Indiana Wild (Spirit Pass Book 1) (14 page)

“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.”

“
Sure thing, boss,” Carl replied.

Jonathan watched as Carl climbed back up on his horse and rode off. He turned as the door to the house opened. Jacob was coming out, talking to Wally. He met them at the bottom of the stairs.

“Jacob, we have a problem. Some wolves scared the horses out in the Eastern paddock. Twenty-five Mustangs got loose. Carl has some men tracking them and I told him to see if he can track the wolves. I think we should bring the ones that are left closer to the house and the others too once they are rounded up,” he explained.

“
Damn, I should have expected something like this,” Jacob said in disgust slamming his hat on his head in irritation.

“
Wally, can you let Indy know we might not be back tonight?” Jonathan asked just as the front door opened.

“
Do you need any help? I can be ready to go in just a couple of minutes,” Indy said as she stepped out onto the front porch.

Jonathan's eyes darkened at how beautiful she looked this morning. Hell, she looked beautiful all the time. The thought of her being around a bunch of rough cowpunchers who hadn't been with a woman in God knew how long had him adamantly shaking his head.

“No, we can handle it. I think it would be better if you stayed close to the ranch house. Jake will be here if you need anything,” Jonathan responded.

“
Wally too,” Wally said with a grin. “Wally help protect Mrs. Indy.”

Indy laughed and wrapped her arm around the Chinaman who had become a dear friend since she came to live in the big ranch house. He had patiently shown her how to use the huge cook stove and dutch oven, as well as shared many of his recipes with her. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, drawing a huge grin from Wally and a low growl of disapproval from Jonathan.

“I'll be fine,” Indy assured her overprotective husband. “I can continue working with the horses here and I may take a ride out to the Western pasture. Midnight and Kahlua could use the exercise. I've been so focused on training the new horses I haven't spent much time with them lately.”

Jonathan frowned at the thought of her traveling so far from the ranch house without him.
“I would prefer it if you stayed closer to the ranch,” he said.

“
Oh come on. Jake can go with me.” Indy smiled persuasively with a small pout. “I haven't been out to see Cal since I've come in. I'd like to see how he is doing.”

She knew she would go with or without his permission but it was fun seeing if he fell for the pout. Her grandpa and Sam never could resist it. She had gotten her way or out of trouble more than once with a flutter of her eyelashes and that tiny pout. She figured a girl had to use whatever weapons she had when it came to keeping the peace.

“Alright,” Jonathan agreed reluctantly. “Just make sure you take Jake with you. I don't want you riding alone.”

He didn’t have the heart to turn her down, especially with the way her bottom lip slid out so seductively begging him to nibble on it. Damned if he could tell her no even as everything inside him wanted to. It was an effort to pull his eyes away from the temptation and focus on the situation at hand.

“I promise,” she said, skipping down the stairs so she could brush a kiss across his lips. “You just be careful. I'm going to miss you tonight,” she whispered in his ear.

Jonathan wrapped his arms around her slender form, holding her tight and breathing in her fresh scent.
“I'll miss you as well,” he said tenderly. “We shouldn’t be more than a day, two at the most.”

Indy nodded.
“You need to remember I was raised on a working ranch,” she reminded him gently. “I understand when things like this happen. I’ll see you when you get back.”

“
Jonathan,” Jacob began uncomfortably. “You could stay. The boys and I can handle this.”

Jonathan took a reluctant step back, releasing Indy. He shook his head. He had left enough to his brother over the last few weeks. He knew Jacob was doing it so he could spend more time with Indy and appreciated it but as Indy said, she had been raised on a working ranch and understood the responsibilities involved.

“No, I’m riding with you,” he said firmly.

*.*.*

Several hours later, Indy sighed with joy at the feel of Midnight’s huge body under her. They moved as one as they galloped across the uneven terrain. Chester and Tweed loped off to the sides and Kahlua kicked up her heels every once in a while as she followed.

“
You have quite the animals, Indy,” Jake laughed as he watched the two dogs racing around each other with an overabundance of energy. “Do they ever get tired?”

“
They will be by the time we get home tonight,” Indy grinned back at her old friend. “They are enjoying getting out as much as I am.”

They slowed to a slow trot to give the dogs a chance to rest and to make it easier to talk. They rode in silence for several minutes before Jake spoke up again. He cleared his throat loudly before he spit to the side.

“I’m glad you came, Indy,” Jake started out gruffly. “Not only did you save me and Cal that day, you’ve been good for the boss. I don’t remember him looking so happy and content,” he added in his deep, gruff voice.

Indy leaned over and patted Midnight’s neck when he jumped a little when the dogs got a little too close. She thought about everything that had happened since she left Sam’s ranch over four months ago. It was hard to believe her life could change so much in such a short time, especially through an unusual
glitch caused by some strange natural phenomenon.

“
He’s not the only one who is happy,” she admitted with a blush. “I love him something fierce, Jake.”

Jake chuckled and nodded.
“I can tell,” he responded in a teasing voice. “You start glowing the minute he walks up. And I swear, he has been walking around with his head in the clouds ever since he met you.”

