spirit woman. He nodded. At least that was one mystery solved.
Two Hawks relaxed now that he knew she wouldn't whisk him away to a cloud or turn him into rain or anything. Spending time together gave him more information to take back to the elders. Besides, he enjoyed looking at the pretty woman. He lay down on his side, stretched out his long legs, and leaned on one elbow as he watched her. It never occurred to him to help. Picking berries was woman's work.
* * *
After a short while, Lana decided she had enough berries for a pie. Besides, it was getting late and her family would worry about her if she didn't hurry home. She tried to get the two large baskets and the rifle gathered up for the long walk back, but it proved to be cumbersome. To her surprise, Two Hawks picked up one of the baskets and began walking in the direction of her house. She fell into step beside him.
When they waded through the river, he set the basket on the ground, held up his hand, and turned to go back.
Lana touched his elbow, stopping him. "Centas Yi, thank you." She smiled and nodded.
He studied her face for a moment and then slowly returned her smile. With that, he walked away.
* * *
"Well, she's not a spirit woman," Two Hawks told his father that evening. "Her hands were bleeding from thorns."
Many Deer nodded. The elders hadn't yet come to a decision on what to do with them. This bit of information would help.
"Wait. How do you know her hands were bleeding?" Many Deer asked.
"I was with her when she picked berries."
Many Deer shot a look of concern at his rash son. "And her father, her brothers?"
"I didn't see them."
"You need to be more careful than that," he scolded. "They could have been close. She could have screamed and you would be dead now."
"I don't think she'll scream. As a matter of fact, she smiled at me today."
"What?" His father's face scrunched up in a frown. "Why was she smiling?"
Two Hawks knew that if he told his father they fed each other blackberries, it would only cause more confusion, more consternation. "I'm not sure," he finally said. "Perhaps because I helped carry her baskets."
Many Deer rose to his feet, agitated. "Have you lost your mind? Leave her alone. She'll get you killed!" He bent over to leave the tipi, muttering to his wife as he left. He needed air - air and time to think about his crazy son!
Chapter 3 - The Hunt
Lana made her way to the house, lumbering slowly with her burden of baskets. That night at dinner, she happily showed her family the blackberries.
"And there's more. A lot more," she informed them. "If you can spare Jake tomorrow, Pa, maybe we can go pick them."
Jake's eyes lit up. He hated working on the barn. Picking berries sounded like a wonderful reprieve.
"I don't know," Joshua frowned. "Do you think we can get along without him for one day, Nathan?" He winked at his eldest to let him know he was teasing Jake.
"Well, Pa." Nathan scratched his head like he was thinking on it real hard.
"Oh, pleeaassseee," Jake begged, making his face look as pathetic as possible.
"I reckon we could," Nathan finally said.
"Well, then, I guess you're going berry picking with your ma and sister tomorrow."
Jake wanted to jump up and down in his excitement, but felt he was too old for such behavior now. Instead, he sat in his chair, beaming.
That night, there were two in the Cooper family who had trouble falling asleep - Jake, over the excitement of the next day's adventure, and Lana, over that day's.
Once she had relaxed around Two Hawks, she had studied him, and her thoughts went back to that. He moved gracefully, like a panther, with his muscles rippling through his bare chest and arms. He had surprised her when he let her feed him the berry. Whatever had possessed her to do that? Maybe it was a gesture of friendship. Perhaps it was a gesture of trust. Whatever it was, it had worked.
And when he fed her, it surprised her even more. Not just his gesture, but the way she felt when
Two Hawks relaxed now that he knew she wouldn't whisk him away to a cloud or turn him into rain or anything. Spending time together gave him more information to take back to the elders. Besides, he enjoyed looking at the pretty woman. He lay down on his side, stretched out his long legs, and leaned on one elbow as he watched her. It never occurred to him to help. Picking berries was woman's work.
* * *
After a short while, Lana decided she had enough berries for a pie. Besides, it was getting late and her family would worry about her if she didn't hurry home. She tried to get the two large baskets and the rifle gathered up for the long walk back, but it proved to be cumbersome. To her surprise, Two Hawks picked up one of the baskets and began walking in the direction of her house. She fell into step beside him.
When they waded through the river, he set the basket on the ground, held up his hand, and turned to go back.
Lana touched his elbow, stopping him. "Centas Yi, thank you." She smiled and nodded.
He studied her face for a moment and then slowly returned her smile. With that, he walked away.
* * *
"Well, she's not a spirit woman," Two Hawks told his father that evening. "Her hands were bleeding from thorns."
Many Deer nodded. The elders hadn't yet come to a decision on what to do with them. This bit of information would help.
"Wait. How do you know her hands were bleeding?" Many Deer asked.
"I was with her when she picked berries."
Many Deer shot a look of concern at his rash son. "And her father, her brothers?"
"I didn't see them."
"You need to be more careful than that," he scolded. "They could have been close. She could have screamed and you would be dead now."
"I don't think she'll scream. As a matter of fact, she smiled at me today."
"What?" His father's face scrunched up in a frown. "Why was she smiling?"
Two Hawks knew that if he told his father they fed each other blackberries, it would only cause more confusion, more consternation. "I'm not sure," he finally said. "Perhaps because I helped carry her baskets."
Many Deer rose to his feet, agitated. "Have you lost your mind? Leave her alone. She'll get you killed!" He bent over to leave the tipi, muttering to his wife as he left. He needed air - air and time to think about his crazy son!
Chapter 3 - The Hunt
Lana made her way to the house, lumbering slowly with her burden of baskets. That night at dinner, she happily showed her family the blackberries.
"And there's more. A lot more," she informed them. "If you can spare Jake tomorrow, Pa, maybe we can go pick them."
Jake's eyes lit up. He hated working on the barn. Picking berries sounded like a wonderful reprieve.
"I don't know," Joshua frowned. "Do you think we can get along without him for one day, Nathan?" He winked at his eldest to let him know he was teasing Jake.
"Well, Pa." Nathan scratched his head like he was thinking on it real hard.
"Oh, pleeaassseee," Jake begged, making his face look as pathetic as possible.
"I reckon we could," Nathan finally said.
"Well, then, I guess you're going berry picking with your ma and sister tomorrow."
Jake wanted to jump up and down in his excitement, but felt he was too old for such behavior now. Instead, he sat in his chair, beaming.
That night, there were two in the Cooper family who had trouble falling asleep - Jake, over the excitement of the next day's adventure, and Lana, over that day's.
Once she had relaxed around Two Hawks, she had studied him, and her thoughts went back to that. He moved gracefully, like a panther, with his muscles rippling through his bare chest and arms. He had surprised her when he let her feed him the berry. Whatever had possessed her to do that? Maybe it was a gesture of friendship. Perhaps it was a gesture of trust. Whatever it was, it had worked.
And when he fed her, it surprised her even more. Not just his gesture, but the way she felt when
Similar Books
Irregular Verbs
Matthew Johnson
Nobody Said Amen
Tracy Sugarman
Whose Bride Is She Anyway
Dakota Cassidy
The Lotus Palace
Jeannie Lin
The Education of Donovan
Fabian Black
Hearths of Fire
Kennedy Layne
The Big Finish
James W. Hall
Stone Cold Lover
Christine Warren
The Cruiser: A Dan Lenson Novel
David Poyer
Prime Time
Liza Marklund