by Aimée Thurlo
He searched her face for answers, but drew a blank. The only thing he could see there were echoes of the fear that had gripped her.
“Don’t shut me out,” he said quietly. “You’re in trouble, and it looks to me like you’re in over your head.”
“It’s my problem, Nick, not yours,” she said firmly.
Her polite brush-off stung and he grew stone-cold. Eden had betrayed him once, tearing his heart out in the process. That was not something any Black Raven forgot or forgave easily. But he wouldn’t back off. “I’m not asking you as an old friend. I’m a deputy now,” he added.
Surprise, then a coldness he couldn’t miss flashed in her eyes, and her expression became suddenly guarded. “Somebody has been letting me know since I returned two weeks ago that I’m not welcome here. But what happened tonight won’t happen again. I’ll be more careful from now on. I’d been visiting Lena Ortiz, a friend of my family’s, and stayed too late. I won’t let time slip away from me that way again. The driver of the truck played a lot rougher than I expected. My guess is that the guy who chased me tonight is probably the same one who has been sending me unsigned notes telling me to get off pueblo land. I don’t think he would have run me over. I just got scared and panicked, so he chased me.”
He studied her expression pensively. “Give me the notes. Let me see if I can track down the sender.”
“I didn’t keep them. But having you get involved isn’t going to change anything, Nick. As I’m sure you know, there are many people who oppose anyone of mixed blood claiming a place on pueblo land. My father was Tewa, but my mother was Anglo, and that makes my return home something that many haven’t exactly welcomed. I realize it’s not really a racial thing. They’re just trying to insure that the whites don’t take away the land our tribe has left, one concession at a time. And they’re willing to fight to preserve the little they’ve got. I understand it because in my heart, I am Tewa.” Eden checked her watch. “Oh, I’m really late now! I’ve got to get home. We’ll talk another time, okay?”
“Let me give you a ride.”
She hesitated, emotions flashing across her face at lightning speed. More intrigued than ever, he continued to press her.
“What’s the problem? You’re in a hurry and I’m offering you a ride. And, this time, we can take my four-wheel drive instead of Bravo. That’s my old Jeep parked by the stables.”
She gave him a thin smile. “Sorry. I’m still jumpy. The truth is I really would appreciate a lift,” Eden said, at last.
“What’s your hurry tonight? What are you so late for?”
She hesitated for several moments, then reluctantly answered him. “I left my son with a sitter, and she warned me that she had to leave at seven. It’s almost eight now.”
“Your…son?” His jaw clenched as he struggled to control his emotions. Surely it couldn’t be… “How old is he?”
“Six months,” she said, after a beat.
Nick stared at her. “Is it…am I…” he said, his voice a blur of sound.
“The father?” She shook her head. “There was another man in my life after I met you in Arizona. But let’s not talk about this now. That’s all ancient history.”
Dawning came then, a slow realization that left him numb. “So that’s why you ran out on me?” His voice sounded hard and bitter, even to his own ears. “No, never mind. You don’t have to answer that. It’s clear enough.”
A coldness unlike anything he’d ever felt filled him, numbing him from any more pain. Her betrayal had been absolute—more so than he’d ever dreamed—and it became the last nail in the coffin of their ill-fated love affair.
“Let me put Bravo away,” he said tonelessly, gesturing to the stables. “Then we’ll get going.”
They removed the horse’s tack and placed him in his stall. While she brushed the stallion down, Nick filled the feeder with hay and made sure he had fresh water.
“Are you home to stay?” he asked. No matter what had happened between them, he was a cop and it was his job to maintain law and order on the pueblo. The fact was it was his duty to find out what was going on, and he would honor that.
“I accepted a temporary teaching position so I’ll be around for a while at least. But I’ve got to tell you, you’re the last person I expected to see here at the pueblo,” she said. Then slowly added, “And now, to find out you’ve become a tribal cop… You’re certainly one for surprises.”
“Why do you say that? It’s not that much of a leap, really. I’ve always known that I was meant to work with people. I couldn’t run a job placement center here like I did in Arizona since the tribe now has an agency that takes care of that. But that left me at loose ends. My father’s will stipulated that in order for any of us to inherit, we’d all have to live at the ranch for one year, so I had to stay. But ranching full-time just wasn’t for me. Then I found out that one of Captain Mora’s two deputies was about to quit and that the department was searching for a replacement.”
“The police department here is very small. The loss of one man can be a crisis.”
He nodded. “Our entire police force consists of Captain Mora, two deputies and a civilian dispatcher. I figured I could be of use to the tribe, so I applied for the second deputy’s job and was lucky enough to get it.” He glanced over at her. Somehow, he had to make Eden see him as a cop who could help her, not just as a former lover. It was the only way she’d ever confide in him and finding out what trouble was hovering on the pueblo was his first priority. “This job really gets under your skin. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me. But you know a little about what it means to be a cop. Your father was an officer for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.”
