Black Raven's Pride

He nodded thoughtfully. “Well, I’ve got no plans to marry. The bachelor life suits me.”

She didn’t comment. “How are you and Jake getting along trying to run a ranch together? You two never used to agree on anything.”

“Jake and I will never see eye to eye on a lot of things,” he answered, “but we’re working it out.” He paused, studying her expression. “But let’s get back to what’s going on in your life, Eden. People have the right to their opinions, and they’re not required to like the fact that you’re now living here. But no one has the right to threaten you physically, or harass you. It looks like you’re caught up in something that might be too big for you to handle alone. You’re a mother now and have other responsibilities to take into account. Let me do my job as a cop and help you out.”

She hesitated, then forced a smile. “What happened out there won’t happen again. I’m sure of it.”

“I don’t believe that any more than you do.”

“Don’t put yourself in the middle of this, Nick. It’ll only make things tougher for me,” she said. “I’ve always taken care of myself and I know what I have to do. I’ll handle it.”

“I’m sorry, Eden, but I can’t let this go. This trouble is taking place on pueblo land, and that’s my turf.”

As he pulled up in front of her adobe home, she mumbled a quick goodbye, let herself out, and began walking up to the door.

Nick knew he hadn’t been invited, but he parked the Jeep and decided to go inside with her. He had a job to do, and, as long as she was at the pueblo, it was his duty to help her fight whoever was trying to drive her off.

Like star-crossed lovers destined to keep meeting, Eden was back in his life again. But, this time, it was different. Eden, the woman he’d loved, was gone for good. In her place was this stranger who was bringing trouble to the land he was sworn to protect.

Chapter Two

Eden knew Nick Black Raven was right behind her as she stepped up to the front door. She could sense him as clearly as she could the wind that swept her long chestnut hair across her face. She’d never wanted to bring Nick here. It was too hard to be with him. There were too many memories. Every time she looked at him, her heart remembered the only man who had ever made her blood sing. But he was not for her.

She could still remember every detail of their last night together. She’d loved him with all her heart, but afterward, as he’d held her, he’d bared his soul to her. What she’d seen there had made it clear that they couldn’t have a future together. A fierce agony had gripped her as he’d shattered her dreams one by one with each word he spoke.

He’d asked her to stay with him, but he’d never spoken of marriage. He’d told her that they’d make a life together, away from the pueblo, and never set foot on Tewa land again. They’d make a home in Arizona, just the two of them. Kids would never be a part of the picture. As far as he was concerned, the world didn’t need more children.

His vision of their future had been so different from hers! The knowledge had broken her heart and she’d realized then that she’d allowed things to go too far. The inescapable truth had been that she’d sworn to return to the pueblo to clear her parents’ name. She had hoped he’d go with her, but knew suddenly that it would never be. And then to learn that he never wanted children to become a part of his life… The prospect had chilled her soul.

Although she’d loved Nick, she’d realized that what they each needed to be happy went beyond their ability to make compromises. Although it was clear that circumstances had now brought him home to stay, it was just as evident from his earlier reference about his bachelor lifestyle that he hadn’t changed his mind about that part.

As it had been in the past, fate brought them together but continued to put obstacles in their way. To make matters even worse, Nick was now a cop. As the daughter of a man in law enforcement, she knew the high emotional cost that would carry for anyone close to him. Childhood memories made her hand tremble as she grasped the door and stepped inside.

Suddenly her son, Christopher, let out a delighted cry. The dark-haired baby crawled toward her from across the room, leaving his activity blanket behind in a heap. Her heart melted. “Come here, little guy. Did you miss me?” She scooped Chris up and held him against her, shutting out Mrs. Chino’s scowl for a few moments longer.

“You’re very late, Eden. I told you I was expected at my daughter’s, so you had to be back by seven, not eight forty-five. I almost left and took Christopher with me.”

“It was entirely my fault, Mrs. Chino.” Nick stepped around Eden and gave Mrs. Chino a mischievous grin that could have melted a dozen women’s hearts. “The weather was lousy and we were only trying to get out of the rain. Isn’t that what you were always telling us to do when Jake and I were kids?”

