Following his lead, she helped him shed his clothing, then stood drinking in the sight of his glorious bronze body. Her fingers traced the still-pink scars of the new wound of his shoulder. Tears blurred her vision as she leaned forward to gently kiss the wound, as if to heal him with her lips, to absorb some of the pain he had endured.
“Don’t think of it, my darling,” he told her. “Just let me love you as I have longed to for so many months.”
He worshipped her with his eyes, his lips, his hands, rediscovering every familiar line of her body. Their fingertips lingered delicately, their senses heightened by abstinence. Her skin tingled beneath his touch, and caught fire as his lips and tongue found sensitive areas so long ignored. Her breasts swelled to fill his palms, and the ache in her belly grew as his mouth teased at her nipples, suckling and nipping gently. Soon she was clutching him to her, begging him to make her wholly his once more.
When he joined his body with hers, Tanya’s world exploded in sensual delight. They climbed the mountain of ecstasy together until, at the very summit, lightning struck at her very soul, searing their bodies and hearts. They were complete once more, and Tanya’s sigh echoed his own …
The lengthening shadows told Tanya how fast the afternoon had flown. “It is getting late, Panther. We must go. I will be missed.”
A look of regret flitted across his handsome face. “Let us get dressed and we will make our plans,” he told her.
When they were once again clothed, he drew her to him. “I have given this much thought. I cannot suddenly appear on your doorstep as your husband. My identity as A-Panther-Stalks must remain a secret, especially with the young lieutenant so much in evidence, though he has never seen me close enough to recognize me.”
Tanya agreed. “Yes, and there is Suellen to consider. She is still in Pueblo awaiting her parents’ arrival from California. We needn’t worry about Melissa. She would not divulge your identity, I am sure.”
“What about the other women captives?” Panther wondered.
“There are only three of us left; Melissa, myself, and Suellen.” Tanya enumerated. “Rosemary was traded to another tribe in the spring, Black Kettle’s slave was killed in the attack, and Nancy died at Camp Supply of a miscarriage on the way back.”
Panther mulled this over in his mind. “The best thing to do is have you meet me as Adam Savage, but this must be done properly. Your parents must not suspect anything.”
Tanya nodded. “What do you suggest?”
“Do you know Judge Kerr and his family? They are some of our closest friends. I grew up with his son, Justin, and my mother and Emily are as close as sisters.”
“I have met them.” Tanya smiled as she added, “Justin seems to have taken quite an interest in Melissa. He’ll probably be hanging about in hopes of furthering his chances with her when we go to tea there tomorrow afternoon.”
Panther kissed her hard on the lips, grinning like an overgrown boy. “You have just solved our problems, my brilliant wife,” he crowed. “Tomorrow, while you are having tea at the Kerr’s, Adam Savage is going to visit his old friend, Justin. Naturally, he will notice the beautiful Tanya Martin with the exquisite golden eyes, and demand an introduction. What do you think?”
“It is perfect!” Tanya agreed with a delighted laugh. Then she sobered, “Except for one thing. We will still be apart from one another. I want to be your wife again.”
“Then I shall court you,” Panther announced, his dark eyes twinkling. “This time we will have your parents’ approval!”
“But it will take so long,” she moaned, “and I want to be with you constantly — though it will serve to get Jeffrey Young off my back. With you as my new fiancé, he will have to accept defeat, but I doubt if he will do so gracefully.”
“Do not fret, dear heart. Our courtship will proceed at an alarming rate of speed, and I can handle any problems with Lt. Young. Meanwhile, we will arrange hidden trysts to satisfy your burning desires and my own lustful nature,” he teased with a lingering kiss. “Now you must go before we are discovered together.”
“Wait! You have told me nothing of our friends or where the Cheyenne are now. Where is Kat?”
“Kat is in the village with Walks-Like-A-Duck. The tribe is camped along Medicine Lodge Creek just now, and Winter Bear is chief in my absence. It has been a hard winter for the Cheyenne. We lived huddled together in borrowed tipis, and food was scarce. Circumstances should improve now that spring is here. Already the braves have been out on hunts to replenish food and furs.”
