Comanche Heart

Table of Contents

 

 

“Catherine Anderson is an amazing talent.”

—Elizabeth Lowell

 

“Anderson comes up with another winner by deftly blending sweetness and sensuality in a poignantly written story.”—
Booklist

 

“Count on Catherine Anderson for intense emotion.”

—Jayne Ann Krentz

 

“Catherine Anderson has a gift for imbuing her characters with dignity, compassion, courage, and strength that inspire readers.”—
Romantic Times

 

“A major voice in the romance genre.”

—
Publishers Weekly

 

“Another winner from Anderson’s compassionate pen.”

—
Library Journal

 

“Not only does author Catherine Anderson push the envelope, she seals, stamps, and sends it to the reader with love.”—
Affaire de Coeur

 

“When opening an Anderson novel, readers encounter great characterization as well as complex emotional issues. Poignant and funny, yet laced with danger, this is a truly enchanting read.”—
Romantic Times

 

“This is a story not to be missed.
Morning Light
delivers on all levels, and is a fantastic read that will touch readers at the very core of their being.”

—The Romance Readers Connection

 

“Vivid descriptions, realistic family relationships (especially the lively sibling banter), and a dash of suspense make this heartwarming, gently sensual romance a satisfying read.”—
Library Journal

 

“Anderson understands the inner workings of the human soul so deeply that she’s able to put intense emotion within a stunning romance in such a way that you’ll believe in miracles. Add to this her beautiful writing style, memorable characters, and a timeless story and you have an unmatched reading adventure.”

—
Romantic Times
(4½ stars)

 

“Sweet and sensual.”—
Publishers Weekly

 

“With the author’s signature nurturing warmth and emotional depth, this beautifully written romance is a richly rewarding experience for any reader.”—
Booklist

“Readers may need to wipe away tears . . . since few will be able to resist the power of this beautifully emotional, wonderfully romantic love story.”—
Booklist

“Offbeat family members and genuine familial love give a special lift to this marvelous story. An Anderson book is a guaranteed great read!”

—
Romantic Times
(4½ stars, top pick)

“Ben Longtree is a marvelous hero whose extraordinary gifts bring a unique and special magic to this warmhearted novel. No one can tug your heartstrings better than Catherine Anderson.”

—
Romantic Times
(4½ stars, top pick)

 

“Emotionally involving, family-centered, and relationship-oriented, this story is a rewarding read.”

—
Library Journal

“[A] superbly written contemporary romance, which features just the kind of emotionally nourishing, comfortably compassionate type of love story this author is known for creating.”—
Booklist

“Pure reading magic.”—
Booklist

“Anderson departs from traditional romantic stereotypes in this poignant, contemporary tale of a love that transcends all boundaries . . . romantic through and through.”—
Publishers Weekly

The Comanche Series
Comanche Moon

 

Harrigan Family Novels
Morning Light
Star Bright

 

Coulter Family Novels
Phantom Waltz
Sweet Nothings
Blue Skies
Bright Eyes
My Sunshine
Summer Breeze
Sun Kissed

 

Other Signet Books
Always in My Heart
Only by Your Touch

SIGNET
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
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80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

Published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Previously pubished in a HarperPaperbacks edition. Published by arrangement with the author.

First Signet Printing, June 2009

Copyright © Adeline Catherine Anderson, 1991

All rights reserved

REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

 

 

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

eISBN : 978-1-101-05270-9

Dear Readers,

 

As I said in my letter to you at the beginning of
Comanche Moon
, I am delighted that New American Library/Signet is reissuing the Comanche series and making these titles available to you again. For too many years, the Comanche series was difficult to find and those titles that were available were sold by used bookstores for absurdly high prices. Time and again, one of you would write to tell me you were about to buy one of the Comanche books, and I always encouraged you to wait, promising that I’d someday get the series reissued. Over the years, I began to wonder if I would ever be able to follow through on that promise.

Thanks to New American Library, I can now say with confidence that, over time, you will be able to buy every title in the Comanche series! Even better, New American Library is giving each book a beautiful new cover, more in keeping with story content and theme. It is wonderful for me, as the author, to finally see these titles receive the respect that I’ve always felt they deserved.

As you will find as you read
Comanche Heart
, this is no ordinary romance. A sequel to
Comanche Moon
, it is a continuation of the struggle that the survivors of the Comanche Nation underwent as they tried to mesh with white society. In
Comanche Moon
, you met and came to love Amy, the little girl who was kidnapped by the comanchero, and the Comanche boy, Swift Antelope, who helped her make a heartbreaking journey from the darkness back into the sunlight. Now, many years later, the promise of their youthful affection for each other is finally fulfilled in this story.

It is my hope that you will enjoy reading
Comanche Heart
as much as I enjoyed writing it. I look forward to hearing from each and every one of you! My e-mail address is [email protected]. You can also contact me by visiting my Web site and leaving a message in my guestbook. Or, if you prefer, you can send me a letter in care of New American Library.

Happy reading, my friends!

Sincerely,
Catherine Anderson

Author’s Note

AS I WROTE
COMANCHE HEART
, MY MOTHER informed me that I am part Shoshone, which explained my interest in and my affinity with the Comanche people, who were actually Shoshones who left their parent tribe to seek a warmer climate and better hunting on the plains. The Shoshones were sometimes called the Snake Indians because they lived in Idaho, a Shoshone word meaning “the land that is bitterly cold,” and they often journeyed along the shores of the Snake River into central Oregon to hunt. I now live in Central Oregon and look out upon the terrain that my Native American ancestors often visited.

After leaving their parent tribe, the Comanche people called themselves the Snakes Who Came Back. They derived this name from the fact that they periodically traveled northward to revisit Idaho and the loved ones they had left behind. When they met strangers, they signed this name by holding their hands, palms down at the waist, and making a backward slithering motion.