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The New Cowboy
Rebecca Winters


Homecoming CowboyLiving on her grandfather's ranch, surrounded by her loving brothers and their families, is helping Avery Bannock put her painful past behind her. But ever since Zane Lawson came home, she's been fighting her feelings for the rugged former Navy SEAL who's sworn to keep her safe–in his arms.After a decade undercover, Zane's ready to settle in Montana horse country. Buying the ranch next to the Bannock spread was the first step. Now he's got to convince the gun-shy archaeologist that he's the only cowboy for her. As they work together to find out who's stealing tribal artifacts from a nearby reservation, Zane will do everything in his power to win Avery's trust…and turn their budding romance into a mission possible!







Homecoming Cowboy

Living on her grandfather’s ranch, surrounded by her loving brothers and their families, is helping Avery Bannock put her painful past behind her. But ever since Zane Lawson came home, she’s been fighting her feelings for the rugged former Navy SEAL who’s sworn to keep her safe—in his arms.

After a decade undercover, Zane’s ready to settle in Montana horse country. Buying the ranch next to the Bannock spread was the first step. Now he’s got to convince the gun-shy archaeologist that he’s the only cowboy for her. As they work together to find out who’s stealing tribal artifacts from a nearby reservation, Zane will do everything in his power to win Avery’s trust...and turn their budding romance into a mission possible!


“I’ve learned the best things in life are worth waiting for.”

“I know I’m eight years older than you, and I have a past. I’m hoping you’ll give me a chance to get to know you better. This dinner is my way of letting you know how I feel.”

Panic set in. She was the woman who’d captured Zane’s interest?

But that was impossible!

Avery’s fear was so great, she found herself saying it out loud.

“Why is it impossible?”

She trembled over and over again. “You don’t know the real me.”


Dear Reader (#ulink_127d93c2-a568-5ef8-ace6-8c85088aafc3),

Utah celebrates July 24 to honor the Pioneers who came into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. My great-grandfather, John Brown, was among this courageous group of men and women who left their homelands across the ocean to carve out a new life. This Scotch-Irish young man had prepared to be a school teacher in the East. But unexpected circumstances brought him to the untamed American West. He was totally unprepared for the adventure awaiting him. He had to learn new skills, and learn them quickly, in order to survive. He became a cowboy.

I had John’s story in mind when I wrote this latest book of the Hitting Rocks Cowboys series, The New Cowboy. Zane Lawson, born in San Francisco, had been a Navy SEAL. He’d thought it would be his lifetime career, but he, too, encountered unexpected circumstances that brought him to the wilds of Montana. It may be the twenty-first century, but he is forced to embrace a future totally foreign to him and adapt as fast as he can. In the process he morphs into The New Cowboy, who has a special skill—bringing healing to Avery Bannock, the beautiful woman he loves.

Enjoy!

Rebecca Winters


The New Cowboy

Rebecca Winters






www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


REBECCA WINTERS, whose family of four children has now swelled to include five beautiful grandchildren, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the land of the Rocky Mountains. With canyons and high alpine meadows full of wildflowers, she never runs out of places to explore. They, plus her favorite vacation spots in Europe, often end up as backgrounds for her romance novels, because writing is her passion, along with her family and church.

Rebecca loves to hear from readers. If you wish to email her, please visit her website: www.cleanromances.com (http://www.cleanromances.com).


To my great-grandfather, Pioneer John Brown, Captain of the Thirteenth Ten, who crossed the plains ten times, bringing more and more Pioneers out West. He was a son, husband, father and patriarch, who befriended members of the Ute Indian tribe, served in the Utah Legislature and helped settle parts of Southern Utah. His image is on the This Is The Place Monument in Salt Lake, riding his horse and carrying his Kentucky rifle. What a cowboy!


Contents

Cover (#ud2358f4e-7c40-5839-9dc5-5f938b9880c8)

Back Cover Text (#u8d329c81-9381-5da5-a785-e00107f1072d)

Introduction (#ueaffb025-83fd-5a5c-8d43-d61cee355b7e)

Dear Reader (#ulink_29ee3c6a-8f0e-5f98-b76c-beb00521638f)

Title Page (#u78dab037-cf18-581e-8011-976eda04017e)

About the Author (#ud5393215-58ba-5a48-a878-1193d81cc970)

Dedication (#u015e7a41-9f58-53e1-8bcf-be540520d42b)

Chapter One (#ulink_3c87dbc3-fcca-5b0b-a402-9c8268f939d0)

Chapter Two (#ulink_dbd0fc4c-0a87-5bcd-a912-e37c5bfaeabf)

Chapter Three (#ulink_96b7c66a-ad82-5c97-9197-54ae531e80f5)

Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)


Chapter One (#ulink_1cb43011-f7da-57f2-9181-e66204c155d4)

“Unca Zen!”

Zane laughed. “Hey, sport. I can see you on my computer. Can you see me?”

“Yes.”

“Did you get those little cars I sent you?”

“I like this one.” The three-year-old held it up for Zane to see. As far as he was concerned, Skype was the best cyberinvention ever.

“Say thank-you to your uncle,” he heard Sadie say in the background.

“Thank you. When are you coming?”

“Pretty soon. I still have work to do.”

“But I want you to come home!”

Zane could tell his brother’s son was getting ready to cry.

He got a huge lump in his throat. “There’s nothing I want more, too. Guess what?”

“What?”

“I’ll be there for my vacation on the Fourth of July.” Three weeks away. He was living for it. “We’re going to have a big party with fireworks at my house!”

“Goody!” Ryan turned to Sadie. “What’s fireworks?”

“She’ll show you, sport. Has Jarod taken you riding?”

The boy nodded his blond head. “The horse scared me. He’s huge.”

Laughter poured out of Zane. “They are kind of big.”

“I’m getting a pony.”

“When?”

“Pretty soon,” Sadie volunteered.

“You’ll be a very lucky boy.”

Zane heard her whispering to Ryan. “She says I have to go to bed. I don’t want to!” He started crying.

“But you need your sleep.”

“No— I want you—”

“Say good-night, Ryan.”

“No-o—”

Zane heard talking in the background. Ryan was becoming more unmanageable. Someone else had come into the room. He could hear Sadie saying they had to go.

“Don’t go, Unca Zen—” Ryan wailed, sounding like his heart would break.

Sadie poked her head into view. “Sorry. This little guy is tired.”

“I can tell. Who’s there with you?”

“Avery just dropped by.”

His adrenaline kicked in. “Put her on.”

“Just a minute.” He heard more talking. “Come on over here, Avery. Zane wants to say hello. Tell him what’s going on at the Bannock ranch while I put Ryan down.”

The boy was in complete meltdown mode as they left the room. His nephew’s cries grew fainter and Zane’s heart started pounding harder as he waited to see the woman who kept him awake nights.

His breath caught when she sat down in front of the camera. “Hi, Zane. I guess you can’t tell your nephew adores you.”

“The feeling’s mutual. How are you?”

“Good. Busy. I’m surprised you’ve come out from undercover long enough to manage this Skype session.”

“I’ll always make time for my family.”

“Now that you’ve been working there for a while, do you like the Glasgow area?”

“It’s all right, but I’d rather be back on my ranch. Matt has the whole burden on his shoulders when I’m away like this.”

“He carried most of it all the years he worked for Daniel Corkin. I don’t hear any complaints.”

“Matt isn’t the type to complain. I’m lucky he was willing to be my foreman after Daniel died. But let’s not talk about that. I want to know what’s happening in your world.”

“Since Jarod’s not home yet, and it’ll be a while before Ryan goes to sleep, I’ll tell you a secret. Jarod is driving us all crazy waiting for his offspring to arrive. He’s due in five weeks. I swear Jarod’s going to wear a hole in the floor of their new house.”

“He’s still worried about Sadie?”

“More than ever. I’ve never seen him this bad. I know she’s had a lot of morning sickness, but the doctor says she’s fine. Jarod doesn’t believe him.”

