by S. E. Smith
Jonathan felt the quivers shaking Indy’s fragile frame and a burning anger flared. How could her own family betray her like this? He could hear the grief in her voice. He had a feeling there was more to the story and that he wasn’t going to like it anymore than the one he was picturing now.
“What did he do that would drive you to such desperate measures?” He asked brushing his hand along her hair.
“The ranch sold for millions,” Indy replied. “Hayden shouldn’t need the money. He is rich but my other two brothers need it. Matt is a gambler, he’ll be broke in a year or less. Gus and his wife have two sons that have just started college. Gus never made much and his wife never worked. Hayden wasn’t very happy with me, I’m afraid. I wasn’t very nice when I found out what they had done behind my back. I don’t know how he was able to convince a judge that I wasn’t capable of taking care of myself mentally, physically, or financially but Hayden got a court order giving him guardianship of me and control over my share of the ranch. He was going to force me to give up Chester, Tweed, Kahlua, and Midnight and move to Los Angeles,” she shuddered, pulling back far enough to look up into Jonathan’s eyes. “It is a huge city in California. It is very crowded. I would die being cooped up without the wide open spaces.”
Jonathan ran his fingers down along her cheek, a smile curving his lips. “Well, that is not likely to happen now. You are my wife and there are no cities like you describe, except maybe over in England or France. I’ve heard there are big cities there. The biggest city I’ve ever been to was back East and it doesn’t sound like it is as big as what you are describing,” he assured her. “Why would your brother try to force you to live in such a place?”
Indy bit her lip again before she turned troubled eyes up to him. “Hayden never does anything that doesn’t benefit him in some way. If he thought he could get an extra dollar or opened a door for political gain he wouldn’t think twice of doing whatever he had to do to get it. I just never expected him to be this ruthless. I think he is trying to use me to sweeten some deal he has in the works. He wants to move into politics and has been rubbing elbows with some really powerful people. I found a letter he wrote my last semester of college to my grandpa asking for him to send me to live with him as soon as I graduated. He mentioned he had some very influential men he wanted to introduce me to. He told my grandpa it was in my best interest to marry someone who could take care of me,” she snorted in disgust. “Like I need someone taking care of me! If any of those jackasses ever got held up they would probably shit in their pants before they fainted.”
Jonathan’s arms tightened around her at the thought of her brother selling her off to the highest bidder. If anything, he was more determined than ever that he keep her here with him. A shiver of fear swept through him at the idea of losing her to some unknown force.
“Indy, how did you get here?” He asked gruffly. “Is it possible for you to go back?”
Indy frowned thinking about his questions. “I think it has to do with Spirit Pass. Sam told me about it when I was younger but I never thought much about it. I figured he was just telling me another of one of his tales,” she said thoughtfully. “I guess it would be possible to go back through it to get back home. Sam did it. He said he traveled through the Pass and found himself in a strange world. He found Claire and her brother and brought them back home. Neither Claire nor William ever said much about where they were from but I remember thinking Claire acted a little old fashioned about some things.”
Jonathan tilted her chin up so she could see the seriousness in his eyes. “I don’t want to lose you,” he said. “I won’t let you go back through that Pass. I want your promise you won’t try to return to your old home.”
Indy smiled and reached up to trail her fingers lightly over his cheek. “You work with me, accept me for who I am, and let me be not only your wife but your partner and I promise to stick around,” she promised. “But, if you try giving me any more ridiculous commands….” She paused to make sure she had his attention. “I promise to make your life a living hell,” she vowed with a tender brush of her lips against his.
Jonathan chuckled at her veiled threat. “If you cutting up my mother’s dress is an example of the hell you are going to give me, I might just have to do it every now and then to see what happens,” he suggested before covering her mouth with his in another breathless kiss.
Chapter 11
Present Day
“What have you found?” Hayden Wild asked coldly as he rested his hands on the desk in front of him. “It has been over four months. There is no way she could have just disappeared! I’m paying you a small fortune to produce and you have yet to do anything but give me lame excuses.”
Alexander Gent leaned back in his seat and shifted uncomfortably. He was one of the best private investigators in the country. He never failed a client. If a person went missing, he could find them. There was no way in today’s time that a person could totally disappear off the map. Especially someone as naïve and unsophisticated as the young woman he had been hired to find and deliver. He frowned down at the documents in his hands.
“The last reported sighting of her was of her heading into the mountains. You sent out search teams. They found a scattering of trails but they all disappeared under the snow that fell. I’ve been tracking all her bank accounts, including credit cards, and there has been no activity. I’ve had men watching the Whitewater ranch as well and she hasn’t been there either. It is possible she didn’t survive,” Alex stated in a calm voice.
Hayden was already shaking his head. “She’s alive. She is too good and too stubborn not to be. I need her here by the end of the month. I have someone who is getting very impatient to meet her. It is in both of our best interests that she is here for that meeting,” Hayden added with a dark warning in his voice.
