LeClerc 03 - Wild Savage Heart

by Pamela K Forrest

  “Ain’t gonna touch no Injun leavings,” the man whimpered while his hands shook so badly water sloshed out of the buckets he still held.

  “If you’re smart enough to remember that you might still be alive when we leave.”

  “Are you threatenin’ me, Injun?”

  “No threat,” Hawk stated quietly, abruptly releasing his hostage. “That’s a promise.”

  The man set the buckets down on the floor and backed out of the room. Hawk slammed the door in his face, his temper boiling just beneath the surface.

  When Hawk turned he found Molly in his arms. She rested reassuringly against his chest and smiled when the babe kicked firmly, sending his own message of support.

  “Will you bring in my bags before you leave?” Molly asked quietly. “I’d like to change into something clean.”

  Hawk placed a soft kiss on the top of her head and hugged her tightly. He left the room and quickly returned with Molly’s bags. While she searched out her sole remaining clean shirt and pants, Hawk shoved the dresser in front of the window.

  “This won’t keep a determined man outside for long,” he told her. “But it should cause enough noise to waken you. I’m going to leave the gun here. If you have reason to use it, don’t waste time aiming, point it at the top of the dresser and fire.”

  Worried about Hawk facing the unfriendly townspeople without the protection the long rifle offered, Molly protested. “Take it with you, I won’t need it. No one has a reason for wanting to bother me.”

  “For the most part, I’ll be ignored if I’m on the street by myself.”

  “I’ve caused you problems,” Molly interrupted quietly as guilt made her realize the real danger Hawk faced with her at his side.

  “No, ain jelee. “He smiled softly and cupped her cheek in his hands. “The problems are caused by people who have no reason to think they are better than anyone else but act that way anyway.

  “Now, the door is flimsy, but when I get out I want you to use this piece of rope to secure it.”

  Hawk handed her the rope and showed her how to tie the door closed. “I’ll knock when I return, but it’ll probably take a couple of hours before we’re ready to leave. I want to get some supplies after I trade the horses for a boat or a canoe. You bathe and then try to rest. We’ll be gone long before dark.”

  “Be careful, Hawk.” Molly wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.

  “I will, nee wah,”he gently caressed her stomach. “1 have to much to return to, I won’t take careless chances.”

  He kissed her and walked out of the room. Waiting until she had tied the door as he had shown her, Hawk pushed against it, satisfied that anyone trying to enter through it could have to struggle to get it opened. He prayed that if it were necessary, Molly would use the gun first and regret it later.

  Molly stripped off her shirt and pants and used the warm water to clean some of the grime from her skin. It was barely warm but after cold river water it felt heavenly. After donning her remaining clean shirt and pants, she used the water to wash her clothing, then found there was nowhere in the room that she wanted to lay the damp clothes. Wadding them up, she put them back into the empty bucket. She decided to wait until they were on the boat to spread them out to dry.

  It took only a quick look at the bed to see the fleas jumping around and she shuddered at the thought of what else might be on the dirty ticking. Deciding that the hard dirt floor was preferable to the dubious comfort of the bed, Molly spread her bedding on the floor and lay down. Within minutes, even as worry for Hawk plagued her thoughts, she drifted into a light, troubled sleep.

  “Molly, wake up, am jel ee.”

  At the sound of his voice from the other side of the door, Molly jumped up and hurried to the door. Her fingers were clumsy in her haste to untie the rope and it seemed to take forever before the knots were free.

  Then she was in his arms, tears of relief flowing freely down her cheeks.

  “What is this?” Hawk caught one of the crystalline drops.

  “I know it’s silly, but I was so scared.” She sniffed, wiping away the tears. “I seem to cry all the time. I guess that goes with the condition.”

  “Did someone bother you?” His voice promised immediate retribution for anyone foolish enough to trouble her.

  “No! No, I wasn’t bothered. I was safe enough here.”

  Hawk looked at the flimsy door and the doubtful protection of the dresser in front of the window and he was glad she didn’t know how easily someone could have entered the room.

