by Carol Finch
The galling truth was that Eva could be feeding him one tall tale after another and he wouldn’t know it because he was too far from Denver to verify what she told him. If he knew what was good for him he wouldn’t put stock in anything she said. But when he looked into that exquisite face, surrounded by a curly mass of auburn hair, and recalled how she looked naked he lost the good sense he’d spent thirty-three years cultivating.
Mustering his resolve, Raven hiked off to view Hoodoo’s reaction to their unexpected houseguest. He mimicked the sound of a hoot owl to forewarn Hoodoo that he had arrived.
The door opened wide enough to accommodate the double barrels of a shotgun.
“It’s me!” Raven called out.
“’Bout time you got here. I expected you a week—” Hoodoo’s voice stopped when he saw Eva walking directly toward him.
“Hello, Hoodoo,” she greeted cheerfully. “Raven has said many nice things about you. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
As she marched up the steps Hoodoo’s bumfuzzled gaze leaped back and forth between her and Raven.
He had to give the woman credit, Raven thought. Nothing shy or hesitant about her. She didn’t blink or stare at Hoodoo’s scars, just met his gaze head-on and flashed a dazzling smile.
“I’m J.D.’s wife,” she announced as she halted on the porch beside Hoodoo.
“The ornery hellion,” Raven muttered under his breath. Why did she have to blurt that out?
“Wife?” Hoodoo hooted incredulously. His blue eyes were as round as goose eggs. “You married him of your own free will?”
“That’s right.” She leaned forward to plant a kiss right smack-dab on his scarred cheek. “Mind if I go inside and make myself at home? It’s been a long, exhausting trip.”
Hoodoo watched her walk inside then pivoted toward Raven. His gaze narrowed as he snapped his shotgun into firing position. “Damn it, boy, there better not be a baby Raven on the way because if you forced yourself—”
Raven dropped his saddle and flung up a hand to silence the wild conjecture. And thank you so much, Eva, he thought irritably. “There is no baby Raven and she’s not exactly my wife,” he told Hoodoo.
“What’s that mean?” Hoodoo demanded impatiently.
“That means she’s so determined to get me to track down an outlaw who wronged her family that she pretended to be my wife so she could hitch a ride on the stagecoach with me from Denver.”
“No kidding?” Hoodoo used his shotgun as a crutch then half turned to stare into the open doorway. “Must be a very determined she-male to make such a daring claim.”
“And then some.” Raven leaned his rifle against the outer wall and dug into his saddlebags to retrieve the new clothes.
“For me?” Hoodoo smiled appreciatively as he appraised the new garments. “Thank you, Raven. That was thoughtful.”
Raven chuckled. “Eva said I was sweet to do it.”
Hoodoo glanced through the doorway. “That’s interesting.”
Raven quickly changed the subject before Hoodoo started prying into his dealings with Miss Hell-on-wheels. “I lost Buck during a firefight with three fugitives last week so I’m afoot.”
“Aw, damn, I’m sorry. I know how partial you were to Buck. That big buckskin gelding was a remarkable horse.”
Raven stared into the distance and nodded mutely. Then he said, “Have you seen Blackowl recently?”
“Not in six weeks. You know how he is. He shows up when the mood strikes.”
Raven wished his cousin would stop in for a visit. He could use the assistance. “I want to begin training a new horse immediately. I was wondering if you could entertain Eva for me.”
A lopsided grin spread across his scarred face. “Sure. I’ll dance a jig and pick out a few tunes on my banjo.”
Raven was grateful for the reprieve. He’d never spent so many consecutive hours with a woman, and never with one who challenged, irritated and aroused him—simultaneously—as much as Eva.
If that was her real name, he thought skeptically. He couldn’t rule out the fact that she might be the Lydia she kept mentioning. He supposed he should torture the truth out of her, but he was afraid if he touched her, he would have entirely different designs on her tantalizing body.
Raven walked back to the herd, forcing himself to concentrate on the task at hand, not the woman who had disrupted his life like a churning tornado.
