Wind Rider (48 page)

“No, Hannah, you’re the strong one. Here,
hold out your hands so I can untie them,”
When he saw the bruises on Hannah’s wrists and face he was so enraged he was sorry he hadn’t killed Cut Nose with his own hands.

“I was so frightened for you,” she breathed
shakily.

“Even though you were bound hand and foot
you managed to come to my aid. If you hadn’t distracted Cut Nose, he would have slain me. I
owe you my life.”

“You’ve saved my life many times,” Hannah
returned softly. “It is only right that I should
save yours.”

He kissed her then, moving his mouth over
hers in a long, slow affirmation of love. Hannah
felt his love flowing over her, felt his strength
absorbing her, and knew a peace she’d never
expected in this life. When he broke off the
kiss he lifted her into his arms and carried her
to his pony.

“It is time to go home, my love. Woman-Who-Waddles is waiting for us at our last
campsite.”

“Home,” Hannah sighed wistfully. “It’s been so long since I’ve had a real home.”

“It may be a while before our own home is
built, but Abby and Zach’s home will be ours
while they are visiting Boston. Zach wants Abby
to meet his family. I’ve promised to keep an eye
on the farm until their return next year.”

“We’ll be a real family,” Hannah said happily, recalling with fondness the large family she had left behind in Ireland.

Ryder’s face assumed a faraway look. ”A real
family,” he repeated. “The only thing that would
make me happier is to learn that my sister Sierra is alive and well. I often think of her, you know.
She was the sweetest little thing, with hair the
rich color of Mother Earth and eyes as silver
as mine and Abby’s. I pray that she is happy
wherever she is.”

Suddenly his reminiscence came to an end
and he smiled that heartstopping smile Hannah
loved so well. “I may never know Sierra’s fate,
but as long as I have you, I am content. You’re
everything to me, Hannah. Will you be my
wife?”

“I am already your wife, Ryder, and I love
you beyond reason. Even if you don’t find Sier
ra, she will live in your heart. Let’s go home. I need you to make love to me.”

Suddenly his face grew reflective. “The Great
Spirit always meant for us to be together. That
is why he placed the small bird on my shoulder
in my vision. You are truly my personal talis
man. Your medicine was strong enough to give
my life meaning. If not for you, I would have
walked the Spirit Path. I shall always need you.
Forever,” he added on a sigh of happiness.

“Forever,” Hannah repeated, melting into his arms.

As far as houses went, this one wasn’t large,
but Hannah thought it quite grand. Facing the
river and sheltered from winter winds by a
bluff, the house, built entirely of logs, was
finally ready for occupancy. And just in time, too. Abby and Zach were due to return from Boston this month.

After she and Ryder had returned from Red
Cloud’s camp they had found a church and
a priest in Denver and had their marriage
blessed. Both Abby and Zach had witnessed the brief ceremony before they left for the East
with their son. During the exceptionally cold
fall Ryder had argued and fought for adequate
quantities of food and warm blankets for the
Indians who had moved to reservations for the winter.

When Ryder heard that the army was going ahead with the building of Fort Phil Kearney
on a branch of the Powder River he feared
more bloodshed and worked tirelessly to see that peaceful Indians were not cheated by
unscrupulous agents. By careful planning he’d
managed to be home when their daughter Lacy was born. The tiny bundle of joy had come into
the world during a fierce snowstorm, squalling
like a banshee. Already she had her father
wound around her little finger.

Hannah smiled in pleasure at the wildflowers
blooming on the hillside outside the window.
In her estimation the home-site Zach had given
them as a wedding gift was the choicest spot in the entire valley. They owed a lot to Abby and
Zach, a debt that Ryder had repaid by keeping watch on the farm during their absence. Fortunately, Zach had hired an excellent overseer
who needed little supervision.

“Daydreaming, Little Sparrow?”

Hannah turned and grinned at Ryder. After all this time he still preferred the Indian name
he had given her so long ago. There were even
times when she called him Wind Rider.

“I was just thinking how very fortunate I am
to have found you.”

“If I recall correctly, I was the one who found
you. At the time I thought you quite plain. If
I hadn’t been in pain, I would have seen your
beauty through all that dirt and grime. You
have to admit, though, that you were a skinny little thing, all bones and angles.”

