Christmas Witness a very pregnant woman is in danger,
by
Aimee Thurlo


Dear Reader

Happy Christmas!  This month Intrigue brings to you four exciting,
breathtaking romantic suspenses.

December's LAWMAN LOVER is Heart Of A Lawman by Patricia Rosemoor.

Bart Quarrels is all we would expect from a lawman--rugged, solid and
devastatingly sexy.  Award-winning Patricia will be returning to
Intrigue in February and April 2001 with the stories of Bart's brothers
in The Lone Wolfs Child and The Rancher's Vow.  Don't miss them!

In Aimee Thurlo's Christmas Witness a very pregnant woman is in danger,
until a tall, dark man takes her under his protection.  Then we have
double trouble in Twice Tempted--one twin brother's on the wrong side
of the law and the other's an FBI agent, and between the two of them
our heroine Annie Ryan's all in a spin!

Finally, in Dani Sinclair's Better Watch Out there's plenty of truly
charming seasonal suspense and action.

Enjoy!  The Editors

^SILHOUETTE

DID YOU PURCHASE THIS BOOK WITHOUT A COVER?

If you did, you should be aware it is stolen property as it was
reported unsold and destroyed by a retailer.  Neither the author nor
the publisher has received any payment for this book.

All the characters in this book have no existence outside the
imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone
bearing the same name or names.  They are not even distantly inspired
by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents
are pure invention.

All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in
part in any form.  This edition is published by arrangement with
Harlequin Enterprises II B.

V.

The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
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Silhouette and Colophon are registered trademarks of Harlequin Books

S.

A.

" used under licence.

First published in Great Britain 2000 Silhouette Books, Eton House,
18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

Aimee Thurio 1999 ISBN 0 373 22544 X 46-1200

Printed and bound in Spain by Litografia Roses S.

A.

" Barcelona

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aimee Thurlo is a best-selling author.  She's written forty novels and
is published in at least twenty countries worldwide.  She has been
nominated for the Reviewers' Choice Award and the Career Achievement
Award by Romantic Times Magazine.

Aimee was born in Havana, Cuba, and lives with her husband of
twenty-eight years in Corrales, New Mexico.  Her husband, David, was
raised on the Navajo Indian Reservation.

To Annelise Robey and Angela Catalano No author could have a better
team behind her.

Chapter One

Annie Sandusky listened to the lively guitar of "A Cowboy Christmas" on
the radio as she worked on her latest wood chip carving.  She'd
promised to deliver the piece and another she hadn't even started to a
Santa Fe gallery by December twenty-second and today was already the
twelfth. Her folk art carvings had been steadily gaining in popularity
throughout the southwest and with Christmas approaching the demand for
her work had more than doubled.

Leaning back in her chair, she studied the twenty-six- inch-high
carving of an angel guarding a man tilling the soil.  The lines on the
man's face attested to his struggle as the angel looked on, his
protector from harm.  The entire scene was depicted in a piece of
arched basswood designed to remind the viewer of a stained-glass
window.

This piece was turning out to be one of her best.  The joys and sorrows
of living were etched in the expressions of both figures, giving them a
lifelike quality that transcended the medium.

Annie shifted in her wide wooden chair, adjusting the small pillow that
helped support her lower back.  Normally she would have hated a chair
as hard as this one, but being eight and a half months' pregnant had
changed almost everything in her life.  At least from the chair she
didn't have to struggle to get back on her feet as she did when she
sank down onto the sofa.

Annie placed one hand over her swollen stomach as the baby kicked.

"Easy there, kid," she whispered, rising from the chair.

As her thoughts shifted to the tiny life within her, worries began to
crowd her mind again.  Concerns for the future seemed to take up a lot
of her time lately.  She couldn't help but worry about giving birth
alone, with no one there to offer support, let alone how she'd manage
to take care of an infant all by herself.  She had no one to count on
except Paul Black Raven, the older Pueblo man who'd become her art
patron, allowing her to work for him in exchange for living on his
property rent-free.

Feeling tired, Annie stepped away from the low carving table and
stretched her back.  As she walked around the long, narrow room of the
former bunkhouse, her gaze drifted to the photo of her and Bobby, taken
just last year.  Her hands started shaking and tears came unbidden to
her eyes as memories overwhelmed her.

Bobby had been her constant companion and her most dependable ally in
the church-sponsored children's home where they'd both been raised.

The closeness between them had never diminished even after they'd grown
up and gone after their own dreams--she, to college and to try to
establish herself as a serious artist, Bobby to the army.

Finally, shortly after her twenty-seventh birthday, they'd married.

But in the end, Bobby's wild streak had taken the ultimate toll on
their short life as husband and wife.  His motorcycle accident and
death, after weeks of hospitalization and surgery, had left her
emotionally and financially devastated.

Then, at what seemed to be the worst possible moment, she'd learned she
was carrying his baby.  The news had terrified her, but as the months
passed, she'd come to see the child within her as Bobby's final gift.
Now, in his absence, the child was just that much more precious to
her.

Hearing a vehicle coming up the lane, Annie parted the white muslin
curtains at the window and glanced out.  It was Ralph Onega's old Ford
pickup.  He was heading toward the main house, driving much faster than
he should have been down the graveled track.  She glanced at her
watch.

Ralph was late, and that explained it.  He was to play Santa and the
children would be arriving in another half hour or so.

Paul Black Raven's annual Christmas party, held here at the ranch,
which snugged the eastern border of the pueblo, was a twenty-five-year
tradition enjoyed by everyone in the community.  Usually held on the
night of the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the party marked the
beginning of the Christmas season for many New Mexicans.

Looking toward the main house, Annie noted that the Christmas lights
still hadn't been turned on.  Knowing Paul would need help with them,
she changed from her work clothes into an emerald-green velvet dress
and tied back her light brown hair with a gold and green ribbon.

Wrapping her coat around her, she stepped outside and started down the
lane.

Annie slowly picked her way along the road, careful to keep her balance
crossing the icy spots.  Her gaze shifted to the main house, hoping to
see the Christmas lights blink on now that Ralph was there to help
Paul.  A hundred yards or so away, the house remained a gloomy
outline.

Poor Paul.  He was probably going crazy by now, switching plugs and
adding extension cords to keep from overloading a circuit and throwing
the electrical breakers.  She owed him so much she didn't like to see
anything upset him, not even party arrangements.  That's why she'd
taken time from her own work to help him get ready.  Her benefactor was
in his early sixties and, with his wife deceased and his twin sons
having left home years ago to make their way, Paul Black Raven was very
much alone. Despite the company of the ranch foreman and the few
horsemen from the pueblo who came daily to help with the work, Annie
suspected that Paul Black Raven was a very lonely man.

Stepping through the low gate of the courtyard, she walked up to the
front porch and felt a flush of pride as she viewed the decorations
she'd set out earlier today.  Garlands adorned with bright red ribbons
framed the massive wooden entrance doors, each holding a large pine
bough wreath.  The scent of pinon filled her nostrils.

Annie was looking forward to this party.  She had helped pick out the
gifts for the children, decorated most of the tree, and prepared
refreshments that were safely in the kitchen on trays.  All she had to
do was set them out on the dining room table.

Annie knocked as she opened the door, then stepped inside onto the worn
brick floor.  Houses were rarely locked on the pueblo.  Such security
simply wasn't needed.  Even so, she knew that Paul had started to lock
the place up whenever he was going to be away.  He'd noticed signs such
as partially opened drawers and items out of place, that suggested
someone had been disturbing his privacy, so he'd had locks put on the
doors.  He'd laughed, however, when she'd suggested a burglar alarm.
Those were for Anglo homes, he'd joked.

As she looked around she noted that the curtains were drawn, and it was
darker inside than out.  She could barely see into the next room.

Myriad shiny glass Christmas ornaments, a few obviously locally
handcrafted, captured the brightness of the flames dancing in the
beehive-shaped fireplace and revealed the presence of the tree.  But
none of the hundreds of bulbs on the string of lights was aglow.

Obviously Paul's problem with the wiring was a major one or he would at
least have had the tree lights on by now.

She moved past the living room and into the darkened hallway carefully,
not wanting to trip over any unseen obstacle.

"Paul?  Ralph?

Where are you?  "

Suddenly she heard the thud of footsteps on the wooden stairs.  A
familiar-looking shape in a red-and-white suit was in a hurry, taking
the steps two at a time.  He came down so fast that, before she could
jump back, the Santa Claus- clad figure collided with her, knocking her
completely off her feet.  She landed on her behind, the brick floor
hard and cold.

"Ralph, what on earth" -Instead of helping her back up and apologizing,
the man whirled and waved a large, bloody knife, forcing her to
scramble back in panic to avoid the swinging blade.  Then, spinning
around, "Santa" ran out the door without saying a word.

This was no stunt or practical joke.  Her heart at her throat, Annie
struggled to her feet, and called Paul's name.  The eerie silence and
darkness around her made her blood turn to ice.  More afraid than she'd
ever been in her life, she made her way upstairs as fast as she
could.

Annie stepped into the first room to her right, Paul's bedroom.  The
door was wide open.  Bright moonlight filtering through the curtains
cast sinister shadows on the wall.  The small safe was open and
empty.

She looked around frantically.  "Paul?"  It was impossible to mistake
the sickening odor of blood.

She reached for the wall switch and clicked it back and forth.  The
power was off here, too.

Fear left a bitter taste in her mouth.  In the silence she could hear
rapid, shallow breathing somewhere in front of her.  Then she heard a
man's agonized moan.

"Paul?"  she called again, terror gripping her.

Reluctantly she inched forward, toward a large figure lying on the
carpet beside the dresser.  In the semi-darkness she could barely see
his face, but instinct and logic told her it had to be Paul even before
she dropped to her knees beside him.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she could make him out more
clearly, horror filled her.  His features were distorted with pain and
his chest was covered with a dark stain.  When he reached out to her,
blood flowed from the wounds on his hands and arms.

Her heart breaking, she gently wrapped her hand around his.

"What happened?  Why did Ralph do this to you?"

"Not..."  He dragged in a shuddering breath.

"No time... listen."  He struggled to speak.

"My boys..."  He tried to reach for a photo on the dresser, but
couldn't manage it.

Annie brought it down for him and followed his gaze as he looked at the
high school photo of Jake, with his hard features, and Nick with his
easy smile.

"Help Jake when he comes... trust no one but him and Nick.  Evidence...
still hidden here.  Help them," he managed to choke out, his voice
growing fainter.  He squeezed her hand, but his grip weakened.

"Tell my boys... I loved them."

Anguish filled her.  Paul's two sons had all but abandoned him, yet his
last thoughts were still of them.

"Don't go, Paul," she pleaded, even as his hand grew limp.

"We need you here!"

She stumbled to the telephone on the nightstand, desperation driving
her.  Fate had taken Bobby from her.  Surely she wouldn't be expected
to give up her friend, too.  Her hands were trembling as she grabbed
the receiver and punched in the 9-1-1 emergency number.

She spoke quickly, her words rushing out as fast as her tears.  By the
time she put the receiver down, her entire body was shaking.  Suddenly
Annie felt her stomach harden and she braced herself.  It wasn't labor,
she assured herself.  It was one of the Braxton-Hicks contractions
she'd been having these past few months.  More a dress rehearsal as her
body got ready for the actual birth, hopefully several weeks away.

She took a deep, unsteady breath, trying to calm herself down.  She'd
stay with Paul until help came.  If there was a spark of life left in
him, she didn't want him to be alone.  He deserved better than that.

Annie started back to Paul's side when she heard footsteps behind
her.

With a gasp, she spun around just as a man walked into the bedroom.

The stranger stopped in midstride.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"  he demanded.  His voice was
cold and held a deadly edge.

Her eyes wide, she tried to make out his features, but shadows hid his
face.  The only thing she could tell for sure was that he was tall and
well-built.  As he moved closer to the window, moonlight flashed in his
eyes, making them blaze as if fueled by an inner fire.

Keeping the bed between them, Annie moved closer to the telephone, her
back to the wall.

"I'm Annie.  Who are you?"

"Why is the electricity out, and where is my father?"  His voice held
an unmistakable air of authority, commanding her to answer.

Fear pulsed hard and fast within her, but his words broke through to
her.  "Your father?"

"I'm Jake Black Raven."  His voice was too controlled to pass as
natural.

"What's going on here?"

Jake.  The twin who never played by the rules.  Paul's description of
his son echoed in her memory.  He moved like a shadow, all grace and
confidence, but there was deadly intent in each step.  "What on earth
are you doing here?  Was Paul expecting you?"

Ignoring her question, Jake threw the curtains open wide,

but the clouds muted the moon's glow and the room remained in partial
darkness.

"Where's my father?"  he demanded.

"By the dresser, but he's badly hurt."  Right now he needed to be with
his father.  Her question could wait.

Jake moved quickly.  As he saw Paul's lifeless body, he dropped to his
knees.

"No!"  His voice was an agonized whisper.  "What happened?"

"I found him like this," she answered gently, sharing his pain.

"Your father was attacked by Ralph Ortega, a man who was supposed to be
his friend.  He was dressed as Santa Claus for the party.  But
something must have happened.  I've already called the police and an
ambulance," she added.

"Ralph Ortega?  I knew him years ago.  Why would he do this?"

"I don't know."

With shaking hands, Jake felt for a pulse in vain.  Gently, he closed
Paul's eyes.

"It's too late for an ambulance."

As the wail of a distant siren rose in the air, Jake stood and slowly
walked back to the door.

"I'll show them into the house.  That responsibility is mine now as his
son," he added, his voice hushed and strangled.

Alone, Annie knelt by Paul's body, her heart breaking into a million
pieces.  Tears fell freely down her cheeks as she grieved for the
friend she'd lost.

Feeling the baby stir inside her, she placed one hand over her stomach.
Once again, in the face of death, life cried out to her, demanding she
remain strong.  Gathering her courage, Annie said a silent prayer and
stood.  There was only one thing she could do for Paul now.  Her
testimony would be needed to bring his killer to justice, and she owed
it to him to see this through.

Saying a final goodbye to her friend, she went downstairs to meet the
police.

Chapter Two

Annie sat at the dinner table as Captain Daniel Mora of the San Esteban
Pueblo Police Department paced in front of her.  Each of New Mexico's
nineteen pueblos had their own police force, but Captain Mora's
uncompromising stand on crime had made him almost a legend.  His gaze
darted back to her often as he asked question after question.

"You said the man was dressed as Santa, fake beard, cap, and
everything, right?"

She nodded.  With the lights back on now, she could study Mora
freely.

He was small of stature and seemed to possess an unlimited amount of
energy.

"Then you said he threatened you with a knife and rushed out the door,"
he finished.

"Now, think hard.  Did you hear a vehicle drive off after that?"

She paused then, after a moment, shook her head.

"I don't remember.  I wasn't paying attention to anything outside.  I
was terrified and my only thought was to find Paul."  She rubbed her
shoulder where the killer had collided with her.  "Captain, I've
already told you everything I remember.  I can't do anything more to
help you right now.

But I can still do something for the pueblo children--I can see to it
that they all get their presents.  This is the beginning of the
Christmas season.  Paul bought gifts for all of them and,

despite everything, I know he wouldn't have wanted the kids to leave
empty-handed.  "

"And neither do I. But I'm conducting a murder investigation and that's
my primary concern at this time."  He paused, then drilled her with his
gaze.

"Are you sure you have no idea what 'evidence' the deceased was
referring to or where it might be?"

"I honestly don't.  I do know that he had locks put on the doors
recently, though.  Someone was going through his stuff and snooping in
drawers," Annie told him.

"Did he have any idea what the person was looking for?"  Mora's eyes
narrowed.

"He never said, but Paul didn't seem too worried about it."  She
paused, then in a shaky voice added, "I guess he should have been."

"And your relationship to Paul Black Raven was?"  Mora questioned,
eyeing her pregnant belly.

Annie tried to keep her temper in check.  "We were good friends.

That's why he hired me to restore the old bunkhouse.  In exchange, I
got a place to live rent-free here on the pueblo, though I'm not Tewa
or a member of any of New Mexico's Pueblo tribes.  " She paused, then
gave him a long, pensive look.

"But I don't understand.  Why all these questions?  You already know
who killed Paul."

Captain Mora shook his head.  "We found Ralph Ortega down the highway,
beaten and tied up by the side of the road, nearly frozen to death.  He
was in his underwear."

Her eyes widened and comprehension dawned over her.

"When I asked Paul why Ralph had done this to him, he said, 'not', then
he went on to say something else, so I didn't connect it.  But I guess
he was really trying to tell me Ralph was innocent."  She paused, a new
horrific thought taking shape in her mind.

"That means the killer is still out there, and he could be anyone," she
added, slid demy understanding Paul's warning to trust no one except
his sons.

Mora nodded.

"We'll find the trail to the killer, but first we have to gather all
the information and hard evidence we can."

As she heard the sound of children crying, her heart twisted inside
her.

"Captain, please let me go take care of the kids.  I'm needed out
there."

"All right, but stay available for the next several days.  I'll have
more questions."

She reached the door when she heard Jake's unmistakable voice.  He was
in the room behind her, answering the officer questioning him.  Annie
turned her head and looked back through the partially open doorway.

Jake was sitting, controlled and composed, in a tall-backed
mission-style chair.  Her heart drummed in her ears and her skin
tingled with awareness.  Though she knew he was under an incredible
amount of pressure, he exuded the confidence of a man who knew his
strengths as well as his limitations and was comfortable with both.

As if sensing her gaze, he glanced back and, for one brief moment,
their eyes met.  A rush of warmth spread over her and her pulse
quickened.  Alarmed by her own response, she quickly turned her head,
breaking eye contact.  Annie started down the hall when Captain Mora
suddenly called her back.

"One more question," he said, meeting her at the door.  His voice was
low so only she could hear.  "Do you know what brought Jake Black Raven
back at this particular time after being away for so many years?"

"No, I don't.  You'll have to ask him."  The question had also been on
her mind, but he hadn't answered when she'd asked earlier and she
hadn't spoken to Jake since the police had arrived.  The captain had
made sure of that.  She suspected that Mora was just insuring that his
two witnesses wouldn't discuss the events before he could sort out the
facts.

"Before you go outside, Mrs.  Sandusky, you'll want to wash the blood
off your hands."  Captain Mora added gently, "It's okay now.  The
samples my officer took earlier should be sufficient."

A shudder ripped through her.  In her haste to salvage a little bit of
Christmas for the kids, she'd almost made things worse.  Her stomach in
a knot, she turned and headed directly to the bathroom to use the
sink.

A few minutes later Annie stepped out into the sola.  The Christmas
tree now twinkled in the massive living room, but did nothing to lessen
the gloom that had settled over the house.  Picking up the sack of
gifts from beneath the tree, Annie went outside to talk to the stunned
guests.

Having received the news from the officers on duty, parents clustered
in the parking area outside, trying to come to terms with what had
happened.  The children cried, impatient and frightened by events they
couldn't understand.

Tired and cold, but doing her best to hide her discomfort, Annie began
handing out presents to the children and wishing them a happy holiday
season.  The glow in their eyes as they accepted the small, brightly
wrapped packages helped brighten her own spirits.  At least for the
kids, this dreadful evening would always hold one happy memory.

As she worked, Annie saw that Martin, the ranch foreman, had arrived.

He'd undoubtedly seen or heard the police vehicles and had rushed over
from his home on the adjacent property.

Martin gave her a nod, then went to talk to the police who, aided only
by flashlights, were searching the grounds in the dark.

It was close to midnight when she was finally allowed to return to the
bunkhouse.  She hadn't seen Jake again, but she'd heard that Mora and
his officers were still questioning him.  People had often compared
Mora to a bloodhound who never gave up once he caught the scent of a
trail. He was certainly living up to his reputation now.

Exhausted, Annie slipped out of her shoes and eased down onto the bed,
too tired to even try to get out of her dress.  Yesterday, her biggest
concern had been getting her latest carving finished so she'd have
money to buy a few more things for the baby.  Now she wasn't even sure
where she'd be living a week from now.

She closed her eyes, wanting to stop thinking and just rest.  As the
gray mists closed in on her, she drifted off to an uneasy sleep.

it was well past dawn by the time Annie woke up, relieved to have
escaped the nightmares that had plagued her all night.  Sun streamed
through the part in the curtains, making her hide her eyes.  With
effort, she struggled to overcome the gravity barrier her midsection
posed these days as she tried to get up.  The more her body grew,
adapting to the baby inside her, the more cumbersome the slightest
activity became.

A shower helped her come fully awake.  After a quick breakfast, she sat
at the rustic pine chest of drawers that served as her bill table and
began to figure out her budget.  Listing her debts against another
column showing what she could expect to earn from her work, was a
sobering exercise.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but when she let it
out, it sounded more like a shudder.  If Paul's sons shut down the
ranch and sold everything, forcing her to move out of the bunkhouse,
she wasn't at all sure how she'd manage.  She would, of course, try to
work double time to finish the promised carvings, but she'd also need
to find a second job.  Unfortunately, she seriously doubted there would
be many employers willing to hire a pregnant woman this close to
term.

She was pacing up and down the wood plank floor, lost in thought, when
she heard a vehicle pull up outside.  Annie watched from the window as
Jake Black Raven stepped out of a brown-and-tan pickup.

Last night she'd only caught glimpses of the man.  In the full light of
day, he was even more devastatingly handsome than she'd realized.

She followed him with her eyes as he strode up to the front door, his
cream-colored wool sweater contrasting against his copper skin,
coal-black hair and piercing eyes.  Despite his easy strides, there was
an air of masculinity about him that was impossible to mistake.  A
prickle of warmth ribboned deliciously through her, but she firmly
brushed the feeling aside, attributing it to just another crazy surge
of hormones.

Composing herself quickly, Annie opened the door.

"Please, come in.

Take a seat anywhere," she said, leading the way into the room.  As she
sat on the wooden chair, she looked back at him.  He was standing a few
feet away, his gaze on her swollen belly.  The surprise on his face was
easy to see.

Annie suddenly realized that in the darkness and in all the confusion
of the night before, he'd never seen her body clearly, let alone
noticed the fact that she was pregnant.  Their gazes had met once when
she'd turned her head and looked back at him through the partially open
door after Mora had finished questioning her.  But she'd been facing
away from him at the time.

Then Annie saw Jake's gaze focus on her left hand.  Silently she cursed
the fact that she'd taken off her wedding band.  Pregnancy had made her
hands swell and the ring had become uncomfortable.

She looked directly at him, knowing what he was thinking As with many
at the pueblo who didn't really know her or her relationship to Paul,
Jake was probably wondering if the baby she was carrying was his
father's.  When she'd moved in, her pregnancy had not been noticeable.
Jake was obviously too tactful to ask, but, if his thoughts continued
along those lines, he'd soon begin questioning if someone acting out of
jealousy, or perhaps on her behalf, had committed the murder.

She almost began to tell him the plain and simple truth, but then
stopped.  As a foster kid, she'd spent a lifetime being scrutinized and
judged by people she scarcely knew.  That experience had taught her one
thing--explaining herself was a waste of time.  A person who distrusted
her would never value her word, either.

As he sat on the sofa and she saw the wariness on his face, sympathy
filled her.  She told herself his reaction was only natural and she had
to cut him some slack.

"I'm very sorry about your father," she said softly.

"Everyone in the community will miss him."

"Thank you," he said, his voice heavy.

"It's still difficult for me to accept this.  I always thought of my
father as indestructible."  He stood, apparently uncomfortable on the
old leather cushions that seemed to swallow people up.

She studied Jake's expression as he walked to the window and looked out
toward the main house.  He'd stayed away for so long and now it was too
late.  She'd been led to believe from the things Paul had said that
there'd been some kind of argument and that the boys had struck out on
their own right after high school.  But why had they abandoned their
father so completely?  She doubted that the argument had been entirely
Paul's fault.  It seemed out of character with Paul's gentle nature.

As the moments of silence stretched between them, Annie remembered how
much Paul had enjoyed talking to her about Jake.  In the last few
months she'd learned all about the boy who'd tamed the wildest horse in
his father's stable with nothing more than soft words and an
iron-willed determination.

Paul had often said that Jake had been the twin most like him, always
challenging any obstacles in his way, and accomplishing what he set out
to do.  Hearing the stories about Paul's first-born twin, she'd fallen
a bit in love with Jake herself, though only in the sense one might
admire a legend.

It was hard to say where the truth stopped and a father's pride began,
however.  Less complimentary stories about Jake also abounded in the
pueblo.  He'd left his father's ranch at eighteen and now, twelve years
later, he was the head of one of the most successful residential
construction firms in the Rocky Mountain area.  But, unlike Paul's
gentle stories, gossip on the pueblo also claimed that Jake had turned
his back on everything that made him a Tewa.  Some said he had a cash
register for a heart and cared for little except the bottom line.  He'd
driven more than one man out of business by undercutting him, and it
was his single- minded dedication that had placed his firm at the
top.

She studied Paul's son now, trying to learn everything she could about
him.  Depending on the stories she chose to believe, he was either a
devil or a saint.  Experience told her the truth probably lay somewhere
in between.

jake stood, looking out the window as he waited for Annie to return
from the kitchen with the cup of chamomile tea she'd offered him.

Hearing her footsteps, Jake turned and took the mug from her hands.

"Now what can I do for you, Jake?"  she prodded, then took a sip of the
steaming liquid.

"We have to talk.  You were the only witness to my father's murder."

Though there was nothing he could do to avoid it, he regretted having
to discuss this with her.

Speaking to this beautiful, gentle woman about a vicious murder seemed
wrong in itself.

"I should tell you that I wasn't a witness.  I found your father after
the fact."

"But you were the last person to see him alive."  She nodded and he
continued.  "From the kinds of questions I was being asked by the
police, I know my father said something to you before he died.  I'd
like to know what it was."  To have to talk to a virtual stranger,
however beautiful, in order to find out about his own father stung.  He
kept his tone quiet and even, but the flicker in her eyes told him
that, somehow, she'd sensed the effort it took.

Annie recounted what had happened, then added what she hadn't told
Captain Mora because of its personal nature.

"Your father wanted you and Nick to know that he loved you both very
much."

Jake felt his muscles tense.  Years back he'd yearned to hear that from
his father, but now, they were only words-- a message conveyed much too
late.  Darkness and regret filled him, leaving a bitter taste in his
mouth.

"Tell me about this hidden evidence he mentioned," Jake said.

"I wish I could.  Paul asked that I help you, but I have no idea what
the evidence he spoke about was or where I can find it."

"Someone viciously attacked and killed my father," he said, the words
tearing a hole in his gut.  "Based on his last words, we can conclude
that he believed his killer was one of the people he knew well and
trusted."  Jake's eyes came to rest on her.  Her pregnancy only seemed
to add to her beauty and vibrant femininity.  Although, despite the
circumstances, she seemed composed and calm, just beyond that, he
sensed something fragile about Annie.  Whether it stemmed from sorrow,
or fear, or maybe even guilt, he couldn't say.

"I hope you're not thinking that I killed your father," Annie said
sharply, looking him straight in the eye.

"I know you didn't kill him," he answered, noting her anger.  Even the
possibility that anyone might believe she'd harmed his father was a
personal affront to her.

"The evidence fully supports your innocence.

Captain Mora said that the killer's clothing would have been completely
splattered with blood.  You had blood on your hands and a bit on your
clothes when Captain Mora questioned you, but that was the extent of
it.  Also, I'm certain that my father would have been able to wrench a
knife away from you.  He was in remarkably good shape, from everything
I've been told.  "

"Paul was in excellent shape."

Now, he saw disapproval in her eyes.  He could almost hear her unspoken
words telling him he would have known exactly what physical shape his
father had been in if he hadn't stayed away for so long.  But, like
many others, she had no idea why he'd really left.

"So what's your theory?"  he said.

"I wish I could give you and Captain Mora an idea of who might have
killed Paul," she added, "but I just don't know.  The Santa hair and
beard covered the killer's face well and, at the time, I really thought
it was Ralph."

"Then tell me this.  Who were my father's enemies?"  He saw her
flinch.

She didn't like talking about his father in this dispassionate way.

Whatever feelings she'd had for him were real and went deep.

She paused, lost in thought.

"Your father wasn't an easy man to deal with.  He had his own way of
doing things and that probably annoyed some people."

She wasn't hard to read on this, Jake thought.  He could see that it
had been difficult for her to say anything negative.  "He played by his
own rules, I know, even if it meant others would get hurt in the
process," he said, then took a long breath.

"Can you give me some idea of where I should begin looking for this
evidence?  Mora suggested that someone had been going through the house
looking for it and that's why my father had put locks on the doors."

"That's true," Annie said.

"I'm sorry I can't be more helpful on that score, but what I can do is
help you search.  After he fired his last housekeeper, I sometimes gave
him a hand with the cleaning and I know where he kept almost
everything, including his private papers.  We could start in his
office."  "The police have given me limited access to the downstairs
portion of the house.  We can go over now, if you're free."

"First I'd like you to answer one question for me."

Intrigued, Jake watched as boldness crept into the woman's eyes with
the same assured ness she used to brush the fall of soft brown hair
from her shoulder.

"Go ahead."

"You've been gone for years, so I've heard.  What brought you back home
so suddenly?"

He gave her a surprised look.

"I assumed you already knew."

"Paul never said a word about it to me," she admitted honestly.

"Your father was my friend, but we respected each other's privacy.  I
knew something had been troubling him for the past month or so, but he
never offered to talk about it and I didn't ask."

Jake nodded, looked toward the carving once again, then met her eyes
square-on.

"Everyone close to my father learned to respect his privacy.  He'd have
it no other way.  But now I have to do the unthinkable--go through all
his personal things.  It's become my duty."

Too many unanswered questions added weight to his sorrow now, and at
the center of everything was this young beauty who had clearly been a
part of his father's life.  No matter what it took, he'd find answers
soon.  And, if the gods were merciful, learning the truth wouldn't add
to the pain he already kept hidden in his heart.

annie took the tea cups back to the kitchen and washed them out in the
sink.  Although she'd known this would be hard on her, she could
understand why it was even more difficult for Jake.  Yet it was
impossible for her to read the feelings that lay behind Jake's hooded
eyes.  From everything she'd seen and heard of him so far, she knew
Jake was a man whose emotions ran deep--a man who was unaccustomed to
opening himself to anyone.

Instinctively, she knew that Jake had secrets no woman would ever coax
from him.  She silently noted that he still hadn't told her why he'd
returned.  She wasn't going to let the matter drop, but getting that
information from him would be tricky.  Jake didn't seem like the sort
who could be forced into doing anything.

Annie returned to the living room where Jake waited, picked up her coat
from the back of the sofa where she'd left it last night and followed
Jake Black Raven to the door.

"There's something you need to know," she said, stopping in
midstride.

"I have every intention of finding out what happened to your father,
and not because I was there when he was murdered.  The fact is, he was
a very kind, loyal friend who helped me out when I needed someone.  I
won't forget that.  Paul deserves to have his killer brought to justice
and I'm going to do all I can to see that it gets done.  It's the least
I owe him."  She paused, as Jake turned from the door, then added, "But
there's more to it than that.  I have to do this for myself, too.  The
killer knows I saw him.  Though he was in costume, I have no way of
knowing how threatened he feels by me, and I won't have something like
that hanging over me and my baby," "Maybe it would be better for you to
leave town for a while."

"I'm safer here surrounded by friends, and with my nurse midwife
nearby, than I would be in an unfamiliar place filled with
strangers."

"You have a point," he agreed, taking her coat from her.

Holding Jake's gaze, she continued.

"Even though you don't know me and have no reason to trust me, the fact
is we need each other to find out the truth.  As I've heard it, you
haven't been back here in over a decade.  That means you've lost touch
with many people you'll want to question.  You could use my help
getting those doors open again."  She placed her hand over her
stomach.

"And I can use your help doing some of the legwork, like tracking down
whatever leads we manage to uncover."

"You'll have many other things to worry about with the baby coming and
all," he said, helping Annie on with her coat, then following her out
the door.

"I think you'd be far better off not getting involved in the
investigation and letting the police handle it."

She could sense he was trying to protect her, but she didn't need that
from him--or anyone else.  She could take care of herself.

"It was your father's last wish that I help you and that's exactly what
I'm going to do--with or without your consent," she added pointedly,
letting him know precisely what to expect from her.

"So I have no choice?"

"No, not really.  But I thought it would be impolite to not warn you,"
she said with a tiny smile.

Standing beside his truck, Annie braced herself by holding on to the
open door.  She carefully put her foot up on the running board, but the
ground was slippery with mud and she lost her footing.

Jake gripped her waist, quickly supporting her.

"Easy there," he murmured close to her ear.

For one heart-stopping moment, Annie was filled with an awareness that
was purely feminine and wildly exciting.  His touch, so gentle yet so
strong, made her pulse race.

Desire.  The knowledge stunned her.

"Thanks for the help," she mumbled, stepping up into the cab and
settling herself onto the seat.  She felt his gaze on her as she worked
the seat belt around herself, positioning it low on her hip and below
her stomach.

"You're very welcome, Annie," he said quietly.

It was the first time he'd called her by name.  The way he'd said it,
with that deep, masculine drawl, sent a delicious shiver up her
spine.

Unable to resist the temptation, she looked up at him.  The intensity
of his gaze ribboned around her like a gentle embrace, though it took
her a moment to recognize the look in his eyes for what it was.  It was
the sensually charged appraisal a man gave a woman he found
attractive.

Her breath caught in her throat and a purely instinctive response made
all the sensitive nerves in her body dance.  For the first time since
Bobby's death, Annie felt suddenly beautiful and vibrantly alive.

Chapter Three

Jake drove carefully, aware of the woman beside him.  Annie Sandusky
was quite a looker.  Soft brown hair framed her face and cascaded
around her shoulders.  Even in last night's muted light, he'd known she
was a beauty.  Her features were delicate and well-defined.

Yet nothing had prepared him for seeing her standing in front of him
clearly in the full light of day.  Her pregnancy and, in particular,
all the questions her condition raised, had taken him completely by
surprise.

Late last night he'd had a few moments to speak to Martin, his father's
ranch foreman.  He'd learned then that Annie Sandusky had lived at the
bunkhouse for several months.  Had his father, who was more than twice
her age, fallen in love with this white woman and brought her here to
his pueblo?  It didn't seem likely.  His father had been a deeply
religious Tewa who had always felt marriage outside the tribe was a
mistake.  If the child had been his father's, Jake was certain Paul
would have married her.  Thoughts circled around his mind like a hawk
searching for prey, but he had no answers.

"Your father spoke about you often," she said, interrupting the silence
between them.

"He was proud of you."

"Did he actually say that to you?"  he asked skeptically.

"Not in so many words, but believe me, he was."

Annie's eyes shone with a gentleness he'd never seen in anyone
before.

He felt the tug on his senses and quickly looked away, disciplining his
thoughts.  Despite what common sense told him, it was possible Annie
was carrying his father's child.  The thought sobered him.  The
attraction he felt toward her was, at best, totally misguided.

"Your father was a good man," she stated defensively.

He glanced over at her, but didn't comment.  He could see the
disapproval in her eyes as she looked back at him.  It was clear that
her loyalty to the father had already affected her perception of the
son.  In Annie's eyes, Jake suspected he was viewed as nothing more
than the ungrateful son who'd turned his back on his father and his
Tewa heritage.

Somehow, he seriously doubted that his father had told her the entire
story.  It was ironic that the firmness of her belief was founded in
the one person who had shattered his own ability to trust.

"You know what had been bothering your father, don't you?"  Annie
observed thoughtfully.

"Did Paul ask you to come back because he wanted your help?"

Her steady gaze seemed to penetrate through him.  Annie was steel and
velvety softness all rolled into one devastating package.

"Yes.  He contacted me.  I almost didn't come, but it was the first and
only time in his life that he ever asked me for anything."

"So you came back to help him."  She nodded in approval.  "I did it for
myself, not for my father.  I wanted to show him the value of a son
he'd cast aside."

She shook her head.

"I don't claim to understand what happened between you, your brother
and your father, but I know that Paul loved you and Nick deeply.  His
last thoughts were of you."

"Guilt isn't the same as love," Jake countered quietly.

"You probably don't know this, but he was the one who sent us away."

Annie said nothing for a moment.

"Paul once mentioned that he'd always worried you two would never get
out of his shadow--or each other's--unless you left the ranch and went
out on your own.  If he drove you two away, I'm sure that was the
reason."

He shook his head.

"My father wasn't that noble.  Simply put, he was a tyrant.  His
opinion was all that counted, as far as he was concerned."

"The Paul I knew wasn't like that at all," she protested.

"I think the problem is that your memories are a teenager's, a boy at
odds with his father.  I'm sure your opinion would have changed had you
come back home years later and met him as an equal--man to man."

Jake shook his head.  Annie couldn't have known his father that well if
she truly believed all that.  People didn't change.  He wanted to tell
her the truth about his father and how he destroyed the people he
professed to care about most, but changed his mind.  There was no
point. She had enough to contend with already.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Annie place one hand over her
stomach.  Even the possibility of his father having a relationship with
this woman, young enough to be his daughter, made his chest tighten
painfully.  But he couldn't really blame his father, if it were true.

Had the situation been different, Jake knew he would have tried to get
close to Annie himself.  Her gentleness and her courage drew him.

"Tell me about your baby's father.  It doesn't seem right for you to be
alone," he said, unable to suppress his need to know.

Anger flashed in her eyes.

"I'm a widow," she said flatly.

"And I'm not as alone as you think.  I have friends at the pueblo, like
Martin, and Elsie, my nurse midwife.  My baby and I have each other,
too."

It was obvious she'd resented his question.  Her tone made it clear she
had no intention of discussing it further with him.  But, more
importantly, she hadn't actually answered him.  "Do you know if Ralph
Ortega was able to give the police a description of the man who
attacked him?"  she asked, forcing the conversation back to the more
immediate problem at hand.

"Not as far as I know," Jake answered.

"All I heard was that Ralph told Captain Mora that he was hit over the
head and then, when he regained consciousness, he discovered he'd been
tied up and almost stripped bare.  The only thing left of the Santa
outfit was the toy sack.  Ralph was suffering from hypothermia when he
was found, and he's now listed in guarded condition."

A few minutes later they'd parked the truck and made their way up the
walk to the front door of the main house.

Annie hesitated at the entrance.

"Will you be okay coming back in here so soon after what's happened?"

Jake asked.

"If you'd rather, I'll take you back to the bunkhouse."

"No, I can handle it."  Taking a deep breath, Annie stepped inside.

"This house will never be the same again without Paul," she added
sadly.

Jake felt a heaviness in his chest.  Annie was right.  His father was
gone, and no matter how hard he tried to deny it, a part of him mourned
the loss.  Tearing his gaze away from the yellow tape blocking the
stairs, he headed for the study.

Annie walked in behind him and sat.  Jake couldn't help but notice that
her rose-scented perfume was the only thing that softened the austerity
of his father's domain.  He looked around, wishing he were any place
but here.

"You never told me why your father asked you to return home," she
pressed.  If they were going to be in this together, Jake was going to
have to be more up front with her.  She couldn't allow him to duck the
issue any longer.

He paused and, with obvious reluctance, sat in what had always been his
father's favorite chair.

"Have you considered the possibility that my father was trying to
protect you by not telling you about this?  If that's the case, I'm not
sure I have the right to say anything now.

Your condition.  is delicate," he finished at length.

"Being kept in the dark seldom helps anyone," she said sharply.  "I can
take care of myself a lot better if I know what I'm up against."

Annie had a point and he knew it.  But a part of him still felt the
need to protect her.  She was extremely vulnerable right now, whether
or not she wanted to admit it.

"Let me tell you something you may not be aware of," she said.

"There has been a lot of speculation and gossip about my relationship
with your father ever since I moved into the bunkhouse and my pregnancy
became obvious.  People have made a lot of assumptions based on
hearsay, and it's totally unfair.  I've done nothing wrong."

Annie looked directly at him and, as she did, Jake felt the pain and
frustration behind her words.  The sudden connection between them
stunned him.  He'd never responded to any woman in this way before.  A
link he neither wanted nor understood was forming between them.

"Some people are convinced that I know every detail of your father's
life," Annie continued.

"And that's where the problem lies.  If the death of your father hasn't
satisfied the killer, if there's something else he wants or needs, he's
going to come for me next."

"You're right."  Jake stared at his father's desk pensively, before
deciding to tell her what she needed to know.

"I received a letter from my dad last week," he confided.

"He told me that he was being cheated by a close friend and, for that
reason, wanted to handle the matter himself instead of turning it over
to the cops.  He said the situation was serious and asked if I would
come and help him out.  He said he needed to talk a few things over
with me."

Jake let his breath out in a hiss.

"I told Captain Mora about my father's letter, and he asked to see it.
Unfortunately, I threw it away, and it's long gone.  Once I made the
decision to come, I didn't think it was necessary to hold on to it."

"Did your father tell you who he suspected?"  "No.  I figured he was
planning to let me know when we met in person.

My father wasn't the kind to lay all his cards on the table.  "" What
about your brother Nick?  Did your father contact him, too?  "

"I don't know.  Nick and I don't talk much these days."

"We have to find out.  He also needs to know what's happened, if he
doesn't already."

"I've tried calling, but I haven't been able to reach him so far.  By
the way, does he know about you?"

"What exactly do you mean?"  she asked, her unflinching gaze on him.

