Winter Love Part 23

"I want to know where you got that horse."

"I did not steal it if that's what you're thinking." The old man looked scornfully at him. "I have the permission of the mare's owner to ride her."

"And who is that?"

"That I will not tell you. I do not know who you are."

"That I will not tell you," Fletch threw the old man's words back at him. "I am telling you, though, that I'm taking the mare away from you." Fletch grabbed hold of the mare's bridle near her mouth. "I don't want to hurt you, so climb down please."

The old Indian was stubbornly shaking his head when Fletch caught his breath and stared. A blond curly head had suddenly popped around from behind Spotted Horse, smiling and gurgling, "Dada."

"Jolie!" Fletch exclaimed, a wide smile on his face as he lifted his arms to her.

When his daughter would have gone into his arms, the old man put back an arm, holding her fast in her carrying case. "I still do not know who you are." He glared down at Fletch.

"I am the child's father. Did you not hear her call me Dada?"

"Laura has never said to me that she had a husband."

Fletch's eyes widened a trifle. Had Laura played a trick on him? Purposely let him think that she was living with a young brave? As the Indian continued to glower down on him, Fletch asked, "Are you called Spotted Horse?" The white head nodded, and Fletch muttered, "I'll get her ornery little hide for this."

By now Jolie was beginning to fuss and strain toward Fletch. Spotted Horse gave him a long, thoughtful look, then removed his arm so that Fletch could lift the baby down. When he had her in his arms, he hugged her tightly and buried his face in her curls. He knew he had missed the child, but not in the same way he had missed her mother. He knew now that he couldn't bear a life without them both in it.

With Jolie nestled in his arms, Fletch walked back toward the cabin, making his plans of how and when he would slip away with his daughter. He hated to do it that way, but it was the only sure way of getting Laura back to Big Pine.

Spotted Horse, a few yards behind, hoped that he had done the right thing, letting the tall white man take Laura's daughter. As the mare clomped along, he wondered ruefully how he could have stopped the one who called himself Jolie's father.

Chapter Twenty-Five.

Laura walked out on the porch for the third time to peer through the trees, looking for Spotted Horse and Jolie to appear. Fletch hadn't returned from wherever he had gone. She was beginning to worry that he had something to do with the old man not returning at his usual time. She tried to comfort herself with the thought that maybe it was taking Spotted Horse a little longer this time because he had to d.i.c.ker over price on his beaver pelts.

Her face was still heated from an altercation she'd just had with Red Fox. She had innocently asked him how his wife would fare while he was gone so long. He had answered with much arrogance that it was up to her to take care of herself If she died in his absence it would be just as well, since he had no use for a woman who couldn't manage when he wasn't around. She had stared at the handsome Indian in shocked silence a moment, then blurted out, "How sad that you are married to a woman you don't love."

Red Fox had given her a look that said she was soft in the head. "Love, bah!" he snorted. "Do you not know that there is only one true love? The love you have for your parents, your children. Have you not noticed how many times a man or woman changes partners? You never change your parents or children."

While she sought for some words that would prove him wrong, Red Fox had stood up and stalked out of the cabin.

Little Fox tried to soften his father's harsh words by saying, "My father said that when you left Big Pine, Fletch searched all over Detroit for you. Do you not think that maybe that was done from love?"

"It would seem that way, wouldn't it?" Laura smiled gently at the thirteen-year-old, but inside she knew why Fletch had gone to Detroit. Besides her having his daughter with her, Pa had ordered him to go looking for her.

She had stayed with Little Fox until his father returned to the cabin, walking straight to his son's pallet without a glance at her. She took his previous advice when she felt her anger rising and walked outside.

Laura sighed now as she peered through the trees at the late trail. Had something happened to Spotted Horse? She had just made up her mind to saddle Fletch's stallion and go looking for him when she spotted Beauty coming toward the cabin.

Her heart began to hammer. Jolie wasn't with him. "Oh, dear Lord," she whispered, "Fletch has taken her and left." She stepped off the porch and walked around the building to look where Fletch and Red Fox had staked out their mounts. Both horses were still there. In a panic she hurried back to the front of the cabin just as Spotted Horse drew Beauty up to the porch.

"Spotted Horse!" she called wildly. "Where is Jolie?" The old man climbed stiffly from the saddle and, giving her an accusing look, asked, "Why did you not tell me that you have a husband?"

