This month see the biggest, brightest full moon of the year. It's also the perfect time to read "Trapper's Moon" Winner of the Maple Leaf award, 4 stars from NetGalley, and Reader's Favorite award.
Blurb: As a free trapper, mountain man Kade McCauley is wary of the Hudson Bay Company. Their form of vengeance against those who are not part of the company can be deadly. When he and his partner are attacked, he fights back, only to discover one of his shots struck an innocent. A woman who touches his soul, and he will do anything to keep her safe.
While searching for her Native American tribe, Blind Deer crosses paths with Kade—with near fatal results. Once she is patched up, she decides it is safer to travel with him than alone Their uneasy alliance turns to genuine caring, but Blind Deer's past gets in the way, and she must choose between her new love or her old obligations.
But nothing in life is carved in stone except the mountains, and those formidable peaks have been known to change the course of a man's life or a woman's.
But nothing in life is carved in stone except the mountains, and those formidable peaks have been known to change the course of a man's life or a woman's.
Excerpt 1
The cabin door flew open. Blind Deer jumped and leaped aside. Favoring his right foot, Kade lumbered forward and flung himself toward the nearest chair.
“Dang mule.” He bent forward to unlace his moccasin. “Stepped on my foot—not once but twice.”
“Let me help.” She crouched down at his side. “Does the animal seek to harm you on purpose?” She slid the leather from his foot.
“No, it was my fault for getting between the two of them hitched to a rail.”
“Then I suppose shooting and eating this animal is out of the question.” She peered up at him through her lashes.
He chuckled and relaxed back in the chair. “Sorry for bursting in on you in such a lather.”
Rolling a stump closer she up-ended it, placed a folded blanket on top, and rested his foot upon the trade wool. “I just brought in fresh water from the stream, the cold will help your pain and discourage the swelling.”
Soaking a cloth in the icy water she applied it to the top of his foot. Holding the cloth in place, she noticed a scar near the bruised flesh. Red and twisted, the old wound curved upward disappearing beneath the leg of Kade’s buckskin pants. The healed scar still appeared angry, as if refusing to be forgotten. “Did the mule do this too?” She gently ran a finger across the puckered flesh.
“No. A Blackfoot brave accommodated me there. After he killed my parents.”
Blind Deer drew back her hand as if it touched fire. “You must hate Indians.” She leaned away from him.
“Some.”
“The Blackfoot people.”
“Just that one.”
“But not all?”
“Why should I? They haven’t all tried to kill me.”
“Dang mule.” He bent forward to unlace his moccasin. “Stepped on my foot—not once but twice.”
“Let me help.” She crouched down at his side. “Does the animal seek to harm you on purpose?” She slid the leather from his foot.
“No, it was my fault for getting between the two of them hitched to a rail.”
“Then I suppose shooting and eating this animal is out of the question.” She peered up at him through her lashes.
He chuckled and relaxed back in the chair. “Sorry for bursting in on you in such a lather.”
Rolling a stump closer she up-ended it, placed a folded blanket on top, and rested his foot upon the trade wool. “I just brought in fresh water from the stream, the cold will help your pain and discourage the swelling.”
Soaking a cloth in the icy water she applied it to the top of his foot. Holding the cloth in place, she noticed a scar near the bruised flesh. Red and twisted, the old wound curved upward disappearing beneath the leg of Kade’s buckskin pants. The healed scar still appeared angry, as if refusing to be forgotten. “Did the mule do this too?” She gently ran a finger across the puckered flesh.
“No. A Blackfoot brave accommodated me there. After he killed my parents.”
Blind Deer drew back her hand as if it touched fire. “You must hate Indians.” She leaned away from him.
“Some.”
“The Blackfoot people.”
“Just that one.”
“But not all?”
“Why should I? They haven’t all tried to kill me.”
Excerpt 2
Sitting by the door of the cabin, Kade tipped his chair back against the wall, then he reached down to scratch the big dog lying at his side. “Where do you hale from, Blind Deer?”
Coming at her out of the blue, the question took her by surprise. She considered her answer. The Bitterroot Valley had been her home, but she had yet to make it back there in her current travels. Besides, why should he care?
“Where I am from depends upon whom you ask.” At her evasive answer, Kade raised a brow in exasperation. Regretting her sharp words she continued. “Having a white mother, and an Indian father, the Salish say I am from the circle that overlaps. They think I am honored to walk in two worlds. The Missionaries say I belong nowhere, and I corrupt both worlds.”
“And what do you say?”
She hesitated before answering. Here was a question no one had bothered to ask her before. “I am just me. And for now I am where I belong.”
“Or maybe you’re a world unto yourself.” Kade tipped his chair forward, and the front legs thumped back down onto the floor.
Did he laugh at her? His expression was serious, and kindness lived in his eyes.
Kade McCauley seemed very different from most of the dogface white men she’d met.
Sitting by the door of the cabin, Kade tipped his chair back against the wall, then he reached down to scratch the big dog lying at his side. “Where do you hale from, Blind Deer?”
Coming at her out of the blue, the question took her by surprise. She considered her answer. The Bitterroot Valley had been her home, but she had yet to make it back there in her current travels. Besides, why should he care?
“Where I am from depends upon whom you ask.” At her evasive answer, Kade raised a brow in exasperation. Regretting her sharp words she continued. “Having a white mother, and an Indian father, the Salish say I am from the circle that overlaps. They think I am honored to walk in two worlds. The Missionaries say I belong nowhere, and I corrupt both worlds.”
“And what do you say?”
She hesitated before answering. Here was a question no one had bothered to ask her before. “I am just me. And for now I am where I belong.”
“Or maybe you’re a world unto yourself.” Kade tipped his chair forward, and the front legs thumped back down onto the floor.
Did he laugh at her? His expression was serious, and kindness lived in his eyes.
Kade McCauley seemed very different from most of the dogface white men she’d met.
No comments:
Post a Comment