CHRISTMAS AT THUNDER HORSE RANCH (10 page)

Sean, Hank and Florence all congratulated them at once, shaking Dante’s hand and coming around the table to hug Emma, before resuming their original positions.

“That’s just wonderful.” Florence clapped her hands, her eyes shining. “Young love is so beautiful. But seriously, let me see the ring. You know it’s all about the ring. It tells a lot about the man giving it.”

Emma’s face blanched even more, and then turned a bright red.

Dante hadn’t even thought about a ring until that moment and he could see how uncomfortable Emma was with all the attention the lie had brought. “Shh, Florence, you’ll spoil the surprise.” He gave her a conspiratorial wink.

Florence frowned at first and then slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, yeah. Christmas is right around the corner.”

Disaster averted, Dante took Emma’s hand and held it in his like a newly engaged man would. Her fingers were stiff and cold. “But enough about us.” Dante leaned his other elbow on the table. “What’s going on around here?”

Hank and Florence were more than willing to fill him in on all the happenings of the small community. Frank and Eliza Miller had another baby. That would make five. Jess Blount and Emily Sanders got married a couple of months ago and were already expecting. Old Vena Bradley passed in her sleep last week, and her daughters aren’t talking to each other because they can’t agree on who gets what of the deceased’s Depression-era glass collection.

Dante listened, bearing with the litany of social gossip, recognizing most of the names.

A customer at another table waved at Florence.

“I gotta get back to work. Yell if you need anything.” She hurried off to pour coffee and deliver orders for the customers.

Turning to Hank, Dante asked, “How are things in town? Any new businesses or old ones that closed? Any new people you’ve seen around?”

“The Taylors finally sold their hardware store to a couple from Fargo. The old sawmill closed just before Halloween, and that abandoned hotel building sold to an investor from Minneapolis, and he’s been renovating it.” Hank paused to breathe, then launched into more. “I think it’s because of the oil speculators who’ve been here off and on for the past six months, trying to buy up land.”

“Same oil speculators that were here last summer?” Dante asked.

“Yes, and some new ones,” Hank said.

Sean’s brows furrowed. “Your mother didn’t tell you about them? They’ve been out to the ranch several times, one in particular, that Langley fellow. He’s bad about showing up whenever he likes. No matter how many times she tells him she’s not selling the ranch or mineral rights, he keeps coming back. It’s part of the reason she’s having the security cameras and an alarm system installed.”

Dante leaned forward. “What about the accidents out at the ranch? Do you think the speculators are responsible? Could they be trying to scare my mother into selling?”

Sean crossed his arms. “It would take a lot more than that to scare your mother into selling. She’s feisty and doesn’t let much slow her down.” He chuckled. “That woman has more spunk than most eighteen-year-olds.”

“But the ranch is a big responsibility for a lone woman, with Maddox gone a great deal of time,” Dante observed.

Sean bristled. “I’m out there as much as I can be. I guess I could insist on her coming to town with me when I go for feed and supplies. I wouldn’t mind the company. And those accidents could be just that—accidents. The barn door could have been working its way loose. You know how bad the winds are out here. And the hay was green when we put it in the barn. It could have caught fire due to spontaneous combustion.”

Dante knew green hay could catch fire. That’s why they usually were careful to let it dry before baling. He understood the hay had to be baled sooner because, after they’d cut the hay, a rainstorm had been predicted and they had to get it baled before the rain. “But to have two accidents like that in one week...” Dante shook his head.

The foreman shrugged. “The sheriff didn’t find any evidence of tampering that could account for the door or the hay. We were just lucky no one was hurt.”

“No footprints or fingerprints?”

“It rained late the night before the door fell. If someone loosened the hinges, it was before the rain. All footprints would have been washed away.”

“What about the fire? Anyone out at the ranch that shouldn’t have been?”

Sean’s lips tightened. “Your mother was out on a date, and I was on my way back from the feed store when it started.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Dante held up his hand. “My mother was out on a date?”

Sean didn’t respond.

But Hank did. “Sheriff Yost has been courtin’ your mother. I’ve heard him say on more than one occasion that he wants to marry her. He told Florence he’s been in love with Amelia since before she married your father, back when she sang in the
Medora Musical
in the summer.”

“I didn’t think she was that serious about the man.”

“He’s persistent,” Hank said. “I’ll give him that.”

Sean scowled. “I don’t know what she sees in him. She deserves better than that.”

Dante studied the foreman. Something in his tone made him sound almost jealous.

Emma, who had been sitting quietly during the entire conversation, sat forward. “Are the oil speculators still in town?”

