massaging both tenderly and tempestuously through the splay of her hair.
"Tess, Tess, what are we doing? We're going back to Wiltshire, and all
hell will break loose when we get there. Let's not fight each other
now." ' She stared at his striking features, at the handsome and rugged
angles and planes of his face, at the passion in his silver eyes. She
trembled suddenly and wound her arms around him.
"Hold me!" she whispered.
And he did.
They shed their clothing, and she thought that he made love to her more
tenderly, more carefully, that night than he ever had before.
When the sun rose their naked bodies were entwined together in the soft
shadows. She didn't want to leave, she thought. She could live among the
Apache with Jamie forever.
But of course she couldn't. This was not her world, and she had vowed
that she would fight von Heusen. Neither she nor Jamie could walk away
now.
Jamie leaned over and kissed her lips, and she looked into his eyes.
"It's time," he told her.
He rose and dressed quickly, and she followed his example.
They did not leave with the dawn, for Nalte wanted another conference
with Jamie. His sister, Little Flower, came to Tess to say goodbye. Tess
had learned very little of the language, but she had been grateful for
Little Flower's shy kindness. It seemed that Nalte was bestowing gifts
on Tess-- she was given a new outfit in which to ride, in pale buckskin,
with fine tin cone pendants and beautiful beadwork. There was a long
overdress that fell nearly to her knees, and beneath it, soft trousers
so that she might ride easily. She was given boots at last, fine boots
with rawhide bottoms and soft leggings to cover her calves. She thanked
Little Flower as best as she could for the gifts, then kissed the young
woman on the cheek.
Nalte came to her then. Little Flower fled, and Nalte watched Tess for
several moments before speaking.
"You 255 will take the dress, too. Slater has told me that it will
always be special to him."
She flushed.
"Thank you. Thank you for the gifts. I've nothing to give you in
return."
He shrugged.
"I have gotten what I wanted from Slater. And I give you the gifts in
his behalf. In our courting ritual, we exchange gifts, as I have told
you." She smiled and lowered her head, wondering what Jamie had given
him.
"Most of all, Nalte, I thank you for my freedom."
He grunted and looked at her still.
"I understand that you are a warrior yoursell~' " A warrior?" she said,
startled.
"You take on men's battles."
"I didn't really intend to. I just--I had to fight back." She paused.
"This man had my uncle murdered. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand. I will pray that the sph'its will be with you."
He left her then.
Jamie returned soon after.
"They are ready to ride," he told her.
"Let's go."
She nodded and hurried after him. There was a small roan mare set aside
for her use, and she silently accepted Jamie's help to mount the saddle
less creature.
She was startled to see Jamie mounting a large paint gelding. She stared
at him and said softly, "Jamie, your own horse" -- "He's Nalte's now,"
Jamie said curtly. "Your horse! But you loved that horse. Why on earth
would you want to" She broke off. He hadn't wanted to give Nalte the
horse. The horse had been the negotiation.
"I'm sorry, Jamie."
"It doesn't matter," he said, and, turning his back, he rode ahead to
talk to the half-naked warrior in a breech256 clout at the head of the
party of a dozen or so, their escort through Comanchero territory. The
Indian turned and she gasped, startled to see that it was Nalte.
She couldn'? t ponder the chief's participation in their ride then, for
cries suddenly filled the air and they were leaving the village behind
at a quick pace. Jouncing on her pony, Tess turned back.
Little Flower was waving to her. Tess smiled warmly and waved in turn.
They she turned again and hugged her knees to her pony. She had thought
that she knew how to ride hard, but she had never ridden with the Apache
before.
She realized she was learning about a hard ride all over again, from the
very beginning.
By the time they stopped for the night, she could barely dismount, and
when she did she nearly fell.
Jamie was there to catch her. She widened her eyes and stared at him and
she wanted to straighten and show him that she could be strong. But her
knees were buckling and she merely managed to whisper, "Oh, Jamie ..."
He caught her before she fell. The Apache warriors were preparing a
fire, and he carried her to it. One warrior stretched out a blanket for
her, and a roll was stuffed beneath her head.
She never ate a meal that night for she fell asleep instantly.
Somewhere in the middle of the night she felt a new warmth. She opened
her eyes and realized that Jamie had stretched next to her, and she was
curled up in the shelter of his arms.
She stared up at the stars and was suddenly very afraid. She had wanted
to go home, and they were going home. But Jamie was right, it would be
open war now. She didn't want to die.
She was just learning how to live.
She closed her eyes and curled her fingers around the strong male hand
that curved beneath her breast.
"Please God, please God, please God," she whispered. The rest of her
prayer formed no words, but she knew it in her heart.
She wanted to survive. and more.
She wanted to survive with Jamie. The life that was now so precious to
her would be meaningless without him.
She dosed her eyes again, and to her amazement, she slept once more.
The Apache stayed with them all the next day and the next night.
Jamie seemed c6ncerned for them, warning Nalte that they were moving
into Comanche territory. But Nalte knew Running River, and he didn't
seem concerned.
Tess tried to talk to Nalte, reminding him that many whites had believed
yon Heusen when he said that it had been Indians who caused all the
trouble. Few of the new settlers knew there was a difference between
Comanche and Apache.
Nalte, however, was resolute. He and the Apache rode with them to the
outskirts of the town of Wiltshire. Then he lifted his spear high in the
air and a shrill, blood-chilling cry escaped him. The Apache formed
behind him.
"Goodbye, Slater, Sun-Colored Woman."
"Thank you. No matter what comes, Nalte, I will always be your friend,"
Jamie told him.
"I believe you." The chief moved forward, and he and Jamie clasped
hands.
Then Nalte swung his newly acquired mount around and his men raced off
behind him. Jamie watched them disappear in a cloud of Texas dust, then
he looked at Tess.
"This is it. We're almost home."
"Perhaps we should go into town"
"No. We'll head to the ranch."
"But I need to put this in the paper" -- He swore, roughly, violently.
"Tomorrow, Tess! We're going home. I tried to make a few arrangements
for help.
You can't go into town alone, and I have to get back to the ranch!
Got it?"
"Got it!" she shouted back.
They weren't far. She swung her Apache mare around and nudged her to a
fleeting gallop. She raced for a good ten minutes before she pulled up
suddenly, a feeling of utter joy encompassing her heart as the ranch
came into view. It was still standing. No one had burned it to the
ground.
Smoke was spewing from the chimney; Dolly or Jane must be cooking
something inside. Life had gone on while she had been with the Apache.
And the people who loved her had held on.