days wore on.
Maggie glanced up at Teyas and smiled. She took the proffered bundle and tucked it under her good arm. As Teyas bent to throw more wood on the fire for the stew, a group of riders entered the village.
Greased with paint but otherwise undecorated, the warriors looked surprisingly fresh after their two day hunt, especially considering the large amount of game they dragged on a sled behind one of the horses. Amid the impatient snorting and stomping, the warriors handed the animals off to younger boys to be tended while they allowed the women to fuss over them. Maggie watched the scene from across the village yard as women flocked to the warriors in welcome. She spotted Winn among them, aware that the breath left her body in a relieved sigh with the knowledge he returned safe. His eyes met hers through the crowd and she saw his lips curl up as he nodded to her in acknowledgement.
“Good, the men have returned,” Teyas said. Maggie nodded absently, and Teyas prodded her with a wooden spoon. “ He will come for you, just wait,” she teased.
Maggie frowned and shook her head. “I don’t care what he does. I’m just glad he’s not dead, that’s all.” She felt hurt by the way he left so abruptly, not even wishing her goodbye, but she would not show the arrogant man how he wounded her.
Teyas giggled. Maggie kept her head down to shield her flushed cheeks, but she could still see the group of warriors surrounded by the women. One deeply bronzed beauty threw her arms around Winn and proceeded to kiss him, and Maggie watched as he turned his head from the kiss but picked up the woman and swung her around, laughing at her squeal. Another warrior plucked her from Winn’s arms, but two more women blocked his exit with eager embraces. He wore a frustrated smile as he met her eyes again, but this time Maggie looked away. He could have his half-naked women, it was no matter to her. She only needed Winn to return to her own time, nothing more.
“Such a stupid man,” she mumbled, much to the amusement of Teyas.
“You should tell him that, Mag-ee,” she laughed.
Maggie sent a scathing glare in her direction just in time to see the glistening warrior swoop in and yank her off her feet. His skin was slick and hot as she squirmed against him, letting out a shriek of surprise at his ardent enthusiasm. Cradled in his arms like a child, her chest heaved with uneven breaths to match his own. His eyes squinted against the sun and a boyish grin graced his face .
“Tell me what, Tentay teh ?” he demanded as he swung her in a circle. She could not help but laugh as he twirled, then pretended to drop her only to catch her before she hit the ground, causing her stomach to do back flips as she giggled along with him.
“She says you are a stupid man, Winkeohkwet, ” Teyas offered. Maggie stiffened, afraid Winn would be angry. His laughter slowed and he gripped Maggie tighter in his arms. She felt his muscles tense as she placed her palm to his chest in attempt to steady her breathing.
“Ah, well, we will see,” he replied. He raised one eyebrow at Teyas, and then turned abruptly to stalk away with Maggie still in his arms.
“Winn, that’s enough, put me down!” she hissed, eliciting only a chuckle from him.
“ Only I give orders in this village, woman.”
“No one gives me orders!” she snapped. His grin remained.
“You want me to put you down?”
“Yes!”
He smirked and released his hold, and she closed her eyes to prepare for hitting hard ground. Instead she splashed into the shallow creek bed, going under and immediately surging to the surface, spitting up water. He stood waist deep beside her, roaring with laughter as she sputtered.
Maggie regained her footing, and as he continued to laugh, she lau nched herself at him, tackling him into the water. She was glad the attack caught him by surprise, giving her the upper hand for a split second before he grabbed her in a bear hug and drew them
Maggie glanced up at Teyas and smiled. She took the proffered bundle and tucked it under her good arm. As Teyas bent to throw more wood on the fire for the stew, a group of riders entered the village.
Greased with paint but otherwise undecorated, the warriors looked surprisingly fresh after their two day hunt, especially considering the large amount of game they dragged on a sled behind one of the horses. Amid the impatient snorting and stomping, the warriors handed the animals off to younger boys to be tended while they allowed the women to fuss over them. Maggie watched the scene from across the village yard as women flocked to the warriors in welcome. She spotted Winn among them, aware that the breath left her body in a relieved sigh with the knowledge he returned safe. His eyes met hers through the crowd and she saw his lips curl up as he nodded to her in acknowledgement.
“Good, the men have returned,” Teyas said. Maggie nodded absently, and Teyas prodded her with a wooden spoon. “ He will come for you, just wait,” she teased.
Maggie frowned and shook her head. “I don’t care what he does. I’m just glad he’s not dead, that’s all.” She felt hurt by the way he left so abruptly, not even wishing her goodbye, but she would not show the arrogant man how he wounded her.
Teyas giggled. Maggie kept her head down to shield her flushed cheeks, but she could still see the group of warriors surrounded by the women. One deeply bronzed beauty threw her arms around Winn and proceeded to kiss him, and Maggie watched as he turned his head from the kiss but picked up the woman and swung her around, laughing at her squeal. Another warrior plucked her from Winn’s arms, but two more women blocked his exit with eager embraces. He wore a frustrated smile as he met her eyes again, but this time Maggie looked away. He could have his half-naked women, it was no matter to her. She only needed Winn to return to her own time, nothing more.
“Such a stupid man,” she mumbled, much to the amusement of Teyas.
“You should tell him that, Mag-ee,” she laughed.
Maggie sent a scathing glare in her direction just in time to see the glistening warrior swoop in and yank her off her feet. His skin was slick and hot as she squirmed against him, letting out a shriek of surprise at his ardent enthusiasm. Cradled in his arms like a child, her chest heaved with uneven breaths to match his own. His eyes squinted against the sun and a boyish grin graced his face .
“Tell me what, Tentay teh ?” he demanded as he swung her in a circle. She could not help but laugh as he twirled, then pretended to drop her only to catch her before she hit the ground, causing her stomach to do back flips as she giggled along with him.
“She says you are a stupid man, Winkeohkwet, ” Teyas offered. Maggie stiffened, afraid Winn would be angry. His laughter slowed and he gripped Maggie tighter in his arms. She felt his muscles tense as she placed her palm to his chest in attempt to steady her breathing.
“Ah, well, we will see,” he replied. He raised one eyebrow at Teyas, and then turned abruptly to stalk away with Maggie still in his arms.
“Winn, that’s enough, put me down!” she hissed, eliciting only a chuckle from him.
“ Only I give orders in this village, woman.”
“No one gives me orders!” she snapped. His grin remained.
“You want me to put you down?”
“Yes!”
He smirked and released his hold, and she closed her eyes to prepare for hitting hard ground. Instead she splashed into the shallow creek bed, going under and immediately surging to the surface, spitting up water. He stood waist deep beside her, roaring with laughter as she sputtered.
Maggie regained her footing, and as he continued to laugh, she lau nched herself at him, tackling him into the water. She was glad the attack caught him by surprise, giving her the upper hand for a split second before he grabbed her in a bear hug and drew them
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