“Yeah. Some of them have rooms in the part of the hotel that’s been newly renovated.”

“What do you know about the security system Mom’s having installed?” Dante asked.

“All I know is that Ryan, Sheriff Yost’s son, started putting it in a couple of weeks ago, but he’s waiting for some cameras that were back-ordered.”

“I didn’t know Ryan was back in this area. Didn’t his mother take him to live on the Rosebud Reservation way back when she divorced Yost?”

Hank rubbed his hands together like a man staring at a particularly tasty meal. “I spoke with Ryan myself. He left the rez when he was eighteen, spent four years enlisted in the army, deployed to Afghanistan, got out and went to work as a security guard contracted to construction teams in Afghanistan for a couple of years. When he came back to North Dakota, he went to work for a man who installed security systems. About a year ago, his boss retired. Ryan took over this region for the security company. His territory is pretty much everything from Bismarck west. I think he’s even got Minot.”

“Is he based out of Medora?”

“For now. But he’s on the road a lot. He even bought an old plane he uses to get back and forth faster. Got his pilot license so he can fly it himself.”

“That boy seems to be doing something with his life,” Sean said. “Not all of the boys from the rez are equally successful.”

Dante knew that. His great-grandfather had moved off the reservation when he was old enough to leave. Though his heart remained with the Lakota people, he knew he had to get away to make a life for himself and his family.

“The boy doesn’t look much like Sheriff Yost. Got more of his mother in him. Some of us wondered if he really was Yost’s son. When his wife left him to return to the reservation, she didn’t want anything to do with Yost, and Ryan never visited his father.”

“Where is Ryan now?”

“I heard he had a job in Bismarck,” Hank said. “Should be back later today. He’s staying at the hotel they’re converting. I think that’s where the oil speculator is staying, as well.”

Dante sat back, digesting all the information he’d been given. “Anything else going on around here that should raise some red flags?”

Sean grinned. “We’d like to hear more about what happened to you. We saw pictures of the crashed helicopter. You know it’s only a matter of time before your mother finds out about it.”

“Hopefully, by being here, she won’t get upset. She’ll see that I’m all right and let it go.”

Sean grinned. “Don’t bet on it. Amelia will be calling your boss to tell him you can’t fly anymore.”

Dante could imagine his mother doing that. Almost. She had never been happy about the danger her sons faced in their chosen career fields, but she respected their decisions and was as proud as any mother over her sons’ accomplishments.

Pushing back his chair, Dante stood and held out a hand to Emma. “I have a few errands to run before I head back.”

“Anything I can do for you?” Sean rose to his feet, as well.

“If you need feed, you might want to load some in the back of the SUV I rented. Emma and I will be back shortly and we can get back to the ranch.”

“We could use more feed for the horses.”

Dante tossed the keys to the foreman and helped Emma into her jacket. “Good to see you, Hank.”

Florence passed by and he stopped her to give her a hug. “Good to see you, too, Florence. You’re as beautiful as ever.”

“Oh, now, Dante, you know how to make an old woman swoon.” Her cheeks were flushed and she hugged him back.

Grabbing Emma’s gloved hand, he made his way through the tables to the door.

Before Dante stepped out of the diner, his cell phone rang. The caller ID screen had
Mom
in bright letters. He answered, “Hi, Mom. How’s Pierce?”

“The doctor’s already discharged him. Can you believe it? I tried to get him to keep him for another day, but he said he was too disruptive to the hospital staff and that he’d be better off recuperating at home. We’re already on the interstate and should be home in less than three hours, if the Great Spirit is willing and the roads stay clear.”

“Who’s driving?” he asked, knowing Pierce would hate letting someone else do the driving.

“Roxanne.” His mother chuckled. “Pierce wanted to, but she told him to be quiet and lie down.”

“What about Tuck?”

“He’s headed home as well, but later this afternoon. He had some things he wanted to check on at his office. Then he, Julia and Lily will be on their way home for the holidays.”

“What are you coming in?”

“We rented a four-wheel-drive vehicle for two weeks, or until the insurance company can make heads or tails out of what happened to Pierce’s truck.”

“Did you test the brakes?”

His mother snorted. “Tuck got under the hood, then under the car itself to check the brakes. He reported that everything looked serviceable. No leaking fluid or broken lines.”

“Good. I’d like to have all of my family home for Christmas.”

“Yes, and won’t it be wonderful with everyone there. And now that you have Emma, our little family is complete and growing.”

Dante’s teeth ground together, but he held his tongue. Why ruin his mother’s Christmas? She seemed thrilled that he’d found a woman to share his life.