“I guess that’s not so hard to understand. Sadie’s mom died soon after childbirth.”

“But Sadie’s not her mom. That heart operation was successful and she’s fine now. But you can’t tell Jarod that. He bites your head off. We have to walk on eggshells around him. He used to work all hours of the day on the ranch. Now he comes home every few hours, and the rest of the time he’s on the phone with her.”

“The man’s in love.” Zane could relate in the most profound of ways.

“Between you and me, he’s driving her crazy.”

“But never too crazy. Trust me on that. When she was in San Francisco, he was never off her mind for a single second. Those two should have been together years ago.”

You and I should be together now.

“I know. I try not to think about that. But this countdown to the baby is getting hard on everyone. The other day Grandpa got so fed up he told him to take a ride in the mountains and commune with nature. It’s gotten so serious even Uncle Charlo has no wisdom to impart. When I was out on the reservation the other day and talked to him about Jarod, he actually shook his head, indicating he had nothing. I’ve never seen him do that before.”

“Well, it won’t be long before the baby comes.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You’re not here to watch Jarod implode on a daily basis.”

Zane burst into laughter, causing her to chuckle. “I’ll give him a call and try to reassure him that Sadie’s tough.”

“I’ve seen that strength. She’s already become a mother to her own half brother. Sadie has a remarkable capacity to love. Jarod relies on that love. It’s really touching to watch the two of them.”

The wistfulness in her tone wasn’t lost on Zane, who couldn’t take the separation from Avery much longer.

“I’m afraid I need to get off now. Grandpa is waiting for me.”

No-o—

Zane felt exactly like Ryan. “I guess I’ll be seeing all of you on the Fourth of July for the big family get-together.”

“It’ll be fun. I’ve enjoyed talking to you, Zane. Hold on while I tiptoe to Ryan’s room. Sadie will want to say good-night.” There was a slight pause. “Take care,” she said with a throb in her voice he felt go through his system. It was always there...that little nuance of emotion that told him she missed him, but she’d never admit it.

“The same back to you, Avery.”

* * *

ANOTHER MONDAY MORNING, but it had started out with a surprise phone call that left Avery Bannock frightened and tense. She’d had to leave the Crow Indian dig site where she was working outside Absarokee, Montana, and drive all the way to Bozeman, Montana.

Once inside the police department on Sixteenth Street, she approached the sergeant at the front desk. “A Detective Rymer phoned me two hours ago and asked me to come in because he needed to tell me certain information in person. He said it was urgent.” After hearing that message, the warm June morning she’d awakened to had been lost on her.

The officer nodded. “Go down the left hall to the first door on the right.”

“Thank you.”

She hadn’t been inside this building for eight years, but the emergency that had brought her here would haunt her for her entire life. “Detective Rymer?”

He stood up when she entered the small office. “Ms. Bannock?”

“Yes.”

“I’m glad you came so fast.” He shook her hand and asked her to be seated. “Detective Palmer, who has worked tirelessly on your case, is having back surgery at the moment and asked me to take over for him.”

“Was he injured in the line of duty?”

“No. He has a recurring ailment that needed to be fixed.”

“I’m glad that’s the reason, but I’m sorry for him. He’s been a great support to me.”

“To you and a lot of people. We’re all waiting for him to come back.”

“You said this was urgent?”

“Very. I’ll get right to the point. The man who assaulted you on September 10, eight years ago, outside the women’s dormitory on campus at Montana State University, was captured in Helena, Montana, last week.”

What? She reeled. “Is that the truth?”

“Forensics matched his DNA with the DNA taken from you and two other victims.”

Two others? She shuddered. “I can’t believe it! After eight years...”

“I’m sure it has seemed like a lifetime. He’s a thirty-nine-year-old Caucasian male from Butte, Montana. In the past eight years he’s been responsible for two other assaults that the police know of and probably many more.

“Unfortunately those victims who didn’t go to a hospital and notify the police will never know that he’s been arrested. After his trial he’ll spend the rest of his life in prison. If there’s any good news in all this, it’s that you no longer need to fear that he will be back to assault you again.”

She put a hand to her mouth and jumped up from the chair. “Thank God.”

“All the particulars are here in the report if you want to look at it.”

“No—” she said. “Not right now. I couldn’t.” Though she’d promised that she would be willing to testify against the person if he was ever brought to trial, the thought of having to divulge all the details again in front of a room full of people made her ill.

He eyed her with compassion. “I understand. Detective Palmer will want to talk to you when he’s recovered. He’ll be the one to keep you informed when the suspect is brought to trial for his crimes. You can discuss all that with him when he’s back on his feet.”

“Thank you.”

Avery rushed out of the office and down the corridor to the front lobby, but everything was a blur. When she reached her truck in the parking lot and climbed inside, she broke down in a convulsion of tears.

A half hour passed before she lifted her head, once again aware of her surroundings. Pulling herself together as best she could, she reached for her cell phone and called Dr. Moser, her psychologist. When she got the other woman on the line and told her the incredible news, the doctor who practiced on the other side of town asked her to come to her office straightaway.

Once inside, Dr. Moser enveloped her in a fierce hug, causing Avery to shed more tears when she hadn’t thought it possible. “I don’t have to be frightened that he’s stalking me any longer.”

“That’s true and takes away a whole world of stress.”

Avery sat down. “But not all of it,” she admitted.

“No. With two other victims, there will be a trial and then you’ll have to decide if you want to go through it and face him. For now it’s enough to know he’s been caught. I can’t tell you how proud I am of you. Only a small percentage of victims come forward. How wonderful that you listened to your half brother’s aunt and did the right thing by calling the police right away and getting to a hospital.”

One day Avery would thank Jarod’s Aunt Pauline for her wisdom. By listening to her, she now had closure, even if it had taken eight years for her assailant to be caught.

“You have a special kind of courage that’s going to get you through this life. Mark my words. One day you’re going to know real happiness again. With this news you can live your life without always having to look over your shoulder in fear. I’ll call the pharmacy in White Lodge and refill your prescription. Is there anything else I can do?”

“You’ve been here for me. I’ll always be thankful for that.”

Avery had been fighting to get her life back since the night the assault had happened, but this news was like receiving a “get out of jail free” card, even if it couldn’t take away the horrendous memory of it.

She thanked the doctor and left for the dig site. Work helped her keep her sanity, especially on a day like this when she didn’t know what to do with all the new emotions flooding her system. It was so automatic to worry that her assailant might try to attack her again that she’d probably continue to worry out of habit for a long time. Hopefully the news that he’d been caught would finally sink in.

All these years of fearing he would target her again had left their mark. Now that it was over, she could breathe a little deeper. But since there were other assailants out there, the fear would never completely go away.

Today had to be a new beginning—the start of a happy future—but she still couldn’t comprehend it. Happiness was found in all kinds of ways, but she feared that the kind of joy she longed for with the man she’d loved for the past year would always elude her. After talking to him over Skype at Sadie and Jarod’s ranch house the other night, her thoughts had been filled with him.

He was coming home for the Fourth of July, but it was just a vacation. Then he’d go back to northern Montana where he’d be unavailable for who knew how many months. But none of it mattered because even if he was attracted to her, he wouldn’t be able to handle what had happened to her if he ever found out.

* * *

THURSDAY MORNING, ZANE LAWSON left the Bureau of Land Management’s office of Law Enforcement and Security in Glasgow, Montana, where he’d been an undercover special agent, and headed for the parking lot. Once he’d climbed into his unmarked blue four-door Dodge Power Wagon without government plates, he started the engine and headed for Billings.

En route he phoned the Corkin ranch he’d bought a year ago near the Montana-Wyoming border. He needed to talk to his foreman, Matt Henson.

Matt and his wife, Millie, lived in the house next door to the Corkin ranch house. She did the housekeeping for Zane. They were both salt of the earth people. Since a little over a year ago when he’d first come to Montana from San Francisco with his stepniece, Sadie, and his nephew, Ryan, Zane had grown to look upon Matt and Millie as family.

