Apache Summer

rdentlessly, but slowly she realized that they were moving downhill. She

tried at first to reason with him, but he ignored her, and it was

painful to t~ to talk when she was held so 'tightly against him. She was

exhausted, and the words she hzd said to Chavez were true at the very

least. She wanted to be free from Nalte, but she did not feel the same

loathing for the man that she had felt for Chavez. And now she knew

Jamie was alive. Or at least he had been alive. lie had gone to battle

Chavez, but now she had hope, if not ling else.

Hope. Could he come for her against Nalte? Could he slip out in The

darkness and come furtively against the Apache? S~ didn't know what to

think anymore. She hadn't thought that Nalte would speak English, but he

did so, very well.

He halted suddenly, letting out the cry of a night bird, and was

answered in kind. He started to walk again and they descended a final

cliff to a clearing where tepees rose magically againft the night sky,

and where camp fires burned with soft gl~s, where only the movement of

shadows could be seen.

Nalte set her down and let out the soft sound. of a bird cry once again.

From the shadows a man emerged. He was dressed as Nalte was, in a breech

clout He wore high buckskin boots and numerous tight beaded necklaces,

and carried what appeared to be a U. S. Army revolver. He began to speak

with Nalte very quickly, and Nalte replied. Then the man turned and

disappeared into the shadows. The Apache camp was sleeping, Tess

thought.

"Come," Nalte told her, catching her arm and leading her across the

camp.

She saw more shadows. The camp might sleep, but men were on guard.

She started to shiver, realizing that now she had no defenses. She had

enjoyed a certain safety with Jeremiah and David, so much so that she

could even be sorry that Jeremiah had been killed so coldly. But now.

She had come here as Nalte's prize.. That had been yon Heusen's plan.

The darkness lay all around them, and Nalte was leading her toward the

largest tepee. It glowed in moonlight, and she could see the designs and

colors upon it, the scenes of warfare, the furs attached to the flaps.

Smoke rose from the hole where the structure poles met at the top

indicating a fire within the tepee.

"Get in," Nalte said, thrusting her inside.

She nearly fell, but she regained her balance and stood quickly, ready

to fight him whatever came. He let the flap fall over the entryway and

crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her. She moved backward,

noting the amusement that flickered in his dark eyes. She stumbled upon

something, looked around and saw that blankets and packs of clothing

were neatly rolled against the sides of the tepee and that there were

several cooking utensils by the fire that burned in the center of the

tepee. Its smoke escaped through the high hole.

There was a woman in the tepee already. A young, very pretty woman, who

stared at Tess with wide eyes. Tess stared in return, coloring as dread

filled her. Nalte had wanted a blond woman: He already had a wife. He

intended to rape her here in front of his first wife.

He took a step toward her. She tightened her fingers into fists at her

side.

There was no escape here. This was not a place like the haphazard

Comanchero dwelling. If she could escape Nalte she would only be caught

by his warriors.

Jamie had been so close! Rescue had been within reach. But now she

couldn't even hope that he would come against the Indians. Nalte would

kill him.

Tess gazed from the young woman to the Indian.

"You are a savage!"

she shouted. Tossing her hair, she stared at him defiantly.

"I don't want you. I don't want to be here! I was kidnapped for your

entertainment! And now here sits your poor wife, and you think that

you're going to ... that you're going to ... No!" she shouted, for

the flicker of amusement had deepened in his eyes, and he was striding

toward her.

She lashed out wildly, her fists pummeling his chest. He seemed to

barely notice her effort, and bent low to pick her up and throw her on a

blanket roll. She opened her mouth to scream, but he did not come close

to her.

He stepped back, watching her.

"This is not my wife. This is my sister. And because of her, you will be

safe from me this night. With the light we begin the ceremony that makes

her a woman." He smiled at the woman, and there was deep affection in

his gaze, but it faded when he looked at Tess again.

"It is an important ceremony, a religious one."

He turned and found another blanket roll. He had dismissed her entirely,

Tess thought. She stared from the war' riot to the young woman, longing

to bolt for the opening. Nalte was already stretching out comfortably on

his blanket.

The woman tried to smile at Tess. She patted the ground, indicating that

Tess should sleep.

Tess swallowed, keeping a wary eye on Nalte. She pulled out a blanket

and carefully lay down on it. Stretching out, she pretended to close her

eyes.

But she kept watching Nalte. When he slept, she would try to escape. If

she could return to the trail in the mountains, she could possibly find

Jamie.

Was he alone? she wondered. Or was Jon out there somewhere with him?

She was exhausted, and tears threatened her eyes. No matter how hard she

tried, or how she fought, she never seemed to escape the fate that yon

Heusen had intended for her.

Jeremiah and David were dead, and she could pray that Chavez was dead,

yet it had done little for her. She was where von Heusen had intended

she should be, and she was certain that men braver than she and far more

knowledgeable of the rugged terrain could not escape the Apache.

Nalte was finally sleeping. She rose very carefully and tiptoed across

the dry earth flooring of the tepee to the slit.

She glanced at Nalte again. His eyes were closed, his features immobile.

She started to slip beneath the flap.

A hand wound around her ankle, bringing her down hard upon the floor.

In seconds the fierce warrior had crawled over her. His eyes were ebony

in the night.

"You have courage," he told her.

"But you are stupid!"

"You speak of our savagery!" she charged him.

"You deal with the despicable Comancheros, you buy rifles and women from

them!"

"My sister is my only family," he told her in turn, "because the others

were killed. Killed by white men. Beaten, skewered, broken and left to

die. My mother died this Way, my sisters. Babies, little babies. I have

not brought you here to kill you. Not unless you force me to."

"You are holding me against my will."

He touched a long strand of her hair. He seemed reflective for a moment.

"You will come to understand me," he told her.

"You will learn our ways, and you will be happy here."

"I cannot be happy!" she told him desperately. "We are not savages!"

She shook her head, moistening her lips.

"No, no more so than we. But I am not what you wanted. I" -- "You are

more than what I wanted," he interrupted, and he was smiling.

"Now go back to sleep or I will forget that I keep a sacred vigil this

night."

"Nalte, please" -- "Go back. Now."

She felt the tension in his arms and saw the fierce glitter in his eyes

and she knew that his warning was not without good reason. Hastily she

retreated. She curled into her blanket, pulling it around her ears. She

shivered. She didn't hate the Indian, but he didn't understand that. She

was not repulsed by him, but she had to be free, for she was not part of

his society. She wanted revenge. She wanted yon Heusen hurt as he had

hurt her.

And she wanted Jamie. She was in love with him, and that hurt more than

anything else. If it weren't for him, she could bear anything that

happened.

But he was out there, somewhere. And she could never forget him.

Morning came, and the blanket was pulled away from Tess's shoulders.

She gasped and opened her eyes, expecting to discover Nalte, but it

wasn't him. Several women stared at her.

They spoke to her, but she didn't understand them.

They pulled her to her feet. She protested, but was ignored. Nalte's

little sister smiled at her encouragingly. She had little choice, for

the women set upon her arms and drew her along with them. They left the

tepee to enter the family clearing. The sun was just beginning to shine

down upon the camp.

Men and women were busy, moving around. Some cleaned their weapons,

others watched her with curiosity.

The women moved around with buckets of water or with bowls of food.

A soft word was said to her, and she was moved forward. No one was cruel

to her, but she couldn't have escaped the women who were determined to

escort her.

She heard the stream before she saw it, as they walked a trail that

brought them through trees and dense shrubs.

From the trail she could hear the tinkling melody of the water,

reminding her that she was very thirsty, and that there was a certain

personal necessity she had to take care of. She was glad to he with the

women, even though she flushed when they tugged at her buckskins,

indicating that she was to strip and bathe.

Still, she felt better once the water was against her skin and once she

had swallowed huge mouthfuls of it. She realized that the women were

disappearing between a bank of trees, and she was certain the trees had

to be the latrine. She followed them, and thought longingly once she was

done of disappearing into the brush, but' even as the thought came to

her, she saw that two of her keepers had come for her. Again, they were

not cruel, but the women with the ink-dark hair and the huge dark eyes

placed firm hands upon her and took her to the stream.

There they ignored her. It was Nalte's sister who gained everyone's

attention. Once she, too, had bathed, she was dressed in a soft, pale

buckskin dress with shades of yellow coloring on it. A yellow paint was

smeared over her face, and her hair was lovingly combed out and let

loose to fall beneath her shoulders. Necklaces were placed upon her,

beautiful pieces of beads and silver cones, and one rawhide strand with

a claw upon it. She smiled during it all, flushed and lovely.

It was her ceremony day, Tess remembered. And then she realized that she

had not been forgotten after all. A woman called for her from the bank

of the stream. She had no choice but to crawl out and let them stare at

her. They whispered over her nakedness and she flushed, backing away

when they would have touched her. Her pale skin was very different from

their own, she knew.

But it was her hair that seemed to fascinate them most--both that upon

her head and that upon her body.

They didn't tease her long, but gave her a new outfit to wear. It was a

soft, pale buckskin much like Nalte's sister's dress, but with no yellow

on it. It fell just to her knees. Her feet were still sore from her

barefoot treks over the mountain trails, and she had hoped that someone

would give her soft doeskin slippers to wear. But nothing was supplied

for her feet, and when she tried to ask one of the women, the Apache

shook her head. They were preparing to go back to the village, and Tess

was to go with them. Tess wondered again about her chances of escaping,

but she had heard that the Apache women could he every bit as fierce as

their men. The women were excited about the young girl they had dressed

so carefully for her rite, but their eyes were still upon her. She

walked along, weary and desolate, trying to focus her thoughts on her

hatred of von Heusen so that she wouldn't be able to fear her own

future, and to wonder desperately about Jamie Slater.

Her eyes were lowered, her head was down when they came into the

village.

She stumbled and looked up to see where she was going.

Looking across the compound she saw that four Indians were in curious

costumes with huge headdresses, obviously preparing for the rites to

come.

But the Indians were staring across the compound at a stranger who had

come among them. For a moment he looked very much like Nalte. Tess

narrowed her eyes, watching the man, trying to figure out why he looked

so familiar. He was dressed in buckskins from head to toe and he wore a

cap adorned with eagle and owl feathers. His hair was black and straight

as Nalte's, but worn shorter. Even as she stared at him, he turned

slowly, pointing her way.

She gasped, stunned to see that the newcomer was Jon Red Feather. He

smiled at her briefly, a sign of encouragement, she thought, then his

expression quickly sobered again, and he continued to talk to Nalte.

The tall Apache was dressed for the ceremony, too. He wore a fringed

buckskin shirt, buckskin pants, high, laced boots and eagle feathers in

his hair. He was also adorned with a turquoise amulet around his neclq

and silver studs and beads upon his bonnet and shirt. He was listening

to Jori Red Feather--and watching Tess gravely as he did.

Nalte nodded, and Jon let out a whistle.

Then Jamie rode into the clearing. He was in calico shirt, denim pants,

knee-high boots and a Western hat. He didn't glance at Tess, but lifted

a hand to Nalte. When he reached the chief, he slipped from the horse

instantly and approached the man, speaking quickly.

She felt as if her heart slammed hard again. ~t her chest. He was a

fool! she thought. He didn't know Nalte, he didn't know how the Apache

chief hated the white man, nor did he seem to realize the things that

had been done to the Apache by the cavalry. Fool! She wanted to scream

to him, but she couldn't breathe, she could only pray that Nalte

wouldn't slay him right on the spot.

Nalte shook his head violently.

Forty warriors suddenly drew their weapons, facing Jamie.

His Colts were around his waist, but he didn't make a move to touch

them. He spoke calmly once again, and Nalte called out something

sharply. Guns and war clubs were lowered.

Frightened still, Tess cried out, shaking off the hands of the women

around her and racing toward Jamie. She pitched herself against him, but

he caught her shoulders hard and thrust her away.

Thrust her away--straight into Nalte's arms. Her eyes widened with alarm

and fury.

"What in God's name are you doing?" she gasped. She couldn't move.

"Nalte's dark fingers were a vise upon her.

Nor did Jamie seem to want her. His eyes flashed upon her with dark

fury.

"Stop it, Tess."

"But" -- "Stop it! Shut up!"

"Damn you, Jamie" -- He switched into the Apache language, addressing

Nalte.

At the last, he spoke English once again.

"Nalte, may Jon Red Feather take the woman away so that we may speak

without interruption?"

"Speak without interruption!" Tess flared. But Nalte was nodding.

"Tess, come!" Jori called to her.

