"Wildfire Ostrich make whistle, buffalo put out fire."
Maddie couldn't believe what she heard. It appeared that her father's influence had made her more resourceful than even she suspected. "Please tell Picking Bones how much I appreciate the medicine."
"She joyful squaw. Shooting Star and White Blossom…" He held a finger of each together.
"Marry?"
He grinned. "Shooting Star and White Blossom marry."
Maddie couldn't help but smile back. "I don't think Shooting Star had much choice in the matter."
She walked Lefty to the door. He knocked furiously on the door before stepping outside, scowling fiercely at the perceived indignity.
She watched him ride away on his pony. He looked as free and graceful as the wind. "May your spirit always be as free as the wind," she said softly.
She hastened back to Luke's side. There was still no visible change.
"He can't hear me," Matthew said.
"He can hear you," she whispered, and she believed with all heart that what she was true. "When you couldn't talk, you could still hear, couldn't you?"
Later that night, after Matthew had fallen asleep on the bed she'd made for him on the floor, she sat in a chair by Luke's side, exhausted and frustrated. Why wasn't Luke responding to the medicine?
She had spent the day spooning hot water and the crushed leaves that Lefty gave her down Luke's throat, but there was still no improvement.
At midnight, she touched his head and was shocked at how hot he felt. She frantically sponged him off and then forced more liquid down his throat.
It was almost dawn by the time she collapsed into the chair by his side and fell into a troubled sleep.
She awoke to the sound of a voice. She wasn't accustomed to hearing Matthew's voice. He was talking with none of his earlier hesitation or hoarseness. It was as if talking was the most natural thing in the world to him.
"Maddie pretended like she was a mounted animal," he was saying in that all-too-bright way children his age spoke when relaying bigger-than-life adventures. "Those Indians were scared."
It wasn't until she heard a deep-toned response that her eyes flew open. Even then, she could do nothing but try to absorb the wondrous sight in front of her. Finally, she pushed herself forward in the chair. "Luke?"
Luke turned his head on his pillow to look at her. His face was still pallid, but the corner of his mouth lifted in that special half-smile of his that never failed to bring a full smile to her lips.
"Oh, Luke!" With a cry of delight, she dropped to his side and grabbed his hands in hers. "Oh, my dear, sweet, wonderful Luke, I was so afraid for you." She showered his face with kisses. Matthew, happy but embarrassed, went outside.
He laughed and captured her face between his hands. The loving look he gave her filled her already bursting heart with the most profound joy.
"If I'm to believe what Matthew's been telling me--and I know I have you to thank for that miracle--I don't know how you had time to be afraid for me. What's this about you stampeding buffalo to put out the fire?"
"Somebody had to put the fire out," she said without the least bit of modesty.
"And Red Feather? Is it true that you used those damned mounted animals to frighten him and his friends away?"
She gave him a smug smile. "Now don't you regret all the times you complained about my animals?"
"I don't know that I would go that far," he said.
She pushed a lock of hair off his forehead. "I love you, Luke Tyler, and if you ever scare me like that again, I won't be responsible for what I do!"
The look of pleasure her words brought to his face took her breath away. The sparkling blue color in his eyes more than made up for the lack of color on his face. "Maddie, I never killed that doctor, not on purpose."
"I never thought you did."
His eyes glowed softly. "I know that. But I couldn't think of us having a future together as long as I doubted myself."
Not sure what he was trying to say, she sat back on her heels.
"Don't look so worried," he said, brushing the shadow away from her brow. "I know now that you were right. It was an accident. George's death…it was an accident."
"How…how do you know…did Matthew…"
"Matthew wasn't there. He told me about finding his mother, but he knows nothing about what happened with George. But
I
know, Maddie. Shooting Star attacked--"
"Shooting Star!" She tried to make sense of what he was saying. "But I thought it was Red Feather who attacked you."
"It was. But that came later. Shooting Star and I fought, and I had a chance to kill him, Maddie. I had the knife in my hand and I held it over his heart and I knew then that I could never take a man's life. Not willingly."
"Oh, Luke." She lay her head on his chest. "Does this mean that--"
"Yes," he said, not giving her a chance to complete her sentence.
Her head snapped up. "Yes, what?"
"Yes, we have a future together. That is, if you'll agree to be my wife."
The words were music to her ears. Overcome by the uncensored love in his eyes, she couldn't speak.
Luke looked worried. "I thought you'd be happy, Maddie. I thought it's what you wanted. If you'll agree to be my wife, I'll--"
She simply couldn't resist teasing him a bit. Trying to keep from giving herself away, she crossed her arms in front of her and forced a formidable scowl. "Continue. What is it you'll do?"
"I'll never again complain about your strange hobby of mounting animals." He fell silent and waited.
"What else do you promise?" she asked. She was enjoying herself too much to stop. Maybe she was better at these male-female games than she thought.
"I'm never again complain about your calisthenics or that godawful whistle of yours or the dandelion greens or the petticoats on the ceiling or your habit of--"
Before he had a chance to finish listing all the things that he was never again going to complain about, she had brazenly planted her mouth squarely on his and proceeded to do the most startling and unladylike things with her tongue. Then shockingly, she slid her hand beneath the covers and…
Moaning in pleasure, he mentally added one more thing to his list that he would not complain about.
~
The End
~