Tanya bit her lip in despair at his disclosure. “I worried how you would survive the winter with no shelter or supplies. Even the buffalo ponies were slaughtered.”
Her voice quivered as she recalled the massacre she’d witnessed, and tears raced down her cheeks unchecked. “Never will I forget that day; not if I live to be a hundred! Blood and bodies everywhere! And the screams; Oh, God, the screams!”
Tanya didn’t even feel his arms about her as she relived the terror of that day. “Babies with their skulls crushed like melons, bodies without heads or limbs, infants skewered on swords! They cut Forest Fern’s stomach open, and her unborn child fell out onto the ground! They shot Black Kettle and Woman-To-Be-Hereafter and trampled their bodies into the river mud, their blood staining the waters!”
Her hysteria mounted as she told him what came next, her voice catching in wrenching sobs. “The soldiers cut away parts of the dead bodies, mutilating them horribly. They laughed about how they would have tobacco pouches made from the private parts of the men and women. Then they raped the women captives, and I could do nothing to prevent any of it. It was a nightmare! Even now it seems too frightening to have been real!”
“Shush, my darling.” Panther held her and stroked her as she cried. “It is over with now. Our people went back and buried our dead, though I remember little of this. Many of our friends died that day, but a fair number survived. Just last month, George Bent and the other released captives caught up with us and brought fresh ponies from his father’s ranch. It is from him that I learned where you were. I thought perhaps you were kept with Custer’s troops until spring.”
“No, Jeffrey brought Melissa and me straight home in time for Christmas. General Custer and I did not see eye to eye, and I think he was heartily relieved to have me off his hands.”
Tanya sniffed and blew her nose on the hankie Panther handed her. “Did Magpie and her youngest son make it to safety?”
“Yes. She and George are together once more, and they have a daughter now. Winter Bear, Snail, and Towering Pine will keep the camp running smoothly. Shy Deer and her child are doing well. She told me to bring you home soon. She misses you. Walks-Like-A-Duck grieves over your absence and pines for Hunter and Mark terribly. I believe she even misses Kit,”
Tanya gave one last, lingering shudder and sighed tiredly, leaning heavily against Panther's broad chest.
He stroked her shining hair. “Life goes on, Tanya, and we must make the best of it. We must go on with our lives, keeping our faith, remembering with love those who are gone, and building a future for those who will come after us. We have found one another again, and soon we will be a family once more. I long to see my sons. Will you bring them with you tomorrow to the Kerrs’?”
“If you wish it, Panther. You will hardly recognize them, they have grown so.”
“I doubt Hunter will even remember me.” Panther’s face was momentarily downcast. “And if he does, he must not reveal it.”
With one last, prolonged kiss, he set her away from him. “You must go now. I will see you tomorrow.”
“It will seem an eternity now that I know you are so near,” she said wistfully. “Until tomorrow, husband.”
“Until tomorrow,” he repeated softly as he watched her disappear into the trees.
Tanya was so excited that evening that she was sure her dinner would not settle properly. It surprised her that none of her family noticed her extreme agitation.
As soon as she could, she dragged Melissa off into a corner and prepared her for the confrontation the next day. The last thing they needed was for Melissa to betray them in her surprise. Tanya assured the girl that Panther would not drag her back to the Cheyenne camp when he took Tanya and the boys with him. As she had expected, Melissa promised to cooperate and vowed eternal silence and allegiance.
The one cloud on her horizon came when Jeffrey put in an appearance after dinner, but even he could not ruin her happiness entirely. Confident, and full of great expectations of the morrow, she largely ignored his presence. Only when he pressed for her attention, did her temper ignite.
“You look unusually lovely this evening, Tanya. Your cheeks are flushed and your eyes aglow. You look like a woman ready for love,” he suggested.
“It is the spring weather, Jeffrey,” she stated flatly. “The sun and wind add color to any winter-pale face.”
“In spring, a young man’s fancy turns to love,” he quoted with a satisfied smirk.
“And his mind turns to mush!” she retorted sharply. “Try fishing, Lieutenant. It’s less trying on the nervous system.”
“I’d rather hook your heart,” he replied ardently.
“You haven’t the proper bait,” she shot back. “There’s not a thing about you that tempts me.”
