they might meet again, one day. It would be best if their paths never crossed. She had her world, he his, and the two didn't mix. Never could, not in a million years.
She remembered his mother thumping heads with her spoon, Blackbird's merry laughter. The word no longer struck terror in her heart. Would it after he rode off tomorrow? Loretta sighed. Once he left, they would be enemies again. Their truce was tentative. If he came to the farm, Uncle Henry would shoot him. The thought wrenched her heart.
"Hunter?" she whispered. "Are you awake?"
Silence. She pulled her buffalo robe to her chin and shivered, though she wasn't cold. Memories of those first few days washed over her. Of his arm around her while she slept, the heat of his chest against her back, how terrified she had been. Suddenly the stars above her blurred, and she realized she was gazing at them through tears. She squeezed her eyes closed, and hot streams ran down her cheeks into her ears. She crying, she wasn't. Couldn't be. It didn't make sense.
A sob snagged in her throat and made a catching sound. She clamped a hand over her mouth, furious with herself. How could she have come to a Comanche? Could she forget her parents so easily? It was unthinkable. Unforgivable.
"
"
Loretta leaped and opened her eyes. Hunter knelt beside her, a dark shadow against the blue-black, starlit sky.
"You weep?"
"No--yes." Her voice came out in a squeak. "I'm just feeling sad, that's all."
He sat down beside her and hugged his knees, gazing off into the endless darkness. "You will stay beside me?
( Catherine Anderson )
[ Comanche Moon ]
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