"What's to be known about me?"

Annie wasn't going to give an inch, Jake could see that.  She'd
mentioned unfair gossip and, he had to admit, it seemed unlikely that
she'd been his father's lover.

"That you were our father's friend, and that you live at the bunkhouse
here on the property," he said.

"By the way, the last time I saw the bunkhouse, that place was in
shambles.  When was it fixed up?"

"After I moved in.  I did the work.  I put in shelves, repaired the
adobe walls and stained the wood.  The rest of the hired help, Martin
and the part-time wranglers, all live in their own homes, so it was
just sitting empty and dilapidated.  Your father hated waste, and
figured that allowing me to live there while I fixed it up was a good
solution all the way around."

Jake's memories came crowding to the forefront of his mind.  The
bunkhouse had been their mother's artist studio.  One evening his
father had gone in there and, in a rage, destroyed all her work.  His
mother hadn't touched her paints and easels again; she'd never been the
same after that.

Anger began to simmer inside him.  And now, years later, his father had
given this woman the job of restoring the studio and had allowed her to
pursue her own artwork there.  The knowledge knifed at him.  It was the
ultimate in hypocrisy.

"Did my father ever tell you what happened there?"  "All Paul ever said
was that those rooms had seen a lot of sadness and the time had come to
move forward."

It made little sense to Jake.  His father had denied one artist, but
made it possible for another to work there.  Then again, in some crazy
way, maybe his father had been trying to balance out the past.  Jake
just didn't know anymore, and his father wasn't around to provide any
answers.

Annie got up, reached into the closet behind the massive walnut desk
and brought out a large box.

"This was his stack of unanswered correspondence."  She placed it in
front of Jake, then went to a tall, walnut file cabinet and pulled out
some ledgers.

"I think these are this year's ranch accounts, but I'm not sure how
up-to-date everything is.  Your father sometimes had me help him with
the paperwork and filing taxes, but basically he played catch-up once a
month."

"That was his way," Jake answered, remembering how many times bills had
been overdue, not because of lack of funds but because his father had
been busy with the horses or something else.

Jake stared at the ledgers Annie had set in front of him,

wondering if he should bring in his own accountants or honor what he
knew would have been his father's last wishes and do it himself.  He
opted to take care of it alone.  He didn't want any more strangers
delving into the family's business matters until he knew more about
what was going on.  It would have been easier, though, if his father
had moved into the modern age and done his bookkeeping
electronically.

"Is Patrick Kelly still my father's attorney?"

"As far as I know," she answered from her position at the window
overlooking the corral.

"But I doubt he ever did much except draw up papers when a horse was
sold or a stud or mare was leased.  Your father didn't discuss his
business with anyone.  He didn't even use a computer, because he said
that if he had a problem, he'd have to call in somebody to come look
over his shoulder.  Maintaining his privacy was almost like a game to
your father, one he enjoyed.  Had Paul been born in the Middle Ages, he
would have had a million winding secret passages all through the
house."

Jake smiled.

"That's not so far off the mark, but my father was no dark, romantic
hero.  He was just a man who lived alone, even in the midst of people."
She nodded pensively, but didn't comment.

"Do you know if my father had a will drawn up?"  "He mentioned
something about updating his will a few months ago, but that's all I
recall.  He didn't talk about it other than that."

Jake nodded.  That fit with his father's love of privacy.

"If we can't locate that will, we may have a serious problem.  Without
one, probate can hold things up for a long time."  He and Nick would
have to try to juggle their father's estate in addition to their own
businesses for as long as that process required.  His gut clenched.  He
wanted to get back to Denver, to the life he'd made for himself there.
Here in Northern New Mexico, on pueblo land, no matter where he turned
there were either questions or memories he'd hoped to forget.

"Patrick Kelly is on vacation," she told him, moving to stand beside
the massive desk.

"I heard he's an avid skier, so he's probably on the slopes somewhere.
I'll track him down for you.  I'm sure he's left word with his office
staff."

"If we find the will, do you think there's a chance you're mentioned in
it?"  he asked.

"I have no idea.  But for the record, that's not the reason I'm
offering to help you," Annie said curtly.

"I just figured you had enough on your hands trying to get in touch
with your brother, taking care of funeral arrangements, and honoring
the pueblo's own death rituals.  If you prefer to handle it all on your
own, just say so."

He saw anger flash in Annie's gray-green eyes.  Her cheeks were flushed
and, though it was hardly possible, she looked even more beautiful.

But what attracted him even beyond her looks and intelligence was her
fighting spirit.  Despite her soft voice, she never seemed to back down
except to regroup.

And that was why, as far as he was concerned, Annie Sandusky was a
walking danger zone.  He was attracted to her, which only spelled
trouble.  Growing up on the ranch under his father's thumb he had
learned that it never paid to form attachments.  Attachments only gave
someone else power over your feelings.

That lesson about life had served him well, too.  His lifestyle in
Colorado suited him to a tee.  He had few, if any, worries.  He either
lived in one of the homes his company crew was readying for the market,
or, if that wasn't possible, in a furnished apartment.  He didn't even
own a potted plant.  The last thing he needed in his life was to find
himself attracted to a pregnant woman who'd undoubtedly become
dependent on him.

Still, as his gaze strayed over Annie where she stood, he felt a
yearning he couldn't define.  Wondering about his sanity, he began to
sort through the large stack of correspondence in front of him.

"All I can see here are bills.  Just how he recorded his income, and
when checks came in, I haven't a clue.  It's going to take days to go
through everything."  Jake set the mail down and picked up the current
ledger, shaking his head.

"I have a feeling we'll find our first clue hidden here among all this
paperwork," Annie said somberly.

"But you're right.  It'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack."
Hearing footsteps, she turned around and smiled as a Tewa man in his
late fifties came into the room.  He had wide shoulders and a strong
build that attested to long hours of hard physical labor at the
ranch.

"After all that's happened, I wasn't sure if you'd come in today,
Martin," Annie said, reclaiming her seat in front of Paul's desk.

"I never left.  I slept in the room next to the kitchen."  He glanced
over at Jake.  "Good morning.  I'm sorry I didn't get more time to talk
with you last night, Jakey."

Jake had always hated the nickname, but from Martin he would have taken
almost everything.  Without hesitation, Jake stood and hugged the older
man.

"I should have known you were here.  I went out to the stables earlier
this morning, but the animals had already been fed and watered."

Martin nodded.

"I take care of the horses shortly after dawn.  But my job has always
included more than that.  Your father was a Made Person, one of the
tribal leaders who directs our rituals.  According to our ways, that
means he was a mediator between the spiritual and the human worlds.  I
was his Towa e--his war captain assigned to guard him whenever he left
the pueblo.  Now, as his Towa e, there are responsibilities that I have
to attend to.  Do you remember what has to be done?"

Jake nodded.

"But the police won't release the body this soon.  They need to do an
autopsy."  "The Winter Chief, the man who is in charge of all the
pueblo ceremonies done this time of year, has already spoken to Captain
Mora.

The Office of the Medical Investigator has promised to do what they
have to quickly so that the body can be returned to us.  If your
father's soul is not released according to our rites, twelve days from
the day he died, he'll return and call others to join him.  Many will
die.  "

Jake struggled to remain patient.  Traditions and religious customs at
the pueblo required attention to even the minutest detail.  The endless
demands never failed to make him feel suffocated, though he knew the
ancient rituals were meant to accomplish exactly the opposite.  They
were the means for bringing the tribe together again after a tragedy.

"The winds were strong before sunup this morning," Martin continued.

"That means his spirit is already growing restless."

Jake returned to his father's desk.

"Until they release the body, there's nothing that can be done.  The
laws of New Mexico apply here."

"But since you were the first twin to be born, you're the head of the
house now.  People will expect you to see to it that our customs are
upheld.  There'll be a lot for you to handle, too, but at least you
won't have to face it alone.  Tewa ways demand that two of us remain in
the house at all times until the burial rites are completed.  If the
house is unoccupied, your father's spirit will return and stay.  I'm a
war captain, and I'm loyal to this family.  I'll stay by your side.  I
won't allow anyone or anything to endanger you."

Jake shook his head.  I understand the traditions of the pueblo, but I
don't need a war captain to guard me.  I'll ii' finish what needs to be
done, and see to it that my father's i killer is found.  After that, I
intend to give the land back to | the tribe, and sell all the ranch's
assets.  My home's in Col- I. or ado now.

" I "

You'll do what you feel you have to," Martin said.

"If 1 you need me for anything, I'll be close by."  The foreman I left
as quietly as he'd arrived.  ;

Jake knew Martin had no intention of giving him some space.  His mind
was made up, and nothing would change it now.  He would remain Jake's
protector.

Jake looked at Annie.

"I want you to know that you don't have to worry about finding a new
place to live right away.  First, my father's affairs have to be taken
care of, his property settled, and the land turned back to the pueblo,
;

and I don't expect any of that to happen before the case is closed. 
"

He paused, then remembering how his own father had turned him out with
practically nothing, added, "I don't want to pry, but will you have
enough money to relocate when the time comes?  If not, I'll be glad to
help.  I know you want to stay around friends, but once your baby is
born, you may be ready for a change.  I own other properties in
Colorado.  If you need help finding rent you can afford..."

She gave him a wry smile.

"I don't need charity, if that's what you're really asking.  I can take
care of myself and my baby when it arrives."

Annie was proud, and that was one emotion he understood very well.

Jake tried to hold her gaze, but she had suddenly decided to show
interest in some books on the shelf above his head.  Frustration tore
at him.  Women usually liked him, but he had no idea how to charm a
woman that was so.  well, pregnant.  That, admittedly, was one of the
primary reasons he was determined to help her, too.

And, if it was his father's child she carried, he owed her something
more--he didn't know just what at the moment.

"Before I get bogged down going through all these papers, I'm going to
try once more to get hold of Nick," he said at last.

"In that case, I'll give you some privacy and go talk to the part-time
wranglers Paul hired to work with the horses.  Those men knew your
father as well as anyone.  The horses were your dad's passion."  Annie
smiled sadly.

"He used to say that he could always trust his horses, that their body
language never lied."

Jake shrugged.  As usual, the old man had left something out.  Horses
signalled their intent, but not always far enough in advance to benefit
their rider.  He was about to point that out, but one look at her face
stopped him.

"Your opinion of your father is different from mine, Jake.  But one
thing I can say with certainty is that the animals understood your
father, and he them.  Even the high-strung stallions never gave him
problems.  He could get a horse to do anything for him, without ever
laying a whip on him."

Jake remembered how his father had trained the animals.  He'd been
relentless, wearing the horse's resistance down with slow,
psychological pressure.  In the end, he'd always win.  He'd done the
same with Nick and him.

Jake leaned back in his chair and had started to reply when someone
knocked at the door.  It was Martin again.  "The police are here.

Captain Mora has a warrant to search the house and all the out
buildings, including the bunkhouse.  "

"For the murder weapon?"  Jake asked.

Martin nodded.  "And anything else the killer may have left behind.

They're working in the bunkhouse now.  They'll be here next.  "

Chapter Four

The thought of the police ransacking her home made her turn as white as
a ghost.

"My carvings!"  Annie sucked in her breath.

"If they damage my current project, I'll lose my income.  I can't start
all over with only nine days left before it's due."

"Your carvings will be all right, Annie," Jake said, rising from his
chair and moving to stand in front of her.

"That's not what they're looking for."  Her fear touched him.  He knew
what it was like to struggle to make ends meet.  He'd been there
himself not many years ago.  He resisted the urge to put his arms
around her to try to soothe her fears, knowing she'd never tolerate
it.

"I also have several knives.  They're about the only tools used in chip
carving.  If they're damaged, or confiscated, I'm going to be just as
hard-pressed to finish my work on time.  Those knives are like
extensions of my hands, and my imagination, when I work with the
wood."

"But none of your carving tools could be the murder weapon.  I saw my
father's body," he said, his voice subdued.  "The type that was used to
kill him had a long, sharp blade, like a butcher knife."

"Yes, you're right," she answered, sorrow heavy in her voice.

"I

remember the murder weapon very well.  The killer threatened me with
it. " She sucked in a long, shuddering breath.

"But I just can't sit around here and hope for the best.  I have to go
over there and make sure my work isn't damaged or my tools misplaced
when they move things around.  If I'm not ready for this gallery
showing, my entire career could be put on hold."  Annie stood slowly
and with effort.

"I'm going to the bunkhouse right now.  And, one way or another, I'll
track down Paul's attorney for you.  Patrick Kelly really needs to be
here to help you, especially with the will."

Hearing someone else at the door, Martin motioned for her to stay where
she was.

"Let me get that first.  People have been stopping by and leaving food
all morning.  But it might be Captain Mora and you'll probably want to
stick around to hear what he has to say."

Martin stepped out and a moment later the police captain came into the
room.  Martin followed him in, then stood silently just inside the
doorway.

Jake noticed that Mora was neither surprised nor offended by Martin's
failure to give them some privacy.  Martin had been completely loyal to
his father, as everyone knew.  No one would question him extending that
loyalty to Paul's son.  But Jake knew things weren't always the way
they seemed.  What appeared to be loyalty could have been motivated by
something else entirely.  The thought disturbed him, so he brushed it
aside for now.

"The FBI will be monitoring this case closely.  I already have an agent
waiting for me at the office," Captain Mora said without preamble.  '
"Jake, if either you or Annie knows anything about the murder, this is
the time to tell me."

Jake shook his head, then glanced at Annie, wondering how much she'd
say.

"I told you everything I know or remember," she said.

Mora met Annie's gaze with a steely one of his own.

"Things must be very difficult for you right now.  You've probably got
a million things on your mind with the baby coming and all.  Just
remember not to make it worse on yourself by allowing old loyalties to
drag you into the middle of a criminal investigation."

"Those old loyalties are based on respect and gratitude for a friend.

I'm staying involved because I need to pay Paul back by helping find
his killer.  I would never withhold information.  "

Mora's skepticism was evident on his face.

"I'll continue to cooperate any way I can," she said, "but I sure hope
your men haven't damaged any of my work as they searched.  I need to
finish the carving I'm working on and to get paid for it, because it
will be my last big piece for a while."

"My officers were careful."  Mora glanced at Jake.

"We've already searched this house from top to bottom, but I have a
special team going over the grounds now.  We'll be here for some time."
"Take as long as you need.  I want the answers as badly as you do,"
Jake answered.

As soon as Captain Mora left the room, Jake looked at Annie.  He could
see the tension in her beautiful eyes.  She looked even more vulnerable
now, obviously worried about her livelihood.  All the things that had
given her a sense of security, such as her home and her art, were being
threatened.

"Why don't you take my truck and drive back to the bunkhouse?  I know
you're worried about what's going on down there.  Come back whenever
you're ready.  There's no hurry."

"Thanks," she said with a hesitant smile.  The loan of his truck was
the kind of help she could accept.  "I appreciate it."

Jake watched as Annie walked out of the office, head held high.  There
was a quiet dignity about her he couldn't help but admire.  He didn't
want to like Annie--she was a bundle of trouble--but he couldn't help
himself.  She was a fascinating blend of fire and ice, strength and
vulnerability.

Alone now, he sat back and looked around.  Even though his father was
gone, this room still held his mark.  It made Jake uncomfortable to
stay here, but he remained seated where he was, almost in defiance.

Memories crowded his mind.  These walls had seen a lot of unhappiness
over the years.  His father had ruled this house with an iron fist, and
what he couldn't tame, he defeated.

Jake and Nick had spent years trying to live up to their father's
expectations, especially after their mother died.  But nothing they'd
ever achieved had satisfied him.  Eventually he'd kicked them both out
at the age of eighteen, a month after high school graduation.  He'd
given each of them five hundred dollars, which at the time had been
just enough money to get by on for a month, if they were careful.

Angry and surprised at the sudden expulsion, they'd both left, vowing
to never return.

In retrospect, Paul Black Raven had gotten precisely what he'd wanted
for his sons.  Two boys with a desperate need to prove themselves had
gone out into the world and succeeded, each in his own way.

With reluctance, Jake picked up the telephone and dialed his brother's
number.  Distance and time had worked to make the differences that had
always existed between them even more pronounced.  He and Nick seldom
spoke these days.  Talking only led to arguments.  He'd almost been
relieved yesterday and earlier today when nobody answered his calls.

As he waited for someone to pick up the phone, Jake thought about his
brother.  Nick had always viewed the world from a different
perspective. He'd never been able to see the big picture, because he'd
always concentrated far too much on the small pieces of the puzzle.

Jake remembered their mother comparing them to fire and ice, both
invincible in their own way.  Jake was said to blaze over anything that
stood in his way while Nick weighed his options critically to come up
with ways to achieve his desired goal.  He would freeze out anything
and anyone in his way by anticipating and countering their every
move.

But, as everyone knew, fire and ice could not co-exist.  Despite their
physical similarities, their own natures had relegated them to opposite
corners.

On the tenth ring, just as he was about to hang up, Nick at last picked
up the phone.  Tension filled Jake as he heard his twin brother's voice
for the first time in months.  He identified himself, though he knew it
wasn't needed.

"I'm surprised to hear from you," Nick answered, his voice nearly
identical to Jake's.

"I've never known you to call in the middle of a workday.  Is something
wrong?"

"Yeah, little brother," he said, filling Nick in on the basic facts of
his father's death.

"I've got things covered here for now, so if you need some time to make
arrangements before you head back, I understand.  I'll handle things
for both of us."

"Like hell you will," he stormed.

"I'll be there the second I can find someone to cover for me here in
Phoenix."

Jake heard the dial tone and, despite everything, smiled.  Nick would
never believe it, but he hadn't been trying to be patronizing.  He'd
only been trying to help.  He shook his head slowly.  Nick had spent
his adult life putting people back on their feet by providing job
training for those down on their luck.  He'd offered tough alternative
programs in Arizona and had produced remarkable results.  Yet,
despite

Nick's legendary control over his temper, Jake could still get under
his brother's skin.

Staring out the window lost in thought, Jake was startled when he heard
Martin's voice behind him.  He turned around quickly, wishing Martin
wouldn't pad around the house as silently as a cat.

"Yes?"

"The Winter Chief is here to take your father's ritual bowl to its
resting place."

"I'm not releasing anything.  Not until I have a chance" -- "The police
have no objection.  They respect our traditions--as you should," Martin
added sternly.

The bowl had been his father's most important ceremonial object.  Since
ritual items owned by someone of his father's standing could not be
used again, they were retired to a lake or mountain shrine by the
priests.

As Jake met Martin's gaze, he decided this was a battle he didn't want
to fight.  If the police had no objections, neither did he.  Knowing
where his father had kept the sacred bowl, he went to the bookcase and
reached for the top shelf, bringing it down.

"Here.  Give it to the Winter Chief and tell him to do with it whatever
needs to be done."

Martin took the hand-shaped pottery bowl reverently.  Decorated in
traditional patterns, it had been hardened in a carefully controlled
pinon fire.

"Your father worked hard to be a good man," he said somberly, "though,
admittedly, he seldom did things the way we would have wanted."

Jake said nothing, knowing any argument was futile and out of place
now.

"You never really understood him," Martin added, "but maybe you will as
you go through his papers and learn more about him.  The real problem
between you and Paul was that you were very much alike.  You were both
fighters, and strong-willed."

Martin looked around the room sadly.

"When you finally accept the similarities between you, and allow
yourself to think like him, you'll find the clues that'll lead you to
his killer."

Before Jake could ask him anything more, Martin was gone.  Jake pursed
his lips, annoyed.  In some ways, Martin had been more of a father
figure to Nick and him than their real father.  But the man could also
be the most annoying human being in New Mexico.

Still thinking about what Martin had said, Jake reached for the xayeh
that had always been kept on the shelf beside the bowl.  The souls of
their ancestors were said to be part of the stone that served as a
guardian to the family.  As he held it in the palm of his hand, a faded
memory began taking form in his mind.

One night, a lifetime ago, he'd snuck into the house after curfew.

He'd been heading for the stairs when he'd caught a glimpse of his
father taking books down and hiding something up on the high shelf.

Jake hadn't lingered.  Back then nothing had been as important to him
as not getting caught.  But now, with Annie's words about hiding places
still ringing in his mind, he felt compelled to look.

Setting the xayeh down on the desk, Jake reached up and cleared the
upper shelf.  As he did, the outline of a small, hinged compartment
carved into the wall itself came into view.

For a moment Jake didn't move, reluctant to open the panel.  Violating
his father's privacy went against everything he'd been taught.  But his
father was past caring, and his murder demanded justice.  Knowing he
had no choice, he pulled the tiny handle.

Reaching inside the boxlike enclosure, he withdrew a small,
leather-bound notebook.  As Jake leafed through the pages, he found a
listing of every address he and Nick had ever lived at since the day
they'd left.  It was then that he realized their father hadn't really
abandoned them.  He'd kept tabs on them all through the years.  The
news stunned him, giving him a new perspective on the father he thought
he'd known so well.  The knowledge that he'd been watching their
progress all these years was unsettling.  Had his father cared more
than he'd let on? Jake wasn't sure anymore.

Hearing the sound of footsteps and unfamiliar voices right outside,
Jake moved quickly, putting the notebook back where he'd found it and
replacing all the things that concealed the niche in the wall.  He
didn't want anyone else to know about the address book until he'd had a
chance to study it and show it to his brother.

A moment later Martin stepped into the room.  He glanced down at the
xayeh that still lay on the desk, and gave Jake a knowing smile.  Jake
wondered if Martin had known about his father's special hiding place
all along, but there was no way to find out without tipping his own
hand.

"The police will be finished soon," the foreman said.  "Just remember
they have a right to whatever information will lead them to the killer,
but nothing more.  I would advise you to honor your father's privacy
even in death."  Martin placed a tray with a sandwich and a glass of
cola with a twist of lemon in front of Jake.  "Your father and I got
used to having lunch together recently.  We took turns fixing the
sandwiches.  Today was my turn."

Looking down at it, Jake smiled.

"You remembered how I like my soft drinks."

"Of course.  I know this family almost as well as I do my own," he
said.

"And now I better get going.  There's a lot of work to do today," he
said, heading out the door.

As Jake sat behind his father's desk, a gnawing restlessness plagued
him.  For the first time in his life, he was beginning to understand
the weight of responsibility his father had shouldered.  If the ranch
was turned back to the pueblo, which owned the land, Martin, for one,
would lose his job.  He wondered what would become of him then.  The
man had worked for the Black Raven family for almost thirty years.  And
there were others, as well, such as the wranglers, who were only able
to keep their own small farms thanks to the extra earnings their
employment here provided them.

And now, to make matters even more complicated, there was Annie to
consider, too.  The woman had become part of Jake's every thought,
whether he liked it or not.  As it stood, the bunkhouse was her home.

She'd worked hard to make it so, and she deserved to have a place to
live.  If he sold everything he inherited and the ranch closed down,
what would happen to Annie and her child?

The inescapable truth was that his father's legacy involved far more
than a ranch on pueblo land, a houseful of furniture, and a small herd
of quality horses.

"Old man, what have you gotten me into?"  he whispered.  Silence was
his only answer.

Chapter Five

Annie finished straightening up the room she'd turned into her
studio.

The police had created a lot of clutter as they'd searched through
everything, but at least they'd been careful not to damage her carvings
or carry off any of her tools.  She was grateful to Captain Mora for
that.

Annie looked around the whitewashed adobe interior with a heavy
heart.

She'd expected to stay here for at least a few years, but now
everything had changed--all except for the baby that was due in less
than a month.  With each passing day, she felt closer to the child
inside her.  It was funny how a tiny baby who hadn't even been born
yet, had changed her entire life and her outlook on everything.

Annie walked into the former tack room off the bedroom area, the place
she'd turned into the nursery.  All along the wooden beams where riding
gear would normally hang, she'd placed wooden cutouts of teddy bears
and other cartoon characters from the pages of a children's book.

She'd made the pale buttercup curtains.  The hand-crafted
cottonwood-and-pine crib in the center of the room was a gift from one
of the women at the pueblo.  It had taken Annie months but she'd
managed to fill the nursery with all the little treasures she'd hoped
her baby would love.

Now, with Paul Black Raven gone, the bunkhouse had ceased to be a haven
for her and the child.  The nursery would have to be cleared out and
she'd be forced to move on.

Depressed, she walked back to her bedroom.  She was glad now that she
hadn't spent any money on Christmas decorations.  She'd need every
cent, from the looks of it, these next few months.  Annie eased beneath
the down comforter.  Her back ached and her ankles were swollen
again.

These days the slightest thing wore her out.  She closed her eyes and
snuggled into the warm bed covers, planning to rest for just a
moment.

cars driving by the bunkhouse one after the other woke her from a sound
sleep.  The traffic didn't come as a surprise to her, in fact, she'd
been expecting it.  People from the pueblo and surrounding countryside
were undoubtedly coming to pay their respects.

Annie struggled to her feet.  She thought she'd only just dozed off
but, as she checked the clock, she realized it was already evening.

And, to make matters even worse, she still hadn't returned Jake's
truck.

Trying to renew her energy, she showered quickly then slipped into her
favorite maternity dress.  The dark green wool was warm and perfect for
such a cold day as today.

Locking the door behind her, Annie drove to the main house, found a
place to park among at least ten other vehicles, then hurried to the
front door.  As she stepped inside, she was surprised to see how many
people from the area were there.  The sala was nearly full, and a half
dozen or more visitors were standing in the hall.

Annie nodded to the faces she recognized as she looked around for Jake.
She finally spotted him beside the kiva fireplace, speaking to Iris
Ortiz, a middle-age spinster with a voice that always reminded her of a
cawing crow.

Iris had worked for Paul as a housekeeper until early last summer.

Paul had never told her why Iris had suddenly left his employ, but
Annie had learned the story months later from Martin.  Paul had
apparently caught Iris reading his private papers and fired her.  Like
Martin, Annie suspected that Iris had been in love with Paul and had
simply wanted to know more about him.

As she watched Jake now, Annie wondered how much he knew about Iris,
but, as usual, it was impossible to read much from his demeanor.  The
only thing that betrayed the tension he was feeling was the stoniness
of his expression, obviously the result of his self-control.  When he
gave a rare smile, the gesture never quite reached his eyes.

Annie reached for a cup of hot apple cider from the serving tray on the
table and took several sips, trying to warm up.

Martin came over then, and, standing beside her, surveyed the
gathering.  "I have a feeling people will continue to drop by until
late evening.  Everyone wants to pay their respects to Jake since,
traditionally, he's the new head of the Black Raven household."

"And, no doubt, they're also curious about him.  Look at the furtive
glances they keep sending in his direction."

"Everyone wants to know what he's going to do next."

Annie knew that the question was a critical one for Martin, too.  "If
the brothers decide to sell the horses and close up the ranch, what
will you do?"

Martin shrugged.

"I'll find another job, maybe closer to Santa Fe."  He looked directly
at her.

"And you?  Someday your carvings will bring you all the income you
need, but you need time to make a name for yourself."

"I'll be able to get by for the next few months on the pieces I've
already sold, but after that I'll just have to see how things go."  She
tried to sound matter-of-fact, but the uncertainty of it was still
pretty daunting.

Martin continued to look around the room, silently noting the quick
glances people gave Annie.

"You're under scrutiny here today, as well as Jake.  Most of the people
still don't know what to make of you."

"You mean, because of that persistent gossip that I'm carrying Paul's
child?  At first I told them plainly that the baby wasn't Paul's, but
the gossip continued.  There's nothing more I can do.  They can either
believe me, or not.  It's their choice."

"I've gotten to know you pretty well over the past year, and I don't
think you're capable of telling a convincing lie."  He gestured toward
Jake.

"But you've got to give him a chance.  He doesn't know you at all.  To
earn his trust, you've got to show some trust in him, as well," Martin
said before moving away to greet new arrivals at the door.

Annie was refilling her cup of cider when a wonderful shiver raced up
her spine, leaving her body tingling.  Obeying an instinct she didn't
really understand, she turned to see Jake looking at her.  His earthy
eyes captured and held her gaze.  He'd been looking at her and,
somehow, she'd felt it as keenly as a lover's touch.  He gave her a
devastatingly sensual half smile that this time went all the way to his
eyes.

As he crossed the room, her gaze stayed riveted on him.  His
loose-legged stride exuded masculinity.  Men stepped back
automatically, making room as he went by.  The women cast him admiring
glances.  His presence and charisma were a devastating combination that
delivered quite a sensual wallop.

Her heart drummed furiously with excitement as he drew near.  Then
Annie noticed Iris, the ex-housekeeper, trailing behind him, either
unaware that Jake's attention had shifted away from her, or maybe
because she was just too curious about him to allow him an easy exit.

"I'm glad you're here," Jake said, joining Annie at last.

"I was beginning to worry."

Annie knew instinctively that his words had piqued Iris's curiosity.

Trying to minimize the gossip that would undoubtedly be all over the
pueblo the next day, Annie handed him his keys.

"I'm sorry I took so long.  Thank you for loaning me your pickup."

"I suppose I should extend my sympathies to you, as well," Iris said,
interrupting.

"Now that Paul.-.er, Mr.  Black Raven is gone, your life will certainly
be changing, won't it?"  she added, looking pointedly at her.

"Except the fact that I've lost a dear friend, I don't expect anything
else to change drastically," Annie said, determined not to give Iris
tales to carry.

"I'll still be living in the bunkhouse for the time being, working on
my carvings, and I'm still going to have a baby.  My life's pretty
predictable, I'd say."

But Iris persisted.  "To make a living out of your art, I expect you'll
have to work long hours.  It's expensive to raise a child, particularly
for a single mom.  Not that you intend to stay that way, I'm sure.  My
goodness, just look at yourself.  You're young, pretty, and
resourceful.  I bet you've got your sights set on someone already."

"Please excuse us, Iris.  There's some private business I need to
discuss with Mrs.  Sandusky."  Jake took Annie's arm and led her across
the room.

"I was afraid you were about to punch that annoying woman," he added as
soon as they were at a safe distance.  "And here I thought I was doing
a great job of keeping a poker face."

"Others might have thought so," Jake answered.

"But you and I seem to read each other pretty well."

His voice, soft and masculine, felt like an intimate caress.  An
intoxicating warmth flowed through her.

"It's just your imagination."

"Is it?"  His whisper weaved past her defenses, leaving her feeling
more vulnerable than ever.

As people began to approach, offering condolences, Annie found it
impossible to leave his side, though she desperately wanted to put some
distance between herself and Jake.

Finally, Jake took a deep breath.

"You know, there's something not right about these people.  They say
the right things, but their hearts don't seem to be in it."

"Your father had many acquaintances but, from what I could tell, only a
handful of friends."

"Yes, I think you've put your finger on what was bothering me.  My
father had people who were loyal to him, and enemies, too, I'd
expect.

But friends .  I'm surprised he knew how to make any at all.  "

"Martin and I were his friends, and there were others, too," she said
in defense of Paul.

"But he chose to keep his inner circle small.  You didn't know him as
well as you think, if you really believe he was incapable of making
friends.  He could be charming and incredibly kind."

Suddenly a burly Tewa man with long hair wrapped chon go style at the
nape of his neck strode into the sala.  His footsteps were loud as he
stepped across the brick floor, and his expression was that of a man
looking for confrontation, not consolation.  As people's eyes turned
toward him, the room quickly grew quiet.

Curious, Annie studied the stranger, who'd seemed to bring everything
to a standstill with his arrival.  The man's features were sharp and
disproportionate.

The newcomer spotted Jake and went directly toward him.  The crowd gave
way in front of him like sheep avoiding a hungry wolf.  Excusing
himself from Annie, Jake went forward to meet the man.

Annie couldn't take her eyes off the pair.  Their handshake was brief
and they spoke in hushed tones; she was unable to overhear their
conversation, despite the lingering quiet.

"That's the twins' uncle, Thomas Ray," Martin said in a low tone,
joining her.  "He's their mother's oldest brother.  I don't think he's
stepped foot in this house since the day his sister died, almost twenty
years ago.  He and Paul never saw eye-to-eye on anything."

"Paul mentioned him to me once after I'd overheard an argument he'd had
with him on the phone.  I believe there was a long-running feud between
them over a diary Say a had kept."

As they spoke, another Pueblo man, small in stature but not in girth,
joined them.  She smiled at Virgil Lowman, glad to have him there.

She'd liked the man since the first day she'd met him at Paul's
ranch.

Virgil ran the small local bank where most everyone in the area kept
their money, Paul included.  Lowman was a tough businessman and
financial advisor, but had a reputation for honesty.

"I never expected him to show today," Virgil said, looking at Jake and
Thomas.

"When Saya died, her family blamed Paul.  They claimed that he'd broken
her spirit and that her body just lost its will to live.

Thomas was always the one who spoke the loudest.  "

Although Annie didn't want to hear anyone speak badly of Paul, she knew
she had to listen to learn more about her friend.  Someone had hated
Paul enough to murder him, and the trail to the killer started with
Paul himself.

"What happened between Paul and his wife?  It must have been very
serious for anyone to have made an accusation like that."

"Paul wanted to be the center of Saya's world and was terribly jealous.
He hated the fact that everyone came to her for advice.  She was
everyone's confidante."

"Did he ever mistreat her?"  Annie asked in disbelief.

"He never raised a hand to her," Martin interrupted in a firm voice.

"They were mismatched, that was all.  Saya was a gentle creature by
nature, who tried to help everyone she met, but Paul just didn't
understand her.  She needed his support, not constant criticism.  The
problem was that Paul wasn't the kind of person who did that well, if
at all."

"But that was such a long time ago, and Paul must have changed quite a
bit over the years.  He was one of the gentlest men I've ever known."

Virgil nodded.

"You're right.  Twenty years ago, I could have given the police a list
the size of a phone book filled with people who hated him.  But these
days, it's different."

As Virgil excused himself and moved away, Annie looked back at
Martin.

"As far as you know, was Paul afraid of anyone?"

Martin raised an eyebrow.

"He feared no one, you know that.  It just wasn't in his makeup."
Martin stepped up to the table to help an elderly visitor who'd stopped
by with a serving dish of homemade tortillas.

Elsie Muller, the pueblo's only nurse and Annie's nurse midwife, came
up then and greeted Annie.

"You're looking well," Elsie said with a satisfied smile.

In the last few months, Annie had grown to know and like the middle-age
nurse practitioner who took care of everyone who lived on the pueblo,
whether they were traditionalists or modernists.  Despite the fact that
Elsie was not a Native American, her respect for the tribe's ways had
won the pueblo people's confidence.

"It's been such a shock," Elsie said in a hushed voice.

"I can't remember the last time anyone was murdered around here."

"I used to think this was the safest place on earth.  But I'm beginning
to suspect that was mostly an illusion.  It seems I've misjudged a lot
of things.  Yesterday, for example, I would have sworn I knew Paul very
well," Annie said slowly.

"Now, I just don't know."

"I heard Martin telling you about Saya.  But he wasn't being completely
honest with you."

"How so?"  Her attention became riveted on Elsie.  Because of her role
as a nurse practitioner, she knew almost all the pueblo families and
their secrets.

"Saya was my friend, and a gifted artist.  Oil painting was her
passion, but Paul never understood her devotion to it.  One night, he
confronted Saya in her studio and they had a terrible argument.  I
never did find out from Saya-or anyone else--what prompted it, but I
saw the results.  Paul had been in a rage.  He never touched her, but
he destroyed Saya's easels, brushes, and every painting she'd had.
Saya's studio, the bunkhouse where you live and work now, was in
shambles.

After that night, Saya changed.  She even gave up painting, something I
never thought possible.  But their relationship was shattered.  As far
as I know, they never spoke to each other again, except in public.  "

Annie thought of her own work.  Chip carving was sometimes the only
thing that kept her focused and moving forward with a purpose in
mind.

She loved the baby with all her heart, but her work was an intrinsic
part of her life, too.  Sympathy for what Saya had gone through and
lost made her ache all over.

"Paul was really hard on the boys, as well, after that," Elsie
continued.

"And it got worse, especially after their mother died.  Some thought
that he was just trying to toughen them up, that he was afraid they'd
be too soft because of their easy life.  But I always thought that it
was all part and parcel of whatever happened that night at the
studio."

"The Paul Black Raven I knew never even raised his voice," Annie
whispered, still stunned over the revelation.

"As he got older, Paul realized he'd lost everything that mattered to
him except this ranch.  His wife had passed away and his sons were out
of his life.  He tried to change then, and actually succeeded in a
fashion, but it was too late to undo the damage he'd done.  He was all
alone except for Martin, who'd remained a loyal friend and employee.

Then, after many years of being without a family, you came into his
life and became like a daughter to him.  I really think that you were
one of the best things that ever happened to Paul.  Through his
friendship with you, he finally began to learn that gentleness and
kindness were signs of humanity, not weakness.  "

Stunned by the revelations, her thoughts drifted back to her first
visit to the bunkhouse.  In retrospect, maybe she should have asked
more questions instead of automatically assuming vandals had broken in
and trashed the place.  But at the time, no other explanation had
seemed plausible.  Splattered paint had covered almost everything,
including the ceiling beams and floor and, in the debris strewn
everywhere, she'd seen traces of canvas.

The sound of loud voices in the next room suddenly interrupted her
thoughts.  Annie recognized Jake's voice.  He was one of the two men
arguing.

"My priority is to find my father's killer," Jake was saying.  '
"Everything else is secondary.  If you have a grievance, write it down
and give it to my lawyer."

The sound of crashing glass was followed by the dull thud of something
slamming against a wall.  Along with the others, Annie rushed toward
the closed door of the study.

The apple cider she'd been drinking sloshed over the side of the cup as
she hurried, but there was no time to find a place to set it down.

Annie weaved through the crowd of people and, without hesitation,
knocked and simultaneously opened the door.  As she entered the study,
Annie saw that Jake had his older, heavier uncle pinned to the wall and
was holding him there.  A framed pen-and-ink sketch of a stallion lay
on the floor among the broken glass.

Jake's strength surprised her.  Even more impressive, was the way he
was using only the amount of force necessary to neutralize his
opponent.  He was being as careful as he could be under the
circumstances to not hurt his uncle.  But the effort to keep himself in
control was costing him. She could see the strain and tension etched on
his chiseled features. Clearly, holding back was not something that
came naturally to Jake.

Hastily placing her cup on the bookcase, she took a step toward the
men, then stopped in midstride as Captain Mora came into the room,
followed by half a dozen other men.  Moving past her, Mora motioned
Jake back and stepped between the men.

"What's this all about, boys?"  Mora stood his ground.

Thomas glowered at Jake and wiped a drop of blood from the corner of
his mouth.  "You're just like your father.  You have nothing of your
mother in you.  Look at what you've done to the sketch your mother made
of your father's favorite horse."

Jake picked it up and saw that the glass had cut into the paper,
tearing it.  Sorrow and regret shadowed his features.

Mora glared at Thomas.

"You know better than to come into this house of mourning with that
attitude," Mora clipped.

"If you don't leave now, I'm going to let Jake throw you out."

"I'm not leaving this place until I get what I came for," Thomas
snapped.

"You'll probably have to wait until a will is filed before you can take
anything out of this house.  But I'm listening.  What is it you want?"
Mora asked.

"I came for my sister's diary.  Her husband would never give it to us,
though we were her family.  It belongs to us, not Black Raven or his
sons.  My sister recorded her private thoughts in those pages and our
family has wanted that diary since her death.  It's the only thing that
might answer all the questions that have continued to divide us, even
to this day.  It's our hope that it'll help us understand, once and for
all, why she never came to any of us for help, even after it was clear
to everyone that her marriage was destroying her."

"You're looking for absolution," Jake accused.

"You want something that will say it was my father's fault and
exonerate all of you.  I'm sorry, but I still can't help you.  I don't
have that diary."

"Save your pity," Thomas snarled.

"Just tell me where your father hid it, or if you really don't know,
help me search for it."

"Do you have any idea where Paul might have hidden the diary?"  Mora
asked Thomas.

Jake shook his head.

"It's a big house and I've only been back for a day."

Annie knew Mora was thinking of Paul's last words and his mention of
hidden evidence.  If Paul had a hiding place, they all needed to know
where it was.

"My sister's diary is here someplace.  Twice before, when Paul was
outside working with the horses, I snuck in and searched the house.

But there are too many places to look and I ran out of time.  "

"You want to press charges, nephew?"  Thomas looked at Mora, whose
eyebrows were raised.

"No.  Not that you don't deserve it," Jake muttered.

Thomas met Jake's cold glare.

"But you know where he hid things, don't you?  I can tell you know
something, boy.  It's there in your eyes."  He took a step toward Jake,
then stopped when Mora blocked his way again.

"You probably found the place when you were a kid.  Very little slipped
past you and your brother when you two were growing up."

"As I said" -Jake practically bit off the words "--I don't have my
mother's diary, and I have no idea where it might be."

Captain Mora looked at Jake, his eyes narrowing.

"Are you positive about that, son?  Withholding evidence is a
crime--just like breaking and entering."  He glanced at Thomas.  "If I
find evidence that pertains to the murder of my father, you'll be the
first to have it."

Mora's eyes narrowed.

"Evaluating evidence is my job, not yours.  Your father had a tendency
to take things into his own hands, and right now you're coming across
as being just like him.  But we have a killer out there who may feel
the compulsion to strike again.  Don't make me have to bury two Black
Ravens."