Apparently she didn't move quickly enough. Jamie reached for her arm and

thrust her toward Jon. He pulled her away even as she protested.

"Jon" -- "Tess, he's trying to negotiate for your return."

"They were going to shoot him! I had to do something." She tugged free

of Jon and turned back to watch Jamie, still talking with Nalte.

"What are they doing now?"

"Talking about prices."

"For what?"

"For you, of course," he told her with a crooked smile. "How can Jamie

pay Nalte?"

"Well, he can't pay him ... not very much, that's why he's arguing

that you aren't worth the price."

"I'm not worth the price!"

"Tess" -- Tears touched her eyes.

"He shouldn't he here to begin with! He must not understand Nalte"

"Nalte would have killed most men by now. He is seeing Jamie because he

knows about him, he knows that Jamie has always been fair. Tess, keep

your mouth shut, all right?" She wanted to keep her mouth shut, but she

was still in terror that the Apache would betray Jamie, as they had been

227 betrayed so many times themselves. She was deliriously glad to see

him and Jon, and she wanted to know about Chavez, but she was afraid to

ask. Her temper was rising because she was so desperately scared of what

was to come. Before she could say more, Nalte came striding by with

Jamie and his guard behind him.

Jamie cast her a fiercely warning glare; Nalte barely glanced her way.

They entered Nalte's dwelling.

"What are they doing now?" Tess demanded. "Negotiating," Jon said

briefly.

She started to shiver. Nalte didn't need to negotiate. He could kill

Jamie and ke~P her. He had all the power. He could do anything he wanted

to do.

"There's no hope!" she whispered.

Jon set his hands on her shoulders.

"Courage, Tess. There is every hope. Nalte's little sister begins her

puberty rite today. The rite goes on for four days. The woman over there

will be her sponsor. She is of impeccable character, and she will stand

for the sister. The man there with the buffalo horns upon his cap and

the white eagle feathers, he is the shaman, the medicine man, and he

will add the sacred religion to the ceremony. The girl is dressed for

her role as White Painted Woman or White Shell Woman, a sacred maiden

and one of the most important of the Apache supernaturals.

She will pray to the sun. The dancers with the headdresses, they are the

Gan, or Mountain Spring Dancers.

It is an expensive ceremony, but Nalte is a great chief, and he has

supplied much for his sister's rite. The Gan dancers symbolize the four

directions.

They are elaborate." Tess watched the dancers as they prepared for the

day.

They were painted black and white, and they carried huge fan racks and

wore buckskin kilts. They carried wands. On their arms were trailers

made of cloth and eagle feathers. Their huge masks had false eyes. The

fan racks portrayed snakes and other creatures.

She shivered, grateful that Jori was there to assure her that the

dancers were involved in a ceremonial rite and were not preparing for

war. She looked into his green eyes and realized that he had kept

talking to ease her mind from worry, and she was grateful to him.

"He must be furious to be disturbed today!" she whispered.

"He is not disturbed. He will make his decision quickly," Jon told her.

An Apache warrior emerged from Nalte's tent. He spoke briefly with Jori

and took Tess by the arm.

"Jon!" she cried.

"Go with him," Jon ordered her.

"He isn't going to hurt you. I'm wan led with Nalte. And you are not."

She didn't want to let Jon out of her sight, but he moved away

resolutely, and she had no choice but to accompany the warrior who took

her by the arm.

Seconds later she was thrust into an empty tepee. The fire that had

burned in the center was nearly out. On rocks beside it were corn cakes

and dried meat. She hadn't been told she could, but she was alone and

she was starving, so she helped herself. She had barely bitten into the

food when she became so nervous she couldn't chew. She set the food down

and began to pace.

After a while she sat again and looked sadly at her tender and torn

feet.

They would never be the same again.

Moments later, she heard a rush of air. She catapulted to her feet,

staring toward the opening of the tepee. Jamie was coming in. She gasped

softly, then raced toward him, flinging her arms around him.

He quickly untangled himself, staring fiercely into her eyes.

"We're going to get out of this. If you can manage to behave."

"Behave!"

"Listen to me!" He shook her so hard that she felt her teeth rattle.

Indignantly she tried to jerk away from him, but his grip on her was

firm and he wasn't letting go. "You're hurting me!"

"I'm hurting you! We're in the midst of a fiasco like this" -- "It

wasn't my fault!"

His jaw twisted hard.

"I know. It wa~ mine. For being so damned determined to try to

understand you.

She felt the color drain from her face. The planes of his face seemed

very lean and hard. He was more bronze, tauter. There was a fresh scar

upon his cheek. She wanted to touch it tenderly, but he was holding her

with too great a vigor. And the smoky anger in his eyes told her he did

not want her touch.

He had come for her. He had survived both yon Heusen's guns and his

fight with Chavez to come for her. But now she realized that he had come

only because he considered himself responsible for what had happened to

her. She paled, trying to pull from his grasp, but he wouldn't let her.

"The puberty rite for Nalte's sister will last four days. He will not

attend to any other business during that time. Jori and I are to be his

guests. You are to stay here, do you understand me?"

"Just stay here ... for four days?" she whispered.

"Can't I be with you?"

He swore, vehemently.

"You were purchased, Tess! Damn it, don't you realize that? And not for

your talents with a newspaper."

"Jamie, don't you start with me" -- "No, don't you start with me," he

said heatedly.

"You can manage yourself, and you can manage a lot, and you probably are

a damned good rancher and newspaper woman. But if you try anything here,

Tess, we'll both probably die. Do you understand? We're walking a very

narrow line here. I've tried to explain von Heusen to Nalte.

He has a sense of honor; there is a chance he will return you. But I

can't do-any of this if you interfere. Do you understand?"

She wrenched free of him at last. His hands fell upon his hips and his

hat brim tipped over one eye, yet she could still see the silver glint

in the other. She swung around and walked with her shoulders stiff and

straight, then she sat Indian fashion upon a blanket roll. She mustn't

let him see how hurt she was.

He didn't say anything else to her, but started to turn to leave. She

couldn't stand that, and called out to him.

"Jamie!"

"What?" he demanded impatiently.

"What" -- She paused, licking her lips. "what happened to Chavez?"

"He's dead," Jamie said flatly.

"And the Comancheros" -- "The Comancheros never saw me," he said.

"But if we're going to get out of the mountains, we're going to need an

Apache escort. So don't create problems."

"Me!" "You," he said succinctly, and he was on his way out again.

"Jamie!"

"what now?"

She hesitated a second.

"Thank you. Thank you for coming after me.

Thank you for risking so much."

"You don't need to thank me. I owed you this." This time he stayed,

staring at her. But she couldn't speak anymore because sudden tears were

welling behind her lashes and threatening to spill over on her cheeks.

He owed her this. He had come for her because he owed her. She had

dreamed that he was falling in love with her.

Maybe she was proving to be too much trouble. She had traded half her

land for a hired gun. But she had never told 231 her hired gun he was

going to have to go after Comancheros and Apache as well as von Heusen's

men. I'll member to thank Jon," she said coolly.

"He didn't owe me anything."

"You do that," Jamie told her. But still he didn't leave. He stood by

the entrance, and she sat across from him, her knees crossed, her

shoulders and back-very straight, her hands resting upon her knees. The

distance between them seemed immense, and yet she felt the touch of his

eyes as if it was fire.

It was he who spoke. ~this time, lightly, softly. "Tess?"

"What?"

"Did--did any of them--hurt you?"

She knew what he meant. Her cheeks burned and her lashes fell over her

cheeks.

"David was a monster, and he probably would have killed me. Jeremiah

wasn't so bad--he wouldn't let David touch me. I was sorry to see

Jeremiah killed." Her voice faded slightly.

"Especially the way he was killed.

And Chavez. Well, you know about Chavez, because. because you were

there."

"Yes, I know about Chavez. What about Nalte?" She shook her head.

"He let me be. Because of his sister."

She started, hearing the long, ragged exhalation of his breath. She

thought, for a moment, that he would cross the distance between them and

take her into his arms. He did not. She could scarcely breathe, longing

to leap to her feet once again. But he had already set her from him. She

wasn't going to touch him again.

"You're still Nalte's," he told her harshly. She gazed at him, wondering

what he meant. Then she realized that he would not touch her until he

had completed his negotiations with the Apache chief.

He didn't say any more. He swung around and left, and she knew that even

if she had called his name then, he would have left her.

The day wore on endlessly. Tess could hear the ceremonial drums beating

and the chants of the puberty rite, but she could see nothing, and she

was involved in nothing. She tried very hard to be patient, and to

understand that everything rested upon negotiation.

Late in the afternoon, Jon came in. She almost leaped into his arms, but

he was carrying a dish of food for her. He set it down, and she did hug

him, fiercely. "Eat," he told her.

"You may need your strength."

She nodded and sat and looked suspiciously at her bowl. "What is it?"

she asked.

"Something exotic and Apache," he told her, "beef. Probably, from cattle

taken in a raid. You should not worry.

The Apache are very finicky about what they eat. They will not eat

snake, for they believe that the creature is evil, and they will not eat

evil meat.

Here they are close enough to the plains to seek out the buffalo. They

also hunt deer, antelope, elk and bighorn. Their food is quite safe, I

assure you."

She flashed him a quick smile and ate the beef with her fingers. It was

delicious.

"How does the ceremony progress?" she asked. "The gift has been taken to

the ceremonial tepee with her shaman. She has knelt down on the buckskin

and lain prone to be massaged by her sponsor, and she has run in the

four directions. Tonight she will dance in the ceremonial tepee, and

others will dance in the center of the village."

He paused, looking at her.

"I am leaving tonight. Nalte will not let you go until this ceremony is

over, and we think it is important that I hurry to Wiltshire with the

news that you have been found."

"Oh!" Tess said, setting down her bowl and staring at him. Then she

moved across the tent and hugged him close.

"I don't want you to leave. I'm so afraid for you."

"The Apache will see me past the Comancheros, as they will do for you if

they choose to let you go."

"If" -- "Whenl" he assured her.

She pulled slightly away, staring into his deep green eyes and feeling

as if she had found a friend she would cherish all her life. In his

buckskins he appeared very much the Indian, but his words were those of

the white man who knew her society and understoocf her fears.

"Oh, Jon, be careful!" she pleaded with him. "I'm quite sure he will

be."

Jamie's deep drawl startled them both. Tess stood quickly. Jon came to

his feet more slowly, staring at Jamie.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," Jamie said drily. He ducked beneath

the flap and was gone.

Tess instinctively ran after him.

Jon caught her before she could leave.

"You cannot go to him!" he ordered her hoarsely.

"He has explained to you.

You are still Nalte's. You remain here, untouched, until a decision is

made.

"But he--he misconstrued what he saw!" Tess wailed. Jon offered her a

dry smile.

"Perhaps he deserved to, eh?" She didn't smile in return, and he

hastened to reassure her.

"He is my friend, and I am his. He knows we said goodbye and nothing

more." He didn't let her answer, but gave her a quick squeeze.

"I'll see you in Wiltshire," " he whispered, then he was gone.

And she was left alone. Outside the light was fading. Darkness was

coming, and despite the summer heat of the day, the night was coming

with a chill.

Tess shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, staring miserably at

the center of the tent where the fire burned no longer.

Jamie walked almost blindly into the growing darkness of the night.

Soon, the evening ceremonies for the young girl would begin, but at the

moment, there was a lull as preparations were made. This puberty rite

was one of the most important for the Apache. It was a structured

society, a social one, and respect and honor were tremendously

important.

The anger that seethed through him lightened for a moment as he thanked

God that Nalte happened to be an exceptionally honorable man. Nalte had

known when he first bargained with yon Heusen that the man who intended

to sell a blond woman to him had to be somewhat of an outcast in his own

society. But he had not imagined the things Jamie told him. Jamie

explained that yon Heusen had made war on Tess and had tried to make the

people around him believe it was the Comanche or the Apache who had car-

tied out the raids.

That had infuriated Nalte, and it had almost given him Tess.

Almost. Nalte wasn't quite ready to let go.

Jamie clenched his teeth and his fists as he hurried past the circle of

tepees and into the night. He wanted to reach the stream, to bathe his

face in its coldness.

Yet even when he reached the stream, the water could do nothing to

soothe him. He could not forget Tess's eyes-huge, violet and luminous

upon his.

She had been so straight and rigid, and yet she had seemed so very small

and vulnerable when she had talked to him in the tent. She had explained

the past few days with a simple dignity, and he had been so relieved to

discover that she had received a minimum of abuse that his knees had

gone weak. He had wanted to wrap her in his arms and promise her

everything would be all right, that no one would ever hurt her again.

