He’d seen C-4 explosives before, but not on a snowmobile. The way he saw it, he had two choices. He could walk away and leave the snowmobile out there and wait for Sean to arrive on horseback. That would mean putting Emma on the back of the horse to transport her to the ranch at a very slow pace while one of them stayed out in the cold until help could return. It would be dark soon and the temperature would drop rapidly.
Or he could take his chances, disarm the bomb and be on his way. He studied the mechanism and the wire leading to the starter. It looked like the electrical charge from the starter would be the catalyst to detonate the bomb. If he pulled the wire off the starter wire, it should disarm the bomb.
Then again, he wasn’t a bomb expert and he could blow himself up if he wasn’t careful.
Dante stared out across the land and there was no sign of Sean. He sent a prayer to
Wakantanka,
reached in, gripped the wire and pulled it loose. Blessed silence met him and he released the breath he’d been holding.
Carefully, so as not to bump the C-4 and the device, he lifted it off the engine and walked a hundred yards away from the snowmobile and set the explosives on the ground. When he returned to the snowmobile, he checked the ground for tracks.
Another snowmobile had been there, one with a chipped track. There was also a dark spot on the snow. He touched it with his finger and lifted it to his nose. Oil. The machine had been leaking oil.
Too worried about Emma to look further, he hurried back to his vehicle and went over it one more time with a very critical eye. Confident he hadn’t missed another cache of explosives, he climbed on, grit his teeth and hit the starter switch. The engine roared to life. Shifting into forward, he drove the vehicle along the rim of the canyon to the wider trail leading down to the bottom.
Emma was hunched over at the base of the overhang where he’d left her. Her cheeks were pale and her lips were turning blue. “Come on, sweetheart.” He helped her onto the seat and climbed in front of her. “Can you hold on?”
“I’ll do my b-best,” she said, her teeth chattering so hard it shook her entire body.
Slowly, he climbed the trail out of the canyon, holding on to her arm with one hand, steering the snowmobile with the other. When they reached the top, he realized Sweet Jessie had followed.
Dante left Emma on the snowmobile and tied the lead rope to the back of the vehicle. Moving slowly enough the horse could keep up on her sore hoof, he limped toward the ranch, a little at a time.
Fifteen minutes into their long trek back, snow began to fall. Out of the snow and clouds, Sean appeared on horseback.
Dante gave him a brief rundown of what had happened, speaking quietly enough so that Emma couldn’t overhear him. Then he passed Sweet Jessie’s lead rope to Sean and climbed onboard the snowmobile.
Emma leaned into him, her arms not nearly as tight, her face frighteningly pale. Dante drove as fast as he could without losing Emma off the back and pulled up in front of the house.
Rather than beep the little horn and upset his mother or brother, Dante dismounted, gathered Emma in his arms and carried her into the house.
Tuck met him at the door. “I thought I heard the snowmobile.” When he saw Dante was carrying Emma, he moved back. “What happened?”
“Trouble,” Dante said. “I’ll tell you all about it once I get her warm and dry. Is Mom awake?”
“Dante?” His mother appeared behind Tuck. “Oh, dear. What’s happened to Emma? Did she fall off the back of the snowmobile?”
Dante’s teeth ground together. “No, she slid into the canyon on a landslide. Someone call the sheriff.”
Chapter Twelve
She must have passed out on the way back to the ranch house. Once inside, the warmth surrounded her and she swam to the surface, nestled in Dante’s arms, a crowd of his family gathered around. Immediately embarrassed at being the center of attention, she struggled weakly against Dante’s hold.
“I can stand on my own,” she insisted. “Please, put me down.”
“Not happening,” Dante responded.
“Want to lay her on the couch?” his mother asked.
“No, she’s been through too much, riding a landslide all the way to the floor of the canyon.”
“Wow, and no broken bones?” Tuck shook his head. “She’s tough. Emma, you’ll fit right in around here.”
“Thanks,” she said, her heart warming along with her cheeks.
