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bsp; His mention of “home,” and again thinking of who was there awaiting their arrival, made Flame’s inside tighten. They had to get to his cabin soon, for Dancing Star had been there alone for way too long as it was.
But she still thought it was best to tell White Fire about her later. He had been through enough for now.
Yet it did not seem right to wait and tell him just after he discovered Dancing Star at his house. He would have to be told in front of Dancing Star about Song Sparrow’s death. That could be too traumatic for the child to hear it all over again, and to see White Fire’s reaction to the knowledge.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, seeing how quiet Flame had become, and how she seemed to be worried about something. He went to her and took the tray of food and set it on a table beside the bed.
Then he took her hands and gazed into her eyes. “Tonight has been almost too much for you, hasn’t it?” he asked softly. “Seeing your father taken away like that . . . Seeing me in such a mess. And you. How did you live through the ordeal in the river?”
“Yes, tonight, today has been quite something,” Flame said, laughing softly. “But it’s easily forgotten now, for the whole reason for everything that I did was to set you free. You are free. We are together now and nothing ever again will come between us.”
He drew her into his arms and kissed her. Then he eased away from her and pulled two chairs up to the table where the food awaited them.
They ate and ate.
Lorraine brought in a bottle of wine, that Flame had asked for before she returned to the bedroom. That was consumed until both Flame and White Fire were comfortably full and relaxed.
“Your feather mattress is going to feel good tonight,” White Fire said, reaching over to run a hand over her mattress. His eyes twinkled into hers. “I think I have enough renewed strength now to take more from this bed than only a night of sleeping.”
Flame smiled softly at him, her pulse racing at the thought of how wonderful it would be to sleep with him there tonight, making love over and over again.
Yet there was someone else to consider now—Dancing Star.
“I would love nothing more than to go to bed here tonight with you,” Flame said, setting her empty wineglass aside. She reached over and took White Fire’s hands in hers. “Darling, I have something that needs saying.”
“Has something happened you haven’t told me about?” White Fire asked, seeing the seriousness of her expression.
“Yes, something else has happened,” Flame said, swallowing hard. “It’s about Song Sparrow and Dancing Star.”
A quick fear leaped into his dark eyes. “What about them?” he said, his eyes searching hers. “I see that what you are about to tell me is not good or you would not look so guarded and be so hesitant about telling me.”
He brushed a hand through his thick hair. “Do not tell me that both Song Sparrow and her daughter are dead,” he said.
“No, not both of them,” Flame said, swallowing hard. “Only one.”
“The child?” he said, a quick panic leaping into his eyes.
“No, the child’s mother,” Flame quickly corrected.
White Fire’s breath caught in his throat. “Song Sparrow is dead?” he breathed out.
“Yes,” Flame said, hesitating at telling him how. Then she blurted it out to get it over with. She saw how knowing the way that Song Sparrow had killed herself made him cringe.
“But there is more that I haven’t yet told you,” she rushed out, knowing that she had no choice but to tell him about Dancing Star now.
“What else can there be to say about it?” he said, sighing heavily.
She hurried through the explanation about Dancing Star, and how the child had been given to him to raise.
“Chief Gray Feather did that?” he gasped out. “He gave up his granddaughter to me?”
She further explained about why the chief had made his decision to leave Dancing Star with him.
White Fire rose from the chair and went to a window, drawing back a curtain to stare out into the darkness. “I can hardly believe the chief’s logic, but, by damn, I will gladly take the child,” he said, his voice drawn. “And tomorrow? I will go for my son.”
He turned and went back to Flame. He took her hands and drew her from the chair. “Does any of this change how you feel about our plans for marriage?” he asked, searching her eyes.
