Free Never Surrender by Deanna Jewel Page B

distance himself
from contact with the white woman. He took one more harsh sweep of her mouth
before he ended the kiss.
    Raising his head, Taima stared at Kate through
narrowed eyes, slowly inhaling another calming breath. Her lips were pink and
swollen. Clearly shaken from his punishing attack, she gasped for air as she
raised her dark lashes to meet his gaze.
    “You animal!”
    “Come out and eat with us. My son asks about you,” he
said, ignoring her furious outburst.
     
    * * * * *
     
    A few hours later, still not trusting Kate, Taima had
tied her wrists behind her and walked to Ahanu’s lean-to. Ahanu glanced at
Taima with a raised eyebrow. Taima had become accustomed to his friend’s
knowing smirk. In Shoshone, Taima said, “Tie her ankles as well and keep her
tied until I come for her, lest she give you any more trouble.”
    Kate looked from him to Ahanu and back. Narrowing his
eyes, Taima stared at her. “Remember my promise should you try to escape again,
White Woman,” and he strode away to care for the horses.
    Lost in thought, he rubbed the animal’s legs as he
tried to rationalize his behavior toward Kate. Perhaps he should trade her for
valuable knives and cooking utensils next time the tribes gathered at Green
River. Then she wouldn’t be a constant reminder of how her woman’s body enticed
his thoughts away from his wife. He’d been faithful to her memory for three
years now.
    “You need to deal with your feelings, Nechan.”
    The soft, low voice of his father brought Taima from
his musings, angry with himself that he didn’t hear his father approach. He
didn’t look at Sakima, knowing his eyes would tell his father more than Taima
was ready to deal with at the moment.
    He continued to massage his horse. “I appreciate your
concern, Noshi, but my feelings will be ignored. It only weakens a
warrior to be worried with unimportant matters.”
    “My visions tell me otherwise, but you’ll know the
proper time to deal with the white woman.”
    Taima rose and turned to his father. “I want nothing
to do with your visions regarding her.”
    Sakima’s solemn eyes never changed. “You will...one
day,” he said, then turned and strode away.
    Taima stared after his father. Why did the man insist
on pricking his curiosity, knowing it would make him reflect on the thoughts he
wished buried? He would banish Kate from his mind altogether.
    Only the welfare of his people mattered at the moment.
Meat needed to be replenished. He would take Ahanu and one other brave on a
hunting trip. The remaining four braves should be able to watch over the group
in his absence.
    As he stood near the horses, Taima shaded his eyes
from the setting sun and looked toward the lean-tos facing east. Kate sat at
Ahanu’s lean-to. The children watched her, as did some of the other women,
though they pretended to do otherwise.
    Two women gathered water for the evening meal at the
shallow Wind River where it meandered beside their encampment. The aroma of
roasting meat invitingly mixed with the breeze.
    Taima glanced back at Kate.
    Aggravated that he’d even bothered to search her out,
Taima turned and strode for the cover of trees farther down the river where he
could bathe in privacy. He tossed his vest onto a rock along with his
breechcloth and leggings. Cold, rushing mountain water met his entrance into
the river, immediately divesting him of Kate’s image. Taima sharply inhaled as
he knelt on the rocky bottom in the now waist-deep water, then arched his back
and tipped his face heavenward. The river tugged at his hair as it touched the
water; the sun warmed his flesh.
    Disgusted, he touched his side; his ribs still ached
where Kate had elbowed him last night. The bruises he received in battle could
easily be compared to what she put him through. Jealous braves didn’t fight him
with as much tenacity. And for what? Taima knew he’d be better off getting rid
of her, out of his sight, out of his mind, for good.
    He closed