His gaze shot to Emma walking beside him, her collar pulled up, her long brown curls whipping around her face. He was certain she didn’t have a clue how beautiful she was.

She turned her head, catching him staring at her and she stumbled on the sidewalk. “What?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he said. “I was just thinking how glad I am you decided to come with me. I hope you enjoy my family as much as they’re sure to enjoy you.”

Emma blinked up at him, long strands of rich chocolate hair dancing around her face. “You think they will?”

“Positive.” He took her gloved hand in his and pulled her into the curve of his arm.

They walked the rest of the way to the little hotel which exterior looked brand-new. Once they entered the lobby area, Emma realized it still had a lot of work to go on the interior.

“May I help you?” a bored young woman asked.

“Can you tell me if Ryan Yost is in his room?”

“No.” The woman smacked her gum, gave Dante a sweeping glance and smiled up at him. “I have empty rooms. Need one?”

Dante gave her his most charming smile. “Maybe.”

Chapter Ten

The young lady’s face flushed with pleasure and she batted her eyes.

Emma’s own knees weakened when Dante turned up the wattage on his smile. Normally dark and intense, when he smiled it changed his entire appearance.

In his photo with Samantha, he’d smiled like this. Emma found herself wishing she could bring back the happiness he’d felt before he’d lost the love of his life. What would it be like to be loved so completely by a man like Dante?

Dante leaned over the counter toward the blushing girl. “Nicole? Is that your name?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Such a pretty name for a pretty girl.”

Nicole pressed one hand to her chest and brushed her long blond hair back behind her ear. “Thank you.”

“I’m—”

Nicole raised her hand. “Don’t tell me. You’re a Thunder Horse. I can tell by your features. You look a lot like Maddox.”

Dante inclined his head. “That’s right, Maddox is my brother. I’m Dante.” He turned toward Emma. “And this is Emma. We’re Ryan’s friends,” Dante said, twisting the pen on the counter between his long, dark fingers. “It’s been a long time since we’ve seen him and we just wanted to say hello.”

“Oh, is that all?” Her lips spread in a smile and she played with the ends of her hair. “He’s been living here since they got room 207 finished. But he’s not there right now. When he left this morning, he said he wouldn’t be back until around noon.”

“That’s all we needed to know.” Dante straightened and winked at the girl. “If you have a pen and a little piece of paper, I could leave a note on his door to contact us when he gets back in.”

Nicole immediately dug beneath the counter and surfaced a pad of sticky notes and an extra pen, scribbling something on the top note. “Will this do?” She slid the pad and pen across the counter.

She’d written her phone number on the top page and the words
call me
beneath.

“Perfectly.” Dante winked again, gathered the items and looked around.

“The stairs are behind the potted plant.” Nicole pointed to a fake ficus tree in the corner of the lobby. “First floor up, second door on the right.”

“Thank you.” He turned to Emma. “Do you mind waiting here, sweetheart? I’ll only be a minute.”

Her heart skipped a couple of beats at the endearment before she remembered it was all part of the ruse. “I’ll wait here.” Emma darted a glance at the blonde.

Nicole watched Dante disappear around the corner before she turned her attention back to Emma. The young lady’s brows rose and her lip curled in a little sneer. “Dante’s from here. I’d recognize the Thunder Horse name and those beautiful cheekbones anywhere.” Her gaze slid over Emma. “But you must be new around here.”

Emma nodded. “I live in Grand Forks. I’m...” She didn’t know whether or not to announce that she was Dante’s fiancée. The lie didn’t come easily to her lips. “I’m here visiting the Thunder Horse family.”

Her brows furrowing, Nicole tilted her head. “Is Dante the Thunder Horse brother that just got engaged?” Her eyes narrowed as she surveyed Emma anew. “Are you the fiancée?”

Damn, word spread like wildfire in the small town. “Y-yes,” Emma acknowledged. Then she straightened her shoulders and spoke with more conviction. “It was so sudden. He surprised me yesterday with his proposal. I’m still getting used to the idea.” Forcing a smile to her lips, she pretended to be the giddy bride. Okay, so he hadn’t proposed, but had gone directly to announcing their engagement. But she had been surprised. “I was so shocked, I barely knew what to say.”

Nicole snorted. “Obviously you said yes.” Her gaze shifted to Emma’s hand. “What? No ring? What a shame.”

Emma’s cheeks heated and she stuffed her hand in her pocket. “Not yet.” She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper as she used Florence’s supposition. “Could be what he’s planning for Christmas.” There, it wasn’t a complete lie. By the time the holidays were over, the engagement would be broken.