When Jake didn't reply, Mora escorted Thomas out.  Jake and Annie
followed them as far as the hall, but then Mora glanced back at Jake.

"Let me handle this while you tend to the others here."

As Mora went outside with Thomas, people clustered in small groups
inside the house.  A tense silence shrouded the room.  Finally, when
they all heard the sound of a vehicle rumbling noisily away, everyone
began speaking at once.

While Martin calmed the guests, Annie motioned Jake back into the
study, which was now empty.

"You have a very nasty bruise forming around your left eye, and a small
cut over your eyebrow."

"I've had worse," he said, dabbing the blood with a handkerchief.

"I

work in construction.  Trust me, I can take a punch.  "

"You can also raise a lump and get an infection."  She went to the
adjoining bathroom and came back holding some antiseptic and a box of
Band-Aid strips.  "

"Have a seat.  And be careful of that glass still on the floor."

Annie stood in front of him and dabbed the antiseptic over his cut as
gently as she could, but she felt him flinch as the liquid stung him.

She looked down quickly to make sure he was okay, but when their gazes
met the emotions she saw reflected in his eyes rocked her all the way
to the core.

There was awareness of the miracle growing inside her in his gaze.  But
there was something darker mirrored there, too, an undercurrent of
attraction and raw desire.  She knew with every bit of intuition she
possessed that Jake found her pregnancy only added to her femininity
and beauty.  Excitement and an aching sense of wonder and vulnerability
pulsed through her.

Jake's gaze scorched her with its intensity as he touched the swell of
her stomach, his palm smoothing over her in a light caress.  The
gesture was made impossibly intimate by the fire smoldering in his
eyes.

"You're so incredibly beautiful," he murmured.

She knew she should move away, but it was as if she were under a
spell.

Jake gently pulled her down onto his lap and, framing her face with the
palms of his hands, covered her mouth with his own.

She felt the impact of his kiss with every raw nerve in her body.
Passion traveled through her in spirals that made her feel deliciously
weak.  His hands were strong yet unspeakably gentle as he held her, his
mouth coaxing and lighting fires too intoxicating to resist.

Time seemed to stand still.  Everything faded away but the pleasures of
his touch.  She gasped as his hand cupped her breast, his fingers
toying with her nipple and drawing a bead of precious fluid from
them.

The exquisite sensations tore a soft moan from her lips.  She had to
stop now before logic and caution became nothing more than a memory.

This was too reckless and just plain crazy.

She stood up abruptly, almost falling as she did, but he reached out to
steady her.

Her breathing was coming in gasps and, as she looked down at him, she
saw the same astonishment she felt reflected on his face.  It had been
too hot, too fast.

She moved back another step, fearful of feelings she couldn't
explain.

Needing to stay busy, she began to pick up the first-aid supplies.

"I need a drink," Jake said, standing.

Annie gestured to the cup of cider she'd left on the bookshelf.

"Try that instead.  It's healthier and, since it has no alcohol in it,
it won't mess with your head.  From what I've seen so far today, that's
a definite advantage."

With a lopsided grin, Jake picked up the cup and took a sip.  As he
placed his lips where hers had been, a shiver ran up her spine.

With a grimace, Jake suddenly put the cup down.

"I think someone spiked this, but I can't say I share their tastes," he
said with a cough.

Annie looked at him in alarm.  His face was becoming flushed and his
lips were quickly turning blue.

"Jake?"

Jake tried to stand, but his knees buckled and he dropped back onto the
cushions, obviously weakened.

"Martin, Elsie!"  Annie yelled at the top of her lungs.

"I need help!"

Annie sat next to Jake, trying to keep him from collapsing.

As her gaze fell on the cup, a shudder ran up her spine.  Someone must
have come into the study during all the confusion and added something
to her drink.  It was the only explanation.  Horrified, she realized
she and her unborn baby had been the intended victims and by offering
Jake a drink, she'd sealed his fate.

Chapter Six

Jake slowly opened his eyes.  Where the heck was he?  He looked around
and tried to focus on the faces of the people around him, but he
couldn't get his vision to clear.  Then, like an instant photo slowly
developing before his eyes, he saw Annie standing by his bedside.

Annie covered his hand with her own.

"Easy.  You're all right now."

The warmth of her touch flowed over him, heating every inch of his body
like welcome rays of sunshine after a storm.

Seeing old Doc Cassidy and Elsie there, too, Jake realized that he was
at the pueblo clinic.

"You're a very lucky man," Doc Cassidy said, coming forward to check
his pupil response.  Apparently satisfied, he stepped back and surveyed
his patient.  "Do you remember what happened?"

Jake's eyes narrowed as he tried to recall all the events.

"I drank some cider, then it suddenly felt as if my head was going to
explode.

It kept getting worse until everything went black.  "

The doc nodded.

"From what Elsie was able to put together, someone added the contents
of your father's nitroglycerine prescription to that cup of cider.
We're not sure how many tablets you actually ingested along with your
drink.  What saved you was that the pills were old and that they're
meant to be taken beneath the tongue, not diluted in liquid.  The
effect was much reduced."  He went to the door.

"I'll check on you again in a half hour.  The police want to talk to
you and I've got two other patients waiting."

Jake tried to sit up but Annie placed her hand on his bare shoulder and
pushed him back.

"Take it easy for a while.  You deserve a rest."

Someone had removed his shirt, and the touch of her hand on his bare
chest sent a tremor through him.

"Have you been with me all this time?"  he asked.

She nodded.

As he looked into her eyes, he saw the worry and concern she'd felt
reflected there.  But something else also glimmered in those twin hazel
pools.  For several seconds he struggled to identify the emotion he'd
seen, then it slid- demy hit him.  Annie was feeling guilty.

"This wasn't your fault," he assured her.

"I gave you my drink," she said, her voice breaking halfway.

"There was no way you could have known."  She stood beside the bed,
tears moistening her eyes, and it was all he could do to not pull her
toward him.

"The doctor said the overdose could have been fatal.  I nearly cost you
your life," she told him.

Jake took Annie's hand and brought it to his lips.

"You got me the help I needed, and that saved my life.  I'm glad you
were there for me, Annie--before I took the drink as well as
afterward," he said, gently reminding her of the kiss they'd shared. 
He was rewarded when she blushed and looked away.

Hearing a knock on the door, Elsie glanced up from the chart.

"That's probably Captain Mora.  I refused to let him in before, but
he's pretty eager to question you about what happened.  Are you up for
it?"

"Sure," Jake said, still holding Annie's hand.  She tried to pull away,
but he gave her a wink and refused to let go, betting that she'd give
in rather than make a scene.

She leaned down and whispered in his ear.

"I'll stay here with you, if that's what you want, but you've got to
let go of my hand.  There's enough gossip about me in this pueblo."

"Maybe someday you'll let me give them something to really talk about,"
he said, letting go of her at last and giving her a cocky grin, "Maybe,
someday," she answered softly, a twinkle in her eye, Captain Mora
entered the room and, giving Annie a nod, pulled up a chair, "I'm glad
you're both here.  You were together when this happened, so you might
be able to help each other remember something vital.  Everyone I spoke
to claims to not have even noticed a cup of cider in the study."

"And I bet that's precisely what the person who did this was counting
on," Annie said.

"People were focused on Jake and his uncle, so the culprit had a clear
field.  Depending on when he actually tampered with my cup, he might
have even had an empty room to work in.  We stepped out when you were
leading Jake's uncle outside."

"I remember," Mora answered.

"That cup was meant for Annie," Jake said.

"Maybe we need to start with a possible motive."

Annie took a deep breath then let it out slowly.

"I've been thinking about that.  Maybe the killer was hoping to get rid
of the one person most likely to identify him--me.  I did see him,
though admittedly he was in that Santa cos how many tablets you
actually ingested along with your drink.  What saved you was that the
pills were old and that they're meant to be taken beneath the tongue,
not diluted in liquid.  The effect was much reduced."  He went to the
door.

"I'll check on you again in a half hour.  The police want to talk to
you and I've got two other patients waiting."

Jake tried to sit up but Annie placed her hand on his bare shoulder and
pushed him back.

"Take it easy for a while.  You deserve a rest."

Someone had removed his shirt, and the touch of her hand on his bare
chest sent a tremor through him.

"Have you been with me all this time?"  he asked.

She nodded.

As he looked into her eyes, he saw the worry and concern she'd felt
reflected there.  But something else also glimmered in those twin hazel
pools.  For several seconds he struggled to identify the emotion he'd
seen, then it slid- demy hit him.  Annie was feeling guilty.

"This wasn't your fault," he assured her.

"I gave you my drink," she said, her voice breaking halfway.

"There was no way you could have known."  She stood beside the bed,
tears moistening her eyes, and it was all he could do to not pull her
toward him.

"The doctor said the overdose could have been fatal.  I nearly cost you
your life," she told him.

Jake took Annie's hand and brought it to his lips.

"You got me the help I needed, and that saved my life.  I'm glad you
were there for me, Annie--before I took the drink as well as
afterward," he said, gently reminding her of the kiss they'd shared. 
He was rewarded when she blushed and looked away.

Hearing a knock on the door, Elsie glanced up from the chart.

"That's probably Captain Mora.  I refused to let him in before, but
he's pretty eager to question you about what happened.  Are you up for
it?"

"Sure," Jake said, still holding Annie's hand.  She tried to pull away,
but he gave her a wink and refused to let go, betting that she'd give
in rather than make a scene.

She leaned down and whispered in his ear.

"I'll stay here with you, if that's what you want, but you've got to
let go of my hand.  There's enough gossip about me in this pueblo."

"Maybe someday you'll let me give them something to really talk about,"
he said, letting go of her at last and giving her a cocky grin.

"Maybe, someday," she answered softly, a twinkle in her eye.

Captain Mora entered the room and, giving Annie a nod, pulled up a
chair.

"I'm glad you're both here.  You were together when this happened, so
you might be able to help each other remember something vital. Everyone
I spoke to claims to not have even noticed a cup of cider in the
study," "And I bet that's precisely what the person who did this was
counting on," Annie said.

"People were focused on Jake and his uncle, so the culprit had a clear
field.  Depending on when he actually tampered with my cup, he might
have even had an empty room to work in.  We stepped out when you were
leading Jake's uncle outside."

"I remember," Mora answered.

"That cup was meant for Annie," Jake said.

"Maybe we need to start with a possible motive."

Annie took a deep breath then let it out slowly.

"I've been thinking about that.  Maybe the killer was hoping to get rid
of the one person most likely to identify him--me.  I did see him,
though admittedly he was in that Santa cos how many tablets you
actually ingested along with your drink.  What saved you was that the
pills were old and that they're meant to be taken beneath the tongue,
not diluted in liquid.  The effect was much reduced."  He went to the
door.

"I'll check on you again in a half hour.  The police want to talk to
you and I've got two other patients waiting."

Jake tried to sit up but Annie placed her hand on his bare shoulder and
pushed him back.

"Take it easy for a while.  You deserve a rest."

Someone had removed his shirt, and the touch of her hand on his bare
chest sent a tremor through him.

"Have you been with me all this time?"  he asked.

She nodded.

As he looked into her eyes, he saw the worry and concern she'd felt
reflected there.  But something else also glimmered in those twin hazel
pools.  For several seconds he struggled to identify the emotion he'd
seen, then it suddenly hit him.  Annie was feeling guilty.

"This wasn't your fault," he assured her.

"I gave you my drink," she said, her voice breaking halfway.

"There was no way you could have known."  She stood beside the bed,
tears moistening her eyes, and it was all he could do to not pull her
toward him.

"The doctor said the overdose could have been fatal.  I nearly cost you
your life," she told him.

Jake took Annie's hand and brought it to his lips.

"You got me the help I needed, and that saved my life.  I'm glad you
were there for me, Annie--before I took the drink as well as
afterward," he said, gently reminding her of the kiss they'd shared. 
He was rewarded when she blushed and looked away.

Hearing a knock on the door, Elsie glanced up from the chart.

"That's probably Captain Mora.  I refused to let him in before, but
he's pretty eager to question you about what happened.  Are you up for
it?"

"Sure," Jake said, still holding Annie's hand.  She tried to pull away,
but he gave her a wink and refused to let go, betting that she'd give
in rather than make a scene.

She leaned down and whispered in his ear.

"I'll stay here with you, if that's what you want, but you've got to
let go of my hand.  There's enough gossip about me in this pueblo."

"Maybe someday you'll let me give them something to really talk about,"
he said, letting go of her at last and giving her a cocky grin.

"Maybe, someday," she answered softly, a twinkle in her eye.

Captain Mora entered the room and, giving Annie a nod, pulled up a
chair.

"I'm glad you're both here.  You were together when this happened, so
you might be able to help each other remember something vital. Everyone
I spoke to claims to not have even noticed a cup of cider in the
study," "And I bet that's precisely what the person who did this was
counting on," Annie said.

"People were focused on Jake and his uncle, so the culprit had a clear
field.  Depending on when he actually tampered with my cup, he might
have even had an empty room to work in.  We stepped out when you were
leading Jake's uncle outside."

"I remember," Mora answered.

"That cup was meant for Annie," Jake said.

"Maybe we need to start with a possible motive."

Annie took a deep breath then let it out slowly.

"I've been thinking about that.  Maybe the killer was hoping to get rid
of the one person most likely to identify him--me.  I did see him,
though admittedly he was in that Santa costume at the time.  He
probably hasn't realized that I was more focused on the knife he was
waving at me than on his bearded face."

"Getting rid of a witness makes sense, but an attack of this kind
suggests a spur of the moment decision."

"Maybe the killer heard Thomas mention Paul's special hiding place,"
Annie suggested.

"Once he learned that Paul hid evidence, he might have assumed that I
would know where it was, or could get my hands on it.  Like a lot of
people, he may have assumed that Paul and I were a lot closer than we
were.  So, rather than risk having me become an even greater threat, he
decided to act immediately.  My guess is he must have seen the medicine
cabinet through the open bathroom door and went in looking for
something to use as a poison.  Or he may have already known Paul was on
heart medication, and this was probably where it was stored."

Mora nodded.

"It fits.  But, if we're right, he's going to try again, soon."

"We have to come up with some countermeasures," Jake said.

"I'll order increased patrols in and around the ranch," Mora said.

"But, for now, that's all I can do."  "My wranglers can keep an eye on
the bunkhouse, too.  I'll be willing to bet that they won't mind
working overtime this time of year."

Mora handed them each a sheet with a list of names.  "These are the
people I remember seeing at the house.  Can either of you add to
this?"

Annie studied the list then, at last, handed it back.

"I can't think of anyone you haven't included."

"Same here," Jake said, returning the paper and sitting up slowly.

Elsie came back into the room and looked at him matter of-factly.

"I see I was right.  I just spoke to Martin and warned him that you'd
be on your way back soon--whether or not we recommended that you spend
the night here."

"There's no need for me to stay," Jake said firmly.

Annie helped him slip on his shirt.  He accepted her help not because
he needed it, but because he wanted it.  Admittedly, he would have much
rather had her help him undress than dress, but he'd take whatever he
could get.

As her fingers brushed his shoulders, he had to suppress a groan.  Her
touch, however fleeting, had a devastating power over him.

"At least I know you'll be getting to bed early tonight," Elsie said.

He looked at her in surprise, wondering what she'd managed to read in
his thoughts.

"Martin will see to it, even if he has to hog-tie you," she added, to
his relief.

"By the way.  Captain Mora, I'd like to have you or your men check out
the bunkhouse before we drop Annie off," Jake said.

"No problem."

"You don't think he'd try again tonight, do you?"  Annie asked Jake,
then glanced at Mora.

Jake answered first.

"Not really, but it's better to head off problems at the pass.  If the
police check out the bunkhouse, the word will get out that we're
watching your back."

Discharging a patient from the pueblo clinic was not a lengthy process.
Before long Annie was driving Jake's pickup back to the ranch, while
Mora followed them several car lengths behind.  "I think I should drop
you off at the main house first," she said.

"You've been through a lot."

"No thanks.  I'm fine."  He liked having her worry about him.  The
realization unsettled him.  Normally he would have felt smothered.

"I want to be there when Mora goes through the bunkhouse," he explained
for his own benefit more than for hers.

"There's very little chance of all of us missing something
important."

Jake saw Annie shudder and the gesture knifed at his gut.

"You won't be left unprotected.  You have my word on that.  Between the
ranch hands and the police patrols, you'll be safe."

He noticed that her hand was curled around the steering wheel so
tightly her knuckles had turned pearly white.  He reached out and
covered her hand with his own.  "You can move into the main house
anytime you want, too.  I'll watch over you there myself."

She gently slipped her hand out from under his.

"I've stood on my own for a long time.  I can't let anyone, even this
killer, take my independence away from me.  But I will accept your
offer to have the wranglers keep an eye on the bunkhouse."

"Consider it done."

They arrived at the bunkhouse ten minutes later.  The roads were icy
and the temperature had dropped dramatically.  Annie shivered as they
walked to her front door.  All she was wearing was the wool maternity
dress, but without a coat, it wasn't much protection against the bitter
cold.

Jake slipped off his leather jacket and draped it across her
shoulders.

"No, you need it more than I do," she protested.

He draped his arm over her shoulders, keeping his jacket securely
around her.

"I'll feel better if you're wearing it.  Humor me."  He gave her a
playful smile.

"All right," she said, giving in with a soft sigh.

The sound ripped through him, triggering his imagination.  He wondered
if she'd ever sigh softly that way for him in sensual surrender.  His
body hardened painfully.  He willed himself to shift his thoughts away
from her.

Annie hurried with the lock, opening the door as Captain Mora
approached.  Trying to duck the bitterly cold wind, she went inside
quickly before Jake could stop her.  Suddenly she stopped in
midstride.

A red felt Christmas stocking lay on the table by the door.  A slow
horror unfurled inside her as Annie stared at the Christmas stocking.

Trying to save money, she hadn't purchased any Christmas decorations
this year, though she'd made some for Paul's Christmas tree.

"That's not mine," she stated, her voice taut.

Jake followed her line of vision.  Her name had been scrawled on the
stocking with white chalk and a note peered out from within the
folds.

She'd started to reach for it, but Jake pulled her back.

"No, don't touch it."

Mora walked around her and, with a gloved hand, picked up the stocking
and pulled out the note.  Handling it only by the edges, he unfolded
it.

Mora read the message out loud.  "

"Christmas can be deadly.  Mind your own business."  " Annie
swallowed.

"Short and to the point," she said.  "I'll see if I can lift some
prints off this, or ID the source used for the letters on the paste-up
note. I have a feeling they're from our local paper.  With luck, this
note will give us a few leads."

When Annie didn't comment, Jake glanced over.  Her face was deathly
pale.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head.  "My door was locked, remember?  And there's no
sign of a break-in.  If he just strolled in and left this for me, he's
either got a key or he's an expert locksmith."

"Do you keep your door locked at all times?"  Mora asked.

She shook her head.  "Not normally, no, but I did leave it locked this
evening.  After what happened to Paul, I thought it was foolish not to
start using my key at night."

Mora checked the lock.

"This isn't a secure system.  I could flip it open with a credit card.
Get a dead bolt."

Annie nodded.  "But what about the note?  Clearly it was a warning to
not help the police."

"He miscalculated," Mora said with a shrug.

"You had little to do with the fact that I'm here and this is now in my
possession."

"I would have given it to you, anyway, but the way things went down may
just serve to annoy the killer even more."

Hearing footsteps, she turned as Martin entered.

"I spotted the vehicles here and thought I'd better walk over and find
out what's going on," he said.

"I've left two wranglers at the house, so it won't be unattended."

Jake filled him in, then added,"

"Under the circumstances, Annie will have to leave the bunkhouse and
come to the main house."

"Not if you have people keeping watch tonight," Annie said.

"Besides, I can't just leave my carvings, and it would take quite a
while to pack everything up."  She looked at Captain Mora, then back at
Jake.

"With all the people around, there's no way this guy is going to return
tonight, and I've got to go to bed soon.  I'm exhausted, my feet are
swollen, and my back's killing me.  I need to get some rest."

"Okay, then.  I'll stay here and sleep on your sofa tonight," Jake
said.

"What?  You can't be serious!"  The thought of him sleeping so close to
her made every fiber in her body dance with awareness.

"I mean, the couch is terribly uncomfortable," she said, hoping to hide
what she'd been really thinking.

He smiled at her, and there was something in his eyes that told her
with assurance that he'd not only guessed her thoughts, he was quite
pleased with them.  Annoyed that she'd given herself away so easily,
she looked away.

"You'll go back to the main house, Jake," Martin said firmly.

"You wouldn't be able to throw off a three-year- old in your
condition.

I'll stick around here with two of the men and watch the bunkhouse. 
"

"Sounds like a plan," Annie said.

Mora nodded in agreement.

"I'll also get my boys to patrol the area closely tonight.  But
tomorrow, I want you to get a decent lock installed."

Annie nodded.

"Of course.  I'll do that right away."

Jake dropped down onto the sofa wearily.  "The lock is my
responsibility.  I'll get it done.  But right now, I'm beat.  It's time
for me to call it a night."

Annie rushed to his side immediately, one step ahead of Martin.  She
just couldn't forget the part she'd played in his near-fatal
poisoning.

"Are you feeling okay?"  she asked.

He remained quiet for a moment, then finally nodded.

"I'm low on energy, that's all.  Nothing a good night's rest can't
cure."  He started to get up, but his knees buckled and he dropped down
heavily onto the couch again.

"Do you want me to call the doctor?"  she asked quickly.

He shook his head.

"No.  I'd only have to hear another litany about the dangers of
ignoring medical advice."

"Which you're too pigheaded to listen to, right?"  she observed
wryly.

He gave her a heart-stopping smile.

"Isn't this a bit like the pot calling the kettle black?  You don't
exactly listen to advice, either, you know."

"Okay, here's what we'll do.  You shouldn't move around any more than
you absolutely have to, so you can sleep here tonight like you
wanted.

But you'll take my bed.  I'll take the couch.  Martin and the men can
keep an eye on things for us both.  "

Jake gave her a cocky grin.  "I thought you might come around to my way
of thinking."

She stared hard at him, suddenly wondering if she'd been manipulated.

Noting he was as white as the stuccoed walls, she recanted.

"Just take it easy."

Mora spoke into his two-way radio and, as he made arrangements for
extra patrols, they all grew quiet.  Finally, finished with the
transmission, he said good-night to all of them.  Martin followed him
to the door.

"I'm going to round up the boys," Martin said.

"We'll be close by, Annie.  If you need anything, just draw back the
curtains.  We'll be in here in a flash."

It seemed strange, but from the moment she and Jake were left alone,
the very air around them seemed to become charged with electricity.  As
she walked back, she saw Jake looking around.  His eyes came to rest on
the photo of her and Bobby.

"That was my husband," she said.

"It was taken last year, before he was killed in an accident."

The news took him by surprise.

"I'm sorry, Annie," he said softly.

"Do you still love him?"  "A part of me always will, but the baby has
helped me focus on the future, not the past."  She brought out some
blankets from the linen closet.

"Letting go was hard, but Paul helped me shift away from my grief and
focus on my work.  He became like a father to me, at a time when I
needed one."

She'd answered some of his questions.  He knew now that his father's
relationship with Annie hadn't been sexual, but it also pointed out how
little he knew about her.  "Tell me more about yourself and Bobby."

She shook her head.

"My past is my own.  I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay.  I'll sleep on the couch," she said.

"My bed's got plenty of blankets, but let me know if you need extra."

"The only way I'm sleeping in your bed is if you're there with me," he
murmured.

His voice caressed her, soothing and tempting her all at once.  She
looked away and tried desperately to concentrate on something else.

"Go sleep in your own bed, Annie," he said at last, his expression
gentle.

"I'll be fine out here.  And I'd rather be closer to the door."

"Do you expect trouble?"  she asked quickly.

"No, not at all."  He grinned slowly.

"It's a man thing, that's all.

I'd rather be the protector than the protectee.  Male ego and all that.
"

His smile, so purely masculine, tore past her defenses.  Everything
feminine in her awakened.  Aware of the danger, she braced herself to
resist the temptation he posed.

Annie went to the bedroom and brought him her pillow.  She'd make do
with her coat tonight, though she wouldn't tell him that.  She handed
him the pillow and, as he leaned back against it, spread the wool
blanket over him.

His gaze swept over her, lingering on her face, then dropping to her
full breasts.  When she finished straightening the blanket, he reached
out for her hand.

"Thanks," he said.

His touch made her melt inside.  She felt desired and safe,

feelings she'd never expected to experience again, particularly now
that she was a widow and very pregnant.

"Annie," he whispered as she began to move away to turn off the lights.
He wouldn't let go of her hand.

Moonlight filtered through a small part in the curtain, filling the
room with a soft glow.  She turned around and, even in the
semi-darkness, her eyes found his.

"Thank you," he whispered.

She smiled weakly and broke free of his grasp, turned off the lights,
and walked into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

annie woke up suddenly as the baby kicked and shifted.  With a sigh,
she stood up and began pacing, knowing that the rocking motion as she
moved would quiet the baby.  Minutes ticked by slowly as she battled
exhaustion.  It seemed she'd been up for an eternity when the door to
her bedroom opened slightly.  She froze, her heart hammering.  Then, a
moment later, Jake appeared in her doorway.

He was shirtless, his jeans riding low on his waist, zipper down, as if
he'd dressed in a hurry.  Awareness shimmered between them.

"I heard footsteps, and I thought something was wrong."

"You shouldn't be up," she said, going over to where he stood,
intending to help him back to the couch.  But her good intentions were
a mistake.

As she stood inches before him, his gaze seared over her, branding her
flesh.

"Do you know what you do to me?"  he asked, his voice a tortured
whisper.

Annie was barefoot and vulnerable, wearing only a thin nightshirt that
did nothing to hide her body.  Yet the raw power of her femininity
called to him like a siren song and everything male in him responded.

He pressed his palm to her cheek, and she leaned into him
instinctively.  Before she could even take a breath, his mouth covered
hers.  The world began spinning, a million pleasures weaving through
her.  As she clung to his shoulders, he unbuttoned her nightshirt,
tenderly caressing her breasts.

He slowly smoothed his palm down her body, passing the swell of her
stomach, then dipping lower until he reached the center of her
femininity.

"No," she begged, her body trembling with desire and urging her to not
step away.

"We shouldn't..."

She held her breath as she felt him touch the soft petals of her body
then, with a groan, he pulled his hand away without reaching for the
sweetness he'd needed.

"Don't," she managed, her voice unsteady.

"We're playing with fire."

"There's something special happening between us.  Don't tell me you
don't feel it.  I won't believe you."

"But we can't act on it," she pleaded quietly.

"Neither of us is ready."

"Do you remember how it felt when I held and kissed you?"

Her knees were wobbly.  It was all she could do to stand her ground.

"That was a mistake."

"Then why did it feel so right?"

She had no answer.  But even if she'd had, she was certain no words
could have penetrated the sudden tightening at her throat.

"Don't make me regret letting you stay here tonight," she said at last,
her words a soft plea in the darkened room.

"I won't take anything you're not prepared to give me freely," he said,
his voice deep with passion.

As he moved away, a sadness pierced her soul.  Only longing filled the
emptiness inside her now.

He paused at the door, glanced back at her one last time, then left her
room.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Annie sat on the edge of the bed.

She'd wanted to surrender to her feelings and give in to Jake, but her
life was too unsettled now.  She couldn't afford to allow anyone to
distract her from what she had to do.  Everything depended on her
ability to focus wholeheartedly on her work so she could ensure a
secure future for her baby.

Slowly, Annie lay back down on the empty bed, the chill of the night
her heart's only companion.

jake opened the back door and stood outside in the darkness.  It was
bitterly cold, but it was like an icy shower and just what he needed.

Annie.  The name fit her.  The sound was as soft as the whisper of the
wind and as feminine as the woman who'd melted under his touch.

Passion twisted through him.  He wanted her.  She'd stood before him,
barely clothed, her breasts full and heavy.  He'd wanted to take each
in his mouth until he drove her crazy with wanting, then leave a moist
trail down her body and show her even greater pleasures.  He would have
given anything for the chance to make her blood sing as she did his.

He muttered a curse under his breath.  This was crazy.  He knew nothing
about her, yet the woman continued to draw him in every way possible.

One thing was clear.  He couldn't stay here tonight.  Even the thought
of her just one doorway away made his body tighten with desire.  He
went back inside, knowing what he had to do.

Jake turned on the lamp, and had begun to write her a note when a light
knock sounded on the front door.  He answered it and saw Martin
standing there, a worried look on his face.

"I saw you moving around in here," he said.

"The living room curtains are thin.  Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but I won't be staying here tonight after all," he said, taking
his jacket from the hook behind the door.  "Will you stick around and
keep an eye on things?"

Martin didn't ask for an explanation.  He simply nodded.

Jake strode past him, cursing his own weakness.  Most of all, he cursed
his father, who even in death seemed to control the lives of those
around him.

Chapter Seven

Jake had been sitting in his father's study since dawn, sorting through
the accounting books.  He was searching for some financial irregularity
or unusual expenditures that would point to whomever might have had a
motive to commit murder.  His progress had been slow, though his only
interruption had been a call from the Medical Investigator's Office.
He'd been told that his father's body would be released today.  Shortly
after that, he'd left word for the Winter Chief who'd help him plan out
the funeral rites.  Everything else was on hold until Nick arrived.

Hearing a knock at the door, he glanced up and smiled, seeing Annie.

"Come in."

She entered the room looking even more beautiful than she had last
night.  Her cheeks were flushed from the brisk air outside, and her
brown hair caressed her shoulders.

"We need to talk," she said, her voice quiet and determined.

"I know.  I'm sorry about what happened last night," he said, then
shook his head.

"No, that's not true.  The fact is I liked holding you, Annie.  Very
much."

Her eyes widened at his unexpected bluntness.

"I"

-She swallowed.

"It can't happen again."

"But it may," he said softly.

"It can't, Jake.  We have to be realistic.  I'm going to have a baby
very soon.  I'm not looking for a casual relationship."

He saw her point.  He'd spent a lifetime avoiding emotional
commitments; it had become a way of life.  He'd watched his parents'
marriage deteriorate--he'd seen firsthand the big price of love, and he
wanted no part of it.  But his feelings for Annie wouldn't let him just
walk away.

"The attraction between us is real, Annie," he whispered.

"And these things usually follow their own course."

She shook her head.

"I don't live my life that way," she said, her tone final.

Jake said nothing.  Life just wasn't that simple, whether or not she
chose to believe it.  Seeing the set look on her face, he decided to
not pursue the matter for the moment.

Annie glanced down at the ledgers scattered across the desk.  The
Rolodex card file was almost on the very edge, and she pushed it back
so it wouldn't fall off.

"Have you found anything in those books that'll give us a clue to the
killer?"

He shook his head.

"It's hard to piece anything together.  My father wasn't much on office
organization.  His banking records show that there were substantial
cash withdrawals every month.  But I'm not sure if that's significant
or not."  "Have you spoken to Virgil Lowman?"  "Not yet.  I doubt
anyone will be at the bank this early.  It's barely nine.  I thought
I'd pay him a visit after they open.  Why don't you come with me?  You
know Virgil, and that might help me.  You'll be able to sense if he's
holding back on me better than I could.  I figure he may be reluctant
to answer some of my questions out of respect for my father's
privacy--that is, unless he sees them as pertinent to the murder."

"I'll help you any way I can, but Virgil's pretty easy to read.  From
what I've seen, he speaks his mind."

"But he's also a businessman, which means he knows when to withhold
information.  If he didn't, he wouldn't be running that bank, or be in
a position of trust."

She conceded the point.

"I'll keep my eyes and ears open for you."

"In particular, I want you to let me know if you see or sense any
change in Virgil's attitude when I ask him questions about my father's
investments.  He was my father's financial advisor, so I intend to push
him pretty hard."

"Don't push too hard.  You need his cooperation.  If you make him
angry, he's likely to shut you out altogether.  Virgil must have
respected your father, but I'm not sure how much of that he'll extend
to you simply because you're his son."

He nodded.  Many, including Annie, didn't know the real reason why he
and his brother had left and never returned.  Few would ever understand
the sense of betrayal and abandonment they'd felt when they'd been
abruptly cast out of their own home.

"I'll tread carefully," he said, "but I have a right to any information
that pertains to my father and I intend to get it."  "Just remember,
your approach may determine your success--or failure."

He nodded.  A cool head.  He'd need it--on every level.

"In the meantime, will you help me search around the office?  I'm
looking for any papers that indicate expenditures or shifts in funds
that seem unusual or extreme.  And if you run across anything that
looks like my mother's diary, I'd appreciate you letting me know.  I've
searched for it, but I haven't had any luck."

An hour later, after a fruitless search of Paul's office,

they left for the bank.  It wasn't long after their arrival that they
were shown into Virgil Lowman's office at the pueblo's small bank.  The
leather seats were stiff, but they matched the stuffy atmosphere of the
office.  Jake sat and regarded Lowman with a level gaze.

"I've been expecting your visit," Lowman said, sitting across from
them.

"I know you'll want access to your father's accounts and his
safe-deposit box, but until the will is read or there's some kind of
court order, I can't help you.  Captain Mora already asked about the
deposit box, but he doesn't have a court order, and apparently he
doesn't have enough to get one."  "You think he would have been able
to, with the murder and all," Annie commented, surprised.  "Paul was
the victim, not the killer, and from what Mora said, he specifically
mentioned that the evidence he left hidden was at the ranch.  A search
warrant has to be specific, so Mora would have to specify what he's
looking for and explain why he believes it's in the safe-deposit box.
If he presses the matter, he'll be able to get a warrant eventually,
I'm sure, but that's not his plan.  I think he intends to wait until
the will is read and then be present when Jake opens the box.  Believe
it or not, it'll probably be faster that way."

He looked at Annie.

"Do you have a direct interest in this?"

Jake knew that Virgil was referring to her baby.  He watched Annie's
expression, but it revealed nothing of her thoughts.

"I'm here because Jake asked me to come, and because Paul was my friend
and the best way I can repay him is by helping his son."  She held his
gaze boldly, knowing she'd sent him a clear message.

"Does my presence make you uncomfortable?"

Her bluntness took Lowman by surprise.

"If Jake wants you here, then it's okay with me," he said.

"Then let's get back to business," Jake said.

"Are there any discrepancies in his accounts I should be aware of?"

"All his money can be accounted for, to the penny."

"Did he have many investments?"

"Some of your father's money went for the purchase of stocks and bonds.
It was a routine procedure he asked us to handle once a month on his
behalf.  The bank complied," Virgil said.  "To the best of your
knowledge was the ranch on solid financial ground?"

"Your father had one of the most successful businesses on this
pueblo.

It wasn't a huge operation, but it was as large as he wanted it to
be.

His horses were always in demand.  Buyers came from all over the
southwest.  He could have expanded the ranch's operation several times
over, but he chose to keep it at the level it was.  " Virgil paused.  "
Paul used to say that the reputation of the Black Raven Ranch rode with
every animal he sold.  Quality was everything to him.  That's why the
Black Raven name and brand carries so much weight in these parts.

That's the real inheritance he passed on to you and your brother.  "

Jake said nothing.  His father had always been protective of the
ranch.

He'd built the business from scratch, starting out with only two
horses.  The ranch had been everything to his father and that had been
part of the problem since it had left little room for anything else.

"If the ranch had a financial Achilles' heel, what would you say it
was?"  Jake pressed.

"I think Paul himself was the ranch's biggest asset and also its
greatest liability," Virgil said.

"He could have cut corners taking care of those horses and paid his
wranglers a little less so he could increase his profits.  But he never
did.  Money was never your father's priority.  I've heard he even gave
out unofficial loans on occasion and allowed people to pay him back
whenever they wanted.  To him, money was a by-product of the
operation.

It was the business itself that held his interest, not the money he
made.  "

"I can understand that," Jake admitted grudgingly.  He was the same
way, and that bothered him.  He'd always prided himself on being
nothing at all like his father.

"Do you know where we might find a copy of my father's will?"  Jake
asked after a brief silence.

"If you can't find it at the ranch, you'll have to ask his attorney,
Patrick Kelly.  That's an aspect of your father's life I knew nothing
about."

"I've been trying to track down Kelly for Jake," Annie said, "but I've
been told he's on vacation in Europe.  His office is having a tough
time finding him."

"Have patience.  Things take a little longer during the holiday
season.

He'll be in touch," Virgil assured them.

But patience was something Jake had precious little of these days.

He'd left his business in the hands of his head foreman and he missed
the daily challenges of running his own company.  Here on the pueblo he
was his father's son--nothing more, nothing less.  It wasn't enough for
him.  He'd worked too hard to build a life of his own.

"Is there anything else you can tell me?"  Jake asked.

"Not really.  Most of what I know about your father is based on our
business association and that, by its very nature, had its
limitations."

"I've noticed that he made substantial cash withdrawals every month.

Any idea what that money went to?  "

"None I'd care to speculate on.  I suggest you go through his
accounting books back home until you track them down, if he entered
them at all."

After thanking Virgil for his time, they headed back to the ranch.

"The key seems to lie with those accounting ledgers," Jake said.

"But it's going to take me forever to add up all those columns and try
to reconcile everything."

"Maybe Nick can help.  Will he be coming soon?"

"I have no idea.  I can't speak for Nick."  He paused.

"I can't speak to Nick.  He and I look alike, admittedly, but that's
where the similarities end.  We'll just have to wait until he shows
up."

"Was it always that way?  I mean, were you and Nick ever close?"

"We were always competing against each other in school, and had
different groups of friends, but I suppose we had some fun times.  The
last Christmas we had together was just before we graduated from high
school.  I remember going out on our horses to cut down a Christmas
tree.  Dad said we'd have to get it ourselves if we wanted one.  His
attitude annoyed us so much we got an enormous spruce, reaching all the
way to the ceiling in the sola.  He had to spring for an extra string
of lights, but at least he helped us decorate it.  That was a surprise.
He even put on the ornaments our mom had painted for us when we were
kids."  He paused, then lost in thought, added, "I wonder what ever
happened to those."

Annie smiled.

"Paul hung them on the tree himself the day before he died.  You might
want to take a closer look sometime."

He lapsed into a thoughtful silence until they were at the ranch.

"Do you mind if we make a stop by the stables first?  I need to talk to
Rick, Martin's nephew."

"No problem.  Is it about the case?"

"In a way.  He's worked for my father ever since he turned eighteen.

He's thirty now, and probably knows quite a bit about the ranch.  I
figure he'll probably have a different perspective than Martin would on
things, and that may be useful to us.  "

As they left the tmck, her movements were slightly clumsy, but instead
of being put off, Jake found them endearing.  Wondering if he'd ever
have a sane thought again, he entered the stables.

A tall, thin man around Jake's age, wearing jeans and a denim barn
coat, came out of an empty stall.

"Hey, Rick," Jake greeted.

Rick set the pitchfork against the wall and shook Jake's outstretched
hand.

"It's really good to see you back at the stable, Jake.  Did you want me
to saddle up one of the horses?"

He shook his head.

"I'll be going for a ride one of these mornings, but not today.  I came
here hoping to talk to you."

"Can we talk while I work?  I'm running behind and I need to bring down
some hay.  I could use a hand, too, if you're willing."  Rick gave
Jake's clothing a speculative glance.

"Never mind.  You're wearing your good clothes."

Jake pulled off his wool sweater and shirt, stripping down to a
long-sleeved undershirt.

"Let's get to that hay.  And while we're stacking bales, tell me how
business has been going here."

"Not much has changed since you left, in that respect.  It's just a
matter of keeping the horses in top shape and getting good prices for
them."

As Annie looked at Jake, a delicious warmth ribboned around her.  His
muscles pressed against the thin fabric of his undershirt as he worked
with purpose and power.  Raw masculinity defined everything about
him.

As the men began to move the bales of hay from the upper floor of the
barn, she watched the good-natured competition between them.  She could
see the determination that drove Jake.  He moved quickly and
efficiently as he kept up with Rick, tossing bales down onto the ground
floor.

When the men came down the ladder to restack the bales, she saw that
Rick was wearing leather gloves, but Jake had no such protection, using
only a big hook and his bare hands.  His hands were reddened from the
abrasion, but he didn't seem to notice.  He went up to one of the
horses who had waited impatiently for his feed and stroked his neck,
his touch gentle.

Annie stood quietly, scarcely breathing, remembering how those same
hands had felt on her naked skin.  Desire flowed through her.  She'd
never thought it could happen to her--this craziness, these longings
that ripped through her with such fierce intensity.  Yet she couldn't
deny the truth, Jake was stealing her heart a little at a time.

Hearing someone behind her, she turned her head.  Martin entered the
barn and, seeing Rick place a flake of hay in one of the feeders,
glared at his nephew.

"Where in the hell have you been?  It's way past these animals' feeding
time.  I cleaned out the stalls and filled the water troughs over an
hour ago."

As Jake came out of one of the other stalls, his slacks covered with
hay, Martin looked at him in surprise.  When he turned to look at Rick
once again, his gaze was stone cold.

"And you asked Jake to help you?"

"It's okay, Martin.  I wanted to," Jake said.

"It's been a while since I got a chance to work out here in the barn.
It felt good."

Martin didn't take his eyes off Rick.

"You and I will talk later."

As he left the barn.  Rick muttered a curse.

"Translated, that means there'll be hell to pay."

"Rick, would you like me to talk to him?"  Annie asked.