“A cop’s family views his job in a very different light, Nick,” Eden answered, her voice taut. “What I remember most is my dad’s long absences and the way he was totally dedicated to his job. He almost never made it home for my birthdays or most holidays. It was hardest on my mom, though. She spent most of her life worrying about him. Being a cop may be a great job, but not for a man’s family.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “Well, I’ve got no plans to marry. The bachelor life suits me.”
She didn’t comment. “How are you and Jake getting along trying to run a ranch together? You two never used to agree on anything.”
“Jake and I will never see eye to eye on a lot of things,” he answered, “but we’re working it out.” He paused, studying her expression. “But let’s get back to what’s going on in your life, Eden. People have the right to their opinions, and they’re not required to like the fact that you’re now living here. But no one has the right to threaten you physically, or harass you. It looks like you’re caught up in something that might be too big for you to handle alone. You’re a mother now and have other responsibilities to take into account. Let me do my job as a cop and help you out.”
She hesitated, then forced a smile. “What happened out there won’t happen again. I’m sure of it.”
“I don’t believe that any more than you do.”
“Don’t put yourself in the middle of this, Nick. It’ll only make things tougher for me,” she said. “I’ve always taken care of myself and I know what I have to do. I’ll handle it.”
“I’m sorry, Eden, but I can’t let this go. This trouble is taking place on pueblo land, and that’s my turf.”
As he pulled up in front of her adobe home, she mumbled a quick goodbye, let herself out, and began walking up to the door.
Nick knew he hadn’t been invited, but he parked the Jeep and decided to go inside with her. He had a job to do, and, as long as she was at the pueblo, it was his duty to help her fight whoever was trying to drive her off.
Like star-crossed lovers destined to keep meeting, Eden was back in his life again. But, this time, it was different. Eden, the woman he’d loved, was gone for good. In her place was this stranger who was bringing trouble to the land he was sworn to protect.
Chapter Two
&nb
sp; Eden knew Nick Black Raven was right behind her as she stepped up to the front door. She could sense him as clearly as she could the wind that swept her long chestnut hair across her face. She’d never wanted to bring Nick here. It was too hard to be with him. There were too many memories. Every time she looked at him, her heart remembered the only man who had ever made her blood sing. But he was not for her.
She could still remember every detail of their last night together. She’d loved him with all her heart, but afterward, as he’d held her, he’d bared his soul to her. What she’d seen there had made it clear that they couldn’t have a future together. A fierce agony had gripped her as he’d shattered her dreams one by one with each word he spoke.
He’d asked her to stay with him, but he’d never spoken of marriage. He’d told her that they’d make a life together, away from the pueblo, and never set foot on Tewa land again. They’d make a home in Arizona, just the two of them. Kids would never be a part of the picture. As far as he was concerned, the world didn’t need more children.
His vision of their future had been so different from hers! The knowledge had broken her heart and she’d realized then that she’d allowed things to go too far. The inescapable truth had been that she’d sworn to return to the pueblo to clear her parents’ name. She had hoped he’d go with her, but knew suddenly that it would never be. And then to learn that he never wanted children to become a part of his life… The prospect had chilled her soul.
Although she’d loved Nick, she’d realized that what they each needed to be happy went beyond their ability to make compromises. Although it was clear that circumstances had now brought him home to stay, it was just as evident from his earlier reference about his bachelor lifestyle that he hadn’t changed his mind about that part.
As it had been in the past, fate brought them together but continued to put obstacles in their way. To make matters even worse, Nick was now a cop. As the daughter of a man in law enforcement, she knew the high emotional cost that would carry for anyone close to him. Childhood memories made her hand tremble as she grasped the door and stepped inside.
Suddenly her son, Christopher, let out a delighted cry. The dark-haired baby crawled toward her from across the room, leaving his activity blanket behind in a heap. Her heart melted. “Come here, little guy. Did you miss me?” She scooped Chris up and held him against her, shutting out Mrs. Chino’s scowl for a few moments longer.
“You’re very late, Eden. I told you I was expected at my daughter’s, so you had to be back by seven, not eight forty-five. I almost left and took Christopher with me.”
“It was entirely my fault, Mrs. Chino.” Nick stepped around Eden and gave Mrs. Chino a mischievous grin that could have melted a dozen women’s hearts. “The weather was lousy and we were only trying to get out of the rain. Isn’t that what you were always telling us to do when Jake and I were kids?”
She smiled back at him, her anger vanishing in an instant. “I did do that, didn’t I? I’m surprised you remember!”
“How could I forget? Remember that big storm in October of 1985 that broke all those branches off the cottonwoods around the Plaza?”
In a matter of seconds, Nick had her talking about old times. By the time the elderly lady left, Eden was amazed to see Mrs. Chino was in a better mood than she’d been in days.
Eden sighed softly as she stood at the window, watching Nick walk the sitter down the street toward her house. Nick had a way about him. As far back as she could remember, he’d always had at least half of the women in the pueblo madly in love with him. But the time she remembered most was when he’d only had eyes for her.
A delicious warmth spiraled through her as her thoughts drifted back to those days. Suddenly aware of what she was doing, she squelched that sentimental memory. Their time had come and gone, though destiny still toyed with them.