She smiled back at him, her anger vanishing in an instant. “I did do that, didn’t I? I’m surprised you remember!”

“How could I forget? Remember that big storm in October of 1985 that broke all those branches off the cottonwoods around the Plaza?”

In a matter of seconds, Nick had her talking about old times. By the time the elderly lady left, Eden was amazed to see Mrs. Chino was in a better mood than she’d been in days.

Eden sighed softly as she stood at the window, watching Nick walk the sitter down the street toward her house. Nick had a way about him. As far back as she could remember, he’d always had at least half of the women in the pueblo madly in love with him. But the time she remembered most was when he’d only had eyes for her.

A delicious warmth spiraled through her as her thoughts drifted back to those days. Suddenly aware of what she was doing, she squelched that sentimental memory. Their time had come and gone, though destiny still toyed with them.

She remembered what she’d told Nick earlier tonight about her baby when he’d pressed her. She hadn’t lied. There had been another man in her life after she’d left Nick—the child he’d fathered, their son Christopher.

Nick came back inside after having shown Mrs. Chino to her own door. Moving with purpose, he strode across the room toward her, all masculine power and confidence.

Eden’s heart was racing as she cradled Christopher closer in her arms, bracing herself for what she had to do. Nick was only a part of her past. All he represented to her now was another complication she’d have to deal with. Christopher and Nick would eventually have to know each other as father and son but, first, she wanted to make sure Nick would welcome that news. Everything she knew about him told him he would not.

For now, the best thing she could do was concentrate on what she’d come home to do. She had returned to clear her family’s name and that had to remain her first priority.

“Thank you for bringing me home, Nick, but I don’t want to keep you,” she said. Placing the squirming baby down on his special blanket, she started toward the door.

“So this is Christopher,” Nick said, ignoring her hint. Picking the baby up off the floor, he went to the couch. To Eden’s surprise, Christopher didn’t let out the usual ear-piercing shriek he was famous for when a stranger held him.

Nick raised the baby up, holding him in a standing position on his lap. “What a great kid! And, hey, I think he likes me.”

“Don’t be too flattered. He’s not picky. He also loves eating lipstick and crawling backwards down the hall.”

Nick looked up at her and smiled warmly, shaking his head. “Well, you certainly won’t win Miss Congeniality tonight.”

Forcing herself not to even crack a smile, she stared at him coldly. “I hate to be a poor hostess, but I’ve got to put my son to bed.”

“Let me help you. Then we can talk,” Nick said, refusing to be put off.

Her chest constricted. This had been a favorite fantasy of hers—one she’d harbored in the deepest recesses of her heart.

“I’ll take care of it,” she said.

Eden tried not to look Nick in the eye as she silently took Christopher from him and started down the hall. Thankfully, Mrs. Chino had already bathed Christopher and he was in his pajamas. Giving her son a kiss on the forehead, she laid him gently in his crib and watched him for a moment. Christopher was her miracle, the only thing life had brought her that held nothing but good.

As she turned away, she noticed that Nick had followed her and was now standing just an arm’s length behind, watching the baby.

“You’re a lucky woman,” he said, following her out of the room. “That’s one special little boy.”

His words of praise only made her more nervous. Nick and Christopher had responded to each other in a way that had taken her by surprise. And that served to remind her of the need to be cautious.

“You’ve made a good life for yourself, Eden.” He brushed her face with his hand. His work-hardened palm made a shiver course through her. His body was all steel and muscle but, as it always had been, what made her melt inside was his gentleness.

Forcing her feelings aside, she walked to the door. “You have to go now, Nick. You don’t belong here. You’re not part of my life anymore.” Eden could see the impact her words had on him.

His eyes became hooded, his expression cold. “I know you want me to keep my nose out of your business, but any trouble that touches this pueblo is my business. If someone is trying to drive you out of town, I need to know. So, whether you like it or not, that makes you my business.”