"We were the ones who interrupted you, not the other way around."

"Nan.  I can handle it," he said, then gave her a quick half smile.  '
"He and I have been arguing back and forth for years.  It's all part of
Uncle Martin's nature.  He used to fight with Paul, too, but you know
about that.  They each thought they knew what was best for the horses,
and they argued about it all the time."  He stopped speaking, then
looked at Jake quickly.

"But Uncle Martin never disregarded Paul's orders, believe me.  My
family's always been loyal to yours."

Jake nodded as he brushed off his pants, then picked up his sweater and
shirt.

"I better get going," Rick said.

"I've got to fix some fencing.  Be seeing you."

After Rick left, Annie watched Jake for a moment.  He stood by the barn
doors, back erect, muscles tight, like a man bracing for a fight.

"Is something wrong?"  she asked.

He nodded.

"I know from my father's accounting ledgers that he spent two thousand
dollars for hay less than a month ago.  But there's less than five
hundred dollars' worth in this barn."

She exhaled softly.

"And as much as you hate to even think it, you're wondering if Martin
has been pulling some kind of scam."  she said, finishing his
thought.

"Let me set your mind at ease on that score.

Martin would never have cheated your father.  If you have a question,
why don't you just ask him about it?  "

"That's not always the best way."  He held her gaze, then dropped it to
her swollen belly.

"Questions aren't always answered."

"It depends on how they're asked.  When a person is innocent, it can
really hurt to have someone close doubt them or ask for an explanation.
Go gently with him," she advised as they reached the truck and got
in.

He wondered what made her such a sensitive soul.  "An- me , will you
ever trust me enough to tell me about yourself?  Surely by now, you
know I'm your friend."

"We can be allies, Jake," she said, "but never friends.  The attraction
between us makes that impossible.  My life is too complicated right
now--my baby, my work, and finding Paul's killer.  I can't afford to
think about anything else because I need to stay focused on those
priorities."  Even as she spoke, her heart ached with yearnings she
couldn't deny.

"Then tell me how to forget," he said, his voice a husky murmur.

"I

don't want to remember what it felt like to hold you in my arms, or how
you tasted when I kissed you.  "

His words flowed over her like molten wax, burning a path to her
soul.

She tried to answer him, but no words could slip past the lump at her
throat.

He sat still, not bothering to switch on the ignition.

"I don't know what's happening between us, Annie, and I sure as hell
don't understand ii.  But what I do know is that my feelings for you
are more than just simple attraction.  I've known many women in my
life, but any thoughts of them never followed me every waking minute,
or made me think of tomorrow and all the days after that."

As their eyes met, a shiver ran up her spine.  She looked away
quickly.

"I don't know what's happening, either, Jake, but I know that I can't
give in to it.  I don't want any more heartbreak in my life.  I've had
enough to last a lifetime."

Before he could stop her, she left the truck and started walking down
the road to the bunkhouse.

Muttering a curse, Jake went after her, but she refused to let him even
walk with her.

Jake let her go, feeling helpless and hating every second of it.  She
ambled slowly, the baby's weight keeping her slightly off balance.  He
wanted to go to her, to take care of her and keep her safe, but it was
the last thing she wanted from him.

He watched her, making sure she was okay until she entered the
bunkhouse.  Finally he drove to the main house.  He understood her
pride and her need to stand on her own.  He admired her for it.  He
only wished she hadn't made it into an obstacle between them.  It
didn't have to be that way, though he couldn't seem to convince her of
that.

"Did you two have a fight?"  Martin asked as Jake walked through the
front door.

"I saw her walk off by herself."

"Not a fight--not really."

"Having a child is a huge responsibility.  For a single woman like her,
it's even more so."

"I want to help her, but she flatly refuses to allow it.  She thinks
it's charity."

"Is it?"

"No, it's not," Jake snapped.

"Then why do you want to help her?  Your motives would be important to
a woman like Annie."

Martin, as usual, had managed to cut right through to the heart of the
matter.

Jake said nothing, sorting his thoughts.

"I like her," he said at last.

"You probably like a lot of people, but you don't go out of your way
for each one of them.  What's so special about Annie?"

Jake muttered a curse under his breath.  "I know next to's nothing
about that woman, but I'm still crazy about her.  Maybe I'm just losing
it.  You think?"

Martin smiled slowly.

"They say recognizing that you have a problem is a good sign."  With a
chuckle, he turned and left Jake alone.

Jake paced, seething.

Hearing a knock at the door, he glanced up to see Rick standing
there.

"Boss, I need to talk to you."

"Come in."

"I was wondering if there's any extra work I could do for you.  There
are already enough men watching the bunkhouse, but I still need to earn
a little extra for Christmas."

Jake contemplated Rick's request, wondering if he could find a way to
help Annie without making her feel she owed him.

"There is something," Jake said slowly.

"But it has to remain completely confidential."

"Understood."

"I want to know more about Annie's background-where she went to school,
who her parents are--things like that.  Think you can find out for
me?"

"Sure.  I can ask a few people I trust.  What is it that you're
after?

It would help to know.  "

' T want to find a way to help her without putting her on the defensive
or hurting her pride.  To do that, I'm going to need to know a lot more
about her.  "

"I'll get started right away."

"Give it top priority.  Tell the other wranglers to cover for you with
the animals and the ranch.  If Martin asks you about it, tell him
you're doing a special job for me."

Chapter Eight

As the hours passed, one accounting problem continued to defy Jake's
best efforts to explain away.  He was a good businessman and he knew as
much about accounting as the people he hired to maintain his books.

But there seemed to be no way to reconcile his father's large cash
withdrawals.  For the past six months, he'd made withdrawals totaling
more than thirty thousand dollars.

His head pounding, Jake leaned back in his chair and picked up the
framed sketch that had been broken in the scuffle with his uncle
Thomas.  His mother had drawn the horse as a gift to her husband.  It
captured the personality of the fearless stallion his father had
prized.  His father had proudly shown the sketch to every visitor and
his mother had never failed to blush at his praise.  It was one of the
good memories he had of his life here, yet he'd almost forgotten it,
burying it under memories of the hard times that had come years
later.

Glancing at the box of unanswered correspondence, he decided to work on
his father's mail next.  Some of the letters had yet to be opened.

As he went through the stack, one envelope near the top caught his
attention.  It had been neatly typed, and had a

Santa Fe postmark, but there was no return address.  Curious, he tore
it open.

Inside, there was one sheet of paper--a photocopied page from what
appeared to be a diary.  The date at the top was twenty years old.  If
his memory could be trusted, it looked like his mother's handwriting.

Though the idea of invading his mother's privacy repulsed him, he
forced himself to read it.

I'm trapped in a prison of my own making.  I can't leave my boys, and I
know Paul will never allow me to take them with me.  He wants me here,
a caged bird too wounded to fly.  A horrible silence lies between us
every time we're together.  It's like an icy hand over my heart.  But
even this would be bearable if I thought there was some hope of us ever
being a real family again.  The truth is I still love Paul, and I know
he still loves me.

The rest of the page was blank except for a typewritten note.

Your payment was late, so the price for my silence has now gone up.

Double the original amount, and consider it a bargain--unless you're
willing to take the chance that your sons will forgive you for what you
put their mother through.

Jake stared at the blackmail note, feeling sick.  His father had been
wrong if he'd thought that the diary could turn his sons against him.

He'd done that himself years ago.  No revelation about his marriage,
which had required the consent of two adults, could have hurt them as
much as being turned out of their home by their own father.

His parents might have had a troubled marriage, but despite their
private battles, they'd always presented a united front to the outside
world.  His parents had instilled in him a code of honor that made him
the man he was today.  It was his duty to get the diary back from the
traitor who'd used it as a weapon and a source of profit.

Obviously someone else beside his uncle Thomas had been interested in
the diary, and he'd succeeded where Thomas had failed.  Still, he
couldn't help but wonder what was in that diary and why his uncle
Thomas was so determined to get it.  He had a feeling there was more to
it than he'd let on.

The wind rose outside, and dried leaves and sand rattled against the
glass.  The voices of the dead would never be still until blood avenged
blood.  Destiny had brought Jake back to Black Raven Ranch.  Whatever
the cost, there would be no turning back now.

hearing someone knock, Annie set down her cutting knife and wiped her
hands.  It was nearly noon and she'd been working intensely on her
newest piece for hours, lost in her craft.  Her concentration broken,
she sighed and went to answer the door.

Annie smiled at Elsie and invited her inside.

"We didn't have a scheduled appointment, did we?"  she asked, hoping
she hadn't forgotten.  With everything that had happened, it would have
scarcely been a surprise.

Elsie shook her head.

"No, we didn't.  I was in the area, and since you're within a few weeks
of your due date, I thought I'd stop by and do a routine check on
you."

After Elsie's exam and her assurance that everything was proceeding
well, Annie poured them each a cup of herbal tea.

"I'm glad you came by but what's going on?  You generally don't pass
through this neighborhood."

Elsie took a deep breath then let it out slowly.

"Annie, I know how you hate gossip, but there's something you really
should know.  I was over at Lucinda Crow's house when Martin's nephew,
Rick, stopped by.  I heard him talking to Lucinda's husband.  As you
know they're in their nineties and have lived on the pueblo all of
their lives.  If I wanted information, I'd go to them, and that was
exactly what Rick was doing.

But he was asking questions about you and your days at the foster home.
Although it wasn't on pueblo land, it was closer to here than Santa Fe.
"

Stunned, all Annie could do was stare.  "I remember the Crows.  They
used to visit all the kids and tell us stories about the Tewas.  But I
don't get this," she said.

"Why would anyone--least of all Rick--want to know about my life at the
home?"  The answer hit her before Elsie could reply.

"Jake," Annie said flatly.

"This has to be his doing."

Elsie nodded.

"I think so, too.  From what I've seen, he cares about you, Annie.  He
may want to know more about you and, face it, you really don't open up
to anyone."

"That doesn't give him the right to invade my privacy.  I think it's
time he and I had a little talk," she said flatly.

"Now you're furious."  Elsie sighed.

"Maybe I shouldn't have told you."

"I'm glad you did.  And don't worry, I'll keep your name out of this.

But it's time Jake Black Raven understood that he can't have anything
and everything he wants.  "

After Elsie left, Annie walked to the main house.  She was hoping the
brisk air and physical exercise would help to calm her down, but so
far, it hadn't helped.  By the time she reached the main house, she was
eager for a confrontation.

Annie knocked and simultaneously turned the knob to enter but this time
the front door was locked.  The discovery made her realize just how
many changes Paul's murder had brought about in the peaceful pueblo
community.

Martin answered the door and stepped aside, inviting her in.

"Start bringing your key," he advised.

"We have to keep the door locked for Jake's protection."

She nodded.

"Yes, I suppose extra security is a necessity for all of us now.
Where's Jake?"

"In the study, going over his father's papers."

"He and I are going to have a little chat.  Don't worry if you hear
loud voices."

Martin smiled.

"What's he done?"

"You don't want to know.  First let me yell at him, then I may be able
to discuss it rationally with someone else."  She strode into the study
without knocking, then closed the door behind her as Jake looked up in
surprise.

"What is it with you, Jake?  Do you think that I have no right to my
own privacy just because I live on your property?"  She saw in his eyes
that he knew precisely what she was talking about.  "You sent Rick on a
fishing expedition without any regard for my feelings or rights.  You
may be the owner of the building I live in, but you don't own me."

"Let me explain" -Jake stood, and began to cross the room.

"There's nothing to explain.  And don't bother to deny that Rick was
acting on your orders."

"I'm not, but it's not what you think.  All I wanted was" -- "To get
information I didn't want to give you myself."

"Well, yes, but there's more" -- "More?  What else have you done?  And
how dare you take this upon yourself?"

She wasn't going to give him a chance to get a word in edgewise, unless
he first got her attention.  Jake suddenly gathered her against him,
his fingers tangling in her hair and forcing her head back as he took
her mouth with his own.  His tongue filled her mouth, taking and giving
her pleasure until she melted against him.  When the fire inside him
grew too hot to contain, he reluctantly eased his hold.

Annie's lips throbbed and her heart was drumming frantically.  As she
looked up at him, the wildness in Jake's eyes made a shiver course up
her spine.  She wanted to demand an explanation for his actions, but
she couldn't speak.  The urge to step back into his arms was almost
overpowering.

"I see I finally have your attention," he said, his deep voice
vibrating with needs too powerful to hide.

"There are easier ways to get my attention.  Though, I admit, this was
effective," she managed to unsteadily concede.  Her lips were swollen
and, as she ran the tip of her tongue over them, she could still taste
him.  She fought the almost desperate impulse to renew their kiss and
let whatever happened, happen.

"You're a proud woman, Annie.  You don't want anyone's help, and I can
understand that.  But I care about you.  All I was trying to do was
find a way I could help you, if only from the sidelines."

"I've always paid my own way, with money or with hard work.  You don't
have the right..."

"When you care about someone, your heart overrules your head and
sometimes you end up doing things you know you shouldn't do.  I'm sorry
Annie."

His apology touched her deeply.  In all fairness, she'd asked questions
about him, too.

"We all do things we shouldn't sometimes," she admittedly slowly.

He gave her a curious look then smiled slowly.

"So you've asked questions about me, too?"  he asked, reading her
mind.

"A few," she answered cautiously, avoiding his gaze.

He laughed, obviously pleased with his discovery.  "I bet that was hard
to admit," he said, brushing his knuckles against her cheek in a
feather-light caress.

His touch sent an intoxicating heat spiraling through her.  Her breath
caught in her throat.  Aware of the danger, she forced herself to move
away from him and sat alone on the couch.

"There's only one way to handle this attraction between us," she said,
her voice unsteady.

"Except for the times when we're actively working to find your father's
killer, we have to stay away from each other.  We both know that a
relationship between us can't work.  I have my baby and my work to
think of.  To me, family and commitment are what give life meaning. But
for you, it's different.  You preferred to stay away from those things
when you were growing up."

"You might be right," he admitted.

"But I do care about you, Annie."

"Then help me do what needs to be done."

Annie saw the pain flash in his eyes and her chest tightened.  She was
right and, deep down, he knew it.  The last thing Jake wanted was an
instant family.  To him, all 'family" had ever meant was heartbreak.

Jake sat at his father's desk, then took out the photocopied letter
he'd opened and encased in a plastic bag.  He slid the note across the
desk to her.

"Someone was blackmailing my father," he said, then added, "I have to
turn it over to the police, so leave it inside the bag."

As she stood in front of the desk and read the excerpt from Saya's
diary, tears brimmed in her eyes.  Paul and Saya had been trapped by
pride and circumstances.  She couldn't even imagine their pain--two
people living together and loving each other from a distance, knowing
that what separated them would never be bridged.  The similarities
between the past and her present relationship with Jake struck her
hard.

"They suffered so much, Jake, but they were both victims."

"And then someone decided to use my mother's innermost thoughts to make
a profit."  His face hardened.

"I don't understand why my father ever paid this scum ball a dime."

"I can answer that," she said slowly.

"Your father wanted to seal the rift between himself and you and Nick.
That was at the heart of all his dreams for the future.  He really
hoped that you and Nick would return for good someday and run this
ranch.  He was afraid the diary had the potential of destroying what
mattered most to him."

"My father wasn't afraid of anything.  Had you really known him, you
would have understood that."

"Everyone has a weak spot.  For Paul, it was his rediscovered love for
you and your brother.  He was committed to finding a way of getting all
of you to reconcile."

"There's got to be more to it than that.  My father just wasn't the
type to pay blackmail money.  What he would have done was find a way to
get the diary back, no matter what it took."

"If you're right, then maybe he was just stalling by making a few
payments.  It's possible that the reason the blackmailer hadn't
received his money this last time was because your father was about to
turn things around.  If only we could find the evidence Paul told me
about."

"It could be anywhere.  It doesn't even necessarily have to be in the
house.  It could be somewhere on the property.  Let's face it, it could
take a lifetime to find it.  We don't even know what we're supposed to
be looking for."

She started to answer, but then gasped, her eyes closing.

"Are you okay?"  he asked quickly.

She nodded, took a deep breath and let it out again.

"It's nothing.  I get these contractions every once in a while. They're
nothing to worry about.  They're not the real thing."

"How do you know?"  he demanded, going to her side in a flash.

She smiled.

"Because they go away, and they're not really painful.

They're more like an uncomfortable tightening.  "

"Let me call Elsie," he said, helping her back to the sofa.

"No, don't.  I'm telling you, it's nothing.  I'm fine again now."

"You sure?"  The last thing he wanted to do was try to deliver a
baby.

She laughed.

"Stop looking so concerned.  It's perfectly natural.

They're called Braxton-Hicks contractions.  They happen.  "" Can I get
you anything?  Milk?  Juice?  "

"No, relax.  I'm fine."

"You're in absolutely no discomfort?"  he pressed.  "The only part of
me that aches are my feet.  They swell up like balloons these days."

He knelt in front of her, and carefully slipped off her shoes.

"What are you doing?"  she asked in alarm.

He didn't answer.  Instead he began to gently massage her feet.

The gesture took her completely by surprise.  She knew she shouldn't
have allowed him to continue, but his touch was so gentle and soothing
she didn't want him to stop.

"You don't have to do that... but it does feel wonderful," she said
with a contented sigh.

"I can do all kinds of wonderful things.  You just haven't given me a
chance," he answered, his eyes twinkling.

"Hmm.  I'll try to remember that."  She leaned back into the cushions,
only half aware of footsteps coming down the hall.

"It feels heavenly.

You have such an expert touch.  " She closed her eyes.

"More.  There.

Just like that.  Oh, that feels so good!  " Suddenly aware that the
footsteps had stopped, she sat up slowly and reluctantly, expecting to
hear a knock on the door.  But the footsteps began again, only this
time going away from them and fading down the hall.

"That's odd," she said, glancing at Jake.

Jake smiled.  "My guess is Martin heard you and decided not to bother
us."

Her eyes widened.

"Oh, no!  Do you realize what he must have thought?"

she asked, recalling her own words.

"Poor Martin!  He undoubtedly thinks we've both lost our minds."

Jake shook his head and grinned.

"I have a feeling he would approve."

He began to massage her feet once again.  With a sigh, she leaned back
and surrendered.

He felt her relax.

"Why don't you tell me about yourself?"  he asked softly.

"It's not fair, you know.  I'm sure my father told you a lot about our
family, and you know far more about me than I do about you."

She conceded the point.

"Your father loved to tell me stories about you and your brother, and
what you were like when you were growing up."

"So, how about it?  Will you even things out just to be fair?"  he
asked gently.

As he began to massage her other foot, she gave in.  Annie told him
about her days at the foster home, and her long relationship with
Bobby.  Last of all, she told him about Bobby's death.  Sorrow was
laced through her words.

"I lost a friend, the only one I'd had since childhood.  It really hit
me hard.  For a while I didn't even want to get up in the morning. Then
I met Paul.  He helped me focus back on my work.  He allowed me to live
in the bunkhouse in exchange for restoring it, and for the first time
in my adult life, I had no rent or utility bills to pay.  I chose to
help him around the house after the housekeeper left, and did clerical
work for Paul from time to time, too, but every other moment I spent on
my carvings.  It was more time that I'd ever hoped for.  I can't tell
you how much that meant to me."

"My father made a good deal.  You've done a great job of restoring the
bunkhouse."

"Paul could have hired anyone to do that, but he chose to help me out
in a way I could accept.  I'll never forget him for that."

"He found a way to help you without injuring your pride," he
acknowledged.

"Yes, I suppose, but it was more than that.  Paul helped me because he
believed in my work.  To a struggling artist, that kind of validation
means the world."  She sat up and slipped her shoes back on as a knock
sounded at the study door.

Martin came into the room at Jake's invitation.

"The Winter Chief sent word that he's coming over to talk to you
tonight about the funeral rites."

Jake nodded.

"I notified him when the authorities released my father's body.  Now
it's only a matter of waiting for Nick to arrive."

After Martin left, Annie stood.  "I better get back to the bunkhouse.

I've got work to do on my carving.  I still have a December
twenty-second deadline and that's just eight days away.  "

"Let me drive you back," Jake offered.

She shook her head.

"Fresh air will be good for me," Annie said, then left without another
word.

Jake knew she was pushing him away emotionally and strengthening the
barrier that stood between them.  And, as much as he hated to admit it,
she was right to do so.  He cared about Annie, but he wasn't prepared
to be a family man.  There was no guarantee that he wouldn't be as bad
a parent as his father had been to his brother and him--and he couldn't
do that to Annie and her child.

Alone again, he stood at the window and stared outside.  The sun peered
through the clouds, dappling erratic shadows on the ground.  As he
turned and walked back to the desk, he glanced around aimlessly.  The
silence in the house was oppressive and the room seemed unspeakably
empty.

He'd never minded being alone, had never felt lonely, but now whenever
Annie was gone, it seemed as if a piece of himself was absent.  What on
earth was happening to him?  What magic did Annie have that urged him
to turn his back on caution and rush headlong into what was surely a
disaster?

He remembered the words in his mother's diary.  Her greatest
unhappiness had come from loving.  Maybe the past was already repeating
itself, inevitably bringing together another two people who could only
cause each other pain.

He watched the winter storm that was brewing over the mountains,
knowing it would soon reach them.  All the signs pointed to it.

Then, as if in defiance of the angry skies, a bright, clear ray of
sunlight stole out from between the dark clouds and peered into the
study.  As it shimmered over the xayeh on the bookcase, it created a
rainbow that flashed on the wall in front of him.  The colors danced
over the whitewashed adobe walls before fading as the sun disappeared
from

He smiled slowly.  Some would have said that his ancestors had just
spoken.  By bursting through the storm clouds, the sun had reminded him
that the inevitable was made up of many sides, and often held its own
gentle surprises.

Chapter Nine

Annie went to the main house early the next day.  Martin had invited
her to have coffee with him, and it was such a rare invitation she
suspected it had something to do with last night.  Maybe he was worried
about Jake and her.

She was feeling a bit nervous as she knocked on the kitchen door.

Martin greeted her immediately and invited her inside.  The moment she
stepped in, the aroma of fresh hot coffee and muffins baking in the
oven made her mouth water.

"I hope you remembered that I'm eating for two," she teased.

"I made enough for an army, including Jakey and the wranglers."

"Will Jake be joining us?"  she asked, looking around.  "Eventually, if
only for coffee.  He took one of the horses out as soon as he was up.
That was over an hour ago, so I expect he'll be back before long."

She studied Martin's expression.

"What's troubling you?  This is more than curiosity about what you
heard last night, isn't it?"

He shrugged.

"You're both adults.  Whatever happened is between you two."

"Nothing happened," she answered.

"My feet were sore and he massaged them.  It felt wonderful," she said
with a sheepish smile.

"At least you two are getting to know each other.  To be honest, I'm
for anything that'll help Jake see this ranch as his home.  Any
personal relationships that keep him here will be good for everyone."

She realized how much was behind the matter-of-fact statement.

Martin's life was tied to this ranch.

"Then what's bothering you?"  she asked gently.

"Why did you want to talk to me this morning?"

"I've been wondering if Jake and Nick will close down the ranch,"
Martin said, placing a steaming cup of coffee and a blue ben-y muffin
in front of her.

"I've wondered about that myself."  It made her sad to think of Jake
leaving, but he had a right to follow his own dreams.

"Maybe after they've been here a while, they'll decide to stay and run
the operation themselves," Martin said, giving her a hopeful look.

"Based on what I've learned about Jake, I don't think so."

"Well, either way, the brothers will have to wait until the will--if
there is one--is read," Martin said.

"Jake, for example, can only sell what's his and there's no telling how
things will be divided.  In the meantime, maybe he'll begin to
appreciate the ranch.  Taking one of the horses out is a good first
step.  The way I figure it, the longer he stays, the better our chances
are of him changing his mind about leaving."

"What about Nick?  Do you think he'll want to keep the ranch?"

"I don't know.  Nick is very different from Jake.  This ranch would
never consume him, not like it could Jake, if he'd let it.  Nick is an
idealist who likes to fight for causes he believes in.  He started the
job training centers, I heard, because he discovered what it was like
having no real job skills after he was on his own after high school.
While working at two dead-end jobs, he put himself through business
school.  He knows what people need to get and keep a good job.  I have
a feeling that Nick will probably want to sell the ranch's assets to
provide funding for one of his programs.

The simple truth is that this ranch holds many bad memories for the
twins.  There are good memories for them here, too, but, as it often
is, the bad has overshadowed the good.  "

No matter how she looked at it, it all spelled the same thing.  She had
to start looking for a new place to live.  If the land reverted to the
tribe, she wouldn't be allowed to stay.  She was only on the pueblo
because of Paul's hospitality.

"I wonder what kind of time frame Jake has in mind.  Liquidating the
ranch shouldn't take too long, I think."

"I plan to stay until the first of the year, maybe three weeks at the
most," Jake's voice boomed from the hall.

"If my father's killer hasn't been found, I'll stay longer, of course.
I'm not leaving until that's resolved."

Annie jumped, and turned her head to see Jake standing in the
doorway.

"How long have you been there?"

"I just came in."

His coal-black hair was windblown and his eyes shone with a bright,
inner fire.  As she looked at him, her pulse began to pound and her
skin tingled with excitement.

Giving her a knowing smile, he poured himself a cup of coffee and took
a muffin from the tray.

"I have my own business to look after, so I'll have to start traveling
back and forth after the first."

Jake looked directly at Martin.

"I'd like you to be caretaker of this place until everything is
settled, since that could take months.  Then, after the ranch is
disposed of, I'm hoping you'll come work for me.  I can use someone
with your management skills, Martin.  You're familiar with
construction, so all you'd need is on-the-job experience."

Martin shook his head slowly.

"My family is here," he said slowly.

"It would be hard to leave."

"You'd bring them with you, of course."

He shook his head.

"My wife, yes, but the others..."  He let the sentence hang.

"Let me think about it."

Jake looked at Annie.

"And my offer to you still stands," he said.

"My company could use a reliable caretaker.  You'd live on-site in a
company trailer while construction was under way.  Then, when the job
was completed, we'd move you to the next site at company expense.

Think about it.  "

She wanted to say no, but the fact was she couldn't afford to refuse
any business offer that would give her a reliable source of income.

Her options were limited and, with a baby on the way, she couldn't
afford to take too many risks financially.

"You're being very generous.  But it would be hard making room for my
work in a trailer.

Give me some time to think about it, okay?  "

"Sure.  There's no rush.  Nick's not even here yet.  I tried to call
him again this morning, but there was no answer at his home.  I tried
the job training center he runs, too, but I kept being put on hold.
After that happened four times, I gave up."

Annie stood slowly.  The baby had been restless lately, and after
another sleepless night, she was even more tired than usual.  But there
was still work to do.

"I better go back.  I've got a lot of work to do."

As she headed out of the kitchen and down the hall, she heard Martin's
voice as he spoke to Jake.

"Do you realize what a difficult situation you're putting her in?  As
an artist, she's known locally, but out of state it's a different
story.  She'd have to work from the ground up to establish herself in
Colorado.  It would take time before she could get the same kind of
prices she gets here for her work."

"If I owned property here, I'd be glad to let her use it."

"You do.  This ranch."

"It's the tribe's land, you know that."

"Not while there's a Black Raven here," Martin answered.

Annie listened for Jake's reply, but none came.  She took a deep
breath, trying to ease the tension that gripped her as she realized
that was his answer.  Lost in thought, she stepped outside, and walked
to the gate.

Jake caught up to her a few seconds later.  "Do you have a few more
minutes?  There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

She followed him back inside to the study, and sat on one of the
straight-backed chairs, trying to ease the pressure on her back.

"What's up?"

"I want you to think back carefully and try to remember exactly what my
father told you about the evidence he hid.  Are you certain that he
gave you no indication of where he'd stashed it?"

"I'm positive.  There was so little time," she said, her voice a sad
whisper.  "I searched the study because it seemed the most likely room,
and I did find one hiding place," he said, telling her where he'd found
the address book.

"But he must have hidden the evidence he spoke about someplace else
because there was nothing else in there and all the address book listed
was the places Nick and I lived at over the years."

She considered it for a moment.  "Your father was a great fan of
mystery novels and may have used one to inspire him.  Is there any
chance that the hiding place you found has a false bottom or side?"

He looked at her in surprise.

"I don't know.  I never checked.  Let's look right now."

He reached for the top shelf, cleared off the books and uncovered his
father's secret place.  Jake tapped the back panel and it sounded
solid, but the left end of the recess had a hollow tone.

"We may have something behind this board."  He pushed on both sides of
the wood, hoping to find a catch, but nothing happened.

"Let me take a look," she said.

"You're not tall enough.  You'd need to stand on something."

"So help me steady this chair," she said, sliding one toward the
bookcase.

He helped her up, and although it was difficult for her, Annie managed
to balance herself enough to lean forward confidently.  Like him, she
tapped the inner walls of the small crevice, then pressed lightly on
the corners.  Nothing happened.

"See?  My guess is that they hollowed out more of the adobe wall than
they needed when they built this hiding spot.  The hollow area isn't
very big at all.  Now, come down."

"One more minute."  She closed her eyes and ran her fingers over the
smooth wood.  Her sense of touch was sensitive.  Sometimes while
carving it guided her more reliably than her eyes.

Suddenly she felt it.  There was a slight indentation in the center.

She opened her eyes but found it was barely visible, even when she was
looking directly at it.  Following her instincts, she pressed against
it.  The wood panel popped open and fell into her hands.

The crevice beyond was barely large enough to hold the cache it
contained.

"There's a folded sheet of paper and a ring in here."

He helped her down, then took the items from her hand.  He stared at
the silver ring in surprise.  It was crafted with an intricate raven
design in its center.

"Do you recognize it?"

He nodded.

"This was my father's.  I remember when my mother gave it to him on his
birthday many years back.  He never took it off.  But then, 'one day, I
noticed he didn't have it on.  He said he'd lost it."

He opened the letter and, as he began to silently read it, raw emotions
flashed across his face.  Once finished, he handed her the letter, not
trusting his voice.

Annie read it.

If you've found this, Jake, then it's because I'm no longer around.

You've known about this hiding place for many years, so I assume it's
you who's reading this note.  I saw you sneaking past my office that
night when you broke curfew and I know you saw me putting some things
up here.  You never returned for a closer look, which was what I
expected.  But I knew that someday your duty would force you back for
another look.  Fathers don't live forever.

The ring is yours.  As my eldest, it's part of your legacy and
something your mother would have wanted you to have.  No matter where
life leads you, remember that you're a Black Raven.  Wear the ring with
pride.

Annie watched as he slipped the ring onto his finger.  She noted the
surprise on his face as he found it fit perfectly.

"Some things are just meant to be, Jake," she said softly.

Hearing the whinny of horses and voices of men working outside, she
glanced back up at the shelf.

"Let's put the books back," she said.

"Out of respect, I think we should continue to protect his hiding
place."  As Jake gathered the books, Annie climbed back onto the chair
and started to close the door to the hidden niche.

When Jake turned around and saw her up on the chair, he muttered a
curse.

"You shouldn't be climbing up there on your own.  Come on.  Time to get
down."  He grasped her firmly by the sides, then lifted her gently off
the chair and placed her in front of him.

His strength surprised her, but the gentleness of his touch was her
undoing.  As she saw herself mirrored in his eyes, the power of his
gaze swept through her, making her blood sizzle.

She ran the tip of her tongue over her dry lips.

His mouth parted slightly.

Annie knew she should step back, away from him, but a force she
couldn't resist compelled her to stay where she was.

It was at that precise moment that the baby kicked-hard.  She gasped.

"Are you all right?"  he asked quickly.

She nodded and, taking his hand, placed it over her stomach.

"Can you feel the baby moving?  She's kicking up a storm."

Feeling the baby's movements against his palm, he smiled.

"She?  Looks to me you've got a future football player."

"I suppose it might be a boy.  I wouldn't let them tell me when they
did the ultrasound.  But, in my heart, I think it's a girl."

A sense of wonder and tenderness shone in Jake's eyes.  He began
stroking her stomach, and to her surprise, his touch seemed to calm the
baby, though it sure wasn't doing much to calm her.

Excitement pulsed through her as he slid his hand beneath her clothing.
Touching her bare skin, he continued caressing the swell of her belly.
His touch sparked fires all through her.  As her breathing quickened,
he captured her gaze, probing her mind and her feelings like a skilled
lover.

"I wish I could undress you now.  I'd love every inch of your body
until you needed me as badly as I do you."

His words weaved a spell around her.  Her breathing was ragged, and a
delicious weakness spread through her.

Jake pushed her sweater away from her shoulders, then opened her
blouse.

"You're so beautiful."  He unfastened her bra and pushed it out of his
way.

Her breasts, round and full, spilled into his work- hardened hands.  As
he teased her nipples with his thumb he saw her face become flushed and
her eyes darken with passion.  Her soft cry pierced him.  He lowered
his mouth to her breast, sucking it gently until she arched into him,
holding his head against her.

Jake heard her cry out his name as she clung to him.  She was all heat
and passion.  He left her breast and, as she moaned, he kissed her,
catching the soft, lost sound with his mouth.  His tongue played over
hers with gentle mastery, his taste filling her senses and shattering
the last of her selfcontrol.

Their kiss turned hard then--fire meeting fire.  He was fury and
lighting.  Thoughts slipped away, replaced by textures and sensations
too powerful to resist.  It was heaven and hellfire all at once.

Slowly they became aware of strong footsteps echoing down the hall,
coming toward the study.  Jake let go of her reluctantly and stepped
away to block the door with his body as she quickly pulled her clothing
back in place.

"It's all right, Annie, I'll take care of this, and"

There was no knock.  The door to the study was suddenly thrown open,
and Jake barely managed to step aside.

Muttering an angry oath, he turned to face their unwelcome intruder.

Annie, quickly adjusting her blouse, stared at the doorway in shock.

Standing there was Jake's mirror image.  She looked from one to the
other, amazed.  Their features were identical and, although they each
looked ready for a major confrontation, there was a marked difference
in their expressions.  Jake's eyes blazed with pure fire while Nick's
seemed as cold as ice.

"Hello, Jake.  Care to step outside for a minute?"  he asked, his voice
hard as he took off his sport coat and draped it over the back of a
chair.

Jake smiled, but his grin was nothing more than an answering
challenge.

"Whatever you say."  He glanced at Annie.

"This won't take long, Annie.  I'll be right back."

She saw them stride down the hall, matching each other step for step.

She'd sensed a peculiar tension between them.  It wasn't animosity, but
something less intense, though no less volatile.

Annie stepped to the window as they exited through the kitchen and
walked out to the backyard.  Fascinated, she studied the two men. 
She'd assumed that all Nick had wanted was some privacy, but there was
more going on.  She watched and listened carefully.

Nick's muscles pressed against his tight pullover sweater as they stood
eye-to-eye.  Jake's stance was more relaxed, but his shoulders were
rigid, betraying his tension.

"Okay, little brother.  We're here.  Now what?"

"I spoke to Captain Mora," he said bruskly.

"It seems you knew that Dad was in trouble, but you never told me.
Why?"

"There was no reason to believe he was in any danger.  Besides, it was
his place to tell you, not mine."  "Like hell."  With a lightning-fast
jab.  Nick slugged Jake in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

Chapter Ten

Jake sat on the frozen ground and wiggled his jaw to make sure
everything still worked.  "Did you have to do that?"

"Yeah," Nick replied, "You deserved it.  The second you found out that
there was trouble brewing here, you should have told me."

Jake rose slowly, then in a lightning-fast move, kicked out, hitting
Nick behind the knees, toppling him to the ground.

"I'm not going to pound your face into the ground this time, brother,
it's just too cold outside for a fight.  But if you ever do that again,
I'll make sure your jaw feels worse than mine."  He offered his brother
a hand up.

"Tell me about the woman," Nick said, getting to his feet.

"She yours?"

"No, brother.  And neither's the baby she's carrying.  She's a
widow."

He filled Nick in on what he'd learned.

"I stopped by the police station and was told that you're heavily
involved in the investigation.  To top things off, Captain Mora told me
he thinks you're withholding evidence."

"I am, but it's not what he thinks.  I found something recently, and I
wanted you to have a chance to see it before I let it out of my
hands."

They went back inside the house and, as they walked into the study,
Jake saw the long, thoughtful look Annie gave them.

Their different clothing made them easy to identify now that they were
side by side.  He was wearing jeans and a fleece shirt, while Nick wore
corduroy slacks and a pullover sweater.  As he looked at her, Jake
wondered if Annie would have been able to tell them apart otherwise.

It would have meant a lot to him if she could.

Annie looked at Jake and smiled.

"Are you two okay?"

Jake grinned.  "Yeah.  My brother and I were just saying *I love you'
in our own special way."

"My brother has a limited vocabulary," Nick said, extending his hand
and introducing himself.

"I know you two have a lot to talk about, so I'll get back to my work,"
she said, walking to the door.

"I'll be back later."

Jake felt that peculiar tug in his gut as she smiled gently at him.

She could destroy him with just one sweet look.

Aware that Nick was watching, he looked away from her and walked to the
desk.

"Let me bring you up to speed," he said as Annie shut the door behind
her.  He showed Nick the blackmail note, warning him not to take it out
of the plastic bag, and filled him in about the rest.

"Mora was right," Nick said after Jake finished.

"You're very involved.  After everything I've learned, I don't blame
you at all, but there's one thing I can't figure out.  I get the
feeling Annie's right beside you on this.  What I don't understand is
why?"

"She was like a daughter to Dad.  She's also a threat to the killer
because she was there when he was murdered.  Since it's her friendship
and loyalty to him that has put her in danger, I intend to do my best
to protect her."

"All right.  If she was under Dad's protection, she's now under ours,"
Nick said.

As Jake took back the blackmail note, Nick noticed the ring on his
finger.

"That's Dad's ring.  He lost it years ago.  Where did you find it?"

Jake told him.

"It was meant for me," he said, showing him the letter.

As Nick finished reading it, Jake added, "But it's yours if you want
it."

Nick shook his head.  "No, in your own way, you were closer to him than
I ever was.  He was right to leave it to you.  What I would like is our
mother's diary.  If Uncle Thomas wants it, and the blackmailer stole it
and used it against our father, all the more reason to get it back into
safe hands."

"I'll make sure we get it back," Jake vowed.

"But my first priority is to make sure Dad's killer is brought to
justice."

"No.  What we have to do is concentrate on the rest of the picture
while the police do their work.  You and I have to take a really close
look at the impact Dad's death will have on the pueblo.  We can't just
close down the ranch, sell what's left, and walk away."

"The problem is, we both have businesses to run.  We can't stick around
here indefinitely."

"True, but there's a matter of responsibility--to the pueblo and to the
families who have depended on the Black Ravens for years.  Whether we
choose to live here or not, we are still members of this tribe."

"I won't stay at this ranch one minute longer than necessary," Jake
said slowly.

"There are too many memories here for me, Nick--mostly bad ones."

"I know.  It's the same for me.  But there's more to it than just you
and me."

Jake started to answer when a knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," he said impatiently.

Annie stepped inside, followed by Martin.

"Captain Mora is here," Annie said.

"He stopped me on my way to the bunkhouse and asked me about the will.
I told him Patrick Kelly is our best hope of finding it."

"Shall I show him in here?"  Martin asked.

Jake nodded.

"I guess you two said hello earlier?"  he said, looking at Martin then
at Nick, and noting the lack of surprise on either of their faces.

"Yes."  Martin looked at Nick.

"As I said, it's very good to have you back, Nicky."

After Martin left, Jake turned to his brother.

"I'm going to give Mora the blackmail note unless you want more time to
look it over."

"No, I've seen all I need."

As Jake glanced at Annie, something hard in him seemed to melt away.

Her belly was huge and she looked so vulnerable just standing there,
waiting for Mora.  If the captain gave her a hard time, he'd have to
answer to him for it.

"Sit down, Annie," Jake said, offering her a chair.

"Let's see what else the police have to say."

Mora came in a moment later.  Jake handed him the blackmail note and
Mora studied it.

"Any idea who the blackmailer might be?"

"None," Jake said and Martin shook his head.

"All right.  I'll handle it from this point on," he said.

"I came to ask if you needed any help with the funeral arrangements.  I
understand the body's been released."

All eyes were on Jake and he didn't have to look around to verify it.

"The funeral will be small, mostly family.  Thank you for your offer,
but it's not necessary."

"The burial must take place tomorrow morning," Martin said.

"If your father's buried after the sun has reached its zenith, there'll
be many deaths."

Jake felt a tightening in his chest.  He'd spent almost all his adult
life proving himself as a man, not as an Indian male.  The rituals, and
the Tewa part of him that he'd tried so hard to leave behind, were now
taking over his life, making demands he wasn't sure he could meet.

"I'll attend the wake, of course, but I don't think I'm allowed to
accompany you during the rituals," Annie said sadly.

"I'm not Tewa."

Jake squared his shoulders.  He knew she wanted to go, and he had a
feeling his father would have wanted her there, too.

"We'll decide who comes to our family rituals.  And because of your
friendship with our father, you'll be considered family.  But the wake
is an all-night function, and the visit to the shrine requires a long
walk that's mostly uphill.  Do you think you could handle it?"

"Yes, I know I can."

"All right, then.  You'll come with me."  He challenged Martin and Nick
with a glance, but they simply nodded in approval.

