Indiana Wild Read online

  Indiana Wild

  Spirit Pass: Book 1

  By S. E. Smith

  Acknowledgments

  I would like to thank my husband Steve for believing in me and being proud enough of me to give me the courage to follow my dream. I would also like to give a special thank you to my sister and best friend Linda who not only encouraged me to write but who also read the manuscript. And to my friends who have kept me writing: Sally, Julie, Jackie, Chris, Narelle, and Lisa.

  —S. E. Smith

  Paranormal/Time Travel Romance

  INDIANA WILD

  Copyright © 2013 by Susan E. Smith

  First E-Book Publication April 2013

  Cover Design by Melody Simmons

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission from the author.

  All characters, places, and events in this book are fictitious or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations are strictly coincidental.

  Synopsis

  Indiana Wild is as wild as the Montana ranch she was raised on. The youngest of four children, she was a delightful surprise for her older parents. She spends her time training horses and cow dogs and loving the freedom of the wide open spaces. When her grandfather dies, she finds her much older brothers have different plans for the ranch she calls home and for Indiana.

  Indiana’s oldest brother is determined to tame Indiana and bring her to live with him in Los Angeles where he can keep an eye on her and the money she is inheriting. He believes with a little taming, he can control the wild spirit of his little sister and find her a good husband who can manage her.

  Furious with the court order giving her older brother guardianship over her, Indiana turns to the only place she feels at home…. the wide-open spaces of Montana. She is determined to avoid her controlling brothers and their greed, even if it means hiding from them until they give up. An unexpected trip through Spirit Pass takes Indiana further than she ever expected…. by almost a hundred and fifty years.

  Jonathan Tucker is as tough as they come. He and his twin brother have cut a successful horse and cattle ranch in the harsh Montana territory. When cattle rustlers try to steal his cattle and shoot one of his men, he is grateful to the young boy named Indy who comes to the rescue, even if the boy does have an attitude. The last thing he expects is to find the ‘boy’ is in fact an independent, freethinking, stubborn female who is not afraid to voice her opinions. She is as wild as the untamed land around them and he is determined she is the wife for him.

  When Indiana is taken from him, Jonathan finds he will do whatever it takes to bring his Indiana Wild home for good, even if it means following her to the future.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Spirit Warrior: Spirit Pass Book 2

  Chapter 1

  “How could you? How could you do this to me?” Indy whispered in disbelief staring at her brothers as if she had never seen them before.

  “Indiana, it’s for your own good,” Hayden said sternly. The oldest of the four Wild family kids, he was also a successful attorney in California. “Grandfather was old and senile. A new will needed to be done. It was well within our rights for me to help him draft the new one.”

  “Grandfather was not senile! You bullied him into signing the papers making you his legal guardian. We were doing just fine until you came out and stuck your nose in our business,” Indy said angrily.

  “Now Indy, you know Hayden is right. We were only thinking of your best interests,” Gus said leaning forward as if to pat Indy on the knee.

  “Touch me Gus and I’ll slice your greedy fingers right off your thieving hands,” Indy said through clenched teeth.

  “Indy, there is no need to speak to Gus like that,” Matthew said moving a little further away from where she was sitting.

  “Shut up, Matt. You are nothing but an opportunist gambler who sees another way to support your lifestyle. You’ll blow your inheritance in less than a year and be begging at Hayden’s door for more,” Indy said coldly.

  Indiana “Indy” Wild looked at her three older brothers in anger and disbelief. She couldn’t believe they had been so underhanded as to steal the only place she had ever called home from her. Hayden sat looking at her from behind her grandfather’s old desk. The oldest at forty-seven he was an imposing figure taking after their father’s side of the family. He was six foot one with broad shoulders and a slight pouch around the middle from all the days of sitting in courtrooms making millions. His dark brown eyes stared at her coolly as he waited for her to calm down.

  Calm down like hell, Indy thought dispassionately. He just wants me to sign on the dotted line so he can add more millions to his bank account.

  Hayden had come to the Wild Ranch in Montana six months ago when their grandfather had a slight stroke. Until then, it had been ten years since he had returned and then only to bury their grandmother and parents who were killed in a car accident. Indy had no idea that during the two weeks he was there he had their grandfather sign a new Will and other documents giving him power of attorney.

  Indy glared at her brothers feeling her stomach tighten with nerves. She had been a surprise to her delighted parents when her mother became pregnant unexpectedly in her forties. There was a twenty year difference between her and her youngest brother, Matthew. She was twenty-two to his forty-two.

  Her parents raised all of them on the ranch, living in the same house as her grandparents. When her parents died, her grandfather took over raising her since her older brothers had their own lives to live. It had worked out well. Indy had always been close to her grandfather and after the accident they had grown even closer. While Indy’s brothers left as soon as they were old enough to live elsewhere, Indy never planned on leaving. She loved every aspect of ranch life from the cattle, to the horses, to the old cowpunchers that came and went each year.