She remembered what she’d told Nick earlier tonight about her baby when he’d pressed her. She hadn’t lied. There had been another man in her life after she’d left Nick—the child he’d fathered, their son Christopher.
Nick came back inside after having shown Mrs. Chino to her own door. Moving with purpose, he strode across the room toward her, all masculine power and confidence.
Eden’s heart was racing as she cradled Christopher closer in her arms, bracing herself for what she had to do. Nick was only a part of her past. All he represented to her now was another complication she’d have to deal with. Christopher and Nick would eventually have to know each other as father and son but, first, she wanted to make sure Nick would welcome that news. Everything she knew about him told him he would not.
For now, the best thing she could do was concentrate on what she’d come home to do. She had returned to clear her family’s name and that had to remain her first priority.
“Thank you for bringing me home, Nick, but I don’t want to keep you,” she said. Placing the squirming baby down on his special blanket, she started toward the door.
“So this is Christopher,” Nick said, ignoring her hint. Picking the baby up off the floor, he went to the couch. To Eden’s surprise, Christopher didn’t let out the usual ear-piercing shriek he was famous for when a stranger held him.
Nick raised the baby up, holding him in a standing position on his lap. “What a great kid! And, hey, I think he likes me.”
“Don’t be too flattered. He’s not picky. He also loves eating lipstick and crawling backwards down the hall.”
Nick looked up at her and smiled warmly, shaking his head. “Well, you certainly won’t win Miss Congeniality tonight.”
Forcing herself not to even crack a smile, she stared at him coldly. “I hate to be a poor hostess, but I’ve got to put my son to bed.”
“Let me help you. Then we can talk,” Nick said, refusing to be put off.
Her chest constricted. This had been a favorite fantasy of hers—one she’d harbored in the deepest recesses of her heart.
“I’ll take care of it,” she said.
Eden tried not to look Nick in the eye as she silently took Christopher from him and started down the hall. Thankfully, Mrs. Chino had already bathed Christopher and he was in his pajamas. Giving her son a kiss on the forehead, she laid him gently in his crib and watched him for a moment. Christopher was her miracle, the only thing life had brought her that held nothing but good.
As she turned away, she noticed that Nick had followed her and was now standing just an arm’s length behind, watching the baby.
“You’re a lucky woman,” he said, following her out of the room. “That’s one special little boy.”
His words of praise only made her more nervous. Nick and Christopher had responded to each other in a way that had taken her by surprise. And that served to remind her of the need to be cautious.
“You’ve made a good life for yourself, Eden.” He brushed her face with his hand. His work-hardened palm made a shiver course through her. His body was all steel and muscle but, as it always had been, what made her melt inside was his gentleness.
Forcing her feelings aside, she walked to the door. “You have to go now, Nick. You don’t belong here. You’re not part of my life anymore.” Eden could see the impact her words had on him.
His eyes became hooded, his expression cold. “I know you want me to keep my nose out of your business, but any trouble that touches this pueblo is my business. If someone is trying to drive you out of town, I need to know. So, whether you like it or not, that makes you my business.”
Eden watched him from the living room window as he strode away. The attraction she felt for him was as strong as ever and that spelled big trouble. She’d have to protect herself or heartbreak would be sure to follow.
NICK DROVE AWAY, heading across country, pushing the Jeep through the worst terrain around. The rocky ground, full of risk and uncertainty, suited his mood.
Finding Eden after all this time had thrown him one heck of a curve ball. Not that his life had ever been simple. After his father had kic
ked Jake and him out of their home the day after high school graduation, nothing had ever come easy. His father’s brutal attempt to force their transition from boys into men had taught him many hard lessons. Never Count On Anything and Never Trust Anyone had become his motto. He’d learned all about hopelessness and fear back then, and what it could do to the human soul.
In time, he’d made a life for himself away from the pueblo, and had achieved a measure of success. He’d proven to himself and everyone else that he didn’t need his father’s support to make it in the world.
Yet, even though he’d thought he’d left his old life behind him forever, it eventually had called him back. After his father’s murder, he’d been forced to return to the pueblo. At first, it had been the last place he’d wanted to be, but things had changed over the last few months. He served a purpose here now, and he was exactly where he belonged. Nick knew he was home for good.
Moments later, he pulled up to the tribal police station, parked and went inside. The small, former residence was equipped only with the bare necessities. Crime had never really been much of a problem on the pueblo. For the most part, a San Esteban cop needed to know how to lead a wayward horse out of the road, or write a speeding ticket far more than he needed to know how to shoot. Of course, he’d had the required courses in self-defense and weapons, but it had only been a formality as far as he was concerned.
As he came in, Nick waved at Angelina, the civilian dispatcher. The desk against the wall that he shared with Deputy Torres was unoccupied at the moment. Torres was out on patrol somewhere. Walking to the back of the room, he knocked on Captain Mora’s open door. The man looked up, leaned back in his creaky old office chair, and waved him in.
Captain Daniel Mora was built like a safe—short, stocky, and nearly impossible to break. People often compared him to a pit bull because he had a reputation for never backing off once he was on the trail of a criminal. “What brings you here, Nick? You’re off duty tonight.”