After Martin led Captain Mora out.  Nick excused himself, needing to
unpack, and Annie and Jake remained alone in the study.

"If there's anything I can do for you, just let me know," Annie said.

"I know how much it hurts to have to say goodbye to a family member."

"I didn't think it would hurt--not at this stage.  I thought I'd
handled that already," Jake said, then realized what he'd just
admitted.  He looked at her quickly, but there was only understanding
in her expression.

"You can't run away from sorrow," she said gently.

"I know.  I've tried many times."

Annie was cutting through his pain, touching his heart and making a
place for herself there, though she didn't know it.

"Tell me how I can help you," she said again.

"Be there for me until my father's in the ground, and his spirit is
released," he answered.

"I will."

Her softness, her very nature, reminded him constantly that he was a
man and she was a woman and that they were much alone.  As she walked
away, he felt a familiar ache inside him.  His feelings for Annie were
deepening despite his efforts to fight them.

The knowledge unsettled him.  His parents' marriage had shown him that
feelings weren't enough in a relationship, and could destroy two
hearts, no matter how brave or strong.

He wouldn't let that happen to Annie or to him.  It was better to walk
away, though it tore out a piece of his heart, than risk hurting the
woman he'd come to love.

the SpANiSH-CATHOUC-derived velo rio or wake, was held for close
friends and family.  Others in the village came to pay their respects,
then left.  Meals were served throughout the night, but most of the
time was occupied by the singing of funeral dirges and prayers.

As the sun rose over the hills and the wake came to a close, funeral
dirges continued to echo in Jake's mind.  He was tired.  The worst of
it had been tending to his father's body.  Tradition had dictated they
dress the body.  He wasn't even sure how he'd managed to get through
it. During the grim task.  Nick and he had supported each other in a
way they hadn't since childhood.  In just the past eight hours, the
bond between them had strengthened more than he ever would have thought
possible.

Jake looked at Annie.  She'd remained by his side just as she'd
promised.  Her presence warmed him, taking away the chill that had
wrapped itself around his heart.  After the men left to prepare the
grave at the cemetery, he led all those who'd spent the entire night at
the wake, including Annie, down the frozen road.

Annie stood beside him at the grave site, his own source of comfort on
this emotionally draining morning.

After the body was buried, and they began walking away, she placed her
hand on his arm and spoke for the first time in hours.

"Patrick Kelly has returned.  His was the call I took earlier this
morning.  He said he'd be by later today, after the Tewa portion of the
ritual is over.

He has a copy of the will.  "

The news should have been a relief, but it wasn't.  Now, more than
ever, Jake felt torn between the need to find the killer and go, and
his desire to remain with Annie.

Martin approached.

"It's time for the releasing rite.  It would have been better for both
of you if you'd had a chance to rest first, but it can't be helped.
We've lost too much time because of the police investigation."

"Nick and I are ready," Jake said, glancing at his brother, who nodded.
He then looked at Annie.

"Are you sure you're up to this?"

"I'll be fine," she assured him.

"It means a lot to me to be included."

Her soft words were like a whispered song to his heart.  The simple
truth was that he needed her with him now.

"Then let's go."

"A room has been cleared in the house in preparation for the beginning
of the rite," Martin said.

When they arrived at the house, Jake led the way to the now-empty
dining room.  Several pots of food were laid out on the floor.  As the
senior male, Jake knew this part of the ceremony would fall to him.

Taking a portion of the food inside each basket with his left hand, he
placed it into a new cooking pot made especially for the ceremony.  He
smoked native tobacco, blowing smoke over the pot, then made a sweeping
motion over each person in the room.  It was a step toward releasing
his father's spirit, but sorrow weighed heavily on him as he worked.

Jake then took a piece of "dead" or spent charcoal from the fireplace
and placed it under his tongue.  The room was encased in silence as he
wrapped himself in a blanket and waited for all the others to cover
themselves, as well.

As he looked at Annie, he noticed there were tears in her eyes.  He
envied the closeness she'd shared with his father.  It hadn't been that
way between his father and him for many years, even though they'd been
flesh and blood.  With effort, he forced himself not to think of the
bad times, but rather to concentrate only on the good.  It was his
responsibility to make sure his father's spirit knew he was being
forgiven for all his past transgressions.  That act was at the heart of
the releasing rite and was what would allow his father's spirit to go
in peace.  Yet letting go was the most difficult task of all.

Jake took the pot and led the small procession up the hillside to the
shrine.  The climb was arduous, and the heavy hearts of those around
him touched him, adding to his own burden.  He looked at Annie,
worried, but Martin was with her and she seemed to be handling
everything well.

Weary from the climb and the sorrow, they finally reached the summit.

Jake presented the "feast" in the pot to his ancestors, who were said
to be waiting there.  Then three feet from the shrine, he dropped the
pot, breaking it, according to ritual.

The people lined up behind him as he drew four lines on the sand.  Then
spitting out a bit of the charcoal, and turning to the cardinal
directions, he invoked the soul of his father, asking him to release
his hold on the living.

He repeated the ritual several times on the way back.  Then, at the
house, the rite was performed again at the windows and the front
door.

It was there that he finally rid himself of the last of the charcoal in
his mouth.  The way back had now been muddied for his father's
spirit.

"You are free to go.  Help us by bringing us long life and
abundance."

As Jake intoned the words, the procession breathed a sigh of relief.

According to belief, his father would now dwell in peace in the land of
endless cicada singing.

As they each prepared to leave, Jake thanked them in the manner
dictated by custom.

Annie was the last to approach him.

"May you have life," he whispered to her, his voice softening
instinctively as he spoke to her.

"Let it be so," she answered as the others had.  Aware that they were
alone now, Nick and Martin were saying goodbye to people down the road,
Annie gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

The warmth of her touch wrapped itself around him.  No medicine could
have healed his wounded soul better than she had with that simple
gesture.  He captured her gaze, trying to convey with that one look
what he couldn't put into words.

Her expression softened and the smile she gave him was filled with
tenderness.  Without words, she'd told him everything he needed to
know. In her face, he saw the expression of love.

Chapter Eleven

Annie stood with Jake and watched the people walk away.  Martin had
just gone inside to fix them something warm to eat.  As the clouds
covered the sun and the temperature dropped, she turned to go inside,
but was stopped by an out-of-breath Martin.

"Wait.  Don't come any farther.  We've had a break-in," he said.

"Stay with her," Jake ordered Martin, walking past Annie quickly.  To
Nick, he said, "Let's make sure the intruder is really gone."  As he
went down the hall, Nick followed just a step behind.

Annie stood by the open door on the portal, remembering the man dressed
as Santa Claus who'd appeared out of the dark and knocked her down the
day of the murder.  Her skin prickled and her heart began to beat
faster.  But it was daylight now.  There were no terrors hidden in the
shadows.

"It's all clear," Jake said, returning to meet them.

"Come inside and get warm.  It's too cold to stay outside any
longer."

Martin called the police and they responded within ten minutes.  Mora
and his men searched for evidence and dusted for prints, but it was
clear from Mora's attitude that he didn't believe they'd turn up
anything useful.  The back door had obviously been kicked in.

Two hours later, after the officers had gone, they gathered in the
study.

Annie glanced at Martin.

"You were inside before any of us, Martin," she said.

"Did you manage to catch a glimpse of the intruder?"

"Mora asked me the same thing, and I'll tell you what I told him.  I
heard a noise in the back as I opened the door, but by the time I
reached the kitchen, the door was open and the intruder gone."

Looking at the chaos in the study, Annie felt her throat constrict.

File cabinets had been opened and files lay scattered everywhere.

Paintings had been taken off the walls and the contents of the desk
drawers were strewn about on chairs and the floor.

"Did Dad keep any cash here?"  Nick asked.

"Not that I know of," Jake answered.

"I don't think this is a simple robbery.  I noticed the gun cabinet in
the hall seemed untouched," Annie said.

"All the accounting ledgers are gone," Jake said, searching through and
around the file cabinet.

He looked up at the bookshelf.  Some of the books had been pushed
aside, and others lay on the floor, but the section in front of the
niche had not been disturbed.

Annie met his gaze, then nodded once in silence.  That was "score one
for them."

"Paul's bedroom has been ransacked, as well, but it doesn't look as bad
as this place," Martin said.

They went upstairs and, as they entered Paul's former room, Annie
spotted the indentations in the carpet that signaled that the
nightstand had been moved.

"Let's start here," she said, directing their attention to what she'd
noticed.

Nick and Jake moved the heavy, oak nightstand aside, but there was
nothing behind it.  Jake crouched by the wall and tapped the wood
lightly.  Near the edge of the wall there was a seam that looked like a
crack in the adobe.  Pressing on it with his fingers, he felt it give
and a small hinged door came open.  The carved-out space was empty.

"The police didn't find this spot or they'd have asked about it.

Something was kept here at one time, though not recently," Jake said.

"You can see a faint outline of heavy dust on the bottom of this hiding
place.  Whatever was stored there was small, but it was taken out of
here a while back.  See the lighter layer of dust deposited after it
was removed?  From the outline, I think it may have been a book."

Jake silently considered the possibility that it might have been the
diary.  Maybe the blackmailer had come back to the same crevice, hoping
to find something else of value there.

"Unfortunately," Jake continued, "we have no way of knowing if the
intruder found everything he wanted.  The accounting ledgers are
missing, and I'll probably find some other business papers gone, as
well, but there's no telling what he was really after."

"There's also something else to consider.  This person knew about the
releasing rite being held this morning," Martin added.

"The break-in was perfectly timed."  "Paul warned us that the killer is
someone masquerading as a friend," Annie said.

Although they worked together to restore order to the house, it was
hours before everything was back in its place.  By the time they
finally returned to the study, it was four in the afternoon.

Nick was silent, his expression troubled.  Jake was harder to read.  He
carried himself with fierce containment as he stood beside the window,
staring outside.

"The killer has been one step ahead since day one," Jake said, breaking
the silence.

"Now he has proprietary information about Dad's business and finances.
We've lost whatever answers or clues were in those ledgers and
accounting books.  We have to find a way to turn the tables on him
before he gets away with everything."

Nick shook his head.

"Tracking a killer is the police's job.  Let them do their work."

"Our father was killed, and his important papers, including, possibly,
the hidden evidence Dad left for us, are now gone.  Those facts alone
make it our business."

Nick was about to reply when someone came to the front door.  Martin
answered it, and returned with Patrick Kelly.  The middle-aged Anglo
attorney entered the room and shook hands with both Jake and Nick.

"I'm very sorry to hear about your father."

Jake gestured for him to take a seat.

"We've been looking everywhere for a will."

"I have a copy and brought it with me.  It's important I review it with
you all now because some of the clauses are time dependent."

"We're eager to hear what the will says," Jake said, motioning for
Kelly to use the desk.

"Everyone mentioned in the will is here now, so let's get started,"
Kelly said, as he waited for everyone to take a seat before he began
reading out loud.

Annie felt the tension in the room clearly.  It was almost as if the
air itself had grown heavier.  Martin was the first person mentioned in
the will.  He had been left a respectable sum.

Patrick Kelly suddenly stopped reading and looked up.

"The rest will be a lot more complicated and, to really understand it,
you need to know what was going through your father's mind at the
time."  He held Jake's gaze.  "More than anything else, your father
really believed that if he forced you to stay here for a length of
time, you would learn to love the ranch as he had, Jake."

Kelly then looked at Nick.  "Nick, your father knew that, unlike Jake,
you liked taking your time before making decisions.  But he just wasn't
confident that you could ever be persuaded to commit to the ranch for
its own sake.  That's why he felt the future of Black Raven Ranch
rested in Jake's hands.  Paul believed that Jake had a gift when it
came to working with the horses, and that his love for the animals was
the key ingredient needed to keep the ranch going."

Kelly looked at Jake.  "But he also knew that you would resist staying.
That's why he had me add the following clauses to this will."

He resumed reading the will, and no one moved.  "Nick, Annie and Jake
will have to live at the ranch house for one year before anyone,
including Martin, can claim their inheritance," Kelly said at last,
finishing.

Jake glared at Kelly.

"I'll contest this.  There's no way we can all stay and run this ranch
together.  I've got my own business to take care of and so does Nick.
And Annie has her own life.  Did Dad just forget all that?"  "No.  He
expected you all to find a way to do both.  Any of you can leave for up
to a week at a time, and still comply with the terms.  One more thing.
Paul insisted you all begin living at the ranch within a week after the
releasing rite.  Providing you agree to his terms, you will all inherit
one- third of the estate at the end of twelve months.

The land itself, of course, belongs to the pueblo, and reverts to them
if everything is liquidated.  "

Jake stood abruptly, fists clenched.

"My attorneys will have this thrown out of court.  I don't care about
the money, but my father can't be allowed to control our lives."

"I have to warn you that contesting this will carries immediate
penalties.  Should either you, Nick, or Annie choose to circumvent or
otherwise act against its intent, then three- quarters of the estate's
assets will be given to the pueblo.  Martin will get the remaining
portion.  If Martin contests it, then all of you must move out within a
week, and the pueblo gets everything."

Jake looked as if someone had just punched him hard in the stomach.  He
sat again.

"I'm sorry, but I can't go along with any of this," Annie said, rising
and walking toward the door.

"Think before you decide," Kelly said in his best, most persuasive
voice.  "This will buy you time to become better known regionally as an
artist, and could provide immediate financial security for you and your
baby."

Annie felt trapped.  If she turned it down, would she be sacrificing
the needs of her child to save her pride?  She needed a place to live
and really did want to stay here, where she had friends and the nurse
midwife she trusted.  If she left, she'd be all alone, and broke. 
Worst of all, there was also no guarantee the killer wouldn't come
after her, putting her and the baby in even greater danger.

Tears welled up in her eyes and she struggled not to blink, determined
to not let them see her cry as she returned to her seat.

"Look at it logically, from a business point of view," Kelly said to
all of them.

"What Paul has really done is guarantee everyone a place to live and
work for at least one year."

Annie glanced at Martin, and saw the emotions that warred inside him
play across his face.  He'd wanted the ranch to survive and so had
she.

Many depended on it, but being forced to do something against their
will was not the right way.

Kelly pulled a video tape from his briefcase.

"I was with your father when he taped this."  Kelly placed the tape in
Jake's hands.

"Let him explain in his own words why he's chosen to do this.  I
believe everything will make more sense to all of you then."

Annie, stunned, walked out of the room with Jake, Nick, and Martin.  As
they stepped into the living room, Jake led Annie to the massive
entertainment center.

"Don't worry, Annie," Jake said, loud enough for only her to hear.

"We'll figure something out."

Jake shoved the tape into the machine, anger punctuating his every
movement.

Annie heard the tape click into the machine, then as Paul's image
flickered on the television monitor, she sucked in a breath.  His easy
smile, his gentle eyes, looked back at her now.  Sorrow for the friend
she'd lost filled her heart.

"Hello, Jake.  Nick.  And Annie.  I know you're here with my boys and
Martin, and wondering why I've done this to all of you."

Paul leaned back in his chair.

"Let me explain, and maybe then you'll understand.  I know you two
boys--now men, may never forgive me for throwing you out of the house,
but it was the only way I could think of to end the misdirected
competition you had with each other and force you to focus solely on
your own futures."  If you two had remained at home, with me constantly
looking over your shoulders and forcing my opinions upon you, you
wouldn't have come into your own as you have.  Part of my legacy was
forcing you to find yourselves as men--not as twins, and getting each
of you to accomplish something on your own, if only to prove to
yourselves how wrong I'd been.  "

Paul stopped a second, cleared his throat and looked away from the
camera a moment, then continued.

"You never knew this, but I've been watching you, Jake, and you, Nick,
ever since you left the ranch.

There were times I thought I should step in and help one or the other
of you boys through a crisis, but I held back, and, sure enough, each
time you prevailed.  And, though you may hate me for my methods, you'll
have to admit that you are now strong, self-reliant, successful men who
owe nothing to anyone else for your accomplishments.  "

Paul took a drink from a glass of water, then resumed his statement.

"I'm as proud as any man could be of his sons, and I only regret that
we couldn't have been together again as a family for a while.  I wanted
that more than anything else in my life.  But that has ended now, and
it's time for the living to move on."

He paused, then continued.

"Annie, if you're listening to this tape, then it must be before your
baby's first birthday.  After that, I'd intended to change the terms of
the will depending on what I learned about Jake and Nick, and how your
own career was going.  I've done what I have partly for you, though you
may not believe that.  You see, I know that your pride keeps you from
asking anyone for help and I wanted to make sure you and the baby would
be looked after at this critical time in your life.  I'm the closest to
a father you've ever had, and I do love you.  I ask you now to trust
me."

Annie wiped the tears from her eyes.  She did trust him.  He'd been a
loyal friend and mentor.  And, admittedly, what he was asking her to do
was in her and the pueblo's best interests.  Whether it would benefit
Jake and Nick would depend largely on them.

Paul paused, measuring his words.

"Jake, you're my son, and I love you, but I see you making the same
mistakes I

made when I was your age.  You need to let others into your life, to
learn what it really means to care.  Unless you learn how to open your
heart, you'll end up as alone as I am, and that's the last thing I want
for you.  Annie's gentleness can teach you a lot and, if I'm right,
she'll touch your heart in the very way you need most.  "

Paul paused again, stared at his desk, then looked up at the camera,
"Annie, help my son stop running from the best life has to offer.  You
know about love.  It defines everything about you--your courage, your
passion.  Help him embrace life as you have.  I don't want Jake to end
up like me, and there's a lot of me in my son."

"There's nothing of you in me," Jake answered the video image, then
looked away in disgust.

As if he'd heard, Paul leaned back and smiled.

"I can hear him protesting, though in his heart he knows it's true." 
He shook his head slowly then, after a brief silence, continued.

"Nick, it's extremely important that you remain at the pueblo.  You
don't know it yet, but your greatest joy, and maybe your greatest
sorrow, is here, waiting for you.  Everything you believe about
yourself will be tested.  But I'm confident that you'll eventually
embrace your destiny the same way you do everything else--with your
whole heart.

"I know you won't end up as I have, Nicky.  Everything that will define
you as a man, the very things you love the most, are here, and all
you'll have to do is find the courage to reach out for them.  Your
future, and a small surprise" -Paul suddenly chuckled "--will make your
stay the most interesting time of your life."

Jake studied his brother's expression.  Nick stood rock- still,
guarding his thoughts fiercely.

"But it's you, Jake, I worry about," Paul continued.

"Trying to be your own man, you're likely to talk yourself out of the
things that matter most.  What I'm giving you now is not a punishment.
It's my final gift to you--a son I'll always love."

As the tape faded to black, Annie shook her head.

"I know this is all well-intentioned, but Paul overstepped his
bounds."

"Now do you see that I was right about my father?  He always
manipulated everyone around him.  He's even trying to do it from his
grave."

Martin stood.

"I'll abide by whatever you all decide.  This is a family matter and
that's the way it should remain."  He walked out before Jake could stop
him.

"As much as I hate to say it," Nick said, "Kelly is right.  We have to
think this out carefully before we do anything.  This ranch is the
heart of the pueblo."

"I can't cast all the hands out of their jobs," Jake said.  "Like it or
not, my father pulled the right strings this time.  I still intend to
come up with a way around it, but I'll need time."  "Which means we
have to comply with the will, at least for the time being.  It's the
only way to buy time," Nick said.

"I'm in."

"I vote we go along with it," Jake said, then looked at Annie.

"Me, too," Annie said, knowing she didn't really have a choice with the
baby almost due.  She also didn't want to deny the twins their
inheritance, or go against Paul's last wishes.

Nick stood.

"Then it's settled."  He walked back to the study where Kelly was
waiting.

"At least by staying, we'll get to finish what we started," Annie
said.

"The fact is, we still have to find Paul's killer and we can't do that
without each other, and the safety of being here among friends."

"I need your help, too," Jake said.

"You know the people in my father's life better than I do."

They stepped back into the study and joined Nick and Patrick Kelly.

Kelly was pleased with their decision to comply with Paul's wishes.

"Good.  Then life can go on as usual for all those depending on the
ranch," Kelly said, standing.

As Annie accompanied Kelly to the door, Nick glanced at Jake.  "Your
feelings for Annie are strong, but you both have a great deal of pride.
Don't let that keep you from reaching out to each other, Jake.

No regret is harder to bear than the one that comes from something left
undone.  "

Jake heard the raw emotion in his brother's voice.  Whatever was
bothering Nick was clearly painful to him.  He waited for Nick to say
more but he never did.  Not wanting to press his brother to talk about
it before he was ready, Jake backed off.  Instinct told him that when
Nick spoke of love lost, he spoke from firsthand experience.

"Dad's attempt to make us do what he wants could backfire," Jake
said.

"Dad never learned that if you force something to happen, it could end
up falling apart.  In an attempt to bring us all together, he may be
driving a wedge between us, and Annie and I may pay the greatest price.
I have to find a way around this will.  Nick, before any more damage is
done."

Chapter Twelve

It was sometime after ten but, as usual, Annie was too restless to
sleep.  She lay in bed listening to the wind rattle long-dead leaves
against the window pane.

Turning her back to the window, she tried to will herself to sleep, but
her blood suddenly froze as the moonlight cast the silhouette of a man
on the wall.  A man with a shotgun.

Annie moved off the bed, heading for cover and reaching for the phone
just as two loud gunshots echoed in the silence around her.  Glass
shattered and her pillow jerked twice, feathers exploding from the
fabric.  She heard the sound of screaming, then realized it was coming
from her.

Huddled with her back against the wall, Annie dialed Jake's number, but
by then, he and Nick were banging at her door.

one hour later, after the sheriff had come and gone, Annie and Jake sat
in chairs in the sala of the main house.  A crackling pinon fire in the
corner fireplace felt almost as comforting as having Jake there with
her.

"Tomorrow you'll move into the ranch house," Jake declared.

"I should have insisted after the poisoning attempt.  This just
confirms my father's killer has chosen you as his next target.
Something you know, or are certain to uncover, is a threat to him.
We've got to find out what that is before it's too late."

Annie stood and walked over to the Christmas tree that she and Paul had
decorated only a few days ago.  Now Paul was dead, and she was next.
"How could everything go so wrong so close to Christmas?  What happened
to 'peace on earth, good will to men'?"

"We won't have any peace until we catch my father's murderer."  Jake
moved to join her, and studied the ornaments.  He cupped a hand-painted
glass ball with the lifelike image of a black raven soaring over a
solitary pine.  "My mother made that for me when I was ten.  See my
name hidden among the tree branches?"  Jake pointed to the spot.

"Your father hung that one on the tree himself, and another he said was
Nick's."  She looked around.

"Here it is."  This ornament depicted a raven above a rocky mesa.  She
looked at Jake.  "I wish you could have heard how soft Paul's voice got
when he spoke about those days when you were all truly a family.  He
told me those had been the best years of his life."

She could see the emotions warring inside Jake as he struggled between
the love he'd once felt toward his father and the bitterness he'd
learned in his latter years.  Then Jake looked up at the angel on the
top.

"That's new, yet it looks very old.  Did you do that?"

Annie nodded.

"I made it a long time ago, but since I didn't have a Christmas tree, I
gave it to Paul to use because I knew he liked it."

"My father was lucky to have you as a friend."

"Sometimes friendships are so short," Annie whispered.

"I don't know how many more loved ones I can stand to lose."

Jake, standing behind her, pulled Annie tightly against him.

"You're not going to lose anyone, Annie.  I promise.

There's love for you here, too.  All you have to do is reach out.  "

She shivered as his breath caressed her cheek.  His strength tempted
her to surrender, but she needed to stand on her own.

"I'm afraid to reach out to anyone."  She slipped from his arms and
walked to the fireplace, suddenly cold.

"Life is just too uncertain, and my baby will need more than promises,"
"Christmas is a time for miracles, Annie.  You're carrying one inside
you now."  "I believe in miracles, Jake, but I believe in myself even
more."

Annie forced herself to meet his gaze.

"I can promise you one thing.

My child will grow up knowing about the Black Ravens and their rare
brand of courage, and what that meant to me at the time I needed them
most.  "

Jake watched her leave the room.

Feeling more alone than ever, he placed another log in the fire, and
sat in the chair.  Without Annie, he'd never really be warm again.

the following morning Jake had Rick and the other ranch hands install
lights with motion detectors against each exterior wall of the house,
for extra security.  The locks on the house were changed, as well.

Though Jake, Nick, and Martin were doing the heavy work, it took
several hours to move Annie's things from the bunkhouse to the main
house.

"Annie, I think you should reconsider the room you chose last night.

There's no doubt someone is out to kill you," Jake reminded her.

"It would be easier for all of us to watch each other's backs if we at
least stay in the same section of the house."

"Jake makes a good point, Annie," Nick added.  "With the new dead bolt
in the kitchen, and that massive front door, any intruder would make a
lot of noise getting inside this house," she answered.

"And if they try to approach a window, the motion detector lights will
come on.  I'll stay downstairs."

Knowing he'd get nowhere insisting, Jake conceded.  Annie had a will of
iron that was a match for his.  He was used to having his own way and
whenever she challenged him, every masculine instinct he possessed came
to the forefront.  But it was hard to fight someone who stood her
ground with such quiet dignity.  He had no defenses against someone
such as her--a gentle but indomitable spirit with a mind of her own.

Annie walked to the doorway of the two adjoining rooms she'd chosen,
then gestured inside.

"This larger one will be my bedroom," she said.

"The other, the nursery.  But I'll also need a room to work in,
something with much more light than either of these."

"I already have something in mind for that," Jake said.

"There's a room at the end of this hall that served as my mother's
greenhouse.

The south wall is all windows, but they can be shuttered at night.  "

Annie followed Jake, checked out the greenhouse, then nodded.

"I'd noticed this room from outside the house but I'd never been in it
until now.  It'll need to be cleaned out, but it's perfect."

It didn't take long for the men to set up the beds and position the
furniture in the bedroom and nursery.  Once the task was finished, they
left, giving her the privacy she'd asked for.  Annie spent the rest of
the day fixing up the nursery, and trying to make the rooms seem like
home.

annie woke up early the next morning.  She felt a momentary stab of
fear as her eyes opened and she took in the unfamiliar surroundings.

Then, remembering she was in her new room at the ranch house, she
forced herself to relax.

Dressing quickly, Annie went to the kitchen to fix herself something to
eat, enjoying the quiet of the early morning.

Jake came in a short time later.

"Good morning, Jake.  You're up early," she greeted.

He looked at her and smiled.  "How did you know it was me and not Nick?
Did Nick already come through here wearing different clothes?"

"No, but I can tell you apart."

Jake said nothing, but the smile he gave her left her body tingling.

Annie watched him as he prepared his breakfast, aware of everything
about him.  His shirt hung open, exposing his muscular chest and strong
build.  Sensing her scrutiny, he looked back at her, his eyes dark and
intense.  Small fires raced up her spine as awareness shimmered between
them.

She tore her gaze from his, trying to make the effort look effortless
and casual.

"What are you doing up so early?  Nobody else is up yet."

"I didn't sleep very well," he admitted, growing somber.

"I've been giving a lot of thought to the theft of my mother's diary. I
have no evidence, except for the pattern of dust, but I suspect it was
hidden at one time in the spot we recently discovered inside my
father's room.  That means the blackmailer must have had both access to
this house and plenty of time to search.  And he must have been nothing
short of fearless, or driven.  The doors to the house were usually kept
unlocked, but there was always someone around--ranch hands, Martin, or
even Dad himself."

"Okay, let's assume the blackmailer is someone who normally had access
to the house, or knew the layout well.  Who does that include...
Martin, me, and more recently, Nick and you.  But if any of us had
wanted to search for something, we would have done it more carefully.
We have unlimited access.  And, of course, none of us could have been
responsible for the break-in the day of the releasing rite since we
were all together at the time."  She remembered then that Martin had
come back before any of them to finish preparations.  Annie was about
to remind Jake of that, when he continued.

"There's also Virgil Lowman.  He was my mother's friend and my father's
trusted associate.  And don't forget my uncle, or the wranglers who
work here regularly.  Then there's Iris, my father's former housekeeper
and cook."

"You think she might have taken the diary when she was fired?"

"She could have, though we really have no clear motive to indicate why
she'd do that.  So the main question remains unanswered.  What kind of
evidence did my father have that made someone forego blackmail and
commit murder instead?"

"You're assuming the thief and the killer are one and the same."

"I am," he admitted.

"I've known most of the people on this pueblo all my life.  I have
difficulty believing that there are two crooks of this caliber so
closely linked to my father--one a vicious killer and the other a
patient thief.  Our tribe is made up of gentle, peaceful people."

He'd used the word "our" and that surprised her, but not as much as the
love and respect that had resonated through his words.  "You have some
fond memories of your life here.  They're not all bad ones.  Do you
realize that?"

Jake nodded.

"I've come to realize that lately.  I've tended to remember the things
that brought me pain more than the things that brought me happiness."

"That's natural but don't forget the good times.  If you do, you'll
only end up cheating yourself."  Annie washed her empty cereal bowl and
placed it in the drain rack.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to finish setting up my studio.  I've only
got four days to finish my carvings."

"The tables and chairs will have to be moved in there to give you more
space.  Let me help you with that."

As they entered the old greenhouse, bright and warm but full of
clutter, Nick came to join them.  "We'll need to take some of this
stuff out of here so you can have room to work.  From the looks of it,
I'd say it's been used as a storage room since Mom died."

Annie looked at the potting bench, then walked to the antique rolltop
desk that stood against the north wall.  "Why would anyone put a
beautiful piece of furniture like this in a storage room?"

"Dad probably moved it in here after Mother died just to get it out of
his way.  He has a desk of his own."  Jake looked at Annie.

"We'll move it out for you."

She sat on the wooden chair in front of it.

"No, I can use it for my business papers.  It's really beautiful.  I've
always loved these big oak desks."  She pushed up the tambour lid and
looked inside.

There was a sketchbook inside filled with drawings and studies of
landscapes, animals and local structures around the pueblo.  Each
sketch was dated, but not signed, though it was obviously Saya's
work.

Jake came to stand behind her.

"Based on those dates, Mom must have kept up her art even after Dad
destroyed the bunkhouse, if only with sketches.  The last date is just
a month before she died."  Jake's expression grew pensive.

"This desk must have been her hiding place.  I wonder if Dad ever
knew?"

"I think he probably found out after she died," Annie said.

"He must have been the one who cleared out this desk, since the only
thing still in here is the sketchbook."

Annie searched through the top section, but found nothing at all.  When
she got to the small compartments in the center, one was stuck.  She
worked the small drawer, moving it from side to side until it slid
open.  "A piece of paper was wedged in the back corner.  That's why it
wouldn't open.  The drawer's not damaged."

Out of curiosity, Annie unfolded the paper.

"It's a bank deposit slip dated twenty years ago.  It has your mother's
name on it."

Jake took it from her hand.

"It's not from a joint account," , he said after a brief pause.

"It looks like Mom had a few secrets of her own."

jake sat in the office with Annie and Nick, studying the three deposit
slips they'd found after searching through the entire desk.

"There's over four thousand dollars' worth of deposits here.  But I
don't recall seeing anything in my father's financial records that
indicated my mother had a personal account.  From what I know about my
father, too, it seems unlikely he would have allowed her to have
one."

"You should probably talk to Virgil Lowman," Annie said.

"He might be able to shed some light on this."

Jake nodded.

"I'll call him as soon as the bank opens, which should be in another
forty minutes."  "This account was probably closed or turned over to
Dad after Mom died," Nick said.

"But I can't figure out why Mom had her own account.

She didn't have an outside job, did she?  "

"Not that I know of," Jake answered.

"But maybe she sold other sketches, or found a way to paint in secret,
and then sold her work so Dad wouldn't find out."

Nick paced around the room.

"Give the deposit slips to Captain Mora and see if he can make anything
of it."

Jake shook his head.

"I don't want to turn anything over to Mora that isn't linked to the
murder.  It makes no sense to give details of our family's personal
business to a stranger."

"Good point," Nick conceded, "but before you follow up on those
deposits, there's something else that needs our immediate attention.  I
was talking to the ranch hands earlier, and I found out that their pay
checks are long overdue.  They hadn't said anything out of respect for
our father's death, but they depend on that money and we've got to take
care of them.  It's only a few days now until Christmas and they need
their checks.  We'll have to find their last month's check stubs to
figure out how much they should be paid, too, since the business
records have been stolen."

Jake looked at his brother in surprise.

"I know the men need to get paid, and we'll get to it right away, but
how can you stay so focused on 'business as usual' when the death of
our father is still unresolved?"

"I want to see justice done, but I also know that it won't change
anything."  Nick paused, then met his brother's gaze.

"I think that the real reason you're concentrating on finding the
killer is because, without Dad, there's nothing for you to focus your
anger on.  Some part of you wants to prove that you're better than him.
So instead of looking around and seeing what needs to be done right
now, you're trying to right a wrong and catch our father's killer--the
only person Dad couldn't control.  I hate to say this, Jake, but, like
Dad, you're stuck on your own agenda and can't see past it."

Before Jake could reply, Nick walked out.  His brother's words had hurt
him, but Jake was determined not to let Annie see how much.  Yet as
their gazes met, he realized she already knew.

"Nick is wrong about me," Jake said, his voice hard.

"I have to see to it that the man who took my father's life pays for
what he did, because it's my duty as his son.  Can you understand?"

"Yes, I can," she said, her voice gentle.

"But don't be angry with your brother.  Nick looks at things
differently, but neither one of you is wrong."  She paused, then added,
"If you two could find a way to work together, you'd be practically
invincible."  She stood.

"But I'm speaking out of turn.  That's something you two need to work
out.  And, on that note, I better get back to my studio."

Chapter Thirteen

She had just finished changing the angle of her small carving desk for
the third time when Jake walked into the studio.  As she looked up at
him, she saw frustration etched clearly on his features.

"No luck finding Lowman?"  she asked.

"No.  Have you noticed that whenever you really need to get hold of
someone on the phone, it's nearly impossible to do so?"

She chuckled.

"You're talking to an artist who sells chip carvings to make her
living.  I know that feeling well."

Jake leaned against the door jamb and regarded her thoughtfully.

"Your work is very close to your heart, isn't it?"

He sounded almost wistful.  She gave him a quizzical look.

"Just like your construction business is to you."

He shook his head.  "No, to me, my company is all part of what I do,
not who I am.  This" -he waved to the angel carving and the other one
she kept covered with a cloth "--seems to capture your soul."

"But, you know, sometimes I'm not at all sure that's a good thing," she
admitted.

"I'd probably be better off if it mattered less to me.

But I can't just walk away from it, not for very long.  It's all part
of who I am and who I want to be.  "

"Like your baby?"

"Yes.  I want to be a mom.  And I also want to be a successful
artist."

"It must be difficult meeting the demands of so many different
loves."

She nodded.

"True, but they all help me stay focused, and remind me what's really
important and what isn't."

He regarded her, lost in thought.

"Compared to yours, my life seems empty.  But it's not, you know."

"I think you are dedicated to your company.  You couldn't have made it
prosper without a lot of hard work."

"Yes, but hard work doesn't depend upon dedication and devotion.  I
don't give my heart away easily."

She felt herself drawn by the power of his gaze.  It wrapped itself
around her, squeezed the air from her lungs.  Memories of his touch
teased her imagination as he stepped toward her.

He stopped by the Christmas cactus she'd set out on the window ledge.

Bright red blooms with white centers covered the glossy green
foliage.

He caressed the leaves with a feather-light touch that made her skin
tingle as memories danced in her head.

"I've always enjoyed seeing these plants this time of year," he said,
"particularly the ones with the red flowers."

"They're very hardy.  Water them, give them sunlight, and they're
happy."  She picked up the pot and handed it to him.

"Here.  Consider it an early Christmas gift from me to you."

Jake took the pot, then shook his head.

"It's beautiful, but I can't accept it.  My life-style is all wrong for
house plants.  I'm never in one place long enough to really take care
of something that's alive."

As he set the cactus back on the ledge, sadness and loneliness filled
her.  That was exactly what was wrong between them.  Their very natures
pulled them apart even as their hearts drew them together.

He walked over to where she stood and cupped her face in the palms of
his hands.  His eyes burned right through to her soul.

"I know I should stay away from you, but I don't seem to be able to do
that."

When he pulled her into his arms, she didn't resist.  With a groan,
Jake took her mouth in a harsh, possessive kiss.

"If only you could accept the love I can give you," he whispered, his
breath hot on her cheek.  "Just you and me, loving--any way you wanted,
everywhere you wanted."

More than anything she wanted to accept what he was offering her, but
she knew she couldn't.  As the baby stirred inside her, she found the
strength to step back.

"What we share is passion, Jake, and that isn't enough.  Love has to be
right in order to survive."

He didn't fight her.  They both knew what needed to be done.

"Every time I look at you, Annie, every time I'm near you, my heart
tells me to do one thing, my mind another."

As he turned and left the studio, Annie sank into the chair.  Tears
spilled down her cheeks.  Everything in life had a price, and the cost
of loving Jake was pain and heartbreak.  The reality was
inescapable--with the baby on its way, she needed more than what was in
his nature to give.

annie worked furiously for the next few hours, then, needing a break,
decided to go for a walk.  Sometimes it was the only thing that helped
work out the kinks in her back.

As she strolled in the direction of the stalls, she saw Jake gallop out
of the corral on one of the stallions.  She'd only caught a glimpse of
the rider, but it had been enough.  Jake and the animal were as one,
their movements perfectly coordinated.

One of the ranch hands ran out of the barn, looked around, and spotted
Jake in the distance.  The man shrugged and walked over to Rick, who
was topping off one of the horse troughs.

"Nick just rode off on Equinox before I could give him the new feed
bill.  Remind me to catch him when he comes back from his ride."

"That wasn't Nick," Annie said, approaching.

"Are you sure?"  Rick asked.

"Positive," she said, surprised they couldn't tell the differences
between the twins.

"I can't tell one from the other," the ranch hand said with a helpless
shrug, "unless I recognize their clothes."

"Me neither," Rick admitted.

"I just play dumb until they say something that gives them away.  How
do you tell them apart?"

She considered the question, really wanting to help him out.  But there
was no answer she could give him that made sense.  All she knew was
that her heart raced whenever Jake came near her, but it wasn't so with
Nick.

"I don't know exactly, maybe it's in their expressions.

But, to me, they're as different as night and day.  "

As she returned to the house, she suddenly understood the truth behind
her words.  The reason she could tell the men apart was simple.  She'd
fallen head over heels in love with Jake, and her heart would never be
fooled.

With a soft groan, she went back to her studio.  At least there, she
was in a world she understood.

it was after dark when she finally stopped working.  The new carving
showed a lot of promise.  She had created the image of a woman reaching
for a star that was just out of her reach.

The yearning, the struggle for hope, was slowly coming out in the wood
as her heart guided her hand.

Exhausted, she moved the piece to the center of the table and covered
it with a cloth.  The natural light was gone, and it was time to
stop.

As she went to the window to peer into the night, she found it
impossible to see anything past the circle of floodlights that now
illuminated the main house.

Then, suddenly, she caught a bright flash, like a single headlight just
beyond the illuminated grounds.  Curious, she squinted, trying to make
it out despite the distortion created by the frosted glass.

The brightness died slightly, then seemed to expand in size.  Unable to
make it out clearly, she opened the window.  At that same moment she
caught a whiff of smoke.  It lay heavy in the air along with the loud
whinnies of frightened horses.

Only one thing could explain it--a fire in the barn.  She rushed out of
the studio and into the hall.

"Fire!  There's a fire outside!"  she yelled.

Jake had already seen it and was at the door, reaching for his coat
when she arrived.

"Annie, stay here," Jake commanded.

"You can't help, not in your condition.  Call the fire department."  He
reached for a pair of work gloves.

Annie picked up the phone, and left the information with the pueblo's
volunteer fire department.

She was about to tell Jake when Nick rushed in through the back door.

"Martin's already getting the horses out, but we need help.  Annie, can
you spray water from one of the garden hoses?  We've got to wet down
the hay before we lose the entire barn."

"Of course I can."  She grabbed her jacket off the hook.

"No, you can't," Jake protested.

"You could get hurt."  "I know enough to stay out of the way of a
scared animal.  I can help.  And you need an extra pair of hands."

Nick held the door open.

"Let's go, Jake."  He looked at Annie.

"Don't feel pressured into coming.  It's your call."

"I'm going."  She followed the men out, though she knew Jake didn't
like the idea.  The moment she got a clear look at the barn, she knew
that they'd need far more help than the four of them could muster.

The two brothers sprinted ahead, and she hurried as fast as she
could.

As she approached the stalls, Martin came out, leading a horse.  He'd
thrown his coat over the animal's head, covering its eyes.  Several
more were already loose, heading out to the pasture at a fast trot.

Annie grabbed the garden hose, which was kept coiled beside an
insulated water faucet, and turned on the tap.  She adjusted the spray
nozzle as she pulled the hose toward the barn.

With Jake, Nick and Martin working in tandem, it didn't take long
before all the animals were safe, but the flames were shooting high
into the darkened sky through a charred break in the roof.  She kept
the garden hose aimed at the base of the flames, but she wasn't able to
get as close to the fire as she wanted.  The smoke was too thick, and
twice she had to step back when she started to cough.

