Dream Warrior: His Savage Kiss

by Bobbi Smith

  "You've been so quiet since we left the restaurant," George said as he poured two brandies and sat down beside her on the sofa, offering her one. "Is something troubling you?"

  "I've been thinking about James. I hadn't mentioned this to you before, but Cari and I will be leaving to join him next week."

  "But, Elizabeth, why?" He stiffened at the thought of losing her. "Aren't you happy here?" He'd been determined to win her away from her hardheaded husband. He'd figured any man foolish enough to let Elizabeth go didn't deserve her.

  "Of course I am, but I promised James we'd go back to the ranch once Cari had finished school, and the time has come."

  George thought James a very poor excuse for a father and husband. The man hadn't even come back for his only daughter's graduation! Still, he didn't say so for fear of alienating Elizabeth. He didn't want to put her in the position of having to defend her absent husband. "Since James isn't here, who's escorting you back?"

  "Cari and I will be making the trip together."

  "Then allow me to accompany you," he offered gallantly.

  She dropped her gaze. "No, George, I can't do that."

  He scowled, but he understood her concern for decorum. Quickly he suggested an alternative, "If not me, then how about Elliot? It isn't safe or proper for two ladies to travel such a great distance without an escort."

  "Really, George, we'll be fine."

  "I insist. I wouldn't be able to rest knowing you might be in danger."

  Elizabeth smiled tenderly, finding it rather nice to have someone concerned about her. "That's very thoughtful of you. Are you sure Elliot would want to do it?"

  "My dear," he began, his tone suddenly confiding, "after tonight, it's my hope that Elliot and Cari may be spending much more time together."

  "Why do you say that?" She sensed a secret behind his curious statement.

  "I have it on good confidence that we may soon be related . . . if the young lady is willing, that is."

  "You mean Elliot plans to propose to Cari?"

  "Yes. He broached the subject to me last night. At the time, we didn't know you were leaving, of course, but I did encourage him to ask her as soon as he could."

  Elizabeth was delighted. She'd long believed that Elliot was the perfect match for her daughter, and she said a silent prayer that her daughter would accept his proposal.

  They raised their after-dinner brandies in a silent toast to the engagement they both hoped would soon be announced.

  As Elizabeth sipped from her snifter, she thought of the letter Prudy had brought her earlier that evening to mail. It had been another letter from Cari to Silver Wolf, and she'd destroyed it the moment the maid had left her. Ever since they'd moved to Philadelphia, she'd been intercepting and destroying their letters to each other, and it amazed her that even after all this time they still tried to communicate. Their persistence troubled her, but she was firmly convinced that if Cari became engaged to Elliot, her worries about the half-breed would be over. There was no way the Indian could compete with Elliot. She silently repeated her prayer that Cari would accept his proposal.

  "Oh, Elliot, tonight has been perfect!" Cari told him. The happiness she was feeling radiated from her lovely features as they walked to the rail of the veranda and stood in the moonlight, looking out across the landscaped flower gardens. "Thank you for sharing it with me."

  He slipped an arm around her waist and drew her to him. His kiss was a gentle caress, his lips soft upon hers.

  "It was my pleasure," he told her when they moved slightly apart.

  Elliot loved Cari and knew it was time to make her aware of his feelings. She was finished with school now, and there was no reason they couldn't marry. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her again, but he didn't. Instead, he paused, taking a moment to draw upon his courage before broaching the subject so close to his heart.

  "Cari, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about." He reached into his pocket for the ring box he'd been carrying all night, waiting for just the right moment.

  Her expression was open and unguarded as her eyes met his eyes, expectantly.

  "Cari, would you marry me?" He opened the small box and handed it to her.

  Cari stared at the beautiful diamond ring. She didn't want to hurt Elliot, for she cared for him deeply, but marriage? She wasn't sure what to say.

  Elliot's nerves were stretched taut. He'd never proposed to a woman before and her silence unnerved him.

