Bound by Honor Bound by Love by Ruth Ann Nordin Read Free Book Online Page A

something he often did, he
offered them a smile in hopes of putting them at ease. The poor
children were scared, but they weren’t scared of Cole or Penelope.
He wanted to assure them that they had nothing to worry about, but
he figured they’d have to see it for themselves to understand how
excited the people in the tribe would be to see them.

Chapter Five

    Onawa’s heart raced when she heard
that Citlali had returned. She glanced at Amata in excitement and
set the spoon down from the pot where she’d been stirring their
food. “Where is he?” she asked Citlali’s brother who’d come into
the lodge to make the announcement.
    “ He’s in the chief’s
lodge,” he replied. “He didn’t come alone. He brought a white
couple with him, and they have Etu and Yepa with them!”
    Citlali’s mother gasped. “Etu and
Yepa? Motega and Takchawee’s children?”
    “ Yes,” he
affirmed.
    “ Can it really be?” one of
Citlali’s aunts asked, her hand pressed to her chest.
    “ There’s only one way to
find out,” his mother said. “We must see them.”
    Nodding, Onawa joined Citlali’s
mother, brother, and one of his aunts in getting ready to leave
while the others decided to stay in the lodge to finish preparing
the meal. She wrapped the buffalo robe around herself to keep warm
and followed them out of the lodge. Though she was excited to see
the missing children, she couldn’t wait to see Citlali again. The
week apart from him had been a long one. Knowing he loved her
quickened her steps as they made their way to the chief’s
lodge.
    His mother looked over at her and
smiled. “You will please him when he sees you. You look
lovely.”
    “ Thank you,” she replied,
pleased by her words.
    As soon as they reached the lodge, she
took a deep breath to calm herself enough so she wouldn’t run into
her husband’s arms. He stood by the chief, looking much better than
she remembered. Not that he didn’t make her weak in the knees in
the past, but seeing him as her husband made her pulse race even
faster.
    She moved aside to get a better look
at him. The others around her were looking expectantly at the white
man and woman who were with Etu and Yepa. She didn’t remember them
very well, but she recalled the tragedy of their parents’ deaths
and the time when the men searched for the children. It was amazing
the children survived. She wondered how they ended up with the
white couple, so she focused on what the white woman was telling
the chief.
    She caught the words orphan train and
adoption, but with the people whispering about her, it was hard to
make out much more. After a few minutes, she gave up and focused on
her husband who inserted comments from time to time as the white
couple spoke with the chief. At one point, Citlali glanced up and
saw Onawa. Blushing, she smiled at him. His lips turned up slightly
before the chief spoke to him. He directed his attention back to
the chief, and the momentary connection between them was broken.
But she didn’t mind. He was back, and they’d be together soon
enough.
    The chief turned to face the crowd.
“Where is Woape?”
    Onawa’s eyebrows furrowed. Why would
he want to talk to Woape?
    “ She is not here,” Citlali
told him.
    The chief gave a slight nod before his
gaze fell to Onawa. “Woape is your sister. Bring her
here.”
    Onawa indicated that she would and
hurried out of the lodge, clutching the robe tighter around her to
brace for the burst of wind that swirled around her. When she made
it to Woape’s lodge, Gary was telling everyone that a white couple,
along with Etu and Yepa, were in the chief’s lodge.
    “ When did they come here?”
Woape asked as she stood up from the rug she’d been on with her
daughters.
    “ Just now,” Gary
replied.
    As Onawa stepped forward, everyone in
the lodge turned their attention to her, so she said, “Woape, the
chief wishes for you to go to his lodge.”
    “ I was about to go,” Woape
told her and hurried to