A Promise of Thunder

threw back his head and roared. His seed spilled against her womb as he held her fiercely, possessively. Unwilling to be privy to so intimate a moment, Storm closed her eyes.
    “Open your eyes, sweetheart,” he whispered, stroking the silky strands of her blonde hair.
    She did as she was told and found her eyes straying to the curving sweep of his lips. Flushing, she recalled what those lips could do to her, how they could drive her wild with need. Her next thought was that his lips were the only soft part of him.
    “Are you ready to answer my question now, lady?” His voice held a note she’d never heard before.
    Storm thought a long time before recalling what he had asked. “I believe your body wants me, and I believe you
want
to live without violence and the need for vengeance, but I don’t believe you are ready yet to forget the past and look only to the future. Your old life is too deeply ingrained in you. But I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and trust that our life together will be serene.”
    “Serene? Ha!” Grady laughed. “You don’t have a serene bone in your body. I suspect we’ll disagree often, and you’ll win more times than you’ll lose. With you I won’t know one day to the next what to expect, until we go to bed. Then I will make you purr like a contented kitten.”
    “Grady Stryker!” She punched him playfully.
    “Go to sleep, sweet, before I exhaust you so thoroughly you’ll not be able to rise from bed tomorrow.”
    “Grady.”
    “Ummmm.” His eyes were closed, his breathing even. Storm could tell he was on the edge of sleep.
    “About Laughing Brook. Isn’t it time she returned to the reservation?”
    Silence.
    “Dammit, Grady, answer me, I don’t think …”
    His soft rumbling snore told her he hadn’t heard a word she’d said. So much for demanding answers from a strong-willed man like Grady Stryker.
    * * *
     
    During the weeks that followed Storm found a happiness she had despaired of ever finding again after Buddy’s death. Even Laughing Brook ceased to annoy her, and to her joy Tim began to accept her into his life. The child no longer ran to Laughing Brook for comfort or advice, and little by little his resentment of Storm began to wane. Storm knew that the time had arrived to send Laughing Brook back to the reservation, and Grady concurred wholeheartedly.
    Grady had already tilled a large section of their land and planted wheat, a backbreaking job, but an immensely rewarding one. One day Storm received word that the cattle she’d ordered had arrived and were in the holding pen in Guthrie. She and Grady rode to town, and she spent nearly all the money left in her bank account to pay for the cattle. When Grady tried to pay for the animals with his money, Storm adamantly refused. Since it was something she had planned before they married, she felt she should be the one to pay. Grady didn’t feel right about it, but decided to let her have her way. The cattle were driven home and turned loose on Storm’s 160 acres.
    While in town Grady arranged to have a well drilled on his land and water piped into the house so it could be pumped from the sink. Once it was completed Storm was thrilled that she no longer had to draw water from the river. When Storm asked if Grady could afford it, hemerely laughed, telling her they weren’t as dirt poor as she suspected.
    But the best part of those weeks were the nights. Lying in Grady’s arms was pure heaven—and sometimes the most tormenting hell. No matter how hard Storm tried, she couldn’t shut out the lingering guilt over the wanton way in which she responded to Grady’s love-making. But she was astute enough not to let it interfere with her budding relationship with her husband and assumed that in time those feelings would disappear altogether.
    When Laughing Brook was told to prepare for her return trip to the reservation she begged to be allowed to remain, and even enlisted Tim to plead in her behalf. But Grady was adamant. He had promised Jumping Buffalo, Laughing Brook’s father, that he would return his daughter when Tim no longer needed her, and he sensed that the time had arrived when Tim could dispense with Laughing Brook’s company. Grady felt he had indulged his son long enough. Tim was old enough to realize that he must grow up. Storm was ecstatic when Grady told her Laughing Brook would be leaving in a few days. Then something happened that shattered Storm’s newfound happiness.
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