Rivers Recruit (Sanctuary Series Book One)

  Chapter Eight

  Dangerous Secrets

  River ran until she couldn’t see where she was going. Even enhanced vision required some light.

  She and Gabriel had explored every inch of this cavern. There were no bottomless pits or sudden drop offs to worry about. But there were plenty of low spots that would knock her senseless if she ran into one. She slowed to a brisk walk and raised her hands above her head.

  “River?”

  “Go away!” River felt horrible for deserting Jonathan, she knew he didn’t like being underground, but she was too ashamed to face him. Not only had she touched him in the mud pit…she’d kissed him.

  “I’m not leaving without you.”

  Every tunnel eventually led to the surface, or back to the mud pit. Jonathan was in no danger. “Please, just go back to the ranch.”

  “There’s no reason to be embarrassed. Come back and we’ll talk about it.”

  River wrapped her arms around her mid-section and hunched forward, as if that could protect her from the sense of shame assaulting her from every angle. She’d been obsessed with the idea of kissing Jonathan ever since he stumbled into her world. She’d tried to deny her growing attraction, but it had only gotten worse, especially after her encounter with the white wolf. She wanted to do a lot more than just kiss Jonathan. Damn pre-merge fever.

  She must have been so blinded by her own lust that she’d imagined Jonathan felt the same. She could have sworn he wanted to kiss her, he’d even said as much. But he’d turned as cold and stiff as a block of ice the instant her lips touched his.

  River brought a quivering hand to her mouth. Maybe she hadn’t done it correctly. Maybe there was more to kissing than just pressing lips. Or maybe, the only women that initiated physical contact in Jonathan’s world were whores.

  That must be it. Tears spilled out of the corners of River’s eyes as she lowered herself to the ground. Darkness enveloped her like a blanket, but she couldn’t hide from the knowledge of what she’d done. She hugged her knees to her chest and tried to remember how to breathe as her shivering intensified.

  The sound of trickling water meant she was near the spring house. The pool was too shallow to be dangerous, but it stayed cold enough year round to keep milk from souring; even in the middle of the summer. She was already naked, wet and miserable, she didn’t want to go wading in a pool of near-freezing water. But she’d rather do that than risk running into Jonathan.

  She hoped he’d given up and gone home, but he was stubborn enough to wait for her at the mud pit; knowing she’d need to come back for her clothes. What he didn’t know was that she was close to the western exit. It would add an extra mile to the trip, but there was a cleansing pool at the midpoint, so she could warm up.

  River felt her way through the labyrinthine corridors of the cave until the glow from the western exit gave her enough light to see. She ran the rest of the way and didn’t stop until she reached the cleansing pool—out of breath and shivering uncontrollably.

  The hot water stung her skin like a swarm of hornets. A cloud of grey mud spread out from her body, contaminating the pool. It would take at least two days for the hot springs to completely purge the mud, but at least it would be clean again. River wished it could wash away her shame.

  As soon as her shivering stopped, River climbed out of the pool and ran for the house. She’d hoped to make it to her room unseen, but fate wasn’t done punishing her.

  Eli met her at the front door.

  “Well, well, well…what have we here?”

  “Shut up.” River’s shivering returned. The heated porch stones warmed the air, but the way Eli scanned her naked body chilled her to the bone.

  He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door jamb, blocking the entrance. His smirk raised the hair on the back of River’s neck. “Where’s the outsider?”

  River wasn’t about to confess she’d left Jonathan behind. Eli would demand to know why. “Where’s Reuben?”

  “In the smithy, finishing that contraption for your one-handed recruit.” Eli curled his lip, as if he didn’t approve of Reuben’s project.

  River wished Reuben were closer, but he wasn’t the only one capable of putting Eli in his place. “And Gabriel?”

  Eli shrugged. “I imagine he’s at the mud pit.”

  “What?”

  “He was looking for you when I got here. Reuben told him you’d gone to the mud pit with your recruit. He didn’t seem too happy about it.”

  A blue glow flickered behind Eli’s eyes. Apparently, he wasn’t too happy about it either. “Reuben should know better than to let you go anywhere unchaperoned with an outsider. They have no honor.”

  River’s cheeks flushed with heat. She was the one that had acted without honor, not Jonathan.

  The flickering blue light behind Eli’s irises intensified into a steady glow. “Did that filthy outsider touch you?”

  It was dangerous to provoke Eli when his wolf was so close to the surface, but as a trained enforcer, he could tell if River were lying. It was better to keep him on the defensive. “If you’re so concerned about my safety, why is Gabriel the only one searching for me?”

  River held her breath as Eli struggled to subdue his wolf. She hoped she hadn’t pushed him too far.

  He ran a hand through his hair. “Why are you always so bitchy to everyone?”

  “I’m only bitchy to you.” River needed to get inside before she froze to death—or picked another fight with Eli. “Get out of my way…please.”

