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  Miranda uncapped her camera, zooming in on the stallion and his mares. Blue Eye had taken notice of their presence with perked ears and flared nostrils, standing as a sentinel over his mares. “What do we do now?” Miranda asked in a low tone.

  “First we’ll give the others our GPS location in the hope they can flank ’em for us. Next, we’ll need to try and get those mares moving. If I can separate the stallion, the mares just might cooperate, but I don’t think Blue Eye’s going to be too amenable to that.”

  “What if you can’t separate them?” Miranda asked.

  Keith and Dave exchanged a grim look.

  “What are you not telling me?” she demanded.

  “If we can’t do this any other way, I’ll have to shoot him,” Keith replied.

  Miranda’s jaw dropped. “I can’t believe you said that! You’d actually shoot him? How can you even think it?”

  “How can I not think it?” Keith argued “He’s not going to give up those mares without a fight, and I can’t afford for anyone to get hurt in the process. You already knew there was a fifty-fifty chance I’d have to do it anyway. I told you from the beginning that would be his fate if I couldn’t make him safe to be around.”

  “But there’s got to be another way!” she protested.

  “Look, there’s no point in getting all worked up about it,” he said. “I have a plan. It’s not guaranteed to work, but let’s just see what happens, okay?”

  “What kind of plan?” Miranda asked.

  “I’m going to use Little Bear to draw him away from the mares,” Keith said. “While Blue Eye’s defending his claim, the rest of you are going to push those mares back toward the ranch.”

  “But what about Little Bear? Didn’t you say stallions will fight to the death? How are you going to stop that?” Miranda asked.

  “Dave and I will try and rope them, but if things go bad, we’ll have to use the rifle.”

  “No, Keith. You can’t! This whole thing sounds way too dangerous.”

  He shrugged. “I’ve roped plenty of mustangs before. You up for it, Dave?”

  “Hell yeah.” Dave grinned.

  “I’m staying with you,” Miranda said.

  “Fine,” Keith replied tersely. “I don’t have time to argue about this anymore. Just stay out of the way. This is dangerous, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  A moment later, Keith radioed Dirk and Janice with their position and then pulled back just close enough to keep the horses in sight, but still distant enough that Blue Eye wouldn’t feel the urge to move his band. Once the other wranglers were in position to support their effort, Keith dismounted and unsaddled his horse.

  Miranda’s breath caught at Little Bear’s instant transformation. With his gaze pinned on his adversary, he raised his head and snorted, his body trembling with nervous energy, much like a warrior preparing for battle. Little Bear pranced, pawed, and jigged as Keith led him in the direction of the herd, murmuring instructions in low tones that only the horse could hear.

  With their heads raised and ears pricked, the mares looked on with avid interest as Keith released his horse. Arching his crested neck and raising his tail, Little Bear galloped toward the periphery of the band. Miranda’s breath caught in apprehension as Blue Eye spun and charged to meet him. The two horses came together, roaring and rearing.

  While the mares watched them engage, Dirk, Janice, and the others surreptitiously circled the band. At the same time, Keith on the ground and Dave in the saddle approached the combatants, ropes at the ready. Miranda watched with her heart in her throat, terrified for Little Bear and even more for Keith as he moved straight into the battle zone where two pairs of hooves slashed the air.

  Swift and sure, Keith repeatedly dodged the danger of lashing heels and snapping jaws as he prepared to make his move. The first cast of Dave’s lasso glanced off Blue Eye’s shoulder. The second missed completely. The third finally caught Blue Eye’s neck. In a flash, Keith moved in, looping a foreleg with his rope. Blue Eye now fought on two fronts, one eye turned to Little Bear, the other to Keith, while wildly kicking, biting, and plunging.

  While Tonya, Krista, and Janice led the mares away from the fray, Donny and Dirk caught Little Bear with their lassos. Using ropes, muscle, and sheer will, the four wranglers struggled to separate the battling stallions. While Keith continued the war of wills with Blue Eye, Donny and Dirk overcame Little Bear. Battered and bleeding, the older stallion disengaged and exited the theatre, wearing his battle scars with pride.