But he hadn't been able to do that. He couldn't make any promises. He

didn't even dare touch her lest the emotion or the passion tear him

apart and lead to Nalte's fury. But he had never hungered more deeply

inside for her.

She was always fighting; she was always strong. She had endured so much

that she could be no less than strong. And yet now she had that air of

vulnerability about her. She did need him. And he wanted to be all

things to her.

He splashed more water on his face, and his temper cooled. He owed Jon

so much--and not his anger. Yet he had been angry, seeing her trustingly

in his friend's arms, seeing the tears in her eyes, the emotion within

them. He wanted her. He wanted her in his arms.

He closed his eyes, and saw again the picture of the young woman with

the luminous violet eyes and the soft storm of golden-red hair falling

over her shoulders and down her back. So quiet and still, and somehow

achingly soft in the bleached white buckskins. There'd been a strange

serenity about her, a serenity she could not possibly be feeling. He'd

felt impotent to be just standing there talking to her. He was her gun,

her hired gun. He'd said that he'd protect her, but he hadn't been able

to. Others had descended upon her, and she had endured fear and

suffering at their hands. He'd been praying for a miracle. Praying that

she hadn't been so abused that he'd never manage to live with himself

again.

He'd never felt good about killing a man. Never. Not during the war, not

after. But he'd wanted to kill yon Heusen's men when they had taken her.

He'd wanted to do more than kill them--he'd wanted to tear them limb

from limb and watch them die in horrible agony. Chavez had taken that

away from him. For the good of his soul, maybe it was just as well. It

was hard for a man to live with that kind of hate. He knew. He'd watched

it fester in his brother Cole, and it had nearly cost him his wife,

Kristin. Then there had been Chavez.

He'd never seen Chavez, except from the mountaintop. And watching the

Comanchere shoot the men in cold blood had kept him from feeling the

least remorse when Chavez had fallen beneath his blade. The fight

between them had been cold, both men knowing that it was life or death.

Jamie had been a little quicker, and Jon had managed to come around with

the horses before the Comancheros knew that their leader had been

visited, much less killed. The bound woman on the bed had never moved,

and she hadn't seen anything. They were done with the Comancheros--for

good, he hoped.

He smiled suddenly. He would have to ask Tess how the woman had come to

be bound and tied on that bed. It would surely be an interesting story.

But when they had fled the Comancheros camp, Tess had been nowhere to be

seen. They had tracked the trails up and down all night, calling softly

to her. He hadn't been willing to admit that they had helped her elude

the Comancheros only to send her into the arms of the Apache. But Jon

knew the territory, and he knew something of Nalte. And in the end they

had decided that the only way they could deal with the chief was to lay

their cards on the table. Jamie was going to have to count on his

reputation with the Indians. Jori would change into his buckskin attire

to approach Nalte first, then Jamie would ride in. It had been risky for

them both. The Apache were a warlike people, and Nalte was known to hate

the white man. But he had a reputation, too--one for upholding his own

sense of honor and hospitality.

Besides, it was obvious from the out skim of the village that some big

ceremony was going on, and a chief like Nalte didn't usually like blood

on his hands during such an occasion.

And so they were here, and still waiting. Darkness was falling upon the

water. The moon glittered gently upon it, and the easy melody of the

running water was gentle.

It was a beautiful sight, this valley within the beginning of the fierce

mountain ranges.

A beautiful place to die, Jamie thought.

Nalte had promised his decision about Tess as soon as the festivities

for his sister had ended. Jon seemed to believe that the Apache chief

had already determined he would return Tess, at some cost, of course,

but he would return her.

But what if he did not?

Jamie knew he would never leave without her.

If Nalte decided against him, he would have to fight the chief. And if

he won, the Apache would probably slay him in vengeance anyway. He might

well die in this beautiful place, then there would be nothing more that

he could do for Tess.

I'm sorry! he thought. i never should have become so involved. Falling

in love with a beautiful angel has surely been the downfall of many a

man. I couldn't let you go that morning. I had to make you see that the

thing between us was right and that you couldn't turn away from it by

the morning's light.

He hadn't had the edge he had needed, the edge that had kept him alive

through so much.

So now they were here, and their fate rested on the decision of an

Apache chief.

He liked Nalte. He had a keen intelligence, was well- versed in his own

language and in English, well-aware of the world around him. And

fighting to maintain the inheritance of a people despite an encroaching

world. He was not so bad a man, Jamie thought. Rather he die and leave

Tess to Nalte, than leave her to trash like David or Chavez. Nalte would

never hurt her.

He clenched his fists and swore to the night sky. Then his thoughts

raced as he sank on h~s haunches to stare at the rippling, moon-kissed

water once again. I will not die here! Come heaven or hell, I will

fight, and with every edge, and I will bring her home with me!

"Jamie!"

He thought he imagined the voice.

But then, as he stared into the water, her reflection was caught by the

glow of the moon almost magically on the surface before him.

"Jamie ..."

She was there. She was wearing the white buckskin dress he had seen

before.

Her hair was flowing, rich and waving, paler than usual in the water's

reflection. Nor could the water catch the color of her eyes, that violet

that was so extraordinary and so compelling, so quick to flash with

anger, so deep when touched by her emotions. Nothing could catch that.

No words, no mirrored image.

But the water did catch the softness he had glimpsed before, and he knew

then why he had been falling in love with her so swiftly and so

completely. She had great strength, she would never tire, and she would

never cease to fight, for herself, for others, for the glory of all the

great muses that caught her heart. She could not bear injustice, and she

would never falter to overcome it.

But never could she be less than a woman, beautiful, giving, enwrap ping

all with the passion of her soul, and of her life. Once he had wanted

only her smile to touch him. Once he had been enamored of the silk of

her flesh, and the sweeping curves and slim angles of her form. Once.

But now he knew what it meant to love. It was desire, but more than

desire. It was needing the smile as much as the passion. It was wanting

to lie down by the still waters as much as to weather the tempestuous

storm. It was wanting to share a lifetime together.

"Jamie ..."

Once again, she whispered his name. He turned slowly, and saw that she

did stand just behind him--no image, no dream, so much more than a

reflection.

In her bare feet with her bare calves, her dress falling just above her

knees, she seemed exceptionally innocent.

The color of her eyes was true, deep as the night, dark as the desire

that suddenly swept over him. He wanted her in his arms--but he dared

not touch her. Not until Nalte made his decision.

He swallowed hard and came to his feet. He stared at her and hoped that

his scowl was menacing. Yet he didn't even know if it remained upon his

face, for he couldn't deny the moonlight or the strange, mystical

sensation that seemed to touch her. She seemed to be of the

supernatural, too beautiful to touch, an angel, a spirit, the spirit of

life that pervaded the mountain.

"What are you doing out here?" he demanded harshly. She smiled, a slow

cu~rl of her lips that touched her eyes to deep, shimmering radiance.

She took a step toward him, shook her head slightly.

And reached for him.

Her arms came around him, giving, soft. She pressed against him. She was

naked beneath the buckskin, and her breasts were full and flush against

him, the hardened peaks seeming to rake his flesh despite the layers of

clothes between them. Sparks tore into him, igniting great fires,

ripping through his limbs, thundering down to his groin.

And then she kissed him. Her teeth grazed his lips, and the tip of her

tongue encircled his lips, touched the roof of his mouth, swept into his

mouth. There was a pounding so fierce he could not deny it.

He touched her. Touched her almost violently, his arms sweeping around

her, his lips seizing hard upon hers, his tongue returning each sweet

torment she had cast upon him. He swept her from her feet and carried

her to the soft embankment. He pressed her to the earth, his mouth still

covering hers. He felt the soaring temptation of her nails raking

lightly against his back, drawing new, shimmering sensations of deadly

heat within him.

This was madness.

He drew his lips back from hers, and her eyes met his. Violet,

beguiling, with a touch of fire, a touch of innocence.

Sweetly wicked, she smiled again; she touched his cheek. Her lashes fell

demurely, sultry, sensual against the pale marble beauty of her cheek.

She had come to seduce him.

He groaned aloud.

It was madness.

Nalte might well kill them both if he came upon him. But the fire had

spread throughout his limbs. Tension and desire pervaded his heart and

his mind and knotted fiercely at his loin, driving him to madness. How

could she smile so hauntingly, knowing that she invited him to doom. He

swore softly, and he touched her lower lip in the moon glow, meeting the

wild violet beauty of her eyes. "Lead me to death then, if you would,

Miss. Stuart. I cannot leave you now."

And he seized her lips once again with his own. The rich, verdant scent

of the earth and stream surrounded them, and he was lost.

Chapter Twelve.

l_9ie? Tess whispered against his lips. Desperate to be near him that

night, she had hardly believed the good fortune that had let her come to

him, and now, in the magical splendor of the night, he was talking of

dying in her arms.

He was so tense above her. His eyes raked over her with a hard edge, and

his voice was harsh, but still she felt the depth of his longing. It was

luxurious to be so coveted and so desired. And yet she wondered at his

words, her eyes widening to his.

"Nalte," Jamie said, leaning high above her.

"He would kill me in seconds if he found me with you. Is that your plan?

To seduce me to my doom?"

She didn't reply right away. She smiled wickedly and smoothed his hair

back from his face." Would you really die for me?" she whispered softly.

He caught her hand where she touched him and drew her wrists together

high over her head, staring down at her. She didn't know if he loved her

or despised her in those seconds, but she did know that he wanted her.

Tension con stricter the length of his body, and muscles convulsed at

his throat and within the tautness of his features.

"Is that what you want?" he demanded.

He wasn't smiling. She knew that she had probably tested him beyond

endurance, so she whispered softly to him in the night.

"No, I do not want you to die for me. Nalte knows that I am here."

"What?"

"He came to me and told me that I could go to you, that he had made his

decision. We are to stay here until the ceremonies are complete for his

sister, then the Apache will see that we are given an escort out of the

mountains."

"Nalte ... knows?" Jamie repeated.

She nodded solemnly.

"He said that you told him I was already your woman. He also said that

you were either a fool or a very brave man to have come for me, and that

a brave man deserves the respect of other brave men. And so he told me

that you were here, and that I could come to you."

He stared down at her, his grip hard upon her wrists as he tried to

understand what she was telling him. Nalte had decided in their favor.

There was no need to die here. He could leave with Tess.

He could leave with her.

And he could make love to her, here, tonight, in the shadow of the

Apache's mountains, at the stream where life itself and the night seemed

mystical.

He cried out harshly and lowered himself over her, his lips parting

before they ever touched hers. He ravished her mouth, demanding that it

open to his, and he seemed to taste and find all of her, his tongue

delving ever deeper, his teeth teasing her lips, his breath mingling

with hers, the whole of his kiss so deep and complete and sensual that

it was raw and laid her bare. It touched her on a level so intimate that

the very decadence aroused her to shattering heights. Then his lips left

hers, and she was bereft. The night air touched her lips where they

remained damp and moist from his touch.

His fingers were upon the rawhide laces of her buckskin dress. Her

breasts spilled free to his touch, and his hand cupped and caressed

them, his fingers stroking and arousing her nipples. Then his mouth

formed hungrily around one nipple to suckle and tease the hardening bud,

to send streams of excitement and desire sweeping through her limbs. She

was glad of the darkness.

Flushing, she wondered how it was the searing liquid fire of his kiss

touched her breast, yet sent the molten longing to swirl to the base of

her abdomen, and lower still to hover and deepen at the apex of her

thighs.

It did not matter where he touched. He continued to kiss her as he

slowly eased the buckskin from her body. He kissed the nape of her neck,

and the tip of his tongue hovered at her earlobe, then ran a trail down

her spine as he shifted her body to toss aside the dress. He kissed the

inside of her upper arm, and she had never imagined that a touch could

elicit such wild stirrings within her. Nor did he allow his kisses to

stop there.

Soon she was lying prone upon the verdant earth again, so close to the

water that it lapped at her ankles. And even the touch of the water

added to the wonder and the magic. It caressed her as the breeze did, as

his every touch did. She was whispering things to him, things she should

never have said, things about the wonder and desire he created. She

struggled to touch him in return, to know more and more of him. Her

teeth sank gently upon his shoulders, and her tongue laved every tiny

little wound. Her fingers stroked and massaged his shoulders and

trembled over every ripple and bulge of his muscle beneath her touch.

She shed his shirt, nearly ripping the buttons from it. She touched his

chest with her tongue, and she moved lower and lower against him.

