Read Online Eye of the Storm by Renee Simons - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Renee Simons
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like a dancer. Her hair glowed in the sunlight, adding to an aura of warm light that seemed to surround her.
He cursed softly under his breath. "You dumb bastard - you've been alone too long. Look at her," his inner voice demanded. "She's too damned tall. Those curves won't last forever, and you know she's got a temper that will slice you in two if you cross her." He rose and went to meet her. She might make his life a torment, he thought with a grin, but it would never be dull.
"Can we make peace?"
Her dark eyes went soft. "We can try."
"You have any plans?"
She shook her head. "Just more time at the computer."
"Too nice a day for that. We're going to a rodeo."
"That isn't very smart. You've been told . . . rather forcefully . . . to stay away."
"I don't think that was unanimous, but in case it was," he put on a pair of dark glasses and grinned boyishly, " they'll never know it's me."
She examined his six-foot-five length from boots to Stetson. "And how do you propose to disguise the rest of you, Treetop?"
"What's the point of being out if I can't enjoy my freedom?" He reached out to her. "Come with me."
She put her hand in his, watching as he wrapped strong brown fingers around hers and cradled them in warmth. Every nerve ending hummed. Unable to speak, she just nodded.
They made their way out of the village over a road winding through the prairie grassland to the campground. Ahead of them a small figure trudged along beneath the summer sun, taking the longest stride his child's legs would allow. When they caught up with the boy, he took no notice of them, but simply looked down at the ground and kept moving.
"Where are your friends?" Stormwalker asked.
"There." He pointed down the road.
"Why did they leave you alone, little brother?"
"They were in a hurry to see the cowboys."
Stormwalker glanced at Zan, then put a hand on the child's shoulder. The boy stopped and Stormwalker hunkered down beside him. "A ride would get you there faster."
"Little Bear walks.
"Well, Little Bear, I need your help. Some bad guys promised to wait for me on this road. Would you climb on my shoulders and use your sharp eyes to watch for them?"
"Are you scared of them?"
"No, but it helps to know what's ahead."
"I ain't scared."
"I know that."
"An' I ain't tired, neither," he insisted. "But I'll help you." He allowed Stormwalker to hoist him onto his shoulders. He swiveled to look behind them, then faced front. "Nobody back there," he announced solemnly.
"Be attentive, Mahto Cicala . You are scout for this little band of travelers." Stormwalker looked at Zan to see if she'd caught on to his little game. She smiled and held Little Bear's leg.
"You scared, lady?"
"Not with two brave men to protect me."
As they walked along, Stormwalker kept up a running conversation to distract his passenger. Finally, they saw a group of youngsters ahead of them. "Your friends?" Stormwalker asked. The boy's head bobbed up and down.
"Well, I don't see those fellas you've been watching for, so if you want to catch up with the others, I'll take over."
"You can be scout now," the boy said, "but I'll stay with you a while in case you need help." He walked in front of Stormwalker and Zan until they were abreast of the other boys.
"Your friend Little Bear is very courageous." Stormwalker looked from one young face to another. "And it's a good thing, too, since there was no one among all you bravehearts to look out for him. You should follow his example. He knows how to be a friend."
A boy of about eleven stepped forward and put an arm around Little Bear's shoulder. "You can walk with me. We'll watch the rodeo together."
Little Bear looked at the adults, who waved him on. He turned and marched proudly away beside his friend.
"Great kid," Stormwalker said. "I'd like to have a son like him some day. But the others are irresponsible. They shouldn't have left him behind. In my day, it never would have happened."
She smiled at his serious
He cursed softly under his breath. "You dumb bastard - you've been alone too long. Look at her," his inner voice demanded. "She's too damned tall. Those curves won't last forever, and you know she's got a temper that will slice you in two if you cross her." He rose and went to meet her. She might make his life a torment, he thought with a grin, but it would never be dull.
"Can we make peace?"
Her dark eyes went soft. "We can try."
"You have any plans?"
She shook her head. "Just more time at the computer."
"Too nice a day for that. We're going to a rodeo."
"That isn't very smart. You've been told . . . rather forcefully . . . to stay away."
"I don't think that was unanimous, but in case it was," he put on a pair of dark glasses and grinned boyishly, " they'll never know it's me."
She examined his six-foot-five length from boots to Stetson. "And how do you propose to disguise the rest of you, Treetop?"
"What's the point of being out if I can't enjoy my freedom?" He reached out to her. "Come with me."
She put her hand in his, watching as he wrapped strong brown fingers around hers and cradled them in warmth. Every nerve ending hummed. Unable to speak, she just nodded.
They made their way out of the village over a road winding through the prairie grassland to the campground. Ahead of them a small figure trudged along beneath the summer sun, taking the longest stride his child's legs would allow. When they caught up with the boy, he took no notice of them, but simply looked down at the ground and kept moving.
"Where are your friends?" Stormwalker asked.
"There." He pointed down the road.
"Why did they leave you alone, little brother?"
"They were in a hurry to see the cowboys."
Stormwalker glanced at Zan, then put a hand on the child's shoulder. The boy stopped and Stormwalker hunkered down beside him. "A ride would get you there faster."
"Little Bear walks.
"Well, Little Bear, I need your help. Some bad guys promised to wait for me on this road. Would you climb on my shoulders and use your sharp eyes to watch for them?"
"Are you scared of them?"
"No, but it helps to know what's ahead."
"I ain't scared."
"I know that."
"An' I ain't tired, neither," he insisted. "But I'll help you." He allowed Stormwalker to hoist him onto his shoulders. He swiveled to look behind them, then faced front. "Nobody back there," he announced solemnly.
"Be attentive, Mahto Cicala . You are scout for this little band of travelers." Stormwalker looked at Zan to see if she'd caught on to his little game. She smiled and held Little Bear's leg.
"You scared, lady?"
"Not with two brave men to protect me."
As they walked along, Stormwalker kept up a running conversation to distract his passenger. Finally, they saw a group of youngsters ahead of them. "Your friends?" Stormwalker asked. The boy's head bobbed up and down.
"Well, I don't see those fellas you've been watching for, so if you want to catch up with the others, I'll take over."
"You can be scout now," the boy said, "but I'll stay with you a while in case you need help." He walked in front of Stormwalker and Zan until they were abreast of the other boys.
"Your friend Little Bear is very courageous." Stormwalker looked from one young face to another. "And it's a good thing, too, since there was no one among all you bravehearts to look out for him. You should follow his example. He knows how to be a friend."
A boy of about eleven stepped forward and put an arm around Little Bear's shoulder. "You can walk with me. We'll watch the rodeo together."
Little Bear looked at the adults, who waved him on. He turned and marched proudly away beside his friend.
"Great kid," Stormwalker said. "I'd like to have a son like him some day. But the others are irresponsible. They shouldn't have left him behind. In my day, it never would have happened."
She smiled at his serious
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