The screech of a bird overhead drew her gaze up to where a black speck circled. After a glance at the sky, Two Stones turned back to her, his grin flashing. "We are nearly there."
He reined his gelding to the side and motioned for her to ride up next him. When she did so, he pointed to the bird. "That is Crowley, the raven my brothers keep. He sounds the presence of all who come to the ranch."
She squinted at the creature, though it was too far away to see much in the late afternoon sky. "They have a pet raven? I've heard of such, but I’ve never seen one."
"It's how we know when scoundrels like Two Stones are coming."
The strange voice made her jerk, and she spun to find its source in the line of trees. From the shadows stepped a man, maybe about her age. He wore a fur coat like Two Stones and a cap to match. Only his grin showed through as he came toward them.
Though he looked friendly and was probably one of the Coulter brothers, her body tensed and her hand moved to the handgun tucked at her waist. She wouldn't need it around this man. Hopefully.
Two Stones motioned for them to ride toward the newcomer, and she did so, letting her horse fall back a little as he led.
When they reached the grinning man, Two Stones reined in and slid to the ground, then stepped forward to clasp his hand. "It is good to see you, little brother."
The man pumped Two Stones's arm. "It's about time you showed up. Wait till you see what the women have planned for Christmas dinner."
His gaze moved past Two Stones. "I see you brought us a visitor."
Her mouth went dry, and her belly swooped. How would Two Stones introduce her? As his wife? Or would he simply give her name?
He stepped back, turning to include Heidi. "This is Heidi." His voice shifted both deeper and softer. "My wife." His gaze caught hers, its warmth drawing her so much that it took a moment to gather the strength to look away.
Two Stones managed it first, but the corners of his mouth tugged as he motioned to the other man. "This is Gil, one of the Coulters."
She managed to nod at Gil. "It's nice to meet you." From what Two Stones had said, Gilead was the fourth brother in line.
Gil's eyes widened, but to his credit, his shock quickly changed to pleasure. He strode forward and reached up for her hand. "By jingo, I'm pleased to shake the hand of the woman who finally won Two Stones over."
He gripped her palm firmly, like he was welcoming an old friend. She couldn't help but grin back at his exuberance, but she slid a quick glance at Two Stones to check his reaction. His brows had gathered, though he looked half-amused. And half…perturbed?
Gil stepped back to take them both in. "Come up to the house then. Everyone will want to see you both."
After Two Stones remounted, they turned up the slope, riding through the trees. Gil disappeared for a minute, then rejoined them on horseback, leading the way.
At last, they reached a clearing where the ground mostly leveled out. A cabin sat near the upper edge, with a barn downhill from it. Fresh wood covered one half of the building, clearly a very recent addition.
Through the open barn door, a man stepped out, then a boy behind him. The lad called out, "Two Stones!" and trotted toward them. "Who'd you bring with you?"
Her husband dismounted again and paused to ruffle the boy's hair before turning to Heidi, holding her horse. He must mean for her to dismount here, so she leaned forward and slid to the ground.
"Sean." Two Stones glanced from the lad to her. "This is Heidi." He didn't give their relation this time, but maybe because it wouldn't matter as much to the lad.
She smiled at Sean, ignoring the others flooding from the cabin toward them. "It's nice to meet you." This must be the nephew. And the blond girl approaching with the woman must be his sister, Lillian.
She stood back a little as two more men greeted Two Stones with hearty handshakes and claps on his shoulders. Two Stones called one of them Jericho, so the pretty blonde woman beside him who held a baby must be Dinah, the doctor who’d married Jericho. She must not be the babe’s mother, for he'd said the babe belonged to Naomi, Dinah's sister.
Once they'd all greeted Two Stones, their voices quieted as their focus turned to her.
Heat crept up her face, but when Two Stones moved to her side, she managed to square her shoulders and offer a pleasant smile.
"This is Heidi." Again, his voice took on that deep, almost tender tone. "She is my wife."
CHAPTER 9
Heidi held her breath in the wake of Two Stones’s introduction.
A few murmurs immediately sounded from those surrounding them, but she couldn't bring herself to meet any gazes. These people were almost like family to him. Did they think her unsuitable?