But for now, she could pretend, and Nicole could back off her flirting with Emma’s pretend fiancé.

Two workmen entered the lobby carrying a heavy roll of carpet.

Nicole left her position and hurried down the hallway to open a door for them.

Two more men entered the lobby, both wearing suits and expensive-looking trench coats. When they spotted Emma, the first man smiled.

“Well, what have we here?” The man stuck out his hand. “I’m Monty Langley, my partner here is Theron Price. And you are?”

Emma ignored the outstretched hand still encased in black leather gloves. “I’m Emma.”

“Emma, Emma, Emma.” The man leaned on the counter, his gaze traveling from the tip of her head to the snow boots on her feet. Glad she wore several layers of clothes, she raised her brows.

“Are you checking in to the hotel?” Monty asked.

“No.”

“No? Well, would you care to have a drink with me later? I’m sure we can find a bar around here somewhere.”

“No, thank you.” She hoped he’d get the hint.

“Well darn, and here I thought things were looking up in this godforsaken little hellhole.”

“I guess you were wrong.” She smiled and turned away, watching his movements through her peripheral vision.

The man’s eyes narrowed and he glanced at his partner. “Come on, Theron. I have a bottle of whiskey in my room.” As he walked down the first floor corridor, he shot back over his shoulder. “And they say the people are friendly in North Dakota.”

“To friendly people, not jackasses,” Emma muttered.

“I heard that,” Langley said.

Once the two men disappeared into a room down the hall, Emma took the opportunity to escape up the stairs to room 207.

Dante wasn’t anywhere in sight, and the door to room 207 was slightly ajar.

She pushed through and entered. “Dante?” she whispered. The room was dark, the drapes pulled over the window. Clothes were strewn across the floor and bed, and the trash can was overflowing with empty food containers. She couldn’t make out Dante’s form in the shadowy interior.

A hand clamped over her mouth from behind and she was pulled back against a hard chest.

Emma’s pulse leaped and she drew her arm forward to slam into her attacker’s gut. Before she could, warm breath caressed her ear.

“Shh,” Dante whispered, his lips brushing the skin beneath her earlobe. He dropped his hand to her shoulder and squeezed. “I’m almost done here.”

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

“Looking around.”

Was he crazy? “Isn’t that breaking and entering?”

“Only if you get caught.” Dante shrugged. “Besides, the door wasn’t locked.”

“Still, Nicole could come up and find you. Or worse, what if Ryan Yost were to walk in?”

“He hasn’t, has he?”

“Yet. Langley and Price, the two oil speculators, showed up downstairs.”

“Really? Maybe we should talk to them.”

“I have no desire to. Langley hit on me.”

Dante tipped her chin. “The man has good taste.”

“We should leave now.”

“And we will.” He checked out the door, then dragged her out behind him. He closed the door and attached a sticky note to the outside.

Dante barely gave her time to read the note before he was tugging her down the hallway and the staircase.

Langley and Price hadn’t come out of their room and Nicole was still down the hallway with the workmen when Dante and Emma headed for the exit.

A dark-skinned man with a military haircut and piercing dark eyes pushed through the door before they could escape. His eyes narrowed for such a brief moment Emma almost didn’t notice.

He stopped in front of them, blocking their exit. “You’re one of the Thunder Horse brothers, right?” He held out his hand. “Ryan Yost.”

Emma’s heart dropped into her belly. It had been this man’s room they’d been in. Had he arrived a minute earlier, he’d have caught them.

Dante gripped the man’s hand and gave him a cool, calm smile. How could he act so nonchalant when Emma had to clench her hands into fists to keep them from shaking?

“Last time I saw you, you were a skinny little kid in the fifth grade,” Dante said.

Ryan nodded, his lips curling into a smirk. “Yeah, that would have been right before my mother divorced the sheriff and we moved to the rez. Are you back in Medora for good?”

Dante shook his head. “No, I’m only here to visit family.”

“Of course.” Ryan glanced around. “Were you looking for me?”

“As a matter of fact, I was. My mother wanted to know when you might be back out to finish installing her security system.”

“Right. I’ve been waiting for the cameras I ordered to come in. I expected them today, but apparently they were delayed. I should be out there tomorrow to install them.”

“That’s great. I’ll let her know.”

“I was surprised she wanted a system installed,” Ryan noted. “Most folks around here leave their doors unlocked.”

“Times have changed,” Dante said.

“Yes, they have. It’s been good for my business, anyway.”

“I suppose so.” Dante glanced toward the exit. “I better let you get back to what you were doing. We’ll see you at the ranch tomorrow.”

