Bound by Honor

“I see that you are to marry Gage Dalton,” she said.

Jenna went still. Something had sparked in the wizened woman’s tone when she uttered Gage’s name. It was as if she wanted the others to pay attention, to take special note. The Elders who hadn’t had a chance to see the certificate for themselves did just that; the ones who had read it nodded in silent agreement. But what exactly were they acknowledging? Their reaction was puzzling.

“Gage plans to take this woman as his wife?” Incredulity sharpened Chee’pai’s question.

Hoo’ma ignored him. Lacing her knobby fingers together, she rested her hands on the tabletop and addressed Jenna. “Marriage is a sacred union, my child. The ties that bind men and women may vary. Some are brought together by love. Others by necessity. Even others by—” one of her shoulders lifted a fraction “—who knows what reasons? But the bonds between a husband and wife are the threads that hold together the very universe, and they could not—and would not—happen if the Great One opposed.”

Several aged gazes slid from Hoo’ma’s. The woman’s unspoken chastisement thickened the air. Evidently, Hoo’ma thought the doubtful questions about this impending marriage were inappropriate.

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you,” she continued to address Jenna. “On behalf of the Council, I wish you and Gage every happiness.” She swiveled her head to take in her fellow Council members. “Now, I think the time has come to allow Lily to go to her rightful home.”

“Ma’ta!” Chee’pai stood.

The opposition in the man’s tone couldn’t be missed, and Jenna knew the man said no in his native tongue.

“Our tribe is dwindling by the moment!” The shaman’s face was fury-red. “We send our children off to colleges and they do not return. Our young adults leave Broken Bow for jobs in the city. If we allow this to continue, our clan will be no more!”

Unruffled by Chee’pai’s outburst, Hoo’ma looked past the shaman and directed her attention to the others at the table.

“Jenna has complied with our every demand with patience.” The woman’s wrinkled cheeks bore the hint of a smile as she murmured, “For the most part.” She slid her folded hands into her lap. “She has promised to respect Lily’s Delaware heritage. It is our tradition to give our children roots.” She squared herself to Chee’pai as she added, “It is also our tradition to give them wings. If the roots are deep enough, they will not forget from where they come.”

The shaman seethed, but he did not speak.

“This marriage is a good thing,” Hoo’ma said. “As soon as Jenna and Gage are wed, they should have Lily. They should become a family. I can feel healing and enlightenment approaching. For all concerned. I am surprised, Chee’pai, that you haven’t felt it, too.” After a pause that obviously called for reflection, she pronounced, “Let us vote.”

Chapter Three

“Are you upset about the civil service?” Jenna had finally garnered enough courage to ask the question that had been rolling in her mind since they’d left the courthouse. She glanced at Gage tentatively.

“Why would I be upset?” His attention never wavered from the road ahead as he drove his pickup on I-94 toward Broken Bow. “Other than the fact that I hadn’t planned on repaying a Life Gift with wedding vows.”

She ignored his murmured aside. She couldn’t regret having pledged herself to Gage in front of a Rosebud County clerk of the court. The marriage certificate in her possession was mandatory in gaining custody of Lily. To Jenna, it hadn’t mattered that the ceremony was short and quite dispassionate. Even with the requested rush on the tests, the wait for results had meant another excruciating week without Lily. The truth be known, Jenna was relieved to have the formalities over so quickly.

She had her doubts about Gage.

“Well,” she began, “my guess is that you’re, um, a very spiritual person. I thought that you might have felt peculiar about going to the courthouse to get married as opposed to…” She faltered for a moment. “Well, as opposed to having a religious ceremony.”

“And you came to those conclusions merely because I’m Indian?”

Accusation edged the question, and Jenna felt suddenly self-conscious. She hadn’t meant to offend him.

Before she could respond, he said, “You shouldn’t form opinions about Native Americans based solely on stereotypes.”

Now she felt insulted herself. “I was doing no such thing.”

The raised brows on his chiseled profile were clear evidence that he was unconvinced.

“I wasn’t,” she insisted, shifting on the seat.

“So why would you think I’d be upset that we married at the courthouse?” he pressed.

She lifted one shoulder a fraction. “Because of the things you said the day we met. You used a name…Kitan To-wet—” her tongue tripped over the foreign word “—I think it was. You spoke as if this was some great force or entity. Like fate. Or God.” Heat flushed her cheeks when she realized how this must sound to him, as if she had him figured out because of the things he’d said that day. “You said Kitan To-wet had plans for you, and that I’d messed up those plans.”