“Hey, Matt—”

“Zane? What’s going on? I thought you were out on a case and couldn’t be reached for a while.”

“That sting produced results at long last and now I’m coming home.”

“For how long?”

“Permanently.”

Zane could hear Matt’s mind turning things over. “What kind of permanently do you mean? Is that good or bad?”

“Oh, it’s good. After cleaning up a drug ring that had been plaguing the area for a long time, the transfer I asked for came through to work in the Pryor Mountains area. The lead state ranger in Billings just phoned to let me know I’ve been assigned to the Billings office. They’ve added a bonus I never expected.”

“What’s that?”

“I’ll be running a satellite station for the BLM Law Enforcement Division right here at the ranch.”

After being in the grasslands around Glasgow at the northern end of the state, the thought of going home to the mountains thrilled him. He’d missed three-year-old Ryan and the ranch so badly he could taste it. Their latest Skype session that had included Avery had been hard on him.

“You’ll be working from the ranch?” Matt wasn’t one for drama, but after hearing about the transfer, he let go with a long ear piercing whistle. “That’s the best news I ever heard.”

Zane smiled. “No. I’m pretty sure the best news came the day your rodeo champion daughter married Connor Bannock. But now I’ll be on hand to do the ranching with you more often.”

“You’ll be just in time to help me calve out the heifers from the herd.”

“Yeah? I’m looking forward to it more than you know. How’s Millie?”

“She’s going to be higher than a kite when she hears this.”

“I’m pretty happy, too.” The opportunity to buy the Corkin ranch where Sadie had been raised had come at the same time he’d left the SEALs to work for the Bureau of Land Management—both changes had turned his life around. With two viable careers, one of them ranching in the area of Montana he loved, he could plan for his future and put down roots. “How are the lovebirds?”

“Which pair of newlyweds are we talking about?”

Zane chuckled. “Both!”

“I do believe Lizzie and Sadie have found their soul mates.”

“That’s a fact.”

Zane hadn’t been so lucky. Besides being in a marriage that had grown troubled, his wife, Nedra, had been unfaithful to him. He’d retired from a ten-year stint in the Navy SEALs and divorced her. After that his older brother, Tim, his only living blood relative, was killed in a car crash. That left Tim’s pregnant wife, Eileen, Sadie’s mother. But after giving birth, Eileen soon died unexpectedly of heart failure.

Too many deaths...

Together he and Sadie took care of little Ryan. Just eighteen months ago, he’d been jobless, homeless and womanless. He hadn’t known what direction to take with his life. Then fate had stepped in to change everything.

“You should see Sadie,” Matt went on. “She has blossomed with her pregnancy. Once Jarod found out they were having a boy, you can imagine the grin on his face.”

Sadie’s husband wasn’t the type to grin. It told you everything. Jarod and Sadie were raising Ryan as their own and now a new son was on the way.

With a smile he asked, “How’s the Queen of the Rodeo?” That was what Avery’s brother, Connor, called his wife, Liz. The famous five-time World Steer Wrestling Champion was crazy about his new wife.

“She and Connor have started advertising their feral stud farm. Talk about two people meant for each other. They built their new house near Jarod’s and will be moving into it this Saturday. Ralph Bannock is so happy these days, he’s put on some weight and gets out every day. Having both of his grandsons home and married has given him a new lease on life.”

“That’s a miracle.”

“It sure is. When you and Sadie flew here with Ryan for her father’s funeral a year ago May, Ralph couldn’t get out of bed. So much has changed since you came to Montana for Corkin’s funeral—it’s unbelievable.”

Everything had changed, including Zane. He had one more question and had been saving it for last, but his pulse was pounding. “How’s Avery these days?” The Avery she’d always kept hidden from him. Those Bannock brothers had a beautiful sister who’d knocked him sideways the first time he’d met her.

“She’s fine, but we don’t see much of her.”

That sounded like Avery. She was an elusive creature with brown hair and unforgettable crystalline gray eyes. The nature of his work had made it impossible for him to be around her on a regular basis and really get to know her.

When he did get some time with her, she seemed nervous around him. He didn’t understand her reaction because he knew deep down she was attracted. There were times he felt her eyes on him when she thought he wasn’t looking. Now that he was coming home, he planned to get to the bottom of it and was determined things were going to change.

He was so deep in thought about her, he didn’t realize Matt was still talking to him. “Zane? Are you still there? Can you hear me?”

“Yes. Sorry. I got distracted for a minute. I’ll be driving in sometime tonight, probably around seven-thirty.” The distance to White Lodge, the nearest town to the ranch, was a good three hundred and forty miles. “I have to make a stop in Billings first.”

“Be sure to drive safely because we’ll all be waiting for you.”

“Thanks, Matt.”

He clicked off and increased his speed. While he’d been in Glasgow, he’d constantly wondered if Avery might have fallen for someone he didn’t know about. But Sadie, who was close to her sister-in-law, kept in touch with him by email and she hadn’t said anything to that effect.

During his Skype sessions with Sadie, which let him talk to his nephew and see how he was growing, he always hoped Avery was there. Occasionally she happened to show up. On Monday, he’d devoured her with his eyes as they talked. Every time they spoke, it made him hungrier for her.

She’d been the only woman to stir Zane’s senses since his divorce. But as he’d found out on the day of Daniel Corkin’s funeral, her guard went up around Zane. He figured she’d seen him as an outsider at first and that was why she didn’t let him in. Yet when she was around her brothers, she was a completely different person, warm and loving.

He found it unbelievable that such a desirable woman wasn’t involved with someone special. In talking with Sadie he’d learned that Avery had dated a little in high school. Evidently she preferred to be off riding in the mountains and spending time on the Crow Indian Reservation. After high school she went to Montana State University in Bozeman for her undergraduate degree. Later she received a graduate fellowship from the anthropology department at Berkeley in California.

Zane could only speculate about her social life during that six-year period before she returned home to work these past two years. His thoughts flew back to the time he’d lived at the Bannock ranch house for two weeks. Sadie and Jarod had spent their honeymoon on the Corkin ranch so they could be near her half brother, Ryan, while the Hensons helped tend him.

Zane had moved out temporarily to accommodate them and took over Jarod’s bedroom on the second floor down the hall from Avery’s bedroom. During those two weeks, Zane shared his meals with Avery and her grandfather in the morning and evening.

They’d mostly discussed ranch life and her work with the Crow people who lived on the reservation. Not only was she intelligent, she had a great love for the Crow culture, no doubt due to Jarod’s deceased Crow mother.

Connor and Avery shared a different mother. After Jarod’s mother died, his father met another woman and married her. Two children came from that marriage, Connor and Avery. From the beginning it was clear Avery worshipped her older brothers and the three of them were tight in every way.

Avery had depths he hadn’t found in other women. She did ranching chores with her brothers and could ride a horse like Sadie and Liz. In fact she could do a lot of things a vet could do. Her remarkable talents and the desire for academic learning that had earned her a master’s degree made her exceptional in his eyes.

During those two weeks they’d played cards with Ralph and were starting to get to know each other better when his application to join the BLM was approved and he was sent to Georgia for law enforcement training. After being in the SEALs, it was like déjà vu.

But in one day Zane had to pack his bags and go. When his training was over, he was temporarily assigned to the field office in Glasgow, cutting off his chance to spend more time with her. Though his instincts told him she wanted to be with him, something was holding her back from expressing her interest openly. She was a mystery that wanted solving.

He picked up lunch at a drive-through before entering the field office in Billings. While he ate, he listened to the noon news.

...And there’s still no news about the explosives heist. Last week we reported that five hundred pounds of explosives had been stolen from a locked federal storage facility near Billings, Montana. Federal officials do not believe it’s terrorism-related, but it has raised security issues.

Montana’s only congressman was quoted as saying, “I’m deeply concerned about the theft and will be closely monitoring the investigation.”

Zane frowned and turned up the volume to listen while he finished off his hamburger.

The thieves took off with various emulsion-type explosives, cast boosters and detonating cord. Federal officials aren’t able to point to why the explosives were taken and have downplayed what could happen if they fall into the wrong hands.