Jeffrey smiled tolerantly. “That can change.”
“Pigs could grow wings, too,” she taunted.
“With time I can make you want me, my sweet,” he countered determinedly.
“Oh, go jump in the lake, Jeffrey!” she declared wearily. “Maybe it will cool your ardor. Perhaps it would even deflate your over-sized self-esteem!”
That night, Tanya slept in fits and starts, her mind and her dreams filled with images of Panther. Finally, toward dawn, she drifted into a light sleep, her lovely lips curved in a satisfied smile as she contemplated the day to come.
Chapter 18
AS SHE sat quietly sipping tea in Emily Kerr’s parlor, Tanya nearly shook in anticipation of Panther’s arrival. Each time she raised her delicate china cup, she feared she would either drop it or spill tea over her dress.
She had taken particular care with her appearance this afternoon. She wore a cream colored dress with a lace insert in the bodice and loose lacy cuffs that fluttered over her wrists on which, as always, she wore the copper wristbands. Her hair was swept loosely back from her face, and in her ears were the copper earrings Panther had given her before their wedding.
Hunter sat contentedly on his grandmother Sarah’s lap and Mark gurgled happily from his cradleboard at Tanya’s knees.
Halfway into her second cup of tea, Tanya’s heart leaped into her throat as she heard the deep tones of Panther’s voice in the hallway. Seconds later, Justin Kerr entered the room, followed by Panther.
Panther was handsomely attired in fawn colored trousers, cream silk shirt, and tobacco brown jacket. His impeccably correct silk cravat was the same shade as his coat, and his expensive brown leather boots were buffed to a fine luster.
As Justin introduced him, he bent to kiss Emily’s hand.
“Why, Adam Savage!” she crooned delightedly. “Where have you been off to for so long, and when did you get home?”
“He’s been off touring Europe, Mother,” Justin supplied.
“I just got back yesterday, and I rushed right over to see your lovely face,” Adam said flirtatously. “And now I find myself surrounded by a bevy of beautiful women I’ve never met before. Had I known Pueblo was attracting such lovely ladies, I’d have returned sooner.” His dark eyes and sparkling smile included all the women in the room.
“Oh, my! Forgive my awful manners!” Emily apologized, thoroughly flustered. “Ladies, may I present Adam Savage, Rachel Savage’s son. Adam, this is Elizabeth Martin and her sister-in-law Sarah Martin. Their husbands own the mercantile and lumber businesses in town. This,” she indicated Melissa, seated next to Elizabeth, “is Miss Melissa Anderson, who lives with the Martins, and these two young ladies are Sarah’s daughters, Julie and Tanya.”
Adam acknowledged all of them with a slight bow. “And who have we here?” he questioned, stooping down to greet Hunter.
“This is my son, Hunter,” Tanya answered softly, her eyes lingering on the two of them, father and son, as Hunter bestowed a toothy grin on Adam.
“He’s a handsome boy,” Adam commented. “Is this your child also?”
Tanya nodded as Adam bent to chuck Mark under the chin. “My son Mark, Mr. Savage.”
“You and your husband are to be congratulated on such a fine family,” Adam complimented. Only Tanya seemed to note the devilish gleam in his dark eyes.
“Thank you,” she answered serenely.
Emily gave a small, strangled gasp.
Adam immediately swung his gaze toward her, his brow knitted thoughtfully. “Have I said something wrong, Em?”
“No, no,” she assured him hastily.
“Ahem,” Justin inserted. “Adam, old friend, Miss Martin spent some years with the Cheyenne — through no fault of her own, you understand. These are her sons by her Cheyenne captor.” Justin was extremely uncomfortable at having to explain this in mixed company.
“He was my husband,” Tanya corrected immediately, her voice crisp and clear.
“Yes, Tanya dear, so you’ve said before,” Emily commented lamely.
“And did you love him?” Adam pressed, his dark eyes locked with Tanya’s.
“Very much, Mr. Savage.”
“Well, girls, don’t you think we’d better start back home?” Sarah suggested hopefully, anxious to put off further embarrassing questions.
Adam ignored her, concentrating totally on Tanya. “Miss Martin, those are lovely copper bands you have on your wrists. A memento of your days with the Cheyenne?”