Eva stood in the middle of the rustic log cabin, admiring the bear rugs, the buckskin coats hanging on hooks beside the door and the boots and moccasins that Hoodoo had made meticulously by hand.
Pine railings and steps led to the spacious loft that was divided by two buffalo hides strung up to provide privacy. A small stone fireplace served a dual purpose—for cooking and for warmth. Everything inside the cabin was hand-constructed—a testimonial to living modestly and in harmony with the wilderness.
“Raven already had the cabin built before I came here.” Hoodoo limped across the planked floor to set aside his new clothes. “I added a few things to make it feel like home.”
Eva surveyed the wiry, five-foot-ten-inch man who looked to be in his mid-fifties. Then she pointed to the item on a shelf behind his rocking chair. “A few things like voodoo dolls?” she teased as she walked over to pick up the small effigy that had pins sticking clear through it. “I presume there’s a story behind this.”
Hoodoo grinned broadly and Eva realized it wasn’t difficult to overlook the disfigured side of his face because he had a lively sparkle in his sky-blue eyes. When his full lips curved up at the corners, she felt instantly at ease with the man who spoke with an unmistakable Louisiana accent.
“That’s to remind me of the woman I was supposed to marry when I returned from the war and of the swindler she cozied up with,” he explained. “Call me spiteful, but to this day I still bear ill feelings toward both of them.”
“I don’t blame you.” Eva sank down in the oversize rocking chair that she assumed belonged to Raven. “I’m harboring a few vicious sentiments myself. I’ll get around to forgiving those who trespassed against me eventually, I hope. Just not yet.”
Hoodoo plopped into his chair. “Who might that be? The man that Raven says you’re chasing after right now?”
Eva nodded. “He and a few others I know who deserve a good shooting.”
“Would you care for tea?” he asked, suddenly remembering his manners. “It’s one of Raven’s medicinal teas made from plants, roots and bark. With a spoonful of honey added, it’s mighty tasty. It also helps a person relax and rest.”
“Sounds heavenly. If it’s not too much trouble, I’ll take a cup of tea.”
“Trouble? Hell…er, heck, little gal, we almost never have guests. Except for Raven’s cousin. Mostly we have unwelcome intruders who try to steal what we have. You just can’t trust some folks, ya know?”
“Amen to that,” she murmured as she slumped tiredly in the comfy chair.
Five minutes later Hoodoo handed her a cup of tea. “Here ya go. This will make you feel better, guaranteed.”
Eva awoke the next morning, startled to find herself sprawled in Raven’s bed. The last thing she remembered was sipping the brewed tea. The rest of the night was a blur.
Pushing herself upright, she glanced over the railing to see that she was alone in the cabin. Since she was still dressed in her shirt and breeches she got up and went downstairs. When she stepped onto the covered porch, she blinked in amazement. The two horses that she and Raven had singled out for new mounts lay on their sides in the distance. Their legs were bound up with rope and blindfolds covered their eyes. Raven was bare-chested, down on his knees between them. Speaking softly, he brushed his shirt over their nostrils then stroked his hands over their bodies.
“What is he doing?” Eva asked when Hoodoo appeared from the side of the cabin, followed by a flock of chickens that eagerly pecked the grain he tossed on the ground.
“Training horses,” Hoodoo replied.
“I’ve never seen horses trained this way.”
“Probably because the Cheyenne and the other Plains Indians have more effective methods than whites. Last night Raven roped them and left them sprawled on the ground. He slept between them so they would grow accustomed to his scent very quickly since he’s short on time.”
She wondered if that meant Raven had decided to escort her to the camps or if he was simply doing a hurry-up job to get her on her way.
“Raven said the horses needed a quick lesson in training because you’re headed to the mining camps soon.” He squinted at her. “Those are dangerous places, little gal, especially for unchaperoned females.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“But you didn’t listen,” he guessed.