“Yeah, well, I can’t tell if anything is broken until we get her out of these clothes,” Dante said.
“Nothing’s broken,” Emma maintained. “Put me down. I can take care of myself.”
Dante’s mother clucked her tongue. “Now, Emma, sweetie, you’re practically family and you’ve been hurt. Let us fuss.”
“You’ve already had more than your share of injured family. You don’t need to worry about me. Pierce needs you more.”
“Someone call my name?” Pierce Thunder Horse appeared in the hallway holding an ice bag to his forehead.
“Pierce, what are you doing out of bed?” Roxanne hurried toward him, grabbed his arm and tried to steer him back down the hallway.
“I’m just fine, except for this knot on my head.” He removed the ice bag to display a goose egg–size lump on his forehead along with several other cuts and bruises and a black eye.
Emma felt like
he
looked and she almost laughed, but couldn’t because her ribs hurt and her lip was split. “If you’ll put me down, I’ll crawl into a shower and bed.”
“Dante, honey, carry her to the bathroom. I can help her out of that snowsuit and into a nice warm bath.”
At that moment, a warm bath sounded like heaven. Emma almost cried.
“I’ll take care of her,” Dante said.
“I’ll get her some hot cocoa, painkillers and warm a blanket.” Amelia whirled away.
The remaining members of his family and extended family stepped aside to allow Dante down the hallway. Too exhausted to argue, Emma leaned her cheek on his chest and closed her eyes.
“I’m going to set you on your feet. Think you can stand?” Dante asked.
Emma opened her eyes to discover they were in a bathroom with marble counters and a big mirror. One look at her wild, tangled hair and she groaned. “I’m a mess.”
A chuckle rose up his chest and shook against her body. “How are you supposed to look after falling off a cliff?”
She sighed, tilting her head toward the mirror. “Better than this.”
“I happen to think you look great. Here, let me have your coat.” He unzipped the insulated jacket and eased it off her arms. “Okay so far?”
She smiled. “So far so good.” Reaching for the waistband of her snow pants she tried to unzip them, her fingers fumbling with the zipper.
“Let me.” He took over, sliding the zipper down and then shoving the pants off her legs, leaving her standing in jeans with her thermal underwear beneath.
Emma closed her eyes again and laughed. “Nothing says sexy like nine layers of clothing and thermal underwear.”
Dante removed the jeans, slipping them down over her long johns “I happen to find women in thermal underwear very sexy.” As if to prove it, he skimmed a hand along the side of her legs from her calves all the way up the outside of her thighs as he rose from helping her out of her jeans. When he straightened, he rested his hands on her hips. “Ready to take off the rest?”
Exhaustion disappeared as a blast of adrenaline-powered lust ripped through her, making her pulse race and her blood burn through her body.
“Shower or bath?” he asked, his hand on the hem of her shirt.
The tub was barely big enough for one person to stretch out, but plenty big enough if they stood. “Shower.”
She lifted her arms, grimacing at the twinge of pain in her ribs. Her shirt and undershirt slid up over her head and then was dropped to the floor.
Dante turned to switch the water on in the shower and adjusted the temperature. Then he helped her out of her thermal underwear. When she finally stood in nothing but her bra and panties, Dante’s gaze swept over her from head to toe.
“Oh, baby, you really did get beat up.”
It wasn’t what she wanted to hear. His words only meant she looked like hell.
But he bent to kiss a bruise on her shoulder that was already turning a deep shade of purple. He shifted to kiss another bruise on her arm, and across to press a kiss to the swell of her right breast where a strawberry mark indicated yet another.
“They don’t hurt,” she assured him.
When he straightened and stared down at her, Emma’s heart sank.
“Much as I’d love to kiss you all over, you need your rest.”
“I’m okay, really.” Afraid she might sound too needy, she tried to reach behind her to unhook her bra and winced.
Dante turned her around and flipped the hooks open.
Her breasts spilled free and she let the straps slide down her arms. “Join me,” she whispered.