  “Indy, accept it. The ranch has already been sold. You will receive a sizable amount of money which should help you. The money will be set up in a trust account and you will receive monthly checks until you reach the age of twenty-five. At that time, you will receive the full amount. The company that purchased the ranch will take over at the end of the month. Everything goes to them except personal belongings, of course. I have made sure you have enough money to cover your first six months of living expenses so you can find a job. I suggest you plan on attending graduate school. You will have a better potential for finding a job with a higher level degree. If you need funds to cover it I can release them as I have control of your trust fund.”

  She just stared at Hayden in disbelief as he continued describing how he was taking over the ranch, her money from the sale, and her life. Gus fidgeted in his seat as he watched the emotions crossing Indy’s face. Out of the three brothers, Gus at forty-five was the most compassionate of the three. He was married to a nice woman and had four kids. He was currently working at Montana State University as a math teacher.

  “Indy, you can come live with Marge and me in Billings. Bob and Todd are moving out to go to college
and their rooms will be open. You might like it there,” Gus said quietly.

  Indy’s eyes filled with tears but she refused to let them fall. She would be damned if she would give any of them the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Standing and walking over to the window, she stared out over the mountains she loved so much.

  “That won’t be necessary,” Indy said quietly.

  She kept her shoulders straight. She knew there was nothing she could do. Hayden wasn’t just good as an attorney; he was cut-throat good. He would have made sure he had all his bases covered before he presented the sale of the ranch to her. Her other two brothers didn’t give a damn about the ranch. Gus, though the nicest of the three, needed the money to pay for his kids’ college tuitions. Matthew just wanted the money to live the good life in Vegas and would be broke before the year was out. Hayden, well, he was just greedy.

  “Midnight, Kahlua, Chester and Tweed are mine. I paid for them out of my own money. They go with me,” Indy said with her back still turned. Midnight and Kahlua were two horses she had bought and trained for rounding. Chester and Tweed were her two cow dogs. “I’ll have my stuff out and be gone within the next two weeks.”

  “I took the liberty of looking at several places you might be interested in living at….” Hayden began.

  Indy turned sharply, staring coldly into Hayden’s eyes. “Hayden, you can take your liberties and stick them up your ass. I go where I want, when I want. I don’t need your or anyone else’s help. Once I’m out of here I don’t give a damn if I ever see any of you again. Now, if you will excuse me I have some packing to do,” Indy said in a stiff voice.

  Indy walked out the door of her grandfather’s office. She felt numb inside as she headed toward the stairs and her bedroom. It wouldn’t take her long to pack as she didn’t own much. She had never needed much living on the ranch. Anything she had ever wanted the ranch had supplied.

  *.*.*

  “I think that went well. What about you guys?” Matthew said as he watched Indy walk out the door.

  “Matt, sometimes you can be such an ass,” Gus said as he stood up. “We shouldn’t have done it this way to Indy. This ranch is all she has ever known. We should have discussed what we planned with her.”

  “You are too soft on her, Gus,” Hayden said pulling all the paperwork together and placing it in a large envelope. “This ranch is worth a fortune and we were lucky to be able to sell it for what we did. Indy will adjust. This is no place for a young girl anyway. Once she calms down, I’ll let her know I took the liberty of purchasing her a condo in Los Angeles. She’ll thank us one day,” Hayden said as he stood up and brushed an imaginary piece of lint from the pants of his expensive Armani suit.

  “Los Angeles?” Gus stared in disbelief at Hayden. “You can’t put Indy in the middle of a big city! She hates cities.”

  “As I said before, she’ll adjust,” Hayden said grimly before heading out the door. “I have to fly back to L.A. tonight as I have a case on Monday morning. I’ll let Sam know to make sure Indy has everything packed and moved out by the end of the month. I’ll let you know when the final payment for the ranch has been made and make sure it is deposited into your accounts.”

  Chapter 2

  “Indy, are you sure about this?” Sam Whitewater asked for the third time as he handed her another pack. “Winter is still upon us and it can be brutal out there. What if we get a late winter storm?”

  Indy ignored Sam for a moment as she cinched the ties onto the packs she had loaded on Kahlua. She had enough gear to last her a couple months if she was careful. The air was still frigid from the snow that fell last night. It had been a light dusting though and shouldn’t hold her up. The horses and dogs could easily handle it. Staring out at the mountains to the west she knew her brothers would think she was just being difficult, unreasonable, and immature but she knew differently. When she had read the letter from Hayden last night it had taken everything in her not to call him up just to cuss him out. It wouldn’t make any difference anyway. How did you cuss the devil out? He just enjoyed your pain.

  “Sam, I’ll come by your place sometime in early spring to visit and resupply. I know how to survive in the mountains so don’t worry. I had the best teacher after all,” Indy said with a slight curve to her lips.