“No, because I’m on a crusade,” she insisted, as if that made everything all right. In her book it did.
Hoodoo chuckled and shook his frizzy brown head. “Raven was right. You are a headstrong woman. Just don’t get yourself killed because of it,” he warned.
When Raven noticed she was standing on the stoop he waved to her. “Glad you’re awake. Come here,” he called softly.
She approached, careful not to startle the downed horses. “How can I help?”
“I want you to sprawl all over this red devil,” he instructed. “Talk to him so that he recognizes your voice and your scent. Since I’ve had both horses down on their sides all night they are going to require a little time to get their circulation going when I let them up. That’s when we’ll saddle them and climb on their backs. Until then, we’ll get to know them and they will become familiar with us.”
“I get to break my own horse?” she asked.
“Unless you’re afraid to,” he teased.
“You know perfectly well that I’m not afraid to try anything at least once,” she sniffed, affronted.
“Then have right at it.” He gestured for her to get down on her knees beside the blood-red bay.
She watched and listened attentively while Raven told her to half-straddle the horse, while he draped his arm and leg over the spotted skewbald pony. He whispered constantly while he stroked the horse’s rigid neck and head and she emulated his every technique to ensure the powerful bay gelding recognized her scent.
“Let this red devil become very comfortable with your touch so that he realizes he has nothing to fear from you. Touch him everywhere until he doesn’t flinch.”
Eva felt a wave of forbidden warmth flood over her as she watched Raven’s hands stroke gently, continuously, over the pinto. She wondered how it would feel to have his fingertips gliding expertly over her body in a languid caress….
Guiltily, she glanced over to see Raven’s gaze fixed on her. Embarrassment stained her cheeks. She swore the ornery rascal could read her mind because he smiled rakishly. Eva looked away quickly and continued to stroke her horse so he’d become unafraid of her.
“What was in that tea Hoodoo gave me last night?” she asked in a singsong voice—for her horse’s benefit.
“Lots of Indian remedies, plus peyote,” he murmured as he lay completely atop the paint pony.
“It worked so effectively that you had to carry me upstairs to your bed,” she observed.
“That’s an interesting way to phrase it…. Does it have anything to do with the way you were looking at me a moment ago?”
He was purposely trying to annoy her…and it was working. However, Eva refused to be baited this morning. Two could play his mischievous game, she decided.
“I was disappointed when I woke up alone in your bed,” she said as she rubbed sensually against the big bay gelding. “I’ve been wondering what it would be like to be with you. It’s obvious that you have a way with horses. How are you with women?”
She looked up then grinned when he choked on his breath. Never in her life had she felt so delighted about getting a man’s goat. Catching J. D. Raven off guard and leaving him speechless was gratifying and empowering.
“I’ll get the saddles,” he croaked as he surged to his feet. “You can seduce both horses while you’re at it. You’re a natural siren.”
Raven walked off, his body throbbing with every step. Damn it, he had teased Eva and the taunt had blown up in his face. Her comments left desire pulsating through him while the image of Eva—naked—gliding provocatively over him very nearly burned him into a pile of frustrated ashes.
“Are you all right, Raven?”
He flinched when he realized Hoodoo had walked up beside him while he was completely distracted. “No, that woman makes me loco.”
“I’m impressed with her,” Hoodoo commented. “Don’t know many gals who are willing to get down and wallow with the horses like she’s doing. She’s as bold as she is beautiful.” He stared up at Raven. “Thanks for bringing her here. After my fiancée betrayed me, I swore off all women everywhere for the rest of my life. But a man can’t help but like a spirited woman like Eva.”
Don’t I know it, thought Raven.
“I got some stitching to do while you’re training the horses. After lunch, you should show Eva Cheyenne Canyon and Phantom Springs. I suspect a free-spirited adventuress like Eva would enjoy both sites immensely.”
After Hoodoo limped off, Raven grabbed two saddles from the shed. He wasn’t sure he wanted Eva’s memory attached to all the scenic locations near his cabin. Hell, he could easily visualize her in his bed, because he’d placed her there last night—and had to summon every ounce of willpower he possessed not to join her.