Some in the area—who don’t want to be named publicly—believe the facility might have been looted by local miners or by private forestry-related companies that want to bypass buying the explosives legally. The local sheriff says they don’t have any idea who did it, but the types of items taken are used in mines and to clear rock slides and construction trails.

The latest news flash on the heist was the first thing the lead ranger Sanders talked about after they shook hands. “Welcome to Billings and your first case.”

Zane chuckled.

“The spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said they’re offering a five-thousand-dollar reward for information and the culprit will be given ten years of prison time. There’ve been no arrests yet.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“We’re pleased to have you assigned to our team, Lawson. That drug trafficking ring you put away has rid the state of a real menace. Congratulations on your special commendation from the top brass. With your background in the SEALs, no one’s surprised you’ve surpassed expectations.”

“Thank you.”

“From now on you’ll be conducting criminal and civil investigations into various types of crimes spreading through eight counties associated with our field office. Besides pursuing investigations for cultivation of marijuana, fraud, arson and assaults on BLM employees, you’ll be looking into thefts of archaeological and paleontological resources. More and more of that is going on.

“Just today we had another call from the local police concerning more vandalism and thefts at one of the dig sites. Some of these crimes are broad in scope, involving interstate transport of stolen artifacts. Many of your investigations will require you to work outside your assigned area. Don’t be surprised if you’re asked to join a task force for interagency operations and security.”

“Understood.”

“With this latest theft, I trust you’re ready for more trouble.”

“To be honest, I’m anxious to get started on some new cases.”

Sanders broke out in a smile. “The SEALs loss is our gain.” He got to his feet. “I know you’re on your way home so I won’t detain you. Before the day is out, I’ll email some of the recent cases involving geovandalism and felony mischief to you. Call me anytime.”

“I will. Thank you.”

He hurried out to his truck, anxious to get home. Six months ago he’d flown down to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas with Sadie and her husband to watch Liz and Connor compete. Avery had come with her family.

They’d all partied after the competition and she’d seemed to enjoy his company while everyone was around. They’d danced for several hours, long enough for a fire to have been lit. If they happened to be alone she kept him at arm’s length, yet the chemistry between them was stronger than ever. Unfortunately he’d had to get right back to Glasgow.

Under the circumstances, any relationship had to be put off while he was still working in the northern part of the state. Though he’d been home a few times since then and had gotten together with her and both families, he needed more time alone with her.

A half smile broke the corner of his mouth. Now that his transfer had come through, he was going to get all the time he wanted. After all, they were next-door neighbors from here on out.


Chapter Two (#ulink_bce05c3b-2806-591a-8cfe-fd534ec012ac)

Avery loved the month of June. After coming out of freezing winter, night didn’t come until late and the mountains sprang to colorful life with wildflowers. But lovely as it was to have the warm sun following her home to the ranch on this Thursday evening, the balmier weather brought out vandals and thieves who desecrated the archaeological sites.

The one she’d been working on outside Absarokee had been hit again, infuriating her. She and the team spent hours out there, so careful not to destroy one millimeter of soil in order not to corrupt the ground holding precious information. Then during the night their work was set back by thugs and lowlifes.

During the thirty-minute drive home, the helplessness she felt over the situation had caught up with her and she needed to calm down. Mike Durant would be coming to the ranch for her soon. He’d driven by the site to make arrangements for tonight. They were going to dinner in White Lodge. For several months he’d been dropping by the site to talk to her about her work and had asked her out repeatedly.

She’d finally accepted and they’d had one dinner date. But this second date would have to be their final one. He’d asked her out again in front of the other team members and she hadn’t wanted to embarrass him by turning him down. Though she didn’t want to hurt his pride, she couldn’t go out with him again. It was a mistake she’d regretted from the moment he’d tried to turn friendship into something else.

Earlier in the month when Liz Bannock had learned that Avery had gone out on a first date with him, her new sister-in-law had eyed her with the kind of excitement that made her uncomfortable. “What’s he like?” Funny about happily married people. They wanted everyone else to find their soul mate and settle down.

“Nice, but I can see what’s in your eyes, Liz, and it’s not going to happen.”

Her expression deflated. “What’s wrong?”

“I like him, but—”

“But what?” Liz prodded.

“I’m not interested.” On the advice of her psychologist, Avery had accepted a date with Mike in order to get back in the dating loop, but it hadn’t worked and now she was paying for it.

“I thought you found him attractive.”

“I did in a way. He works for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and he’s a good source of information because of his work among other tribes.” That much was true. “He’s well-informed about the Crow culture, kind of like Jarod.”

“Wait a minute—you mean you were drawn to him because he reminds you of Sits in the Center?” That was Jarod’s Crow name.

Avery and her brothers shared the same father, but his first wife, Raven, was from the Crow Nation. After Jarod was born, she died. Later he married another woman named Maddie, who was Connor and Avery’s mother.

“Only in a certain sense, but after one date I discovered Mike is nothing like Jarod. He’s nice, but that’s all.” Mike was too aggressive.

Growing up, Avery had worshipped her big brother and everyone knew it. On more than one occasion she’d told her sisters-in-law and her cousin Cassie that she’d never get married unless she found a man she loved more than she loved Jarod. It was an easy excuse that still worked these days on those who were concerned about Avery’s almost nonexistent love life.

No one knew that a year ago May, love had hit her with the force of a supernova when Zane Lawson happened on the scene. But like the heavens, he was beyond her reach and would remain her secret.

Unfortunately Liz wouldn’t let it go. She shook her head. “I don’t believe you. What’s the real reason you don’t want to see Mike again?”

“To be honest, there’s something about his personality that turns me off.”

“That’s too bad. It makes me sad because I’m worried about you.”

She had to tamp down a burst of temper. “Not everyone is lucky enough to find the kind of happiness you’ve found with Connor.” To have a normal life was something that had escaped Avery, but the news from Detective Rymer had taken away a gargantuan shadow. With it gone, she had to face a new reality. Her feelings for Zane ran so deep, the last thing she wanted was to give another guy hope that she was interested in him. Especially not Mike.

“We’re not talking about me.” Liz refused to be put off. “I’m serious, Avery. There’s been something wrong with you since you first went away to college in Bozeman. When are you going to break down and tell me what it is?”

Never.

Avery had her therapist in Bozeman, whom she’d been seeing for the past eight years, and she didn’t need anyone else. No one but Dr. Moser and the police knew Avery’s secret and that was the way it would stay even though she loved Liz with all her heart. “Please don’t worry about me.”

“I can’t help it. That’s what family is for.”

Liz was a sweetheart, but no one could help with Avery’s particular problem rooted deep in the past. If time could dim the pain, then she’d pray for that much relief.

Now Avery pulled the truck around the side of the ranch house and hurried through the terrace to the dining room where she found her grandfather Ralph. He was talking on the phone while he ate his dinner.

When he saw her, he ended the call. “There’s my Avery. Come here, darlin’.”

She leaned over to give him a hug. “Hi, Grandpa. How have you been today?”

“Never better.”

“You’ve been doing so much better lately.” Her eyes teared up. She adored the man who’d taken over as both parent and grandparent after her parents had died. “I’m so thankful.”

He squeezed her hand. “Me, too. Guess what? I’ve just received exciting news from Matt.”

Now that there’d been another marriage in the family, her grandfather and Matt Henson had become best friends, the way it should always have been. Watching the national rodeo finals together on the television had bonded the families in new ways.

Avery needed to shower, but she sat down for a minute to hear him out. “Tell me what’s going on.”

His eyes lit up. “The owner of the Corkin ranch is coming home tonight for good.”

“You must be mistaken, Grandpa. He’ll be here on the Fourth of July for his vacation. Not before.”

He shook his head. “You didn’t listen to me. I said he’s coming home for good tonight.”

The news caused the blood to pound in her ears like thunder over the Pryors. Zane Lawson was coming back? “What do you mean for good?” Her voice faltered.