Laura started to answer that she had no husband, then stopped. She wanted this old Indian's good opinion of her. He might think badly of her if he knew she'd had Jolie out of wedlock.

"I'm sorry," she said, "but I didn't think it was necessary. Now, where is Jolie? Has he taken her?" Spotted Horse looked over his shoulder. "She is with her father. They come now."

Laura saw them then, the big tall man and the small child riding on his arm. How good they look together, she thought for an instant, then banished the thought. They didn't belong together, no matter how becoming it looked. Fletch had once called the little one a b.a.s.t.a.r.d, and that was hard to forget.

"You know he spoke in anger," her little voice inside whispered. "He only wanted to hurt you, you had him so angry." She brushed aside the words that made excuses for Fletch and hurried down the path to meet him.

Jolie smiled at Laura as she ran up to them but cuddled closer to Fletch as if she did not want to be taken from the broad, warm chest. The little one's action stung Laura, but she wouldn't let it show.

Or so she thought. Fletch knew her too well, even down to the flicker of her eyelashes. He gave her a mocking smile as if to say that his daughter knew where she belonged.

But Laura knew Fletch equally well, and she knew there was leashed anger inside him. Some of it came out when he said in rough tones, "Your taste in men has changed considerably." When she made no answer, he said, "Did it amuse you to make a fool of me in front of Red Fox?"

"You made a fool of yourself," Laura flared back. "All I said was that, yes, a man was living with me, and Jolie is quite fond of him. You jumped to your usual bad opinion of me and a.s.sumed that living together meant that I was sharing my bed with a man."

"You know d.a.m.n well that you meant me to believe that," Fletch half snarled.

"Think what you want," Laura snapped. "You always do."

"d.a.m.n you, you never let me think what I want to think," Fletch grated. "You've always got me riled up, making me say and do things that I don't want to think or say."

They were at the cabin now, and before they stepped up on the porch, Fletch asked, "Are you returning to Big Pine with me and Jolie?"

Laura's only answer was a sharp, "Hah," as she stepped inside the one-room building. Wouldn't he be surprised when he learned that neither she nor Jolie was going back to Big Pine?

When Fletch followed her into the cabin he handed Jolie to Spotted Horse, who had made himself known to Red Fox and was explaining the herbs and roots he had used on Little Fox. "Keep an eye on her, would you please?" he said. "I need to talk to her mother."

The old brave took the baby, who went to him willingly. "You need to beat her, not talk to her," Spotted Horse told Fletch and gave Laura a dour look. "She must understand that her place is with her man. Laura is a fine woman, but she is very stubborn."

"Spotted Horse!" Laura exclaimed, hurt and angry. "How can you tell him to beat me? I thought you were my friend, and now you are turning on me."

"I am your friend, Laura Thomas. That is why I'm telling your man to teach you obeisance. I have thought long on the months when this island will be frozen, cut off from the rest of the world. How would you and Jolie survive if something should happen to me? My years are many. I am now like a candle burning down. I know that soon it will flicker and die out. I will rest much better if I know that you and Jolie are being taken care of by your man."

Laura felt tears burn the backs of her eyes. The old man wasn't going to help her get away from Fletch. He was like the other Indian, Red Fox. Woman must bend to the wishes of man. Well, this woman wasn't about to bend to any man.

"Come on, you heard the man." Fletch nudged Laura toward the door, sparkling amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes. "It's time you learn to obey me."

Laura tried to dig in her heels, to stay where she stood beside the table. But the big hand on the small of her back easily propelled her through the door. Half blinded by rage, she stumbled outside, and Fletch took her arm and tugged her down the lake path.

When they were out of sight of the cabin, he drew her into a patch of willow whose lacy foliage drooped to the ground. When he released her, she spun around, wrapping her arms around her waist, on the verge of outraged tears. "You dare to take a willow branch to me, Fletcher Thomas, and it will be the last act you'll ever do."

Fletch didn't answer her. His eyes were fastened on the betraying peaks of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s which the pa.s.sion of anger had caused to harden.

Laura wheeled around, turning her back to him. Fletch drew a ragged breath and said huskily, "It doesn't matter that you try to hide yourself from me. I can remember clearly how satin soft they felt in my hands, how sweet they tasted in my mouth."

