Why would he think steal you away? I'm the one victimized, the one who left her family."
"This saddens your heart?"
"Of course!"
"You must not be sad. This Comanche will bring your family to you many times."
"Here? No, Hunter, they will never come here to see me."
"Then I will take you to their wooden walls. I want no sadness in your heart."
He felt some of the rigidity leave her and knew he had said the right words. "Oh, Hunter. I to believe you. You can't imagine how much."
He flexed, as if he meant to set her aside and rise. "I will bring you Santos's scalp and the silver from his breeches."
Her eyes widened, and the color washed from her face. "Mercy, no. I don't want to see his scalp."
"You believe?" He met her gaze, keeping his face solemn, though the horrified expression on hers made it difficult. "The scalp is in my bags. Proof, yes?"
"I-- I don't need to see it." The tension drained from her, and she relaxed against him. "I believe you. Why would you bother lying?" Her eyes darkened. "What would you gain?"
"Your ruffles?" He watched her face and knew the moment when she realized he was teasing her. "You said I could steal them, yes?"
"As I recall, we decided you should take them when I wasn't them."
He ran a knuckle along the shadowy contour of her jaw. She tipped her head to press her cheek into his palm, tears spilling in sparkling splendor from her eyes. "Oh, Hunter, I should have trusted you. I'm so sorry. After all you've done for us, how will you ever forgive me?"
"It is finished," he murmured. "No sorrow, eh? Only gladness. Your Aye-mee is yours, so she is mine. It is a very simple thing, yes?"
Through the gloaming, he could see her features softening, her quivery lips tipping up at the corners in a smile. She was not easy with him yet. A sudden move from him would set her heart to pounding again. Her smile encouraged him, though.
"This saddens your heart?"
"Of course!"
"You must not be sad. This Comanche will bring your family to you many times."
"Here? No, Hunter, they will never come here to see me."
"Then I will take you to their wooden walls. I want no sadness in your heart."
He felt some of the rigidity leave her and knew he had said the right words. "Oh, Hunter. I to believe you. You can't imagine how much."
He flexed, as if he meant to set her aside and rise. "I will bring you Santos's scalp and the silver from his breeches."
Her eyes widened, and the color washed from her face. "Mercy, no. I don't want to see his scalp."
"You believe?" He met her gaze, keeping his face solemn, though the horrified expression on hers made it difficult. "The scalp is in my bags. Proof, yes?"
"I-- I don't need to see it." The tension drained from her, and she relaxed against him. "I believe you. Why would you bother lying?" Her eyes darkened. "What would you gain?"
"Your ruffles?" He watched her face and knew the moment when she realized he was teasing her. "You said I could steal them, yes?"
"As I recall, we decided you should take them when I wasn't them."
He ran a knuckle along the shadowy contour of her jaw. She tipped her head to press her cheek into his palm, tears spilling in sparkling splendor from her eyes. "Oh, Hunter, I should have trusted you. I'm so sorry. After all you've done for us, how will you ever forgive me?"
"It is finished," he murmured. "No sorrow, eh? Only gladness. Your Aye-mee is yours, so she is mine. It is a very simple thing, yes?"
Through the gloaming, he could see her features softening, her quivery lips tipping up at the corners in a smile. She was not easy with him yet. A sudden move from him would set her heart to pounding again. Her smile encouraged him, though.
( Catherine Anderson )
[ Comanche Moon ]
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