“You certainly didn’t believe in me regarding the pepper!”
“I already promised you a better apology, but I think life will go a little bit more smoothly if we both start believing in each other. What do you say?”
She nodded.
He nudged Tor to a quicker gait. The others rode behind them now. When they returned to the camp by the river, though the hour was late, other warriors, old men, young men, women, and children rushed out to greet them. Squaws took the scalps.
The camp came alive with activity.
But Hawk evaded it, leaving Sloan to make any apologies for him. He carried his wife into their tipi and set her down, studying her from head to toe for injury as he had done once before.
“I’m all right,” she insisted. “Well, my ankle is a bit sore because I tripped and bit my lip when that Crow warrior clamped his hand down on my mouth, but?—”
“No one hurt you.”
She frowned suddenly. “Hawk, one man spoke English.”
“Sloan said he was a mixed blood he’d seen around one of the army forts,” Hawk said.
“He said he’d just as soon kill me sooner than later if I didn’t shut up, but one of the others shouted at him, and he shut up. Are such attacks common?”
“Yes and no. The Crow and the Sioux have been enemies forever. We have fought forever, we take coup upon one another, steal horses…but this…this is the strangest damned thing I’ve ever seen, even if you do have spectacular hair.”
“Do I?” she inquired, almost smiling. Hawk breathed a sigh of relief. She was going to be all right.
“I’m waiting to see you on your knees,” she told him.
She was definitely going to be all right, he thought as he went down upon a knee. “I’m sorry. I am really, truly, honestly sorry. I kneel humbly before you in apology. Will that suffice?”
“With a little more pure humility in your voice it won’t be half bad.”
“I’m humble.”
“The hell you are.”
“But I really am sorry. You did work hard all day, and you did intend to appear to be a perfect Sioux wife.”
“I always pay my debts.”
“Your debts? Ah. Your sister, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it seems you’ve found monsters here, but apparently, you’ve known a few monsters in the past. I wouldn’t want her under attack by any monsters either. But then, perhaps you’d like to tell me a little bit more about the monsters in your past?”
Skylar shook her head. “Not tonight, please. The past, please God, is behind me,” she said softly. She wasn’t about to give him anything more. And tonight it didn’t matter. Nothing else mattered. Right now, it was too good just to hold her.
“Am I forgiven?” he asked her.
She nodded, then shivered fiercely. “I have to forgive you. You came for me again. You were alive. You saved my life.”
“They wouldn’t have killed you.”
“I think that they did mean to kill me. Eventually.”
Hawk stood, shaking his head. “You’re safe,” he said huskily. “And very beautiful. Maybe you’re not so safe. I’m shaking, needing to hold you again.”
“I’m a mess, covered with dirt.”
