He frowned. “It’s the damn Cherokee, isn’t it?” he grumbled. “He’s coerced you into leaving town with him, hasn’t he?”
Lauralee squared her shoulders angrily. “No man forces me to do anything that I don’t wish to do,” she said, her voice drawn. “Especially not you, Paul Brown. You have some nerve to think that you mean so much to me.”
Paul stepped from the porch.
Lauralee slowly backed away from him.
“When I kissed you last night I felt you respond to the kiss,” Paul said, reaching a hand to her cheek.
Lauralee jerked away. “Paul, don’t,” she said warily. “Don’t do anything you might be sorry for later.”
“All I want is to kiss you again to prove a point,” Paul insisted, his arms reaching around her waist, drawing her tightly against him. “Lauralee, I’ve waited a lifetime for someone like you. I could so very easily love you.”
She glanced over and saw Dancing Cloud’s horse reined to a hitching post on the far side of the Browns’ house. If she had arrived at the farm only moments later, Paul would have left for the Peterson House. The horse was there, saddled and ready to be taken.
Thank God, she sighed to herself. She had arrived before he had left, but for other reasons than why she had planned it that way. If she had been alone at the Peterson House, then . . .
The Browns were inside their house should Paul get out of hand and unreasonable. It was already getting close to that.
She tried to shove him away, then had no choice but to give in when his powerful arms anchored her against him as he kissed her long and hard.
Dancing Cloud’s eyes widened and his mouth went agape.
Lauralee.
He now knew that the woman was Lauralee!
She had stepped into the reflection of the moonlight.
He was able to see her face.
And she was being kissed by a man!
From this vantage point he saw that she was willingly returning the kiss!
Anger filled Dancing Cloud’s veins and heart. He started to pull himself out of the water but stopped when a low growling sound came close.
A collie suddenly bounded into sight and ran toward the pond, barking.
Dancing Cloud stayed still, then lifted a hand to the collie when it reached the embankment. He had always had a way with animals of the forest, as well as dogs of all breeds. There was something magical that flowed between himself and animals.
Even this dog that was only moments ago looking so wild and vicious was now spread out on its belly, licking Dancing Cloud’s hand as though the Cherokee had been a friend, forever.
Paul released Lauralee and gazed toward the pond. His dog had not barked at Lauralee because Paul had been on the porch waiting for her. He had comforted his collie into realizing that Lauralee was a friend, then his dog had leaped away and had ran into the woods.
It seemed by the behavior of the animal only seconds ago that he may have trapped something besides a raccoon or ’possum. His dog had behaved as he was taught to when a prowler came snooping down the road.
Paul stepped up onto his porch and leaned inside his front door long enough to get a rifle.
Then he went outside again and walked past Lauralee. “I’ll go and see who’s trespassin’ on my land,” he said over his shoulder.
Lauralee followed him a step or two, her eyes searching for Clint McCloud.
He had surely followed her.
Her heart pounded frighteningly as she peered more intensely past Paul.
Then her heart seemed to skip a beat and her insides quavered strangely as she watched Dancing Cloud suddenly emerge from the pond, his body wet and shiny with water, his eyes looking past Paul at her, as though he hated her.