  “Your eyes are glowing.” Eli cocked his head to the side. “Have you felt the pull of your wolf again?”

  River planted her palms on his chest and shoved him out of her way. “When I do, you’ll be the last to know.”

  Jonathan

  “River? Jonathan? Where are you?”

  As soon as Jonathan heard Gabriel’s voice, he felt as if he’d been saved from drowning. As if someone had thrown him a lifeline.

  “I’m somewhere in the far left tunnel. But I have no idea where River is.”

  “Stay put, I’ll come get you.”

  The welcome glow of a hurricane lantern preceded Gabriel into the tunnel. He stopped right in front of Jonathan and held the lantern next to his face. “Why isn’t River with you?”

  Jonathan stood up and scratched at the dried mud flaking off his skin. “She got mad at me and stomped off deeper into the cave. Do you think she’s lost?”

  “We’ve been playing hide and seek in this cavern since we were kids. She probably took the western exit and is already back at the house.” Gabriel chuckled then turned around and headed back the way he’d come. “Her clothes are still by the mud pit. She must have been pretty mad to leave without getting dressed. What happened?”

  Jonathan didn’t dare tell anyone that River had kissed him, not even Gabriel. He clapped him on the shoulder and shook his head. “To tell you the truth; I have no idea what’s going on in that girl’s head. But you’re right, she’s definitely mad.”

  Gabriel’s grin split his face. He didn’t quit smiling until they arrived at the mud pit. “Why don’t you get cleaned up. There’s a bathing station around the corner. Pa wants to see you in the smithy.”

  Jonathan grabbed his muddy, ragged towel and followed Gabriel’s directions to the bathing station. The premixed water was just the right temperature. It poured out of a wooden trough in a unified stream instead of a shower, but it couldn’t have felt better. He would have loved to spend an hour under its hypnotic flow, but he knew better than to keep Reuben waiting.

  Jonathan had never been inside the blacksmith shop when Reuben was working so he wasn’t prepared for the blast of heat that sucked the air out of his lungs when he opened the door. The geothermally heated boiler in the back corner whistled and groaned, rattling the pipes. Jonathan wondered if Reuben ever inspected his equipment. There were no gauges to measure the pressure inside the boiler. If a rivet popped off, it would
be like firing a rifle in close quarters.

  The place looked like a steam-punk nightmare; an accident waiting to happen; but its ingenuity amazed Jonathan. Every metal tool, nail, hinge, bolt and spring used on the ranch was made in this primitive shop. But where had the boiler and pipes come from? It was a chicken and egg conundrum. The boiler powered everything, including the squirrel cage fan blowing a steady stream of air across a bed of glowing coals. An even larger fan super-heated the fire inside a clay furnace. The light from its open door stung Jonathan’s eyes.

  Reuben pulled a glowing bar of iron out of the coal bed and pummeled it with his hammer. The clang of metal on metal accented the roar of the furnace. Reuben slid the bar of iron to the end of his anvil and hammered it against the curved point. Sweat ran down his bare chest, staining the bib of his leather apron.

  Jonathan shrugged out of his coat and waited for Reuben to finish what he was doing. The last thing he wanted to do was cause an accident.

  Reuben turned around and plunged the horseshoe into a barrel of water, sending a plume of steam into the already sweltering shop.

  The network of scars criss-crossing Reuben’s back sent a chill down Jonathan’s spine. He averted his gaze. Jonathan didn’t like it when people stared at his stump or the jagged scar that ran from his left armpit down his side and over his hip. But that was nothing compared to the puckered flesh on Reuben’s back.

  “Come on in, but don’t touch anything.” Reuben never looked up, so he must have known Jonathan was there all along. The man had a sixth sense when it came to being aware of his surroundings. He would have made a great soldier.

  “Gabriel said you wanted to see me.”

  “I do.” Reuben’s muscles bulged as he cranked a metal wheel on the boiler. A cloud of steam shot out of the top. The fan’s blades slowed. The coals dimmed. The roar of the furnace faded. Reuben was shutting down the shop. Jonathan’s stomach twisted into a knot. Was he in trouble?

  “I didn’t mean to interrupt your work.”

  “Come with me.” Reuben got dressed then led Jonathan back to the house and into his office. He didn’t say a word until he sat down behind his desk. “Close the door and take a seat.”

  Jonathan grabbed a three-legged stool out of the corner of the room. Sweat peppered his upper lip and dampened his brow. He was definitely in trouble, but what had he done? There was no way Reuben knew that River had kissed him—unless she’d stopped by the shop and told him after running out of the cave. Shit.

  Reuben leaned to the side and opened a drawer. “I’ve been working on something that might make life a little easier for you.”

  Jonathan arched his eyebrows. “Okay.”

  Reuben set a cloth bag on his desk and grinned like a kid on Christmas morning. “Go ahead, open it.”