The men worked together, Martin manning another hose while the twins
used shovels and rakes to isolate burning bales, trying to minimize the
spread.  "As long as we can keep the fire from reaching the storage
area on the other side of the stalls, we'll be okay," Jake yelled.

"Keep the water going."

"There's a breeze building that will fan the flames and spread this
fire, no matter what we do," Nick yelled back.

"We're not going to be able to stop it."

"We have to.  We're on our own for now."  Just as he spoke, the sound
of honking horns revealed a dozen or more vehicles making their way
along the main road.  The first had already turned down the drive, and
more were following.

"Our neighbors have seen the flames," Martin said.

"Your father always helped them, giving away thousands of dollars of
hay each year to those who were strapped for cash.  They'll be here now
that the Black Ravens need help."

Annie and Jake exchanged glances.  They now knew what had happened to
the hay.  At least Jake could be at peace about that.

Men and women parked their cars a safe distance back, then ran toward
them with shovels and buckets.  They were quickly organized into teams
and whatever was salvageable was hauled away from the flames.  Two
lines formed a bucket brigade from the horse troughs, passing water
from hand to hand toward the fire.  Those at the end doused the flames,
and returned the buckets to be refilled.

By the time the fire department arrived, the fire had been contained.

With extra help, it wasn't long before the flames were reduced to a few
smoking embers.  She looked at the gutted section of the building, and
relinquished the hose to one of the pueblo men.

Exhausted, she moved over to a table where two women were providing
cups of drinking water from a large jug and tending to people who'd
inhaled smoke, It was then she saw Jake.  His cheeks were blackened
with soot and his gloves were tattered and partially burned.  He was
catching his breath now that the fire was finally beaten down.  Filling
up a paper cup, she handed him some water.

He took a deep swallow before speaking.

"Everything's okay now," he said.

"And the horses weren't hurt."

His voice was like a warm embrace in the bitter cold of the desert
night.

"I'm glad."  She gestured around her.

"It appears that the Black Raven Ranch has a lot of friends."

He nodded slowly.

"Maybe because it belongs to the tribe as much as it belongs to us. The
Black Raven family has given it direction, but people from the pueblo
are its lifeblood.  And for the first time in my life, I'm really glad
that's the way things are.  The sense of unity and brotherhood we saw
here tonight is what being Tewa is all about."

"It sounds to me as if you've come home for keeps," she said, her voice
a bare whisper among the loud voices of the men still working.

"It's strange how things work out.  I'm beginning to see that I've
spent a lifetime running away from something I love.  I" -- "Fire!  At
the house!"  someone shouted.

Muttering an oath, Jake turned around quickly.  Smoke was coming out of
the study window.

"I should have known!  The fire here was a diversion.

The main house was the real target.  " He tossed aside the paper cup
and ran toward the house with Martin and Nick at his heels.

Two firemen grabbed fire extinguishers and followed them while others
got ready to move the pumper.

Annie stumbled toward the house, tears running down her face.  If she
lost her carvings, then she would be completely broke after the baby
arrived.  She'd been counting heavily on the money the sale would
bring.

This time, though everything was at stake for her, she was not allowed
to help.  The fire department took charge.

Fortunately the flames were easily extinguished, and it was less than
ten minutes before the all-clear was given.

As a big fan was placed in the main entrance to extract smoke from the
building, Jake came to join her.

"It's okay, Annie.  The fire was confined to the sala and my dad's
study.  Someone set the Christmas tree on fire, along with the curtains
in the study, but the firemen were able to put it out before it spread
beyond those two rooms.  Some of the furniture is ruined and a lot of
the books and papers in the study are a total loss."

"This was the arsonist's way of trying to make sure the evidence was
never found," Annie observed thoughtfully.

"I'm sure of it."

"Which means he didn't find what he was after, either," Jake
answered.

"But if the evidence was hidden in the study, then he may have
succeeded in getting rid of it for good."  He paused, catching his
breath, then continued.

"He was smart.  The logical place to start the fire was in the sala
with the Christmas tree.  There was a chance the fire might have been
blamed on the tree or the lights.  What gave him away was that we were
able to catch the fire in time to see that there was a separate fire in
the study.  The fireman who does arson investigations hasn't made an
official determination yet, but there's little doubt the fires were
set."

"None of us is safe now," she said softly.

"Annie, have you considered putting as much distance between yourself
and this ranch as possible?  My father never dreamed we'd be facing
this when he made out his will, and we might be able to contest it on
that basis."

She shook her head.

"I have nowhere to go and, here, at least I have friends and my
midwife.  There's something else I have to consider.

What kind of parent would I be if I ran away when trouble came, instead
of standing up for what I knew was right?  I can't turn my back on the
principles that are at the foundation of everything I believe in, and
expect to impart them to my child someday.  I know what's right, Jake,
and it isn't running away.  "

"You've got a lot of courage, Annie.  You'll be a wonderful mother.

Thank you for what you did here tonight.  "

"This was Paul's ranch," she said quietly.

"It's now yours and Nick's and, at least for now, it's my home, too.  I
care about this place and I fight for whatever owns a piece of my
heart."

"I envy the man you'll say that about someday, sweetheart."

His voice was a dark, husky murmur that made her skin tingle and filled
her with yearnings too powerful to deny.  Passion shimmered in his
eyes, calling voicelessly to her, tempting her to surrender.

Annie wanted him to narrow the gap between them and kiss her, throwing
caution to the winds.  As their eyes met, Jake heard her silent wish
and answered.

"Annie," he whispered, moving toward her.

Suddenly someone called out his name.  He cursed softly.

"I better go."

Stepping away from her reluctantly, he turned and jogged toward Martin
and Nick.  The men met at the front door then, accompanied by a
fireman, went inside.

As the cold wind whipped against her, Annie looked around, studying the
concerned faces of those present, wondering if the killer was among
them--because it was obvious Paul's murderer was someone he had known.
One of them was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Chapter Fourteen

At the kitchen table the following morning, an uneasy silence reigned
over them as they stared at the plate in the center of the table.

There lay the few ornaments they'd managed to salvage.  They'd fallen
to the floor, the strings that once tied them to the tree having burned
through first.

The firemen and Captain Mora had agreed from the evidence and the case
history that both fires had been a result of arson.  The police had
checked for vehicle tracks, hoping to identify the culprit, but so many
people had shown up to help it had been a futile exercise.

"I'm positive that money is at the root of everything that's happened
to Dad, to us, and to this ranch," Jake said.

"I'm just not sure how it all connects."

"I keep thinking of those cash withdrawals you mentioned," Annie
said.

"From what you've said, they were substantial amounts, and we still
don't know what the money was being used for."

"You have to remember that hay and feed purchases were often handled in
cash," Martin said.

"It was the same with services like plowing up a field, or clearing the
ditches.  Most people around here are old-fashioned and wary of checks.
But it's hard to keep track of money that's used in so many ways. Your
father hated those accounting ledgers he was forced to use for tax
purposes.  Saya had kept the ranch accounts for Paul until she died and
he hated having to take them over."

"Dad still trusted her with the ranch, even after their troubles," Jake
said thoughtfully, then lapsed into a brief silence.  The importance of
what he'd just learned stunned him.  Despite their differences, Paul
Black Raven had trusted his wife with what was most important to
him--his sons and his ranch.  "If Mom was used to keeping accounts,
maybe that's why she opened her own.  It gave her the freedom to manage
her money any way she chose.  What do you think?"

Martin gave him a neutral look.

"That's not for me to say."

"Does it surprise you that she had her own account?"

Martin paused, then shook his head.

"Saya never wanted to be completely dependent on anyone."  "Including
my father?"  Jake pressed.

Martin nodded once, then stood.

"If you don't need me anymore, I'll be going outside.  The barn needs a
lot of work."  He went quickly out the back door.

Nick stared at his brother.

"Why did you bring that up?  You know Martin doesn't want to get
involved in the family's personal business.

He has a place within our family, but he's not part of our family.

More to the point, that's exactly the way he wants to keep it.  "

"I thought that was the best way to find out what he knew," Jake
said.

"I'll tell you what I know.  Dad was being blackmailed precisely
because he didn't want us to know too much about Mom.  I believe, even
now, Martin would continue to respect Dad's wishes on that subject and
tell us as little as possible."

"Point taken," Jake said, conceding.

"I just wish we had that diary back."

Nick stood.

"I'm going to do some work at the pueblo job center for an hour or so,
because I volunteered to help out.  But as soon as the lumber and nails
are delivered, I'll come back here and lend the men a hand with the
repairs on the barn."

As he walked out, Jake checked his watch.

"I'm going to see Lowman this morning.  I want to find out more about
my mother's account."  As he looked at Annie, he wondered if she knew
how much he cared about her and how much he wanted to take her into his
arms.  He looked away, knowing he needed to stay focused.

"I'd like you to come with me."

"I can't.  I'm behind schedule on my work as it is."

"It could be dangerous for you to stay here alone, particularly after
what's happened," he said.

"All our hands will be outside this morning working on repairing the
barn and stalls.  That's our first priority, not the house.  This place
is still airtight and structurally sound, but the animals need a secure
place ready for them when the weather turns foul."

"I'll stay on my guard, don't worry.  The locks are still good,
remember?  There's also the gun cabinet down the hall," she said.

He gave her a skeptical look.

"Would you be able to use a rifle or shotgun?"

' If I had to, yes.  Your father taught me how to shoot.  But I don't
think it would come to that.  If I hear an intruder, I'll call the men.
"" With wood saws, and the electric nail guns, you might not be
heard.

This guy, whoever he is, is getting bolder.  Torching our house seems
like an act of desperation to me, don't you agree?  Besides, Annie, I
can really use your help.  We don't know who the murderer is.  We need
to look at everyone and everything carefully.  You can pick up
subtleties and changes in mood faster than I ever would, and something
like that could end up leading us to a vital clue.  "

"All right," she said at last.

"But I've got to tell you, I'm getting worried about missing my
deadline for these pieces.  It's only three days away."

"Will the gallery be upset?"

"It's not that.  It's just that with Christmas almost here, I can get
better prices.  After the holidays, people are usually hit by a ton of
bills and the money for luxuries is tighter."

"We'll get our business done and get back here as soon as possible," he
promised, going to get their jackets.

Five minutes later they were on the narrow two-lane highway.

"There's one thing we have in our favor," Annie said thoughtfully.

"The person who set fire to the house has no way of knowing if he
succeeded in burning the evidence or not."

"You're right.  He knows less than we do--for once."

Annie sat up, focusing on the area around them.  "Where are we going?

This isn't the way to the bank.  "

"When I called earlier, I was told Virgil wouldn't be in until just
before noon, but that he was planning to have a late breakfast at the
Silver Slipper Casino.  I figured meeting him there was perfect, since
I'd rather catch him away from the bank where he'll be more relaxed."

"Where's the casino?"

"On another pueblo about a half hour from here.  We should arrive just
about the time he comes in."

As the miles stretched before them, Jake was acutely aware of
everything about Annie.  Her perfume was elusive and gently scented,
like her.  He felt a stirring in his blood.  Though she was completely
out of his reach, he couldn't stop wanting her, and not just in a
physical sense.  Annie was a remarkable woman.  She had more courage
than many men he'd met and when she spoke of debts of honor, she truly
meant them, she wasn't just saying the words.

Although they arrived at the casino early in the day, the parking lot
was almost full.  Inside, a noisy crowd hovered at the tables and slot
machines.

They soon found Lowman at one of the blackjack tables, a soft drink at
his side.  Seeing them, he played out his losing hand and greeted them
with handshakes.

"What brings you two here?  I thought you'd be working on the barn or
home repairs.  Do you need a loan?"

"No, actually we wanted to talk to you about another matter and decided
it would be better to catch you away from the bank so we wouldn't be
disturbed," Jake said, deliberately keeping his tone casual.  The last
thing he wanted to do was to alarm Lowman in any way.

His gut told him that the banker knew more than he'd shared with them
so far.

"Come on," Lowman said.

"Let me buy you two an early lunch--or late breakfast."

"I understand you're a regular here," Jake proclaimed after they were
seated in the restaurant area.  He didn't really know if it were true,
but he couldn't think of any place where a bluff was more
appropriate.

Lowman laughed.  "It all started when our pueblo asked me to look into
the feasibility of opening our own casino.  Now, it's just a good place
to get lunch."  He grew serious.

"So tell me.  What can I do for you?"

"I'm trying to put some pieces of my past together," Jake said, "and it
hasn't been easy.  Did you know my mother well?"

Lowman's expression softened and his eyes misted.

"She was a great lady.  She charmed everyone who knew her."

It was the sudden gentling of Lowman's gruff voice that alerted him.  '
"Were you two friends?"

Virgil took a deep breath, then let it out.

"We went to school together for years, and I'd like to think she
considered me a friend," he said, his voice sad.

"But your father was very jealous and protective of Saya.  There was
never time for us to just sit and talk, though we both would have liked
that."

"Who was her best friend?"  Jake asked.

"I think she was close to the mother of one of your high school
classmates, but the woman died tragically with her husband years ago.

Saya confided in me from time to time, and sometimes in Martin, but she
was always careful around him.  His allegiance was to Paul.  "

"And yours?"  Jake asked as their sandwiches were brought to the
table.

"I was a friend to both your parents," he said with a shrug.

"But I never would have betrayed Saya's confidences."  "Just recently
we found a deposit slip that indicates my mother had a bank account in
her name.  I was hoping you could shed some light on that.  It seems
out of character somehow."

Lowman's eyes focused on an indeterminate spot across the room.

"I

remember that.  She called it her nest egg.  I don't think your father
even knew about it until after her death.  "

"So the account was turned over to him or Patrick Kelly as part of the
estate?"

"That's usually how it works, but I don't recall.  It was so many years
ago.  I'd have to check our records at the bank, and that might take a
while."

"I'd appreciate it if you would," Jake persisted.

"I'll take care of it."  Lowman checked his watch.

"I

have to get to the bank now, but take your time eating and get dessert
if you want.  I'll have the bill put on my tab.  And if there's
anything else I can do, don't hesitate to contact me.  I thought the
world of your mother, and of your father, too.  "

Afterward, as they walked to the car, Annie looked at Jake.

"I don't know if you picked up on this or not, but I believe Lowman was
in love with your mother at one time."

"I think that's overstating it a bit."

"No, I don't think so."  She considered her words carefully.

"Did you notice the way he spoke about her?  Even his tone of voice
changed.  It was wistful.  But I don't think your mom ever acknowledged
his feelings.  For some reason I was reminded of the kind of crush
teenage boys have on the cheerleaders at their schools."

"It's possible.  My mother was a beautiful woman.  I've heard my uncle
say that she could have had any man in the village, but she fell in
love with my father and, after that, no one else would do."

"I wonder if Martin felt the same way about her, too," she mused.

The question surprised him.  It was hard to think of Martin as being
attracted to his mother in any way.

"I don't think that's possible.  He was totally loyal to my father "
I'm not saying that there was anything inappropriate going on.  I'm
only suggesting that Martin may have had feelings for her, as well.

Things like that tend to complicate even the simplest matters.  "

"Are you now thinking that Martin might have had something to do with
the murder?"

She shook her head.

"I'd be shocked if he did.  Martin isn't a violent man.  A more
realistic possibility is that he's holding back information, trying to
protect people who have passed away and are beyond the need of
protection."

Jake nodded.

"That could be.  I'll look into that some more as I follow the trail of
the missing bank account.  If anyone, Martin included, is holding back
information that might root out my father's killer, I'll find out
sooner or later."

"Let's just hope we get what we need before the killer does," Annie
whispered.

Chapter Fifteen

After they arrived at the ranch, Annie went straight to her studio.  As
she looked at her carvings, hope filled her.  These would bring her a
good price.  She was certain of it.

As Annie worked, her concentration was complete.  No other thoughts
were allowed to intrude as she listened to her instincts and the wood
chip carving began its final step toward completion.

Hearing a knock at the door sometime later, she jumped and spun around.
Jake stood there, holding a fire-damaged glass Christmas ornament.

"I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to startle you.  I just thought maybe you
could do something with this," he said.

She looked at what had once been the beautiful ornament his mother had
painted for him.

"It's pretty badly damaged.  I'm not sure it can be restored."

As he looked directly at her, she saw the sadness in his eyes.

"This has been in our family for at least twenty years," he said.

"I just thought that maybe..."

Annie could have no more turned him down than she could have stopped
her heart from beating.  She knew how small things could give comfort,
becoming the center of memories too cherished to relinquish.

"I won't promise anything, but I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks," he whispered, his eyes never leaving hers.

His gaze caressed her as intimately as a lover's touch and, for a
moment, magic shimmered between them.

"My father was right about you, Annie," he said softly.

"Your gentleness encompasses everything you touch."  He reached for her
hand.

"I really do need you in my life."

She gave his hand a squeeze, then let go.  Even friendship couldn't be
trusted when her body sang with needs only he could assuage.

He walked over and studied her angel carving.

"This is really an incredible piece of work.  There's something very
lifelike about the emotions on their faces."

"If people who look at the piece can identify with the feelings I
carved into the figures, then I've done the job I set out to do.  It's
hard to make people really feel anything these days, you know?  We grow
up learning how to shield ourselves from emotions."

"I didn't realize how much I do that until you came into my life."

Longing filled her as she looked at him.  With a burst of will, she
moved away.  It was too hard to even think with him in the same room.

"Will you excuse me?  It's almost dark and I still have to go for my
daily walk."

"Let me walk with you.  I need some fresh air and I'd much rather not
have you walk around alone anymore."

Knowing from the set look on his face that he wouldn't take no for an
answer, and not having the strength to argue, she agreed.

They headed in the direction of the hams, walking slowly.  As they
reached the pile of charred lumber that had been stacked on the north
side of the corral, Jake stopped and stared at the debris from the
fire.  "None of the animals was hurt, so I should be grateful.  But
when I look at the damage and the waste, I feel as if I've been punched
in the gut."

Annie wondered if Jake realized that his love for the ranch was coming
through in every word he uttered.  "This is your home.  It's natural to
resent an attack like this."

"Let's take a closer look inside the barn.  I promised Martin I'd check
the progress here this evening."  Jake switched on some extension
lights and the large kerosene heater the men had used earlier.

She walked with him through the barn until they reached the newly
rebuilt stalls.

"At least this part is finished and you'll be able to stable the horses
whenever you want," she said.

Jake climbed up the ladder to the hayloft.  Only the remnants of a few
bales remained, too scattered to be used easily for feed.  It would
probably have to be raked up and used for bedding instead.

"Be careful up there," she warned.

"It's okay.  The flooring's been patched, as well as the roof."  He
began to sort through some scorched beams, trying to salvage a leather
halter that had originally hung from a rafter.

"You better come down.  I can tell from here that the flooring hasn't
been reinforced enough.  It dips when you walk."

"Let me get this halter first.  It's stuck under some damaged wood that
was replaced but not hauled outside."  As he knelt, trying to move a
nail-filled board, the wood groaned under his weight.

Hearing the sound, Annie looked up quickly to see the board begin to
sag down.  She called out a warning, but it was too late.

The wood splintered and Jake started to fall through, but he reached
out desperately, grabbed a floor joist and hung on.

Her heart in her throat, Annie watched as he dangled from the loft.

"Hang on!"  Looking around for a ladder or something to break his fall,
she noticed the pitchfork directly beneath Jake.  It had been wedged in
place between a small stack of undamaged hay bales, tines up.

"Don't let go!"

She wrenched the pitchfork free, then moved the bales closer
together.

"Okay, you can drop down now.  The hay will cushion your fall."

Jake hit the ground with a grunt, and rolled off the bales into a pile
of straw bedding.

Annie watched anxiously as he sat up, brushing the straw out of his
hair and off his face.

"Are you okay?"  "Yeah.  But thanks for spotting the pitchfork.  I owe
you one."

"This was no accident," she said.

"That pitchfork wasn't just left there, it was carefully propped like a
spear."

He looked up and studied the section of flooring that had given away.

"That new wood was partially sawn through after the repairs were
made.

Had I fallen on the pitchfork.  " His gaze captured hers again.

"The murderer might have claimed another victim, if it hadn't been for
you."

"But how could he have known you'd come here to the barn and climb to
the loft when you did?"

"He couldn't have, not for sure.  Anyone working here, like Martin,
Rick or one of the wranglers, could have been caught in this trap.

He's trying anything now just to slow us down or warn us off.  The real
problem is, he's getting desperate.  This person isn't concerned about
hurting innocent bystanders and that's what makes him deadly, not only
to the Black Ravens, but to anyone connected to us, like you," he
added, his voice taut.

"We're both okay.  Don't think about what might have been.  This was
one disaster we managed to avert.  I'm really glad I was here for you,"
she said.

She offered him a hand up.

Jake took it, but, as he pulled himself up, Annie slid on the loose
straw and tumbled down, landing on her knees in front of him, "I'm
sorry, Annie.  It's my fault," he said quickly.

"My weight was too much for you.  Are you all right?"

"I'm fine.  The ground is as soft as ... well, a bed of straw.  It
wasn't your fault at all," she said, feeling foolish.

"I slipped, plain and simple," she said, scooting back to make some
room between them.  Her heart was pounding so loudly, she was surprised
he couldn't hear it.

His expression gentled, though his eyes burned with an intensity that
left her breathless.

"Annie, how do I touch you the way you've touched me?  You already have
my heart," he said, his voice low and hoarse.

"It's yours to take--or break.  How do I make you feel what I do?"

Everything feminine in her responded to him.

"You already have," she said, her voice unsteady.

"Then surrender," he murmured, narrowing the small gap between them.

"We shouldn't," she said, her voice trembling.

"No, we shouldn't.  But we will.  We have to."

His head dipped down and he took her mouth in a kiss so tender and so
deep, all her resistance and logic vanished.  She moaned his name,
desperately needing the closeness and intimacy he was offering her.

Slipping her hands beneath his sweater, she caressed his smooth,
bronzed chest.  He was all masculine hardness and sinewy strength.  His
tattered breathing, his groans.  all fueled her own growing passion. 
He needed her, and she needed him.

Nothing else mattered now.

Primitive fires danced along her spine, giving her courage.  She tugged
at his sweater, pulling it away from him, but as she tried to unfasten
his belt, she began to tremble.

He took her hands in his own and kissed them, then moved back and
stripped off his clothing, allowing her to see him as he was.  Her eyes
were dark and heavy with passion as she looked at him, her gaze
branding every inch of him.  She was ready to become his and everything
male in him knew it.  With infinite tenderness, he undressed her,
baring her until nothing stood between them.

Skin against skin, she surrendered to the love she could no longer
deny.  As the stars filled the skies outside, the heat of passion
encircled them in safety and warmth.  He rained kisses down her neck,
loving the way she melted against him.

"Jake."  Her voice was like a whispered prayer.

"I'm here, sweetheart.  Feel my hands and my mouth on your sweet
body.

Let me love you in every way you've ever dreamed of--everything.
everywhere.  for you.  "

She felt his heated mouth suckle her breast as his hand moved inside
her, parting her and invading her body.  His strokes fanned the flames
within her.  She cried out his name over and over again.

Holding back was agony, but he wouldn't rush them.  He started to push
her back onto the straw but, as her swollen belly pressed against him,
he suddenly pulled back.

"I can't hurt you or the child," he breathed in a tortured whisper.

"But let me take you in the only way I can."  He burned kisses down the
length of her body, whispering dark words as he caressed her, seeking
and probing, tasting and filling her emptiness.  A fire too intense to
bear raged inside her.

"Let it happen.  Let me be the man you surrender to."

Pleasure after pleasure flowed over her until she came apart.  She held
nothing back, trusting in him and the love he'd shown her.

Once certain she could give him no more, he shifted and held her
against his side, brushing a kiss on her forehead.  Annie whimpered as
she felt his hardness against her thigh.  It had been so complete, yet
not.  Tears formed in her eyes.

"I need to be one with you," she whispered.

"I know what it's like to be strong--and alone.  I don't want to be
strong tonight."

"I don't want you to regret this..."  he said, his voice raw.

"The baby will be all right.  And it will do the baby's mother a world
of good," she whispered, pushing him back onto the straw and hay
bedding.

He helped her sit astride him and, lifting her bottom, guided her as
she lowered herself over him.  Her body spread then tightened around
him.

She felt too good.  He had to hold back.  His hands were shaking as he
grasped her hips but, using every last bit of willpower he possessed,
Jake allowed her to set the pace.  Only when she got tired, did he take
over, moving in the same gentle rhythm she'd set.

His eyes strayed over her as she sat on top of him, riding him
gently.

He caressed her swollen breasts and her belly, then moved down to the
center of her.  As she rocked her body back and forth over him, he
began to caress her there.  Her eyes widened and she gasped as new
fires spread over her.

The love she felt in her heart made the pleasure he was giving her more
intense and sweeter.  Even with Bobby, making love had never been like
this.  She knew then that no other man would ever touch her heart the
way Jake had.

As desire burned through her, her fingers dug into his powerful
shoulders.

"More," she pleaded.

He thrust up into her, giving her what she wanted, but careful not to
hurt her.

"No, don't hold back," she urged, her eyes never wavering from his,
taking him even more deeply into herself.

"Sweet Annie."  His control vanished as passion made its own demands.

She welcomed his thrusts, engulfing him in her heated warmth.  The
fire, the velvet.  drove him to the brink of sanity.

As he arched his back, thrusting into her, she cried out his name.  Her
body shattered and a cascade of tender fires swept over her, leaving no
part of her untouched.

It was a surrender that came from the soul.  She'd given him
everything, willingly.

Every muscle in Jake's body tightened.  Every masculine instinct he
possessed drank in the power of her gift to him.  His chest heaving,
his skin hot, he thrust upward one more time and, with a cry, exploded
inside her.

Annie held on to his shoulders then, with a soft sigh, sagged against
him, every bit of energy she'd had expended.

Jake wrapped his arms around her gently.  Annie and her child were a
part of him now--his family.

"It was..."  Words failed her.

"For me, too," he murmured.

"You taught me something about love tonight.  Gentleness can be more
powerful than I ever imagined."

Tears filled her eyes.  He was still a man who loved freedom, something
a woman and child would never be able to give him.  But, for tonight,
their souls had taken flight and soared together.

minutes passed slowly.  It was getting cold, despite the large heater
in the barn, and Jake knew they would have to go back soon.  But he
couldn't will himself to stop holding her.  She felt so right in his
arms.  As he brushed her hair away from her cheek so he could kiss her,
he felt the moistness on her face.  "Why are you crying?  Have I hurt
you?"

"No.  It's just hay fever.  We are on hay, you know," she said, keeping
her tone light.  She pulled away from him and smiled as the baby
stirred.

"And the baby's fine, though probably a bit miffed at us for disturbing
her rest."  She shifted so he couldn't see her stomach.

He tugged gently at her hand until her body was turned toward him.  He
could see the baby's movements clearly as the child pushed against her
stomach.  He touched her belly gently, almost in awe.  The baby was
part of the woman whose body he'd shared and the baby's life had
irrevocably touched his own.  Nothing would ever be the same.  There
were problems to be faced and solved, but he felt closer to Annie and
the baby now than he'd ever felt to anyone.  For the first time in his
life, he wanted to have a family.  Permanence held no terror for him
anymore.

Aware of the way his gaze rested on her distended belly, and feeling
self-conscious, Annie began gathering up her clothes quickly.

Jake reached for her hand and brought it to his lips.

"I have never seen a more beautiful woman, Annie."

"Or a larger one, I bet," she said with a shy laugh, refusing to meet
his gaze this time.

"We'd better get back to the house before Martin and Nick send out a
posse.  It would be embarrassing to be caught naked in the barn."

Hearing voices coming toward the barn, she gasped.

"Oh, no!  It's too late."

Jake quickly pulled on his jeans and sweater and, while she gathered
her things, gave her a smile.

"I'll intercept them, then I'll be back.  Don't worry."

As she watched him go, Annie tried to tell herself that what they'd
shared had been of no consequence.  In reality nothing had changed. 
The fact was she'd still be facing the future alone.

It didn't matter how deep Jake's feelings ran, with his skin still warm
with the glow of passion.  Once he was faced with the constant demands
the baby would make on her, he'd soon begin to feel trapped in a
relationship he wasn't prepared for.

Paul had been wrong to demand they stay together for one year.  In the
final analysis, all he'd really done was take two people who weren't
meant to be together, and show them a world they could never have.

Chapter Sixteen

The following morning Annie went out for a walk alone.  What Jake and
she had shared last night, first making love, then going out for a late
candlelight dinner, had touched her soul.  Then they'd slept together,
Jake holding her close all night.  Yet the love they'd found was
destined to slip right through their fingers, and that knowledge was
tearing her apart.

Realizing that she'd been walking much too fast, she stopped by the
corrals and tried to catch her breath.  That's when she heard Martin
talking to the wranglers.

"I understood Paul's love for this ranch better than anyone else.  The
truth is, I knew his thoughts as well as I knew my own.  There wasn't
much he could keep secret from me."

"Then why can't you help Jake and Nick find that evidence?  Unless
that's settled soon, there's going to be another death, mark my words,"
one of the wranglers said.

"It'll all come out at the right time.  Don't worry," Martin said.

There was a tense silence, then she heard Rick's voice.

"You know where it is, don't you, Uncle Martin."  From his tone, it was
plain that the question was rhetorical.

Martin didn't answer him.

"That's enough chitchat.  Get back to work, all of you.  I want the
stalls ready for the horses tonight.  Is that clear?"

A cold chill settled over her, and she didn't stay to listen to the
men's complaints.  She was almost sure that Martin didn't really know
where the evidence was.  But if she was right about that, why was he
letting others believe differently?

Nick was coming down the stairs when she returned to the house.

"Are you okay?"  he asked, giving her a thorough once-over.

"You look as if you've been running."

"It's just really, really cold out this morning," she said, slipping
off her coat.

"But I'm glad you're here.  I need to talk to you and Jake.  Can we
meet in the kitchen?  That way I can also get something warm to
drink."

"Sure.  Jake's in there now, I believe.  I heard him rattling around a
while ago."

Jake smiled at her as she walked in.  His gaze touched her tenderly and
intimately.  "I figured you were out walking.  You didn't overdo it,
did you?"

The power of that one look left her tingling.  Annie tore her gaze away
and wondered if Nick would be able to sense any difference in the way
they treated each other this morning.  She glanced at Nick, but his
attention was centered on the muffins someone had placed on the
counter.

As Jake and Nick ate breakfast, Annie recounted the conversation she'd
heard outside.

"I think Martin was deliberately misleading them.  If he knew, I think
he would have told us by now.  But I don't understand why he's doing
this."

"I think I can answer that."  At Martin's voice, they turned to see him
standing just inside the kitchen.  He sat at the table with them and
took a muffin from the serving plate.

"Someone has targeted this ranch and family.  I couldn't stand by and
do nothing, so earlier yesterday I

started spreading the story that I knew more than I was letting on.  I
think the pitchfork trap Jake told us about last night was meant for
me.  Unfortunately, you were almost the victim, but by letting people
believe that I know where the evidence is, I'm hoping the killer will
come after me instead of any of you.  It's my way of trying to protect
everyone.  "

Jake's face turned a deep crimson as he struggled to control his anger.
"Martin, you should have talked to me about this before putting
yourself in danger.  By now the story's all over the pueblo.

There's no telling what the killer will do next.  "

"He won't kill me.  He'll need to find out what I know first," Martin
said.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to find out who he is and capture him before
that happens."

"Depending on what the killer knows, he may decide that you're already
too great a risk to him alive," Annie said.

"I certainly can't identify him, but that hasn't prevented his attacks
on me."

"The wranglers will watch my back.  I won't be alone until we repair
the fire damage."  Martin stood and walked to the door.

"Hopefully this is going to buy you all some time, and take some of the
killer's attention away from Annie.  While the killer is focused on me,
I'll expect you to find answers."

Nick looked at Jake after Martin left.

"I'm going to spend the day with the ranch hands as they continue
repairing the barn.  I'll keep an eye on Martin, as well."

"I'll join you," Jake said, then gave Annie a worried look.

"On second thought, I'm not sure I should leave you here alone at the
house."

"As Martin pointed out, he's the target now," Annie said.

Nick shook his head.

"It's still risky.  Why don't you work inside repairing the sola and
the study, Jake?  I'll stick to the barn repairs.  With all the men
doing the outside work, someone's got to concentrate on the house."

Jake nodded.

"Good idea.  I really don't want to spend Christmas in a fire-damaged
house if I can help it."  He was beginning to realize that despite some
bad memories, he still valued this place as his home.

After Nick left, Annie stood and excused herself, avoiding Jake's
gaze.

"I might as well get to work, too."

"Are you avoiding me, Annie?  We shouldn't feel uncomfortable around
each other, not after what we've shared," Jake said softly.

She took a deep breath and prayed for courage.  To allow a doomed
relationship to continue was wrong and she owed Jake and herself more
than that.  It was time to let go.

"I'm not uncomfortable around you, Jake.  But it's time to face things
squarely.  What happened last night was wonderful, but it was something
neither of us intended.  Now it's time to move on.  I've got my own
life to live.  My career is on the brink, and I've got a baby on the
way.  You're not part of my future."

"Don't tell me last night meant nothing to you.  I won't believe it,"
he growled.

"Of course it meant something.  You're the best lover any woman could
ever hope for," she said, forcing her tone to stay casual.

"It was forbidden fruit, you know, and that made it even better.  But
now that we've sampled it, it's out of our system."

She walked away from him, her shoulders back and her head erect, but
tears were streaming down her face.  Her heart had shattered into a
million pieces.  Sadness, black and suffocating, engulfed her.  It was
over now.  All that would remain were the memories and the pain.

jake worked tirelessly, scraping damaged plaster from the interior
walls where heat had caused it to crack and break away.  Anger drove
him relentlessly.  He'd wanted to kiss Annie senseless and force her to
take back her words, but he knew that was not the way to win her.  Fear
was at the root of her words--fear of him, of getting hurt, of seeing
love turn into disappointment and sorrow.  But he wasn't the same man
who'd arrived a few days ago.  He no longer only craved freedom.  His
heart was now leading him in a new direction.

Life had treated Annie harshly and instinct told him she'd need far
more than words to convince her that his love was real.  As he thought
things through, he stopped to consider what he had to offer her.  The
answers that came to him weighed heavily on his mind.  He had no real
home;

he moved from one place to the other every few weeks, depending on the
contract work.  What kind of life was that for her child, or for any
woman who wanted roots and security?

He stood for a moment and stared outside.  He loved this ranch, but
this was still his father's world.  He knew next to nothing about
making a living from a horse ranch.  A man supporting a woman and a
child needed to be able to earn enough to provide for them.

Annie had done the right thing by letting go.  It was all so logical
and clear, but something inside him wouldn't let him walk away.  He
looked down the hall, fighting the urge to go after her.

Suddenly the lights flickered and he heard a commotion outside.  Men
were shouting, and some of the horses were whinnying and running around
the corral.

Annie came rushing down the hall, her eyes wide.

"What's going on outside?"

"Stay here, lock the door, and stand by the gun cabinet.  I'll go out
and see."

He'd barely reached the front door when Nick came rushing in, almost
knocking Jake down.

"Martin's been hurt.  He was working on the hot wire around the fence.
It appeared that one of the horses had kicked an insulator loose and
shorted out the line."

"Is he all right?"  Jake asked, his jaw clenched.

Nick nodded.  "I think so.  It looks like a setup.  Someone tampered
with the lines, and ran a full charge through the chain-link fence.

Martin grabbed it by accident trying to get out of the way when a horse
spooked.  The voltage threw him back and tossed him to the ground.  He
got off lucky, but his hands are burned.  He was unconscious for a
short time, too.  "

"I'll call the clinic and notify Elsie and the doc," Jake said.  Jake
picked up the phone and, after a quick conversation, hung up.

"We need to take him to the hospital right now," Jake said.

"Elsie will ride with him in case the shock or burns have any side
effects."

Nick nodded.

"I'll need your pickup to drive him to Santa Fe.  You have a camper
shell over the bed of the truck.  He can lie down there."

"I'll get some blankets and a pillow," Annie said.

"Did someone put some ice on the burns?"

"Not ice--snow," Nick said.

"It was quick and handy."

"I'll get ice.  The last thing Martin needs is an infection."

Annie wanted to ride in the back, but Martin and Jake refused to allow
it in her condition, especially since Elsie would be going.  Instead,
she followed with Jake in Nick's Jeep.

After picking Elsie up at the clinic, they raced toward Santa Fe.

Annie avoided looking at him, and he knew that being alone with him was
as difficult for her as it was for him.  They were going to have a long
twelve months ahead, she thought with a sad sigh.

It took about half an hour to get to the hospital.  Then, an eternity
passed while they waited in the lobby with Nick.  When the emergency
room doctor finally came out to meet them, tension was running high.

The doctor wore an encouraging smile as he approached.

"He's going to be okay, but you'll have to make sure he doesn't use his
hands for several days.  He didn't get a good grip on the fence, so the
injured area isn't massive or particularly deep.  But the palms and
fingers on both hands will require bandages, and they'll have to be
changed often.  He also received quite an electrical shock, so he'll
have to take it easy.  If he hadn't been in such good physical shape
and been thrown away by the surge, I think his heart would have
stopped."

Martin came out with an accompanying nurse, walking slowly.  His eyes
were dull, and his hands swathed in bandages.

"Where do you think you're going?"  Jake demanded.

"Martin can go home, ;yhe stays put," the doctor said.

"I've given Elsie instructions that she'll pass along to your local
doctor.  He'll know what to do if there's any kind of problem."

Martin grinned at the boys.

"Let's go.  There's work to be done."

The doctor shook his head.

"That's precisely what you can't do, not for a while," he said
firmly.

"You can watch and give directions, but remember not to get around ice
or snow where you can slip.  Using your hands to stop a fall will just
complicate things.  It's important that you use your hands as little as
possible."

Martin stood there a moment, looking down at his hands.  His eyes took
on a curious distant look.

"Is something wrong, Martin?"  Jake asked.

"Do you need a painkiller?"

"No."  Martin shrugged.

"I was just thinking.  This incident has given me a mortality check.  I
won't live forever, and before anything else happens, there's something
you and Nick need to know.  You, too," he said, looking at Annie.

"It's important."

It was his tone that scared Annie the most.  She had a feeling Jake
wasn't going to like whatever Martin had to say, and neither was she.

Every instinct she possessed assured her of that.

an hour later Jake led Martin into the den.  Nick took a seat on the
sofa and Annie took the chair.

"It's time for you brothers to learn what happened between Saya and
Paul."  Martin paused, then, gathering his thoughts, continued.

"I've never repeated this story because it was told to me in
confidence, but it's your right to know.  Maybe it'll eventually help
you understand the turmoil your father went through and why things fell
apart in your family."  Martin took a deep breath, then let it out
slowly.

"I'm the only one, except maybe your uncle Thomas, who knows why Paul
destroyed Saya's studio that night so many years ago."

Jake leaned forward.

"Tell us what happened.  I know that night changed everything between
them."  "Paul discovered that Saya was leaving the ranch twice a week
to meet with her art teacher, a Pueblo man who was a renowned artist
but also had quite a reputation as a womanizer.  Paul didn't want Saya
anywhere near him, but she refused to stop attending her classes.  In a
rage, Paul decided to pay the teacher a visit, determined to teach him
a lesson about staying away from other men's wives.  But Saya guessed
where Paul was going, and, afraid of what he might do, called her
teacher and warned him.  The man grabbed whatever he could carry and
took off before Paul could find him.  He ended up in Arizona, I
heard."

"At least Paul didn't hurt the man," Annie said with a sigh of relief.
"Paul hurt himself most of all that night, destroying the trust in his
marriage," Martin answered.

"When he returned to Saya's studio in the bunkhouse, he was still
angry.  Saya held her ground, insisting she'd done nothing wrong.  She
told Paul that she'd guessed where he was headed and warned her
teacher, fearing for all of them.  If Paul had found and hurt the man,
he could have ended up in jail.  But Paul wouldn't let the matter drop.
Saya refused to argue, and kept painting instead, ignoring him.
Finally, Paul exploded.  He trashed the studio, ruining months of her
work."

Martin paused and exhaled softly.

"It was all such a waste.  After that night, Saya quit painting, though
she kept sketching because it was easy to hide her drawings.  She never
spoke to your father again, either, except when absolutely necessary or
around you and your brother."

"It almost sounds as if you were there that night," Nick said.

"I wish I had been.  Maybe I could have reasoned with Paul.  Your
father told me everything the day Saya died, including Saya's last
words to him, denying that she'd ever been unfaithful."

Jake remembered the sketchbook and deposit slip they'd found from his
mother's account.  Perhaps it had been more than just a nest egg.  "Do
you think she considered leaving him at one time?"

"I'm sure she must have thought about it, but, deep down, she knew
she'd never leave Paul.  The fact was, she loved your father deeply
and, no matter how much he hurt her, that never changed."

Silence descended over them.  Finally, Annie spoke.

"You look exhausted, Martin.  You really should get some rest."

Martin stood.

"Can you drive me home, Nick?"

"Sure, let's go."

When, at last, Martin left accompanied by Nick, Jake walked into his
father's study.  As his gaze took in the damaged desk, he remembered
the many times he'd seen his father seated there, grumbling as always
about the high price of hay.

Recalling the story that his father had routinely given away hay to the
other farmers in the pueblo, he began to question how well he'd really
known his father, or his mother for that matter.  Perhaps if he had
that mysterious diary, he'd find out the truth about them once and for
all.

