Comanche Vow. Sheri WhiteFeather

to marry me.”

      Four

      Elaina couldn’t breathe, couldn’t get air into her lungs, couldn’t still her runaway heart. “I…” She twisted her wedding ring, felt her fingers tremble. “Are you sure that’s what Grant meant? I can’t believe he would…” Expect me to marry his brother, she thought, live with a man I barely know.

      “He was dying, but he knew what he was saying.” Nick leaned forward. “I vowed to follow the old way, and that means you’re my potential mate. You were my brother’s wife, and now he’s gone. It’s my responsibility to take his place.”

      “This doesn’t make sense,” she said, fighting the confusion. “I thought Grant loved me.”

      “He did. And that’s exactly why he couldn’t bear for you to be alone. He needed to know that there would be someone in your life after he was gone. Someone he trusted.”

      Battling the heaviness in her chest, Elaina couldn’t grasp a response. She couldn’t think clearly.

      As she twisted her ring again, Nick continued. “Our union won’t be based on love. I don’t expect you to love me. That’s not what this is about.”

      “It’s based on an ancient tradition that doesn’t fit into a modern world,” she countered, struggling with the idea that her husband had given her to his twin. “Marriage is sacred.”

      “And so is this vow. I promise to treat you with kindness and respect. And that’s all I expect in return. That’s all Grant was asking of us.”

      She moistened her lips, wishing she had a glass of water. Suddenly her mouth had gone dry.