A Promise of Thunder

and muscular thighs; everything she’d ever loved and admired about Grady Stryker was standing before her.At long last Grady had come for her. Leaping to her feet, she threw herself into his arms, repeating his name over and over.
    Stunned, Blade opened his arms wide to receive his son’s wife. If Storm didn’t love Grady, then she was a wonderful actress, he thought as he held her close for a moment until she gained her composure.
    Storm realized her mistake the moment Blade’s arms closed around her and she lifted her head to stare into the darkest eyes she’d ever seen. Black and quickly intelligent, with a touch of humor, she decided, as she carefully studied this older version of Grady. His father was every bit as handsome and a bit more rugged, with jet black hair liberally sprinkled with silver and a commanding strength so impressive in a man his age that it nearly took her breath away.
    “I wish I
were
Grady,” Blade said with a hint of amusement. “But since I’m not, I’ll settle for being your father-in-law. I’m very happy to meet you, Storm. I can’t wait to introduce you to Shannon.”

Chapter Seventeen
     
    Blade Stryker used the kind of logic Storm found difficult to argue with. When he invited her for a walk so they might have a private conversation his questions about Grady and Tim and the kind of life they were living in Oklahoma were filled with concern and yearning. But when he suggested that Storm come to Peaceful Valley she had a million excuses why she couldn’t.
    “I don’t know what has happened between you and Grady and I don’t want to interfere, but Shannon and I would love to have you visit, if only for a short time. Or do you have something else in mind? I feel sure Grady would be happy to have you with him on the homestead.”
    Storm’s teeth sank into her lower lip as she searched for an answer. How could she tellGrady’s father that his son didn’t want her? Their marriage had been a mistake from the very beginning. Grady had felt a misguided sense of responsibility toward her and she had needed a home. It was as simple as that.
    “I—can’t return to Grady,” Storm said in a strained voice. “He’s made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t want me. Please, I don’t want to say things about your son that will hurt you.”
    “I have no illusions about Grady,” Blade said bluntly. “I know what he has become and how he’s conducted his life since Summer Sky’s death. I also understand what drove him to turn renegade. Grady’s life until that time had been storybook perfect. He wanted for nothing. The family was respected in Cheyenne and he had all the advantages money could buy.
    “Summer Sky was his childhood love, his soul mate. They married very young, had a son after only nine months of marriage, and another on the way a few months after that. The incident in Cheyenne was such a shock, it changed Grady’s entire outlook on life. His hatred for whites extended not just to the despicable men who had caused Summer Sky’s accident that day but to all people of the white race.”
    “Grady told me he took Tim and went to live on the reservation,” Storm said.
    “We didn’t know he had turned renegade until rumors reached us in Cheyenne. I worried about Tim, but Jumping Buffalo sent a message saying the boy was living with him andhis family. I wanted to go after him immediately, but Shannon stopped me. She feared Grady would resent us for interfering. We prayed that our son would come to his senses one day and bring Tim home. Then Captain Starke showed up and told me he’d met Grady in Guthrie, and I had to come to the reservation to find out for myself what had happened to my son and grandson.”
    “Tim is fine,” Storm assured him. “Grady would never let anything happen to his son.”
    “I’m glad to hear that,” Blade said. “I was afraid Grady had turned into someone I no longer knew. Shannon is grief-stricken over the way Grady left and the violence that has become a part of his life. But just knowing that he has married someone like you has given me renewed hope.”
    A dull red crept up Storm’s neck. “Our marriage was—not a love match. I needed a home and Grady wanted someone to care for Tim. It’s a very long story.”
    They were walking toward the stream when suddenly Blade clasped Storm’s hands and led her to a fallen log. “I have plenty of time.” He sat down, pulling her down beside him. “Jumping Buffalo tells me