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“Told you,” Henry murmured to me again.
I shot a warning look to the boy to hush before he blew my entire plan. Then I touched Bryant’s tightly folded arms and guided him a few paces away from earshot, lowering my voice.
“It would be very good for Henry to meet the Snoqualmie people in person,” I argued quietly. “Let him see that they’re just like everyone else.”
“No, Callista.”
“I told him that maybe, eventually, he might persuade them to sit for a portrait, but not to bring his equipment the first few times. They must earn his trust. Then he might be able to later persuade one or two of them to pose for a picture.”
“No.”
“But the main reason is for Henry himself to get to know all of them—Dove-caller, Bird-that-hops, Turtle, Bright Flower—see that they aren’t the savages that he’s been led to believe, particularly by that nasty little friend of his, Tyler Anders and his evil minions. God, I’d love for those rotten boys—”
“No, Callista.”
“Don’t you see? If we can persuade the local young people, beginning with Henry, that Indians aren’t monsters, just different people with a different culture, then others in town will come to appreciate—”
“No.”
“—or at least tolerate their neighbors.”
“No.”
“I talked it over with Alice, and she agreed that it wouldn’t hurt Henry any just to go visit the village for the day. Or a few hours. As long as we were with him.”
Bryant fixed his hard stare with mine. “No, Callista. And I’ll hear nothing more on the matter.”
Pigheaded, stubborn man...
Okay, time to break out the big guns.
I hiked my brows adding quietly, “I’ll do that thing you like. Twice.”
His jaw dropped and back went up. Then he narrowed his silver-blue eyes at me. “You fight dirty, woman.”
“Whatever works, husband. Well? Can Henry come home with us tonight, then join us on our trip to the village tomorrow? I’ll personally take him directly home afterwards, and I promise to avoid the dark sheriff at all costs.”
Bryant growled deep in his throat, then glanced back at Henry who was staring back sad-eyed and hopeful like a lost basset hound.
“This time only,” he said, pointing a warning finger at me. “And I’ll be taking the boy home myself.”
“Whatever you say.”
“Then I’ll be collecting on that debt you promised afterwards,” he threatened with arched brow. “And I won’t be a bit sorry for it. Wife.”
FATED MATES
CHAPTER 15
Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore
Henry’s visit to the Snoqualmie village had been a roaring success. Even Bryant grudgingly agreed that the boy had conducted himself respectfully and had learned a great deal about the native people and their way of life.
The village visit had also allowed me to talk more about Ruby West’s situation, along with the possibility of her returning to them without facing severe retribution for the death of her husband. After listening to me put forth the woman’s case, Black Crow reluctantly agreed to speak with the elder council on the matter. The answer that was returned before we left that evening made me extremely hopeful.
All I had to do now was relay this message to Ruby in private. Somehow.
The next Friday morning, I reined Patty around to face Bryant standing by the cabin porch. Per Alice’s request, I was going to spend the day baking pies and decorating carnival booths, then spend the night at her place. Bryant would then meet me at the harvest festival on Saturday.