Alex’s mouth tightened at the veiled threat. “I have a new person in place working on the Whitewater ranch,” he replied in an equally cool voice. “If you say your sister is as close to Sam and Claire Whitewater and their family as you seem to think, it only makes sense that she will contact them sooner or later. Do I have permission to use whatever means is necessary to bring her back?” He asked.
Hayden’s mouth curved into an ugly smile. “You can tie her ass up if you have to, just get her to Los Angeles before the end of the month.”
Alex stood up. “She’ll be there,” he promised before nodding his head in acknowledgement that the meeting was over.
Hayden watched as the ex-military investigator walked out of his office. He turned his chair to stare out at the glittering lights of Los Angeles. His fists clenched as he thought of how much aggravation his little sister was causing him. He had set plans in motion for her the moment he had seen her when he had returned for the funeral of their parents and grandmother. He realized even as young as she was that she was going to be a beauty when she grew up. That kind of beauty, matched with the money she would inherit from the sale of the ranch, would make her a very valuable tool. He already had an offer that promised him a chance of election to the U. S. Senate. He just needed to deliver his sister and her millions to the proper hands. She was still young enough to be molded into the type of wife that would make any man happy to have her on his arm. Once she was under Hammock’s control it would be his problem in teaching Indiana how to behave as she should. He needed Hammock’s support and contacts if he was going to win the seat he wanted. He looked at the picture of his little sister staring up at him from the folder he had on her. She had a huge grin on her face as she sat with the two dogs she loved curled up next to her.
Yes, she would make Hammock very, very happy, Hayden thought in satisfaction as he closed the folder and put it away in the drawer of his desk. And, she will make me a very, very happy Senator.
*.*.*
Three days later, Alexander Gent released his breath and grinned. Finally, a break in the case. He had worked to get one of his agents into the Whitewater house when they had hi
red a crew in to cater a party. The agent had placed listening devices throughout the house. It had finally paid off when Sam Whitewater and his wife were talking late last night after the function. Now, he just needed to find a local who knew the area to take him to the prize.
He walked out of the little local motel and looked around. The night air was chilly and he shivered as the wind cut through the thin black leather jacket he was wearing. His eyes narrowed on the flashing light of the local bar. He had been to it several times during his stay near the Whitewater ranch. All the locals hung out there and he had learned Indiana liked to go there occasionally. He had hoped to hear someone mention her but there had been no talk at all except of what a bastard her brothers were for screwing her over the way they did. It was none of Alex’s business how the brothers treated their sister. He had been hired to do a job and that was what he would do.
Shoving his cold hands into his pocket, he looked both ways before jogging across the street to the bar. Money was a powerful tool and right now he had an open account. He was sure he could find someone desperate enough to take him where he wanted to go and look the other way when he did what he needed to do. There was always someone out there that would sell a little bit of their soul for some of the green stuff. He knew because he was one of them.
*.*.*
Indy smacked the tightly coiled rope against her dusty pant leg watching as the Mustang turned as she did. She kept getting closer and closer with each circle, controlling the beautiful brown and white horse’s movements. She ignored everything but the horse, giving it her undivided attention.
“She’s incredible,” Jacob said leaning against the fencing next to his brother.
Jonathan smiled at his brother’s simple statement. Incredible didn’t even begin to describe her. Oh, there had been some rough patches over the last few weeks. He found she had strong opinions about certain things and could be very stubborn when she felt she was in the right. The morning after their marriage he had returned her belongings to her, including her animals. She had quietly thanked him for trusting her. He had watched as she shyly unpacked her bags in the bedroom they would share. He had moved his clothes to give her room. He had picked up numerous items in fascination. She took the time to stop and explain what they were and how they worked. The small silver box she had shook him. He had turned it over and over in wonder. When she had put the little plugs in his ear he had damn near jumped out of his skin. He had insisted she explain what each picture was, how the device worked, and yet he still couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
If he’d had any doubt before about her story, it had disappeared when she unpacked her things. He cautioned her not to show some of the items she had, including the little silver box, to anyone except maybe Jacob. He didn’t trust anyone else. Indy reluctantly admitted she had shown Maikoda the device before she knew that she had traveled back in time.
“He didn’t say anything,” she assured him. “I don’t think he was upset by it.”
“Indians are different from white folks. They accept things that are strange or unusual,” Jonathan explained. “Jacob knows about you but no one else does. It is for your own safety, Indy. Promise me you won’t show anyone else the things you have shown me,” he insisted, concerned for her safety.
“I promise,” she said looking at him with understanding. “Only you and Jacob should know about my past.” Jonathan had then shown her where she could hide the items under the floorboards for safe keeping.
Things had fallen into a routine over the few weeks after that. Both of them were learning how to compromise. It wasn’t always easy but they were trying. He discovered she had a wicked sense of humor, was interested in the current political state of the country, and concerned about the changes that she knew would happen. Her compassion for the Indians in the region was evident as she talked about the atrocities done to them by the government. She had rebelled at first when she found out he and Jacob had entered into a contract with the government to supply horses to Fort Shaw, a new fort being built to protect the major supply line to Fort Benton.