Eden watched him from the living room window as he strode away. The attraction she felt for him was as strong as ever and that spelled big trouble. She’d have to protect herself or heartbreak would be sure to follow.

NICK DROVE AWAY, heading across country, pushing the Jeep through the worst terrain around. The rocky ground, full of risk and uncertainty, suited his mood.

Finding Eden after all this time had thrown him one heck of a curve ball. Not that his life had ever been simple. After his father had kicked Jake and him out of their home the day after high school graduation, nothing had ever come easy. His father’s brutal attempt to force their transition from boys into men had taught him many hard lessons. Never Count On Anything and Never Trust Anyone had become his motto. He’d learned all about hopelessness and fear back then, and what it could do to the human soul.

In time, he’d made a life for himself away from the pueblo, and had achieved a measure of success. He’d proven to himself and everyone else that he didn’t need his father’s support to make it in the world.

Yet, even though he’d thought he’d left his old life behind him forever, it eventually had called him back. After his father’s murder, he’d been forced to return to the pueblo. At first, it had been the last place he’d wanted to be, but things had changed over the last few months. He served a purpose here now, and he was exactly where he belonged. Nick knew he was home for good.

Moments later, he pulled up to the tribal police station, parked and went inside. The small, former residence was equipped only with the bare necessities. Crime had never really been much of a problem on the pueblo. For the most part, a San Esteban cop needed to know how to lead a wayward horse out of the road, or write a speeding ticket far more than he needed to know how to shoot. Of course, he’d had the required courses in self-defense and weapons, but it had only been a formality as far as he was concerned.

As he came in, Nick waved at Angelina, the civilian dispatcher. The desk against the wall that he shared with Deputy Torres was unoccupied at the moment. Torres was out on patrol somewhere. Walking to the back of the room, he knocked on Captain Mora’s open door. The man looked up, leaned back in his creaky old office chair, and waved him in.

Captain Daniel Mora was built like a safe—short, stocky, and nearly impossible to break. People often compared him to a pit bull because he had a reputation for never backing off once he was on the trail of a criminal. “What brings you here, Nick? You’re off duty tonight.”

“There’s a problem,” he said, then sitting across from Mora’s desk, related what had just occurred with Eden and the man in the pickup.

“You say she won’t file a complaint?”

“That’s right. She chalked it up to one of our tribe trying to scare her. She’s also been getting some unsigned notes demanding she move off the pueblo, but apparently she tossed them out. I told her that nobody had a right to make any threats, but in spite of what happened tonight, she doesn’t think she’s in any danger.”

“Was she in danger this evening?”

“I sure saw it that way. The person chasing her in that pickup wasn’t kidding around. He could have easily run her over, or caused her to injure herself.”

“Did you get a plate or an ID?”

“No, it was too dark.”

“Then, until she wants to file a complaint, our hands are tied.”

“My gut tells me to get to the bottom of this before whatever trouble she’s in poses a danger to the rest of the pueblo.”

Mora regarded Nick silently, his eagle-sharp gaze cutting through to the heart of the matter. “Are you worried about the woman, or about the tribe?”

“Both,” he admitted, grudgingly. The direct approach was the only way to work with a man like Mora.

“There’s something I want you to see. I think it’ll give you some insight into what’s going on with Eden Maes. It all goes back to when her parents were alive.”

Captain Mora reached inside the file cabinet, extracted a letter from one of the folders and handed it to Nick.

“Keep what this says to yourself,” he said. “Eden brought the original letter to me the day she moved back into her parents’ old house. She’d wanted me to know why she’d returned and what she hoped to learn by being here. Take a minute to read it then give it back to me.”

Nick saw the letter was to Eden from her grandmother. The text was handwritten and difficult to read, but he persisted.

Dear Eden,

If you’re reading this, I have gone on to the Lake of our Ancestors and you are now alone. You always said that someday you’d clear your parents’ name, and if that’s what you choose to do now, there are things you have to know.

