Song Of The Warrior by Georgina Gentry Page A

good match; no wonder he is drawn to you!”
    There was no point in wasting her breath arguing. With angry gestures, she returned to gathering up the picnic things.
    â€œLeave those,” he ordered, “the lieutenant can come back for them.”
    She made a helpless motion. “For all I know, he’s had to chase that buggy clear to town.”
    â€œIn that case,” Bear said curtly, “you’ll have some explaining to do to the old preacher.”
    â€œOh my Lord!” Willow’s hand flew to her mouth. “What will he and the townspeople say if the buggy comes galloping down the street empty?”
    Bear smiled ever so slightly. “Just tell them you were picnicking.”
    â€œI don’t need your sarcasm.” She stuck her nose in the air, whirled, and began marching up the road after the departed buggy.
    â€œI do not know that word,” he called after her. “Where are you going on foot?”
    Willow didn’t answer. She gritted her teeth and kept walking. Behind her, she heard the big Appaloosa coming along the road.
    â€œWait!” Bear ordered. “You can’t walk back to town in those silly little shoes. Wait here until the lieutenant returns with the buggy.”
    â€œI’m not Raven,” she snapped without looking back, “you can’t bully and boss me like a disobedient child.”
    â€œThen stop acting like one.”
    â€œThis is not your business!” She flung over her shoulder, “What were you doing spying on us anyway?”
    â€œI was looking for my brother.”
    Her shoes were pinching her feet and her corset was so tight, she was having difficulty breathing. It was a long way to town, she wasn’t sure she could make it all the way. The sun beat down on her as she walked and she felt the cloth of her dress sticking to her skin. Willow began to pray that any moment, she would look up and see the lieutenant returning with the buggy. She kept walking and Bear’s horse kept following her. Was this going to be a test of wills? She would show him that she was not some little sister to be ordered about as he did the irresponsible Raven.
    How far had she walked? Surely not as much as a few hundred yards, but her feet were hurting and she was breathing hard, except that her tight corset kept her from taking deep breaths. She began to feel a little faint, see dark places around her vision. Willow hesitated. “I-I think ...”
    She swayed on her feet, determined she wasn’t going to faint in front of this smug warrior. He would enjoy it too much. She grabbed for something to hang onto, but there was nothing but air. Even as she fell, she was only vaguely aware of Bear hitting the ground, scooping her up in his big arms. “Willow, are you all right? My brother would be very upset if I let anything happen to you.”
    She opened one eye, looked up into his concerned face, and promptly closed it again. It would be too humiliating to hear him say “I told you so.”
    Cursing softly in a mixture of English and Nez Perce, he carried her over to the shade of a nearby tree. She lay her face against his broad chest as he carried her and sighed. At least if she were dying, she wouldn’t have to deal with his pointing out that he had warned her not to try to walk.
    He sat her down under the tree and took her hand. “Willow, are you all right?”
    She didn’t open her eyes, marveling at the hard callouses of his big hand enveloping her small one. There was something secure about that hand.
    She heard him move away and opened her eyes to see him getting a canteen from his horse, returning.
    She looked up into his worried face. “I-I think I tripped.”
    â€œTripped?” He snorted and held the canteen to her lips. “You are not only stubborn, you are a nesammeiek.”
    â€œHow dare you call me a liar!”
    â€œHush and drink.”
    She started to make a hateful