She recoiled when she recalled what Adam had said about Pure Blossom at the jail, how tauntingly and mockingly he had told Runner that he had never loved the sweet Navaho maiden.
“Runner, shouldn’t someone in the family tell Pure Blossom the details of what happened today, before someone else does who would not treat her as delicately about it?” Stephanie asked. “And how will she react? I am concerned for her feelings, yet she must be told.” She gave Runner a sideways glance. “Don’t you think so, darling?”
Adam’s words were flowing through Runner’s mind like a rushing river, over and over again, flooding his thoughts. His heart pounded at the sight of his sister standing so forlorn and alone at the door of her hogan. She had certainly heard enough to cause her to have such sadness in her eyes. This made Runner’s hate for Adam even worse. Yet, for now, he had to cast hate aside. Loving his sister, and protecting her, was of prime importance.
“We will go together and explain to Pure Blossom,” Runner said, changing Stephanie’s direction as he guided her with his arm around her waist.
When they reached her, Pure Blossom ducked her head and disappeared into her hogan. Stephanie and Runner exchanged troubled glances, then followed after her.
Stephanie looked around her, at the grand sight of the many beautiful blankets lining the walls of the hogan, decorated with exquisite designs drawn from nature and Navaho history. Pure Blossom sat at her loom, as she skillfully worked her yarn into another beautiful, multicolored design.
“Pure Blossom,” Runner said, stepping away from Stephanie. He knelt down onto one knee beside the fireplace, close to his sister. “I understand why you aren’t joining the others to celebrate. You feel as though you have lost, instead of having won anything.”
He placed a hand to Pure Blossom’s arm, stopping her weaving, so that she would look over at him. “Pure Blossom, Adam is not worth grieving over,” he said gently. “He is a worthless, scheming, lying cheat. You will find another man more worthy of your love. In time, sweet sister, you will see. Another man will steal your heart away. But do not wait until then to show me your perfect smile. Give me one now, Pure Blossom, so that I can, in turn, have cause to smile.”
“You say that my smile is perfect,” Pure Blossom finally said, her voice breaking. She held up her free hand so that Runner could see how her fingers were beginning to twist and gnarl. “Do you see anything perfect about my hand?” She turned her back to Runner and held her hair up so that he could see the hump on her back. “Do you see a perfect back?”
She turned tearful eyes back to Runner. “No one will want me again,” she sobbed. “Even Adam did not want me. He only pretended.”
Runner’s gaze became steely with anger. “Why do you say that?” he said, his voice low. He could not understand how his sister would know Adam’s true feelings. Only a few had heard Adam’s confession at the trading post. He knew that his father, Thunder Hawk, and Stephanie could not yet have told her.
That had to mean only one thing, and if that were true, Runner was not sure if he could restrain himself from going to kill Adam right away and save the white man’s courts the trouble.
Pure Blossom’s eyes filled with tears. She lowered her eyes and began crying so hard her body was wracked by the tears. “Adam told me how ugly I was,” she cried. “How could he be so cruel?”
Stephanie bit her lower lip, stung speechless by the extent of her stepbrother’s cruelty toward Pure Blossom. And she was beginning to feel guilty for so much of this. Even though she was not a direct cause of the hurt that Pure Blossom was feeling, the fact that she had accompanied Adam to the Arizona Territory seemed cause enough. If she had discouraged Adam from coming, surely he wouldn’t have, and all of these heartaches would have been spared.
“He told you . . . ?” Runner said, his throat suddenly dry. “He not only destroyed you by his deceit, he tried to destroy all of the Navaho by paying for a train to be blown up so that he could point an accusing finger at us.”
“How could I have loved such a man?” Pure Blossom sobbed.
“Pure Blossom, you must forget Adam,” Runner said softly. “He is not worth the tears shed over him.”
“These tears are not for myself,” Pure Blossom said, clutching at herself. “It is for the child that I carry within my womb. It is Adam’s child.”
Runner and Stephanie exchanged quick glances, then Runner gently took Pure Blossom’s hand from her stomach. He caressed it. “A child,” he said softly. “It is your child, Pure Blossom. It will be loved. The child need never know the true worth of its father. It shall be blessed with knowing you, its mother. Why would a child want anything more when it has you?”
“I need time alone,” Pure Blossom said, rushing to her feet. “Do not follow me, big brother. This is a time for mother a
nd child to be alone with the Great Unseen Power.”
It took all of Runner’s willpower not to go after Pure Blossom. When he heard her leave on a horse he closed his eyes and said a soft, silent prayer for her well-being, then opened his eyes and found Stephanie standing directly before him.
“Runner, do you think you should go after her?”
“E-do-tano, no. She is going to seek solace with the Great Spirit and she must do this alone.”
He slipped an arm around her waist and led her from Pure Blossom’s hogan, through the crowd, and then into his own dwelling. A fire cast its soft flickering light around the room. Food was simmering in a large pot over the flames.
Runner took Stephanie’s hands and drew her against him. He gazed into her eyes. “I did not think we would ever be alone again,” he said, bending to softly kiss her lips. “But here we are. Can you think of something we might do to celebrate?”
“Darling, what would you suggest?”
“I am hungry.”
She cast the food a quick glance.
“Shall I feed you?” she said, looking teasingly up at him.