by S. E. Smith
His words started out soft.... hesitant. He told her about the first time he saw her, before he knew she was a girl, and how confused he was about his attraction to her. He admitted he sent her to the old cabin by the river as a way to punish her for the confusing feelings he had felt. He told her of how beautiful she was standing so defiantly up on the roof in barely any clothing and how confused he was that she didn’t realize that she was almost naked. He even confessed about seeing Maikoda coming out of the cabin later that night. He explained how he had been determined to protect her in case any of the other cowpunchers had seen her. Instead he found he was jealous that she was with the Indian and was shocked at how comfortable she was around him. He drew in a deep breath and pressed a kiss to her temple before he told her how he had watched her in the small wash tub, her skin glistening like gold. His voice broke as he admitted to watching her bathe, wishing he could touch her skin, and his reaction to the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. He knew without a doubt that she was his. He planned to marry her as soon as he realized she was a woman. He told her of how she made him lose control with just a simple smile and how much he missed it, that he desperately needed her to wake up so he could see it again. He told her he never expected to find a woman as warm, passionate, or beautiful as she was and he swore he would always love and protect her. He shared the devastation at finding her gone and his fear of never seeing her again. By the time he finished, tears fell unashamedly down his cheeks, soaking her hair where he held her tucked protectively under his chin.
“I love you so much, Indiana Tucker,” Jonathan admitted. “You are my life, my heart, my soul. Don’t leave me,” he whispered. “Please don’t ever leave me,” he begged, running his trembling fingers down along her shoulder and arm. “God, I love you!” He choked out in a thick voice.
Throughout it all, Indy lay peacefully in his arms. Her soft breath and warm body the only things reassuring him that she was, indeed, alive and well. It took a long time before the emotions he had been holding back finally faded away leaving him drained. Sleep slowly overtook him as his body finally gave in to the need for rest. Even in slumber, his arms remained tight around her slender form, holding her close to his heart.
He had repeated his words to her again that next night and he would repeat them every single night until she woke and could hear them. He wanted her to know how much he loved her and needed her. He wanted to make sure there would never be a single doubt in her mind or heart about his true feelings for her. He ignored everything but her. She was his world. She was his everything. She was his Indiana.
Now, he looked up into the soft, concerned eyes waiting for his response and shook his head. “Thanks Claire but I’m not hungry,” Jonathan said, tiredly rubbing his hand over his face.
“I am,” Indy said in a groggy voice. “In fact, I’m starving. What are you fixing?”
Jonathan drew in a sharp breath as Indy finally opened her beautiful, dark green eyes. She blinked several times before she focused on his face with a trembling smile. She started to raise her hand so she could touch it and was surprised by how hard it seem to be. She looked at him in confusion.
Jonathan grabbed her hand when it started to fall back to the covers. “You can have anything you want,” he promised her, raising her slender fingers up so he could press his lips to them.
“Anything?” She teased.
His eyes filled with tears as he gazed down at her twinkling ones. “Anything,” he promised.
She frowned for a moment before she turned her gaze to look at Claire who was also looking tearfully down at her. Her eyes shifted to where Aleaha was standing near the window smiling before moving to Allie who was impatiently brushing at her cheeks with the sleeve of her shirt.
“What happened?” Indy said, struggling to sit up. “Did someone die?”
Jonathan chuckled as he quickly pulled the covers up with her. She was still naked under them. He liked the feel of her bare skin against his and hadn’t bothered to put any clothes on her. She looked down as if realizing she felt the soft cotton of the sheets against her skin instead of clothing. She blushed as she looked up and caught Jacob staring at her from the doorway with a huge grin on his face.
“Ah shucks, Jonathan,” Jacob teased. “You didn’t have to be so quick. I’m curious to see how far her ‘tan’ goes down.”
Allie jerked away from the wall where she had been standing with a low growl and pushed past Jacob, muttering under her breath as she walked by him. Whatever she said wiped the smirk off his brother’s face. Jonathan chuckled as Jacob turned to follow Allie, calling her name as he pounded down the staircase after her.
