Wayward Wind (19 page)

Griffin turned back to the Indian. He rubbed his chin with his fingers, deliberating. “She cannot skin a rabbit,” he announced
reluctantly, and Lorna translated.

“My first wife builds the fire, my second wife skins the rabbits.”

Griffin lifted his shoulders indifferently when Lorna told him what the Indian said. “My woman is lazy.”

“She will give me a son with one hand that can do the work of two. It will be a good omen for all to see.” He craned his neck
to get a better look at Bonnie’s slim body. “Is she good on the blanket?”

Griffin seemed to be considering this. “Well…” He looked back at Bonnie again, his eyes dancing with mischief. She had drawn
her lower lip between her teeth and her eyes sparkled angrily. He turned back and shook his head sadly. “No papoose.”

“No papoose?” The Indian’s shoulders slumped, then he stiffened them and his dark eyes moved to Bonnie and glittered with
contempt before returning to Griffin.

“One pony,” he said.

“
One
pony for a woman with one hand that can do the work of two?” Griffin said scornfully. “Look at her hair. Take it down, Bonnie.”

“I’ll do no such thing, Fort Griffin,” she spat at him and jabbed him in the back with her elbow.

“One pony and three beaver skins,” the Indian countered, and his expression changed to arrogance.

“Four ponies and six beaver skins,” Griffin said firmly.

“No!” The Indian jumped to his feet. The curve of his lips spoke his contempt for such a price for a worthless woman. He gave
Griffin a look of disgust and vaulted to the back of his pony. He sat there, his eyes burning hotly, spitting out rapid, angry
words.

Finally Blue Feather lifted his hand in an impatient gesture and the Indian in the hat fell silent.

“There are men seeking the yellow stone in the waters you will pass,” he said to Cooper. “We did not kill them. They are known
to us as friends.”

Lorna translated this and then added, “It could be Moose and Woody. They’re friends of mine, too.”

“I will see Singing Woman to her home, then I will go north to my home on the Thompson.”

Lorna hesitated before she translated Cooper’s words. He didn’t know she had told Blue Feather he was her husband.

“We will go to where my grandfather, Sharp Knife, lived,” she said with her hand, on Cooper’s arm. “Then north to the Thompson.”

Blue Feather poked the bags of tobacco and the pipe inside his tunic, uncrossed his legs and got to his feet. He held out
his hand to Cooper, ignoring everyone else. Cooper shook it solemnly. Blue Feather turned, mounted his pony, and without a
backward glance wheeled and trotted down the trail. His braves fell in behind him.

The heat of the dying day was cupped in the sheltered valley and the golden gloom of evening was making itself known. Side
by side Lorna and Cooper rode down the timbered hillside and onto the green sward. Unspoken in both their minds was the thought
that after today it would be a long while before they would be together again. Cooper welcomed this. He needed time away from
this woman; time to get his feeling for her into perspective. Too much had happened too soon.

“I’m glad you came with me, Cooper. I want you to see my home on Light’s Mountain.” Lorna shortened her reins and turned east,
speaking over her shoulder.

Cooper did not reply, but rode along in silence for another little while. Suddenly he spoke, a half smile creasing one corner
of his mouth. “I don’t think Griffin minded stayin’ with Bonnie at all. They seemed to be
took
with each other.”

“I know she’s
took
with him. She’s not had much kindness in her life and I guess Griff hasn’t either.” Lorna was silent while the powerful gray
horse made a dozen cantering strides onward. “I wasn’t one bit scared about leaving Bonnie with him. He’ll take care of her.
Griff needs to have someone trust in him. You trust him, too. You left your rifle and the mare—”

“I couldn’t very well leave them holed up without a way to protect themselves, even for just a few hours.”

“A few hours? Won’t you stay the night?” she asked anxiously.

“Your pa may not make me welcome. Have you thought of that?” Cooper gave her a measuring glance and continued to watch her
as he continued. “If my daughter had been gone more than a week and came riding in with a stranger there’d be hell to pay.”

“Don’t worry about that.” She gave him a warm smile. “Frank’s used to my coming and going. He knows I’ve got Bonnie stashed
someplace where Brice can’t find her and that I’ve been with her.”

Cooper’s brows lifted in a puzzled arc. “Why couldn’t you have kept her here?” He paused, hating to ask the next question,
but asked it anyway. “Wouldn’t your pa stand up to the man?”

