Do you deny that your song says your yellow-hair must come to you? You took me home and taught me how to walk back to you in your footsteps!" Her voice rose, turning shrill. "You gave me a fine horse to ride! Do you deny that?"
Confusion welled inside him. "You are angry because I teach you and give you gifts?"
At last she wrenched her head around, her tear-filled eyes sparkling with contempt. "Like your medallion? 'Wear it for always,' you said. But it wasn't as a remembrance! It was to mark me, so your filthy friend Santos wouldn't steal the wrong yellow-hair. You how much I love Amy. You struck where I was most vulnerable, knowing I'd do anything to save her. I you. You spoke of songs in our hearts and remembering for always. And I--"
Her voice broke and trailed off into a squeak. For a moment he thought she might strike him, so deep went her pain, but then her face crumpled and the fight drained from her. She looked so forsaken, so frightened, that all he wanted was to hold her and soothe away her hurts. "I you, Hunter. Do you know how difficult that was for me? After what Comanches did to my parents? I betrayed their memory, trusting you. I turned my back on everything."
Hunter's heart caught at the bruised, aching intensity he heard in her voice. Two large tears slipped over her bottom lashes and washed onto her cheeks, trailing in silver ribbons to her chin. He ran his hand into her cloud of tangled hair and drew her toward him, ignoring her resistance, pressing her face into the curve of his neck. She lay rigid against him, shaking violently. He dipped his head, the last traces of his anger dying.
Confusion welled inside him. "You are angry because I teach you and give you gifts?"
At last she wrenched her head around, her tear-filled eyes sparkling with contempt. "Like your medallion? 'Wear it for always,' you said. But it wasn't as a remembrance! It was to mark me, so your filthy friend Santos wouldn't steal the wrong yellow-hair. You how much I love Amy. You struck where I was most vulnerable, knowing I'd do anything to save her. I you. You spoke of songs in our hearts and remembering for always. And I--"
Her voice broke and trailed off into a squeak. For a moment he thought she might strike him, so deep went her pain, but then her face crumpled and the fight drained from her. She looked so forsaken, so frightened, that all he wanted was to hold her and soothe away her hurts. "I you, Hunter. Do you know how difficult that was for me? After what Comanches did to my parents? I betrayed their memory, trusting you. I turned my back on everything."
Hunter's heart caught at the bruised, aching intensity he heard in her voice. Two large tears slipped over her bottom lashes and washed onto her cheeks, trailing in silver ribbons to her chin. He ran his hand into her cloud of tangled hair and drew her toward him, ignoring her resistance, pressing her face into the curve of his neck. She lay rigid against him, shaking violently. He dipped his head, the last traces of his anger dying.
( Catherine Anderson )
[ Comanche Moon ]
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