  With fists clenched at her sides, Miranda watched the final battle for supremacy between Keith and Blue Eye. She was vividly reminded of the pivotal scene in The Horse Whisperer when Tom Booker used similar methods to wrangle the bellicose Pilgrim. After what felt like eternity, Keith managed to bring the belligerent Blue Eye to his knees. To her amazement, the horse suddenly quit struggling. With flanks heaving and mouth foaming, Blue Eye gave a great groan of surrender and lay down in defeat.

  “I’m sorry it came to this, my brother,” Keith said, stroking and caressing the horse’s neck. “But there can be only one master.” Time suspended as he crooned more words that she couldn’t understand. When Keith finally looked up at her, his grim expression had softened. “You see, Aiwattsi? It is over. Now, the real work with this horse can begin.”

  * * *

  Once recovered, Blue Eye seemed perfectly happy to follow the trail of his mares back down the mountain to their pasture. When the last weary wrangler arrived back at the ranch, a feast awaited. Jo-Jo had outdone herself with a spread of food that covered virtually every surface of the kitchen and dining room. The party lasted for several hours before eventually breaking up, with Dirk and Janice driving home, Dave and Donny heading to the bunkhouse, and Tonya and Krista retiring to the guest room in the ranch house.

  Once the guests had left, Miranda revealed the truth to Jo-Jo. “You really believe Judith and Robert were behind this?” Jo-Jo asked incredulously.

  “It’s possible Marvin acted on his own,” Miranda said, “but that doesn’t explain the source of the cash he’s been throwing around.”

  “Unbelievable.” Jo-Jo shook her head. “My own daughter.”

  “I’m sorry I came between you,” Miranda said.

  “You didn’t, sweetheart. I’m just going to have to set Judith straight once and for all.”

  “What are you going to do?” Miranda asked.

  “I have half a mind to disown her completely,” Jo-Jo said, “but since no harm was really done, I’m just going to make it clear she isn’t welcome back for Christmas. Or maybe the next one either. Speaking of which…will Keith be spending it with us?”

  “We haven’t talked about it,” Miranda said.

  “He isn’t still planning to leave, is he?”

  “I don’t know that either,” Miranda said sadly. Jo-Jo laid her hand on hers, her faded eyes seeking Miranda’s. “I didn’t think he was the right one for you in the beginning, but I’m not so sure anymore. If you really love him, Randa, I think you’d best do whatever it takes to convince Keith to stay.”

  * * *

  Miranda left her grandmother and pulled on a jacket, eager for a word alone with Keith. She opened the door and found him waiting for her on the front-porch swing. He silently held the blanket open and welcomed her into his arms. Claiming the quilt and the quiet of the night, she snuggled under his chin.

  “I’m guessing you spoke to Jo-Jo?” he said.

  “Yes. I told her all about Judith and Robert’s role in this sabotage.”

  “What did she say?” Keith asked.

  “She was livid,” Miranda said. “She called Judith right away. Of course my aunt said Marvin lied and denied all culpability, but Jo-Jo doesn’t believe her. She’s almost ready to disown Judith at this point. I hope it all blows over in time, but they won’t be welcome back to the ranch for a while. This day seems so surreal to me,” she said. “I still can’t believe you did what you did with Blue Eye
.”

  “I’m just glad he finally gave in,” Keith said. “I truly didn’t want to shoot him.”

  “Would you really have done it?”

  “Dunno.” He shrugged. “I’m just glad he didn’t push me to the point of having to make that decision.”

  “I got all of it on film, you know. I’m adding it to my documentary. You’re the star of it, by the way.”

  He frowned down at her. “I’m not so sure I want to be in any more films, Miranda. I got third-degree burns the last time around.”

  “I know you did, and that’s exactly why I need to do this. I want to make it up to you, to make things right again.”

  “What’s done can’t be undone, Aiwattsi.”

  “Please trust me in this, Keith. I know this could turn things around for you if you would only narrate it for me.”

  “You want me to narrate it?” He shook his head. “Why?”

