Heart of the Hunter (13 page)

But he couldn’t ignore the grinding ache in his gut as he
watched her walk back to the house.

Cussing under his breath, he tossed the chicken into the
bushes for the coyotes.

It was time to remember why he’d come here and what he hoped
to gain, time to remember that Kelly McBride was just another white woman, the
enemy. In the old days, her people had taken everything from his people—their
land, their pride, their way of life.

Now it was time to get even.

Sitting on the sofa in the front room, Kelly stared into the
darkness while her dinner grew cold. She’d reached a decision about Lee and it
had killed her appetite. She stared at the food congealing on the plate.
Tomorrow she would tell him she didn’t need his help anymore.

A single tear rolled down her cheek. She started to wipe it
away when a large, callused hand closed over hers.

“Why do you weep,
tekihila?
”

“Oh, Blue Crow,” she murmured, and fell sobbing into his
arms.

He held her for a long time, rocking her as he would have
rocked a child, whispering her name as he stroked her hair, her back. His lips
grazed her cheek, tasting the salt of her tears.

Gradually her sobs subsided. When she would have pulled
away, his arms tightened around her. “Stay,
tekihila.
”

And because it felt so good to be in his arms, so right, she
relaxed against him, her head pillowed on his broad shoulder.

No words were needed. She knew somehow that Blue Crow was
aware of what had happened between herself and Lee, that he knew and
understood.

“Do you love Roan Horse?” Blue Crow asked after a long
while.

“I don’t know. I thought…”

“Tell me.”

“Maybe I was trying to love him because he’s so much like
you. I guess I thought if I couldn’t have you…” Kelly raised her head from his
shoulder and gazed into his eyes. “Why can’t I have you?”

A sad smile lifted one corner of Blue Crow’s mouth. “I would
think the answer to that would be obvious,
tekihila.
”

“But…what difference does it make if you’re…if you’re a
ghost? I can see you, touch you, hold you. You’re more real to me than anyone I’ve
ever known.”

“
Tekihila…
”

“You said you’d waited for me your whole life, that you saw
me in a vision.”

“Perhaps I misinterpreted the vision. Perhaps you were not
meant to be mine. Perhaps I was only to keep you safe for someone else.”

“Who?” Kelly asked suspiciously.

“Who do you think? He needs help,
tekihila.
He has
lost his faith in himself and others. Maybe you were meant to give it back to
him.”

Kelly shook her head. “It’s the gold. He came here for the
gold. That’s all that’s important to him.”

“He may think so now.”

“I’ve decided to send him away.”

“You must do what you think is best.”

“But you think I’m wrong?”

“I think you cannot change what was meant to be,
tekihila.
You may fight it, you may run from it, but in the end you cannot change it.”

“So it doesn’t matter if Lee stays or goes, is that what you’re
trying to say? That whatever is meant to happen will happen?”

“
Han.
”

She was suddenly too tired, too discouraged, to argue.
Resting her head on his shoulder again, she closed her eyes, grateful for his
arms around her, for his nearness.

She remembered the night that Lee had broken into her house.
Just before she fainted, she had seen Lee’s shadow on the wall, seen his shadow
take on the shape of an eagle…

She should tell Blue Crow, she thought. Maybe he would know
what
it
meant, but she tumbled over the abyss into sleep before she
could form the words.

Blue Crow held her all through the night. In her sleep, she
felt his nearness; when she hovered near consciousness, she was aware of his
arms holding her close.

Once—she didn’t know if she was awake or asleep—she let her
hands wander over his broad chest, exploring the texture of his skin, the scars
on his chest. She felt his lips on hers, felt her body sing a new song as his
love enfolded her.

Dawn came too soon. When she woke, she was in bed alone, her
cheeks damp with tears.

Staring out the window, she saw that it was raining.
Lightning split the skies. Thunder rolled across the land, booming like the
echo of distant drums.

Kelly turned onto her stomach and punched her pillow. On
days like this, she liked nothing better than to curl up in front of the
fireplace with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate. But that would have to
wait. Rain or not, she had to go into Cedar Flats.