But then she found herself prone again, and his hands and lips were

moving magic upon her. His kiss touched her, searingly hot. The cool

water lapped over her feet and ankles, but the whole of her was achingly

hot, a fire against the water. His lips touched her bare belly, and the

arches of her feet, and her knees and her thighs. And then he kissed her

warmly, intimately, at the very heart of her desire, kissed her body as

he would kiss her lips, demanding all and giving her ecstasy in turn.

And still the cool stream washed against her. In the end she rose

against him, and they knelt together in the shallows in the night, and

her breasts moved against his chest as their lips fused once again, and

then the fullness of their bodies. She led him down then to the rich

earth, and crawled atop him, her hair a blaze of sunset kissed by the

moon, ~r movements smooth and sultry as the touch of golden locks swung

over his chest and belly.

In the magic of the night, to the rough and urgent murmurings of his

husky voice, she rode the magic of the darkness, and of the man, until

the beauty exploded within them and around them, until the sweet

satiation and exhaustion seized them, until they were filled with one

another. Only then did she fall against him. She didn't care about the

future or the past; she only knew that she had come to him because she

had wanted him. And because she loved him.

Nothing else mattered, for she had learned that time and life and love

were precious, and this night she had all three.

They were silent together as the moon cast its gentle glow on them.

He stroked her hair softly and at long last he whispered, "It's

true--Nalte sent you to me?" She nodded happily against his chest.

"It's true," she whispered.

"Thank God," he breathed.

"He's very upset."

"He is?"

"He doesn't like the idea that von Heusen has been causing so much

trouble.

He told me that the Apache raid, and that they make war, and that these

are separate things. They raid for foodstuffs and other things they

need, they do not raid to kill. When they make war, they do so to kill.

But they do not kill children, and they do not slaughter animals

needlessly. He says there is enough trouble between the 245 whites and

the Indians. He doesn't usually have much use for the Comanche himself,

and the tribes have warred for generations, but he cannot see the

Comanche blamed for a white man's sins."

"You had quite a long talk with him," Jamie commented.

"Jealous?" she asked sweetly.

He grunted.

She braced her hands upon his chest, staring deeply into his eyes.

"I

like him, Jamie."

Jamie laced his fingers behind his head as he watched her eyes.

"Want to stay with him?" he asked.

Words, gentle words, self-betraying words, hovered on Tess's lips. I

like Nalte, but I love you, she almost said. But she could not dispel

the memory of Eliza hanging on to him, trying to force him to love her

in return. She would never do that, she swore. It was dangerous to fall

in love with Jamie Slater.

If nothing else, Tess wanted her dignity left to her.

She forced a smile to her lips and asked lightly, "Trying to get rid of

me?"

"You are a hell of a lot of trouble," he told her frankly. "Yes, but

you've already come this far."

"So I have."

"And I really am worth it."

"Are you?" His eyebrows shot up.

She nodded. Then she moved very low against him again. She let her hair

float over his chest as she lowered her lips to his slick bronze flesh.

She shimmied her body against him as she inched lower down the length of

his body, her thighs locked around him, moving sinuously against him.

She felt the quick rasp of his breath, and she let her lips linger upon

the spot where she could hear the frantic beating of his heart.

Then she moved lower and lower, daring to touch him instinctively,

exploring what was intensely male about him with little subtlety and

tremendous fascination. Her body undulated upon his. She discovered her

own prowess and power, and drove him nearly to madness. All that he had

demanded of her she took in return. He shuddered violently beneath her

touch, his fingers digging into the earth when she caressed him as

boldly with her lips and tongue as he had done to her. He shouted out

hoarsely, and she was soon pinned to the earth as he took her almost

savagely, with a driving, explicit hunger that seemed to rend the very

heavens.

And when the stars had exploded to dance within the night sky and go

still again, he whispered tenderly against her ear, "My love, you are

worth it indeed."

They stayed by the water a little while longer. Whatever came in the

future, Tess knew that she would dream of this place as long as she

lived.

She began to shiver, and he covered her in the doeskin dress once again,

and then he suggested that they return to the tepee in the village.

They slept that night alone together in the teix~ where she had been

taken earlier that day. They slept, having shed their clothing once

again, wound into one another's arms within the warm shelter of an

Apache blanket.

When morning came, they were still together.

During the next few days, they were Nalte's honored guests. They

attended the ceremonies for his sister, Little Flower, and Tess was

amazed to find that she had discovered a strange peace here, living with

the Apache. Nalte spent time with the two of them. Sometimes he ignored

Tess and engaged in long conversations with Jamie in his Apache tongue.

But sometimes he spoke in English, including Tess. Once, when they were

alone, Jamie having gone to join a bunting party, Nalte took it upon

himself to teach her something about the Apache ways.

He explained to her about the Gan," or Mountain Spirit Dancers. In their

masks, they impersonated the Mountains Spirits. They evoked the power of

the supernaturals to cure illness, drive away evil and bring good

fortune. They assembled in a cave, and under the guidance of a special

Gan shaman, they donned their sacred costumes. They held great power,

and therefore they were obliged to honor severe restrictions.

They were not to recognize friends once they were in their attire, nor

were they to dance incorrectly or to tamper with the sacred costume or

clothing once it had been left within a secret cache. To disobey any of

the restrictions could bring calamity down upon the dancer or his family

or tribe. To disobey could bring about sickness, madness, even death.

"We are a people of ritual," he told her.

"We celebrate the Holiness Rite and the Ceremonial Relay. For the

Holiness Rite the shaman must go through arduous procedures, imitating

the bear and the snake, and curing the people of the powerful bear and

snake sicknesses.

The Ceremonial Relay tells us of our food supply--game and the harvest

of nature. Runners symbolize the sun and the animals, and the moon and

the plants. If the sun runners win, game will be in plenty for us. If

the moon runners win, then we will feast on the harvest of the plants."

"You live a good life here," Tess said.

"I live a good life, yes, but I fear the day when white men come to take

it from me."

"But surely, here" -- "They will come, the white men will come. War will

tear apart the mountains, and blood will stain the rivers. It is

inevitable.

But when the time comes, I will remember you, and Slater, and I will

know that all whites are not the same. Yes, it is good here. Now. And

you, I think that you are at She smiled at him.

"I do not believe it, but yes, I am at peace here."

Nalte stared at the fire that burned in the center of the village.

"You might have been happy had you stayed," he said quietly.

"And maybe not. Our women are the gatherers. The first green vegetables

are the yucca, and the women collect them. Then they must collect the me

seal stalks and roast them and grind them into paste. We eat the mescal

as paste, and as the cakes you have been given with your meals. It is a

hard life."

"A ranch is a hard life. And so is a newspaper," Tess said softly.

She looked at him quickly.

"A newspaper" -- "I know what a newspaper is. I lived in a town for many

years when I was a child. I was captured with a war party and taken in

by a minister's wife. I learned a lot about your society. A newspaper is

a powerful weapon."

"It isn't a weapon at all," Tess protested. "More powerful than a gun.

Be careful with it," Nalte warned her. Then he asked her if she was

Jamie's wife. She flushed as she told him that she was not.

"But you are his woman," Nalte told her.

"It--it isn't the same thing," she said.

The Indian was lowering his head, smiling, and she remembered belatedly

that he had chosen to let her go because of Jamie.

"When an Apache marries, he goes to his wife's family. If she lives in a

distant territory, then the man leaves and joins her family. Within it

he may rise to be the leader, then he may become the leader of many

families, and ultimately a great chief. But always, when it is possible,

he joins his wife's family. He works for his wife's parents and elders,

and he is known by them as 'he who carries burdens for me."

He speaks for her, and the man and the woman exchange gifts. A separate

dwelling is made for the couple. She is his wife.

"But I tell you, Sun-Colored Woman, that it is the same among the Apache

and the whites. When a man loves a woman, when he claims her for his

own, when he is willing to give his life and his pride and his honor for

her, that is when she is truly his wife, in his eyes and in the eyes of

the 249 great spirits, be they our gods or the one great God of the

whites." He touched her cheek almost tenderly, then left her. She

thought about his words for a long time to come, and she wondered if

Jamie did love her. Did he love her enough to stay with her, or would he

tire of her, as he had tired of Eliza?

She had made love with him always of her own volition. She had wanted

him as she had never known want before.

But sometimes she wished that she had never given in to the temptation,

for she felt that she had tasted forbidden fruit.

She had found it very sweet, but she would perish when she could taste

it no longer. ~ Nights were theirs. She never spoke, but came to him

with her skin warmed by the fire, her body bathed by the stream, her

hair soft and fragrant from the sun. She lay down be- side him, and she

loved him, and she tried not to think of the future.

On the fourth night of Little Flower's puberty rite, when the maiden had

become a woman, Jamie was silent, holding her gently, staying

motionless.

Tess knew that he didn't sleep, and she shifted against him, asking him

what was wrong.

"We're free to go home tomorrow," she whispered to him.

"Yes, or the next day," be said absently.

"Nalte has been involved with his sister and us. He may be busy with

tribal business tomorrow."

"what difference will a day make?"

He shook his head, still staring toward the top of the tepee and the

poles that seemed to reach toward the stars.

"A

day will not make a difference. Nothing will a make a difference.

That's the point. When we go home, Tess, von Heusen is still going to be

there. And we still haven't any proof of what he is doing."

"But--but Jeremiah and David kidnapped me--and they left you for dead!"

Tess protested.

"Jeremiah and David are dead. They can't be brought to trial, and they

can't be forced to testify against von Heusen.

We're right back where we started. And I know you. You'll head right

back to that newspaper office of yours."

"Jamie, I have to!"

"You don't have to!" he told her savagely. "Jamie" -- "We're going back,

Tess, and we're going to fight yon Heusen. But we have to do it by my

rules."

"I don't" -- "That's right--you don't. You don't make a move without

someone by your side, do you understand me? Things are going to get

worse. Von Heusen may be thinking right now that you and I are gone. He

may even have had a few moments of divine pleasure, thinking that he'd

won at last. But Tess, by now he must have discovered that he can't get

his hands on that property, even if we're both believed to be dead and

gone. He's going to be furious when he finds it's willed to my

family--and he's going to be ready for a full- scale war. We've got to

pray that we're going to be ready for it."

"Can we be?" Tess whispered.

"Yes, we can," he said. But then he swung around on her, staring at her

fiercely, clutching her chin with a grip so tight that it was painful.

"But Tess, so help me God, you'll do it my way."

"Jamie" -- "You'll do it my way?"

"Fine! All right!" she snapped.

He dropped her jaw. Tears were stinging her eyes, and she quickly rolled

away from him, furious that no matter how close it seemed they became,

he still played the dictator. And left her frightened that she was

falling more and more deeply in love with a man who would wage war for

her, who would risk his life for her. And yet ride away in the end, when

it mattered the most.

He did not reach for her, and she did not come back to touch him that

night.

Her back was mid, and she drew the blanket more fully around her.

She shivered in the night. But the distance remained between them.

They spent one more day with the Apache, watching the sacred ritual when

a young boy departed with his first hunting party. The boy's first four

raids would be accompanied by ritual. This day he was instructed by the

war shaman and accepted by the adult members of the party. He was given

a drinking tube and a scratcher with lightning designs, and he was

bestowed with a war cap.

Jamie spoke to her while they stood watching. He pointed to the war cap

and told her, "It will not yet contain the spiritual power that belongs

to the men. He must complete his passage before the spirits will enter

into his cap." The men and women of the village were gathering around

the boy to throw pollen upon him as be departed with the warriors.

"It is a blessing," Jamie told her.

"And we are standing here, watching this, and these men and that boy

will go off and raid some white settlement and perhaps kill our own

kind," Tess murmured. Jamie glared at her.

"I'll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself. We're lucky to be

leaving here alive. And, Miss. Stuart, for your information, this party

is moving against the Comancheres. I don't believe you can feel too much

sympathy for that particular group."

She could not, but she didn't have a chance to tell him so. He turned

her around and propelled her toward the tepee they were sharing.

"Go in, be quiet. I'm going to ask Nalte if we might leave tomorrow."

She didn't hear, that afternoon, whether Nalte gave his permission.

She waited endlessly for Jamie to return, but he did not. When it was

dark one of the Apache women came to help her rekindle the fire and to

give her a plate of beef and yams and roe seal cakes. She ate

halfheartedly and waited, but Jamie still didn't return. Finally her

impatience brought her to the opening in the tent, and she looked out to

see Jamie and Nalte and the victorious raiding party sitting around the

central fire, laughing, talking, enjoying some newly arrived bottles of

whiskey, and apparently enjoying one another as if they were long lost

friends. In a fury she went to the fire and called Jamie's name sharply.