“My wedding bands,” she admitted, wondering why Panther was asking her these questions in front of the others. What did he think he was doing?
“Are you a widow?” he persisted.
“Not that I am aware of, Mr. Savage. I was rescued quite against my will, and have hopes of being reunited with my husband someday.” Tanya’s chin rose a fraction. “I find your questions rather personal, sir.”
“I beg your pardon, ma’am, but I find your honesty refreshing. Not many women would be willing to reveal a past such as yours, let alone take her sons about with her in public. You have won my admiration. I have never before asked to call on a married lady, but may I have your permission to do so tomorrow?”
Tanya hesitated, not knowing quite how to phrase her reply.
“My daughter does not receive gentlemen callers as yet,” Sarah explained in the pause.
“I believe my mother is trying to protect me from your rather forward attitude, sir,” Tanya responded. “I must admit I am a bit taken aback myself.”
“Again I apologize. Ordinarily my manners do not desert me. My only excuse is that I am stunned by your beauty and charm. If you have doubts, Justin can vouch for my good character. The Kerrs have known me since childhood and will testify to my honesty and integrity.”
“Oh, my, yes!” Emily agreed hastily. “Rachel and Adam have lived here for as long as anyone can remember, since Pueblo was little more than a handful of Mormon farms. Their cattle ranch is one of the finest in the state, and a more decent, upstanding family you’ll never find. They have won the respect and admiration of everyone in town. Justin and Adam grew up together and were the best of friends until Adam went away. Why, I nearly regard Adam as a second son!”
Tanya’s eyes glittered with suppressed laughter. “I wasn’t questioning Mr. Savage’s integrity, Mrs. Kerr, merely his attitude and intentions.”
“Let me assure you they are respectful and honorable, Miss Martin.” Adam was having trouble keeping a straight face, but his Cheyenne training held him in good stead.
Tanya decided to let him off the hook. “In that case, you may come for luncheon tomorrow. Is that satisfactory Mother, Aunt
Elizabeth?”
“Quite,” Elizabeth said decisively.
“Uh, yes, I would suppose so,” Sarah stammered.
“Would you care to come also, Justin?” Tanya offered, knowing he would jump at the chance to be with Melissa. “Mr. Savage may feel outnumbered amidst so many females.”
“I’d love to,” Justin agreed speedily, casting a glance at Melissa.
Julie, who had sat quietly until now, was overjoyed at the thought of someone upsetting Jeffrey’s plans for Tanya. “And I always thought teas were a bit boring. It just shows how wrong a person can be sometimes! ” she commented.
“My! What a handsome young man!” Elizabeth announced once they were home.
“And well-to-do, if Emily is not stretching the truth,” Sarah added thoughtfully. “He didn’t seem put off by Tanya’s admissions, did he?”
“Quite the opposite I’d say,” Melissa contributed with a sly wink at Tanya. “I think he was quite taken with you, Tanya.”
“This ought to take the wind out of Jeffrey’s sails. I’d say Mr. Savage has come along at a very opportune moment,” said Julie.
“Really, Julie!” Sarah admonished. “The man is merely coming to lunch. That does not qualify him as a suitor, though he would be very acceptable as such,” she admitted.
“Yes, well, Justin seems to take quite an interest in our little Melissa, in case none of you have noticed.” Tanya was glad to turn some of the attention away from herself.
Melissa blushed prettily. “I’d noticed,” she admitted shyly. “He’s quite nice, don’t you agree?”
Tanya smiled. “Yes, Missy, he’s very nice.”
“It was gracious of you to invite Justin to lunch, Tanya,” Elizabeth noted. “Did you do it for Melissa’s benefit?”
It was Tanya’s turn to blush. “I admit it,” she laughed. “I am guilty of matchmaking. I hope you don’t mind, Aunt Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth chuckled. “Why should I mind? You saved me the trouble of inviting him myself. Besides, I am not entirely innocent of matchmaking myself. I admit I made a mistake pairing you up with Jeffrey, but this Adam Savage seems quite a catch if you ask me. I wouldn’t let him slip through the net without looking him over first.”
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