“He’s been transferred from Glasgow to the Billings field office. There’s more. They’ve authorized him to set up a satellite BLM criminal law enforcement office at the ranch so he can cover the Pryor Mountains region from home. He’s back to stay and I’m ecstatic!”

Avery shot to her feet. “You’re joking.” He’d be working next door from now on?

“I wouldn’t joke about a thing like that. Matt and Millie couldn’t be more delighted.” Her grandfather went on talking. He had no idea what was going on inside Avery. “This will thrill Sadie. Ryan asks about his uncle Zane every day.”

Avery knew about that. Often when she went to Sadie’s, her sister-in-law was on Skype with Zane so he and his nephew could see and talk to each other. Last week was a revelation. Ryan had thrown a tantrum because he hadn’t wanted to stop talking to Zane.

Neither had Avery, who loved those rare, precious moments. She’d never been able to get enough of Zane. Sadie would include Avery so that she and Zane could communicate. Her pulse raced during those sessions.

Now he was coming home for good. Avery was so staggered by the revelation, she was trembling. That little boy adored him. So did Sadie. So did everyone who knew Zane.

So did Avery.

“That’s wonderful news, but right now I’ve got to get ready.”

“What for?”

“Mike Durant is coming by to take me to dinner.”

“Is he an archaeologist?”

“No. He works for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.”

Her grandfather scrutinized her. “How come I never heard of him? Do you like him?”

“He’s all right.”

“When did you meet him?”

“After Christmas. He was transferred from the office on the Pawnee Reservation in Nebraska, but we can talk about it later.” Her heart was racing with unhealthy speed. “Does Jarod know about Zane?”

“I’m going to call them right now. Matt’s already told Liz and Connor. Millie’s planned a party for everyone later tonight. Too bad you can’t be with us. Zane’s the finest man I know.”

That was high praise coming from her grandfather. “Do you need me to drive you over before I leave?”

“Oh, no. One of the boys will take me. You go on and have a good time.”

Smothering a groan, Avery kissed his cheek. Her grandfather’s news about Zane had shaken her so badly she ran out of the room and up the stairs to her bedroom to get ahold of herself. After removing her snap-up Western shirt, she took off the holster shirt that concealed her pistol. It was a lightweight Beretta Nano pocketed under the left arm. She set it on the dresser and got in the shower.

Avery couldn’t believe Zane was back. Ralph’s praise of him rang in her ears. Little did her grandfather know she thought Zane was the finest man she’d ever known. Heroic. Honorable. Exciting. Fascinating. A man to match the mountains she loved. And desirable beyond belief.

But soul-destroying fear nipped at the heels of her excitement that he was coming home, ruining the news for her. During her years of therapy, Dr. Moser had helped Avery get to the point where she could trust again and accept going out on dates. After the assault, that was progress. But the psychologist predicted that one day a man would come along who would make Avery feel the deep emotions of desire and intense wanting she’d thought had died.

As Dr. Moser pointed out, in order to have a full, loving physical and emotional relationship with this person, Avery would have to end the silence and tell him the truth about the assault on her.

Avery hadn’t been able to imagine the day coming when she’d meet such a man. And when and if she did, how would she overcome the shame, humiliation, depression, anger, fear? The guilt. It had been eight years and yet she was still suffering to some degree from all those emotions, especially shame.

After her attack, she’d called the police from the hospital. Jarod’s aunt Pauline, a nurse on the reservation, had always worried about Avery riding in the mountains and on the reservation alone. She’d continually warned her that if, heaven forbid she was ever assaulted, she should go to the hospital immediately for a thorough examination in order for the police to catch the culprit.

When Avery thought about it, Pauline had given her amazing counsel years ago. But maybe it wasn’t so amazing after all. If she, too, had the gift of vision like her husband, Charlo, it was possible she’d sensed something about Avery’s future and had warned her. According to Pauline, there were too many assaults on the reservation. Being on duty at the hospital, she saw a lot of things and had shared that information with her.

On the night of Avery’s assault, Pauline’s advice had rung in her ears. She went to the hospital and the collected evidence and DNA had been entered in her file to help the police. Since that time she’d prayed every day that her assailant would be caught so he couldn’t hurt anyone else, but in all the years since, there’d been no news until Monday.

The doctor at the hospital had helped her find the right psychologist. Within a few days she’d started self-defense classes and had bought a handgun she learned to shoot. Her concealed weapons permit allowed her a certain amount of protection. She was doing all she could to prevent herself from being victimized again. But if she told Zane the truth about her traumatic experience, it would turn him off.

He was too good a man to be interested in a woman like Avery. On occasion in his line of work as an agent, he had to arrest criminals inflicting that kind of horror on their victims. She could only imagine the kind of taste it left in his mouth. Avery couldn’t bear the thought of him having to put her in that category.

When Zane had walked into the room at the funeral for Sadie’s father, Avery hadn’t been able to take her eyes off him. Everything about him excited her to the very core of her being and she knew she’d met the man her therapist had been talking about.

His tall, hard-muscled physique had created a stir among all the women gathered there. At first everyone, including Avery, thought the brooding, retired Navy SEAL was Sadie’s lover from California. Before Jarod knew differently, it had almost destroyed him to see Sadie with Zane.

Beneath dark brown hair and eyebrows, his startling blue gaze had swept the living room at the Corkin ranch without really seeing anyone. He’d seemed totally removed from the event and had gathered Sadie’s little half brother in his strong arms to entertain him away from the others.

It was when he’d smiled at his nephew, Ryan, that his hard-boned features gave way to faint dimples, melting Avery on the spot. In that moment he’d looked up at her and the world reeled away. The male admiration in his eyes lit up every cell in her body and she was never the same after that.

As Liz had remarked later that day, there wasn’t a female in Montana who could be immune to such a gorgeous man. If Liz hadn’t been madly in love with Connor since high school...

After meeting Zane, Sadie’s divorced stepuncle, Avery learned he’d decided to stay in Montana rather than return to San Francisco. She’d be seeing him coming and going from the Corkin ranch.

Shocked by her intense attraction to him, Avery fought it in the only way she knew how and plunged into her work with more zeal than ever. For her to have to divulge those traumatic ten minutes to anyone besides the therapist made her sick inside. But when that someone was a fabulous man like Zane Lawson, she shrank from considering it.

During Sadie’s honeymoon, Zane had lived at the Bannock ranch house for two weeks. Avery did her best to be friendly, but the thought of encouraging him was overshadowed by the trauma of her past. Mentally, Avery knew she didn’t have anything to feel guilty about, but emotionally she was crippled. She felt soiled by it.

When Zane went to work for BLM law enforcement in Glasgow, part of her had been relieved, yet secretly the other part of her was devastated that he was so far away. Five months later she’d spent one evening with him and the family in Las Vegas. She’d felt his desire when they’d gone dancing with the others, but even though her fire for him burned hotter than ever, she’d made certain they weren’t alone together.

She flew home from the trip to Nevada resolved to throw herself into one of her Crow projects, hoping to put Zane from her mind. A while back she’d finally accepted a date with Mike Durant.

Unfortunately she realized she shouldn’t have accepted because it had been for the wrong reasons. Zane filled her mind and heart. She couldn’t possibly go on seeing Mike when there was no attraction on her end. The only thing to do was refuse to go out with him again after tonight. But how to do it without hurting his feelings was a tall order. He’d be there any minute.

Zane would be arriving at his ranch any minute, and he wouldn’t be leaving again.

She could hardly breathe.

* * *

TWILIGHT HAD CREPT over the landscape as Zane drove down the road toward the Corkin ranch. This was the kind of evening that called to him. He felt alive and excited. In thirteen months’ time this place had become home to him even though he’d been away a good part of it. The few short visits had only made him long to stay put.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a ruby-red Silverado parked in front of the Bannock ranch house. It had the Department of the Interior logo for the BIA. Must be someone from the reservation looking for Jarod and asking for directions to his new house.