Every man there paused and stared at her, none of them more surprised or

annoyed than Jamie. Nalte shot him a quick glance and said something in

Apache. Jamie was quickly on his feet. He replied casually to the chief,

but two rugged strides brought him to Tess.

Before she could move or react he had butted her belly with his shoulder

and lifted her precariously. Her head dangled dangerously down his back.

She screamed out her protest, but Jamie ignored her and the Apache

laughed, enjoying the show.

Within seconds they were back in the tepee. She landed hard on one of

the blankets, desperately inhaling as he stared at her furiously. She

might have thought at first that he was drunk, but the sharp fire in his

eyes denied such a possibility. She accused him anyway before he could

yell at her.

"You're totally inebriated!"

"Inebriated--you mean drunk, don't you? I wish I were. Drunk enough to

give you what you need! And what you need is a good switch taken to your

hide."

"Oh!" She shimmied up to her knees.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that, Jamie Slater" -- "I don't think

I'm just going to speak!" he warned her, his lashes falling over his

eyes so that they were narrow and dangerous.

"I think I'm going to act" -- She was on her feet instantly, running for

the flap in the tent with a speed and agility as fleet as a doe's. But

at the flap she paused, realizing that she would be running into a group

of raucous Apaches.

She spun around, certain Jamie was almost upon her. But he was standing

back, watching her with supreme arrogance and amusement. He had known

she wouldn't run out of the tent.

She decided to take her chances with the Apache. She didn't make it.

Jamie had been still, but he came to motion in a flash. Just as she

reached for the rawhide flap, his arms swept around her calves, and she

came crashing down to the hard ground. She coughed and gagged and

struggled against his weight to turn around and face him. He straddled

her. Her sir~ple doeskin dress was wound high around her hips, and she

was naked beneath it. Jamie didn't seem to notice. He sat calmly upon

her, crossing his arms over his chest, aware that she wouldn't be going

anywhere at all.

He stared down at her.

"Undisciplined--brat!"

"Brat! I'm twenty-four years old" -- "An old maid! Maybe that's half the

problem."

She gasped, stunned by the remark, and started to struggle furiously

beneath him. Her fingers wound into fists but he was ready, leaning

forward to pin her wrists to the sides of her head.

"I told you--it's done my way. You may be Miss. Stuart, and you may be

the publisher of the Wiltshire Sun, and you may own one of the finest

ranches this side o the Mississippi, but you're with me now, and I

warned you, it's going to be done my way! Especially among the Apache!

You don't make a fool of a man in front of them!"

" But I just wanted to know what was going on!"

"I really should take a switch to you--but at some later date." The fury

suddenly faded from his voice. He released her wrists, his hands

massaging both tenderly and tempestuously through the splay of her hair.

"Tess, Tess, what are we doing? We're going back to Wiltshire, and all

hell will break loose when we get there. Let's not fight each other

now." ' She stared at his striking features, at the handsome and rugged

angles and planes of his face, at the passion in his silver eyes. She

trembled suddenly and wound her arms around him.

"Hold me!" she whispered.

And he did.

They shed their clothing, and she thought that he made love to her more

tenderly, more carefully, that night than he ever had before.

When the sun rose their naked bodies were entwined together in the soft

shadows. She didn't want to leave, she thought. She could live among the

Apache with Jamie forever.

But of course she couldn't. This was not her world, and she had vowed

that she would fight von Heusen. Neither she nor Jamie could walk away

now.

Jamie leaned over and kissed her lips, and she looked into his eyes.

"It's time," he told her.

He rose and dressed quickly, and she followed his example.

They did not leave with the dawn, for Nalte wanted another conference

with Jamie. His sister, Little Flower, came to Tess to say goodbye. Tess

had learned very little of the language, but she had been grateful for

Little Flower's shy kindness. It seemed that Nalte was bestowing gifts

on Tess-- she was given a new outfit in which to ride, in pale buckskin,

with fine tin cone pendants and beautiful beadwork. There was a long

overdress that fell nearly to her knees, and beneath it, soft trousers

so that she might ride easily. She was given boots at last, fine boots

with rawhide bottoms and soft leggings to cover her calves. She thanked

Little Flower as best as she could for the gifts, then kissed the young

woman on the cheek.

Nalte came to her then. Little Flower fled, and Nalte watched Tess for

several moments before speaking.

"You 255 will take the dress, too. Slater has told me that it will

always be special to him."

She flushed.

"Thank you. Thank you for the gifts. I've nothing to give you in

return."

He shrugged.

"I have gotten what I wanted from Slater. And I give you the gifts in

his behalf. In our courting ritual, we exchange gifts, as I have told

you." She smiled and lowered her head, wondering what Jamie had given

him.

"Most of all, Nalte, I thank you for my freedom."

He grunted and looked at her still.

"I understand that you are a warrior yoursell~' " A warrior?" she said,

startled.

"You take on men's battles."

"I didn't really intend to. I just--I had to fight back." She paused.

"This man had my uncle murdered. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand. I will pray that the sph'its will be with you."

He left her then.

Jamie returned soon after.

"They are ready to ride," he told her.

"Let's go."

She nodded and hurried after him. There was a small roan mare set aside

for her use, and she silently accepted Jamie's help to mount the saddle

less creature.

She was startled to see Jamie mounting a large paint gelding. She stared

at him and said softly, "Jamie, your own horse" -- "He's Nalte's now,"

Jamie said curtly. "Your horse! But you loved that horse. Why on earth

would you want to" She broke off. He hadn't wanted to give Nalte the

horse. The horse had been the negotiation.

"I'm sorry, Jamie."

"It doesn't matter," he said, and, turning his back, he rode ahead to

talk to the half-naked warrior in a breech256 clout at the head of the

party of a dozen or so, their escort through Comanchero territory. The

Indian turned and she gasped, startled to see that it was Nalte.

She couldn'? t ponder the chief's participation in their ride then, for

cries suddenly filled the air and they were leaving the village behind

at a quick pace. Jouncing on her pony, Tess turned back.

Little Flower was waving to her. Tess smiled warmly and waved in turn.

They she turned again and hugged her knees to her pony. She had thought

that she knew how to ride hard, but she had never ridden with the Apache

before.

She realized she was learning about a hard ride all over again, from the

very beginning.

By the time they stopped for the night, she could barely dismount, and

when she did she nearly fell.

Jamie was there to catch her. She widened her eyes and stared at him and

she wanted to straighten and show him that she could be strong. But her

knees were buckling and she merely managed to whisper, "Oh, Jamie ..."

He caught her before she fell. The Apache warriors were preparing a

fire, and he carried her to it. One warrior stretched out a blanket for

her, and a roll was stuffed beneath her head.

She never ate a meal that night for she fell asleep instantly.

Somewhere in the middle of the night she felt a new warmth. She opened

her eyes and realized that Jamie had stretched next to her, and she was

curled up in the shelter of his arms.

She stared up at the stars and was suddenly very afraid. She had wanted

to go home, and they were going home. But Jamie was right, it would be

open war now. She didn't want to die.

She was just learning how to live.

She closed her eyes and curled her fingers around the strong male hand

that curved beneath her breast.

"Please God, please God, please God," she whispered. The rest of her

prayer formed no words, but she knew it in her heart.

She wanted to survive. and more.

She wanted to survive with Jamie. The life that was now so precious to

her would be meaningless without him.

She dosed her eyes again, and to her amazement, she slept once more.

The Apache stayed with them all the next day and the next night.

Jamie seemed c6ncerned for them, warning Nalte that they were moving

into Comanche territory. But Nalte knew Running River, and he didn't

seem concerned.

Tess tried to talk to Nalte, reminding him that many whites had believed

yon Heusen when he said that it had been Indians who caused all the

trouble. Few of the new settlers knew there was a difference between

Comanche and Apache.

Nalte, however, was resolute. He and the Apache rode with them to the

outskirts of the town of Wiltshire. Then he lifted his spear high in the

air and a shrill, blood-chilling cry escaped him. The Apache formed

behind him.

"Goodbye, Slater, Sun-Colored Woman."

"Thank you. No matter what comes, Nalte, I will always be your friend,"

Jamie told him.

"I believe you." The chief moved forward, and he and Jamie clasped

hands.

Then Nalte swung his newly acquired mount around and his men raced off

behind him. Jamie watched them disappear in a cloud of Texas dust, then

he looked at Tess.

"This is it. We're almost home."

"Perhaps we should go into town"

"No. We'll head to the ranch."

"But I need to put this in the paper" -- He swore, roughly, violently.

"Tomorrow, Tess! We're going home. I tried to make a few arrangements

for help.

You can't go into town alone, and I have to get back to the ranch!

Got it?"

"Got it!" she shouted back.

They weren't far. She swung her Apache mare around and nudged her to a

fleeting gallop. She raced for a good ten minutes before she pulled up

suddenly, a feeling of utter joy encompassing her heart as the ranch

came into view. It was still standing. No one had burned it to the

ground.

Smoke was spewing from the chimney; Dolly or Jane must be cooking

something inside. Life had gone on while she had been with the Apache.

And the people who loved her had held on.

Jamie was behind her. She turned and shouted to him. "It's still

standing!"

"Yes," he began.

She didn't let him say more. She nudged the mare hard again with' her

heels and thundered toward the ranch. She passed the paddocks and the

beautiful mares with their foals and she felt joy cascade throughout

her. Von Heusen hadn't beaten them--not yet.

She reined in the mare as she came to the house. Dust flew as the little

horse pawed the ground. Tess leaped down and went racing for the front

door.

"Dolly, Jane, Hank!" She stood in the entryway, looking at the large

desk, at the stairway leading to the second floor, at the furniture in

the parlor, at the dining table. She was home.

"They're here! Someone is here!" a voice shouted. It was an unfamiliar

voice. Tess stared in astonishment as a tall, slim blond woman came

hurrying down the stairway. She was followed by a handsome little boy of

about five, then a second blond woman with a serene and beautiful face.

"Miss. Tess!"

Tess swung around as Jane hurried from the kitchen, throwing her arms

around her.

"I knew you'd come back, I just knew that you would!"

"Well." The first woman had reached the entryway.

"I knew that Jamie wouldn't come back without you, of course," she said.

"Where is he?"

Tess stared with astonishment at the two women and the little boy.

Then the door burst open behind her. Jamie had arrived, but he wasn't

alone.

With him were two men, both as tall as he, with the handsome but rugged

features of ranchers, of men who eked their existence from the land and

the elements. They were talking, the three of them were talking, the

darkest of them saying something about yon Hensen.

Then Dolly emerged' from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Those twins!" she proclaimed.

"The little darlings are going to eat us out of cookies and cakes, they

are!

Oh!

Oh, Tess! Jamie, Lieutenant Slater, why you're home! You're home!" There

were tears in her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I knew Tess wouldn't come home without her lieutenant. I knew you

wouldn't!" Dolly flung her arms around Jamie, and then Dolly and Jane

were fighting to hug Tess, and she was trying to hug them back.

But she still couldn't help staring at the strangers who were suddenly

filling her house. Twins? What twins?

The two blond women were kissing and hugging Jamie. Jamie was laughing

in return and thanking both for coming.

Tess wasn't sure if she would lose her temper or her mind first.

"Excuse me!" she said, but there was too much noise. "Excuse me!" she

shouted. The room went still. She looked around, and then said frankly,

"Excuse me, but--who are you?"

"Jamie!" the taller woman wailed.

"You didn't tell her?" Tess smiled sweetly.

"No. No, he didn't tell me."

Jamie stepped forward.

"These are my brothers, Cole and Malachi. And their wives, Kristin and

Shannon. And that's my nephew, Gabe. And I take it that Shannon and

Malachi's twins are in the kitchen" -- "The little darlings!" Dolly said

rapturously. "We've come because Jamie sent us a wire about von Heusen,"

Cole Slater told her.

Tess gasped. She stared at them all. So this was having a family.

They were so close. They knew one another so well.

They were happy and content, she could see it on their faces; they were

serene with their world.

She shook her head.

"Thank you, but" -- She swung around on Jamie.

"Jamie, you can't--they could get killed here!"

"Well, ma'am, I'm not planning on getting killed," Malachi told her,

tipping back his hat.

"I'm not planning on it at all. You see, we came to kill them if need

be."

"You don't know von Heusen." "Oh," Kristin said cheerfully, "we have

known men a great deal like him." She smiled, stepping forward.

