She glanced over at him where he rode beside her. He was watching her with worry creasing his brow. He looked like he wanted to say something but didn’t speak right away.
She gave him an expectant smile. “What is it?”
He shook his head. “Just wondering if keeping this pace is too hard for everyone. Maybe I should tell Dragoon to go on ahead.”
Was that what hewantedto do, or was he making a sacrifice because he thought the challenge too hard for them? “If it’s my sisters and me you’re worried about, we can manage. I know riding so long and hard in this heat is challenging for the horses, but they’re all hardy animals. We’re giving them rest and making sure they get water, so I think they’re handling the journey well.”
He nodded, though his eyes still looked worried. When he turned his gaze forward, he seemed to be looking into the distance, as though his mind was far away. He was such a good man, always thinking of others and sacrificing his own wishes and hopes for their good. If only she could reach out and take his hand, but she didn’t dare with so many people around. Especially Faith and Lorelei riding just behind.
She and Riley hadn’t had any time alone since that kiss, though sometimes he would send her a look that warmed her all the way through. Other times, he would brush her arm with his hand in passing, sending a tingle all the way up to her shoulder. Once, when he’d brought her saddle over and hoisted it onto her mare, he’d taken advantage of the horse as a shield and placed his hands on each of her upper arms, then pressed his lips to her hair in a kiss so tender she wanted to melt right there on the hillside. But Rosie had been approaching, so Riley stepped away and moved to his own mount.
It was this and so much more that made her feel cherished any time he was near. The way he looked at her, she feltnot onlyseenbutloved. Could she possibly leave her sisters and their plans and stay here with Riley? Would Rosie and the others understand if she chose a man over them? She’d always thought she’d find a husband who would be willing to work the ranch too, so she wouldn’t have to abandon the plans they were so close to fulfilling. But she couldn’t ask Riley to leave this place he loved so much, to abandon his own dreams.
Ahead of them, Dragoon’s hand flew up like an alert flag. Their entire group fell silent, and she strained to see what had caught his attention. He wasn’t looking at the ground, and his horse still plodded forward around the base of the mountain they were maneuvering.
Then, at the curve of the hillside, a flash of motion grabbed her attention. A horse and rider.
Riley nudged his horse up to Dragoon’s side. He should be in the lead to speak with whoever was approaching them, but not having him beside her left an empty spot somewhere deep within.
She focused on the stranger ahead. Two of them actually, and both appeared to be native.
As they came within twenty strides, a jolt of recognition flared in her. The front rider was the younger man from the smaller Peigan village. The grandson of the chief who’d sat with them at the fire. Flies Ahead.
Maybe they’d found that group after all. Though now they wouldn’t be able to watch the village from a distance. Their presence here had been discovered.
She glanced at the second man to see if she might recognize him too, and another flash of realization sluiced through her.
White Horse?They’d wondered if the two were part of the Peigan band, and now seeing these two men together confirmed it.
Riley’s voice murmured as he spoke to Dragoon, but his words were too quiet to make out. He was likely telling him who these men were.
Then Riley turned in his saddle to see Ol’ Henry, who still rode in the back of their group. “These are Peigan. Will you come interpret?”
A leap of something like hope rose in her chest. She hadn’t realized Ol’ Henry spoke that language, more than just the hand talk. Why hadn’t they taken him along before? He obliged now, guiding his horse forward to come alongside Riley.
As the two groups met and halted their horses, Riley raised a hand in greeting, then spoke the word he usually used as a hello. “Oki.”
The two braves both nodded, either in acknowledgment or greeting. Flies Ahead eyed them with the same wary look as he had before, but White Horse watched them with something like curiosity. His gaze swept over the men quickly enough, then moved back to her and her sisters. Before reaching the rendezvous, she hadn’t fully realized how much of a curiosity white women would be in this land.
As before, Riley spoke and signed at the same time. “These are my other companions, Dragoon and Ol’ Henry.” He motioned to each man as he said their name.
Ol’ Henry spoke in a string of sounds that must be the Indians’ language.
Flies Ahead responded in kind, motioning to himself, then to White Horse.
Ol’ Henry spoke in a quieter tone as he interpreted. “He tells me his name is Flies Ahead and his companion is White Horse.” This they already knew, but Dragoon wouldn’t be aware yet unless Riley had told him. Interesting that White Horse had spoken to them in broken English before, but he seemed inclined to let Flies Ahead speak now. As the chief’s grandson, maybe that was the way things were done.
“Ask him about my horse.” Dragoon didn’t try to hold back his eagerness.
Ol’ Henry spoke to the men again in their language, motioning to Dragoon as he did so. He even pointed to the ground, maybe showing the tracks they’d been following.
A horrible thought jolted Juniper. Since White Horse and Flies Ahead had also been riding this path, would that make it harder to follow the thief’s trail? Maybe.
And were they really following the trail of the man who’d stolen Dragoon’s mare? These two proved it just as likely could be two men out riding together. Or an innocent trapper and his pack horse. Two sets of hoofprints could mean any number of scenarios.
God, help us find her. Lead us on the right trail.They needed to find Steps Right too, but it seemed she should address one problem at a time.
Flies Ahead answered Ol’ Henry, and from his expression, his response seemed to be no.