His hand slid up her arms and cupped her cheeks. “Not tonight. I couldn’t bear it if I hurt you more. I really think we should take you to Bismarck to the hospital and have them look you over.”
Emma shook her head. “I’m only bruised.”
He stared hard at her, his eyes narrowed. Finally he sighed. “You’re very tempting, do you know that?”
She shook her head.
“But you’ve been through hell.” He backed toward the door, his lips firming into a straight line. “Get in there and get your shower while I find something for you to wear.”
Emma slid out of her underwear in front of him. Still, he didn’t take her up on the invitation. Instead, he turned and walked out, closing the door firmly behind him.
Disgruntled and too tired to do anything about it, Emma stepped behind the shower curtain, washed and rinsed her hair and ran a soapy washcloth over her entire body until she had all the grit washed away.
When she stepped out of the shower to dry off, a flannel pajama top lay on the counter. The top was big enough to fit several of her in it. She lifted it to her nose and sniffed. It smelled like Dante. Quickly slipping into it, she discovered why there were no pants to go with it. The shirt hung down past her buttocks and halfway down her thighs. A pair of her panties and her brush lay beside the shirt. Soon, she had brushed the tangles out of her hair and was dressed enough to leave the bathroom and step out into the hallway.
Several doors lined the wall. Dressed in nothing more than a big shirt, she didn’t feel up to facing the family, but she didn’t know where else to go but the living room where she’d slept the night before.
“Oh, good, you’re out.” Amelia appeared at the end of the hallway. She hurried to Emma’s side and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Come on, let’s get you into bed. I’m sure you’re past exhausted.”
Hustled to the second door on the right, Emma went with the woman, thankful she didn’t have to face the rest of the family. All she wanted was a big painkiller and a really soft bed.
And if she had all her wishes...Dante lying beside her, holding her.
Amelia flung open the door and ushered her into the room. The bed was a big four-poster with a goose down comforter and a handmade quilt folded at the foot of the bed. The blankets were pulled back and crisp white sheets beckoned to her.
“Climb in, sweetie. There’s a glass of water on the nightstand and a couple of pain pills to ease your discomfort.”
“Thank you.” Emma crawled into the bed and lay back on the pillows.
Amelia tucked the blanket around her and smoothed her damp hair back from her face. “You poor thing. What a way to start your visit on the ranch. Don’t be too put off. It’s not always so crazy around here. We go for years without any excitement.”
Emma touched the woman’s hand, a wave of longing washing over her. She missed having a mother and being taken care of. If she wasn’t careful, it would be too easy to get used to it. “I’m sure it’s lovely.”
“There now, get some rest.”
“Mrs. Thunder Horse?”
“Please, call me Amelia. All my daughters-in-law call me that.”
A guilty twinge lodged in her throat. Emma swallowed hard. “Where’s Dante?”
“Sean got back with Sweet Jessie. He and Tuck are helping doctor her hoof.”
“Oh, good.”
“He’ll be in as soon as they have her settled.” Amelia turned out the overhead light, leaving the lamp lit on the nightstand. “If you need anything, just yell.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Thunder Horse.”
She smiled. “Amelia. Please, call me Amelia. ‘Mrs. Thunder Horse’ is a mouthful.”
“Amelia,” Emma complied, liking the woman’s open friendliness.
When Dante’s mother left her alone, she took the pain pills and washed them down with water, then lay back, wishing she felt good enough to go out to the barn and watch as they helped the injured horse.
She assumed she was in Dante’s room. The sheets smelled like him and the decor was subtle shades of blues and browns. Very masculine, yet homey.
Several pictures lined the walls of Dante and his brothers at various ages. One was of all four boys holding up fishing poles and their catches. Another was of Dante, rifle in hand, kneeling on one knee next to what appeared to be a mule deer he’d bagged. He had a serious look on his face, but she could see the happiness and triumph in his eyes.
The last picture was of Dante wearing army dress blues, his back straight, shoulders squared, hair short and an American flag in the background. He looked proud, and so handsome Emma’s heart pounded.