Suddenly Zane saw Avery come out the front door and down the porch steps with a dark-haired man Zane didn’t recognize. Something about the way he cupped her elbow told him he wasn’t there on official business.

Zane’s stomach knotted as he slowed down to get a better look. She’d dressed in jeans and a leaf-green Western shirt. In cowboy boots she was five foot seven. He was stunned by the feminine picture she made with her rich sable-colored hair pulled back at the nape.

In a different frame of mind than he was a moment ago, he drove on, but he kept his eyes trained on the rearview mirror. Before he turned into the ranch, he watched the truck disappear in the other direction.

How long had that been going on?

Forced to swallow his disappointment, he gunned the accelerator and pulled in the driveway too fast. It forced him to stand on his brakes when he reached the ranch house. With everyone’s trucks parked to the side along with his Volvo, it looked like a gathering of the clan. They’d obviously been waiting for him because everyone came pouring out the front door. A Sadie who looked about ready to deliver led Ryan by the hand.

“Welcome home!” she cried. “This little guy has been waiting for you.”

“Come here, sport.” He reached for his nephew who was growing to look more and more like Zane’s older brother, Tim. Already his hair was going darker. Zane hugged him hard and kissed him. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”

“Zen,” he mispronounced his name, causing everyone to laugh.

The family took turns hugging him before Connor and Jarod brought in his bags from the truck. Because he’d lived in a furnished rental unit in Glasgow, he didn’t have much else to bring home besides clothes and a laptop. It reminded him of being in the SEALs when he could be transferred in the twinkling of an eye and had no baggage but his gear.

He kissed Liz before turning to Sadie with a grin. “Judging from the look of you, it won’t be long before Little Sits in the Center makes his entrance.” Everyone laughed and went in the house.

Ralph was already drinking punch in the easy chair and lifted his cup to him. “It’s wonderful to know you’re home for good, Zane.”

They shook hands. “It feels good. You look well and younger.”

Ralph beamed while Zane surveyed the room, inhaling the warmth and love. Only one person was missing to make his homecoming complete.

Millie had laid out a spread fit for a king. Still carrying his nephew, he snagged her around the waist and gave her a special hug. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed your cooking and our card games.”

She chuckled. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, Zane.”

Matt called everyone together. “This is a time of real celebration. We couldn’t be happier with your news. While we eat, we want to hear details about your latest capture. It was all over the media and the newspapers. Talk about proud.”

Zane hadn’t experienced this sense of family for years. He’d lost his parents ages ago. After that his marriage had fallen apart and he’d lost Tim, then Eileen. If he hadn’t had Sadie and Ryan, he didn’t know where he’d be today. If it hadn’t been for Sadie, he would never have met Avery Bannock.

The little guy hugged his shoulder for the next hour while they all talked and ate. But when he finally fell asleep, Jarod walked over and reached for him. “We’d better get him home to bed while he’s crashed. Come on over in the morning and have breakfast with us.”

Seeing Jarod with Ryan, you’d never know he wasn’t the boy’s father from birth. Naturally Ryan had Sadie’s looks. Tim’s son was in loving hands. “Sounds good.”

The party broke up. Zane followed Jarod out to his truck and helped Sadie inside. Jarod put Ryan in the car seat. Once they were settled, Zane approached Jarod’s side of the truck. In a quiet voice he said, “I saw a BIA agent in front of your house with Avery while I was driving in. I didn’t realize she was seeing someone. They should have come over to the party.” Might as well find out the strength of Zane’s competition.

Jarod’s inscrutable expression made it impossible to read him at times. All he said was, “Avery’s so private she’d never do that, especially not with someone she barely knows.”

That was the one piece of good news Zane needed to hear. Now he could breathe more easily again.

Jarod stared at him with his piercing black eyes. “For all the obvious reasons, everyone’s thankful you’re back for good. Sadie and Ryan have missed you more than you know. And between you and me, we need more law enforcement around here considering all the artifact thefts.

“As Sadie said, there’s nothing like knowing a special agent is going to be on the premises from now on. I agree. Welcome home. You make a great addition to the family.” He clapped Zane on the shoulder before climbing in behind the wheel.

Zane watched them drive off before he said good-night to Connor and Liz. They were taking Ralph home. “You can count on me helping you guys with the big move into your new house on Saturday.” With all the family pitching in, Avery would have to be there. “I don’t have to be on official duty until Monday. That’ll give me time to do the things I want and settle in.”

Connor’s brown eyes lit up. “You’re on. You have no idea how good it is to see you and know you’re not leaving again.”

With everyone gone he walked back into the house. Millie was cleaning up the kitchen while Matt straightened the living room.

“You two go on home. I’ll finish up. I can’t thank you enough for throwing this party together. It meant the world to me.”

Matt was all smiles. “We wanted to do this for you.”

“Tell you what. In the morning I’m having breakfast with Jarod and his family. Afterward I’ll saddle up Striker and join you at the pasture so you can give me my next ranching lesson.”

“It’ll be a pleasure.”

He walked them out, then locked up and headed for the shower. It had been a red-letter day for him and a long drive. He was tired, but when he got in bed, his mind wouldn’t shut off. The vision of Avery coming out of the ranch house with the other man holding on to her arm refused to leave him alone.

Eleven o’clock wasn’t late. If, as Jarod had inferred, she barely knew the guy, Zane imagined she might not be home for a long time while they took the time to get better acquainted. A man had to be blind not to be attracted to her.

Whatever was going on between them, Zane wanted to block it from his mind. It had been bad enough all these months while he’d wondered about her. But to actually see her with another guy had set his teeth on edge. Sensing that sleep would be a long time in coming, he got up and went into the den.

He hadn’t had a chance to check his email yet. There were four messages. One was sent from Ken, the field manager in Glasgow, who said he was sorry to see him go and wished him the best.

The second one came from Margaret Rogers, a ranger in Glasgow who was great at her job. They’d had dinner half a dozen times over the past year when they’d been out on a case. Wondering what she wanted, he opened her message.

I can’t believe you’ve been transferred! I got in to the office this afternoon and learned you’d been reassigned. Just like that you’re gone!

What a shock. You’re a cool one, Zane Lawson. I was hoping you’d stick around for a long time, but Ken told me you always wanted to transfer to the Billings office. I didn’t know that. What has Billings got that we don’t? Don’t you know it’s a hot spot for criminal activity of the Indian artifacts kind? One of my out-of-state sources says there’s a mole in the BIA linked to problems in the Montana sector. Watch your back.

That news didn’t surprise him. Zane appreciated the information, but he let out a relieved sigh that his transfer had come before he’d been forced to tell Margaret that he wasn’t interested in her. Though, when he’d never asked her out, she had to have known a relationship between them was hopeless, but she was an excellent ranger he trusted.

He replied to her message. In answer to your question, I’ve come home to the people I love and have missed. You’re a fine ranger. Thanks for the heads-up. I wish you the best of luck in the future. Ranger Lawson.

The last two came from Sanders in Billings. He’d enclosed several case files for Zane to study and had marked them top priority. They had to do with vandalism and thefts at several Crow archaeological sites. Margaret had been right on the mark. The information forwarded to the bureau by the local police was fairly detailed. Sanders had charged Zane to find the culprits and arrest them.

He gave the first one a cursory glance. It involved a tepee ring site that had been desecrated. Scanning the second one, the name Absarokee leaped out at him. That was the town where Avery was doing her most recent work. Sadie had kept him up-to-date on everyone in both families. He read the background information with renewed interest.

For nearly a decade between 1875 and 1884, the Crow Indian Reservation was located on East Rosebud Creek south of the present-day town of Absarokee, Montana. Population 1,200. Although the tribe moved farther east in 1884, the nine years of living at Absarokee were times of monumental change for the Crow people.

The launch of a road improvement project for Montana Highway 78, which runs through the Crow Indian Reservation’s historic Absarokee site, was the impetus for a major archaeological data recovery investigation by the Federal Highway Administration and the Montana Department of Transportation in consultation and cooperation with the Crow Nation.