He took her shoulders and turned her around to face him. Stark pa.s.sion looked out of his eyes. "And you remember things too, if you'd only admit it. You were like a wildcat in my arms as I thrust in and out of you. You eagerly took everything I had to give you."

He drew her to him, cajoling huskily, "Please, Laura, I need desperately to make love to you, to cover your body with mine, to drive slow and deep inside you. It's been so long," he whispered, bending his head and covering her lips with his.

Laura was determined that she would stay rigid in his arms, not respond at all. Then his tongue was sliding into her mouth and his hand was in her bodice, stroking and rolling the nipple between his thumb and finger. She felt a weakness building inside the pit of her stomach, and when he pulled her breast free and bent his head to draw her aching nipple into his mouth, she gave a little sigh and melted against him, her arms coming up around his neck, all conscious thought deserting her. Her body had taken over with the driving need to be made love to.

With a sharp intake of breath, Fletch placed his fingers on the b.u.t.tons of her bodice. In seconds the material separated and he was cupping both b.r.e.a.s.t.s in his palms, the pads of his thumbs rubbing her puckered nipples. Laura gave a sigh of intense pleasure when he bent his head and began suckling first one and then the other.

She felt him slide his hand down between their bodies and knew that he was unfastening his trousers. When he removed his hand from between them, she reached down and curled her fingers around his thick, hard manhood that jerked like a live thing.

As she squeezed and stroked him the way he had taught her, he slid a hand up her skirt, then down inside her bloomers. She moaned softly when his finger began to slide back and forth on the little nub of her femininity.

They were both breathing heavily, almost ready to reach a release, when Fletch raised his head from Laura's breast and said hoa.r.s.ely, "Let's get out of our clothes."

In seconds their clothes lay scattered on the ground. Laura sat down on the shirt Fletch had spread for her, and he stood before her. His erection was strong and proud, a picture of raw physical power, a power that she knew would send her spiraling to the skies.

Fletch looked down at her, his eyes silently pleading. She came up on her knees, and grasping his thighs put her mouth where she knew he wanted it. He moaned and stroked a finger around the corners of her lips as they worked on him, whispering hoa.r.s.ely how he had dreamed of her loving him this way.

A short time later when he knew he couldn't contain much longer the pa.s.sion raging to be turned loose, he disengaged himself and came down beside Laura, pressing her back onto his shirt. He spread her soft thighs and climbed between them. He hung over her, waiting for her to take his glistening wet shaft and guide it inside her.

As his male strength filled her from wall to wall, Laura didn't think she could bear the pleasure of his possessing her. She could only moan her joy and cling to his shoulders as he rocked against her.

She felt like a wanton when in only a few minutes she reached the desired peak and soared away in a blinding sea of delight. Twice more, without finding his own release yet, Fletch brought her to that crest again.

The third time, as she was slowly coming back to earth, Fletch gave a hoa.r.s.e cry, bucked his hips rapidly, then collapsed on top of her. "G.o.d," he whispered in her hair, "but you're good. Already I want more of you." Laura realized he wasn't speaking empty words, for she could feel him swelling inside her. He came up on his elbows and rested awhile as his hard maleness was jerking and throbbing, anxious to be in motion again. He leaned forward and, giving Laura a quick, hard kiss, shoved his hands beneath her rear and lifted her up to fit her hips in the well of his.

Slowly, he began a deep thrusting.

An hour later, his body glistening with sweat, having reached two more releases, Fletch finally rolled off an exhausted Laura. Drained, they both fell asleep.

When they awakened the sun had moved quite a bit westward. Fletch stretched luxuriously, then reached for Laura. She laughed and exclaimed, "No more, Fletch. I'm completely drained."

Fletch chuckled. "So am I. I'm afraid we made pigs of ourselves." He leaned up on his elbow and, resting his arm across her waist, said, "I only wanted to hold you while we talk."

Laura became almost breathless with excitement. Fletch was going to tell her that he loved her. He was finally going to say the words she had waited for years to hear. When a long pause ensued, Laura asked, "What did you want to talk about, Fletch?"

"Well, for one thing I wanted to point out how perfectly we are matched when it comes to making love, even though otherwise we spat a lot. But I think now that we'll be living together, in time that will stop."

When Laura's body stiffened and she made no response to his spoken thoughts, Fletch frowned and said, half impatiently, "For Jolie's sake you know that we must marry." When Laura still didn't say anything, he said angrily, "What we just shared didn't mean a thing to you, did it?"

