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Could Aiden possibly ever love her? Is that what he was saying? She couldn't ask him. She couldn't blurt it out herself. But it was there between them, unspoken in his eyes.
But it also dawned on her, she'd been raped by Long Knife, could any man ever really love her, knowing that? No, Aiden might pity her, but he deserved a pure and good woman.
She lay close to him all night, a prayer on her lips for Long Knife. And a warm, wonderful feeling assailed her. She stared at Aiden until her eyes became heavy. He stared back, a smile on his lips. "Get some sleep honey, we got a ways to go yet."
"Goodnight," she whispered.
He pulled her up into his arms and kissed her softly, when he pulled away, he smiled. "It seems the only way to say goodnight to you."
"I don't mind, especially tonight."
He pulled her into the crook of his arms and held her close all night. "It's over honey, your nightmares are over now. He won't chase you any longer, and he damned sure won't hurt you again."
"Thanks Aiden… "
"For what?"
"For being you…" she smiled.
Yet unspoken words lay between them. How could she ever say goodbye again to Aiden?
The next few days were very quiet, and everyone seemed to be reflecting and wondering what lay ahead of them.
Lucy was not looking forward to meeting the Colonel or Major. And what worried her more was what would happen after she talked with them. Would she go home, alone, without Aiden. It broke her heart the last time he left, this time she wasn't sure how to handle it. Now was worse, because now she realized her feelings for him were real.
She didn't know how it would play out. She felt a bit leary of it all, but she promised Aiden, and she would go to the fort and talk with the Colonel or Major.
Chapter Fourteen
A few nights later, Gloria glanced at Lucy. "I'll go into Bozeman and find you a couple of dresses if you like. Stand up and let me measure you with this cloth I took from my slip." She told her.
Lucy complied.
"Alright, now what kind of dresses do we need?" Gloria asked Aiden.
"She'll need an everyday kind of dress and a party dress as they have dances on Saturdays. And I'm taking her to the dance."
"Fine, any color you like best?"
"Blue is my favorite color." Lucy told her.
"Alright."
They traveled for a week, and finally they began to descend the mountains onto the plains. They'd been gone a month and a half.
Now that they were on flat land, the journey was nearly over, or so they thought. But almost as if waiting for them, the two men that accosted them in the cave showed up with guns loaded.
"Well now, you made it down the mountain, didn't you?" The big one smiled.
Aiden and Angus tried to draw, but they pointed their guns at them.
"What do you want?" Aiden's frustration came at them.
"Her, the Spirit Woman. I ain't forgetting she wanted to cut me up. Now lay your guns down on the ground easy like."
"Jesse empty and take their guns." The little man told him.
Jesses dismounted and grabbed the guns. "Ain't no woman gonna threaten to cut off my body parts, mister. She done got herself into a mess of trouble. Don't worry, the Colonel won't have to fret about her any more. We aim to see to that."