"We're family, Tess. And that's what it's all about." She flashed Jamie

a quick grin.

"My brother-in-law was always there when I needed him," she said.

"Oh!" Shannon said suddenly.

"Smell that! Oh, no, Jamie and Miss. Stuart have come home at last, and

it seems we've let dinner burn!"

She swung around, then looked back.

"Well, isn't anyone hungry?"

And Tess realized she was starved.

She glanced at Jamie. She was still amazed, still in shock. But Kristin

Slater set a hand upon her arm.

"Come on! I promise you, things will start to look more reasonable after

a good dinner and a full night's sleep!"

Jamie shrugged.

Tess felt herself gently pulled along. Dinner. The perfect end to the.

perfect day?

Chapter Thirteen.

They had just reached the table when Jon Red Feather came in with Hank.

Tess let out a startled, joyful cry and raced to Jori, giving him a

fierce hug.

"You did come back! You made it out, and you came back!"

"Of course," he told her.

"Someone had to be here to welcome the Slaters. I mean, this is

practically a tribe. Have you realized that yet?"

"A tribe!" Kristin said indignantly.

"Sit down, Jon, and watch your tongue, if you will. Jamie, by the way,

you should marry this girl before you find out that you've got

competition on your hands."

Jon laughed, and Tess flushed. She wasn't sure about Jamie's reaction.

Kristin Slater started calmly doling out food into the numerous plates

on the table. It was a good thing it was a big house.

Uncle Joe, you would have loved to have seen this! she thought.

"If everyone would come sit down," Malachi said, pouting wine into the

glasses around the table, "I think that Jon has something to tell Tess

and Jamie."

"Yes, I do, as a matter of fact." Jon walked to the table and picked up

a glass of wine. He smiled at Tess and Jamie. "Cheers," he said, raising

his glass to his lips.

"Will you all please sit!" Cole said emphatically.

Tess sat at her own dining table--as she had been so politely orderedl

Jamie sat beside her, and they stared at Jon, who looked at them.

"I have discovered why von Heusen is so particularly eager to seize hold

of your land, Miss. Stuart."

Tess gasped, and she and Jamie stood.

"Why?" Tess demanded.

Jon smiled, swirling his wine.

"The railroad." "Oh, my God!" Jamie said, sinking into his chair.

Tess stared at him. He obviously understood completely what was going

on, but she didn't have the least idea.

"What?"

"Miss. Stuart," Cole Slater told her, drawing out a chair and sitting

back in it, "the railroad is coming through here.

That means that this property is going to go sky-high in value. If you

wanted to sell some land straight, it would be worth a small fortune."

"But there's more," Jon Red Feather told her softly.

"If 9ou do sell just the necessary land, the rest of your property will

still go sky-rocketing in value--you'll be able to send your produce

right out from your own doorstep. Tess, you're sitting on the best land

this side of the Mississippi. And that's why von Heusen has been so

desperate to get rid of you. With this property in his hands, he could

really control a good percentage of western Texas."

Tess smiled slowly, looking at Jamie.

"But--but he can't touch any of it now. He must know that! Half of it is

in your name, and even if we hadn't returned" -- "Ownership would have

come to Cole and me and our families," Malachi supplied for her.

"Well, he must know that."

"He does know that," Jon said. Gabe was sitting beside him, and he

tousled the lad's brown hair to be rewarded with a fascinated smile. Jon

smiled in turn, then gave Tess his attention again.

"I let it be known that Jamie had found you and that he'd be bringing

you home. I also went to see Edward Clancy and had him print up the

arrival of Cole and Malachi--and I stressed the ability of the Slater

brothers with their small arms."

"A couple of von Heusen's men rode out here the other day. But we

uninvited them quickly," ICRISTIN said, heaping mashed potatoes on a

plate to pass to Jori. "Cole or Malachi scared them away?" Tess asked.

"Oh, no, Shannon did," Kfistin said.

"She's an ace."

"I'm a decent shot," Shannon said demurely.

"She can hit a fly's eye at a hundred yards," Malachi said drily.

They all laughed, but' Cole sobered quickly and spoke to Jamie in low,

even tones.

"The point is, this von Heusen knows that scare tactics aren't going to

work with Miss. Stuart anymore. No one can quite fathom what he'll pull

next."

"Well, he'll have more to worry about after tomorrow," Tess said firmly.

"I'm going to go to the paper and I'm going to give Clancy another

front-page story. It's going to be all about David and Jeremiah and Mr.

yon Heusen's orders to see that I never returned."

"There might be a few problems with that," Jon advised her.

"Why?"

" Tess asked.

"Because Clancy and your printer gave in at last. Someone shot a few

windows yesterday, and by last night, Clancy had thrown in the towel. He

wanted you to know that he was sorry."

Tess inhaled and exhaled.

"I can do it myself," she said. "You won't have to do it yourself,"

Kristin corrected her, sitting at last with her own plate.

"Dolly and Jane can keep the children here, and Shannon and I will come

in and help you with the press. If you give us directions, we can surely

follow them. The three of us will go into town first thing in the

morning" -- "NOV' Jamie said emphatically.

"I have to," Tess began, turning, ready to give battle. "Jamie, I've

told you" -- "The three of you aren't going anywhere alone," he

intempted harshly.

"It isn't safe. Dammr to hell, Tess! Don't you understand yet?"

"I understand that the newspaper has always been my maj or weapon."

"But right now it isn't enough. Okay, we'll go. You'll do your damned

article, but we'll go together. Tess, what do I have to say to get

through to you? When yon Heusen attacks again, it's going to be all-out

war."

She wanted to retort. She was furious. He was right, of course, but she

still wanted to yell at him.

Fighting desperately to hold her tongue, she looked at Jon.

"How did you find all this out?"

He shrugged.

"I was still in buckskins when I came back, and I didn't change before I

made a visit into town. Von Heusen had one of his guns follow me. I knew

it, so I doubled back and got hold of him. As it happened, Cole and

Malachi had been riding in to meet me." "And," Malachi said, grinning,

"Jon just happened to be dressed for the occasion."

Tess was still confused. Kristin sighed and explained. "Cole and Malachi

convinced von Heusen's hired goon that Jon was scarcely more than a raw

savage and that he actually delighted in human flesh. Between the three

of them they barely had to touch the fellow before he was spilling

everything he had ever known in his life."

Tess smiled and glanced at Jamie.

He was not smiling. She looked away quickly, pushing a piece of roast

around on her plate. They were a lot alike, the Slater brothers. Cole

was the darkest, with golden eyes--his little boy had those eyes, even

though he had his mother's soft blond hair. Malachi was a golden blond

with blue eyes, and Jamie was sandy-haired with his smoke gray and

silver eyes. But the planes of their faces were similar, strong and hard

and weathered. She realized suddenly that she would trust any of the

brothers with anything she had.

And she didn't really mean to keep fighting Jamie. It just kept coming

out that way.

He stood up suddenly, his chair scraping back.

"That was a fine meal, Kristin, Shannon--Dolly?"

"We all contributed," Kristin told him.

"Well, thank you, but I think I need a little air. You got a good

cheroot on you anywhere, Cole?"

"Sure," said his brother, rising as well. He stopped by his wife's chair

and kissed her tenderly at the base of the neck before following Jamie

out.

"Seems like we're splitting up here," Malachi said. "Well, don't stay on

my account!" Shannon told him.

He laughed, shrugged at Jon, and the two of them left. Hank followed

them and the women were left--Jane, who had barely said a word, Dolly,

who was unbelievably quiet, and Shannon and Kristin and Tess.

"All this to make a meal, and then it's just wolfed down, and then

everyone runs" -- "Ma," Gabe suddenly interrupted from the end of the

table.

"I cleaned my plate. Can I go join Pa?"

Kristin threw up her hands, and Tess felt some of the tension leave her

as she laughed.

"Go!" Kristin told her son.

He smiled, excused hun self politely to Tess and ran out of the house.

"We might as well pick up," Shannon said. "Might as well."

Things went quickly with five of them to do the clearing, the scraping,

the washing and the drying. Shannon asked Tess what it had been like

with the Apache, and by the time she finished with her story about Jon

and Jamie appearing at just the fight time, they had finished the

dishes. Jane and Dolly kissed Tess again and went to bed. Shannon and

Kristin and Tess made tea and then sat around the kitchen table, staring

at one another.

"And then this Nalte let you go--just because Jamie asked for you? He

let you go to Jamie?" Kfistin said.

Tess felt herself flush, wondering how to avoid saying the very thing

the Indian chief had so clearly understood.

"He, uh, he ..."

"Oh, for God's sake, Kristin, they've been sleeping together and this

Nalte man knew it!" Shannon exclaimed.

"Shannon!" gris ting protested.

"Well, all right, I'm terribly sorry, but Ktistin and I both married

Slater men. I know. They're so easy to want to shoot, but at the same

time ..." Her voice trailed away and she was really beautiful as she

grinned.

"Well, they are easy to sleep with. Seductive."

Tess knew she had to be a thousand shades of crimson. Kristin sighed.

"He's very much in love with you. I'm sure We'll see a wedding any day."

"I'm not terribly sure about that."

"He called us here. To protect your interests. He must love you."

"I've turned over half the property to him. It's his own property he's

protecting." "Urn. Did he bargain for anything else?" Kristin asked her.

She didn't know why she was being so honest except that somehow she felt

she had known the two women all her life.

Maybe it was because they had all become involved with Slater men.

"Maybe they just don't marry easily," Shannon suggested.

"But you're both married," Tess began.

"Cole had to marry me," gris ting said.

"Oh, the baby?"

"No!" gris ting 'laughed.

"There was a horrible, horrible man after me.

The war was going on and the only way he could count on some protection

from some old acquaintances was to be able to say that I was his wife.

He fell in love with me slowly; it took him a long time." She smiled

sweetly at Shannon.

"And Malachi had to marry Shannon."

"Well, he didn't have to," Shannon protdsted. "The twins?" Tess asked.

"No, a shotgun," Shannon explained ruefully. They both laughed, and

Shannon took a deep breath and tried to explain that Kristin was her

sister, and that Kfistin had been in trouble.

She and Malachi had gone after her, and a kindly old couple had derided

the two of them had to be married. "But they'd been in' love for years.

They wouldn't admit it, of course, because they were too busy gouging

one another's eyes out."

"Oh, it never was that bad!" Shannon protested. "No, it was worse!"

Kristin said. She stood up.

"I think that we need a drop of brandy to go with this, too. Girls?"

Shannon and Tess both agreed. Then Tess yawned and complained that her

buckskins were filthy and that she felt as if half of Texas was covering

her.

The sisters quickly had the hip tub out and filled, and Shannon was

racing upstairs for French bath oil, and before she knew it Kristin was

presenting her with a lilac nightgown that matched her eyes. "I can't

take these things!" Tess protested.

"But you can. It's all in the family," Shannon told her. Tess shook her

head.

"I heard Jamie once. He said that no one would ever make him get

married." Kristin shrugged.

"They can't force him--but he just might choose to do so on his own."

' "Do you want him?" Shannon asked her.

Tess f~it her heart beat hard and she closed her eyes. Yes! Yes, she

wanted Jamie desperately. She had wanted him his eyes had first fallen

upon her, since he had killed since he had told her in a soft voice that

she was Since that day by the stream before the nightmare had begun and

he had touched her and said, "I think I'm falling in love with you ..."

But that had been before they had nearly been destroyea, before he had

lost his beloved cavalry mount to retrieve her.

She was trouble. He had told her that again and again. He had walked out

at dinner because he had been so furious with her that he hadn't been

able to stay at the table. "Do you?"

Shannon persisted.

"Yes," Tess admitted softly.

"I want him. For keeps."

"Then forget the arguments. Even forget the fact that you'll probably

never get along. I have," Shannon said cheerily.

"Forget von Heusen, forget everything, and cherish what time you have

together in peace."

"And get in the tub with the rose oil," Kristin suggested drily.

"There's just nothing like a very sweet smell."

"And a see-through lilac gown to match your eyes! Aren't they beautiful

eyes, Kristin?" "And she's not jealous often," Kristin said, laughing.

Feeling loved and protected, Tess stepped into the water and felt the

steam surround her. It was good to be home.

"I'm more worried now that I know just what this man is after," Jamie

said.

He was sitting on the rocker on the porch. Jori was perched on the

railing with Cole, and Malachi was seated across from him on the swing.

It creaked slowly in the night air.

Jamie exhaled. He looked at his brothers.

"Thanks for coming. I'm just wishing right now that I hadn't had you

bring Kristin and Shannon."