Your father told me everything. Your mother was carrying trash out of the Cultural Center at the end of the day, as was her custom, when she accidentally discovered that one of the boxes contained ritual items. She realized then that one of the employees had used her to take the artifacts outside where the real thief could take them easily without leaving a trail. But she couldn’t figure out who hated her enough to implicate her in something like that. She decided to go to your father because he was a BIA cop. But the thief photographed your mother putting the sacred objects into her car, and used that to blackmail her. Shortly after your mother got home and before your father could go to the police, the thief called them. He ordered your father to get the objects off the pueblo and leave them at a specific place.

My son put his own plan in motion and led the thief on a wild-goose chase while your mother hid the artifacts elsewhere. Realizing that he’d been tricked, the thief turned on Isabel and gave the police the photos that incriminated her. Isabel went into hiding but the thieves found her and kidnapped her. Then they called your father, and offered to exchange Isabel for the artifacts.

I know that James tried to free your mother. He went alone because they told him Isabel would die if the cops got involved. Later, when they were both found dead by the side of the road, I knew right away what had happened. There was no evidence that could explain the crime, but I knew where my son had gone and why, and that was enough for me. I told the police, but they never found anything that would solve their murders.

Afterward, I was told by people I trust that the man behind the scheme was Tall Shadow. He was well-known for wanting to keep non-Tewas off our land, and he particularly opposed your mother who was a white woman.

That’s all I know. Isabel’s mother disowned her when she married your father, so she never confided in Beth. I spoke to her before her death years ago, but she didn’t know anything more than what I’ve told you. If you choose to pursue this, you’ll be on your own. Be careful who you trust.

Grandmother

Nick read the letter over again, fighting the urge not to look up at Mora and see his reaction to the mention of Tall Shadow. Nick knew the nickname. It had been an old, rarely used one for his father, Paul Black Raven.

Nick finished the letter and handed it back to Captain Mora, searching Mora’s face to see if he also knew who Tall Shadow was, but finding no answers.

“James must have been up against the ropes if the thief had photos of Isabel putting the artifacts in her car,” Nick commented. “Incriminating evidence like that is very effective blackmail.”

“According to the statement James Maes made, the thief stayed one step ahead of them. And that eventually cost James and Isabel their lives,” Mora said. “Of course, Eden’s seeing far more in her grandmother’s letter than she should. She’s always wanted to clear her parents, and thinks that the information in this letter is a solid starting point.” Mora leaned back in his chair.

“What did you tell her?” Nick pressed.

“Without more to go on than an old woman’s memories—a woman who is now dead and can’t be questioned—we really don’t have anything solid. I also can’t remember anyone by the nickname ‘Tall Shadow’ but, of course, all this happened when we were both kids.” Mora put the letter back into the file folder.

“Eden won’t back off,” Nick said slowly.

“Of course not. I know for a fact that she’s actually been busy asking people all kinds of questions about the past and her parents’ lives here. I think she’s determined to gain acceptance here by finding the stolen religious objects. Unofficially, of course, I wish her luck on her search. The two missing items are a crucial part of our rites.”

“I’m not up on all that. Can you fill me in on what was stolen?”

“One of the two Tsave Yoh masks used for the Turtle Dance, along with its accompanying bear fetish, have been missing for almost twenty years now. The Tsave Yoh, as you probably remember, are supernatural beings entrusted with keeping the people’s ties to our gods strong. They’re said to be brought to life when specially appointed men wear the masks representing them. When one of those masks and the fetish were stolen, the power of the remaining Tsave Yoh was weakened. Our people believe that all the bad times that have befallen the pueblo since then—years of drought followed by persistent flooding and crop failures—prove that our people have slowly been losing the protection of our gods.”

“If she’s trying to find the artifacts, how come our people don’t support her?” Nick asked.

“I don’t think anyone believes she’ll get anywhere. She was only nine when her mother took the artifacts, so what can she possibly do now for the tribe except create division and more problems? To most, she’s just the daughter of someone who brought ruin down on us. Everyone already knows how hard our department searched for those objects. If the police couldn’t find them, it’s highly unlikely she will either. She doesn’t have access to any more information than we do. Remember the letter?”

