me Rasch. I’d hope that we’re more than friends.”
“Yes, Rasch is nice, but I like Horatio. Your mother was right. It sounds important,” she said brightly—too brightly. “What happened to your mother?”
“She died with I was in college. I think she wanted to die. Her body gave out, and she was tired of struggling to be strong for me.”
“I’m sorry,” Savannah said quietly. “My mother died, too, when I was nine.”
“How?”
“There was an accident. She fell. She was horribly injured, and I think that she willed herself to die. She didn’t want us to see her like that.”
Two mothers who chose to die
, Savannah thought. Two mothers who never knew each other,and had nothing in common except one future moment that would bring their children together. She shivered. She didn’t want to feel any emotional attachment to Judge Horatio Webber. She didn’t want to think they had anything in common. She didn’t want to begin to understand the man.
“There’s the North Star, Horatio. Do you see it?”
Rasch turned his face to the heavens. “Yes, that’s the bright one, isn’t it?”
“Did you know that the North Star never moves? There’s a legend about that.”
The fire had died down to a mass of orange coals cracking comfortably in the silence. Rasch felt better than he had in a very long time. They’d shared danger and incredible lovemaking. They’d gotten to know each other, and they’d been joined in the ultimate communion. Now was the time for soft talk and being close. He adored hearing Savannah’s husky voice. It mattered little what she said.
“Tell me the legend.”
“There was once a Gypsy woman who fell in love with a god. He took her to the heavens to live. She could move back and forth between heaven and earth, and she could have anything she wanted, except for the fruit of one tree in his garden. If she ate of that fruit, the tree died, and its death left a hole in heaven. Time passed, and the Gypsy had a daughter. Her husband was happy beyond measure. The beautiful Gypsy was so loved and cherished that she grew spoiled. One day she was walking in her garden. She was hungry. She didn’t believe that her husband would dare punish her, so she ate the fruit.”
Savannah snuggled closer, as if she needed Rasch’s protection. She felt the stubble of his beard againsther cheek as he held her for a long moment. “What happened?”
“The tree died, and there was a tear in the fabric of heaven. The god was very disappointed. His beautiful Gypsy had to be punished; that was the rule. But he couldn’t bear to harm her. Instead, he filled the space with her body. All the other stars continued to move about the heavens, but the Gypsy is destined forever to remain in one place so that the heavens are whole again.”
Rasch moved his lips from her forehead to her cheeks. They were moist. She’d actually shed a tear for the beautiful Gypsy destined to be punished for her dishonor by remaining in one place forever.
“But look,” he said, “she’s the brightest star in the heavens, and she’s the one by which we all find our way. So her plight wasn’t all bad.”
“Yes, that’s true. Remember that, Crusader. Remember that about the fate of the Gypsy.”
“If you’re comparing yourself to her, don’t. There are no forbidden trees along the trail. All their yields have been harvested by the animals to feed themselves for the winter.”
Maybe
, Savannah thought as she felt his lips move lower.
And maybe I’ve already tasted the forbidden fruit
.
The next morning when Rasch woke, Savannah was not in his arms. He came lazily to his feet and looked around. She was probably taking another icy bath in the stream. He pulled on his clothes and collected more wood to coax the fire back to life. The sun was shining. The temperature was cool, but the day would likely warm up. Rasch began to hum. He couldn’t recall when he’d felt so happy.
Feeling his pulse quicken, he took
“Yes, Rasch is nice, but I like Horatio. Your mother was right. It sounds important,” she said brightly—too brightly. “What happened to your mother?”
“She died with I was in college. I think she wanted to die. Her body gave out, and she was tired of struggling to be strong for me.”
“I’m sorry,” Savannah said quietly. “My mother died, too, when I was nine.”
“How?”
“There was an accident. She fell. She was horribly injured, and I think that she willed herself to die. She didn’t want us to see her like that.”
Two mothers who chose to die
, Savannah thought. Two mothers who never knew each other,and had nothing in common except one future moment that would bring their children together. She shivered. She didn’t want to feel any emotional attachment to Judge Horatio Webber. She didn’t want to think they had anything in common. She didn’t want to begin to understand the man.
“There’s the North Star, Horatio. Do you see it?”
Rasch turned his face to the heavens. “Yes, that’s the bright one, isn’t it?”
“Did you know that the North Star never moves? There’s a legend about that.”
The fire had died down to a mass of orange coals cracking comfortably in the silence. Rasch felt better than he had in a very long time. They’d shared danger and incredible lovemaking. They’d gotten to know each other, and they’d been joined in the ultimate communion. Now was the time for soft talk and being close. He adored hearing Savannah’s husky voice. It mattered little what she said.
“Tell me the legend.”
“There was once a Gypsy woman who fell in love with a god. He took her to the heavens to live. She could move back and forth between heaven and earth, and she could have anything she wanted, except for the fruit of one tree in his garden. If she ate of that fruit, the tree died, and its death left a hole in heaven. Time passed, and the Gypsy had a daughter. Her husband was happy beyond measure. The beautiful Gypsy was so loved and cherished that she grew spoiled. One day she was walking in her garden. She was hungry. She didn’t believe that her husband would dare punish her, so she ate the fruit.”
Savannah snuggled closer, as if she needed Rasch’s protection. She felt the stubble of his beard againsther cheek as he held her for a long moment. “What happened?”
“The tree died, and there was a tear in the fabric of heaven. The god was very disappointed. His beautiful Gypsy had to be punished; that was the rule. But he couldn’t bear to harm her. Instead, he filled the space with her body. All the other stars continued to move about the heavens, but the Gypsy is destined forever to remain in one place so that the heavens are whole again.”
Rasch moved his lips from her forehead to her cheeks. They were moist. She’d actually shed a tear for the beautiful Gypsy destined to be punished for her dishonor by remaining in one place forever.
“But look,” he said, “she’s the brightest star in the heavens, and she’s the one by which we all find our way. So her plight wasn’t all bad.”
“Yes, that’s true. Remember that, Crusader. Remember that about the fate of the Gypsy.”
“If you’re comparing yourself to her, don’t. There are no forbidden trees along the trail. All their yields have been harvested by the animals to feed themselves for the winter.”
Maybe
, Savannah thought as she felt his lips move lower.
And maybe I’ve already tasted the forbidden fruit
.
The next morning when Rasch woke, Savannah was not in his arms. He came lazily to his feet and looked around. She was probably taking another icy bath in the stream. He pulled on his clothes and collected more wood to coax the fire back to life. The sun was shining. The temperature was cool, but the day would likely warm up. Rasch began to hum. He couldn’t recall when he’d felt so happy.
Feeling his pulse quicken, he took
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