  Jonathan held the bag still with his stump and untied the drawstring. His throat tightened when he realized what was inside, making it hard to speak. “It’s a prosthesis.”

  “River told me about the wonderful device you had when she first met you. I’m sure this thing is primitive in comparison.”

  When compared to his robotic iHand, it was definitely primitive, but the design was still ingenious. Jonathan traced one of the sinews from the top of the shoulder harness down through a maze of tiny levers, springs and pulleys to the three-pronged, gold-plated pincer. He tugged on the sinew and watched in amazement as the pincer closed. “This is amazing. I don’t know what to say.”

  Reuben leaned back in his chair and cleared his throat. “It should help you get your chores done a little faster.”

  “I’m sure it will.” Jonathan turned it over to get a better look at the mechanics. Sunlight struck the polished surface of the pincer, shooting golden sparks across the walls and ceiling. “I hope I don’t scratch the gold plating.”

  Reuben laughed and rolled his eyes. “What makes you think it’s gold-plated.”

  “I know what gold looks like.” Jonathan set it down on the desk and stroked the metal with his fingertips. “The McKnights have been miners for generations.”

  Reuben lowered his voice and spoke through clenched teeth. “Do not mention your family.”

  Shula had given Jonathan the same warning. “Why not?”

  “There are people in our society that hate the McKnights. If they find out you’re here, your life won’t be worth much.”

  “Why? What did my family ever do to you guys?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “I’m smarter than I look.”

  Reuben frowned as he fought some kind of internal debate. But then he blinked and switched the conversation back to the discussion of gold as if the topic of Jonathan’s family had never come up. “Plating technology requires electricity. Have you seen any electrical appliances since your arrival?”

  Jonathan knew he wouldn’t get any more information about the McKnights from Reuben. He’d ask River about it later…if they were still on speaking terms.

  “Okay then, if it’s not gold-plated, it must be gold-leafed.”

  Reuben smirked and shook his head.

  “No way!” Jonathan hefted the device and guessed its weight to be somewhere between eighteen and twenty-four ounces. He cocked his head to the side. At nearly two thousand dollars per ounce that would be…“Holy sh—”

  Reuben leaned forward and placed both hands on the surface of his desk, spreading his fingers.

  Gabriel’s warning about swearing sprang to the front of Jonathan’s mind. “I mean…wow.”

  Reuben nodded once then leaned back in his chair. “Gold isn’t as hard to come by as you might think. And it’s a lot easier to work with than iron.”

  “But isn’t solid gold too soft?”

  “I have a certain…knack with all metals.” Reuben smiled. “You aren’t going to damage the device.”

  “How did you figure this out?”

  “You can thank Eli for that.”

  “Eli?” Jonathan had a hard time believing Eli would do anything to help him. Not without some ulterior motive.

  “He drew out a schematic and explained it to me. The boy has a knack for all things mechanical. Take off your tunic and let me help you put it on.”

  Jonathan forced a smile. He didn’t want to owe Eli any favors, but this wasn’t Eli’s gift, it was Reuben’s—and Jonathan did not want to piss off the man that held his fate in his hands. “If you don’t mind, that would be great.”

  “If I minded, I wouldn’t have offered.”

  Heat blazed across Jonathan’s cheeks. He handed the priceless prosthetic back to Reuben and removed his shirt.

  Even with Reuben’s help, it still took a good ten minutes to get the harness strapped on and fitted correctly. The device opened automatically when Jonathan extended his arm and closed when he pulled back.

  “Eli added some rather ingenious features. Would you like me to show you?” Reuben reached across the desk with his hand palm up and raised his eyebrows.

  “I’m not used to this thing yet. I could accidentally pinch you.”

  Reuben smirked at him. “I’ll be careful. Extend your arm.”

  Reuben pushed a tiny pin on the side of the device. “Now pull your arm back in.”

  The pincer remained open, locked in place by the pin.

  “Spend a few days getting used to it and then we can make some adjustments to fine tune it.” Reuben stood up, gripped Jonathan’s shoulder and gave it a brief squeeze. “River would like to speak with you before you retire. She’s in her room.”

  Jonathan cleared his throat, but his voice still sounded rough. “Thanks. And uh…tell Eli I’m grateful.”

  Reuben laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back in his chair. “Tell him yourself.”

  Jonathan knocked on River’s door.

  “Come in.” She was sitting on her bed, one foot on the ground, the other tucked under her knee. She’d taken off her vest and unbraided her hair, but she still had her shirt and pants
on. She wiped her palms on her thighs and chewed her lower lip. The air crackled with tension.

  The harness attached to Jonathan’s new prosthesis dug into his shoulder as he hid the device behind his back. For some reason, he felt self-conscious about River seeing it, as if she didn’t already know he was missing a hand. “Reuben said you wanted to talk to me.”

  River nodded, but didn’t say anything.

  Jonathan leaned against the door and waited.