  "Should I take your silence as a no?" he ventured, unable to endure the agony of the suspense any longer. He tried to smile, to be light-hearted, but he cared too much.

  "Oh, Elliot! I'm sorry. It's just that I'm so surprised!"

  He brightened a bit at her candor, consoling himself with the thought that at least she hadn't refused. "You are?"

  "Yes. I mean, I love being with you, and we always have a good time together, but I hadn't in my wildest dreams ever imagined you'd propose to me."

  He pulled her to him once more, and whispered as his lips sought hers, "Start dreaming about it, Cari. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

  "Elliot . . ." She returned his kiss eagerly, enjoying his embrace. But even as she did, Silver Wolf slipped unbidden into her thoughts.

  Silver Wolf . . . Cari still carried in her heart the memory of her warrior watching her from the rise above the house as she'd left Circle M seven years ago. He'd looked handsome and powerful, and she wondered what he was like now. Certainly, he'd changed, for though she'd written to him regularly since they'd parted, he'd never answered her. His lack of interest had hurt her, but it had not killed her feelings for him. They went too deep to be lost so easily.

  Cari glanced up at Elliot; he was no Cheyenne warrior. He was, however, a very intelligent and successful businessman. If she married him, her life would be perfect—by Philadelphia standards. She would have a big house, plenty of servants, and children who looked just like him, and that wasn't such a bad thing, for he was very attractive. Still, before she made any decisions about her future, she knew she had to see the ranch one more time. And Silver Wolf, a little voice in the back of her mind whispered.

  "Elliot, I care about you very much, but I'm not ready to get married yet." She handed him back the ring.

  "I love you, Cari. I know I can make you happy."

  "I promised my father that I'd return to the ranch when I got out of school, and I can't break that promise."

  "I see." Elliot understood. She'd often talked about her father, and he knew she loved him dearly. "Do you want time to think about it?"

  "Would you mind? There are things I have to do before I can give myself completely to anyone or anything." Her expression was pleading. She didn't want to hurt him. She cared about him, loved him—maybe. She just needed time to find out for sure.

  "Cari, I'd wait forever for you," Elliot told her with a sad half-smile. "I'll keep the ring, and when you decide, you let me know."

  "Thank you." She smiled up at him, thinking him the most thoughtful man in the world.

  They went back inside to join their parents.

  "Elliot . . ." George began as the young couple sat down with them. "Elizabeth and I were just talking, and it seems she and Cari have to go back to Wyoming shortly after Cari's graduation."

  "I know, Cari just told me."

  "Well, I don't like the idea of them traveling west alone, so I suggested you accompany them. What do you think?"

  His smile broadened. It was perfect! If he went with them, he would have plenty of time to convince Cari to marry him. "Will you be able to handle everything here?"

  "I'll be fine."

  "Then, if you ladies will have me, I would be honored to escort you."

  Cari was pleased. She was glad he'd be going with them so he could see the ranch. Being with him in the western setting might help her make up her mind about marrying him, too. She knew it certainly couldn't hurt.

  Later that night as Cari pr
epared for bed, her mother came into her bedroom. "Did you have a good time tonight?"

  "It was lovely, Mother."

  "Good, I'm glad," Elizabeth said. "Soon, such evenings will be things of the past."

  "You mean when we go home?"

  "Yes, Wyoming is still very wild compared to Philadelphia. We'll be miles away from everything and everybody."

  "But we'll be with Papa. That's all that matters really. He misses us, Mother. You know he does. I bet he's counting the days right now, waiting for us to arrive."

  "I'm sure he is."

  "Do you love Papa? Love him with all your heart and soul?" she asked.

  Elizabeth was surprised by her question, but didn't hesitate to answer. What she felt for James came only once in a lifetime. "Yes, darling, I love your father. He's the only man in the whole world for me."

  "And did you know it right away, when you first met him? I mean did you just look at him and know?"

  "No, honey. I suppose some love is that way, but not ours. Your father and I had known each other for some time before we even began to see each other socially. Of course, once he kissed me, I knew. But that came after we'd been courting for a while."

