Tykota's Woman (Historical Romance) (34 page)

Makinna had no choice but to do as
Coloradous said. "Will you send word of him to
Biquera?"

His voice was kinder now. "I will do that.
Assure my brother's white mother that Tykota is
strong and has the blood of chief's in his veins."

She raised her gaze to his headband. "You
now wear the symbol of the chief."

"I do."

She glanced back at Tykota. "When he wakes,
will you tell him that-"

He seemed impatient to have her gone. "I will
tell him you were here, and what you did for
him."

Makinna nodded. Her footsteps were heavy as
she moved down the passageway and out of the
cave. It was difficult to leave Tykota, but
Coloradous would know better how to help his
brother than she did. She saddled her horse and
mounted, turning to the north.

Five days later a very fatigued Makinna rode
through the gate of Biquera Ranch. Her sister,
Hannah Silverhorn, and a surprisingly spry
Mangas rushed toward the corral to greet the
returning travelers.

Adelaide was the first to reach her. "Are you
all right, Makinna? Did you find Tykota?"

Makinna looked at Hannah. "I found Tykota.
He had been shot, but I took the bullet out of
him. When I left him, he was still unconscious
but alive."

"Why did you leave him?" Hannah asked, her
hand at her throat.

"His brother, Coloradous, came to the cave.
He asked me to leave and said he would take
care of Tykota." Her gaze sought the old
Indian's. "He will help him, won't he, Mangas?"

Mangas nodded. "Coloradous will do well by
Tykota." He studied the ground before he looked
back at Makinna. "Was he wearing the chiefs
headband?"

"Yes."

The old man walked off murmuring to
himself, and Hannah hustled Makinna toward the
house. You can bathe and eat, then I want you to
get some rest. You look done in."

Makinna turned to John and the other men.
"Thank you. I could never have found Tykota
without your help."

John touched his hat, and then his eyes went to Adelaide. "You Hillyard sisters have hidden
strengths. You look so fragile, but you aren't."

Makinna smiled and turned toward the house.

Later Makinna slipped out of the house and
hurried toward the barn. She closed the wide
door behind her and walked purposefully toward
the tack room, where she stood in the doorway,
staring at the cot, remembering Tykota. She
walked around, touching the splintery wall, then
a leather bridle that hung on a rusted hook.
Silence surrounded her until she heard a horse
nicker and stomp.

She heard the barn door swing open and
Adelaide and John Kincaid talking as they
walked in. She started to call out to her sister,
but suddenly John swept Adelaide into his
embrace.

"I wanted to wait to tell you how I feel about
you, knowing you were but recently widowed, but I can't wait. I'm too afraid some other man
will come along and take you away from me..."

Adelaide lay her head against his broad
shoulder and looked into his rugged face. "It
wouldn't matter who came along, John. I could
never feel about them the way I feel about you."

Makinna moved away from the door and stood
in a corner. It was too late to make her presence
known now.

"Can you really care about me the way I do
about you?" John asked in a voice filled with
wonder.

Adelaide's voice was playful as she said, "I
don't know, John. You haven't told me how you
feel. You only said you were afraid some other
man would take me away."

He held her at arm's length. "I love you. I love
you so damned much that I can't pass an hour
without thinking about you."

Adelaide rested her hand on his chest. "I'm
not a young girl, John, and I don't play games. I
love you, and I'm not too shy to admit it."

He let out a loud whoop, gathered her about
the waist, and swung her around, laughing. "I am
the luckiest man that ever lived! I love the lady,
and she loves me!"

They became quiet, and Makinna guessed they
were kissing. She definitely couldn't make her
presence known now. She smiled with happiness for her sister. Adelaide was going to
be all right. John would be good to her. Her
sister had wanted to live in Texas, and now she
could.

She heard John speak.

"When can we be married? I don't want to
wait."

"But you must, John. I have been a widow but
four months. It would not be proper."

"Here in Texas we do things differently. No
one holds much with convention. We're too busy
raising cattle and children. I want to increase my
herd, and I want children. Do you like children,
Adelaide?'

"Yes, I do, John."

"Then it's settled. I won't stop kissing you
until you agree to marry me."

Adelaide's laughter was beautiful to
Makinna's ears. "Let's go ask Hannah and see
what she thinks."

"All right, but I warn you, Hannah has been
telling me for years that I need to settle down.
The Bar K is a big ranch, and it's good land. I
have money, Adelaide, so I want you to put
yours in a bank somewhere and live off mine.
You can set yours aside for our children if you
want to."

Again Adelaide laughed. "If that's what you
want. Just how wealthy are you?"

"Not nearly as wealthy as the Silverhorns, but
I make a better than good living."

Makinna heard them move out the door, and
she felt tears on her cheeks. She smiled
wistfully. "Oh, Adelaide, you are going to be so
happy," she whispered.

Adelaide and John made an unusual-looking
couple, he tall and raw-boned, looking
uncomfortable in a suit and tie, she delicate and
pretty in a lacy apricot gown.

But as they stood in Hannah Silverhorn's
parlor but a few weeks later, their eyes shone
with love when the preacher pronounced them
man and wife.

The wedding was small, the only guests
Hannah, Makinna, and John's sister and her
husband.