Annie came up behind him a moment later.  "This house has seen too much
unhappiness."

"Yes, it has.  But there were good times here too, once.  After my
father's killer pays for what he's done, maybe we can all look to the
future and finally put the past to rest."

"When you restore this place, Jake, it'll mark a new beginning for
Black Raven Ranch because you're its future."

He watched her as she walked out, then added, "As are you, Annie."

Chapter Seventeen

Jake spent the following morning helping the ranch hands and working
alongside Nick.  With Martin unable to assist and, instead, keeping an
eye on the house, nothing seemed to go quite as smoothly.

By the time Jake was ready to take his lunch break, Annie was packing
her finished carvings into boxes she'd acquired in the kitchen.  She'd
been up since dawn.  "Looks like you've been hard at work," Jake
commented.

"But I'm finished--finally!"

Hearing a knock at the front door, she stopped.

"Don't get up, Jake.

Eat your lunch.  I'll go answer that.  "

Annie returned a minute later.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but Iris, your dad's former housekeeper,
has dropped by.  She's insisting that there's a white wolf fetish
somewhere in the house that belongs to her, and she wants permission to
search for it."

Without waiting for an invitation, Iris entered.

"I don't want to bother anyone, but Paul gave me that hand-carved
fetish as a gift.  I had it here while I was working for him, but
forgot to take it when I quit.  Now I'd like it back."

Jake glared at her, annoyed at the intrusion.

"If it was something you treasured, why didn't you take it with you
when you left his employ?"

"I didn't remember where I'd put it, and I figured I could come back
later anyway.  But I lost track of time.  Then, with everything that's
happened lately..."  She shrugged.

"Anyway, it's mine, and I'd like to have it back."

Jake looked at her pensively.  The woman was as nervous as a cat in a
rainstorm, leading him to believe she was interested in more than the
fetish.  He wondered if perhaps she, too, was after the diary.  The
existence of the diary was, thanks to his uncle Thomas, common
knowledge.  What people didn't know was that someone else already had
it--the blackmailer.

Or maybe Iris had heard about the hidden evidence, and wanted a chance
to try her luck at finding it.  Of course, there was also the slim
possibility she was actually telling the truth.

"I have no desire to keep what's yours," Jake told her.

"If you'll leave a detailed description of the fetish with Patrick
Kelly, our attorney, Annie and I will do our best to find the piece for
you."

Iris's expression changed from confidence to confusion, then abruptly
to anger.  She turned her head and glared at Annie.

"It's always you in my way, isn't it?  Your innocent face hides more
than any of the Black Ravens realize.  It was your fault Paul fired me,
don't think I don't know that.  You wanted him for yourself, so you
undermined my position here and forced him to choose you.  Now you've
got your sights set on Jake."

"What?"  Annie stared at her in shock.

"You can't honestly believe that."

"Paul was going to be mine, but you wanted him, too, and you're young
and pretty.  You did everything in your power to become part of his
life.  Everyone in the pueblo knows it."  She looked back at Jake.

"You need to open your eyes before she twists you around her finger
like she did your father."

"That's enough," Jake snapped, his voice all stone and ice.

"I won't have you making wild accusations like that in this house."

Iris faced Annie.

"I promise you one thing--you won't win at your game.  You'll never
find happiness here at our pueblo or in this house."  With one last
glance at Jake, Iris rushed past Annie and left the house, cursing the
entire length of the hall.

"Don't let her get to you," Jake said, going to Annie's side.

"She's obviously upset, and was talking nonsense."

"Maybe so," Annie said, "but the hatred in her voice was very real.  I
wonder how many others share her opinion of me."

"None who matter," Jake said gently.  He tried to pull her into his
arms, but she pulled away.

"No, Jake," she said firmly.

"I have to take my carvings to the gallery in Santa Fe today.  There
are a few people interested in them already, according to the owner.
I'm hoping it'll turn into a bidding situation.  I'll get a better
price that way."  She checked her watch.

"I've got to get going.  I'm already late."  "How about letting me
drive, then take you out to lunch later in Santa Fe?  I have to go up
to meet with Patrick Kelly."

"All right.  I feel a little uncomfortable driving alone so close to
term."

"It's a wise precaution.  Let me get your coat," Jake offered.

Five minutes later they were on their way.  The roads were clear and
dry, although there were patches of snow in the shady spots beside the
highway.

Annie looked back at the box holding her immediate economic future.

"I

sure hope someone will appreciate all the work I've put into these
carvings.  "

"They will.  I've seen your carvings, Annie.  You're very talented. Why
don't you let me help you give your work the attention it deserves?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"I could place ads promoting your work in the local and Albuquerque
papers.  It'll give you the kind of exposure you need."

"Ads are expensive.  It's not just space in the paper-you have to hire
someone to do the layout."  She shook her head.

"I've thought of doing that myself, but the fact is, I can't afford
it."

"That's why I was offering to foot the bill.  Think of it as an early
Christmas present."

She stared at him in surprise.

"I can't let you do that."

"Why?  It's not that big a deal.  I'm just glad to be in a position to
give you a gift you can really use."

"You don't understand."  She paused for several moments, trying to find
the right words.

"I've had to work so hard to make it this far in my career.  I want to
go the rest of the way on my own.  I've paid my dues.

I spent hours studying, sketching designs, trying to create a pattern
or image with a sharp knife, a piece of wood, and my imagination.  To
come this far alone, and then achieve success because of what someone
else bought for me at a crucial time, would take away from everything
I've managed to accomplish by myself.  "

Jake nodded slowly.  He, better than most people could have, understood
her need to prove herself.  He'd felt the same way about his
construction company.

Thirty minutes later Jake watched as Annie entered the well-known art
gallery near the plaza.  He'd offered to advertise her work for purely
selfish reasons.  His feelings for Annie were strong and it was clear
to him now that what they really lacked was a bond to bridge the things
that separated them.  He'd thought that if he could become part of the
world of art she loved, if he could help her in some small way, it
would have been a first step.  But he should have known Annie's pride
would never allow it.

As he pulled back out into the street, he had to acknowledge the
inescapable similarities between his parents' situation and his own
with Annie.  What was worse, in a lot of ways the past was repeating
itself, and that was one thing he could not allow to happen.

jake left Patrick Kelly's office later than he'd expected.  As he
walked west toward the plaza, he noticed Annie strolling the sidewalk
on the north side of Saint Francis Cathedral.  He doubled his pace,
wanting to catch up to her, but as he drew closer, he noticed someone
tailing her.

Jake struggled to make out the man's face, but the stranger was wearing
a wide-brimmed cowboy hat that hid his features, and his thick winter
coat all but obscured his build.

Determined to catch and question the man, Jake cut through a small
courtyard that led to several connected shops and restaurants.

Hurrying through a clothing shop, he dashed down a small interior
stairwell, and came out behind Annie, on the other side of a waist-high
wall.  He ducked down, pretending to tie his shoelace, careful to hide
his face.

As the man started to pass Jake, his gaze focused on Annie, Jake
straightened suddenly and grabbed him by the arm.

Jake stared at the very familiar face of his uncle Thomas.

"Why are you following Annie?"  he demanded.

"Because, like your father, you're blind when it comes to this young
woman.  Someone has to find out where she fits into everything that's
happened."

Annie came rushing up, having heard and recognized the loud voices.

"What on earth is going on?"

"My uncle decided to follow you," Jake said, never taking his eyes off
Thomas.  "Listen, Jake.  Annie Sandusky is the only outsider at the
ranch.  She and Paul were close friends, and he must have confided in
her.  If anyone knows or can guess where Paul hid the evidence that
points to the killer, Annie can.  I'm willing to bet that Saya's diary
is in the same hiding place, too.  I was hoping that she'd eventually
lead me to it."

Jake's eyes narrowed.

"So you're mostly interested in the diary, not who killed my father.
That's what's been bugging me about you.  Uncle Thomas.  What exactly
does this diary contain that makes it so important to you?  There's
more to it than you've let on.  And tell me straight.  I'm running out
of patience."

Thomas started to protest but then recanted.

"All right.  The plain truth is, Saya was very easy to talk to.  People
always trusted and confided in her, so she knew everyone's secrets. Her
diary, depending on what she chose to write in it, could prove damaging
to many in this community."

"I'm not interested in other people's family secrets," Jake said, "only
in ours."

"If you do find the diary, what will you do with it?  Will you read
it?"

"I'll let you know if and when that day comes."

"I'll hold you to that," Thomas said.

After he left, Jake took Annie to his favorite restaurant on San
Francisco Street, but neither of them could concentrate on the food.

Their minds were on the case.

"I keep thinking that I'm missing a vital piece of the puzzle," Jake
said, picking at a beef enchilada with his fork.

"Your father was a highly intelligent man.  We know he had a fondness
for hiding places, but he would have been far more careful after Saya's
diary was stolen from the cubbyhole in his bedroom.  What if he hid the
evidence in plain sight?  It could be something we've seen a hundred
times and never realized it."

"I think my father would have really enjoyed that--fooling his enemies
with such a simple strategy."

by the time they arrived back at the ranch, Jake felt as taut as a
bowstring.  Hurrying up the walk to the front door beside him, Annie
matched his pace.

The tension between them was palpable as they entered the study.

"Okay, any suggestions where we should start our new search?"  Jake
asked.  "His desk.  He would have wanted whatever he considered
important close to him," Annie replied.

"Right," Jake acknowledged.

Three minutes later they were still staring at the massive desk, now
blackened on one side by the fire.  The items originally on or in the
desk were still there, mostly in boxes now, though some had suffered
from the flames or the attempt to extinguish them.

Annie located and opened the daily calendar, the appointment book, and
the notebook-sized business checkbook.

Jake studied the correspondence from the In and Out baskets.  He even
checked the telephone itself, which was sitting on the floor, now
working again after the melted cord had been replaced.

Standing to his right, Annie flipped through the circular Rolodex card
file, which had escaped both fire and water.

"There's nothing here," Jake said at last.

"Maybe we should concentrate on another room.  I've searched everything
else in the study while I was cleaning up and repairing the wall."

She continued flipping through the Rolodex file, checking card by
card.

"There sure are a lot of cards in the section for last names starting
with XYZ.  I don't know about you, but I can't think of even one person
around here with a last name beginning with one of those letters."

Jake took one of the cards out of the ring.  "What kind of name is "
X-l'?  "

As he held up the card, Annie leaned forward, studying the other
side.

"Turn it around.  There's a bunch of stuff written on the back."  She
checked the other cards in the file.

"There's something on the back of a lot of them, especially in the XYZ
section."

"They look like accounts," Jake said, reading the information
carefully.

"What on earth have we found here?"  she mused, more curious than
ever.

"He's turned the backs of these cards into an accounting ledger of
sorts.  I guess he wanted to keep this out of the books the accountants
would audit."  He studied the entries for a long time.

"Look," he said at last.

"The sentence at the top of each card makes no sense unless you take
the first letter of each word and put them together.  Look at this"
--My Appaloosa Ran Through Interesting Neighborhoods.  "" "Martin,"
Annie said after a moment.

"Exactly.  The two columns below are debits and credits.  On the left
is the date and amount loaned.  On the right, the payments.  Martin
borrowed twice.  You can see from where he paid off the first loan that
my father charged no inter " He must have coded the cards to keep them
private, despite their easily accessible location," Annie said.

"If you just happened to come across these, they'd almost look as if
he'd been figuring out some math problems," Jake said, pointing to the
stray pencil marks on the side.

As they sat and began to review the entries, Annie glanced at the
amount Martin still owed.

"That's quite a substantial amount.  It's got to be equivalent to a
year's salary for him."

"I'd have to check to be absolutely certain, but I think you're right,"
Jake said.

"According to this, he was paying it off, but, admittedly, at a very
slow rate."

"Look at this one," she said, handing him another card.

"It appears Iris borrowed money, too.  That's quite a bit for a
housekeeper to have to pay back.  And it looks like she's only made a
few payments in the past ten months."  "My uncle also borrowed a bundle
of cash, but according to this he hasn't even made one payment in the
six months since the loan."

"Do you think this was what Thomas was really after?"  Annie asked.

"He was probably hoping we'd never find any record of the loan, but my
gut feeling is that he told us the truth when he said that the diary is
his greatest concern.  On the other hand, the person who broke in may
have been searching for this.  That would explain why he took my
father's business ledgers."

"That person could have been Thomas, at least the first time," she
said.

"He would have known we were at the funeral, and could have estimated
how long the rituals would take.  But there's something else to
consider.  It's quite possible that this is the evidence your father
was talking about.  Maybe Thomas or someone else listed here killed
your father."

"These are no-interest loans," he reminded her.

"There also doesn't seem to be any payment schedule included.  Why
would they kill him over this?"

"People sometimes grow to resent the person who tries to help them."

She gestured to the phone.

"I think you should call Captain Mora and tell him what we've found."

"Yes, you're right, but I hope this doesn't create problems for Martin.
After everything he's done for this family, he doesn't deserve it.  If
Mora thinks this loan gives Martin a motive for murder, he might
question him again."

' Tt can't be helped.  This is evidence that has to be turned over. 
"

Jake dialed the tribal police then, after a brief conversation, placed
the phone back down on the floor.

"That was quick," she said.

"Mora's away on personal business until later tonight.  He'll call me
when he returns to the pueblo."  Jake stared at the Rolodex file, lost
in thought.

"I'm going to pay Uncle Thomas a visit right now.  He has more
explaining to do."

Annie looked at Jake, concerned.  He meant to get the truth, and his
concentration was so total, it gave him an air of danger.

"I'm going with you," she said.

"The situation between you two could get out of control easily.
Circumstances must have forced him to borrow money from Paul, and that
was undoubtedly very hard on him.

But, now, to have to explain this to you.  " She shook her head.

"You need information, not a confrontation.  If I'm there, I can help
keep things on the right track."

Jake considered it.  He didn't want to leave her at the house alone.

Though Annie would never admit it to him freely, the baby was taking a
toll on her energy.  The closer she got to term, the more vulnerable
she became.  All in all, he'd rather have her with him.

"Okay, we'll go together," he said.

Jake picked up the Rolodex cards that pertained to Thomas, then walked
out to the truck with Annie.  He couldn't help but notice that her
steps these days were slower as she struggled against the added weight
of the growing baby.  Yet, she was at her radiant best.  She'd never
looked more beautiful to him than she did now.

"Once word gets out that we know about these loans-and it will after we
approach Thomas--the killer is bound to get nervous and that'll make
him even more dangerous," she said, interrupting his thoughts.

"I know, but we're out of options.  We have to draw him out."

"I want this whole thing finished and my baby safe, but we'll have to
watch each other's backs carefully now," she said softly.

"Count on it."  From now on, he'd be right beside her every step of the
way--whether she wanted him there or not.

Chapter Eighteen

As they rode in silence, Jake felt the warmth of her body wrap itself
around him.  It felt so right to have Annie beside him.  Her strength
and loyalty drew him to her gently, yet relentlessly.  He wanted her,
but in a way that went beyond the physical.  He wanted to be the man
she turned to when she was troubled, the man she chose to have beside
her when she needed comfort.  He wanted her to share the magic--that
special feeling that told him without a doubt that they were meant to
be.

He disciplined his thoughts.  Right now she needed his protection, and
that would take focus.

As they pulled up in front of a small stucco-and-frame house, Thomas
came out from a side gate and walked over to meet them.  "What brings
you two over here?  Have you found the diary?"

"Not the diary, no," Jake said.

"But we did find something else."

"The evidence your father mentioned?"

Jake told him what they'd learned.

"I'd like an explanation.  It seems to me that my father would have
been the last person around you would have turned to for a loan.  And
even after he helped you, it's obvious you continued to hate him.
Why?"

Thomas hesitated before answering.

"That money wasn't a loan.  It was a payoff so I would stop pressuring
him for Saya's diary.  Though he couldn't prove it, he knew that I'd
broken into his house a few times, searching for it.  I think he was
afraid that I wouldn't stop until I found it.  He offered to pay me to
back off.  As he put it, it would be worth it to him if he didn't have
to see me anywhere near his property or have me asking for the diary
again."

"So you took the money," Jake observed coldly.

Thomas shrugged.

"I knew Paul had more money than he deserved, and I needed the cash.
But I kept my side of the bargain.  I stopped breaking in, and quit
asking for the diary.  It wasn't getting me anywhere, anyway."

"Tell me who else was interested in the diary," Jake pressed, trying to
narrow down the identity of the blackmailer.  "What makes you think
that someone else was interested in it, or even knew it existed?"

"You're not known for discretion.  I figured somewhere along the line
you told someone else."

"Yeah, okay, maybe I did, but I never heard of anyone else wanting
it."

"You mentioned to me before that you and my mother kept in contact.

Did you know she had a private bank account?  " Jake asked, watching
his expression carefully.

Thomas raised his eyebrows, surprised by the question.  At last, he
nodded.  "How did you find out?  That was supposed to be a secret.

Saya continued selling her sketches, though she did quit doing her oil
paintings, and squirreled all the money away in a special account.  She
figured that if Paul ever pushed her too far, she'd have enough set
aside to leave him.  But I knew that was just talk.  Saya would never
have left your father.  Love makes some people stupid.  "

"And my father never knew about the account?"

"Paul was never any good as a bookkeeper, according to Saya.  so she
got away with it, The account, eventually, grew into a modest sum.

After she died, Paul's lawyer settled all of Saya's affairs and since
she didn't leave a will, everything went to Paul.  I found out later
that nobody had bothered to check for bank accounts in her name, but I
never said anything.  To be honest, I wasn't in the mood to tell Paul,
and I figured it could just keep collecting interest until you or Nick
could claim it.  "

"Who else knew about the account, as far as you know?"  Jake asked.

Thomas considered it carefully.

"I'd bet Virgil Lowman did.  But he never would have told your
father."

"I thought Virgil and Dad got along."

"Virgil's a good businessman and he's always known his bank needed Paul
Black Raven's money.  But he was loyal to Saya.  He would have
continued to keep her secret even after her death."

"What happened to the money in that account, do you know?"  Jake
pressed.  "No, but I will tell you that one of the reasons I wanted
Saya's diary was because I was hoping that she'd listed the account
number in there.  I figured that, with a bit of luck and some creative
thinking, I could come up with a way to get some of that money."

"There's no legal way" -Jake stopped, seeing Thomas's grin.

"Your father didn't deserve that money," Thomas continued.

"And you and Nick had been gone for years.  Yet there I was and there
it was--and I certainly could have used the cash."  He waved to the
small house behind him.

"This isn't exactly the Black Raven Ranch."

"Taking the money--had you managed it--could have cost you a jail
sentence," Jake said, distaste evident in his tone.

"Only if I got caught.  And, who knows, with the right connections 1
may have gotten the charges dropped."

"How well do you know Virgil?"  Annie asked.

Thomas shrugged.

"He wouldn't have helped me get the money, if that's what you're really
asking.  I'm not Virgil's friend.  I don't know anyone who is, though
plenty of people suck up to him because he has power.  The only time I
ever see Virgil outside the bank is if I run in to him at the Silver
Slipper Casino."

"Are you and Virgil regulars there?"  Annie smiled.

"It's got to be an exciting place with all the high-stake games and
chances to win big."

Keeping her tone enthusiastic and nonconfrontational worked.  Thomas
seemed to relax and he answered her question without anger.

"I play the slot machines only," he said.

"I don't have the money to gamble at roulette or the card tables.
Virgil, on the other hand, has lost a bundle at blackjack, from what I
hear."

Jake met his uncle's gaze.

"Let me give you fair warning, Uncle.

You're family, but if I ever catch you breaking in, or doing anything
illegal that jeopardizes anyone at the Black Raven Ranch, there'll be
hell to pay.  Clear?  "

Thomas gave him a cold, mirthless smile.  I always said that you had a
lot in common with your father.  Neither you nor your brother know or
care about family.  "

"Apparently, Uncle, neither do you."

"For the record, I never harmed a hair on your father's head.  And I
had nothing to do with your poisoning, though you certainly gave me
reason that night."

"That depends on your point of view.  As I remember it, you threw the
first punch."

Thomas didn't reply.

"Just to show you that I'm not your enemy, I'll tell you something else
that may help you.  But you'll have to take my word for it, because I
have no proof."  He smiled, his eyes never wavering from Jake's.

"Shortly after our disagreement that night at the ranch, a person
called me and offered a thousand bucks to break in and steal all the
business ledgers and stocks or bonds I could find in the house."

"Who called--and did you take the job?"  Jake asked.

"I don't know who it was.  His voice was disguised, and there was some
really loud background noise, like an arcade or maybe a video game."

He smiled.

"Now about the other part of your question--I'm not sure I should tell
you if I took the job or not.  Your 'fair warning' speech was very
specific."

"We'll consider this conversation part of a temporary amnesty," Jake
snapped.

"I'll trust your word," Thomas said, obviously enjoying putting Jake in
an awkward position.

"I was the one who broke into your house the day of the funeral.  It
wasn't for the money--that was just a bonus.

I'd intended to break in all along.  I wanted the diary and any record
of the money Paul paid me--if such a record existed.  "

"Didn't you meet the person who hired you when it was time to deliver
my father's papers?"

Thomas shook his head.

"I was told to put everything in a storage locker at the bus station in
Santa Fe.  The key was taped where I could find it, and the money was
waiting for me inside the locker.  But, just so you know, I had nothing
to do with the fires at the ranch."  Thomas opened the door to his
home. "I still have some of the things I took from your house, like a
pen-and-ink sketch Saya made of both you boys.

Paul had hidden it in the special place in his bedroom.  "

"How did you know the crevice was there?"  Jake asked.

"I'd seen Saya use it many years ago.  In fact, I'd looked for the
diary there a long time ago, but struck out.  The sketch was there, and
I didn't think of taking it at the time but, later, I decided that I
wanted it because I knew the sketch had been special to her.

"I also took some pottery.  Neither of those were part of what I was
hired to take.  You can have them back if you want."

Jake said nothing for a moment, then shook his head.

"Keep them for now, though I may someday want the sketch back."

"I'll remember that.  I only took it because I don't have any by Saya
and it meant something to me.  But the pottery was something else.  I
stole that because I wanted to confuse the tribal police by making it
look like a burglary.  I should have taken the guns in your hall
cabinet.  It would have been more convincing, but I don't like guns."

When Jake refused his invitation to go inside, Thomas added, "If you're
sure you don't want the pottery back, I'll keep the pieces.

They add a nice touch to my house.  "

Disgusted with everything he'd learned, Jake turned and led Annie back
to the car.

"I can't look at him any more without wanting to take a swing at
him."

"I can understand why," she conceded.

"But he did tell us a great deal."

"If Thomas was telling the truth, I wonder why Lowman hasn't gotten
back to me with information about my mother's account.  He's had enough
time," he said as they got under way.

"It's possible that the account remained inactive for so long it got
placed in some old computer file and now they can't find it."

"I'm going to call and demand an answer."

"Sounds like a good idea.  Well, at least we know one thing for sure.
Thomas doesn't have the diary, so he can't be the blackmailer.  Or the
killer," she added.

"If you can trust a single word he says."  "We have a curious situation
here.  Thomas says that the money he received from Paul was an
unsolicited payoff.  But I find it hard to believe that Paul would do
that.  I think what really happened was that Paul assumed Thomas had
found the diary and was going to blackmail him.  Having Thomas in
possession of the diary must have really worried Paul, because Thomas
could have easily given you or your brother a copy.  So as soon as Paul
saw the diary was missing, he sent Thomas the money before it was
demanded, to let him know that he was willing to pay for his silence."
"That sounds like my dad.  Even if the odds were stacked against him,
he would have done his best to maintain control over the situation.

Giving the money to the blackmailer before being asked made my dad look
like a benefactor, not a victim.  He was undermining his enemy in the
only way he could.  But if we're right, Dad guessed wrong.  Thomas
wasn't the blackmailer.  "

Jake lapsed into a thoughtful silence, then continued.

"My father was wrong about many things.  The more I find out about how
things were between him and Mom, the more I wonder why Mom stayed."

"Your parents had a rough time of it.  But no matter how bad things
got, they had you and Nick.  Believe me when I tell you a child can
give a woman the courage to face almost anything.  She loved her
husband and he was the father of her sons.  She stayed willingly, not
only for herself, but for you and your brother.  In her eyes, no one
could have replaced your father."

"What about you?"  he asked, his voice quiet.

"Your love for your husband was real and it resulted in the baby you're
carrying.  Could you ever accept another father for your child?"

He heard her breath catch in her throat.  She hadn't expected the
question, but her answer would mean the world to him.

"It's not the same thing," she said slowly.

"My child's father died.

Someday, I hope my baby will have another father.  Fatherhood, to me,
is not just something that happens at the time of conception.  It's a
matter of love and commitment," As he looked at her he felt a powerful
tug on his senses.  He wanted Annie and the baby to be a part of his
life forever.  Three hearts--bound by love.  Nothing else the world
offered could compare to that.  Yet by placing what he wanted ahead of
her needs, he'd be proving that he was a lot like his father, as some
had suggested.  The last thing he wanted was to make a shambles out of
their relationship and have the past replay itself.  His mother and
father had found only sorrow through their love.  He never wanted that
to be a part of what he had to offer Annie.

They returned to his home and, as they walked toward the living room,
he paced his steps to match hers.

"We've made a lot of progress toward finding my father's killer in the
last few hours," he said, "but there are still a lot of things that
just don't add up."

"Based on what Thomas was hired to steal--business ledgers and stocks
and bonds--I really think we should concentrate on Virgil Lowman as a
suspect.  He was Saya's friend, and from what we've seen, had feelings
for your mother.  If she confided in him, he might have known exactly
where to find the diary.  Blackmailing your father, a man he probably
saw as his rival, makes sense if you look at it from the standpoint of
revenge."

"But if he knew where it was all this time, why would he wait until
just a few months ago to steal it?"

"Maybe he didn't steal it.  He could have had it all along.  Your
father knew about the diary, but we have no clear proof he ever had
it."  "Then why would Lowman wait until recently to blackmail Dad?"

"It could have something to do with his gambling.  If he's been losing
heavily lately, he may be in financial trouble."  She paused, then
added, "Remember the call Thomas said he received from the man who
hired him?  Thomas mentioned there was a lot of background noise.  It
could have been slot machines at the casino.  Over the phone, they
might have sounded like arcade games."

"And you're thinking Dad had evidence that proved Virgil was
blackmailing him?"

"It's all conjecture, but it fits."

Jake's reply was cut off when the phone rang.

"Virgil, it's good to hear from you," he said, identifying the caller
for Annie's benefit.

"We finally have the paperwork we needed from state government and your
attorney," Virgil said.

"You can access your father's safe-deposit box any time you're ready.
I've notified Mora."

Jake hung up and filled Annie in.

"We've been thinking of Virgil as a blackmailer, or worse, and here he
is all of a sudden trying to help us," Annie said, cringing slightly.

"He was obliged to provide the paperwork.  I'd scarcely categorize it
as help."

Jake called Captain Mora and told him they'd be opening the box right
away, something he knew the captain had been awaiting.  He then filled
him in on what they'd learned from Thomas, asking him not to press
charges unless the evidence eventually led back to Thomas as the
murderer.

As he hung up, Jake looked at Annie.

"He'll meet us at the bank in twenty minutes.  He's as eager as we are
to see what's there."

They drove together to the bank and, by the time they arrived, Virgil
Lowman and Captain Mora were waiting.

Lowman took them into an empty office.

"According to law, I have to be present when you open the box.  Tax
purposes require that a representative of the state, or some other
accredited individual, verify the contents.  Captain Mora, of course,
is here because of his ongoing investigation."

Jake opened the box as Annie stood beside him.

"Interesting," he muttered.

Annie glanced down and saw three cash withdrawal slips that had been
stapled to blackmail notes.

"Those notes have photocopied sections that look to be from your
mother's diary," she said softly.

"Handle them by the edges only," Mora cautioned.

"We may be able to get usable prints."

"The withdrawals match the blackmail demands," Jake commented.

"What are those other papers?"  Annie asked.

"Anything important there?"

Jake studied them.

"They're bearer bonds, and worth a small fortune, too.  Since bearer
bonds aren't made out to any particular individual, whoever has
physical possession of them can cash the bond in.  They're not very
safe to leave lying around."

"That's probably why he kept them here.  The bank did make those
purchases for him," Lowman said.

"But why did he put them here, along with these notes?"

Jake asked, not really expecting an answer.

"Was it just for convenience, or because they're somehow related?"

"I can't see any connection," Lowman said flatly.

Jake watched Lowman's expression carefully.

"Are these all the bearer bonds the bank purchased on behalf of my
father?"

Lowman shook his head.  There were more, I think, but I'd have to total
up the amounts and check that against our records to be certain,
That'll take some time.  But I should tell you, it's also very possible
your father sold or traded some of the bonds.  That's what most people
eventually do with them.  "

"I was hoping for more than this," Mora said, disappointed.

"We already knew about the blackmail."  He looked at Virgil.

"Did he ever mention that to you?"

"Blackmail?  No, not one word," Lowman said.

"Keep it to yourself for now, Virgil.  What I'd like to do is take the
contents of the box to my office," Mora said.

"Do you have any objection, Jake?"

"Not as long as I get it all back eventually."

Mora looked at Virgil.

"Would you give us a moment alone, please?"

Lowman nodded and walked out.

Annie watched him through the window as he walked away.  Assured she
could speak freely, she looked at Mora.

"Captain, do you agree that Lowman's our best suspect?"

"Yes, but we have to move carefully.  We don't have any solid proof
against him and, if we tip our hand too soon, he could bolt or destroy
evidence.  Then we'll have nothing.  Let him feel we trust him. That'll
give me time to get some more information.

"I'd like to find out if he's the one who hired Thomas Ray.  To do
that, I have to access phone records to see if anyone called Ray's
house from the Silver Slipper.  If Low man hired him to break in, the
trail will start there.  I also want to check if Lowman was in the
casino or bank the day your father was killed.  Casinos have video
cameras everywhere, so it won't be hard to look into this.  I'll also
want to question the bank employees away from work."

Mora placed one of the bonds in an evidence pouch, then the rest in a
separate pouch along with the blackmail notes and the deposit slips.

"I'll keep these in our safe at the station."

"What about the bond in the other pouch?"  Annie asked.

"I'd like to take this one to a bank in Santa Fe.  I have a friend
who'll be able to tell us more about bearer bonds like these."

"I'd like to go, too, if you don't mind," Jake said.

"No problem."

As they went out to the parking lot, Annie walked slowly, feeling even
more tired than usual.  Jake felt his gut wrench as he noticed her
struggle.  Annie was a strong woman, but she'd been pushing herself too
hard.

"Why don't you let me drop you off at home?"  he suggested.

"At home."  The words had a nice ring to them, but she wasn't going to
be pushed aside now.  She'd made a vow to catch Paul's killer and she'd
see it through.

"I'm okay.  I want to come along," she said firmly.

He knew better than to argue.

The Santa Fe bank was closed by the time they arrived, but Mora had
made arrangements, and a tall Anglo man in his early sixties met them
at the door.

Mora introduced them.

"This is Stephen Marcus.  There's nothing about investment banking that
he doesn't know."

"He's right," Marcus said with an easy smile, "even if he is using
flattery to divert from the fact that he's kept me here after
closing."

Marcus led them to his office, then seated himself behind his desk.  He
studied the bearer bond Mora handed him for a long time, brought two
more out of a small document safe behind him, and set them down
side-by-side.

"Examine the differences in the paper quality and the fine detail work,
and you'll see that what you brought today is only a very good
counterfeit copy."

After thanking Marcus, they went back outside, stunned by the news.

"I'll have Marcus come in to verify the others, but I'm sure the paper
was identical on the other bonds, as well," Mora said, glancing at
Jake.

"And that raises all kinds of questions."

"I know what you're thinking.  We now have to find out if my dad knew
they were only copies, and if this is part of the evidence he was
collecting against the person blackmailing him."  "And if all Paul had
were copies of these bearer bonds, who has the originals?  Lowman?  Or
is there another player we don't know about yet?"  Mora added.

Once they reached pueblo land, Jake drove Annie back to the ranch.  He
was worried about her.  She hadn't said much and she appeared
restless.

"What's on your mind?  I can tell something's not right," he said at
last.

"I've been expecting an important call.  Staying away from the phone,
even under these circumstances, was harder than I thought."

"Is the call about the baby?"

She shook her head.

"It's about my carvings.  When I took them in, Sam Luna, the owner of
the gallery, said there might be enough interest in the pieces to hold
an auction.  But I haven't heard from him since."  "Did he give you any
idea how much he expected them to go for?"

"No.  Sam's a good businessman and I trust him, but the truth is, those
carvings represent the best work I've ever done.  I want to get a very
good price for them.  It's more than just pride, too.  There are a lot
of things I'd like to get for the baby."  "If you need anything at all"
-She held up a hand.

"You don't understand.  I've bought everything the baby will need, but
there are little things that I want to get for her."

As they entered the house, Jake watched Annie walk slowly to her
room.

He loved her and nothing would ever change that.  He fought the desire
to go to her room, to undress her and put her to bed, to hold her and
whisper dark, erotic things to her.  The man in him told him she
wouldn't resist, that she wanted the same thing.  But he wouldn't push
her.

"Hey, Jake."  Nick's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"We've got to talk.  Nick," Jake said, leading the way to the study.

"I

need to fill you in on a few developments.  "

Jake told him everything they'd learned.

"What do you think?  Is Lowman the killer?"  Jake pressed.

"I could use your insight."

"At the end, Mom was bedridden from the cancer," Nick said, 'but her
mind was clear.  She must have known that her diary had the potential
to cause a lot of trouble, and that if Uncle Thomas got hold of it he'd
probably use it to hurt Dad or us.  She would have done her level best
to see that the diary was destroyed, but she couldn't have accomplished
that on her own.  She may have turned the task over to someone else she
thought she could trust--like

Lowman.  I'm sure she must have known he had a thing for her.  "

"That was Annie's theory, too.  Poor Dad must have gone crazy looking
for that diary until finally the blackmailer came forward.  That is, of
course, if we're right."

"You know, even if we could prove Lowman is the blackmailer, that still
wouldn't mean he killed Dad," Nick said.

"What we still lack is a clear motive and hard facts.  The phony bearer
bonds are important, but Mora will need more solid evidence before he
can get a search wan-ant to go through Lowman's office and home."

"I'm tempted to break into Lowman's house myself," Jake said.

"Even if all I found was Mom's diary, I'd take that as a win."  "We
have to get it back, but not if it compromises the case against a man
who could turn out to be Dad's killer," Nick said.

The phone rang.  Jake went to the desk and picked it up.  It was the
gallery calling for Annie.  He hesitated, not wanting to disturb her if
she was resting but, as he looked up, he saw her standing at the
door.

"It's the call you were waiting for," he said.

"I'll take it in the kitchen," she said, then hurried out.

Jake stayed in the study long after all the lights in the house were
out, but Annie never returned.  Once again, the woman who'd come to
mean the world to him had shut him out of her life.

Jake walked upstairs to his room, a cold emptiness gnawing at him.

Annie had built a barrier between them, and as much as he wanted to
make things happen, to force things to go his way, he wouldn't repeat
the mistakes his father had made.  A woman's heart was too strong to be
won.  Only love would compel her to surrender it and place it in the
hands of another.

Chapter Nineteen

Annie was restless the next morning as she and Jake set up the small
pifion one of the hands had given them to replace the Christmas tree
they'd lost in the fire.  Once the tree stood securely in the sala, she
went to her room and returned holding the glass ornament she'd been
restoring during breaks from her carvings.  The decoration had escaped
the worst of the heat because it had been on a low outside branch and
had fallen away from the flames.

"It came along pretty smoothly after I got started, and I was able to
restore the original artwork."

Jake took it from her hands and, for a moment, didn't speak.

"I actually retraced your mother's own design.  There were parts that I
couldn't restore, but I filled in the gaps."

Jake met her gaze.

"I don't know how to thank you," he said, his voice thick with
emotion.

Annie saw all she needed to in his eyes.

"You already have."

Jake took her hand in his and pulled her to him, but suddenly the phone
rang.  Annie jumped then, walking quickly, went to answer it.  It was a
wrong number.  Disappointment filled her, but she tried to hide it as
she hung up the phone.

"What's the latest on the carvings?"  Jake asked, accurately guessing
what was going on.

"Didn't you get the news you were hoping for last night?  I waited for
you to come back and tell me what was going on, but I guess you went to
bed instead."

She realized then that she'd hurt Jake by not confiding in him, but how
could she have done that?  Her pride, her self-confidence, were all
being tested to the max now.

"Mr.  Luna is auctioning the pieces today.

Seven of his best customers were interested in the carvings and he
thought this was the best way to make sure everyone got a fair shot at
them.  "

"That's wonderful news," he said, his eyebrows furrowed.

"So why do you look as if you're facing a firing squad?"  "What if they
take a second look at the carvings, change their minds, and decide not
to bid?  Or what if we only get one offer--at a rock-bottom price?"

He smiled, placing one of the salvaged ornaments from the old tree so
the charred side wasn't visible.  He'd never seen Annie so unsure of
herself.

"It won't happen.  I've seen your work, remember?  Stop worrying." 
"But it could happen.  And if my carvings sell for peanuts, word will
get around to all the galleries in the southwest."

"You're creating problems based on nothing but wild speculations.

Relax.  "

"Easy for you to say," she muttered.

"Your livelihood isn't on the line."  The phone rang and Annie picked
it up immediately, setting down the half-empty box of ornaments.  The
first bid had come in by phone, establishing a floor for the auction,
but it was much lower than either Luna or she had hoped.

Her heart plummeted but she fought to keep her voice steady as she
thanked Luna for calling.

"I gather the news isn't what you expected?"  Jake asked, noting the
crestfallen look on her face.

"At least we have a bid," Annie said, managing a smile.

"Things could have been worse."

Hearing the doorbell, Jake went to answer it.  Annie continued to
decorate the tree, but her mind was on the auction.

Taking a break, Annie went into the kitchen to make herself a piece of
toast.  She was buttering the bread when Jake led Captain Mora into the
room.

"I thought you'd like to hear this, Annie," Jake said, motioning for
Mora to have a seat.

"We're alone, so you don't have to worry about confidentiality.
Captain.  Martin isn't here, and my brother is out with some of the
hands rounding up the horses before the predicted storm gets here."

Mora sat with them at the kitchen table.

"I'm doing a complete background check on Virgil Lowman and, so far,
I've discovered he has some pretty big problems that could give him a
motive.  It seems he owes three different casinos a great deal of
money.  They've refused to take his bets at their tables, and have had
their collectors pay him a visit."  "This would certainly explain why
he needed cash right now," Jake said.

"If he's been looking for sources of money, I think he's probably
already cleaned out your mother's bank account," Annie said quietly.  '
"That would have been too much of a temptation for him.  He probably
figured nobody would ever find out the money was there, and he'd never
get caught."

Mora stood.

"That's all I've got for you right now, so I better get back to
work."

Jake walked him out but before he returned to the kitchen the phone
rang.  Annie scooped up the receiver in record time.

"We've had a surprise," Luna said.

"Another party, acting through a broker, just made a phenomenal
offer."

He gave her the figure and her heart did a somersault.  It was beyond
anything she'd expected.

"The other bidders haven't countered, so it looks like this will be the
final sale price."

She placed the receiver down, excited and happy.  The moment Jake
returned, she gave him the news.

"It's really flattering to have someone pay that much for my work, but
I can't help but wonder if there isn't something more going on here."

Jake laughed.  "First you were worried about not getting enough money.
Now you're worried because it's too much?"

"I'm happy but" -Annie suddenly sucked in a sharp breath.  It felt as
if her stomach had hardened into a rock.  Then, slowly, the pressure
and tightening eased, spreading downward before finally going away.

She seated herself slowly in one of the kitchen chairs.

"What?  Are you all right?"  he asked quickly.

"Yes," she managed to answer in a shaky voice.

"But I think I better call Elsie.  I should have seen her yesterday,
but I didn't get around to it."

"I'll call her right now," Jake said, picking up the phone.

an hour later Annie sat with Elsie in her bedroom.  Her blood pressure
had been taken, the baby's heartbeat was strong, and everything was
proceeding well.

"You're having more of these Braxton-Hicks contractions because you're
so close to term.  Some can be very uncomfortable, but they're helping
your body prepare for labor.  Just're member, you're due anytime now,
and if you get more than four per hour, it's time to call the troops.
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, too, so keep the number where 1 can be
reached handy."

"I will."  "Is the baby quiet right now?"

Annie nodded.  "Then take advantage of it and get some sleep.  You need
to start being good to yourself."

Annie fell asleep shortly after Elsie left.  She'd meant to make it
only a short nap, but it was ten-thirty at night when she finally woke
up. As an idea for a new carving formed in her mind, she decided to go
to her studio to sketch it out.

As Annie walked down the hall, she noticed the light was on in her
studio.  Peering inside, she saw Jake sitting on the easy chair by the
window, going through some papers.  A warm fire was burning in the
homo-style fireplace in the corner.

"Is everything all right?"  she asked, moving to her carving desk.

"Yes, but I was worried about you," he said, standing and going to join
her.

"I had a feeling you'd come here the moment you woke up, so I decided
to stick around."