“Brice convinced Frank that he had married Bonnie, and Pa won’t stand between a man and his wife.”

“Even if he was killing her?” Cooper asked with impatience in his voice.

“I don’t know,” she said so softly that Cooper barely caught the words above the rhythmic thud of hooves. She indicated a
mound to the southeast. “We’re almost there.”

They moved over rough terrain and into an upper valley. When they reached it Cooper was convinced that Lorna was a born horsewoman.
With her feet lightly resting in the stirrups, she sat a reaching trot, the roughest of all gaits, as smoothly as if the long-striding
stallion were moving at a leisurely walk.

“Where did you learn to sit a trot like that? I’ve seen a few that could do it, but they were mostly Easterners or from Europe.”
Admiration was evident in his voice now, just as impatience had been while they were discussing her father.

“Frank taught me a long time ago. He said if I was going to ride I’d do it right. That was before… Mama died.”

Cooper said nothing for awhile. Roscoe broke stride in order to stay with the powerfully moving gray that sensed he was near
home. “Your pa’s from back East?”

“I think he came from Scotland when he was little, but he doesn’t talk much about himself, so I’m not sure.”

“Is he a hard man?”

Lorna shook her head. “No…” She drew the word out thoughtfully. “It’s just that since Mama died he’s wanted to leave Light’s
Mountain. He doesn’t have much to do with me. He… just puts up with me and—” She broke off, embarrassed at having shown him
this intimate glimpse of her deepest longing for a more loving relationship with her father.

They skirted the hill and quite suddenly Cooper spied the homestead. It sat back in the pines and looked as permanent and
peaceful as the mountains that surrounded it. Smoke curled upward from one of the two stone chimneys. He glanced at Lorna
and found her looking at him with a tremulous smile on her face.

“This is my home, Cooper,” she said simply, her eyes holding his steadily.

Cooper gave her a searching look and then looked back at the homestead. Quite suddenly they had nothing to say to each other.
It was a fact that came to them simultaneously and made them feel awkward. Their glances met and fell away. When he looked
at her again he found her watching him closely, as if his reaction to her home was very important to her. She led the way
along a well-worn trail to the homestead. Cooper followed and studiously examined it and the surrounding area as if searching
for something. His mind absorbed the fact that the homestead was built to withstand an attack and well laid-out. The sheds
and pole corrals were situated so that the run-off flowed downstream from the building.

As they neared the house two huge dogs leaped from the porch and in long bounding strides came to meet them, barking their
pleasure. The dogs’ warning clamor brought a man to the porch. He stood there, loudly cursing the roaring dogs as the two
riders came into the yard. He stepped to the edge of the porch, his whistle at once bringing the dogs back to him.

Cooper and Lorna pulled up a dozen feet away and sudden tension gripped Cooper. Below heavy brows and a thatch of dark red
hair laced with gray, the man’s eyes gleamed with hostility. He was of medium height, stockily built, with wide shoulders
and long arms. Cooper returned the man’s hostile gaze with no show of emotion. Nor did he speak.

“Who in hell air ye? What ye be doin’ here?”

“Pa!” Lorna swung from the saddle and stood, feet spread, her hands on her hips.

Her father’s glance went to her and then back to Cooper.

“I asked who ye be ’n what ye be doin’ with my lass.” His voice was deep and rough with its strong Scottish accent.

“You’ve got a strange way of greeting a stranger, mister. I’m Cooper Parnell,” Cooper said with deceptive mildness. “If you’ve
a decent set of manners to your name, you’ll thank me for bringing your daughter home.”

Frank gave a snort of disgust. His bright gaze remained unwinkingly on Cooper. “She needs be looked oot fer ’bout as much
as do a grizzly.”

“I invited him here, Pa. Can’t you be decent for
once
?” Lorna’s clearly etched features were perfectly composed and wholly cold, belying the fact she was mortified by her father’s
behavior.

Frank turned his angry gaze on Lorna. “Where ye be gone to, lassie? If it be a mon ye be huntin’, there be aplenty here what’d
step in an’ be
lord
of Light’s Mountain if’n ye but say the word.” His words were laced with sarcasm.

“You know where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing. There isn’t a
real
man on this mountain, Frank. Not one who’d stand up to Brice Fulton.
I
had to do it.”

