"Gray Falcon, don't!"
But, he was already treading toward the water. He said, as though he spoke the words in a white man's parlor room, "The water is refreshing, is it not?"
"I wouldn't know."
And, then he did it. He plodded right into the water beside her, and, coming down onto his knees, reached toward her to pull her into his arms, suggestively positioning her over him with her naked legs apart and straddling him.
She should have protested the stimulating position. She didn't.
"There, this is better, isn't it?"
She didn't answer. How could she possibly speak when she was seated as she was? And, in her altogether?
She felt his solidity, there between her legs, and was at once enthralled by it. Suddenly that similar area on her own body became ultra-sensitive, and she wiggled a little, her reward not only further pleasure, but also the thrill of hearing his deep, masculine groan.
He muttered, "Unless you want me to take you to my bed now, you best stop your wiggling while you sit upon me. You are more beautiful than my poor imagination could have ever envisioned, and I am ready to make love to you now if you are willing."
"And, then we would be married?"
"Indeed, we are already married. No true man sits like this with a woman without marrying her. I fear you, my friend, have captured my heart when I least expected it. Perhaps you did this many years ago, and I was too blind to see it. I do not know. But, this I do know: from now until forever, I have returned the favor to you and have now captured you as my woman."
She swooned inward toward him. Did this mean he might…? She asked, "So are you saying you might love me?"
"How could I not love you?"
"That was a question, sir, not an answer."
He smiled at her. "Of course I love you. I probably have loved you for many winters, only I did not know it. You do realize I have waited all these five snows for you, don't you?"
She threw herself into his arms. "Please help me, Gray Falcon. I want to love you, but I am afraid to. I'm afraid of harming my parents if I marry you and don't return to St. Louis."
He nodded, even while his hands came up to knead her breasts. She groaned in a high-pitched response.
"Have you ever thought," he asked, "that your mother sent you here to get you out of harm's way? If she knew you were in love with me? And she did?"
Amelia nodded.
"She knew you would never come back to that place if we were to be together again. How could she not have known?"
"Do you really think so?"
"I know this is true because she spoke to me while I was in prayer several nights ago, and this is how I am aware of what is in her mind. A mother loves her children more than life itself, and certainly more than her own poverty. But, this is not to say we should allow your parents to remain hungry and poor. We must envision another way out of the problem your father has created. Marrying that old man is not good; it would only bring more difficulties into your life."
"Do you really think she knew I would never go back? That she hoped I would marry you and this is the real reason for her encouraging me to come here?"
"Áa,I know these are her hopes because the Creator showed this to me. Instead of marrying that old man, let us come together as a man and his wife, and let us do it in the Pikuni way."
"And, what way is that?"
"We make love. And, after we do, we are married for all our lives. Do we marry, then?"
"Yes, but—"
He put a finger over her lips. "I am here with you now. We shall talk about your troubles, perhaps with my friend and your sister, also. I will pray about it. We will find a way to bring help to your parents, if they wish to be helped. You are no longer alone to face your troubles. I am here with you now. You should know this."
She nodded. And, tears—joyful ones this time—flooded her eyes. "I love you so much, so very, very much."
She felt him sigh. Then he groaned and murmured, "I am ready to love you now. Here. Even though many eyes could see us. But, I do not wish others to witness our love in this way. Therefore, you must dress and we will go to my lodge, and, once there, perhaps we might make love the night through."