  “It’s time to leave, sweetheart. Let’s gather up your things and head for the river. The current is running strongly and we should be miles away from here before dark.”

  Anxious to be on the way, Molly rushed to leave. In a matter of minutes the bedding was tied in a firm roll and her wet clothing gathered in a bundle. With Hawk’s hand firmly at her back, she walked from the inn, delighted to be leaving, as she took every footstep.

  For the most part, they were ignored as they walked toward the river. A few fools risked taunting the Indian, never realizing that they owed their lives to the woman who walked confidently in front of the Shawnee warrior. Had it not been for his fear of causing her further anguish, Hawk would have slit the throat of each man without a moment of regret.

  They stopped at the river where a young boy . whom Hawk had paid to guard the boat, waited patiently. He tossed the boy a coin and watched the child run off to spend his unexpected booty. He turned the canoe over, stashed their gear in the middle and pushed two-thirds of its length into the water.

  Hawk had hoped to find a flatboat large Enough to allow Molly to stretch out and sleep, but the only thing available was a canoe. It was well crafted and watertight, but even though the canoe would be faster, it was far less comfortable than a large craft.

  “A canoe!” Molly exclaimed with delight. “I used to watch them float up and down the river in Charleston and always wanted to ride in one.”

  “Here’s your chance, sweetheart.” Hawk took her hand and helped her into the bow. He instructed her to sit on the plank seat and fold her knees under her. He pushed the craft the rest of the way into the river and jumped into the stern. Picking up a paddle, Hawk guided the boat into the current.

  Molly felt as if they were flying, so fast did the little canoe move. The water line was only a few scant inches beneath the sides but only occasional drops splattered onto her.

  “How do you say canoe in Shawnee?”

  “O lah ka see,” Hawk replied, feeling relief slip past on the current as they put the settlement behind them. “Paddle is cho mah lee and water is nup ee.”

  Having quickly discovered that the slightest movement caused the small boat to rock from side to side, Molly carefully turned so that she was looking at her husband.

  He controlled the craft with the expertise of long practice. He knelt and his arms moved rhythmically, pausing between strokes then dipping the paddle into the water and strongly digging in to get as much distance as possible out of each stroke.

  He had discarded his heavy coat before they had set off. Molly soon saw a film of perspiration cover his copper skin. His shoulder-length black hair hung freely and shone blue in the bright sun. A red band was tied around his forehead, and it served double duty by keeping hair out of his eyes and by catching sweat as it beaded down his face.

  Never had he looked more the Shawnee warrior.

  “How do you say I love you?” she asked softly, her eyes overflowing with emotion for him.

  “Ahxk wai la tee wai. ”His voice was richly husky and his black eyes glowed with tenderness.

  She could believe he meant the words for her.

  The paddle dipped, lifted, then dipped again. The water sparkled and rippled, carrying them at long last toward a home filled with welcome and love for the weary travelers.

  “Ahxk wai la tee wai, “she repeated, her eyes never leaving his. “Ahxk wai la tee wai, Nathan Morning Hawk.”<
br />
  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Molly sat in the front of the canoe and tried her best to appear relaxed. The gentle flutter of the baby kept her company as if he were doing his best to bolster her courage.

  She watched the leafless trees as the boat glided silently past mile after mile of riverbank. The light snow that had been falling when they’d wakened before dawn had stopped and now the sun shone feebly through the thick clouds that hung threateningly just out of reach.

  Before the day was over they would reach their destination. And Molly wished they could travel past Shawnee Town and settle alone in the wilderness.

  After four days on the river, three of them spent reassuring Molly that she would be accepted by his white family, Hawk decided to let time prove him right. He could see the false courage in her shaky smile and firmly squared shoulders, and he longed to take her into his arms and hold her. If he doubted for even a moment that she would be greeted with anything less than warmth he would never have wanted her to endure the meeting. But Linsey would make M oily welcome with a smile and her knew that Bear would greet her with one of his rib-shattering hugs.