  "I see . . ."

  Cari sounded so perplexed that Elizabeth had to ask. "Why do you ask?"

  "Well, tonight Elliot proposed to me."

  "How wonderful! He's a nice young man, and he has a promising future ahead of him."

  "I like Elliot a lot and I enjoy being with him, but I don't know if I love him. How can you know, Mother? How can you tell if a man's the right one for you?"

  "When the time is right, you'll know. What did you tell him?"

  "Well, I didn't tell him no. I just told him the truth, that I hadn't thought about marriage yet and that I wanted to go home and spend some time with Papa on the ranch first before I make any decisions."

  Her mother's heart sank. "I understand, and I think perhaps it's a good thing that Elliot's coming with us. It will give you two more time together to get to know each other."

  "I'm glad he's going, too, and who knows, we might get married after all."

  Elizabeth tucked her daughter into bed and kissed her forehead. "If Elliot's the right man for you, you'll know it. I won't have to tell you."

  "And if he's not?" she asked quietly.

  "You'll know that, too. Good night, Cari. Sleep tight."

  Cari curled up, alone in the darkness, and let her thoughts run free. As always, when she lay in that dreamy half-awake, half-asleep state, memories of Silver Wolf came to her—Silver Wolf saving her from the snow, Silver Wolf reading with her on the creek bank, Silver Wolf bringing her the moccasins, Silver Wolf watching her leave . . .

  Cari sighed sleepily. It had been so long since she'd seen him. She wondered again how he was and what he was doing. On her father's last trip back he'd told her that Silver Wolf had returned to Cheyenne and was working with the Indian Bureau. The hurt that he had never answered her letters stabbed at her again. She'd thought her friendship was important to him; could she have been so wrong? She knew she would have to find out.

  Restlessly, Cari rolled over onto her stomach and clutched her pillow to her breast. She was going home, and Elliot was going with her. She cared for Elliot, and she would decide about his marriage proposal once she'd seen Silver Wolf again. Her eyes finally drifted shut, and as she fell asleep, her last thought was of her warrior.

  Elizabeth returned to her own bedroom, but did not go to bed. As much as she told herself everything would be fine, there was still a nagging doubt in the back of her mind even after all these years.

  Damn that half-breed! she swore silently to herself.

  Silver Wolf was the reason she'd brought Cari east in the first place, and now she was going to have to deal with him again. That troubled her deeply . . . especially since she'd destroyed all their letters. Soon, she would be found out.

  Elizabeth chose to ignore any guilt in the matter. She was a mother and entitled to protect her child. To her way of thinking, it would have served no purpose for the two of them to stay in touch. They lived in different worlds. What bothered her now was how Cari was going to react when she discovered her interference. Elizabeth told herself that she would face that if and when it happened. Until then, she could only hope for the best.

  George stood on the platform at the train station with Elizabeth. Outwardly, he played the role of the concerned friend. Inwardly, he was fighting to keep from revealing how much he wanted her to stay—with him. He'd already bid Cari and Elliot good-bye as they'd boarded the train, and now, for the first time that day, he was alone with the woman he loved. It pained him to send her back to James, but he knew it would never do for him to declare himself, for it was wrong to want another man's wife. Elizabeth had made it clear that she loved her husband, and George cared for her so much that he would do nothing to try to damage that marriage. He would sacrifice his own love for her happiness.

  "When will you be back?" he asked.

  "I don't know, George, maybe next year for a visit . . ." She let her voice trail off as she regarded him, her gaze searching his face. She saw kindness and gentleness there, along with an inner strength that marked him as a good man. She loved him as a friend. Perhaps in another time and place, there could have been more between them, but James would always hold her heart.

  "Will you write?"

  "Every chance I get. You're my friend, George. I want to keep in touch."

  "I will always treasure your friendship, Elizabeth. If you ever need anything, anything at all, you have only to let me know and I'll be there."