Indy
ducked her head to hide the pleased smile Jake’s words brought to her face. Jonathan had only said he loved her the one time, after the time they made love in his office. Her face warmed as she remembered it. She had thought he had said it in a moment of passion. She had been afraid to open herself up by telling him how she felt. She and her grandpa had loved each other but her grandpa had been a gruff old rancher like Jake and didn’t express his feelings in words. He always told her actions spoke louder than words. He said some of the best examples were the people who said they cared about you while stealing you blind. Her brothers were a perfect example of that. She had never spent much time around them and really didn’t know them except by what they did by selling the ranch without consulting her about it.

No,
she thought sadly,
the only ones who ever showed they really cared about me besides grandpa was Sam, Claire, and their kids.
Indy made up her mind she was going to tell Jonathan just how much she loved him when he got back tomorrow, before she lost her nerve.

“
Looks like Cal has left some coffee brewing for us,” Jake said with a relieved groan as he shifted in his saddle. “I sure could use a cup.”

Indy grinned as she saw the young cowpuncher riding slowly around the outside of the herd of grazing cattle.
“I’ll join you in a little bit. Come on, boys. Let’s go say hello to Cal,” she said before she let out a loud whistle and motioned with her hand for the boys to head for the cattle.

Both dogs took off like
bullets. Indy kicked her heels into Midnight and leaned low over his neck. Kahlua took off beside them, whinnying and nipping at Midnight who kicked up his back legs briefly. Indy laughed in joy at the playfulness of her creature friends. They needed this time out.

Cal waved in greeting as she rode up, a big smile plastered on his face.
“Hey Indy!” He called out.

“
Hi Cal,” Indy said as she brought Midnight up to a stop near him and turned him so she could watch the herd. “You haven’t been out here all this time have you? I thought Jonathan and Jacob only let you guys stay out a few weeks at a time?”

Cal grinned and nodded his head.
“They do. My ma and pa have a small place in town. I go there and help out when I’m not here,” he said. “One day I want to have a spread like this. We came out here when I was little, about the time the war started. My pa is a peaceful man and didn’t believe in fighting so he moved ma and me out here. He opened the trading post and they run it. My pa wants me to follow after him but I like being out in the open.”

“
Well, I think you are doing a great job,” she assured him. “So, you haven’t had any more problems with those rustlers, have you?”

“
No ma’am,” he said. “The one I shot showed up at Doc’s in town. Turned out he was wanted for deserting the Army and they came and got him. The other two with him took off. No one has seen them. Pa heard the men from the fort say they think the other two may have been deserters too. The Army has sent a couple of scouts out looking for them but it looks like they headed back East.”

Indy sat and chatted with Cal until his watch was over. They rode back over to where Jake
was chatting with another cowpuncher Indy hadn’t met yet. She nodded to the man as he stared at her with undisguised interest, his eyes roaming over her figure. She raised an eyebrow and stared back with a tight, grim expression on her face.

“
Ma’am,” the cowpuncher finally murmured before he tossed the remaining coffee in his cup into the fire where it hissed. “Nice talking with you, Jake,” the man said standing up and tipping his hat again to Indy before he walked away.

“
Who was that?” Indy asked watching the man suspiciously. There was something about him that made her uneasy.

Jake shrugged.
“We get men heading west passing through all the time. Some stop and work for a while, others just keep on going. This one came around a few days ago. He needed a job and we were down a couple men who decided to move on without telling us first,” he explained. He nodded his head toward the pot of coffee. “He makes a mean pot of coffee. Just made a pot if you want some.”

Cal rubbed his hands together.
“I sure could use some,” he said with a grin. “Indy, do you want any?”

Indy was still watching the man as he rode out toward the cattle. She shook her head, frowning. There was something off about him. The hair
on the back of her neck was practically standing on end.

“
No, I think I’ll pass,” she murmured.

“
Is it true, Indy? I heard you married Jonathan Tucker,” Cal said as he blew on his coffee before taking a deep drink of it. “The talk in town is he had you tied up tighter than a calf at branding and made the preacher marry you right on the spot.”

“
Shut up, boy,” Jake growled out as he watched Indy sink down on the log across the fire from them in shock.

“
Really?” Indy whispered before she began giggling. “I bet that gave the old ladies in town something to entertain them for a while! So, our marriage is the talk of the town, is it?”

Cal had the decency
to look embarrassed and drank the rest of his coffee in a couple of quick gulps. “We don’t get much excitement out here,” he muttered shifting uncomfortably. “If it helps, there were more than a few tears from some of the women in town, their ma’s, and more than one widow,” he said with a small smile.

Indy raised her eyebrow in inquiry.
“More than one widow?” She asked in interest.

Jake elbowed Cal and gave him a stern look before a huge yawn broke across his grizzled face.
“Damn, didn’t realize how tired I was,” he said with a frown.

Cal yawned at the same time.
“You aren’t the only one, Jake. I sure feel funny all the sudden,” Cal said in a slurred voice. “I thought coffee was supposed to help me keep alert.”

Indy looked at both men as they slid down
off the log they were sitting on onto the ground, the empty cups in their hands falling to the ground as they fell back unconscious. She jerked up startled, looking at both of them laying propped up against each other with their mouths open.