She groaned softly. She should have gone yesterday, but she’d
put it off and now she was out of virtually everything.

She could send Lee, she thought, and then grimaced.
No,
she
was going to fire him today. If it was fated for them to be together, then Fate
could find a way to bring him back, but she wanted him gone, the sooner the
better.

She’d tell him she wanted him to leave and then she’d drive
into town so she wouldn’t have to watch him go.

Her decision made, she jumped out of bed, took a quick
shower, then pulled on a heavy sweatshirt, jeans, sweat socks and a pair of old
boots.

Tying a scarf over her head, she paused with her hand on the
door. She’d never fired anyone before. How, exactly, did one go about it? She
puzzled over it for a moment, then shrugged. She was the boss here. She didn’t
have to explain her decision. She’d tell him to pack his gear and then she’d go
to Cedar Flats and pray Lee would be gone when she got home.

Resolutely, she opened the door and stepped out into the
yard. She was picking her way through the mud toward the barn when a sharp
report cut through the storm.

Kelly felt her heart skip a beat. She’d never heard thunder
like that in her life.

She had almost reached the barn when another report rang
out.

Only then did she realize it wasn’t thunder, but gunfire.

Kelly’s gaze followed the sound of the gunshot, wondering
who would be out hunting on a day like this.

With a shrug, she started walking toward the barn again when
Lee barreled into her, driving her down to the ground only seconds before
another gunshot rang out.

Her breath whooshed out of her body as his weight landed on
top of her. She felt Lee jerk as if he’d touched a live wire and then he was
firing wildly at a clump of mesquite near the barn.

There was a yelp and a moment later, the sound of a truck
roaring to life.

Lee scrambled to his feet, intent on following the truck.

Kelly screamed “No!” as a tan pickup emerged from the woods
behind the barn, screamed “No!” again as she saw someone poke a rifle barrel
out the window. It was aimed directly at Lee.

Suddenly, everything seemed to be happening in slow motion.

Flame spurted from the barrel of the rifle.

Lee staggered backward.

Kelly saw the blood then, a bright crimson stain blossoming
near his left shoulder. Another splash of red was spreading down his right
thigh.

And then the truck roared out of sight, leaving behind an
appalling silence broken only by the gentle whisper of the rain.

Kelly stared at Lee. He was lying on his back on the ground,
one arm flung out from his body. He didn’t seem to be breathing.

“Lee…” Her legs seemed to be made of wood as she walked
toward him. “
Lee?
”

His eyelids fluttered open. “Kelly?”

She murmured a quiet prayer of thanksgiving as she slid her
arm under his shoulders. “Can you stand up?”

“I think so.” He shoved the gun into the waistband of his
pants, then put his arm around her waist.

“We need to get you to a doctor,” Kelly said.

She pushed the terror of the last few moments into the back
of her mind. She’d cry and fall to pieces later, but now she had to take care
of Lee.

“No doctor.” He hissed the words through clenched teeth.

“No? What do you mean, no? You’re bleeding.”

“No doctors, Kelly. Gunshot wounds have to be reported.”

“Lee, those men tried to kill you!”

“Could we argue later?” he asked, grimacing as pain lanced
through his side and down his thigh. “I don’t think I can stand up much longer.”

Exasperated, Kelly helped Lee into the house and down the
hallway into the spare bedroom. She threw back the covers, then stood fidgeting
while he pulled the gun from his waistband and placed it on the table beside
the bed, then slowly sat down on the edge of the mattress.

“Can you…? Should I…?” She took a deep breath. “You need to
get out of those wet clothes,” she said, not meeting his eyes. “Do you need
help?”

“I’m afraid so.”

With a curt nod, she knelt on the floor and pulled off his
boots and socks. He obligingly unfastened his fly, stood up while she tugged on
his jeans, exposing dark blue briefs and a pair of long, muscular legs.

Lee sank down on the edge of the bed while she unbuttoned
his shirt and eased it off his shoulders. He didn’t wear an undershirt.

She gathered up his blood-stained clothes while he crawled
under the sheet.