  “I’m sorry, I—” They both spoke at the same time, then grinned. After a couple more false starts, Jonathan inclined his head. “Ladies first.”

  “I shouldn’t have…” River bit her lip and inhaled, holding her breath.

  “Kissed me?” Jonathan finished the sentence for her so she could breathe.

  River’s shoulders slumped as she exhaled. “Yes.”

  “Is it okay if I sit down?” Jonathan pointed at River’s bed. It was either that or the hard, stone floor, since the only other furniture in the room was a six drawer dresser.

  She scooted over.

  It would be too awkward to try to keep his prosthesis hidden so Jonathan let his left arm hang naturally as he sat down.

  River grinned. “I see Reuben finally finished your golden claw.”

  Jonathan held it out in front of him. “You knew about this?”

  She nodded. “I made the leather cuff.”

  “Oh. Um…thanks.” Jonathan swallowed around the lump in his throat. “I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  Jonathan didn’t want to get all emo in front of River, so he changed the subject. “What happened to Reuben’s back?”

  River’s eyebrows shot up. “You mean the scars?”

  “Yeah. He wasn’t wearing a shirt in the blacksmith shop. I couldn’t help but notice.”

  “It happened before I was born. Reuben and Shula are full-blood siblings and their mother’s only children. When she died, their father refused to leave his newest concubine’s bed to attend her funeral. She’d been his alpha mate for…a very long time; so the insult was real.” River picked at the wool on her buffalo hide. “Shula ran away. She was gone for three months before the enforcers found her.”

  “I thought the punishment for escaping was death.”

  “It is. But her father is a very powerful man. He blamed her treason on temporary insanity due to grief and ordered she be whipped instead.”

  “So, the rules can be bent.”

  “Not for everyone. Not for me. And certainly not for you. If we break the law; we’ll be given the most severe punishment allowed.”

  “That still doesn’t explain Reuben’s scars.”

  “I was getting to that.”

  “Sorry.” Jonathan flashed his trademark smile of contrition. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. Go ahead.”

  “Reuben volunteered to stand in as proxy and took Shula’s punishment.”

  “You can do that?”

  River nodded. “It doesn’t happen very often. Most people don’t have the courage it takes to sacrifice so much. Reuben will bear Shula’s scars for the rest of his life.”

  They were both quiet. Lost in their own thoughts. Jonathan was the first to break the silence. “We need to talk about what happened back at the mud pit. I know kissing me was against the rules, but as long as no one finds out, we’re okay, right?”

  River nodded, but refused to meet his gaze.

  “I haven’t told anyone, have you?”

  River shook her head.

  “What else is bothering you?” Jonathan bumped her shoulder with his. “Am I that bad of a kisser?”

  She picked up her pillow and hugged it to her chest—then turned her head away from him and shrugged.

  Jonathan was only trying to lighten the mood. He didn’t expect her to agree with him. “Well, to be fair, you sort of took me by surprise.”

  River buried her face in her pillow, muffling her words. “You didn’t even try to kiss me back.”

  Ah, there it was. Jonathan tugged the pillow away from her face. He brushed a strand of hair off her forehead and tucked it behind her ear. It slipped through his fingers like silk. He wished she’d wear it unbraided all the time. “I wanted to kiss you back, but you pushed me away before I had a chance.”

  She lifted her gaze to his and leaned closer. Her warm breath caressed his face. She was so close he could almost taste her. “So, you don’t think I’m a whore?”

  “Of course not.” Jonathan had been fighting his feelings for River since the day they met, he couldn’t do it any longer. “Even when you’re fully dressed, all I do is think about what it would feel like to hold you next to me, to touch your face and run my fingers through your hair.” He cupped the back of her head and touched his forehead to hers. “I want to kiss you so much it hurts. And when you’re naked, I want to do a lot more than just kiss you.”

  “I want to do more than just kiss you, too.” The tip of her tongue peeked out between her lips. “I won’t push you away again.”

  Jonathan groaned. “You can’t say things like that.”

  “Why not? It’s true.”

  “If it were just my neck, I’d risk it. But I care about you too much to put you in danger.”

  “You care about me?” River’s voice rose in pitch. She blinked three times then lifted her chin and gazed into his eyes.

  “Of course I care about you.” Jonathan’s throat tightened as he realized the truth of his words. This wasn’t just a physical attraction anymore. It wasn’t a game. Or even a strategy to persuade her to leave with him so he wouldn’t have to kidnap her. He closed his eyes and rocked back and forth. Please don’t make me kidnap you.

  When he opened his eyes, River was right there, staring at him with glowing, purple eyes. This wasn’t just a faint glimmer, like it was in the cave. This was a definite glow. Why wasn’t it freaking him out? The longer he gazed into her strange, glorious eyes, the weaker his resistance became. Maybe she really was an angel.

  “I care about you, too. Kiss me. Please.”