  She took his hand and held it in hers. "Thank you. You'll never know how much that means to me."

  Their gazes locked, and for an instant she could see the flame of hopeless passion glowing in his eyes.

  "I have to go . . ." she said quickly, frightened by the intensity she'd seen in his gaze. She dropped his hand and started to move away.

  "Elizabeth . . . wait . . ."

  She had taken two steps, but stopped and turned back to him.

  "Take care of yourself . . ."

  "You, too." There was a catch of betraying emotion in her voice as she gave him one last fleeting smile, then she boarded the train that would take her into exile in the land she hated, but it would also take her into the arms of the man she loved above all others. She did not look back.

  George stayed on the platform until the train pulled away. He watched until it disappeared down the track. His heart was crying out to Elizabeth to stay with him, but his mind told him there was no hope. She belonged to another man and always would.

  He was glad he had work to keep him busy. Work had saved his sanity after his wife died, and it would save him now after the loss of his beloved Elizabeth. He turned back to his solitary life, the days stretching bleakly and endlessly before him.

  Six

  1874

  Sam Larson was the spokesman for the group of outraged ranchers who'd come to Fort D.A. Russell to complain to Captain Greene about the rustling that was taking place on their land. He stood before the officer's desk glaring at the captain who sat so calmly before him. "I'm telling you, Captain Greene, we know it's the damned Indians who are doing it, and we want help from you! How many more head of cattle must we lose before the Army does something? Run the damned Cheyenne out of the territory now!"

  Joshua Greene's blue-eyed gaze was cool and steady as he regarded the angry rancher. He'd seen Larson's kind before, the shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later type, and it worried him that the man was the leader of this group. Greene's job was to keep peace in the area, not start a war, and he didn't like the sound or mood of these men. "How many head of cattle have you lost, Mr. Larson?"

  "I've lost six so far." He motioned to his companions. "McKeon, there, has lost four, Johnson at least six, and Bryant, nine that we can be sure of."

  "What proof do you have that it was the Cheyenne?"

  "Who else would it be?" Sa
m demanded. "Over twenty-five head are missing. You want more proof than that?"

  "Look, Captain Greene." McKeon spoke up in a more conciliatory tone. "You've got to put a stop to this stealing. We own big ranches and we can't be everywhere at once."

  "I can appreciate your problems." He let his gaze sweep over the group. "And you have my word that I'll look into this right away. I'll consult with Daniel Marshall, the agent from the Indian Bureau, and take whatever action is necessary."

  "Marshall . . . that filthy half-breed . . ." Sam spat the name. He hated the arrogant, college-educated breed almost as much as he hated the Cheyenne. "What good will it do to talk to him? He's only going to defend his people and claim they didn't do it!"

  "Your complaint has been taken under advisement, Mr. Larson." Greene pinned him with an icy look as he rose and stood behind his desk, a move that signaled the interview was over.

  Feeling dismissed, Sam was even more enraged.

  "What are you going to do about it, Captain Greene?" Sam's twenty-two-year-old son Mark asked. "Just talk? Talking isn't going to stop them from stealing. A gun is the only thing those Indians understand."

  "Marshall and I will decide on an appropriate plan of action. You'll be notified."

  "You trust that Marshall? Hell, he ain't no better than the savages who're stealing my stock! He's probably involved in this!" Sam was practically shouting.

  Captain Greene managed to control his temper, but it took an effort. Blind ignorance like Larson's was hard to deal with. "Good day, Mr. Larson," he said coldly.

  "To hell with your 'appropriate plan of action'!" Sam refused to give up. "I want those damned heathens out of the territory! It isn't safe there for decent folks. You know damn good and well we gotta get rid of them!"

  "Thank you for your comments, sir." Greene turned a frigid gaze on the men as he circled his desk to open the office door for them.

  "You ain't heard the last of this, Greene," Mark Larson told him as he led the way outside.

  The others filed out after him, and they had just reached the parade ground when they saw Daniel Marshall coming toward them.