Page 42 of West Wind

Shelley shook his head. “Very pretty, darlin’,” he said somberly.

She looked over her shoulder at the Indian party as they mounted their ponies, securing their booty on her mare and leading it away. Red Wolf turned to face the camp, and raised a hand to her.

Shelley groaned as she lifted her hand and waved, a smile on her face as she watched the old Indian ride away.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Shelley leaned back in the grass by the stream as Annabelle bathed his face, washing the blood away in the dying daylight, cleaning the evidence of the battle from his beard. He protested when she began washing his shoulders and chest.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he asked gruffly, grabbing her wrist.

How could he be so stubborn, even now? She was grateful that he was alive, and she felt the need to touch him, to assure herself that he was real and safe.

“You’ve made a mess of yourself. ‘What’s the matter, darlin’?’” she mimicked. “‘Are you modest?’”

He opened one eye narrowly. “Fetch my shirt. It’s up in the camp, unless you gave that away, too.”

She sent Penny and her brother Charlie, who watched from several feet away, to fetch Shelley’s shirt. He didn’t stop protesting, but she didn’t care. She continued to wash the blood, his and Swift Eagle’s, from his chest.

“You needn’t be so cranky,” she said almost primly.

“Darlin’, I’m way beyond cranky. I’ve passed vexed and piqued and indignant and gone all the way to pissed.” He practically growled at her.

She leaned back and away to sit on her heels. Why was he so angry? They were both alive. They were together. An hour ago she wouldn’t have bet on either happening.

“I don’t understand you at all. Why are you mad at me? I didn’t ask you and Swift Eagle to beat one another to a pulp. That’s not my fault. Why are you even here? It’s been two weeks since you left me…”

“You know why I’m here.” He sat up slowly. “Just listen to yourself. Since I left you. You make it sound like I deserted you.”

“Didn’t you?”

They stared at one another wordlessly as Penny ran down the gentle slope, Shelley’s white shirt clutched in her hand. She threw it to him, turned away, and ran back up the bank.

“No, I didn’t, dammit.” He waved her away when she tried to help. “I can still dress myself.”

“If you didn’t realize you’d deserted me then what are you doing here, He-Who-Follows?”

That very afternoon Suzanne had said, He loves you, Annie. I could tell. There was no love in his eyes at the moment. She suspected there was none in his heart, either.

He shook his head as he buttoned his shirt. “You know why I’m here. You called me back. You refused to let me rest. You were like an itch in the middle of my back that I couldn’t quite reach. You preyed on my mind like a bug in a bedroll…”

“I did none of those things,” she defended herself angrily.

“You did all of those things. I’ll never get another moment of peace until I see you safe in San Francisco.” He narrowed his eyes and glared at her. “I can’t even enjoy a simple drink anymore, can’t even…” He stopped abruptly.

“Can’t even what?” she snapped.

“Nothing,” he growled. “So that’s where we’re going. San Francisco.” He forced himself to his feet. “I just wish you hadn’t given away your horse.”

“We can both ride on yours,” she said. “We’ve done it before.”

He pointed a finger at her and stared hard, looking down at her upturned face. “We’ve done a lot of things before that we’re not going to do again. Understand?”

She nodded.

“Say it, Annie,” he demanded.

“I understand.” She frowned. “No. I don’t understand. You kissed me⁠—”