Nick nodded. “Do you have any idea who’s trying to run her off, Captain?”

“No, and I can’t even begin to guess. She has many enemies here. Official opposition began the moment she applied for a teaching job. Samuel Runningwater, who’s been the director of the Cultural Center since it first opened, was dead set against allowing Eden to come back and live among us, let alone get a job as a teacher. But Mrs. Peña had transferred out and we needed a teacher badly. Eden got the matter put to a vote, and the elders decided to hire her and let her move into her old home for the school year. After her grandmother died, that house had been sitting vacant.”

Nick knew that Runningwater was Mrs. Chino’s father, and that raised some interesting questions in his mind. “Mrs. Chino is taking care of Eden’s son. She’s Apienu, the head of the women’s religious society. No one is more respected than she is. How come that hasn’t helped Eden? If Mrs. Chino says that Eden’s okay, I would have expected others to fall in line, including her own father.”

“Laura Chino works for Eden and supplements her retirement income that way. That’s all there is to that.”

Weighing everything he’d learned this evening, Nick suddenly realized how little he knew about Eden’s life. “Thanks, Captain.” He stood. “I’m going to head back to the ranch. If you need me, I’ll be there.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Nick drove home slowly. As his thoughts returned to Eden, he felt his gut tighten. Her betrayal had ripped a piece of his heart away. He’d loved her once—more than he’d ever thought possible. He was not a man given to fantasies and daydreams, yet he’d felt closer to her than he had to any other person who had ever played a part in his life. Being with her had been like finding the other half of himself.

He still vividly remembered their fateful meeting fifteen months ago. He’d been giving a guest lecture at the university in Phoenix on the teenage runaway problem. As the head of one of the leading job training centers in the state at the time, his experience had been sought after.

He recalled walking up to the podium and finding Eden sitting in the first row of the auditorium. Their eyes had met, and suddenly their years apart had seemed like nothing more than heartbeats in time.

In high school, his love for her had been all encompassing and absolute—a boy experiencing his first real love. Then suddenly, almost twelve years later, there they’d been as adults. They’d spent every available moment of those glorious days catching up on the years spent apart, and trying not to rush into anything. But his love for her had deepened naturally and the raw power of their emotions had compelled them to follow their hearts.

Now, looking back on it all, he regretted everything that had happened between them that week. But it was over, and looking back wouldn’t fix anything.

As he reached home, the old bunkhouse, he felt a bone weariness that only came with mental exhaustion. He didn’t want to mull things over anymore trying to figure out what ifs. He didn’t want to dissect the situation. He just wanted peace.

He undressed then crawled into bed, wondering if he’d have to stare at the ceiling for a long time before sleep came. Yet, almost as soon as he closed his eyes, gray shadows closed in and images of the day when she’d stepped out of his arms and his life formed in his mind’s eye.

In his dream, the scene that had changed him forever unfolded once again…

“This is where you belong,” Nick said, holding her close to his side. They’d just made love and they were both feeling sated and at peace.

“I never thought this day would come,” she whispered, her warm breath tickling his throat.

“It nearly killed me to leave you at the pueblo when my father kicked me out,” he said, his voice soft. “All you had left was your grandmother, and you barely knew her. You needed me, but I had no way to provide for myself or you.”

“It was hard to say goodbye,” Eden said, settling against him, her cheek and the palm of her hand resting on his chest.

“The pain our families caused is finally behind us. Let’s not look back. We have each other, and that’s all that’s important.”

Only through passion had he ever been able to say everything he felt, and once again he began to show her what he couldn’t put into words. As long as they had each other, they’d never need anyone else. He molded her body with his hands, fitting her against him. He fed her soul with his kisses, speaking wordlessly to her of needs that would be shared for a lifetime.

“When you look at me that way, all I see in your eyes is love, steady and sure,” she whispered.