  “You’re damn right you did. Now you make me wish I hadn’t taught you so well,” Sam replied sadly. “Your brothers do not understand your heart. Hayden would never have demanded you move to the city if he did.”

  Indy had shown Sam and his wife, Claire, the letter she received. Hayden had gone before a judge and had a court order giving him guardianship of Indy until she was twenty-five on the basis she was unable to make clear, rational decisions ensuring her mental and physical health and finances. She had been ordered to live with him at his L.A. home until further notice. A certified copy, delivered by the local sheriff along with an airline ticket, had been enclosed. In addition, the document stated any livestock or animals were to be placed in the care of the new owners of the Wild Ranch until further notice by her guardian.

  Indy stared out at the mountains for another moment before she called out to Chester and Tweed. Pulling her gloves on tighter and securing her hat, she mounted Midnight. She reached down taking the lead rope for Kahlua that Sam held out.

  She looked down at Sam with a sad smile. “I would rather live in the mountains for the next couple of months to a year before I live in a city. Hayden might cause a fuss but they won’t find me. I’ll be moving around a lot so don’t bother trying to look for me. This way if Hayden asks you don’t know anything,” Indy said quietly looking at the man who understood her better than her own family.

  Sam observed the young woman sitting upon the solid black horse with a mixture of sorrow and respect. She had chosen a hard path most men couldn’t survive. He knew she could. She had been raised to be a part of the land and would die anywhere else.

  Lifting a beaded necklace from around his neck, he handed it to Indy. “Okoblaya icimani. Peaceful journey, little one,” Sam said sadly, gazing up at his slender goddaughter.

  Indy grasped the necklace tightly in her fist before sliding it into her pocket. “Wowahwa. Atewaye ki. Peace, my father, “ Indy replied with a tight smile.

  With a click of her heels, Indy moved off slowly heading for the mountains looming far to the west. She knew she could die but figured she had a choice this way. She could die on the land she loved, doing what she was born to do or let her spirit die a slower, more painful death at the hands of her brother in a city. She had a much better chance of surviving in the mountains.

  *.*.*

  It had taken her two days to reach the mountains. She had to keep moving, using as many different methods as possible so she couldn’t be tracked. She had headed out through the lower cattle pastures first making sure her tracks were mixed in with those of the cattle. It hadn’t snowed again so she couldn’t use it to help her. Once she was closer to the mountains, she moved along the river where the ground was harder and didn’t leave as many tracks. She crossed over the river and headed up the mountain following little used trails Sam had taught her about when she was younger. There were a number of caves and shallow rock overhangs she could use for shelter in the higher regions. She would head north now. There was a huge ranch on the other side of the mountain range. Maybe she could hire on as a cowpuncher in the spring. If she kept a low profile she should be alright. By then, Hayden should have given up looking for her.

  The snow had gotten deeper as she moved further up and light snow flurries mixed with the heavy snow that was falling. Tweed and Chester ran ahead bouncing up and down. If it became too difficult for them she would have to make a sled to pull them on. For now though, they acted like the two year old Australian Cattle dogs they were.

  Days turned into weeks and before Indy knew it almost a month had passed. It was getting to be late March. She was close to a hundred miles from her grandfather’s ranch from her calculations. She ha
d to stop a few times for several days as late winter storms blew through the upper elevations. Luckily, she had purchased specialized camping gear several years ago made just for the cold Montana winters. The arctic tent and sheet metal stove had kept her, Tweed and Chester nice and warm. She had extra tarps she had strung up to make a portable lean-to for the horses. She had supplemented her food supplies with small animals she had trapped or the dogs had run down. The first two weeks had been the worst. She had heard the sound of planes making a crisscrossing pattern and knew Hayden had discovered her missing. She had to travel mostly at night during that time until she moved out of their search field. Once, she heard dogs far off in the distance. She had put Tweed and Chester up onto Midnight and Kahlua and used a small stream to help hide their scent. After the third week she figured she was far enough away to be safe and had been able to gain more ground during the daylight hours.

  It wasn’t until she reached Spirit Pass that she felt totally safe. Sam had told Indy about it when she was little. He had brought her up here only once and told her of the legend of Spirit Pass. It is said those who travel through the sacred ground would complete a journey that would change their lives. When Indy asked what type of journey, Sam had told her he once had traveled through the Pass only to find himself in another world. There he had met Claire and fallen in love. The world he found himself in had been a dangerous place, for red man and white man did not like each other. Claire had been traveling with her family when her parents and little brother had taken ill. Her parents had died, leaving Claire and her little brother alone. Sam had come upon them lost and frightened on the other side of the mountains. He helped Claire nurse her brother back to health. During that time, Claire and Sam had fallen in love and Sam had convinced Claire to come back with him over the mountains where he owned the ranch next to her grandfather. Indy had always liked Claire. She had always acted like a second mother to Indy, teaching her stuff like how to cook using ingredients not found in a box. Those lessons had come in very handy over the last couple of weeks.