“He’s in deep shit now,” Indy said looking at those remaining in the room. “What happened?” She demanded even as she weakly leaned back against the pillows Jonathan hurriedly tucked behind her.
*.*.*
Indy sighed deeply later that night as she listened to everyone sitting around the table talking. Jonathan, in tune to everything she did, immediately slid his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder. She squeezed his leg to let him know that she was okay. Jonathan had explained everything that happened after she passed out outside of Hayden's townhouse. He teased her about getting there only to find out she had already kicked some major ass. His smile died though when he thought about what could have happened to her if she hadn't been so fierce and his guilt at not keeping her safe nearly choked him.
“Stop,” she leaned closer to him and whispered. “You have nothing to feel guilty about. Shit happens. The main thing to remember is that you were there when I needed you most.”
Jonathan smiled down tenderly at her and brushed a kiss against her temple. “Have I told you how much I love you, Indiana Tucker?”
“Only about a million times.... today!” She giggled softly, a light blush turning her cheeks a rosy color.
“And I'll tell you a million times a day for the rest of our lives,” Jonathan promised huskily.
“I'll keep you to that, cowboy,” she responded looking up at him through her lashes. “I'll remind you if you miss one.”
Both of them turned to listen as Sam filled in some of the missing pieces that Jonathan had missed while he cared for Indy. Sam smiled at Claire when she poured him a cup of coffee. Loud groans could be heard from all their kids when he swatted her lightly on her ass, drawing a blush and a giggle.
“Ah Papa,” Taylor groaned out. “Get a room, will you? You are doing some serious damage to your kids' minds.”
Sam pointed his fork at his youngest son and shook it. “Mind your manners, Taylor. One day you will discover a woman who makes you feel happy and you will know what it feels like to have her near you,” he said before taking a bite of the peach cobbler Claire had made earlier. “As I was saying, Trey called me earlier. Indy, you don't have to worry about Hayden bothering you ever again,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “He is not the only one who knows a few powerful judges. I hired a private investigator shortly after Hugh died. I knew something was off. Your grandfather had an appointment to make sure the Wild Ranch went to you. He had set up trust accounts for Gus and Matthew and a lump sum for Hayden.”
“But....,” Indy said shaking her head. “I don't understand. Hayden had the will drawn up when Grandpa had his stroke.”
“He may have drawn it up but your granddad didn't sign it,” Sam said. “Three days before your granddad passed away he called Allen Halbrook in town. Allen's been away for the past six months dealing with the death of his daughter's husband and helping her with the kids. He came back a couple of weeks ago but has only just now gotten caught up on all his paperwork. That paperwork included your Grandfather's Last Will and Testament. Hayden knew about your grandfather's desire to give you the ranch.”
Indy sat stunned, looking down at the table while her mind raced through everything she was being told. “But,” she said again. She pushed her hair behind her ear when it fell forward in irritation. “How did Hayden get the power
of attorney? How could he have a signed copy of the Will?”
“He forged it,” Sam replied quietly. “It is probably the only thing he ever truly did that was illegal. He made a bad choice of buying into what Hammock was promising him. He saw the prestige but not the hidden strings attached. Your brother has always been ambitious and self-centered. Hammock doesn't do anything without careful research. He used your brother’s weakness against him. From what the investigator could piece together from the evidence the FBI collected, Hammock met you when you were about sixteen. It was when you visited Washington D.C. with your grandfather to attend a dinner sponsored by the Cattlemen’s Association. Hammock must have known you would grow into a beauty and he set about capturing that beauty for himself.”
Indy rolled her eyes. “How could you know that? I certainly don't remember ever meeting the creep before. Why would you think he had any big desire for me?” She snorted in disbelief.
Sam's eyes softened as he took in Indy's disbelieving look. “When Hammock's home was searched they found a room with pictures of you at different stages of your life posted all over one wall. He had been very careful in making sure you were kept isolated. I remember Allie telling me once that you were upset that the few guys you dated during college never asked you out more than once. I suspect Hammock had something to do with that.”