The team used geographical plotting software to translate the results into a map. The findings revealed the likely presence of artifacts. This area was a transitional point in the history and culture of the Apsaalooké people, thus making it a critical site for their people.

A year in advance of MDT’s planned highway reconstruction, a data recovery excavation within the right-of-way limits and on adjacent private land has uncovered significant information, including thousands of artifacts that reveal glimpses into the everyday life of the Crow people more than a century ago.

Avery was intimately associated with this project. She would have invaluable information about the handpicked crew assembled to excavate sacred Crow ground. Things couldn’t be working out better. He was jubilant to be armed with a legitimate plan to get close to her through his first case. Tomorrow couldn’t get here soon enough. He turned off the computer and wandered through the house to the bedroom he’d turned into a nursery for Ryan.

Now that his nephew was growing up, Zane needed to buy him some new toys for when he slept over. He wanted to take him shopping for some outfits. He ached for children of his own. To Zane, the greatest tragedy in his failed marriage was the fact that Nedra lost interest in having children.

He’d married her at twenty-three when he was already a SEAL. Though he’d warned her of the pitfalls, she’d begged for the marriage and promised to remain strong and independent when he had to be deployed in a war zone. She had a great job with a pharmaceutical company and promises of rising higher.

They’d mapped out their future. He’d assumed the stability of marriage and a family had been her driving force. Unfortunately, she’d never conceived. The fertility specialist they’d consulted hadn’t found anything wrong with either of them. Perhaps the stress of Zane’s job had prevented conception. He’d suggested they get therapy to help them, but Nedra wanted none of that.

It wasn’t until the bitter end of their marriage that she admitted she’d been on the pill for two years without telling him. Her sin of omission was the biggest shocker for him to face.

When she’d finally admitted what she’d done, he’d reached the breaking point. With that hope gone, there was nothing more to fight for. Clearly she’d wanted out of the marriage with no pregnancy issues so she could have fun and excitement with the new man in her life who worked nine to five and then came home. She’d met someone at her job who was going places.

But that was old baggage. After turning out the light, Zane went back to his bedroom. At this point he was in a new phase of his life. He’d had a year to think about it and planned to reach out for what he wanted. Zane wasn’t twenty-three anymore, a time when he’d worried that getting married might be a mistake while he was in the SEALs.

This time he knew exactly what he wanted. He knew the woman he wanted. Zane had glimpsed Avery from a distance tonight. He was still sizzling from the bolt of electricity that had traveled through him at the sight of her in that green shirt and jeans.

Tomorrow he planned to seek her out, and would use official business as the reason he wanted to talk to her. It was a springboard to the relationship he intended to have with her. One day soon he would find out why she did her best to avoid being alone with him. He knew in his gut there was chemistry between them that was growing stronger every time they saw each other. You could hide a lot of things, but not the kind of sensual tension that picked up on every breath and heartbeat.


Chapter Three (#ulink_64c30e51-19d7-5767-a251-9fc31dad4544)

Friday morning Avery got up early and dressed in jeans and a fresh holster shirt. Over it she wore a short-sleeved blue denim Western shirt. In case of an emergency, the snaps made it easier to access her pistol without tearing her shirt.

She slipped out of the ranch house without eating breakfast. Normally she ate with her grandfather, but this morning she was in a hurry and didn’t want to hear the news about last night’s welcome-home party for Zane. It would hurt too much to know what she’d missed. Pretty soon Ralph would inquire about her date. That was something she would just as soon forget.

She started up her truck and took off for the shooting range outside White Lodge where she put in a half hour’s target practice, but last night’s events still haunted her. Avery hadn’t liked hurting Mike, but she’d had no choice and told him the truth: the man she’d thought she could forget had come back into her life unexpectedly. Though she didn’t know what would come of it—maybe nothing—she knew it wasn’t fair to use Mike. That was a terrible thing to do to anyone.

Naturally she’d mentioned no name, so Mike couldn’t possibly know about her feelings for Zane, who’d been away for close to a year and had only come home periodically. But it was painful how stone-cold quiet Mike had gone on the drive home. Who could blame him? When they reached the ranch house, she’d jumped out of the truck before he could come around. “I’m truly sorry, Mike. Thank you for dinner. Please forgive me.”

By the time she made it to the porch, he’d peeled out of the driveway. She could hear the screech of tires even after she’d let herself in the house. The unpleasant moment, compounded by guilt of another kind she’d been carrying around for eight years, had made her sleep fitful.

After picking up a snack, she headed for Little Big Horn College in the town of Crow Agency, Montana. The two-year community college chartered by the Crow Nation offered eight associate of arts degrees. Though the majority of the students enrolled were members of the Crow Nation, it was a public college and she’d been enrolled in Crow language classes on Fridays for a long time.

The hour and a half drive from the ranch put limits on her time so that she could only attend classes once a week. It would take years to achieve any kind of mastery, but she’d always had extra help from Jarod and his Crow family. While she’d been away at college in Bozeman she’d hired a tutor to keep teaching her the language. Because of that ability, she’d won a fellowship to Berkeley.

If she hoped to publish important works in the future, it was vital she be able to communicate with the elderly Crow people on the reservation who could help her with her folklore research. This was her focus, the only thing that was going to help her keep her distance from Zane.

After three hours of classwork, she grabbed a sandwich, left campus and headed for Absarokee. Near the town was an archaeological site that was the former site of Crow Agency along Highway 78. She was part of a crew uncovering part of the foundation of the original agency compound. They’d been compiling a growing collection of artifacts.

She’d found a blue bottle, the ceramic arm of a doll, a pottery shard and the cylinder of a cap-and-ball revolver. The fantastically rich artifact record and archaeologically intact nature of the site made it unique on the high plains of Montana. Actual objects used by the Crow formed a bridge between the past and present. Every piece of evidence excited her because the site was a window into a very transformative time in Crow Nation history.

By midafternoon she pulled up next to some other trucks parked in a field near the ongoing excavation of the foundation of a Crow cabin building that was over a hundred years old. Some kind of meeting was in progress. Paul Osgood, the auburn haired fiftyish professor who headed the dig, waved her over to him and four other archaeologists.

“Hi. What’s going on?”

“We’re glad you’re here. As you can see, vandals were busy again during the night. I called the police yesterday. They’ll do what they can, but it isn’t possible for them to patrol this area all the time. They don’t have the manpower. Last night someone desecrated part of this foundation we’d marked and tagged into units. The loss of animal and fish bone fragments comes as a real blow.”

When Avery looked down, she could see what he meant. The fragments told so much about the changing Crow diet: how they went from living on bison, antelope, deer, elk and cutthroat trout to subsisting on government-provided beef.

“Do you think this is a case of pure and simple looting out of greed? Or malicious vandalism by a bunch of out-of-control teenagers?”

“I have no idea.”

“We need a guard dog,” she muttered.

“I agree. Unfortunately the benefactors who’ve funded this project aren’t about to give us more money for protection like that.”

Ed Meese spoke up. “I could camp out here tonight.”

“Not alone,” Paul exclaimed.

Ray Collins volunteered to keep watch with him.

Paul shook his head. “I can’t allow you to do that. For one thing, it could be dangerous. You don’t know what you could be dealing with. I promised the authorities we’d let them handle this, but I’ve been asked to get some pictures proving the damage. Why don’t we walk around the site and take photos of anything we find disturbed? We’ll send them to the police and call it a night.”

They worked together till six before disbanding. Avery drove back to the ranch totally frustrated by the damage done. For the culprits, it was like taking candy from a baby. Her crew was helpless in the face of the wanton destruction happening after dark.

She pulled in at seven, heartsick over the situation. Avery was just about to pull the key from the ignition when someone walked up to her truck.

Suddenly her heart had another problem. Zane.

Avery had been so upset, she hadn’t noticed his Volvo sitting next to some of the other vehicles. He was dressed in a dark gray pullover and jeans. His hard-muscled physique standing in cowboy boots made him a good six-three. Between dark fringed lashes, his intelligent eyes glowed like twin blue suns.