"Jamie, you've known the McCahy girls a long time," Cole said drily.

"And you should know at this point that they wouldn't have it any other

way."

"I just don't know what this man might plan. I do know that he keeps

twenty to thirty hired guns on his property at all times."

"We've met up with bad odds~ before Malachi reminded him.

"God damn it, don't you understand what I'm trying to say? I don't want

you, your wives or your children killed on my account."

Gabe came out then. He glanced at his father and it was obvious he had

heard some of what had been said. He went straight up to his Uncle Jamie

and took his trail-toughened face into his hands.

"There's right and wrong, Uncle Jamie, and you know that. And my pa and

my ma, they say you have to fight what's wrong, because if you just give

in, it'll bury you in the end.

I don't mind fighting. Not if it's the right thing to do."

Jamie lifted his nephew and hugged him tightly. Cole smiled.

"I rest my case."

"Malachi, those twins of yours aren't quite three years old. You think

they feel the same way?"

"Jamie, we're here, and that's it," Malachi said flatly. "Now, what

about Tess?"

"What about her?" Jamie scowled.

"She's the hardest creature to tangle with I have ever encountered,

Yanks and Indians and rattlers included." "Think you're going to marry

her?" Malachi asked pleasantly.

"If he doesn't do so soon," Jon Red Feather supplied, "I

"Damn you, Jon" -- I'll have to, to keep the poor woman honest." ,~

Jamie ou know the lot of you, you may be but I'm " She's beautiful, very

bright and has the will of a wildcat. Besides that, she's worth a damned

fortune. He's already absconded with half her property," Malachi said."

Wait a damned minute!" Jamie protested.

"The least you could do is marry her," Cole said. Jamie threw up his

hands.

"Thank you, one and all, for coming. And now I'll thank you, one and

all, to mind your own damned bus' mess Good night."

He set Gabe on the rocker and headed into the house. He was halfway up

the stairs before he realized he didn't know if he had a room in the

house. His brothers and Kristin and Shannon and even the kids seemed

very happily moved in.

But where the hell he was supposed to be, he didn't know. He headed for

Tess's room, wondering what her reaction was going to be. If she

threatened to scream and bring the house down he thought he'd throttle

her.

He tapped on her door, then pushed it open.

"Tess?" "Jamie?" She said his name softly, sweetly. Her voice touched

the air like the fragrance of roses that seemed to be all around the

room, light as stardust. Her whisper was sultry, as if he had awakened

her.

He strode across the room then paused, seeing how the moon entered

through the window and glowed upon bet.

Her hair was shining with greater splendor than any sunset, and it was

spread out behind her as if each strand were a glorious ray of the sun.

She was dressed in violet, a shade that matched her eyes in the darkness

of the night. A shade that was barely concealing, a shade that managed

to enhance every beautiful line and curve of her body.

"Tess, where the hell" -- He paused, clearing his throat, wondering why

the hell he was getting so damned angry.

"Tess, where am I supposed to--oh, the hell with it!" he growled.

He didn't see her smile as he dropped forcefully upon her, sweeping her

into his arms. He didn't really see anything 271 except the color of her

hair, entwining and tangling around him. He breathed in the clean, sweet

scent of her, and he could barely contain his longings. The Apache had

kept them apart for the last two long nights. He hadn't realized how

badly he could need her after such a short time, how much he could crave

her. She was like a sweet a man thought he tasted once, and yet wanted

more and more once he knew the exotic taste. He kissed her fiercely, and

he kissed her long, and he felt the frantic rise of her breasts against

his hand as she lost her breath. Only when she trembled and gasped did

he raise his head and stare at her.

"I'm staying here. We're doing it my way, remember?"

She returned his stare. Her arms wound around him, and she pressed her

lips to his, then she shoved him slightly away from her and started to

open his shirt buttons. Slowly, achingly slowly, she opened them one by

one, pressing her lips against his flesh. And when his shirt was east

aside she tenderly nipped and kissed his shoulders while she tugged at

his belt buckle. She inched his pants slowly down his hips. Boldly,

possessively she touched him, stroked him and trembled, her fingers

shaking as he came hard as steel to her ministrations. Then he could

stand no more of the sweet torture and she was on her back, with his

lips savoring her body beneath the gauze of the lilac gown. He tasted

her breasts and the valley between them and her navel and her upper

thighs and teased her more intimately still until she was thrashing and

calling his name to the moon-dusted night, begging that he come to her.

With the deepest pleasure, he obliged, and the feeling of being where he

belonged within her was almost as great as pure sexual excitement of

being so tightly, so erotically He shuddered with the force of his

desire, and deeper and deeper until they exploded as one. Then her

tightly into his arms, glad of her lips pressed to her head burrowed

against him.

You're mine, he longed to tell her. You were mine when I first found

you, and mine when I came to Nalte to ask for you. You are mine this

night. And if we can only survive, you will be mine forever. His

thoughts gave pause, and he added silently: even if you are the most

ornery and troublesome female in the western world.

In the morning his troublesome female was up and almost dressed by the

time he had pulled on his trousers.

"Afraid of my family?" he asked her.

Tess looked his way curiously and shook her head. No man could be a

finer lover, tender and tempestuous, but in the morning his temper

always seemed to leave something to be desired.

"I don't care what they know, if you're talking about our sleeping

arrangements."

"I see. You think my older brother will insist that we marry."

"No one will ever force you to marry, Jamie. You said so yourself."

"So you're not planning on marriage."

"I try not to plan on anything."

She was at her dresser, brushing her hair. He slipped behind her, his

chest still naked, and pulled her against him.

He whispered against her ear.

"What if you're already with child?"

She turned and faced him, looking him up and down. "You're nicely built,

intelligent, I think, and your brothers don't seem to have too many

flaws.

If I have a child, it should be a darling one." She swung around to

continue to brush her hair.

He laughed as he donned his shirt and socks and boots. "Tess, you are a

hellion," he told her.

She smiled sweetly.

"I just do the best I can with what I've got, Lieutenant. I'm going down

for breakfast. I'm sure Dolly and Jane got things started very early

with all those 273 little children to feed. And I do want to be at the

paper by eight. I've got to teach Kristin and Shannon how to work the

press."

"I'm right with you," Jamie told her. But when she would have exited the

room, he pulled her back.

"We do things my way, remember."

"I remember," she said coolly. "Everything."

"Meaning?"

"I'll tell you later," was all he said.

He stepped past her and hurried down the stairs. She followed him,

convinced that he had only stopped her to prove to her that he could be

down first.

Dolly and Jane were busy with the children, and they seemed like a

couple of doting old aunts. Dolly beamed at Jamie.

"I just can't wait until it's one of your little bundles I'm holding,

Lieutenant!" she said. Of course she wasn't really holding Shannon's

daughter--the child was squirming away, ready to chase a little string

ball that was rolling across the floor.

"Yeah, soon enough, Dolly," Jamie said sweetly. To Tess's surprise he

winked at her.

"Coffee!"

A cup was shoved into her hand by Malachi.

"Jamie," he said, "I've told Hank to tal~ Dolly and Jane and the

children down to the storm cellar once we've gone. They're invisible

there." "Fine," Jamie said.

"Dolly?"

"I understand, Lieutenant, I understand perfectly."

"I'll watch them," Hank promised.

"Me and the hands, we'll stay in and down in the cellar with the

children."

"Is everybody ready?" Jamie asked. He swallowed his coffee and set the

cup on the table, then everyone was hurrying out.

The children were taken to the cellar, and Dolly waved a cheerful hand

to Tess.

"You take care, missy, you hear?"

"Yes, Dolly, I promise! Thank you!"

Dolly disappeared into the storm cellar, and Hank followed, closing the

door over them. Cole and Kristin stamped the dirt around so the opening

was invisible. By then Jon was coming around with the wagon, and Kristin

and Shannon and Tess climbed up with him. The Slater brothers mounted

their horses. Tess was aware that each was wearing a gun belt with two

Colts.

Each also had another gun attached to a saddle. They were well-armed,

but managed to remain nonchalant.

Tess froze, praying that she wouldn't bring about one of these men's

deaths.

It was her fight. Her own. She had no right to get these men killed.

Maybe nothing would happen today. Maybe yon Heusen would lie low.

Maybe he would take his time to attack her again. She had written the

truth once. After today, maybe more people would believe her. He

couldn't kill everyone.

"Why don't you explain the press while we ride?" Jon suggested to her.

Tess gave him a grateful smile. If she talked, she would relax.

"It's a small press, really, compared with many of the innovations

they're coming up with today. But it's a small town, and we're a small

paper. We set the type in a box called a chase. We tap our letters and

words in with wooden mallets, ink the set type, then roll the papers

through. It's very simple." She was just warming to the subject when

Jon's voice interrupted her softly.

"The town is quiet today."

It was quiet. The streets were deserted. Not that it was usually busy at

this time of the morning, but there was no one around. No one at all.

"Well," Tess murmured.

"There's, uh, there's the paper over there.

See, Wiltshire Sun. The place with all the windows broken out," she

added drily.

"Well, you can set to typing your story while Kristin and I sweep up,"

Shannon said.

Tess nodded. There was a giant lump in her throat, though. Why was the

town so damned deserted?

Jon stopped directly in front of the paper. Jamie had already

dismounted, and he was watching the silent buildings for any sign of

movement. Malachi came to the wagon and helped the women down.

"Get into the office," Jamie ordered curtly. Tess didn't argue but did

as he told her. Shannon and Kristin followed her.

"Will you look at this mess!" Kristin said, clicking her tongue.

"I should help you," d Tess said.

"Will you please go type! We can handle this," Kristin said.

Tess nodded and walked to her desk and typewriter. She dusted fragments

of glass from her chair and blew it from her papers and rolled a blank

sheet into her typewriter. She stared at it for just one second, then

her fingers began to fly. She had a lot to say. A hell of a lot. Time

moved quickly.

Kristin and Shannon moved around the room competently, and their

presence didn't disturb Tess in the least. She was just getting to the

part where Jeremiah and David had admitted their involvement with yon

Heusen when she heard a shout in the street.

The three of them froze. The shout came again. "Tess! Tess Stuart! We

know you're in there! And you're under arrest."

"Under arrest!" Tess gasped.

Then she heard Jamie respond from beyond the window, his voice harsh and

firm as he met the threat.

"It's the sheriff, I think!" Shannon said, peeking around a broken

window.

Tess joined her beside the window, and nodded. "She's under arrest for

what?" Jamie demanded.

"Slander and murder."

"Murder!"

"She killed two of Mr. von Heusen's men. She tricked them out into the

open fields. I've witnesses to that effect.

Then she shot them down cold."

Jamie let loose with a flaming oath. Then he was striding out to meet

the sheriff face to face. Tess gripped the window frame.

"This is bull, and you know it. Von Heusen set you up to this. You're

just a hired gun, like any other of his thugs."

"You shut your mouth, Slater. You're under arrest, too."

"For what?"

"Conspiracy to commit murder."

"Well, I'll tell you what, Sheriff, you just try to take me in ." ' Tess

was never quite sure what propelled her, but before anyone could stop

her, she was racing out to the street, streaking toward Jamie. She

caught his arm and faced the sheriff, furious.

"Don't you even think it! Don't you even try to drag him down into the

mud and mire that you've created with von Heusen! Arrest me if you want

to so damn badly" -- "Tess, damn you!" Jamie swore, swinging her around

behind him.

"What the hell are you doing out here? I told you" -- "Slater, shut up,"

came a new voice.

It was von Heusen. He came striding out from the saloon, his pale eyes

shimmering with hatred, his white hair touched by the breeze.

"Miss. Stuart," he said, addressing Tess, "you are ever valiant. But I

can't wait to hang this Reb. I just can't wait."

"You aren't ever going to hang me, yon Heusen," Jamie said.

"And you aren't ever going to have that property for the railroad."

Von Heusen's brows shot up.

"So you know. You're quite a detective."

"I travel in good company," Jamie said with a shrug.

"It doesn't matter. The sheriff is my man. Aren't you, Harvey?"

"Von Heusen, don't say that," the sheriff began uneasily.

"Why? Who is going to stop us now?" yon Heusen said. "I own the sheriff,

and I own the magistrate, and I can damned well bet you I'm going to own

the executioner. You're dead, Slater. As dead as a doornail."

"No. You may own the sheriff, but I've got a few guns around the place,

too, yon Heusen."

"Yeah, your brothea's and that half-breed friend of yours. It's not

enough.

I've got guns all over this town."

