worry. I am just so relieved to see you have not come to harm.” For the first time, he noticed her Indian garb and her rounding figure. He flushed.
Grady intervened. “Emma will be staying behind with her husband.” He indicated Striking Thunder, who stood several feet away, a watchful and loving eye on his wife.
“Zat is your husband?”
“Yes.”
Billaud’s brows lowered in fatherly concern. “Do you love zis man?”
Emma laughed softly. “Oh, yes, Captain, with all my heart.”
A wide smile split his face. “Zen I wish you all ze best, Miss Emma. All ze best. And where is ze little one, your sister?”
“Here she comes.” Emma pointed.
Grady glanced across the compound. Half a dozen soldiers were carrying two trunks and other assorted baggage. Renny and Morning Moon ran ahead of them, White Dove and her mother following. Grady assumed Star was following behind.
Renny skidded to a stop in front of the river captain. They too exchanged greetings, then she introduced Morning Moon. Though Grady saw questions in the Frenchman’s eyes, the man didn’t say a word or blink an eye. He greeted the two girls, charming them with his easy manner.
“Are my horses on the boat yet?” Renny asked eagerly, scanning the loading process. “There are two of them and they are mine.” That last bit was added defiantly.
The captain’s bushy black brows slid beneath his cap. “Ah, mademoiselle has her own horses now, does she?”
“Yes, she does,” Renny stated.
“Zen you must go check on zem.”
Renny started to do so, then turned to her sister. Her lower lip quivered. Emma held out her arms and Renny ran into them.
“Emma?”
“What is it, sweetie?”
“What if there are attacks by the Arikara again? Things happen that are bad… Morning Moon—I mean Matilda—lost her father, and… What if something happens and I never see you again?” The little girl’s anguish made Grady’s stomach twist and bunch, but his daughter bravely fought back tears.
Emma wrapped her arms around Renny, holding her tightly. “In your heart, you must believe that we will see each other again. If we worry too much over dying, we would never leave our homes. It is a part of life, death is. And we must live every day to the fullest—no matter where we are or who we’re with.”
“But six months is an awfully long time to be gone.” Renny bit her lower lip. “You won’t forget me, will you?”
“Of course not! The time will go quickly for both of us.” Emma let go of her sister, then reached up to untie something around her neck. “I want you to have this.” It was a beaded necklace.
Renny’s eyes grew wide as she was given the beaded medallion. It depicted two stick figures—one tall, one short—and Grady realized they were her and Emma. “Hey, this is the necklace Morning Moon gave you when Striking Thunder first brought you to his village,” his youngest daughter exclaimed, tracing the rows of beads.
“Yes. She didn’t want me to worry about you and thought this would help me have faith that I’d find you again. Whenever you are worried, wear this and have faith that we’ll see each other again.”
Renny slipped the necklace over her head and cupped the beaded circle in her hand. She looked happier. “Thanks, Em.”
“Come on, Renny. You’ll see your sister again soon.” Morning Moon, who’d already said goodbye to her family, put an arm around her friend. A moment later, the captain followed to see them personally aboard.
Touched, Grady strode over to Striking Thunder and Golden Eagle. He cleared his throat. “We must be going. Where is—”
He broke off when he spotted Star coming slowly toward him. She was wearing a dress of pale blue, and sunlight glittered in her eyes, Her mouth curved into a shy smile.
Her hair had been twisted and put up, calling attention to her slender neck, the smooth line of her jaw and the delicate hollows below her high cheekbones. Grady blinked and sucked in
Grady intervened. “Emma will be staying behind with her husband.” He indicated Striking Thunder, who stood several feet away, a watchful and loving eye on his wife.
“Zat is your husband?”
“Yes.”
Billaud’s brows lowered in fatherly concern. “Do you love zis man?”
Emma laughed softly. “Oh, yes, Captain, with all my heart.”
A wide smile split his face. “Zen I wish you all ze best, Miss Emma. All ze best. And where is ze little one, your sister?”
“Here she comes.” Emma pointed.
Grady glanced across the compound. Half a dozen soldiers were carrying two trunks and other assorted baggage. Renny and Morning Moon ran ahead of them, White Dove and her mother following. Grady assumed Star was following behind.
Renny skidded to a stop in front of the river captain. They too exchanged greetings, then she introduced Morning Moon. Though Grady saw questions in the Frenchman’s eyes, the man didn’t say a word or blink an eye. He greeted the two girls, charming them with his easy manner.
“Are my horses on the boat yet?” Renny asked eagerly, scanning the loading process. “There are two of them and they are mine.” That last bit was added defiantly.
The captain’s bushy black brows slid beneath his cap. “Ah, mademoiselle has her own horses now, does she?”
“Yes, she does,” Renny stated.
“Zen you must go check on zem.”
Renny started to do so, then turned to her sister. Her lower lip quivered. Emma held out her arms and Renny ran into them.
“Emma?”
“What is it, sweetie?”
“What if there are attacks by the Arikara again? Things happen that are bad… Morning Moon—I mean Matilda—lost her father, and… What if something happens and I never see you again?” The little girl’s anguish made Grady’s stomach twist and bunch, but his daughter bravely fought back tears.
Emma wrapped her arms around Renny, holding her tightly. “In your heart, you must believe that we will see each other again. If we worry too much over dying, we would never leave our homes. It is a part of life, death is. And we must live every day to the fullest—no matter where we are or who we’re with.”
“But six months is an awfully long time to be gone.” Renny bit her lower lip. “You won’t forget me, will you?”
“Of course not! The time will go quickly for both of us.” Emma let go of her sister, then reached up to untie something around her neck. “I want you to have this.” It was a beaded necklace.
Renny’s eyes grew wide as she was given the beaded medallion. It depicted two stick figures—one tall, one short—and Grady realized they were her and Emma. “Hey, this is the necklace Morning Moon gave you when Striking Thunder first brought you to his village,” his youngest daughter exclaimed, tracing the rows of beads.
“Yes. She didn’t want me to worry about you and thought this would help me have faith that I’d find you again. Whenever you are worried, wear this and have faith that we’ll see each other again.”
Renny slipped the necklace over her head and cupped the beaded circle in her hand. She looked happier. “Thanks, Em.”
“Come on, Renny. You’ll see your sister again soon.” Morning Moon, who’d already said goodbye to her family, put an arm around her friend. A moment later, the captain followed to see them personally aboard.
Touched, Grady strode over to Striking Thunder and Golden Eagle. He cleared his throat. “We must be going. Where is—”
He broke off when he spotted Star coming slowly toward him. She was wearing a dress of pale blue, and sunlight glittered in her eyes, Her mouth curved into a shy smile.
Her hair had been twisted and put up, calling attention to her slender neck, the smooth line of her jaw and the delicate hollows below her high cheekbones. Grady blinked and sucked in
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