With shaky fingers she lowered the window. Now if she could just catch her breath. “I understand congratulations are in order for a lot of reasons. Welcome home. You didn’t have to wait until the Fourth of July after all.”

A ghost of a smile hovered around his mouth. “Even better, I’m here to stay. You missed a great party last night.”

“I’m sorry about that.”

He raked a suntanned hand through hair that looked like rich brown loam. “Do you have another date tonight with the same man as last night?”

She blinked. “How did you know about that?”

“I saw the two of you together while I was driving in from Glasgow.”

Avery couldn’t believe it. She’d been so upset with herself for having made a second date with Mike, she hadn’t been aware of anything else. Biting her lip she said, “I have no plans for tonight. It’s been a long day.”

“Too long to go out on a case with me tonight? The police alerted the BLM law enforcement to a new problem in the area.”

Her head flew back, causing the hair to resettle around her shoulders. “What do you mean?”

“Now that I’m permanently stationed here, my first undercover assignment is to catch the vandals desecrating the dig site at Absarokee.”

A small cry escaped her throat. “That’s where I work!”

“Sadie told me.” He cocked his dark head. “After all these months of working at opposite ends of the state, imagine my surprise. When I saw my orders, it reminded me of a poem that says, ‘God long ago drew a circle in the sand exactly around the spot where you are standing right now. I was never not coming here. This was never not going to happen.’”

The words, and the way he’d said them, sounded like bits of prophecy, making their way to her soul where she’d tried to hide from him. She averted her eyes.

“I need someone to give me inside information. Who better than you? Tonight I want to drive there and get a feel for the place. We won’t stay too long. If you’ll come with me, I’ll feed you. While we drive, I’d like to pick your brain.”

She cleared her throat, trying to keep her wits about her. “You think someone I work with could be responsible?”

His eyes narrowed, sending a shiver down her back. “You never know. Everyone is fair game at a crime scene.”

Zane was on the hunt. She could feel it and shuddered for the people responsible when he caught up with them. “You’re right.”

“If we leave now in my car, we should get there before it’s totally dark.”

Avery couldn’t very well say no to him under the circumstances. Her truck engine was still idling. “I’ll run inside and tell Grandpa where I’m going.”

“Good. I’ll wait for you.”

She raised the window and turned off the ignition. He opened the door so she could climb out. On a burst of adrenaline she hurried into the house only to find out her grandfather had gone over to Jarod’s for dinner. She told the housekeeper where she was going, then made a stop to the bathroom to freshen up. While she ran a brush through her hair and reapplied her lipstick, his words kept going around in her head.

I was never not coming here. This was never not going to happen.

* * *

ZANE PULLED INTO the drive-through in White Lodge where they ordered hamburgers and fries. During the short drive from the ranch they talked about family and how big Ryan was getting. She asked about some of his cases in Glasgow. They stuck to topics he knew made her feel comfortable.

Once they were headed for the dig site, he listened while she gave him a rundown of the professors and archaeologists involved in the excavation. He learned that two of the men had volunteered to stand guard, but their idea was tabled by the head archaeologist.

After they arrived, he drove to two of the homes of the owners of the land to introduce himself and Avery. He let them know he was conducting an investigation of the vandalism. They received him warmly and promised to keep an eye out that night. If they saw or heard anything out of the ordinary, they’d phone him.

Back in the car he said, “Now show me where you all park when you come to work. Does everyone come by car?”

“Some have trucks.”

Avery gave directions to the part of the field where they’d been excavating the foundation of a hundred-plus-year-old Crow cabin. Careful to park where he wouldn’t drive over tracks already made in the dirt, they got out.

“The worst of the destruction is right over here.” Both of them held flashlights as he followed Avery to the area set off in grids. “See there? They’ve raked through the dirt, destroying the bits of animal bones. And look here—they’ve stolen the wire-wound round glass beads. The beads’ eyes, in particular, make them priceless.”

He grimaced. “Stay right here. I’m going to the car to get some packs of fiber foam.” He’d decided not to cast the tracks. That process was messier. “I want to take impressions of the tire tracks.” One set of them came from an ATV. He pulled on gloves. “With the list of names and addresses you’re going to give me, I’ll have a better idea of who’s driving what. We’ll go from there.”

“What’ll happen when you catch this person?”

“If it’s a first offense, we’ll levy a twenty-thousand-dollar fine and nine months’ jail time. If they’ve been arrested before, they could be charged a hundred-thousand-dollar fine and get a five-year prison sentence.”

“Good! How dare they do this.”

Zane smiled at her vehemence. While he gathered evidence, he noticed some cigarette butts. “Does any of your crew smoke?”

“Maybe, but they don’t do it on the site.”

Interesting.

By ten o’clock he’d gathered the evidence he needed, including the butts and a peppermint pattie candy wrapper he’d found and bagged. Avery helped him carry everything to the car where he discarded the gloves. They started back to the ranch.

He looked over at her. “You’re a great helper. When we crack this case, you’ll be given a commendation from the Crow Nation, probably by Jarod’s uncle Charlo himself. He might as well be your uncle, too, right?”

He provoked a small smile from her. “That’s true, but this isn’t Crow land.”

“It used to be, and the tribe has united with the Federal Highway Administration and the Montana Department of Transportation to make certain this land is preserved.”

“Zane, the crew will be really glad to know you’ve been assigned here.”

He felt his pulse surge. “I hope that means you’re glad, too, because I’d like to enlist more of your help for this case.”

She stirred in the seat. “I’ll do anything I can. What they’ve done is not only criminal, but immoral.”

“How about coming over to the house tomorrow after we help Liz and Connor move into their new place? We’ll combine forces and get all the information entered in my files.”

If he wasn’t mistaken, her voice sounded a trifle unsteady as she said, “All right.”

Inch by inch, Lawson.

“I understand Connor has a ton of stuff stored at your ranch.”

Avery let out a gentle laugh. “You wouldn’t believe it. It’ll take hours just to transport all his trophies and awards.”

Zane grinned. “Then we’ve got our work cut out.” He hoped there’d be so much work, she wouldn’t be able to find an excuse to get away from him.

Once he’d pulled up to her ranch, he got out and walked her to the front door. He smiled down at her. In the faint light from the hallway, the classic planes of her features stood out. Between her fantastic coloring and the flare of her mouth, he could hardly tear his eyes away, but he had to. Something strange had happened when he’d looked at her just now.

Everything had been fine all evening, yet all of a sudden she was starting to pull away from him again. Almost as if he’d pressed a button by mistake and it had opened a secret panel. It wasn’t anything she did physically. Rather he felt her emotional withdrawal into that secret opening.

Puzzled by it, he said, “I liked taking you out on this case with me, especially one that impacts you personally. I’m going to bring it to a close soon.”

“I don’t doubt it. Good night, Zane.”

“I’ll be over in the morning in my truck and we’ll get the move done fast so we’ll have more time to devote to the case. The bureau wants to see it wrapped up in a hurry.”

She only nodded before slipping inside to shut the door.

He’d seen guys behave the same way after they’d retired from the SEALs. Their PTSD triggered flashbacks and attacks of nerves. Zane still struggled from a mild form of it. He saw a doctor in Billings periodically and was given medication that controlled it. But he’d learned enough about it to know it was a real illness and one not associated only with war.

You could get it after living through or seeing a dangerous event like a hurricane or a bad accident. PTSD made you feel stressed and afraid long after the danger was over. It affected your life and the people around you. Avery exhibited certain signs that led him to believe she might be suffering from it. What in the hell had happened to her to bring it on?

With his emotions in turmoil, he drove home and got ready for bed. His thoughts went back to the night Ned Bannock, Sadie’s cousin, had attacked Sadie in the barn while Zane had been in the house with Ryan. Thankfully both Connor and Jarod had caught him in time.

Ned, whose family had always lived on Bannock property, was still being treated at a mental health facility with occasional supervised visits home. Was it possible that sometime in the past he’d attacked Avery and no one ever knew about it?




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