  Or a devil. Jonathan wove his fingers through River’s hair as he cupped the back of her head. He knew kissing her was against the rules. Kissing her in her room, on her bed, with Reuben just down the hall was reckless, stupid and dangerous.

  But he did it anyway.

  River

  River’s eyes opened wider as Jonathan’s drifted shut.

  He tilted his head to the side and brushed his lips against hers. The kiss was softer than a butterfly’s wings but River felt it all the way to her toes. She closed her eyes and tried to catch her breath as her heart tried to pound its way out of her chest. “Wow.”

  “Was that better?”

  River ducked her head and hid behind the curtain of her hair as she peeked at Jonathan. His smile displayed his dimples, but desire burned in his eyes.

  The bed shook as a tremor coursed through River’s body. She lifted her chin and met his gaze.

  Jonathan’s grin slid off his face. “Your eyes…”

  River squeezed them shut. She didn’t have to ask to know that they were glowing with pre-merge fever again. At least she hoped it was pre-merge. She and Jonathan had made a lot of progress, but she doubted he was ready to mate with her.

  Jonathan gripped her chin between his thumb and fingers. “Open your eyes.”

  River blinked and looked at Jonathan.

  He tilted his head to the left. “I’ve seen Reuben’s eyes flash yellow and Eli’s blue. What’s going on? And don’t say ‘nothing.’ I’m not stupid.”

  “I can’t tell you.” She dipped her chin and stared at her hands.

  “You can tell me anything.” Jonathan stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Your secrets are safe with me.”

  As Jonathan’s sponsor, it was River’s responsibility to decide when he was ready to learn the secrets of New Eden and in what order. Some secrets were easier to accept than others. If a
new recruit were bombarded with too much information too soon, it could damage them psychologically. Sometimes making them unstable and dangerous to the point that the recruit had to be put down.

  That’s why no one was allowed to tell a recruit anything they didn’t already know without their sponsor’s permission.

  It was like training a wild horse. You could starve it and beat it into submission, destroying its spirit, leaving you with a broken and resentful animal that only obeys out of fear. Or you could gain its trust day by day. Introduce new things slowly and in a logical progression that prepares the animal for the next step. And never move to the next step until the previous one has been fully accepted.

  Jonathan cupped River’s cheek with his palm, then frowned and moved it to her forehead. “You’re a little feverish. This weird eye flashing thing isn’t caused by some strange disease, is it?”

  River wanted to answer Jonathan’s questions, but she didn’t want to destroy the trust they’d built.

  “Don’t worry, I’m not contagious.”

  “I’m only worried about you.” Jonathan kissed her again. A little longer this time, as if to prove he wasn’t afraid of catching her illness.

  That was her answer. “It’s a symptom of the fever.”

  “The kind of fever you had back at the quarantine cabin?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “You could kiss me again.”

  “I want to, believe me. But Reuben knows I’m in here. What are the consequences if we get caught?”

  “Not good.” River closed her eyes and waited until the burning sensation disappeared to open them.

  “Your eyes are normal again.”

  “It comes and goes. It’s nothing to worry about, I promise.”

  “You’re sure?”

  River nodded. “You’d better go on to bed.”

  Jonathan kissed her forehead then stood up. He paused in the doorway and looked over his shoulder. “Sweet dreams.”

  River waited until the door clicked shut then covered her face with her pillow and squealed. It didn’t seem like the right response but she couldn’t help it. When she finally got herself under control, she fell back on her bed and traced her lips with her finger. “Wow.”

  Two weeks later, dark purple, yellow and green patches still encircled both of Jonathan’s eyes. His nose was slightly crooked and now had a permanent bump across the bridge. But it only made him more attractive.

  River’s feelings for Jonathan grew more intense every day. Just the sight of him turned her joints to water. But they had to be careful. Eli was still trying to court her. If he found out what was going on, he’d take it personally. And that could only mean trouble.

  They couldn’t completely avoid each other. Jonathan was River’s responsibility. If she suddenly ignored him, it would look suspicious. So they kept the gazes full of longing and the accidental touches as they passed to a minimum and pretended to be nothing more than friends—until the next full moon.

  Shifters could release their wolves anytime, day or night, but they had no choice when the moon was full. Reuben, Shula and Eli would be out, running with Reuben’s pack, from sunset to sunrise. Quarantine or not.

  Jonathan

  River stood in Jonathan’s room—naked in the moonlight—an apple in her outstretched hand. Her dark chocolate hair flowed over her shoulders in soft waves, covering her breasts. “It’s your choice. What do you want? Me…or the fruit?”

  Jonathan’s mouth watered. He wanted both, but his hunger for River devoured every other appetite. “I choose you.”

  “Who are you choosing?” River’s breath tickled Jonathan’s cheek.

  His eyes flew open.

  River was really in his room—fully clothed—leaning over him and smiling.