  A sigh of relief drifted past Hawk’s lips, as familiar landmarks came into view. Home. After years spent at the university and then drifting from place to place, he was home.

  Hawk pulled the canoe up on shore and jumped out, landing in ankle-deep water. Reluctantly, Molly handed him the things piled neatly in the middle of the craft, then held her hand out for him to steady her as she climbed to her feet. Her knees were shaky from the hours spent in the folded position … and from fear.

  “Hawk …” Molly hesitated, not knowing what she wanted to say.

  “Come, we’re home.” Hawk wrapped his arm around her for a brief hug then shouldered the packs and, taking her hand in his, started up the trail.

  Having no choice but to follow, Molly clutched his hand and watched the trail ahead of them. Far too soon, they came upon the house and she gasped with surprise.

  The white two-story house seemed to be all fulllength windows and tall, graceful Grecian columns. From each end of the house, chimneys poured white smoke into the air. Three giant weeping willow trees, their spindly branches bare of leaves, seemed to stand guard at the front entrance. Molly knew that in the summer the trees would provide a cool haven from the heat of the sun.

  As they approached, a man walked from around the side of the house. He stopped abruptly when he saw them. Even from a distance Molly could see the smile that split his face and she heard as he yelled to the occupants of the house.

  People seemed to spill into the yard. As she and Hawk walked closer Molly saw that, except for a woman wrapped warmly in a hastily donned cape, these dark-haired men were of massive proportions.

  “Thought you might have gotten lost and couldn’t find your way home,” one of the men said with a grin as he reached for Hawk’s hand.

  “Kaleb!” Unabashedly, Hawk wrapped his arms around the man who was about his own age but several inches taller. “God, they surely don’t still call you Little Kaleb. Did you forget to stop growing?”

  “He has a way to go yet before he’s big enough for this family to keep.”

  “Will! Jamie?! Mark, you were just a little kid when I left!” Hawk hugged the men he claimed as brothers, each seeming to be larger than the other.

  One by one each man greeted Hawk while Molly stood back and watched. She saw their honest joy in Hawk’s return. Unaware of the polite, but nonetheless speculative glances being thrown her way, she turned her gaze to the tiny woman who seemed as if she couldn’t possibly be the mother of these massive men.

  She saw tears that flowed freely down an unlined face of rare beauty. The love the woman felt for H awk glowed in eyes the color of summer grass. The hood to her cape fell back as she moved to greet Hawk and Molly saw the autumn-red hair tied demurely in a bun at the nape of her neck.

  This could only be Linsey.

  After the boisterous greetings from his brothers, Hawk turned to the woman and took her into his arms.

  “Nathan, my son, oh how I’ve missed you,” Linsey said as she reached for him.

  “Nee ke yah, my mother.” Hawk bent, wrapped his arms around her waist and twirled her with abandon. “If it was half as much as I’ve missed you then you’ve been miserable.”

  “I’ve been miserable,” she replied with a smile, “but now all of my sons are home and I’m filled with joy. Luc will be so happy to see you.”

  “Where is Bear?” Hawk asked, returning Linsey to her feet.

  “He, Kaleb and Daniel are helping a neighbor finish his harvest. We were all there most of the day but since it was finished early this afternoon everyone has drifted back home but them.”

  “Daniel is here?” Hawk’s grin widened and Molly saw the special place Daniel held in his heart. Daniel, the Cub, who had grown up with Hawk, was more of a real brother to him than his Shawnee brother.

  “He’s been home since spring.”

  “Aren’t you forgetting someone?” Will asked, looking pointedly at Molly.

  Four pairs of dark masculine eyes turned in her direction and Molly wished for a hole to crawl into to escape their friendly curiosity. Had she looked, Molly would have seen the sympathetic understanding in the sole pair of feminine eyes.

  Her turn had come, and Molly wrapped her coat tightly around her, holding it firmly to keep her hands from shaking. She watched Hawk walk toward her, unaware that all her fears glittered in her worried gaze.