“And you were an arrogant bully who wanted
to make me his slave.”

“Instead you made me yours.”

He moved up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“Having a wife and family is something I
never expected to experience. You’ve changed
the course of my entire life, Hannah. Never in
my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d be living
and working with white eyes.”

Hannah turned in his arms, gazing intently into the silver depths of his eyes. “Are you
sorry?”

Sliding her arms about his neck, she pulled
his head down and stood on tiptoe so she could reach his lips. The attraction she felt for this
special man would never wane. He was her
life, her love, her very existence. And part
of that attraction was what he was. It didn’t matter whether he considered himself Indian or white, he was uniquely himself, a product
of two cultures.

Ryder needed no special invitation to taste
his wife’s sweetness as he covered her lips with
his in a lingering kiss that expressed all the words he was too tongue-tied to say.

“Sony that I have you and a wonderful daughter?” he answered after he broke off
the kiss. “Never! What bothers me is that
I’m still having difficulty discovering myself.
It’s impossible not to hate whites after being
raised by Indians and experiencing firsthand
the injustices done to them. I loved White
Feather and Gray Dove. I wanted no other
life until you came along. My greatest fear is
that you will regret having married me/’

“Do I act like I’m sorry?” Hannah asked
impudently as she rubbed herself against him in a most suggestive manner.

“No, thank God. Is Lacy sleeping?” He
looked pointedly toward their bedroom. He
never knowingly passed up an opportunity to
make love to his wife.

Hannah laughed. “Unfortunately, the little imp will be wanting her dinner soon.”

Ryder sighed in pained resignation. “Well, if
there’s no hope of having you to myself for a little while, I might as well tell you my news.”

“News?” She grew excited. “You’ve learned
something about Sierra!” Hannah was aware
that Ryder and Abby had hired a detective to find their younger sister.

“We’ve learned the name of the family who picked up Sierra after our wagon was attacked by Crow raiders. Holly and Lester Alden were
passing by on their way to California. They
stayed in Denver only a short time while they
made their report to the authorities before trav
eling on.”

“California; that’s a very large territory.”

Undaunted, Ryder nodded. “I’m convinced we’ll find each other one day. Meanwhile, how long do you think we’d have before our daugh
ter demands her dinner? An hour perhaps?”

The gleam in his eyes hinted at a languorous hour of splendid pleasure, lying in his arms, sharing his passion.

“At least an hour,” Hannah replied with a twinkle. He had already ignited a flame within her that would need at least that long to burn itself out.

Having overheard the exchange between Hannah and Ryder, Woman-Who-Waddles,
who was bringing Lacy to her mother to be
fed, turned and walked back into the kitchen, chuckling to herself.

“Come, little one, I will give you a sugar
teat to satisfy your hunger while your parents
satisfy theirs.”

Gurgling happily, the dimpled darling
seemed quite unperturbed, accustomed by now to her thoroughly unconventional parents.

 
This is the second book of my
Trails West
trilogy.
Tears Like Rain
was the first. I hope you
enjoyed both of them. I tried to keep the events
in order chronologically, but you may find I
have changed some of the dates of specific
battles to fit the story.

Sierra
is the title I’ve given the third book of
the trilogy. The series concludes with the story of the youngest sister, Sierra, and the trials and
tribulations she encounters as she searches for her siblings. Besides the incorrigible, spoiled
darling of rich adoptive parents, you will
also meet Ramsey Hunter, the reluctant hero who accompanies Sierra on her journey from
California to Colorado. Handsome and outra
geously arrogant, Ram Hunter is a man with
a secret past. I hope you enjoy my fast-paced,
rip-roaring tales of the Old West.

Connie is the bestselling author of 60 books and novellas and counting.  Her tales of passion and adventure are set in exotic as well as in American locales.  Connie has won awards from Romantic Times and has been listed in Who's Who of American Women for several years.  Connie makes her home in Tarpon Springs, Florida.

Connie is a world traveler.  She has visited every country in Western and Eastern Europe, Greece, Asia and Northern Africa.  Also, countless islands in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas.  Connie enjoys spending time with her three children, nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.  Visit her Website and
www.conniemason.com
.