When Laura still remained silent, his fingers bit into her side. "Get this into your hard head. We will marry. I will not have people thinking that I'm the kind of man who won't shoulder his responsibilities."

Laura wanted to laugh, to cry, to smash her fist into the handsome face of her daughter's father. To get her back to Big Pine was what all the lovemaking was about. Not one word of love had been spoken, not even an endearment had pa.s.sed through his lips as he made love. Not love, she amended. She should say while he spent his l.u.s.t on her. He didn't care diddly for her. He was only worried about his reputation, what the people of Big Pine would say and think about him.

Laura sat up and began to get dressed. Fletch sat up also. "You haven't said anything." He caught her arm for attention. "Don't you have an opinion on what I said?"

"It's a very poor one," Laura answered sharply, jerking her dress down over her head. "I don't give a d.a.m.n what people think of you. They couldn't think less than I do. Like I told you before, Jolie and I aren't going back to Big Pine with you."

"All right, d.a.m.n your ornery hide!" Fletch jumped to his feet. "Don't come. You can stay here with the bears and wolves and freeze to death this winter, but I'm taking Jolie off this island."

Laura opened her mouth, then shut it. Don't, say anything, she cautioned herself. Let him think that he's going to have his way, that I won't buck him anymore. She did up her last b.u.t.ton and walked away, leaving Fletch looking after her, puzzlement on his face. His eyes narrowed. It wasn't like her to give up so meekly.

As he climbed into his buckskins he laid his plans.

Chapter Twenty-Six.

Laura banged pots and pans about, slapped tin plates and flatware on the table. She ignored the cross looks she received from the two Indian men. She smiled grimly to herself She hoped she'd make enough racket to drive them out of the cabin. She was tired of the dour, accusing looks they'd been sending her ever since Fletch stamped into the cabin, his scowling face showing that things remained the same between them.

She had a suspicion that her noisy actions were amusing Fletch as he sat rocking Jolie, keeping her entertained with a narrow wampum belt he had taken from his pocket. She had definitely seen his shoulders shaking once with contained mirth when she deliberately dropped the Dutch oven lid onto the hearth and its ringing clatter had made both Indians jump and send her sour looks.

Well, she thought grimly, let's see how much he laughs when he discovers that Jolie and I are gone. She had made up her mind that tonight when everyone slept she was going to undertake the first theft in her life. Desperation was making her do it. She planned to take the money Spotted Horse had received for his furs. The small leather pouch in which he kept his valuables hung on a peg in its usual place. It bulged with greenbacks.

Laura told herself that Spotted Horse had been quite willing for her to have the money before Fletch had turned up claiming to be her husband. She smiled without mirth. Parading as her husband, he would be responsible for repaying Spotted Horse for the money she had taken. The old man would expect him to do it.

When the evening meal of roast beef and baked potatoes was on the table, Laura picked Jolie off Fletch's lap, saying, "Come on, Mama's little pumpkin, supper is waiting." By the time she placed Jolie in her special chair and took a seat beside her, the three men had followed her. With sidelong looks at her they pulled out chairs and sat down.

The meat and potatoes began to disappear at a rapid rate as the men helped themselves, piling their plates. Laura said sharply to Red Fox, "You'd better prepare your son a plate before everything is gone." Red Fox lifted his head, his black eyes boring into her. "As a woman, shouldn't you be doing that?"

"If you were not here I would feed the lad." Laura glared back at him. "But I am not his mother. Since you, his father, are here, it is your duty to see to your son."

Red Fox looked at Fletch as if to say, Order your woman to bring my son his supper. But his white friend kept his eyes averted. Red Fox rose, picked up his plate, and before he stalked over to the pallet, growled at Fletch, "Next time beat your woman a little harder. She still has a sharp tongue and foolish ideas."

Spotted Horse grunted agreement, making Laura want to kick his bony legs under the table. She glanced at Fletch, who had kept silent, and found his face devoid of expression. She knew, however, that he wanted to burst out laughing.

The meal was quickly over, the tight atmosphere not conducive to light conversation. When everyone rose to leave the table, Fletch picked up Jolie and resumed sitting in the rocking chair. Red Fox and Spotted Horse lit their smelly pipes and sat smoking before the small fire that had been lit to break the chill of the evening.