White Flame by Susan Edwards

Author:Susan Edwards
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Carina Press
Published: 2012-08-28T04:00:00+00:00

Striking Thunder felt guilty on two accounts. One for upsetting Emma needlessly. Her praise and appreciation for his work pleased him—too much—as did her response to his kiss. And two, for withholding the knowledge of her sister’s whereabouts. He frowned, torn by her pain and worry.

The horse Emma had taken from Yellow Dog had belonged to the Cheyenne who’d traded horses for the girl. With faint paint marks remaining on the animals haunches, Striking Thunder had traced the animal back to his owner—and Renny.

Knowing how much Emma worried, he was tempted to call her back and give her peace of mind on that account but instinctively, he knew it wouldn’t be enough. If she knew Renny was in the region, she’d insist upon going to her or upon him bringing her here. And that was out of the question. In case his plan to lure the colonel into a trap failed, he needed the two sisters apart. Besides, once she had Renny with her, there wouldn’t be any reason for her not to run.

No, it was better for her not to know where the child was or that he’d purchased her. It was bad enough that Renny knew he had Emma. He thought back to his first meeting with the sullen and unhappy child who kept trying to run off to find her sister. He grinned inwardly. How alike the two were. So spirited. So loyal. And when Renny turned those beseeching blue-gray eyes on him, he’d lost the ability to remain impassive. She’d reminded him of Emma so much, he’d finally given in and reassured her that Emma was safe.

The sullen and depressed girl had turned eager and demanding, insisting he take her to Emma, but Striking Thunder had managed to convince her that it wasn’t yet possible. He’d found himself promising they would be together come spring. His story that her Indian owner demanded many horses and buffalo robes for her release and that it would take most of the winter to gather them had worked. And for good measure and to distract her, he’d given her one of the horses he brought with him as payment for her after she’d promised to stay where she was and give her owner no more trouble.

Unlike Emma, who was nothing but trouble.

Anger rolled through him over his conflicting emotions. The woman was his captive, the means to avenge his wife’s death and the others’, but he couldn’t help feeling compassion toward her. From what she’d told Star, she’d been given the task of raising her sister at a young age. This he didn’t understand. How could any father turn his back on his own children? In his eyes, Colonel Grady O’Brien had failed in his most important duty—family.

With only half a mind on his work, Striking Thunder watched Emma enter Star’s tipi. When she came out a few minutes later she carried a piece of rolled-up rawhide and took it to Star. His sister handed her the knife she was using.

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