"I woke up with an idea for my next carving," she said, and began
sketching it out on paper.  The figure of a mother breast-feeding her
child materialized slowly on the paper as she gave it life.

"That's going to be beautiful," he said as she placed the pencil down
on the pad.

She leaned back and tried to stretch, but her muscles protested.  She
forced herself to take a deep breath.

"Is it happening again?"

"It's not a contraction this time.  My muscles are sore,

that's all.  It would help to take a warm bath, but my weight makes me
clumsy these days.  "

"Let me help you, then."  Seeing her hesitate, he added, "Annie, I'll
just be there for you, nothing more."

Temptation spiraled through her.  His gentle hands on her, the warmth
of the water.  She could envision it all so clearly.

"Annie, let me do this for you," he insisted gently.

She wanted to stand firm, but the tenderness in his voice and her
imagination made his offer irresistible.

"All right," she whispered.

Jake led her gently to her bathroom.  Then, while the tub was filling,
he began to undress her.  She didn't protest, allowing him to take
over. Within a few minutes, she stood naked in front of him.

"Look at me," he said, tilting her chin upward until she met his
gaze.

"You have a beautiful, feminine body.  Don't be embarrassed," he said,
then helped her ease down into the tub.

Enveloped in the water, and bare to his gaze, she felt more vulnerable
than she ever had.  He knelt by the side of the tub, dipped his hands
into the warm water, then moistened her shoulders, allowing the water
to trickle down her body.  He caressed her gently, asking nothing, and
was rewarded by her soft sigh.

His touch was like magic, soothing her body and easing all her soreness
away.  Jake smoothed his wet palms over her breasts, then over the
swell of her stomach, then moved lower, parting her legs.  His touch
was gentle, eliciting a slow fire that never pushed her over the edge,
but led her gently toward it and kept her there.

"Don't stop," she whispered.

The water enveloped her in a gentle blanket; when he broached her body,
she felt as though she were being rocked in a river of pleasure.  Her
body yielded to the exquisite sensations cascading through her until
she came apart under his touch.

"I love the way you respond to me, sweetheart.  When you sigh my name
that way, you make me feel like one hell of a man."

She opened her eyes.

"You are."

He kissed her then, long, slow, and deep.

"What you need now is gentleness and love.  I'm not asking you for
promises, nor am I making you any that you aren't ready to accept. Just
let me be what you need right now."

Her heart ached with love.

"Then don't go.  Just hold me," she murmured.  As she stepped out of
the tub, he dried her off, then took her back to bed.  He placed the
covers over her, then lay behind her, his arms securely around her
until she fell asleep.

the morning sun was shining brightly when she woke up.  She looked
around but Jake was gone.  Now, in the clear light of day, everything
they'd shared last night seemed more like a wonderful dream than
reality.  Perhaps it was a little of the magic of the season.  It was,
after all, Christmas Eve.

Annie dressed and, as she entered the kitchen a while later, saw
Jake.

She was about to greet him when the phone began to ring.  She picked it
up and, after hearing the caller's name, handed the receiver to him.

"It's Iris, for you."

Jake set his coffee cup down and took the phone.  He listened for
several moments, then spoke.

"Where do you want to meet?"  He hung up and looked over at Annie.

"Iris wants to meet me alone by the crossroads at the north end of the
pueblo," he said.

"She sounds really frightened about something, but she wouldn't tell me
what's going on."  Jake grabbed his coat from the rack.

"I better go.  It shouldn't take me long but, in the meantime, make
sure Martin or Nick can stay here with you."

"Nick is working," she said, looking out the window, 'but Martin is
just directing traffic and giving advice because of his burned hands.

I'll ask him to come inside for a while.  "

"That should do it.  I'll be back as soon as possible."

Intending to heat water for some chamomile tea first, she was pouring
water into the teapot when she heard a knock at the front door.

"I'm coming," she called.

As Annie opened the front door, she saw Virgil Lowman standing there,
his pistol aimed directly at her stomach.

"Don't make a sound," he snapped.

"I know you're alone in the house.

Jake just left and everyone else is by the horse stalls.  Nobody saw me
driving up from the opposite side of the house.  If you call for help,
you'll die before anyone gets here.  "

"What do you want?"  she asked, her voice trembling.

"Come with me."  He shifted behind her, the gun pressed to the small of
her back as he prodded her on.

"My coat," she said.

"Forget it.  Just keep moving."

Quickly placing a letter in the mailbox, he pushed her toward his car
as fast as she could walk.  It was freezing outside, and she held her
arms clutched to herself for warmth.  He'd parked so the vehicle
couldn't be seen from the corrals.

"Don't do this, Virgil.  What can you possibly gain by kidnapping
me?"

she begged.

"I'm about ready to have my baby, and the only thing I can do is slow
you down."

"You've managed to ruin all my plans.  I'd been led to believe that you
were only staying at the ranch because you were broke.  That's why I
was hoping you'd be cashing in your check and getting ready to leave
now that the art auction was over.  But then, this morning I heard
Martin's wife talking to her sister at the bank.  I understand that
you, Martin and the twins stand to inherit a chunk of money if you
stick around for a year.  So now it looks like you're not going
anywhere, after all, and I wasted my money on those stupid carvings."

"You bought my pieces?"

"Like I said, it would have been worth it, if you'd left.  Jake would
have been so distracted I wouldn't have had to worry about him.  He and
his brother would have gone back to their own lives, the ranch would
have closed down, and I would have had a lot less to worry about."

"Is that why you're kidnapping me?  You want to distract Jake?"

"No, it's too late for that.  Right now I just want Jake to do exactly
what I tell him and the only way I can guarantee that, is by taking you
away from him."

"It's not Jake you have to worry about.  Captain Mora knows about you,
too.  Were the bearer bonds the evidence Paul told me about after you
stabbed him?"  she asked, trying to understand what was happening.

Lowman shook his head.  "They're just part of it.  There's more, and
Jake's going to find it for me--that is, if he wants to keep you
alive," Her heart began to hammer against her ribs and she placed her
hand over her stomach.  She couldn't let this happen.  She had to
protect her baby.

"You blackmailed Paul, too, didn't you?"  she asked, stopping in front
of his car, playing for time.

"Saya gave you the diary and trusted in your friendship, but you ended
up betraying her."

"Saya was a beautiful, gentle creature.  If anyone betrayed her, it was
Paul.  All I did was make him pay for the hell he put her through."

"Don't make it sound noble.  You're not fooling anyone.  You knew that
the diary could hamper any attempt Paul made to reconcile with his
sons, and that gave you an advantage you couldn't pass up.  You were
desperate for cash."

"Paul took the only woman I ever loved and treated her like dirt until
the day she died.  He owed me, and I saw to it that he paid.  It's that
simple," he said, pushing her inside the car.

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?  Let's not forget, you even
stole from Saya.  I bet her secret bank account is long gone."

"It wasn't doing anyone any good where it was.  I drew from it for
years.  There wasn't much left when I closed it out.  But it'll be hard
to prove.  I covered my trail well," he said, driving off pueblo land
as fast as he dared.  "But now what?  What else could Paul have hidden
that you fear so much?"  "Paul found out I was the blackmailer, and
then set me up.  He took a couple of photos of me picking up the cash
at the drop site.  Then, once he knew it was me, he took a closer look
at all his business dealings with the bank and discovered that his
bearer bonds were just copies.  He also knew my copier had a flaw he
could trace.  Once he had evidence that tracked it to my office, he
came to me.  He demanded that I pay back all the money I'd stolen and
return Saya's diary to him immediately, or he'd have me arrested."

"But why kill him?  He gave you a chance to make things right."

"I didn't have the money, don't you see?  It was over a hundred
thousand dollars when everything was added up.

He gave me a week to make restitution, but had he given me a year, it
would still have not been enough.  I couldn't borrow money, either.  I
have no collateral.  "

They reached a solitary log cabin in the Santa Fe National Forest an
hour later.  Lowman grabbed a backpack, then forced Annie at gunpoint
to walk through four inches of snow to the cabin.

"Get in," he ordered after unlocking the door.  When she hesitated, he
pushed her inside.  Annie tripped forward, but caught herself before
she hit the wooden floor.

"The lock doesn't look so sturdy," she said, looking back at the
entrance.

"What makes you think I'll stick around here?"

"The lock will hold you.  It's brand new.  The windows have bars on
them, too, a little feature I added to keep teens who come up here in
the summer from breaking in.  And even if you manage to get out, how
far can you walk in your condition?  It's bitterly cold outside,
there's snow on the ground, and there's nothing around for miles.  You
don't even have a coat.  Now give me your shoes and socks, and I'll
leave you some food and coffee from the backpack."

"You can't leave me here, Virgil."  She looked around the one-room
cabin.  There was no bed, just a few pieces of cheap wooden
furniture.

"Can't you see that if anything happens to me or my baby, you'll only
make things worse for yourself?"

He slapped her hard enough to make bright spots of lights dance in
front of her eyes.

"Shoes and socks," he repeated.

She gave them to him, and he dumped the contents of the backpack, a
thermos and a grocery bag, onto the small wooden table.  Fear shot
through her as another contraction began.  Trying to ease the
discomfort, she forced herself to walk in a circle, though the floor
was like ice.

"Jake can't help you," she said.

"He doesn't know where the photos you want are hidden, and neither do
I. This is pointless."

Virgil kept between her and the door, even though they both knew she
couldn't outrun him.

"If he doesn't find them soon, you'll both be dead.  You better hope
that he's willing to put his neck on the line for you."  Lowman slammed
the door in her face, and she could hear him padlocking the door again
from the outside.

"And if he does, will you keep your word and tell him where I am?"  she
shouted.

There was a moment of silence.  "I could lie to you, but I won't.  If I
get what I want, there won't be any evidence against me.  You and Jake
will be the only witnesses, and I know you'll talk.  I can't risk that.
You'll both stay alive only as long as I need you.  Meanwhile, enjoy
your dinner."

As she heard his car pull away, fear gripped her.  She didn't have a
coat and already the temperature was dropping.  She looked around, but
there was no wood for the fireplace or fuel for the single kerosene
lantern.  In desperation, she began rolling some old newspapers up into
tight balls for kindling.  Then, using a small knife she found in the
kitchen drawer, she dismantled one of the two cane chairs to use as
fuel.

Several minutes later, she'd managed to build a small fire.  The
priority at the moment was staying warm.  She then searched through the
food he'd dumped on the table.  There were cold cuts that tasted
peculiar, but not necessarily rancid, and bread.  That, and the fire
would keep her alive for now.  The hot coffee in the thermos was a
blessing.  The liquid warmed her, and she sipped it slowly.

Looking around for a blanket, she went to the old dresser opposite the
fireplace and opened the top drawer.  It was empty except for a small,
leather-bound book.  It looked old and worn but, despite that, had
retained an elegance that spoke of days gone by.  Curious, she opened
it carefully and read a page at random.  It was then Annie realized
she'd found Saya's diary.

The words drew her as she saw into the soul of the woman who'd loved
with all her heart, despite the odds.

No matter how difficult my life becomes, the love I have for my sons
will keep me going and give me the strength I need.  I could have given
in to the cancer that consumes me, but it's for them that I fight and
remain alive.  The children need me.  It's through their mother's love
that they'll grow to see all the possibilities within themselves and
learn to reach out for their dreams, whatever the cost.  I will never
give up, because to do so would be to fail them.

Annie's fear subsided as determination filled her.  She understood
Saya's fierce loyalty to her sons.  As a mother- to-be, she would also
do anything and everything she could for her baby.  Lowman would not
win.

She wasn't going to kid herself.  Her situation was desperate.  It
would take a miracle for Lowman's plan to fail.  But this was Christmas
Eve, a time of miracles.  Holding to that, she built up the fire,
pushing the cold away again and buying herself a little more time.

Chapter Twenty

Iris had parked within sight of several pueblo dwellings.  The woman
was genuinely scared, but Jake couldn't figure out what was going on.

"You're saying that some anonymous caller told you that I was ready to
pin my father's murder on you?  Based on what evidence?  Did the caller
say?"

"All I know is that he said I better figure out a way to convince you I
was innocent, because you were a man with powerful friends who could
make a lot of trouble for me."  "If you know anything about the murder"
-- "That's just it!  I don't.  All I can do is remind you that I cared
about your father, and I would have never harmed a hair on his head."

"Tell me more about this caller," Jake prompted.

"Did you recognize anything about his voice?"

She tried to remember.

"He was speaking real softly and it sounded as if he was holding
something over the mouthpiece.  I could hear other voices close by, but
I couldn't make out anything they were saying."

Jake felt an gnawing uneasiness.  There was something about the
situation that just didn't sit right with him.  It was starting to look
like a diversion, a ruse to get him away from the house.  But why?  The
answer came swiftly, like claws tearing at his heart--Annie.

He ran back to the truck, not bothering to explain himself to Iris, and
raced back to the ranch.  Bursting through the front door, he called
out to Annie, but got no reply.

His gut knotted with fear as he raced through the house, searching and
trying to shut out the instinct that warned him that he was too late.

Annie's coat still hung in the entryway, but she was nowhere to be
found.

Getting Nick and Martin's help, they searched everywhere, including the
outside buildings, without success.  "There are fresh vehicle tracks
outside, but we had several workmen come through today," Martin said.

"Let's not jump to conclusions.  We have no reason to believe she's in
danger," Nick said.

"She is.  I feel it in my gut, brother.  We have to find her.  Get the
wranglers together and go talk to everyone in the pueblo.  Find out if
anyone saw or heard anything that could give us a lead."

"I'll call Captain Mora," Martin said.

"We need to get him involved as soon as possible."

Jake knew with every shred of instinct he possessed that Lowman had
taken Annie.  But where?  And why hadn't Lowman made his demands known
by now?

As Nick reached for his coat, Martin came in, holding an envelope.

"I

checked the mailbox on a hunch and found this.  It's addressed to you,
Jake.  "

Jake opened it and found a typewritten note.  He read it aloud.

"" Annie will be dead by midnight tomorrow unless you deliver all the
copies of the bearer bonds taken from Paul's safe-deposit box.  I also
want the packet I know Paul hid in the house.  It'll contain a
photograph, among other things.  You or Nick are the only ones capable
of finding that evidence.  Do it now and get ready to drop it off at a
designated time and place, along with fifty-thousand dollars cash. 
I'll be in touch.  "" Martin looked at Jake and Nick.

"Do you two know where Paul hid those things?"

Nick shook his head and looked at Jake, who shrugged.

"I haven't got a clue where that stuff is," Jake said, "but we can't
let the kidnapper know that.  Virgil Lowman has Annie.  Though he
didn't sign his name on the note, I know that as sure as I know my own
name.

But if I tip my hand and go after him, he may kill Annie.  I have one
chance-and that's to find her myself before he even knows what I'm up
to.  "

"I can go to the bank passing myself off as you, and withdraw all the
money I can," Nick said.

"That'll give you a chance to track down where he hid her."

"Yes.  Wear my clothes and jacket, and make sure Lowman sees you if
he's there.  But don't talk to him if possible.  Martin, get Mora to
help us.  We'll need to make first-class duplicates of the copies
Lowman made.  We're not giving him the real evidence--at least not
right off the bat."

"Where will you start looking for Annie?"  Nick asked.

Before Jake could reply.  Captain Mora came into the room.

"I got Martin's call while I was on the road and came over right away.
My men are looking for Lowman now.  We won't make an arrest, we'll just
tail him.  Maybe he'll lead us to Annie."

"That's a good strategy, but we can't count on it working.  We need
another approach," Jake said, showing him the note and the
instructions.

"If I'm right, Lowman knows we're on to him," Mora said.

"That means he'll lay low until it's time for him to surface and pick
up the evidence."

"Having Nick pose as me might misdirect him and buy me some time."

"It'll work," Mora agreed.

"Most people can't tell you two apart anyway," Mora said.

"But you'll still need to focus your search in the right direction."
"Can you run a fast check for me to see if he owns or is leasing any
other property in this area?"

"I'll go back to my office, log into the main computer's data base, and
let you know.  I'll have an officer check his house, too, though I
doubt he'd be stupid enough to keep her there."

As soon as Mora left, Jake went to the door.

"There's another way of getting that information.  Let's start by
asking the wranglers.  This pueblo has few secrets."

Working as a team, they spoke to the ranch hands.  Finally Rick came
through with the information they needed.

"He's got a cabin up in the Santa Fe forest," Rick told Jake.

"My wife's family leased it to him in trade for a car."  Rick gave him
a hand-drawn map indicating the location of the cabin.

"If you get caught in the storm that's coming, though, you'll have
trouble getting in and out of there.  Those roads, if you can call them
that, are tough to navigate if there's more than a light dusting of
snow on the ground."

Jake grabbed his jacket and Annie's, and had started toward the door
when Nick called him back.

"You'll need to wear my down coat.  I'll take your leather jacket."

"You're right," Jake said quickly.

"Remember to stay high profile.  Let Lowman think we're doing exactly
what he wants."

"Let me go with you," Martin said to Jake.

"I can use my right hand now a little and my eyes are perfect."

"No.  I expect Lowman will start watching the ranch house and following
what's happening here.  It's important that things look as normal as
possible.  While I'm gone, call Mora and apprise him of the situation.
See if he can send me some backup.  Then search as best as you can for
the photo Lowman wants.  Who knows, you might get lucky."

Rick pulled a cell phone from out of his jacket.

"Here.  I got this when my wife started driving to Santa Fe every day
to work.  Take it with you now.  It may come in handy."

Martin managed to bring him extra blankets.

"Just in case," he said.

"And there's a rifle in the gun rack inside my truck."  Martin handed
him the keys with his good hand.

"Take it.  My truck's old, but big and reliable, and it has snow tires.
I can't drive it one-handed, anyway.

Nick will have to use your truck if the masquerade is going to work.
"

Jake set out moments later.  The weather was turning decidedly foul,
with the temperature falling by the minute as the gray cloud layer
continued to descend over the valley.  After traveling for forty
minutes, the predicted snowstorm hit with a vengeance.  It would be a
white Christmas.  Hopefully Annie was inside, safe from the cold.

He entered the Santa Fe National Forest with snowflakes rushing at the
windshield in their hypnotic spiral.  By the time he made it to the old
forest road, the snow was coming down hard, and he could barely make
out the path.  He tried calling home to check to see if Mora would be
sending him backup, but the phones had gone down.  He was on his own.

Cursing the storm, Jake continued along the narrow forest track for
what seemed an eternity.  Daylight soon turned to night, then, just as
he was ready to turn back and assume he'd taken the wrong turn, he
noticed an isolated cabin ahead.  It looked deserted except for a tiny
plume of smoke coming from the chimney.  Jake parked the truck behind a
mass of scrub oak, then approached on foot.  Moving silently, he drew
closer and peered through the bars that protected the windows.

In the dim glow within he saw Annie, alone, lying on her side on the
floor beside the fireplace.  The fire had almost gone out.

Fear slammed into him.

"Annie!"  He shouted her name.

She stirred.  "Jake?"  Her voice was weak.

"I'm going to get you out of there.  Hang tight."

"I'm in labor," she managed.

"I need to get to the clinic.  I was so afraid you wouldn't find me,"
she added softly.

Her words wrenched his heart.

"I'm here now, and I'll be inside in a moment."

The padlock was sturdy and refused his best efforts to pry it open.

Trying to break down the door proved futile, as well, no matter how
hard he kicked.

He looked around for tools, then remembered Martin kept a tool box
behind the seat in the truck.  Running back quickly, he found and took
a large screwdriver and hammer, along with Annie's coat.  He ran back
to the cabin and hit the lock with everything he had.  It snapped open
and he burst in the door just as Annie screamed in pain.

She was deathly pale and drenched in sweat, though the cabin was barely
above freezing.  He knelt beside her and brushed her hair back.  "Hang
on, sweetheart.  One way or another, I'll get you to the clinic."

Wrapping the coat around her like a blanket, Jake pulled the cell phone
out of his pocket.

"I'll see if I can get Elsie, and let her know we're on our way."

He dialed the number and, mercifully, got through.  Elsie answered,
though her voice was faint.

"Elsie, talk to me.  I'm bringing in Annie, but it'll take at least a
half hour on these roads.  Is there time?"

"How often are the contractions coming?"

Jake looked down at Annie, who had stopped shivering, and was sitting
upright.  But she looked so frightened.

"How often have the contractions been coming?  Do you have any idea?"

"Every two minutes, or so, I think.  I haven't timed them."

Jake told Elsie, then got another question for Annie.  "Elsie wants to
know if your water has broken?"

"There hasn't been any big gush... All I had was a little trickle early
this morning."  Annie managed to get the words out between breaths.

"Listen carefully, Jake.  The phone keeps going out so I'll make it
fast," Elsie said after hearing Annie's reply.

"We're going to have to come to you.  The baby's due anytime.  Give me
your exact location."

"Oh, God!"  Annie screamed as an unbearable pain pushed through her.

"It's happening now.  I can't..."

"Elsie, you better start talking--fast," Jake said, crouching by Annie.
He quickly gave her the location of the cabin, then the line was
silent.

"Elsie, are you still there?"  Jake's voice rose slightly.  The phone
went dead.  Jake tried the number again twice and got through the
second time.

There was a long moment of silence, then Elsie's transmission came
through again, faintly.

"I lost you, Jake.  It's that way all over the pueblo.  No one can get
hold of anyone else so let me talk fast before the call breaks up
completely.  Annie's probably been in labor since her water broke.  It
doesn't have to be a big gush, but she didn't realize that.  I'll get
the EMTs if I have to walk over and notify them personally.  They
should be able to reach the cabin within a half hour."

"What do I do now?"

"Stay calm, and try to keep Annie calm.  Remind her to breathe through
the contractions, she knows how.  Things will get really intense as she
completes the dilation stage, then she'll start to push the baby out.
That's when you'll have to" -The line went dead.  "Elsie?  Elsie?  Are
you there?"  Hitting the redial button, he looked down at Annie, who
was going through another contraction, trying not to cry out in pain.

"Hang on, Annie, help is on the way.  I'll run out to the truck and get
some blankets to make you comfortable."  Jake stood and hesitated,
reluctant to be separated from the woman he loved for even a minute.

"Go now, while you can," she breathed.

"But please come back right away.  I need you, Jake."

"I'll always be here for you, Annie," Jake said, reaching down to touch
her cheek.

"And for your baby."

He ran out of the cabin, and returned with the blankets a few seconds
later.  He quickly prepared a warm spot for her on the floor, then
tossed the remains of a chair into the smoldering fire, along with a
newspaper he'd found in the truck.  He had to bring the temperature up
in the cabin, or they'd all freeze.

"We'll do this together, Annie.  I'll be your coach."  He took her
hand.

Annie screamed, squeezing his hand tightly.  The contraction seemed to
last forever, but was immediately followed by another.  Jake sat behind
her, supporting Annie as she struggled to breathe through the pain.

"I need to push, Jake.  It's time."

Jake placed his coat behind her, then moved around in front of her.

Annie groaned as if she were being torn asunder, then, a few seconds
later, Jake saw the baby's head.

"The baby's almost here."  Suddenly he saw that the cord had wrapped
around the baby's neck.

"Stop!  Don't push, Annie.  I have to move the cord."

Annie cried out, crazed with fear and pain.

With a gentleness he didn't even know he was capable of, he shifted the
cord away from the baby's neck.

"All right.  Now, Annie, push!"

A few minutes later Jake held the tiny child in his hands, "Annie,
we've got a girl.  A beautiful, breathing, dark-eyed baby girl," he
whispered, covering the infant immediately with a blanket, careful not
to damage the umbilical cord.

Jake tried Elsie's number again and, this time, managed to get through,
though the transmission was filled with static.  Cradling the phone
between his ear and shoulder, he gave Elsie the news, "Jake, the EMTs
are on the way.  Don't worry about the umbilical cord.

They'll take care of that.  Just make sure the baby has a blanket over
her, and give her to Annie," Elsie said, " Don't worry about anything
now--just let nature take its course," Jake handed the baby to Annie as
the sun began streaming through the window, " Merry Christmas, my
loves," he whispered.

As he looked at Annie and the baby, he knew that his heart and soul
were theirs.  Nothing would ever be more precious to him than Annie and
the child he'd help bring into this world.  Lowman was still free, but
no matter what it took, he would find him and make sure nothing ever
threatened Annie and her daughter again.

Chapter Twenty-One

Jake held Annie's hand as the EMTs loaded her and the infant onto a
stretcher.  They'd already cut the cord and wrapped mother and baby in
fresh blankets, "The diary--your mother's diary," Annie said
breathlessly, pointing toward the table, "It doesn't matter now. What's
important is that you two are okay."

"Please," Annie insisted.

"Don't leave it behind.  Finding it may be the only good thing that
came from my being kept here.  Your mother's courage kept me from
giving up hope."

Jake walked over and picked up the diary, then joined the EMTs by the
ambulance.

"I won't spend Christmas Day in the hospital," Annie told Jake as he
sat beside her and the baby in the emergency vehicle.  One of the EMTs,
a friend of Jake's, had agreed to drive back in Martin's truck so Jake
could be with them.

"Elsie will meet us at the house," Annie assured him.

"This was arranged months ago."

"Then let's take the baby home," Jake said, touching the baby's face
lightly.

"Have you thought of a name for her?"

"I can't call her Jake.  How about Jacqueline Noelle?"

"Perfect."

By the time the emergency vehicle delivered its precious cargo to the
ranch, Elsie was waiting.  Signing the release, she took charge.

At Jake's insistence, Annie and the baby were taken to his room.  In
the master bedroom, both mother and child settled down comfortably
after Elsie and Doc had checked them out and pronounced them healthy.

At long last, Elsie stepped out into the hall and called Jake.

"The ladies want you," she said with a smile, then retreated to give
them privacy.

Jake sat on the edge of the bed, watching Annie nurse Jacquie.  There
was so much he wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come.

"I'll never forget today.  You were just wonderful," she whispered.

"We both needed you, and you were there for us.  You risked your life
to come and find us."

Jake knew he had to open his heart to her now.  The time was so
right.

"Annie, I would have risked anything and everything for you.  I love
you and the baby.  You've changed my whole life.  I want us to get
married and I want to adopt Jacqueline.  I want to be her father in all
the ways that matter, and raise her here at the ranch.  This is our
home now and I want us to be real family, Annie."

Holding the baby to her with one hand, she reached out for him.

"That's what I want, too, Jake.  I've never been happier or more in
love."

Jake leaned over and took Annie's mouth in a searing kiss.

"You and Jacquie are the center of my world.  But I've got to go now so
I can make sure you'll both remain safe."

"Lowman?"  she whispered.

"He's still at large, but I intend to change that.  Don't worry.  He'll
never threaten you again,"

A knock at the door interrupted them.  Nick entered the room.

"Congratulations," he said, looking down at the baby who was now
sleeping.  "I hate to take you away now, Jake, but the call telling me
where to make the drop should be coming in as soon as the phone lines
are back up and we need to work out some details."

"Give me a moment here, and then I'll meet you downstairs," he said.

After Nick walked out, Jake reached into his jacket pocket and handed
Annie the diary.

"Keep this here with you for now.  Later, we'll decide what to do about
it.  I need to tell Nick we have it and talk things out with him."

"What will you do?  Will you read it?"

"I don't know.  I've come to terms with the man my father was, but that
process has taken me a long time.  My father always seemed larger than
life to me, but once I began seeing him as just a man, one capable of
mistakes, I realized that I'd judged him too harshly.  My father never
knew how to love.  And, until you came into my life, I was no
different.  But the diary is sure to contain some highly charged
emotional passages and I'm not sure reading it will benefit any of us
now.  I'll need time to sort it out in my head, and Nick will, too.

"Before I go, I'll light a fire in the fireplace inside the nursery,"
he said, gesturing toward the adjoining room.

"Did you know that room served as Nick's and my nursery years ago?  Now
it'll belong to my daughter--and all her brothers and sisters."

She smiled.

"Ready to make new babies so soon?"

He grinned back.

"As soon as you are."  He checked out the kindling someone had brought
up, and opened the glass fireplace doors.

"Be careful," she called, remembering a conversation she'd once had
with Paul.

"Some time ago, your father offered me the use of the master bedroom
and the nursery when the baby arrived.  He was planning to take one of
the other empty rooms.  But I remember him telling me never to try to
light a fire in that fireplace until someone inspected and cleaned it
out.  Apparently, it hadn't been used for years, and he was afraid it
wouldn't be safe."

Jake checked out the masonry and opened the damper to look up the
chimney.

"It seems sound enough."  As he opened the door to the ash clean-out
below the grate, he noticed a large envelope inside.

"Wait a minute.  There's something in here instead of ashes."

Wiping the ashes and soot from the envelope, he brought it out closer
to the light and extracted the contents.  There was a photograph
showing Lowman picking up an envelope, then another showing the
envelope was filled with money.  There was also a sample note typed and
written on Lowman's typewriter and, according to the letter his father
had attached to it, a local private investigator had declared it to be
a match for the type of print found on the blackmail notes.  Last but
not least, was a counterfeit bearer bond sealed in plastic and a nearly
blank sample copy with a minuscule scratch in the corner circled in red
ink.  A note identified that the copy had been taken using Lowman's
copier at the bank and proved that the bearer bonds had been copied on
that machine.

"It's all here, the evidence Dad spoke about."  Jake silently read the
rest of his father's accompanying letter, then came to sit beside
her.

"Dad gathered all this evidence, then gave Lowman a chance to make
good.  He also told Lowman that I was on my way and the information
would be mine then.  Lowman must have decided to kill him before I
arrived, and take his chances with me."

"That matches what Lowman told me.  He never expected to let either one
of us live."

He nodded.

"I figured that.  I was just praying I could find you in time.  Now we
have more than enough to get Lowman sent to prison for a very long
time.  As soon as Mora gets in touch with us, I'll turn this over to
him."

"Your father was a smart man but he took an enormous gamble putting the
evidence in that fireplace clean-out."

Jake smiled.

"I know why he did that.  This room held special memories for him, and
with your baby on its way, he saw it as a place where the past could
finally yield to the future.  A new cycle of events would begin here
and mark a new era for the Black Ravens.  He wanted us together, you
know.  I think, somehow, he knew that we'd both end up here one day.
All in all, the nursery was a very appropriate place to hide the
packet."

Assured that there were no more hidden surprises, Jake started a
fire.

Then, after giving Annie and the baby a kiss, he went downstairs to
meet with his brother.

hours had passed, and it was already midmorning, yet they'd still heard
nothing from Lowman.  Nick was pacing by the phone when Jake entered
the study with his third cup of coffee.

"The phone's finally working again," Nick said.  "I just tested it and
got a dial tone.  I called Mora and he said that the roads are closed.
There's no way Lowman can go to check to see if Annie's still at the
cabin or not."

"Good.  That'll give us a big advantage."  Jake's voice was filled with
deadly intent.  As he took a sip of coffee, the phone rang.

Jake picked it up, immediately going ahead with his plan to protest
Annie's abduction, and insist that she be released.  Lowman would
expect this, and he didn't want the banker to even suspect that Annie
and the baby had been rescued.

After a minute, pretending to calm down, Jake listened as Lowman tried
unsuccessfully to disguise his voice while giving him instructions.
When Jake finally placed the receiver down, he could barely contain the
disgust he felt.

"He wants me to drop the evidence in the trash can beside the school
near the west end of the plaza.  He's given me thirty minutes to get
there, to make allowances for the crowds."

"The sun's out and it's clearing up, so the Matachines Dance will be
getting under way soon.  Between the dancers, the pueblo residents, and
whatever tourists have managed to brave the weather, it's going to be
difficult to do anything," Nick said.

"Everyone comes to the Christmas Day dance."

"I'm going to have Martin, Rick, and the other hands available guard
the ranch," Jake said.

"But I still need your help, brother.  I'd like you to pose as me one
more time and make the drop."

"Why?"  "I want to be the one who moves in on this man.  I owe him for
more than the death of our father."

"All right, but we better coordinate things with Mora so we don't all
trip over each other."

After getting the tribal police captain on the phone again, Jake filled
him in, bringing him up to date, and then explained his plan to catch
Lowman.

"I like it.  Let's go with it."  "Do you have what my brother needs to
take to the drop site?"  Jake asked.

"Yes, and I've had everything covered with a substance that will leave
an ultraviolet stain on Lowman's hands.  It'll be the icing on the cake
when we bring him in."

"All right," Jake said.

"Then we're all set.  Nick will make the drop and leave the area.  I'll
monitor the drop site while you watch my brother's back."

"My men will have to be on duty elsewhere today.

There's only four of us to keep track of all the tourists and the
villagers, so we'll be on our own with this.  I wish there was time to
call in for reinforcements, but there isn't.  "

"Then we'll handle it," Jake said confidently.  As long as Annie was
here safe with the baby, he wasn't in the least bit worried about his
ability to handle a weasel such as Lowman.

"Just make sure you don't move in on Lowman until I give you the word,
Jake," Mora warned.

"We want to wait until he's away from the plaza.  I don't want any
innocent bystanders to end up hurt because they were in the wrong place
at the wrong time."

jake watched nick work his way through the crowd to make the drop.  His
brother kept his cool, even as the pueblo dancers came out.  They moved
in formation, the sounds of their rattles adding a rich vibrancy to the
accompaniment of the drums and guitars.

By now, there were so many people in the way it was nearly impossible
for Jake to follow his brother's progress to the drop site.  Jake was
circling slowly, his cowboy hat low on his face, when he saw a woman
approach Nick.  Listening carefully, he heard her ask him about Annie's
new baby girl.  A cold chill suddenly enveloped Jake.  He should have
known the secret would have been impossible to keep, particularly after
the EMT rescue unit had been in.  Even the weather couldn't stop gossip
here on the pueblo.  Worst of all, if the word was out, then Lowman
would soon learn that Annie had been rescued--that is, if he didn't
know already.  Time was running out for all of them.

Nick made the drop, then moved back to join the crowd.  He had almost
reached the gathering when the dancers fired blanks from a rifle,
symbolically killing the figure who rep resented evil.  The crowd
cheered and, as the dance came to an end, one of the masked dancers
approached Nick.

Nick stiffened slightly and, sensing trouble, Jake edged closer.  Nick
was being prodded back toward the drop site.  With people milling
around, talking and greeting each other, no one paid any attention to
the two men.  Lowman had again resorted to a disguise to get close, and
Jake cursed himself for not thinking one step ahead, As Nick picked up
the pouch containing the documents, Jake spotted the small handgun
pressed into Nick's back, Jake edged even closer, wondering where Mora
was, then saw him creeping up from the left.

"Just keep doing as I say, Jake," Lowman said to Nick, unaware that
he'd taken the wrong captive, "I'm not using blanks, and plenty of
innocent people could get hurt if you try something stupid."

Suddenly a loud explosion rocked the ground.  People screamed and, in
the distance, flames and flying debris blew out the windows of the bank
at the north end of the plaza.

Some of the people rushed toward the bank, ready to help put out the
fire before it could spread.  The rest of the crowd went in the
opposite direction, leaving the plaza as quickly as they could.

Suspecting the explosion was only a diversion, Jake narrowed the gap
between him and his brother, preparing to make his move against Lowman.
Just then Captain Mora stepped out from behind a border wall and aimed
a high kick at Lowman's ribs, knocking him away from Nick.

As the banker fell to the ground, he fired a shot at Mora.  The officer
grunted, taking the hit to his stomach and staggering back.  Nick and
Jake both tried to reach Lowman, but the banker whirled around with his
pistol and the brothers were forced to dive for cover.

Lowman snatched Mora's keys from his belt and ran,

turning to fire a shot at Jake, who was just scrambling to his feet.

As Jake hit the ground and rolled, the bullet struck the wall behind
him, By the time Jake was able to resume the chase, Lowman was climbing
into Mora' spolice utility vehicle, which was parked in the plaza.

Jake knew he'd never catch the banker on foot now, Seeing the direction
Lowman was heading, Jake felt his blood turn to ice.

"Get help for Mora," he shouted to Nick, who was examining the downed
cop.

"Lowman's going to the ranch, and I've got to stop him.  I think he
plans to use Annie and the baby as hostages because the road conditions
won't let him make a quick getaway," "Having a cop car will help him
get' close without rousing Martin's suspicions, too," Nick yelled,
reaching for his cell phone, then muttering an oath.

"I can't get through.  The storm" -- "Keep trying.  Use Mora's
hand-held radio and call in help, but find a way to warn Martin."

Jake raced back to Martin's truck across the snow, his heart pounding
against his sides.  Fear, black and as cold as the winter wind, slammed
into him as he thought of Annie and Jacqueline in mortal danger.

A minute later he reached the truck.  Despite the icy conditions, he
pressed down on the accelerator, determined to protect them at all
costs.  He took a shortcut down an old farm road, hoping to beat Lowman
to the ranch, but Virgil Lowman knew the terrain as well as he did.

And the man was desperate by now.  Trying to burn down the bank to
destroy evidence was ample proof of that.

Jake pushed the truck for all the speed it could muster, though the
back fishtailed wildly in the wet snow.  In the distance he could see
the police vehicle Lowman had taken.

At long last, Jake skidded to a stop in the driveway beside the main
house.  Lowman had arrived just ahead of him.  The lights of the police
cruiser were still flashing and the engine was running.  Grabbing
Martin's rifle from the rack, Jake moved toward the house.  He'd grown
up with guns on the ranch, but he'd never thought of pointing one at a
human--until now.

As he drew near, careful to remain behind cover, he saw Lowman smash
the study window with his gloved fist.  Jake brought his rifle up, but
then he caught a glimpse of Annie inside.  She didn't have the baby in
her arms; she was holding something else, but he could hear Jacquie's
wails clearly even from where he was.

Knowing that there was no way he could shoot in the direction of the
house and not risk having the high-powered bullet penetrate the walls,
he moved to his left for a safer field of fire.  Leaves rustled faintly
beneath his feet.  Suddenly Lowman spun around, gun in hand, and Jake
dove into the bushes.

"I know you're there, Jake," he said, "I can see the mist from your
breath.  Come out from behind cover so I can see you clearly."

"I'm armed, Lowman.  Give it up.  There's no reason for you to die."

He laughed.

"Do as you're told, Jake.  Drop the rifle and come out.  I know there's
no way you'll risk shooting me from where you are, not while I'm right
next to the house."

Jake came out slowly.  He couldn't shoot.  Even if he hit Lowman, the
bullet could pass through him and continue its trajectory through
several walls until it finally lodged somewhere in the house.  And
bullets didn't discriminate.  They could hit walls as easily as they
could hit Annie or the baby.  Lowman had the upper hand and there was
nothing he could do--except, hopefully, divert him away from Annie and
the baby.

Lowman allowed Jake to approach him.

"Call Annie, Jake.  Tell her to come out here."

Jake's smile was deadly.

"Not a chance."

"Then say goodbye to your family," Lowman said, bracing his arm as he
pointed the barrel directly at Jake's heart.

"I'm taking out at least one more Black Raven before I leave, and it
looks like it's going to be you."

"Drop it!"  Annie appeared at the corner of the house, holding one of
Paul's shotguns.

"Put the gun down, and then step away from it."

Her voice was firm, and conveyed the strength of a woman prepared to do
whatever was necessary to protect those she loved.

Jake looked at her with pride and admiration.  Then, as he shifted his
gaze to Lowman, Jake saw the fear in his eyes.  Lowman had seen the
shotgun and knew, as Jake did, that Annie wasn't bluffing.

Lowman put the gun down, following Annie's orders.

Jake picked up Lowman's pistol just as Nick came running around the
side of the house, followed by Rick and Martin.

"What took you so long?"  Jake asked with a crooked smile.

"Better late than never, I always say," Nick answered.

"I'm glad to see you're all okay," Martin said.  Taking the rifle Jake
had set down, he took charge of their prisoner.

Captain Mora pulled up in a police car and stepped out.  Seeing the
surprise on Jake's face, he grinned.

"There's nothing like a bullet-resistant vest.  But it still felt like
being kicked by a mule.

It knocked the wind clear out of me.  "

Mora strode up to Lowman and handcuffed him.

"Your firebomb wasn't as efficient as you'd hoped.  The sprinkler
system you'd neutralized was turned back on, and it put out the fire
within seconds.  You're going away for a long time."

Jake took the shotgun out of Annie's shaking hands.  She hadn't
moved.

"It's okay, now, sweetheart.  It's over."

As the prisoner was taken away, Jake gathered Annie into his arms.  A
hush fell over the desert as he held her, then a gentle breeze rose
from the west carrying the distant sound of many voices raised in Tewa
song.

"It's the start of the new dance, a Tewa prayer for rain and fertility
this coming season.  But we already have our blessings."  He kissed her
for an eternity before easing his hold.

"Let's go see our daughter."

As they entered the house, Elsie came up, holding Jac- quie who was
crying, wanting to be fed.

Annie sat in the easy chair, and Jake brought the baby to her.  With
Annie guiding him, he placed the baby's mouth on Annie's breast and
watched her begin nursing.

His family was together, and finally safe.  This was one Christmas that
would live in their memories forever.

The Native American rites depicted in this novel have been abbreviated
to avoid offending those whose religious beliefs depend on the secrecy
of rituals.  To protect the privacy of individual pueblos, the village
depicted in this story is a fictional composite of the many Tewa
pueblos.

Look for Nick Black Raven's story coming in 2001--only from
Intrigue".