When the ceremony was over, Makinna
hugged Adelaide; smiling through her tears. "Be
happy."

Adelaide's laughter bubbled. "I am! Oh,
Makinna, I love him so much. Is it right for
anyone to be this happy?"

"Yes, it is. If anyone deserves to be happy, it's
you."

Adelaide squeezed Makinna's hand. "If only
you could be as happy as I am. If only-"

"This is your day. We will not speak of
anything but your happiness. A bride should
have only happy thoughts on her wedding."
Makinna forced a laugh. "Go to your
bridegroom. He is looking this way."

And she watched her sister move across the
room and into her new husband's embrace.

The house seemed so quiet without Adelaide.
Makinna watched Hannah mending one of her
gowns, not realizing she had sighed aloud.

Hannah looked at her over her spectacles. "It
was a lovely wedding."

"Yes, it was. I am so glad my sister found
John."

"He's a good man."

"I think so, too."

"Mangas is up and about. He seems to have
recovered nicely."

Makinna laughed. "He is a loveable old man.
His eyes twinkle, and he almost seems full of
mischief."

"He likes you."

"How do you know?"

"He told me so."

Makinna was thoughtful. "I consider that a
compliment. I have a feeling Mangas doesn't
give his approval easily."

Hannah studied Makinna's face as she said, "I
had word from Coloradous today."

Makinna sat forward. "How is Tykota?"

"You will be glad to know that he is healing
nicely."

Makinna closed her eyes in relief. "I'm glad. I
have been so worried about him."

"So have I.But not so much for his injury. I knew in my heart that he would heal from that
wound."

"You are concerned because he stepped down
and allowed Coloradous to be chief of the
Perdenelas."

"Not even that. I am more worried about why
he did it."

"I don't understand."

"If Ty stepped down because he did not feel
capable of leading his tribe, he will find no
peace."

Makinna thought about what Hannah said, and
she understood. Tykota might always carry guilt
that he didn't fulfull his promise to his father.
She stood up and walked restlessly to the
window.

"Something is bothering you, isn't it,
Makinna?"

She turned to Hannah. "I have to tell you
something, and I don't want to."

"You are going away, aren't you?"

"Yes. I have decided to go back to New
Orleans. At least for a while. I feel if I go back to
my roots, maybe I can find who I am. Adelaide
insisted on lending me enough money to open a
small book shop there."

"I don't want you to leave."

Makinna went to Hannah and took her hand.
"I will miss you. But you know I have to do
this."

Hannah nodded. "Knowing it and liking it are two different things. I would like to keep you
with me."

"I shall certainly miss you."

"When do you plan to leave?"

"I thought I would go as soon as Adelaide gets
back from her honeymoon."

"Then I still have you for two more weeks."

Makinna kissed the little woman's cheek,
knowing she would miss her dearly.

The sun had gone down hours ago, and dark
clouds were gathering on the eastern horizon.

Makinna and Hannah had settled on the
veranda after dinner, enjoying the coolness of
the evening. Hannah sat in a rocking chair, and
Makinna was seated on the steps, watching
flashes of lightning in the distance.

"Did you finish packing?" Hannah asked.

It was painful for Makinna to think about
leaving. "Yes. Everything is ready to go."

"You can still change your mind," Hannah
said hopefully.

Makinna wanted to stay, but she couldn't. If
she remained, she would only watch for Tykota
every day, and she could not live that way. "I
have to go. You know I do."

"`Looks as if it might rain hard," Hannah
observed. "We could use some rain."

Makinna's heart wrenched in pain as she
remembered how Tykota had taught her not to
fear the thunderstorm. "The earth being reborn,"
she muttered sadly.

Hannah set her sights on the sky. "More than
likely it will pass us by."

Makinna heard footsteps coming up the
walkway, and she assumed it was one of the
cowhands coming to speak to Hannah. She stood
up to give the man room.

She walked to a corner of the veranda and
stared up at the sky, leaning her head against a
wooden column. She was overwhelmed with
melancholy. She was happy for her sister, but,
unlike Adelaide, she would never know the joy
of marrying the man she loved.

As Tykota stepped onto the veranda and
approached his mother, he placed a finger to his
lips and nodded toward Makinna. Hannah
understood immediately and smiled as joy burst
through her heart. She knew why he had come.
In fact, she'd been expecting him. "I'll just go
inside," she whispered. "Convince her to stay,
Ty"

Makinna heard the door open and shut, but she
kept watching the sky, still remembering that
other storm so long ago when she had first begun
to realize that she loved Tykota.

"Were you, perhaps, thinking of me,
Makinna?"

She whirled around to find Tykota standing
behind her. She pressed a hand to her stomach to
stop the fluttering there. Then lightning flashed,
and her gaze collided with Tykota's.

"Are you well enough to have ridden a horse
here?" She immediately felt foolish for asking
such a mundane question, but it was all she
could think of to say.

He held out the arm that was in a sling. "So it
would seem."

To keep him from knowing she was falling
apart inside, Makinna tilted her chin upward.
"Your brother sent word as he promised. We
knew that he'd taken you back to your tribe."

Makinna's hair glistened in the soft light, and
Tykota wanted to reach out and touch it, but he
restrained himself.