Page 24

“See, there was this beautiful Indian princess called Snowbird, who had asked seven of the tribe’s strongest warriors to prove their love by doing something only she had been able to do. Many men wanted to be with her for her beauty and her rank. But she wanted an equal.”
I wasn’t normally a chatty Cathy. Most people who knew me would probably be checking my temp by now, I’d strung so many sentences together in a row. But Kat was riveted. I liked that.
“When the day arrived for her to choose her husband, she set forth a challenge so only the bravest and most dedicated warrior would win her hand. She asked her suitors to climb the highest rock with her.” The path narrowed and I slowed down. “They all started, but as it became more difficult, three turned back. A fourth became weary and a fifth crumpled in exhaustion. Only two remained, and the beautiful Snowbird stayed in the lead. Finally, she reached the highest point and turned to see who was the bravest and strongest of all warriors. Only one remained a few feet behind her and as she watched, he began to slip.”
Stepping around an outcropping of rocks, I waited until Kat had passed them. “Snowbird paused only for a second, thinking that this brave warrior obviously was the strongest, but he was not her equal. She could save him or she could let him slip. He was brave, but he had yet to reach the highest point like she had.”
“But he was right behind her? How could she just let him fall?” She sounded almost panicked and, yeah, cute again.
“What would you do?” I asked, genuinely curious.
“Not that I would ever ask a group of men to prove their love by doing something incredibly dangerous and stupid like that, but if I ever found myself in that situation, as unlikely—”
“Kat?”
She squared her shoulders. “I would reach out and save him, of course. I couldn’t let him fall to his death.”
“But he didn’t prove himself,” I reasoned.
“That doesn’t matter.” Her gray eyes flashed like storm clouds. “He was right behind her and how beautiful could you truly be if you let a man fall to his death just because he slipped? How could you even be capable of love or worthy of it, for that matter, if you let that happen?”
I nodded slowly. “Well, Snowbird thought like you.”
A wide smile broke out across her face. “Good.”
“Snowbird decided that the warrior was her equal and with that, her decision had been made. She grabbed the man before he could fall. The chief met them and was very pleased with his daughter’s choice in mate. He granted their marriage and made the warrior his successor.”
“So is that why the rocks are called Seneca Rocks? After the Indians and Snowbird?”
“That’s what the legend says.”
“It’s a beautiful story, but I think the whole climbing several hundred feet in the air to prove your love is a little excessive.”
I chuckled. “I’d have to agree with you on that.”
“I’d hope so or you’d find yourself playing with cars on an interstate to prove your love nowadays.” Her features tensed, and then a flush raced across her cheeks.
“I don’t foresee that happening,” I said quietly.
“Can you get to where the Indians climbed from here?” she asked.
“You could get to the canyon, but that’s serious hiking. Not something I would suggest you doing by yourself.”
Kat laughed, and the sound was light and almost free. “Yeah, I don’t think you have to worry about that. I wonder why the Indians came here. Were they looking for something? It’s hard to believe that a bunch of rocks brought them here.”
“You never know.” Who knew why they came, but there had to be a reason. “People tend to look on the beliefs of the past as being primitive and unintelligent, yet we are seeing more truth in the past every day.”
She looked at me in a long, assessing way. “What was it that made the rocks important again?”
“It’s the type of rock…” I turned to her, my gaze sliding across her face and then over her shoulder. Oh shit. My eyes widened. “Kitten?”
“Would you stop calling me—?”
“Be quiet,” I whispered, gaze fixed over her shoulder as I placed my hand on her bare arm. “Promise me you won’t freak out.”
“Why would I freak out?” she whispered back.
Well, most people would freak out over a three-hundred-pound bear only several feet away, and it was a big one. Energy began building in me. I tugged Kat closer to me and her hands flew to my chest, above my heart. “Have you ever seen a bear?” I asked.
“What? There’s a bear—?” She pulled out of my grasp and spun around.
Kat stiffened against me.
The bear’s ears twitched, picking up on our breathing. I willed Kat to remain still. There was a good chance the bear would just mosey on past us. Or at least I hoped it would, because if that sucker rushed us, I was going to have to do something to scare it off.
Something that would not be easy to explain.
“Don’t run,” I told her.
She gave a jerky nod.
My hands settled on her arms again, and I don’t even think she felt it. Then, without any provocation, the bear huffed out a low growl as it rose onto its hind legs. Massive jaws opened and it roared, pawing at the air.
Oh shit.
Letting go of Kat, I stepped away from her and started waving my arms, shouting at it, but the bear dropped onto its paws, shoulders shaking and fur coat twitching. It charged right at Kat.