  “Yes. I want to tell the mustang story through your eyes. You understand them better than anyone. It’s almost magical the way you connect with those horses. There’s no one else I want. No one else who could bring the same passion and poignancy to this project. Please, Keith,” she pleaded. “This means everything to me.”

  He cupped her chin and gazed into her eyes. “There’s no one else I would even consider doing it for. Just let me think about it, okay?”

  “Okay,” she said softly. “There’s something else I’ve been wanting to talk to you about, but I didn’t know how to bring it up.”

  “What is it, Aiwattsi?”

  She took a deep breath. “Keith… I’ve been giving this a lot of thought. Do you think once everything is set straight again, that maybe we could talk a little bit more about that nonfake engagement?”

  “I’d like very much to talk about a nonfake engagement. Maybe even with a nonfake ring wrapped around that skinny little finger”—he reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze—“but we can’t have a future together until I have something more to offer you than just my name.”

  “What if we took you on as a partner? If we let you buy a stake in the ranch, would that ease your mind? I figure you’d then have a vested interest in this place and a reason stay.”

  “I already have a reason to stay,” he said, stroking her cheek with the pad of his callused thumb. “My vested interest is in you, but you need to understand something, Miranda. I don’t believe in free rides. I pay my own way.”

  “If it’s the same concerns you voiced before, I might have an answer. What if Jo-Jo were to sell you a few acres? Maybe enough to set up your own independent training facility? Would that work for you?”

  Keith drew back with a surprised look. “I don’t know. Do you think your grandmother would go for that?”

  “Are you kidding? It was Jo-Jo’s idea. She’s come to think a lot of you, Keith, and wants you to stay here almost as much as I do. I’m sure she’d give you a real fair price and even hold a mortgage if that made it easier for you. It’s worth exploring, isn’t it?” She regarded him with hope-filled eyes. “If you wanted to, you could even start an internship program for fledgling horse trainers. Interns are really cheap labor. I know this from personal experience.”

  “If Jo-Jo agreed to do this, I’d pay her fair market value for her land and nothing less.”

  “But that could be tens of thousands,” Miranda said.

  “Which would still leave me enough to build an indoor arena,” he replied. “If I’m going to do this, it can’t be half-assed. I’d need a year-round training facility.”

  “But, Keith, how could you afford it?”

  He gave her a rueful smile. “Maybe you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. I’m not rich, but I’m not poor either, or stupid. I invested a good bit over the years. I’ve got a decent nest egg. I live simply by choice, Aiwattsi, not by necessity, and I have no wish to change that.”

  “Me either,” she said. “I’ve come to appreciate the simple life. My needs are pretty minimal too. Will you do it? Can we talk to Jo-Jo?”

  “Only if we also talk to a lawyer about a prenup.”

  She blinked. “A what?”

  “A prenuptial agreement. I’d want you to consent to one.”

  “I don’t understand. Why?”

  “Because I don’t want anyone, especially your aunt and uncle, to have any reason to believe I was after you for your grandmother’s ranch.”

  “That’s crazy!”

  “No, it isn’t,” he said. “If we move forward with this idea, that has to be part of the bargain.”

  “I don’t like it,” she said, “but I suppose I can live with it if you can.”

  He took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly. “The only thing I can’t live with, Aiwattsi, is the thought of being without you.”

  Chapter 30

  Keith drove through the gates of the ranch with a feeling of peace and harmony he’d never experienced before, a change he suspected had everything to do with the woman by his side.

  “Nervous?” she asked, catching his gaze.

  “Surprisingly, no,” he answered. “What about you?”

  “A little,” she replied with a wan smile. “I kind of wish you had warned them first. What if they don’t like the idea? What if they don’t like me?”

  He reached out to take her hand. “Don’t worry. They will, Aiwattsi. Just be aware that my people take a little while to warm up to outsiders.”

  “That’s just it.” Her lower lip quivered. “I’m afraid they’ll always think of me as an outsider.”

  “Some probably will,” he said. “But not my family. Tonya liked you from the very start. Huttsi will too. Kenu is more reserved and harder to read. He may take a while longer, but be patient. He has a strong sense of family. I know he’ll come to love you as a daughter.”

