Heart of the Storm (Hearts Over Wyoming Book 1) by Peggy L Henderson

Author:Peggy L Henderson [Henderson, Peggy L]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-03-27T00:00:00+00:00

Twelve

Baa'koa stared at the fire crackling in his crude camp. The warmth of the flames barely reached the icy chill in his chest. He could feel her eyes on him, even though her voice had been silent for the last few minutes. Tessa Beckett. For weeks, he’d longed to hear her name, but now? His world was crumbling around him. He’d evoked the anger of his warriors and possibly his entire village because of her…the daughter of the man he’d hated for as long as he could remember.

Even the birds had stopped their loud singing as the morning wore on. Only the occasional caw of a raven echoed through the trees and the soft rustle of the branches swayed in the breeze. Just like the war that raged inside him, everything had come to a standstill.

Tessa’s voice broke the quiet like a tree branch snapping.

“I need to leave.” Her tone was firm, but her hand was still pressed against the wound on her side. He lifted his gaze from the flames. Her jaw was drawn in a tight line, He could see her strain of pain no matter how much she tried to hide it.

When their eyes met, she said, "I can’t stay here. I need to get back to the scene of the attack."

The fever she was still battling hadn’t snuffed out the spirit that had drawn him in the first time he’d seen her. She still held the same spirit that had consumed him like a flame on dry tinder.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Baa’koa finally muttered, his voice low and rough. The anger from their previous conversation simmered just beneath the surface.

She stiffened instantly, and her eyes sparked. “And you’re going to stop me?” she challenged.

He scoffed. “I won’t have to. Your wound is not healed. How far do you think you’ll travel before you die?”

“I’m fine,” Tessa snapped, her voice sharp despite the weakness that still clung to it. “I’m not going to stay here wondering if my men are dead. I need to know what happened. I need to get back to my brigade.”

Baa’koa removed the rabbit from the fire. Much of the meat was burned. After what he’d learned about the woman who had been haunting his dreams, the meat had been all but forgotten. She spoke as if it was that simple. As if she could just walk away and everything would fall into place. He tore the rabbit in half once it cooled, stood, and moved around the fire. He held out the larger piece for her. Their eyes locked while he waited for her to accept the food. Several heartbeats later, she finally took the meat then lowered her gaze. She mumbled a hasty “thank you” under her breath.

Baa’koa returned to his place by the fire and ate his share of the meat without tasting any of it. His conflicted mind refused to make a decision about anything at the moment. Bitterness, rage, regret, and confusing tender thoughts about Tessa Beckett - despite who she was - made his head spin.

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