“She be his wife!” Frank roared.

“She’s not his wife and you know it!” In the tense silence Lorna’s voice sounded unnaturally loud, although she held it to
a level pitch.

“I’ll ride on, Lorna,” Cooper said curtly.

“No! Please stay, Cooper.” Her cry of protest came out sharply. She dropped Gray Wolf’s reins and came to stand beside Roscoe.
Suddenly she was on the verge of tears; she couldn’t bear the thought of his leaving. She blinked rapidly to keep the tears
from disgracing her. “Don’t go, Cooper. I’m sorry my pa is so lacking in manners. He’s a rude and bitter man. I should’ve
prepared you for him. Please stay. I’ll fix you some supper.”

She stood in troubled silence while Cooper looked down at her. He couldn’t help but wonder how she had managed to turn out
so sweet and loving, living with this angry, bitter man. She stood stiff and proud, her fine-boned profile set with the effort
not to betray her tears.

“I don’t want to cause trouble between you and your pa. But if you’re sure it’s all right, I’ll stay.” He grinned at her.
“Roscoe would like a rest. Where shall I put him?”

“I’ll show you—” She broke off as the dogs again erupted into violent outcry directly underfoot. Lorna’s low command held
them where they were, and she turned to look at what had set them off. Two riders filed out of the woods and came steadily
toward the house. It was nearly dark, but Lorna recognized Hollis and Billy Tyrrell. Anger showed in the way she straightened
her back, snatched up Gray Wolf’s reins, and started toward the back of the house.

“
You’ve
got company, Frank,” she called over her shoulder in a scathing tone.

It was dark by the time they had fed and watered the horses. Lorna’s joy at being home and having Cooper here with her eased
away some of the strain created by her father’s unhospitable greeting. She took Cooper’s hand and led him to the house. On
a shelf beside the back door was a bucket of water, a tin washbowl and a towel.

“You can wash up here, Cooper. I’ll wash in my room and then fix us some supper.”

“Lorna… I don’t want to stay if it’ll cause you trouble later on.”

“It won’t cause any trouble. I want you to stay!” There was a husky note of desperation in her voice. “I’m sorry Frank acted
the way he did. He can be mean and hateful when he’s in a bad mood. But he’s not a bad man, Cooper. I think he’s worried that
he’s in trouble and that you’ve come to see about the rustling—”

“It’s not my stock they’re stealing. I’ll not give him any trouble, Lorna, unless he pushes me.”

“Oh, Cooper! I know that.” Lorna slipped her arms about his waist and pressed herself against him. “Hold me for just a minute.
You’ll be gone tomorrow. I… don’t want to think about it.”

Cooper hugged her close and buried his lips in her hair. “You can come home with me, meet my ma, and see Bonnie settled.”
The words came out before he realized he was even thinking them.

“I can’t. I’ve got to see what Frank’s up to. Will you come back soon? Please say you’ll come back soon.” His body was big
and hard and warm and he cradled her to him with a gentleness that brought tears to her eyes. Lorna felt the tension in her
muscles loosen.

“I can’t promise you that I’ll be back
soon,
” he whispered regretfully.

She took a shaky breath, her voice very low. “But you will come back?” She pressed her face against his shoulder and closed
her eyes tightly against the words that were sure to come.

“I’ll come back.” He lifted her face and kissed her trembling mouth with incredible gentleness. He kissed her eyes, tracing
the outline with sensual, delicate caresses. Then his kisses moved slowly down her cheek to the corner of her mouth, his tongue
moist and probing. Lorna was swimming in a haze, aware only that she was pressed tightly against him, his mouth warm and tantalizing
against her skin. Then he was holding her away from him. “You’d better get in there and fix me something to eat before I carry
you off and… have my way with you.” His whispered threat was edged with desire and a shudder of longing worked its way down
his body.

Lorna’s laugh was low and joyous. “That doesn’t scare me, my love.”

“Well, it better,” he said sternly.

She held his arms and looked up into his face for a long while. “Oh, Cooper, what scares me is that if your mare hadn’t gotten
loose, and if I hadn’t climbed the cliff that day—” She shuddered and held onto him tighter while she pressed her face to
his shoulder. “If you hadn’t come looking for her, I’d have missed meeting up with you. It might have been years before I
found you again.”