  Jonathan sat up and shoved his pillow into his lap. He’d had the same dream, with the same frustrating results, every night for the past two weeks; ever since he’d kissed River in her bedroom.

  He always chose River in his dream, but he always woke up before he got to enjoy the benefits of that choice. And if that weren’t bad enough, he woke up craving fresh apples.

  “Hey, River, what’s up?” Besides me?

  She pressed her index finger against her lips and nodded towards Gabriel’s bed. “Get dressed and meet me in the stable.”

  There was a full moon, so Jonathan didn’t need a hurricane lamp to get dressed or find his way to the stable. Once he was inside, it was a different story. He couldn’t see a thing.

  He jumped when River took his hand.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “That’s okay.”

  She wrapped her arm around his waist and guided him forward.

  “Can you see where you’re going?” Jonathan didn’t want to step on a rake or run into a pitchfork.

  “I have really good night vision.”

  “Is it because of your glowing eyes?”

  She didn’t answer, but she might have nodded.

  “Um…what are we doing out here?”

  “Getting to know each other a little better.”

  Jonathan liked the sound of that. “What about Reuben?”

  “He’s gone for the night.”

  “Patrol duty?”

  “Something like that.” River led Jonathan into an empty stall then tugged on his hand. “Sit down.”

  Jonathan grinned when his hand brushed the soft wool of a buffalo hide. “Are you sure we aren’t going to get caught?”

  “I’m sure.” River’s hand trembled against Jonathan’s cheek. “I just wanted a chance to talk to you without worrying about someone overhearing us.”

  “Oh.” Jonathan couldn’t keep the tension and disappointment out of his voice. When girls ‘wanted to talk,’ it never meant anything good.

  River laughed softly then pressed her forehead against his. “I thought we might do a little kissing, too.”

  Jonathan grinned as he slid his hand to the back of River’s head. “Now you’re talking.”

  Maybe tonight he’d find the courage to confess his plan to run away with River. He needed to do it soon so she could get used to the idea before the pass opened. Every time Jonathan tried to tell her, a little voice of doubt said she’d never agree to leave the only home she’d ever known just to be with him. He wanted to be sure she’d say ‘yes’ before he asked.

  He brushed his lips against River’s then kissed the corner of her mouth.

  She turned towards him, seeking his lips, but Jonathan wanted to take things slow. If all they were going to do was kiss—and he had no reason to believe otherwise—he wanted to build up to it. He kissed the tip of her nose, then moved to her temples.

  River tried to press her lips against Jonathan’s, but he turned his head so her kiss landed on his cheek. She made the cutest little growling noise. “Why won’t you kiss me?”

  Jonathan pulled her earlobe into his mouth and gave it a gentle nip before releasing it. “I am kissing you.”

  She melted against him, then pulled back and palmed his cheeks, forcing him to look at her.

  All he could see was her glowing, purple eyes. They still had the same seductive effect on him, if anything it was even more powerful, but he fought it.

  River sighed. “You know what I mean.”

  “Yes, I know what you mean.” Jonathan pulled one of her hands off his face and pressed it against his chest, over his pounding heart. “I also know what you want.” He kissed her throat, just below her jaw, and was rewarded with a whimpering sound that nearly destroyed his resolve to take things slow. “But more importantly,” he kissed the dip between her collar bones, “I know what you need.”

  Jonathan brushed the hair off her face with his fingertips then slid his hand to the back of her head. He wrapped his left arm around her waist and touched his lips to hers. He moved his mouth, gently at first, giving her time to adjust to the new technique. It didn
’t take long.

  She was a fast and eager learner. She ran her hands over his shoulders and back as her lips devoured his.

  If River had been any other girl, Jonathan would have at least tried to cop a feel, but she wasn’t any other girl. Sure, he wanted to do more, and he was fairly certain she’d let him, but he didn’t want to pressure her. He kept his tongue in his mouth and his hand on her back. He kissed every inch of exposed skin, but never went lower than her collar bone.

  It was the best, and longest, make-out session he’d ever experienced. He wanted it to go on forever, but if they got caught …

  “River.” Jonathan broke the kiss and gave her a quick peck on the mouth. “What time will Reuben and Eli be done with patrol?”

  She sighed with her whole body. “A little before sunrise. We should probably go back to the house.”

  “Probably?” He kissed her again.

  Ten minutes later, she came up for air. “Definitely.”

  Jonathan stood up and offered River his hand. “Your hair’s a mess.”

  She grinned. “So’s yours.”

  Jonathan pulled a piece of straw off River’s sleeve. “Maybe we shouldn’t try to sneak back inside. We could get started on our morning chores and pretend we got up early.”

  “I need to get my buffalo robe cleaned up and back on my bed.”

  Jonathan helped her shake the dust out of it. The straw had to be picked out by hand. They’d never get it done in time. He should have insisted they head back an hour ago. “Look, this isn’t going to work, go grab the hide off my bed and put it on yours.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’ll claim that Gabriel’s snoring was so loud I couldn’t sleep; so I came out here. The stable’s just as warm as the house.”