Indy was silent as she absorbed the fact that she had been stalked for years and never knew anything about it. Her hand trembled as she reached for the hot tea Claire had set down in front of her. She looked up into Sam’s compassionate eyes, the question trembled on her lips before she forced it out.
“You…. You said I would never have to worry about Hayden bothering me again,” she said. “What did you mean by that?”
Sam sighed and pushed his empty dessert plate away from him as he searched for the right words. “You could contest the sale of the ranch in court but it would be a lengthy and expensive fight.” He looked at Jonathan who nodded once to let him know he should continue. “Jonathan… and I talked to Allen who agreed that it would be difficult to get the ranch back. Personally, neither one of us thought you would want it anyway for several reasons. Hayden has agreed to terminate his request for guardianship and release all monies, including his share of the sale of the ranch, over to you. In addition, he has promised he would never voluntarily seek you out unless you requested to meet with him. In exchange, you will agree not to prosecute him for fraudulently signing a Will in your grandfather’s name or press kidnapping charges against him.”
Indy sat stunned. “But, that’s millions of dollars!” She said hoarsely, looking at Jonathan.
Jonathan held her hand tightly in his, his heart pounding in his chest in fear as he waited to see what she would do. Would she choose to stay here, in her time or would she choose to return with him to his? His gut clenched as the seconds turned to long minutes as they stared at each other.
A smile curved her lips as her eyes softened. “I don’t want the ranch,” she responded in a strong clear voice. “I already have one. It’s called the Twin Rivers. Where I’m going Hayden won’t be able to find me anyway.” She turned her head to look at all her friends sitting around the huge table. “I want to go home.”
Sam smiled and reached for Claire’s hand which clasped his tightly in return. “I’ll take you to Spirit Pass tomorrow. We can leave at first light,” he said.
Indy grinned, turning to gaze at Jonathan who let out the breath he was holding. “Not tomorrow. I plan on taking a few things with me this time,” she said mischievously. “We’re going to need a few pack horses, Sam. Do you think you can help out?”
“I can take care of the pack horses,” Allie said with a frown. “But, why in the hell do you need to go to Spirit Pass?” She asked looking around the table. “Papa said that place was haunted and we were to never go near it.”
Jonathan, Jacob, Indy, Sam and Claire all laughed before Indy erupted into a mountain of things she wanted to purchase and take with her. Jonathan looked at his brother who was staring intently at Allie as she joined in making a list with Indy. Jacob turned to look at his brother and nodded with determination, a wicked smile on his face.
The next few hours flew by before Indy started yawning like crazy. Jonathan finally pulled her up, wrapping his arm around her. They were almost to the door of the dining room when Indy stopped suddenly as another thought occurred to her. She turned back to look at Sam.
“Sam,” she called out softly. “I almost forgot. You said there were several reasons why you thought I wouldn’t want to fight for the Wild Ranch. What was the other one?”
Sam raised his eyebrow at Jonathan who gave him a brief nod. “Because I don’t think Colt and Dalton Tucker would give it up without a fight,” he replied with a grin. “The brothers are the direct descendents of the family that started the Twin Rivers ranching outfit.”
Chapter 19
Indy tightened the strap holding her saddlebag on Midnight. Chester and Tweed were jumping around, trying to get her attention. It had taken almost two weeks to get everything finalized. She had converted the almost two and a half million dollars from the sale of the ranch into some form of wealth that she could use in the past. Most of it was in the form of high bred horses, precious stones, and some gold and silver. The rest went into other necessities that Jonathan, Jacob, and she thought would help make life a little easier, including several crates of medical supplies. She had also added fabric and Jonathan had added a trunk full of lingerie that Taylor had shown him how to order on the Internet.