He had to swear he would never harm any Native Americans or help in anyway that would cause them harm. “I may not be able to change history by stopping what will happen but I sure as hell am not going to be part of it,” she had sworn vehemently.
Now, as Jonathan gazed out at Indy, he couldn't help but admire her skills as the horse she was working with came to a stop and she slowly approached it. His heart was in his mouth as he watched the horse lower its head at her touch. She stood next to it, stroking its chin and whispering in its ear.
“Yes, she truly is incredible,” he replied in a thick voice. “She makes me happy, Jacob.”
Jacob glanced at his brother and smiled. “I’m happy for you, brother. You deserve it,” he said before turning back to study Indy. “She knows how to handle a horse. I’ve never seen training the way she does it. It is like she can talk to them and they understand her. We’ve been able to break more horses than I expected. I have to admit I like the way she does it. The horses keep their spirit and they handle better.”
Jonathan nodded. “She says it is important to build their trust. If you have their trust, they will do anything you want.”
“Not unlike your wife,” Jacob observed.
“Not unlike my Indy,” Jonathan agreed with a smile.
Both men watched as Indy took off the bridle and gently rubbed the horse down before she released it back into the paddock with the other horses. The moment the horse was out of the corral, Chester and Tweed ducked under the fencing and excitedly raced to her side. She laughed as she played with the two dogs. She looked over and started in surprise when she saw Jonathan and Jacob watching her. Jonathan grinned at the soft blush that tinted her cheeks.
“I think I’ll go see how Ed is doing,” Jacob said with a chuckle, slapping his brother on the shoulder.
“Thanks,” Jonathan nodded absently, not taking his eyes off his wife.
*.*.*
“Hi, I thought you guys were over in the Eastern paddock working with the horses there,” she said as she walked over to the fence.
“We were but Ed and the other men have it under control,” Jonathan said. “I missed you,” he added, a faint red tinting his own cheeks at the admission.
Indy chuckled and leaned over the fence to give him a quick kiss. “You saw me just a few hours ago,” she reminded him with a raised eyebrow and a knowing grin.
Jonathan shook his head and laughed. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to you being so forward,” he commented.
Indy paused in the process of climbing over the fence. She had swung one leg over but stopped at his comment, biting her lip in concern. Jonathan had reluctantly given in to her demand about not wearing dresses. It had taken a while for the other men to get used to seeing a woman in pants but after a few days none of them appeared to mind anymore. She looked down at him with a serious expression on her face.
“Does it bother you? Me saying things like that.... speaking my mind?” She asked bringing her other leg over and sitting on the top of the fence looking down at him.
Jonathan reached up and wrapped his big hands around her slender waist. He wondered what it would feel like when she was swollen with their child. Just the thought of Indy being rounded brought a sharp pang of desire sweeping through him. Hell if he wasn’t feeling about as horny as a stallion watching his favorite mare.
“No, I like it,” he murmured making sure her body slid down the length of his. “I like it a lot,” he added huskily.
Indy sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I'm glad because I have to tell you, I probably wouldn't be able to change even if I wanted to. Grandpa always said it was important to speak your mind so others would understand who you are and where you are coming from. He was a wise man and I miss him,” she said sadly.
Jonathan's arms tightened around her. “Do you miss your life from before?” He asked hesitantly, not re
alizing he was holding his breath as he waited for her response.
She leaned back so she could look into his eyes. “I miss some things. Mostly Sam, Claire and their kids. They are the closest thing I have left to having a family. I miss my big bathroom as well,” she admitted with a twinkle in her eye. “I had a huge tub and shower and the toilet as well.”
“Do you want to go back?” He asked with a sinking feeling.
She shook her head immediately. “And give up all of this? Not on your life! You're stuck with me, Jonathan. You might as well just get used to my mouth,” she said with a grin.
His eyes lit up at her passionate response. “I don't think I'll ever get tired of it,” he murmured remembering how she had used that delectable mouth on him last night.
A light pink bloomed on her cheeks as she laughed softly. “I hope not,” she teased meeting him half way as he bent to kiss her.
Chapter 12
“Boss,” Carl called out riding up as Jonathan headed toward the barn the next morning. “We've got problems.”
Jonathan frowned up at Carl as he jumped down off his horse. “What seems to be the matter?”
Carl removed his hat and ran his hand through his hair. “Last night something spooked the horses. It sounded like wolves. The funny thing is we didn't find no tracks. Whatever it was, it stirred the horses up and about twenty-five of them got loose. I've got some of the boys tracking them,” Carl explained.
It wasn't unusual for a pack of wolves to come around but they normally stayed clear of a herd of horses and the campfires the men had burning. Jonathan muttered a curse before he nodded his head at Carl. He knew Jacob was going to be pissed if they lost any of the horses they had spent so much time breaking.
“I'll let Jacob know and we'll meet you out there in a little bit,” he told Carl. “See if you can find the tracks for the wolves. We need to make sure they don't come back once we get the horses rounded up. We'll need to bring the horses closer to the ranch house if we can't find the wolf pack.”