  “That’s crazy enough it just might work! It’ll even explain the dark circles under your eyes.”

  “What about your dark circles?”

  “I had a bout of fever and tossed and turned all night.” River grinned at him, then rose up on her toes and gave him a peck on the mouth. “Give me about twenty minutes to make my bed and start breakfast then come on up to the house.”

  Jonathan had only ever beaten Gabriel to the breakfast table once. He’d never beaten Paul or Reuben so he shouldn’t have been surprised when Reuben walked in and started asking questions.

  Jonathan gave his answers and hoped they didn’t sound rehearsed.

  Reuben filled his plate with eggs and biscuits then leaned over and kissed the top of River’s hair. He tensed. Every muscle bunched and strained against his clothes. The corded muscles of his neck stood out.

  He knows. Jonathan didn’t know how Reuben figured it out. River hadn’t had time to wash her hair. Maybe she smelled like straw, or horses, but she spent more time in the stable than she did in the house so that wasn’t it. Could he smell Jonathan on her? No way. He was just guessing. Or fishing. As long as they didn’t act guilty, he’d never be able to prove anything.

  Jonathan scraped the last bit of egg off his plate with a biscuit. He felt Reuben’s eyes boring into the back of his head as he carried his dishes to the kitchen trough. He needed to distract the man.

  “Hey, Reuben, have you ever thought about setting a metal rack in the bottom of the trough to hold the dishes in place while the water flows over them?”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Instead of holding the dishes in the stream with your hands, you could just set them in the rack and let the water do all the work.”

  “It’s not that hard to wash them by hand.”

  It is if you only have one hand. “You could divert the cold water for fifteen minutes and sterilize the dishes without fear of getting scalded.”

  “Hmmm… you might have something there. Draw me a sketch of the rack and I’ll see what I can do.”

  Jonathan had only meant to get Reuben’s mind off his suspicions. Getting a steam-punk version of a dishwasher was a bonus.

  River joined Jonathan at the kitchen trough. She nudged him with her elbow and whispered, “When you’re done with your drawing, meet me in the hay barn.”

  “Are you sure?” Jonathan didn’t want to arouse even more suspicion.

  “I have something I want to show you. It won’t take long.”

  Jonathan followed Reuben to his office and scratched out a rough sketch of his idea then ran outside to find River. The sun peeked over the eastern rim just as she stepped out of the hay barn.

  Jonathan’s heart stuttered. His appreciation of River’s natural beauty had grown exponentially since the day they met, but her radiance in the morning light stole his breath.

  River grinned and waved when she spotted Jonathan. “I have something for you.”

  Jonathan blinked then lowered his gaze from her face to her hands.

  She handed him a long, narrow sack made of buckskin. “Here, you hold it so I can untie the case.”

  Jonathan had already guessed what was inside, but when he pulled the longbow out of the bag, his mouth fell open. The wood glowed amber in the sunlight, its surface so highly polished it sent refracted sunbeams dancing across the snow covered ground.

  “I carved and wrapped the grip extra thick so you can use your golden claw to hold the bow. Here, try it.”

  Jonathan centered the bow’s grip inside the pincers of his prosthetic and pulled his arm towards his body. When he felt what he judged to be the right amount of tension to hold the bow steady, he pressed the correct pin to lock everything in place.

  “I made a bow stringer so you can do it yourself.” River handed him a cord made of plied sinew; a small leather cone attached to each end. She slipped the cones over the tips of the bow. “Let the stringer hang down to the ground and step on it, right in the middle, then pull the bow toward your chest.”

  Jonathan was surprised by how easily the bow bent.

  River slipped the loop of the bowstring into the notched end at the tip of the bow then removed the stringer.

  “You don’t even need a wrist guard.” River smiled and tapped the leather cuff that made up the socket of his prosthetic hand.

  The easy and natural way River accepted his disability warmed Jonathan’s heart. “This is beautiful. Did you make it?”

  “Gabriel helped. He’s much better at chasing the grain than I am. My specialty is arrows.” She handed him a leather quiver with six mismatched arrows. “I need to measure your draw length before I make your arrows. I borrowed a few for you to practice with. The ones with whittled tips are for target practice, but this one…” she handed him an arrow with a lethal stone point, “…is for hunting.”

  Jonathan was awestruck by the craftsmanship of both the bow and arrows. “I don’t know what to say.”

  She grinned at him. “You like it?”

  “Are you kidding me? I love it. Show me how to shoot it.”

  They spent the entire morning slinging arrows. River was a patient and competent teacher. Time stood still as they shot at the target, which was nothing more than an old shirt stuffed with hay and marked with a quarter-sized stain of blackberry juice. Ninety percent of River’s arrows hit the mark. Ninety percent of Jonathan’s didn’t even hit the shirt. “I think I need a little motivation.”