Ryan stepped aside, allowing them to pass. “You can count on it.”

Back outside in the cold, Emma pulled her collar up around her neck. “What the hell was that all about?”

Dante’s lips firmed. “Someone’s trying to hurt the Thunder Horse family. I want to know who.”

“You think Ryan Yost is the man behind it?”

“I don’t know at this point. That’s why I wanted to talk to him. Since he wasn’t around and the door was unlocked, I thought I’d check out his living quarters and get a feel for the guy.”

“I thought you knew him.”

“He’s a year younger than me. I knew him vaguely when we were in grade school, but, like he said, his mother divorced Sheriff Yost and took him to the reservation before he left the fifth grade. I haven’t seen him since.”

Dante grabbed her hand and headed back toward the SUV parked in front of the diner.

Sean was waiting inside and stepped out when Dante approached. “Ready?”

“Yup.” Holding up his hand, Dante said, “I’ll drive.”

Sean tossed the keys and Dante caught them, hit the unlock button on the fob, then helped Emma into the passenger seat before going around to the driver’s side. Sean slid into the backseat.

On the drive back to the ranch, Sean filled Dante in on other information about the happenings at the ranch.

“The wild horses have moved into the canyon. I spotted a mare with a limp. I think it was the one your brother calls Sweet Jessie. I’d like to get out there and check on her sometime today if possible and bring her back if she needs doctoring.”

“She had a foal last spring, didn’t she?”

“Yes. He’s doing good on his own, but I’m worried about her.”

“Perhaps I can help out.” He turned to Emma. “Have you ever ridden a horse?”

Emma shook her head. “Sorry.” Life on a ranch was so far out of her league. “Isn’t it kind of cold to be out riding?”

Dante’s lips twisted into a wry smile. “North Dakota ranchers don’t get any breaks. The animals always come first.”

“You’re right.” Nevertheless, a chill slithered down Emma’s spine. “I’d like to go. Is it hard to ride a horse if you’ve never done it?”

Sean laughed from the backseat and Dante smiled. “The dead of winter might not be the best time to learn. If you want to go out with us, I could take a snowmobile. Sean will need to ride a horse in order to lead Sweet Jessie back if she needs tending.”

Feeling inadequate, Emma felt the heat rise in her cheeks. “I don’t want to slow you down.”

“Not at all. If anything, we can get out to Sweet Jessie sooner than Sean and assess the situation. By the time Sean gets there, we’ll have her roped and ready for him to lead her back, if need be.”

Mollified, Emma nodded. “Okay. I would like very much to go, as long as I’m not in the way.”

By the time they reached the ranch, Emma was feeling more relaxed around Sean and Dante, listening to their plans for what needed done before the next big storm rolled in.

When they drove up the driveway to the ranch house, Dante said, “Oh, good. The family made it.”

Three vehicles stood out front—a shiny new SUV, a big ranch truck with knobby tires and a white SUV with the markings of Billings County Sheriff written in bold letters on the side.

Once again, her nerves got the better of her and she took her time climbing out of the vehicle.

“Looks like the sheriff arrived with them.” Sean headed for the house ahead of them.

“What’s he doing here?” Dante muttered as he climbed out. He walked around the side of the SUV, his face tight, and hooked Emma’s elbow, leaning close. “Don’t worry. My family doesn’t bite...much.”

“I’m not worried about teeth marks. I just don’t like leading them on.”

“As far as they’re concerned, we’re engaged. I don’t see any need to tell them different.”

“But it’s a lie.”

Dante stopped and faced her, holding her gloved hands in his, smiling. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll tell them we decided to hold off on the engagement so we can spend more time getting to know each other.”

Emma sighed. “I would feel a lot better. Thanks.”

Dante pulled her arm through his and walked with her toward the house.

Sheriff Yost emerged from the house as they walked up the steps.

The older man stuck out his hand. “Dante, glad you could make it home.”

“Sheriff.” Dante shook the man’s hand. “I’m glad to be home.”

“I just stopped by to see that your mother made it home all right.” The sheriff plunked his hat on his head. “Well, I better get back to work.”

Dante stepped aside, allowing the sheriff to leave.

Emma could sense the animosity from Dante. He didn’t like the sheriff and didn’t want him dating his mother. She understood. He probably felt it was a betrayal to his dead father.

The sheriff climbed into his SUV and backed out of the yard, turning down the drive to the gate.

“I just don’t trust that man.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Gut feel, instinct. Something.” He shrugged. “Come on, let’s face the gauntlet.”