Jonathan had grudgingly admitted he would miss two things about the future – the bathroom and the Internet. He and Jacob had already decided they were going to see about building a bathroom or two in the ranch house. They had researched instructions on how to do plumbing and building a septic tank on the Internet and printed them out. Both men had spent an informative evening locked in Sam’s office with Taylor. They both decided they had learned way more about Sam’s younger son than either one of them needed to know. At twenty, Taylor had more knowledge of the opposite sex than Jonathan and Jacob combined thanks to the damn box.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” Indy asked, coming up to wrap her arms around his waist.
Jonathan started and gave her a wry grin. “Taylor and the Internet,” he admitted.
Indy laughed out loud. “Say no more! Just putting Taylor and the word Internet together tells me way more than I want or need to know,” she snickered.
Jonathan looked suspiciously at Taylor who was joking around with Jacob. “What is that supposed to mean?” He asked looking at the younger man through narrowed eyes.
“I’ll tell you about it later tonight,” Indy said, mischievously letting her hand slide down his chest to the front of his pants. “I’m impatient to get home,” she murmured as she stood on her toes to press her lips against his.
“Hey you two, get a room!” Taylor called out.
“Don’t worry,” Allie said as she walked by leading her horse. “I’ll kill him before he reaches twenty-one.”
Indy frowned at her best friend. “What do you think you are doing?” She demanded.
Allie raised her eyebrow at Indy. “Get real, do you really think the three of you can handle this on your own? You have over forty horses and mules here, Indy. Add that in with the sixteen puppies you bought yesterday and you have your hands full. I told Papa I would come and help you guys get home. God knows why we can’t just trailer everything instead of doing it the old fashioned way, but if this is what toots your horn, who am I to complain? It isn’t like this will be my first trail ride. I told Papa and Mama I’d be back in a couple of weeks. I wanted to make sure everything is cool with you and I thought it would be neat to check out your new place,” Allie said before she suddenly stopped, a look of doubt creeping across her face. “You don’t mind, do you Indy? I mean, if you do I can just help you part of the way and come back,” she added hurriedly, turning away so Indy
couldn’t see the hurt in her eyes.
“Oh Allie, you know I would love to have you come with me,” Indy said cautiously. “I’m just not sure it is going to be what you expect. I mean….” Indy paused to look at Jonathan for guidance.
“We are traveling a long way from your time, Allie,” Jonathan said. “Where we live, where we are going to, is a different world from what you are used to.”
Allie looked at both of them before she glanced at Jacob who was watching them intently from where he was standing next to Taylor and Aleaha. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before she shrugged her shoulders, breaking his gaze. She looked back at Indy and Jonathan and smiled.
“It can’t be much worse than this one,” Allie replied lightly. “Besides, it’s not like I’m going to be staying or anything. I’m just visiting for a couple of weeks.”
Jonathan nodded, putting his hand on Indy’s arm when she opened her mouth to protest. “We appreciate your help, Allie. Let’s load up. We have a long way to go,” he said lightly, squeezing Indy’s arm and nodding slightly toward Jacob who was still gazing at Allie, a hungry, possessive look in his eyes.
Indy smiled and turned back to Midnight, mounting him in one graceful move. With a sharp whistle, Chester and Tweed bounded over to her. Aleaha and Taylor would take up the rear with Jacob while Sam and Allie lead the way. Indy and Jonathan would take the middle. Sam, Taylor, and Aleaha would not continue on once they reached Spirit Pass. After that, it would be up to Jacob, Jonathan and Indy to lead the way back to the Twin River ranch and - home.
They were all so focused on leading the long train of horses and pack mules that none of them noticed the dark figure sitting on a rock ledge off to their left watching them. The dark eyes moved over the long line of horses tied together before stopping on one of the figures towards the back. Maikoda’s blood heated as his eyes ran over the slender figure of the woman who was talking to the twin who had saved his life several years before. He almost gave his position away when the tall white man smiled up at her as she mounted her horse. He listened carefully to the words that were being spoken. He had come through Spirit Pass searching for this woman. He knew she was destined to be his, what he had not expected was to find her quite so easily. His eyes followed the line as it moved past him. From the conversation he had overheard, the one called Aleaha would be coming back this way. Maikoda smiled. He would be ready for when she did.