As if to prove it, and obviously uncaring that he was about to commit

murder in broad daylight, yon Heusen raised his pistol and aimed

straight at Jamie's heart. But he didn't have a chance to fire. A gun

cracked, and yon Heusen grabbed his hand, screaming. And the streets

came alive.

There was a fearsome pounding of hooves, and war cries tore the air.

Jamie, astonished, bent low and whirled around. "Jesus!" he breathed.

The cavalry. The cavalry was coming, Sergeant Monahan in the lead.

Nor were they alone. They were traveling, curiously enough, with a small

band of Indians. Apache.

"Jamie!"

Tess screamed his name and he swung around again even as the horses came

tearing down the street.

Von Heusen had Tess. His right hand might be crippled and bleeding, but

he held his pistol in his left hand, and the muzzle was pressed against

her temple. He was backing toward the saloon.

"One more step and I blow her to kingdom come!" yon Heusen warned Jamie.

Gunfire was spitting all around him. From behind a water barrel by the

Wiltshire Sun office Cole was picking off yon Heusen's men from the

rooftops areund them. Malachi and Jon were positioned behind the wagon,

which they had overturned.

And the cavalry and the Apache wee rushing in to the fantastic sound of

a bugle call. It was quickly obvious that von Heusen's men would not be

enough.

Except that yon Heusen had Tess.

He disappeared through the swinging doors of the saloon. Jamie caught

his breath, hearing ~-. ss's screams as the man dragged her upstairs.

"The roof, Jamie! The roof!" Cole called to him. He looked up. He made a

leap toward the railing and swung himself up to the roof. A shot nearly

made him trip and fall.

He heard someone groan and saw a man fall to the ground. He looked

across the street.

Cole smiled, blowing the smoke froaa his gun.

"Dammit, Jamie, go get the girl!"

Jamie grinned and gave his brother a thumbs-up sign. Then he felt his

blood run cold again. He was. going to have to kill von Heusen if he

wanted to live hxnself.

"You, Miss. Stuart, have been a bloody thorn in my side since the

beginning.

You should have died in that raid on the wagon train, and if you'd had

any damned sense, you would have stayed with that bleeding Apache." :

Tess winced. Von Heusen's hold on her arm was vicious, and she could

feel the cold steel presseft hard against her temple. She swallowed. If

he killed her now, she was still the winner. She had to keep telling

herself that, so she could keep fighting him.

"That bleeding Apache, as you call aim, is here to kill you, von Heusen.

The Apache and the cavalry are riding together. Just to kill you."

They had come to the top of the stairs. Von Heusen burst open the door

to one of the rooms and threw her inside. Tess 279 staggered across the

room as yon Heusen closed and bolted the door, putting a chair across

it.

"What now, yon Heusen?" Tess demanded.

He cast her an evil glar~ with his near colorless eyes, and she felt

fear creep along her spine. He strode across the room to her, wrenching

her by the hair.

"You foolish, foolish little girl. You could have lived as that Indian's

squaw, but now I promise you that you're going to pay dearly. One wrong

move, and I'll scalp you myself. What a beautiful trophy that hair would

be, eh, Miss. Stuart?"

She spat at him. He pulled on her hair so hard that she was certain half

of it left her head and, despite her efforts to choke back the sound,

she cried out. She saw him smile at her pain, and it sickened her, and

she realized that he liked hurting people, that killing gave him

pleasure. "What now?

Now we wait. We wait for your ever gallant young cavalry hero to come

running up those stairs. Then I shoot him dead. Then I use you to escape

this town, and then maybe later I'll let you go, but more likely, I'll

kill you.

I'll kill you slow. I'll have you first, and I'll humiliate you every

way I know how, and then I'll kill you bit by bit." She managed to jerk

away from him, backing toward the window, staring at him.

"You bastard! Why don't you just kill me now?

I'll make your life a living hell. I'll never take a single step with

you.

Unless."

"Unless?" He drew out his knife, a wickedly sharp and long bowie knife

that glinted in the fraction of sunlight that entered the room.

"You leave Jamie alone. We'll go out by the roof right now and I'll come

along without a protest" -- "How touching."

"If you kill him, I won't make a move."

"Oh, but I can make you," yon Heusen told her softly. And maybe he

could. He was walking toward her, his knife before him, twisting in his

hands.

"I'll just make you bleed a little now, but you'll feel it," he promised

her.

She was going to scream or faint. She wanted desperately to fight, to be

brave, but all she could see was the glinting steel. He was coming

closer and closer, and she didn't know how brave she could be once that

steel touched her.

"I'll make you bleed!" yon Heusen promised again. He was almost on top

of her. She could see the razor sharpness of the blade, aimed toward her

face.

The window shattered behind her, and a man came bursting through. Booted

feet connected with von Heusen's chest and he was sent flying into the

room.

He landed hard and turned, ready to throw his knife straight at Tess's

heart.

Jamie fired his Colt without hesitating, without a flicker of fear or

remorse.

And yon Heusen stared at him, startled. Then his colorless eyes closed

for the last time, and he slumped to the floor.

Jamie strode over to Tess.

"Are you all right?" he demanded.

She nodded, her throat dry, her heart pounding. "Dammit, Tess, I told

you that this had to be my way."

"I--I was trying to do it your way!" she said. But then she looked at

von Heusen again, and back to Jamie. And she passed out cold.

With a tender smile, Jamie lifted her into his arms and held her very

close.

He didn't look at yon Heusen. He car tied her into the light of day.

Chapter Fourteen.

It was really amazing when one looked around, Tess thought.

She was having a barbecue. Well, the ranch was hosting a barbecue.

Huge sides of beef were being roasted all around the property, the wine

and beer and whiskey were flowing freely and all manner of entertainment

was going on.

She was having a party--and the cavalry and the Apache and the

townspeople and even the whores from the saloon were in attendance.

Nalte was her honored guest. She and Jamie had discovered that the

Apache had never intended to leave the area, that he meant to find out

about the man who would betray so many people. It was Nalte who had

called in the cavalry, taking a tremendous chance when he had sent a

messenger to the fort.

Tess was glad of the party, and she was grateful to feel a part of a

huge family. She didn't have to be the only hostess.

Kristin, always calm and capable and serene, was handling most of the

social duties.

Still dazed from the events of the day, Tess wanclered through the

crowds rather aimlessly, welcoming the men who had been her friends

after the wagon train had been raided, keeping the peace when it seemed

that the rowdy Indians were getting too close to the rowdy whites. But

she didn't need to take care of much of that. Cole and Malachi and Jon

seemed to have a good eye on things, and Hank knew how to take care of

the place.

She had just wandered into the kitchen when Jamie caught up with her.

As always, he didn't stand on ceremony, but caught her hand and told her

bluntly that he wanted to talk to her.

"But Jamie, we've people" -- "Now, Tess."

She was alarmed when he started to drag her up the stairs, and she

tugged on his hand.

"Jamie" -- "Tess!" He groaned. She was too slow. He turned and swept her

into his arms and ran the rest of the way up the stairs.

"Damn you, Jamie Slater" -- "I told you, Tess. Things were going to go

my way today!"

They reached her room. Setting her down firmly upon her feet, he closed

and locked the door and leaned against it.

She backed away from him distrustfully. She moistened her lips. She

still hadn't really talked to him. There had been so much commotion when

she had first come to. Kristin and Shannon had insisted on taking care

of her, and she hadn't realized until tonight that they had won not just

a battle but the war.

"Thank you. Thank you for saving my life."

"You're welcome," he said briefly, striding across the room for her.

"It seemed the least I could do."

"Yes, well, it's done now."

"Damn you, stand still."

"Jamie" -- He caught her. He caught her arms and he pulled her against

him.

He buried his face against her neck and he murmured softly.

"Just think, you could be carrying a child. And it would be a fine

child.

Cute, beautiful, just like my brothers' kids."

"Jamie" -- He moved away from her, his eyes flittering silver as they

met hers.

"I told you, we're doing things my way today. And we're going to get

married."

She gasped, stunned.

"Wh-what?"

"Married. Now."

"But why?"

"Well ..." He touched her cheek, softly, gently, studying the movement

of his fingers upon her face as if he were seeing it for the first time.

"Well, for one, I'm damned afraid that if I don't, l~lalte will

determine to ride away with you again. He'd already warned me that I

really better make you my woman in truth."

She stiffened.

"Jamie, I heard you say yourself that no one could force you" -- "Then

there's Kristin and Shannon. They'll never give me a moment's peace."

"Jamie" -- "Then I'll be damned if you'll be having any children of mine

without me being present."

"But we don't even" -- "Then there's this," he said softly, and his lips

touched hers more gently and tenderly than she had ever imagined

possible, as if the moon itself touched her. She closed her eyes and she

was back, back to a beautiful valley where they had made love beneath

the moon, where their love had seemed so very right. Where magic had

touched them despite all the odds.

"And this ..."

He touched her forehead with his kiss. Then her cheeks, and her throat,

and her lips again.

"And most important, there is this. I love you, Tess. I love you. I want

to marry you. I want to be beside you from this day forth, and I want to

cherish you forever. Of course, I still want to throttle you. But most

of all, I want to love you, and I want to be loved by you. I want to kn

w your strength and even fight it sometimes,.

and I want to know your tenderness and your love and hold tight to them

forever. How is that?"

" Oh, Jamie!" she whispered. Words failed her.

She came up on her toes and kissed him. She teased his lower lip and his

upper lip with her teeth and tongue, and she met his hunger with a fever

of her own. A dizzying fire swept through her limbs, and she thought she

could sleep beside him tonight, and every night, and she could feel his

arms around her.

"Slater. Tess Slater." She sampled the name, but then tears touched her

eyes and she threw her arms around him and kissed him again.

"Oh, Jamie, I love you! I've loved you for so long now, and I thought

that I didn't dare to believe in forever" -- "But you believed in

yourself, Tess.

Now you've got to learn to believe in me, too."

"I've always believed in you!"

"Then believe in this. I love you, and I will do so forever."

"Jamie ..."

She would have lain down with him then. She would have tasted his flesh

and savored his kiss and given him all and anything he wanted. She would

always lie down with him anywhere, in any wilderness, and love him, and

feel the sun or the moon upon them. It would not matter, as long as they

were together.

But he was clutching her hand again.

"Don't tempt me!" he warned her.

"We've got to get downstairs and do this now. Before Nalte leaves."

"What?"

"We're getting married now, Tess. The chaplain is here, and Nalte is

here, and my brothers are here, and I just can't think of a better

time."

"Married? Now? Tonight?"

They were out the door and he was pulling her down the stairs.

She tugged hard upon his hand.

"Jamie!"

"What?"

"Today I promised to do things your way. I really can't promise to do

that every day."

"Fine. I'll keep you in line," he said, and tugged her again. They

reached the landing, and he shouted, "Cole!

Tell the musicians and get the chaplain. She said yes!" A rebel cry went

up from the Slater brothers. The cavalry didn't seem to mind--in fact

they joined right in. There was another sound, and T~ss recognized

Apache war whoops.

She tugged on Jamie's hand again, but he didn't notice. He kept walking.

Kristin and Shannon and the children and Dolly and Jane and Jon and

everyone were wishing her luck, and she was suddenly standing in front

of a cavalry man wearing a chaplain's insignia.

"Jamie!" she whispered.

"I'm really sorry about your horse."

"Don't be. Nalte gave him back to me as a wedding present."

"Oh! You're marrying me just to get your horse back!"

"Say, "I do," Tess."

She stared at the smiling chaplain and she heard the words but she

didn't hear them. Oh, they would be cherished in her memory forever, but

right now all she could think of was the feel of Jamie's hand upon her,

and the promise of the security of it. It was time, and she said her

vows. Then she was wearing a thin gold band, and everyone was wishing

her luck once again.

There were toasting and dancing, and she kissed Nalte, a huge sloppy

kiss on his cheek.

But then she discovered herself in her new husband's arms again, and she

was heading up the stairs again, and she didn't know if she was drunk

with champagne or with happiness or with desire for this man who had

come into her life and given her everything.

"Jamie!"

"What?"

"We've still got guests downstairs."

He groaned long and low and kicked open the door to their bedroom and

walked determinedly over to the bed after kicking the door shut behind

him.

Then he smiled wickedly.

"My way, Tess. Everything is my way today."

Then he cast himself down upon her. He ldssed her slowly and with

seductive force, and she knew that there was nowhere she would rather

be. When his silver eyes rose above her she smiled sweetly and

breathlessly.

"Your way," she promised.

And he smiled, and he kissed her again.

And indeed, the night was delightfully passed. His way.