This mountain cabin was his haven from the harsh, demanding world where he worked. He lived near the sacred Cheyenne haunts but he didn’t want the place disturbed by memories of a woman who wouldn’t be a part of his life. He would still be tracking criminals—they were never in short supply. She would return to Denver after she discovered the whereabouts of Gordon Carter.
If the rigorous manhunt didn’t get the better of her first—and there was a very real possibility that it would, he mused.
“Okay, Eva, let’s move to phase two,” Raven said in a hushed voice so he wouldn’t alarm the horses. “Untie the red devil’s hind legs first. Then the front ones. Your horse will have trouble gaining his balance since he’s been down overnight. Back off so he doesn’t stumble over you.”
She did as instructed, speaking softly to the gelding all the while. Raven decided that if she used that husky whisper on him very often he would become her willing slave. Already, her voice was working its magic on his mind and body and he had to fight the erotic sensations spilling through him.
He cautioned himself against putting absolute faith and trust in her, tempting though it was. However, it was better than being disappointed if she betrayed him eventually, he reminded himself.
Forcing himself to concentrate on the upcoming task, Raven eased a saddle over the bay’s back. The horse quivered momentarily, but didn’t object. Couldn’t. He was still trying to orient himself, which was difficult since Raven hadn’t removed the blindfold.
“Now for the bridle,” Raven murmured, handing it to her. “Lead your horse around, force him to depend on you for direction and keep talking to him to reassure him.”
Eva slid the bridle in place and cooed at the horse continuously. “This is amazing,” she said as she led the bay around the meadow. “I’m definitely using this training method on Lydia’s new mount.”
Raven kept a watchful eye on her while he practiced the same technique on the skewbald pony.
Thirty minutes later Raven boosted Eva atop the muscular bay gelding that remained blindfolded. Raven led him around while she stroked his black mane and praised him constantly.
“He hasn’t bucked or reared up once,” she murmured. “This gelding should be ready for a jaunt into the mountains by tomorrow.”
“You’re getting entirely too far ahead of yourself,” Raven countered as he halted the horse. “Gunfire might send him into a headlong dash down the mountain. We don’t know how easily he spooks
because he hasn’t been tested. That’s critical information.”
“How long will that take?” she asked impatiently.
“Depends on the temperament of the horse.”
She frowned at his evasiveness. “Generally speaking.”
He shrugged a broad shoulder. “At least two days of intense training. I’d prefer a week, but you’re as impetuous as they come.”
He handed her the reins then stepped back. “Now pay attention, Eva. I’m going to remove the blindfold. Either this red devil has accepted you and doesn’t object to a rider or he’ll try to unseat you. If you hit the ground, tuck and roll.” He stared somberly at her. “I’d rather you hang on for dear life so he understands that you’ll stick to him like glue, no matter what he does. This is one exceptionally spirited horse. I shouldn’t have given into you when you singled him out, but I did. Now he needs to know you’re his boss…. Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” she said determinedly.
Chapter Eight
Raven tensed, prepared to leap into action in case Eva’s horse ducked his head and kicked his heels for all he was worth. But when Raven removed the blindfold, the blood-red bay snorted, stamped a hind hoof then turned his broad head to sniff Eva’s leg. She curled over his back to brush her hand over his muzzle, whispering softly to him. He walked dutifully toward the cabin when Eva clucked her tongue at him.
“That ornery horse is a sucker for a female,” Hoodoo called from the front porch. “I wouldn’t have thought that big brute had a gentler side.”
Raven mounted the paint pony. The horse stepped sideways when he removed the blindfold. At first, he walked tentatively with the extra weight on his back, but he didn’t object to carrying a rider.
When Raven glanced over at Eva, watching her touch her knee to the bay’s ribs to rein him to the right, he decided she possessed several equestrian skills. That was good. She’d need them where she was going.