  With a gentle hand under her chin, Hawk tipped her head up. His head lowered until his mouth covered hers in a kiss of gentle reassurance. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he turned and walked with her up to his family.

  “I would like to introduce you to Mary Helen … my wife.” His smile grew wider at the various expressions of surprise from his family.

  Understanding how overwhelming her large sons could be to strangers, Linsey moved over to Molly. If the men hadn’t been there towering over her, Molly would have felt huge and gawky in front of the petite Linsey, but no one could feel huge when surrounded by four human mountains.

  “Mary Helen,” Linsey said quietly, reaching for Molly’s hand. “What a lovely name for a lovely young woman. Welcome to our family. We take some getting used to but you’ll find that my sons have been raised as gentlemen … even if they do tend to forget it at times.”

  “Thank you,” Molly said softly, turning from Linsey as Hawk began to introduce the men.

  It was easy to identify them as brothers — not only were they all similar in size but they shared the same dark hair and eyes. At a closer distance Molly could see that Jamie and Mark were far younger than she had assumed. Their size disguised their ages — both were obviously still in their teens, with Mark not more than fourteen.

  They were studiously polite as they were introduced, each warmly welcoming her to the family. Kaleb was the only one to hug her, his eyes widening when he felt the obvious bulge of her stomach. He kept the knowledge to himself, seeming to relish knowing her secret.

  “Mama! Mama, me need help!”

  A tiny girl with bright red hair and glistening green eyes approached from behind the house. Her skirt was gathered in her arms and she seemed completely unconcerned about the cold air chilling her bare bottom.

  “Who is this?” Hawk asked, his eyes glowing with surprised delight.

  “Dara Bevin LeClerc, where are your drawers?” Linsey asked, fighting to keep a stern expression on her face.

  “They wet!”

  “How did they get wet?”

  Dara knew exactly how to change the subject. She approached the strangers in the midst of her brothers and stared up at first Molly and then Hawk.

  “Who’re you?” she asked.

  Hawk knelt in front of the tiny girl and carefully pulled her dress down. Dara helped him to smooth it in place, completely unconcerned by this stranger. After all, she had been surrounded by men all of her short life, and on
e more didn’t make any difference to her.

  “I am Hawk, your brother,” he answered quietly. Searching green eyes stared at him. Seeming satisfied, she reached for him and snuggled into his arms. Hawk stood, carefully balancing this unexpected surprise in his embrace.

  “I think you forgot to mention this little bundle, Maman.” He turned to Linsey, a smile crossing his stern features.

  “This little hellion was a complete surprise to all of us three years ago. “Linsey motioned for everyone to enter the house. She held Molly’s arm as she led the way inside.

  “Not only did I think I was through with having babies, but to have a girl after so many sons, we almost didn’t know what to do with her. Luc still hasn’t completely recovered from the shock. Dara has her daddy firmly wrapped around her tiny little fingers … and her brothers are not far behind. I’m glad there will be another woman in the house to help me prevent her from becoming totally spoiled.

  “I decided not to write either to you or to Daniel about her. She was to be a surprise.”

  Linsey looked at her daughter snuggled in Hawk’s arms. “I didn’t expect your first meeting with her to be a display of her bare backside.” She reached for Dara and balanced her on her hip. “You still haven’t explained to me what happened to your drawers, young lady.”

  Linsey turned and smiled at Molly. “I’ll take this imp upstairs and get her properly dressed and then we’ll get Hawk’s room ready. I’m sure you’d like to bathe and change clothes.”

  Molly didn’t know how to tell her hostess that these, and others exactly like them, were the only clothes she had. She watched the gentle sway of Linsey’s skirts as she climbed the stairs.

  “Come sit down, ain jel ee.” Hawk took Molly’s hand and led her into the drawing room.

  The room was huge — Molly came to realize that everything around her was huge. Stretching from front to back of the house, it was filled with comfortable chairs, several tables and a fireplace that was large enough to walk into. The men were spread out around the room, waiting impatiently for Hawk to join them.