Swift Horse
Page 20
The height of her wonder at this special day had come when she had danced around the outdoor fire with her husband as everyone watched—their eyes expressing happiness and peace . . . such a pride for their beloved chief.
From that moment onward she knew that she was truly accepted by his people as one of them; as one with them.
Loud cheers behind her at the chunkey yard broke through her reverie. She turned and gazed in that direction, then looked at her husband with questioning in her eyes. “I wonder who won this time?” she murmured.
“Let us go and see,” Swift Horse said, turning with Marsha, both walking briskly back toward their village to where the game was being played. They were so proud of their son and nephew as they challenged each other as to who was the better player of the game.
When they arrived at the chunkey yard, they saw that neither their son nor nephew won this time. Sharp Nose’s son Long Nose had won. He was their same age, a son who came after Sharp Nose’s complete recovery after having been downed by One Eye’s arrow that terrible day.
His other son, Four Leaves, was away from the village, married to a woman of another clan—the Wolf Clan, which had at one time had One Eye as its chief.
Once One Eye was gone, another chief was named, and it was that chief’s daughter who had fallen in love with Four Leaves after she had come with her father to check on the health of Sharp Nose as he recovered from the arrow wound.
It had been love at first sight, although both children were not of the age they could marry.
“Our son and nephew can’t win every time,” Marsha said, laughing softly. She turned with Swift Horse and walked toward their home. “Now let’s go see how our daughter and niece are faring,” she murmured.
Life for them all was good and without the interference of whites.
Fort Hill was no longer active.
Those who had been there, had been stationed elsewhere.
As it was, the Creek warriors could enjoy their hunts, and the women could enjoy their lives of being wives and mothers.
Marsha couldn’t see how it could have been any other way for her. The day her father had decided to move to Kentucky had been fateful on one hand, and wonderful on the other, for had they not come to Kentucky, she would have never met and married such a wonderful man as Swift Horse, nor would she be the mother of two such beautiful children.
She had hopes of having more children one day, but for now she was content with what God had blessed her with!
A husband, two children, a loving sister-in-law, and a big brother who never ceased to amaze her at how adoring he was to her.
No, she could never ask for more than this!
Don’t miss Cassie Edwards’s next Zebra release, Wild Abandon!
Never let go, never give up . . .
The tragedy of the Civil War had forced Lauralee Johnston into an orphanage, and years passed before she was finally reunited with her beloved father and heard his dying wish. But for sheltered Lauralee, placing her trust in a Cherokee brave was almost too much to ask. Unfamiliar with Cherokee customs and especially Joe Dancing Cloud’s powerful, exotic presence, she gradually learned to trust in his gentle strength, especially when it came to exploring the passion they shared. But once they claimed each other’s hearts, the world around them denounced their love. Against fear and prejudice, the two lovers will have to fight for their destiny . . .
Praise for Cassie Edwards
“A sensitive storyteller who always touches readers’ hearts.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Cassie Edwards captivates with white-hot adventure and romance.”
—Karen Harper
“Edwards moves readers with love and compassion.”
—Bell, Book & Candle
ABOUT CASSIE EDWARDS
After my children were grown, I found myself restless, searching for ways to busy my idle hands and mind. I discovered my love of writing, and I was drawn to the mystique of Native American lore. What I learned about the Native American people inspired me to bring their stories to life through the wonderful genre of historical romance.
Having lived in St. Louis for thirty years, my husband and I moved to a small town when he retired from teaching. My dream house is peaceful and quiet, where an occasional curious red fox ventures onto the sun deck and peeks into my office, and where I can watch swallows building their nests and raising their babies right outside my kitchen window. It is a perfect place to create my stories.
I feel blessed to have found a “second life,” the first having been spent raising two happy and healthy sons. Writing my Native American romances is my small tribute to those beautiful first people of our land, who have suffered so much injustice.