“Men hunt, women grow,” Strong Wolf said matter-of-factly, now knowing for sure that she asked the question because she was thinking of her future with him. “You see, my woman, the hunt is a labor meant only for men. A man knows where to hunt, when, and what. But that does not always mean that they will find meat on the day they choose to hunt. A woman always knows that her chore will not walk away and hide from her, as animals are wont to do.”
Hannah laughed softly. “I see,” she murmured.
“Yes, when they are available for the hunter, away from their hiding haunts, the Potawatomis sees the deer, buffalo, and bear as especially prized. But also he hunts for turkey, pigeons, squirrels, rabbits, and ah, so much more that the forest houses.”
He paused as he looked through the cover of the trees, toward the stream that snaked across the land close to his village. “And the stream is bountiful with fish,” he said. “Sturgeon is our major fish catch.”
“And then you have a variety of nuts, berries, and herbs in the forest,” Hannah interjected. “Also plums, persimmons, grapes, mulberries.”
“You see how easy it is to learn ways of the Potawatomis?” Strong Wolf said, laughing softly at how she had joined in the conversation about food and game. “We Potawatomis, when nature is good to us, have enough from the forest in ways of berries and nuts, to feed our family from June to August.”
Hannah watched young braves standing near the fields. “What are the boys there for?” she said, pointing to them.
“They are there to drive away birds and animals while the women do their planting,” Strong Wolf explained.
Several acres of uncultivated land that stretched away from the village at the right side was covered with blue grass, which made excellent pasture for horses. As they left the village behind and rode past the grazing horses, Hannah admired them.
“I have always wanted to own many horses,” she blurted out. “It was my dream as a child to train horses.” She looked over at Strong Wolf, her eyes wavering. “My father never understood. He wouldn’t allow me to have my dream.”
“You come to my village any time a
nd choose your favorite horse, and it is yours,” Strong Wolf said. “You can now, if you wish.”
“Truly?” she said, her eyes widening. Then she sighed. “Thank you for offering, Strong Wolf. But it’s best that I don’t. I truly must hurry home. I must see about my brother. He’s surely been up from bed for hours and is worrying his head off about where I am. We mustn’t give him cause again to think that I was taken hostage.”
“Again?” Strong Wolf said, forking an eyebrow.
She told him about what had happened yesterday.
She could tell that he hadn’t taken to the story too well, especially the part where her brother had actually gone as far as having sent Tiny and his men to the fort to report that she was missing, with suspicions that Strong Wolf was responsible.
“But, Strong Wolf, how can you be angry at my brother for thinking you abducted me,” Hannah murmured. “You did, if only for a short while.”
They exchanged smiles, then rode onward until they reached the outskirts of her brother’s ranch.
“I will now leave you, but not because I wish to,” Strong Wolf said, reaching over to place a hand behind her neck. He drew her lips to his and gave her a lingering kiss, then grabbed his reins and wheeled his horse around.
He gazed at her for a moment longer, then rode away.
He was filled with wonder about this woman. Surely she was his destiny. He had to find a way to conquer the ghosts of his past. That was the only way he could ever feel free to love her.
And he must have her.
His life now would be incomplete without her!
Hannah watched him ride away, filled with sweet memories of today that would linger within her heart forever.
She loved him.
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw her brother on the porch of the ranch house, slowly pacing back and forth.
Again she had let him down by worrying him.
But this was a small sort of letdown compared to what it would be if she chose to leave him, to marry Strong Wolf!
“Chuck!” she shouted. “I’m home! I’m home!”
When he turned toward her voice, stumbled, and almost fell from the porch, a part of her died inside.