  River arched her eyebrows. “More than beating me?”

  “You’re a better shot than Eli, there’s no way I’m ever going to beat you.” Jonathan scanned the area then slipped his arm around River’s waist from behind. He leaned over and pressed his cheek next to hers. “How about, I get a kiss for every arrow that hits the target?”

  “You haven’t come close to hitting the target.”

  “I’ve got five arrows in that shirt right now.”

  “Pfft.” River looked over her shoulder at him and rolled her eyes. “The stain is the target, not the tunic.”

  “Are you saying you don’t want my kisses?”

  The tip of River’s tongue darted between her lips. She turned around in his arms and fac
ed him. “Well, you are a beginner… I guess it’s only fair.”

  By noon, Jonathan could barely lift his bow much less draw it, but River showed no signs of fatigue. Jonathan didn’t want to appear weak in front of her, but his trembling muscles made his arrows fly even wilder than when they’d begun.

  River put a hand on his shoulder. “I think that’s enough for today.”

  “I don’t understand why you’re so much stronger. I have twice the muscle mass you do.”

  “I’m not stronger. My bow is weaker.”

  Jonathan narrowed his eyes. “How much weaker?”

  “A lot.”

  “Let me see that.” Jonathan released the pin holding his prosthesis closed and traded bows with River.

  “Don’t draw past the tip of the arrow. Shooting yourself in the hand won’t hurt you.” She pointed at his prosthetic. “But it will break the arrow.”

  Jonathan drew the bow with ease, focused on the blackberry stain, and loosed the arrow. It didn’t hit the mark, but it was only a couple of inches off. He smirked at River. “See if you can match that.”

  She reached for her bow, but Jonathan held it over his head. “Use mine.”

  She cocked an eyebrow and smirked at him, then took his bow, nocked an arrow, and hit the bull’s-eye dead center.

  River

  Jonathan’s golden claw dug into River’s lower back as he pulled her closer. She barely noticed. His real hand had her full attention.

  The sound of a childish giggle stopped River’s heart.

  Jonathan sprang away from her and whirled around. “Hey Paul, what’s up, little man?”

  “You guys are in trouble.”

  River leaned over and picked her bow up off the ground, hoping to send enough blood back to her brain to keep from passing out. It didn’t work. She swayed then grabbed Jonathan’s arm to steady herself. “Paul, you can’t tell anyone—”

  “Wait.” Jonathan whispered in River’s ear as he guided her to a tree stump and helped her sit down. “Let’s see what he says before we confess anything.”

  He dropped to one knee and put his hands on Paul’s shoulders. “Why are we in trouble?”

  “You didn’t do your morning chores.”

  River’s body trembled as relief flooded her veins.

  Jonathan chuckled and messed Paul’s hair.

  Paul ducked away from him and pointed his finger at Jonathan. “And you aren’t supposed to kiss River. She belongs to Eli.”

  River dropped her face into her hands. This was a disaster. She took a deep breath as she lifted her head. “I don’t belong to anyone. Eli doesn’t even have a courtship contract.”

  “That’s what Aunt Shula said.”

  “Aunt Shula?” River jumped to her feet. “When did you see Aunt Shula?”

  “Just now. She’s arguing with Pa. She wants you to mate with Eli after you—” Paul sucked his lips into his mouth and glanced at Jonathan then stage-whispered, “After you…you know.”

  Walnut sized knots formed on Jonathan’s jaw. River hoped he was focused on the ‘mating with Eli’ part of Paul’s declaration and not his attempt to cover the fact he’d nearly blurted out a secret.

  River gripped Paul’s shoulders and leaned over until she was face to face with him. “I need you to help Jonathan gather up all the arrows. You’ll have to look hard. Most of his are behind the target.”

  Paul grinned at her. “If I find more arrows than Jonathan, he has to do my chores.”

  “Sounds good to me.” River hugged Paul to her chest and mouthed a warning to Jonathan. “Keep him away from Eli. I’m going to talk to Reuben.”

  Jonathan pressed his lips into a hard line and shook his head.

  River knew Jonathan well enough to know he didn’t want her to face Reuben without him. She also knew the best way to gain his cooperation.

  She held Paul at arm’s length and even though she spoke directly to him, the message was for Jonathan. “I know how hard it is to keep a secret, but if Eli ever finds out that I kissed Jonathan, he’ll whip me.”

  Jonathan grabbed River’s arm and pulled her to her feet. “Over my dead body.”

  She kissed Jonathan’s cheek then whispered, “You have to let me talk to Reuben, alone. Keep Paul away from Eli, at least until I have Reuben’s protection.”

  Jonathan’s shoulders slumped as he exhaled. He pressed his forehead against River’s and nodded.

  She felt a little guilty for manipulating Jonathan. But it was his safety, not hers, that she needed to secure.