Indiana Wild (Spirit Pass Book 1) (21 page)

Allie, who had been pushed to the side by Jacob, stepped out of the small alcove. She walked up to Jacob and smacked him in the chest
to get his attention. She waited a moment before she reached up with both of her hands to grip his cheeks. She didn’t give him a chance to say anything before she pressed her lips to his in a fierce kiss that lasted only a few seconds before she pushed him away.

“
If you ever - and I mean ever – do a stupid stunt like pushing me out of the way and putting yourself in danger again, I’ll bust you in the gut,” she growled out before walking over to see how Indy was doing.

Trey stood looking at Sam’s petite, dark haired daughter with a grin on his face before turning to look at the stunned expression on Jacob’s face.
“You know, she’ll do it too. I once saw her break a chair over a guy who thought he could beat his girlfriend at the local bar. She beat the shit out of the guy with it.”

Jacob just stood watching Allie with a silly grin on his face. Hell, she could get pissed at him any time if that was how she wanted to let him know she was mad. He wasn’t about to complain, not one damn bit!

Jonathan stood holding Indy, rubbing her back and whispering how much he loved her. He had tried to convince her to let him set her down and get behind him but she was trembling so badly he realized she probably wouldn’t be able to stand on her own. He also realized almost immediately that the situation appeared to be under control. Jacob had them covered, Trey was talking quietly to the man who had been coming after Indy, and no one else came out of the door she had run from. Jonathan assumed the man must have been the one Trey told them about. He really didn’t give a damn. He was just relieved to have Indy back in his arms.

“I don’t like your world very much,” Jonathan murmured softly in her ear. “As soon as we can get back to Sam’s ranch, I’m taking you home.”

Indy shuddered as another wave of adrenaline caused from the fight or flight reaction swept through her.
“I don’t like my world very much either,” she admitted with a shaky voice. “I was so scared you would think I wanted to come back. I didn’t.”

Jonathan tilted her chin up and brushed his lips against hers. The soft, trembling breath that caressed his lips pulled a groan from him. He pressed a hard kiss to her lips only pulling back when she winced in pain. His eyes narrowed on the bruise on her chin and the slight swelling of her lip where Hammock had struck her.

His eyes darkened dangerously. “Who hit you?” He bit out harshly, gently examining her face.

Indy shook her head and gave him a shaky smile.
“I told him you would want to kill him. You don’t have to worry, I gave him a dose of his own medicine,” she said with a twinkle in her eye at the inside joke.

Jonathan’s mouth tightened in anger.
“Who hit you, Indy?” He asked again in a low, dangerous tone.

“
Leave it be, Jonathan,” Indy said with a tired sigh. She could feel her body on the precipice of crashing and burning from too much adrenaline and not enough rest. “Jonathan, hold me,” she whispered as her eyes suddenly felt like someone had put lead weights on them and her muscles turned to jelly.

“
Shit! Indy!” Jonathan cried out as her head suddenly rolled back and she folded.

*.*.*

“Aleaha said all Indy needs is a few days of rest,” Allie murmured, brushing Indy’s hair back from her forehead. “She knows what she is talking about, Jonathan. I promise. She would never do anything to hurt Indy.”

“
It’s been almost two days!” Jonathan exclaimed, lifting Indy’s delicate looking hand to his lips.

“
Yes, and she has been through a lot,” Claire said in a gentle voice. “Come downstairs and I’ll fix you something to eat. You haven’t eaten hardly anything since you got back.”

Jonathan looked at the three women staring down at him as he lay on the bed at the Whitewater ranch. One of the paramedics had checked Indy out and said except for the bruise on her chin, she appeared to be fine. She was just exhausted. Afterwards, Allie had convinced Trey into letting her borrow his SUV so they could get back to the airport and fly home. She promised him they would be available for any testimony that the FBI might need but she wanted Aleaha to check Indiana out. Trey had gotten approval on the condition that none of them left the country. Jonathan and Jacob agreed, after all where they were going was still part of the U. S. as far as they were concerned.

It had been late the day before last when they touched down. Sam, Claire, and Aleaha had met them at the hanger. Jonathan had carried Indy, refusing to release her to anyone else. Even once they were back at the ranch house and he had laid Indy down in the bedroom he’d had before, he refused to leave. Aleaha had checked Indy thoroughly under Jonathan’s watchful eye. Once she affirmed the paramedic's diagnosis, he had sent everyone from the room. He locked the bathroom door between his room and his brother’s room before he gently peeled Indy’s dirty clothes from her body. He took his time washing every speck of her soft, delicate skin, even washing her hair. She slept through the entire thing, not even moving when he washed and rinsed the silky strands. He had taken his time drying her as well, memorizing her body all over again as he made sure for himself that she had not suffered any other physical injury.

The time he spent caring for her pulled at something deep inside him making him realize he could never live without her. After he was done, he slid into the bed beside her and drew her against his long, hard length, holding her as if he would never let her go again.

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.”