“I’ll be right back,” she said, and hurried out of the room.
She tossed his clothes in the hamper in her room, then went into the kitchen
where she filled the teapot with water and put it on the stove. While she
waited for the water to heat, she went into the bathroom to towel dry her hair
and change out of her wet clothes, then she rummaged around in the medicine
cabinet to see what kind of first aid supplies she could find.

Ten minutes later, fortified with a cup of strong black
coffee, she went back into the bedroom. She drew the sheet away from Lee’s
injured thigh and shoulder, sucking in a deep breath when she saw the two
bullet wounds. For all the bloody
Lethal Weapon
and
Rambo
movies
she’d seen, she wasn’t prepared for the real thing. Both wounds were red and
ugly and dripping blood. Lee’s face was pale and sheened with perspiration.

Kelly’s hands were trembling as she placed squares of cloth
over the wounds to stop the bleeding.

“Lee, I don’t know what to do. Please let me take you to a
doctor.”

“No, Kelly. Just pour some iodine over it and bandage me up.
I’ll be okay.”

When she started to argue, he jackknifed into a sitting
position and grabbed her by the arm.

“Dammit, Kelly, just do as I say. I’ll explain later.” He
took a deep breath, fighting against the blackness that was hovering all around
him. “Please,
skuya.
”

“All right.”

“If I pass out, don’t worry. Just do what I said. Did you
lock the front door?”

“No.”

“Do it now, before you do anything else. Check the back
door, too, and the windows.”

He was scaring her, he could see it in her face, gone
suddenly pale, in the way her eyes widened.

“Trust me, Kelly, just this once. Do as I say. And don’t go
outside. I’ll explain everything later.”

Driven by a rising, all-encompassing fear, Kelly ran into
the front room and locked the door. She checked all the windows, drew the
curtains, then did the same in all the other rooms before returning to the back
bedroom.

Lee’s eyes were closed. His face was drawn and pale. The
makeshift bandages on his shoulder and thigh looked very white against the dark
bronze of his skin.

“You got any whiskey,
skuya?
”

“Yes.”

“Think you could bring me some?”

“Sure.” She didn’t drink, but her grandfather had liked a
snort every now and then.

She found a bottle in the cupboard in the kitchen, poured a
good-sized amount in a glass and added some water. She started back toward the
bedroom, paused and retrieved the bottle.

Lee’s eyes were still closed when she returned to the guest
room. If possible, he looked even paler than before.

“Lee?”

He opened his eyes and she placed the bottle on the table,
then slid one hand under his head while he took a drink.

“I think you could use a little fortifying yourself,” Lee
remarked. “Your hands are shaking.”

“I’m scared.”

“I know. Drink a little of the whiskey, Kelly, it’ll calm
your nerves.”

She lowered his head to the pillow, then stared skeptically
at the small amount of whiskey left in the glass. She’d never tasted anything
stronger than wine, but she was game to try anything that would still the
shaking in her hands. The whiskey was strong and burned a path all the way down
her throat to her stomach. Amazingly, it did make her feel better.

“Thatta girl,” Lee murmured.

For Kelly, the next forty minutes were the most
nerve-wracking she’d ever spent. She swallowed the bile that rose in her throat
as she washed the ugly wounds in his shoulder and thigh, trying not to notice
the blood on her hands or the way the water in the bowl turned from clear to
scarlet.

When that was done, she poured iodine over the bullet
wounds, front and back, acutely aware of the pain she was causing Lee. He
endured her amateurish doctoring in stony silence, his hands clenched into
tight fists, while perspiration dripped from his face and neck, soaking the pillowcase.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she taped the last bandage into place.

When she was finished, she stared at the bowl of
blood-stained water on the bedside table. Never in her life had she treated
anything more serious than a paper cut.

“You okay, Kelly? You look a little pale.”

“I’ll be all right.”

“You sure?”

She wanted to say yes. Instead, she shook her head, then
bolted for the bathroom where she was violently ill.

Grabbing a towel from the side of the tub, Kelly wiped her
mouth and face, then stood up. She rinsed her mouth, brushed the hair from her
forehead and went back into the bedroom.