  He parked the truck and gave her a reassuring peck. “If you are uncomfortable in any way, just say the word, and we’ll go.”

  “Thank you for bringing me here, Keith. I know how hard this must be for you.”

  “It is,” he confessed, “but your presence has made it much easier. Come, it’s time to meet my family.” Taking her hand, Keith led Miranda around to the back of the house.

  “The back door?” she asked with a puzzled look.

  He grinned. “My grandmother will be in the kitchen. She always is at this time of day.” He followed with a knock and then entered without waiting for a reply.

  “Two Wolves!” Huttsi’s eyes lit up. “My heart jumps. It has been far too long.” Dropping the dough she was working with, she came to him, wrapping flour-covered arms around him.

  He hugged her back and planted a kiss on her wrinkled cheek. “Huttsi, there’s someone you need to meet.” He reached for Miranda, who stood in the doorway, hands clasped in front of her and a nervous smile hovering on her lips. Bringing her close to his side, he completed the introduction. “This is Miranda…my wife.”

  Huttsi’s black eyes widened. “Your wife?”

  “Yes.” He grinned and kissed Miranda’s hand. “We got married yesterday. We had originally planned to wait until next year, but neither of us wanted a big wedding, so there seemed no real reason to wait.”

  Huttsi gave a solemn nod. “So you have finally chosen.”

  He knew what she meant. He’d decided to live his life outside of the reservation. “Yes. I have chosen.”

  She looked to Miranda, the corner of her lips curving with approval. “It is good. Go now and find your grandfather.”

  He hesitated to leave Miranda, who appeared tense enough to break.

  “Come, child.” Huttsi offered a soft smile and took her by the arm. “I must teach you to make fry bread.”

  Keith cocked a brow at Miranda in a silent question. She answered with a firm nod. “It’s all good, Keith. Go to him.”

  Once more, Keith found his grandfather at the sweat lodge, this time outside talking with some elders. He regarded Keith without even blinking. “I knew you would co
me.”

  “How? Was it a vision?”

  Kenu nodded. “Two visions.”

  “What were these two visions, Kenu?” Keith asked, handing him a pouch of tobacco.

  “The first vision was the return of the black wolf and the white wolf. Once more they were engaged in a great battle, but this time as they tumbled together locked in combat, the two bodies merged into one—a gray wolf.”

  Keith considered Kenu in amazement. How could he know that Keith’s struggle was over? That he’d finally come to reconcile his two worlds? “What was the second vision, Kenu?” he asked.

  “It was once more the gray wolf, but this time he was bedded down in a great field…with a doe.”

  Aiwattsi. How did the old man know? He’d said nothing to his family about Miranda. Had Tonya? Even if she had, he hadn’t shared his pet name for her with anyone. His wonderment became awe. “I brought you a gift, Kenu.”

  His grandfather smiled. “Show me this gift…Gray Wolf.”

  Keith led him to the horse trailer where he unloaded Blue Eye. The horse came quietly off the trailer and eyed the old man with a toss of his head and a snort.

  “You have brought back the spirit horse?”

  “Yes,” Keith replied. “But this time, he, like me, is complete.”

  Epilogue

  Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah

  One year later

  “And the winner for Best Independent American Documentary is Native Whispers, a moving biopic of a man, a horse, and mutual redemption, produced and directed by Miranda Sutton-Russo.”

  Miranda’s hands shook as she ascended the steps to the podium and microphone. The single note card wavered in her trembling hands. Although she’d penned a brief acceptance speech on the million-to-one chance that she’d actually win, her eyes were now too blurred with tears to make out the words. Letting the card flutter to the stage, she stepped up to the mic to speak the words that were imprinted on her heart.

  “Two years ago, I never could have envisioned making this film, or that when I embarked on this journey, this documentary would change so many lives. Five hundred mustangs now have a permanent home on lush pastures in Montana. Almost a hundred others have been trained and now have homes with loving families. Over a dozen at-risk Native American youths have turned their lives around by working with these once wild horses.” Her voice cracked as she looked to Keith. “A single man found the redemption he so desperately needed, and in him I found my soul mate.” He returned a smile filled with pride and love.