As the time passed, her pulse slowed, her eyelids drifted closed and she wondered where Dante would be sleeping when he finally came in.
* * *
D
ANTE
DRAGGED
HIMSELF
into the house well after ten o’clock. The sheriff had come and Dante gave his statement about the explosion, the landslide and the explosives he found in his snowmobile. Once Yost left, Dante, Sean and Tuck had spent the next couple of hours working in the barn with the injured mare.
Sweet Jessie had been spooked about being herded into a stall when she’d been used to roaming the plains free. They had finally given her a mild sedative so that he and Sean could work on her sore hoof pad while Tuck held her head. Once they’d drained the abscess, they applied a poultice, gave her feed and water, and watched for a while to ensure she didn’t kick the poultice loose.
All the while he’d been concentrating on healing the horse, Dante pushed what had happened that day in the canyon to the back of his mind.
Now that he was done and on his way back to the house, memories of the day flooded him. The one that stood out most in his mind was of Emma tumbling down the very steep wall of the canyon all the way to the bottom.
He hurried into the house.
His mother met him in the kitchen with a plate of food and a mug of coffee. “She’s in your bed, asleep. You might as well eat and shower.”
Tuck and Sean joined him at the table and he gave them the more detailed description of what had happened, and about the explosives still sitting out on the plains. By the time the sheriff had arrived at the ranch house, darkness had settled in and the snow was falling in earnest. He’d determined it was too dangerous to go hunting for explosives that could be buried under the snow by now. Especially in the dark. He’d call the state police and ask for the assistance of a bomb-sniffing dog. Hopefully, they’d get out there the next day and retrieve the explosive device before anyone else was hurt.
“Want me to call in the FBI bomb squad?” Tuck asked.
Dante considered his offer. “It might not be a bad idea. Is there any way to trace the C-4?”
“Not if they pulled all the packaging off it before deploying it.”
Dante shook his head. “It was all clay.”
“Maybe we can pull fingerprints from the clay, the detonation device or your snowmobile.”
“Did you run the names I gave you by your guys at the bureau?” Dante asked.
“They’re conducting a background check on Monty Langley and Theron Price, the two speculators Hank mentioned, I’m having them run a check on Ryan Yost, the sheriff’s son. I haven’t heard anything yet.”
“Yost has a plane. Have them run a check on flight plans in and out of Grand Forks.” Dante’s hand tightened around his coffee mug. “We have to find who’s doing this before someone gets killed.” Especially if that someone was Emma. “I think it’s pretty apparent that whoever’s doing this is targeting the Thunder Horses.”
Tuck nodded. “Unfortunately, Emma was collateral damage.”
That’s what had Dante worried. “Who else is going to be caught in the cross fire until we resolve this situation?”
“I don’t know, but I’m as afraid for Julia and Lily as you are for Emma. I keep wondering if I should send them away until all this dies down.”
“What about your mother?” Sean added. “She’s liable to get hurt, too.”
Amelia entered the room. “Who’s liable to get hurt?”
Sean leaped to his feet and offered her his chair. “Please, sit.”
“Thank you.” She smiled up at him as she took the seat. “You’re such a gentleman.”
Sean winked at her. “I only offer my seat to beautiful women.”
Dante was stunned to see his mother’s face flush a pretty pink. It made her appear twenty years younger.
She jumped right into their conversation with “Are you three talking about all that’s been happening?”
“Yes, we have,” Tuck said. “We think you and the ladies should leave the ranch until this situation is resolved.”
She glared at the men. “I’ll do no such thing. This is my home. I won’t be run out of it.”
“Amelia, we don’t want you hurt,” Sean said. “We think the boys are being targeted for some reason. The women might get caught in between.”
“Well, I think it’s up to us to decide what we want to do about it.” Dante’s mother lifted her chin and challenged the others with a pointed stare. “I’ve lived more than half my life here on this ranch. I won’t be bought out, sold out or forced off by anyone. This little piece of heaven is my sons’ heritage. Their father and I held on to it for them.”