Provoking the Spirit by Crista McHugh

like you would be so determined to go buffalo hunting this late in the year.”
    Diah hid his amusement behind his mug. It was refreshing to have a woman who saw straight through Cager’s deceptions instead of giggling like a half-witted child. He was beginning to like Oni.
    His brother scowled. “Fine. Yes, I want to find it. Do you know where it is?”
    “I have a general idea. But it’s going to cost you.”
    Cager leaned forward, his jaw tight. “How much?”
    “Eight hundred dollars.”
    Diah plunked his mug down on the table. “That’s outrageous.”
    Cager shifted in his chair. “I think we’ll take our chances without a guide if a half-breed woman like you is all this town can muster up.”
    Diah almost swore he heard her teeth grinding.
    She stood, and this time neither of them stopped her. “Good luck, then, gentleman. You’re going to need it. Dakota winters have been known to cause men like you to lose fingers and toes.”
    As soon as she passed the doors, he turned to Cager. “Why did you have to piss her off? We’ve been in this town for two days and she’s the only guide we’ve been able to muster up.”
    Cager’s eyes remained focused on the doorway as if he was expecting her to return. “She’s playing head games with us. Trust me, I know.”
    “And what if she’s right? What if we end up wandering around out there in the snow until we freeze to death?” Diah preferred his fingers and toes pink and intact, not black and rotting off. Or becoming gator fodder, which is exactly what Jean-Baptiste would do to them if they failed.
    “Eight hundred dollars is still a ridiculous amount to pay for a guide.”
    “Not if we’re getting paid ten thousand for it.” Diah studied him for a few seconds. “I’m wondering if you aren’t a little perturbed that she didn’t fling herself at you like every other woman you’ve met.”
    “What makes you think I want to tangle with her?”
    “She’s a challenge.”
    Cager’s laugh sounded hollow, letting Diah know how close to the mark he really was. “Watch and learn, little brother.”
    Diah grinned. “I think you’ve finally found a woman who wants nothing to do with you.” But where does that leave me? he asked himself as he remembered what he felt when their hands touched.
    He pushed those thoughts from his mind. Family trumped pride. It was time for him to play nice and smooth things over with the one person who could ensure they completed the mission. He pushed away from table. “Let me see if I can change her mind.”
    His brother snorted. “Have fun, and if you need to me heal you after she sinks that knife into your gut, you know where to find me.”
    Diah stepped out of the saloon and scanned the street for Oni. She was easy to find with the moonlight shining off her glossy hair like polished silver. He ran toward her. “Miss Matthews, please wait.”
    She paused and turned around. “Changed your mind?”
    He caught up with her and pulled her aside between two buildings. “Eight hundred, but only if we find it.”
    “There are no guarantees in life, Mr. Reynolds.”
    “Perhaps, but we’re not going to pay you that much unless we get what we want.”
    “And what if we don’t find it?”
    Diah dug his boot into the dirt. How would Cager handle this? “We can negotiate based on how helpful you’ve been.”
    She narrowed her eyes. “I would like a deposit to procure my services, then.”
    Cager was the one financing this trip, and Diah doubted his brother would give Oni a penny until he got what he wanted from her. “We’ll pay for your passage on the river and provide your supplies for the hunt. That sounds fair enough to me.”
    She looked like she was about to tell him what he could do with his offer, so Diah reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the one thing of value he had left after the war. His father’s watch flashed in the dim light, still as shiny as the day it was made. A storm of emotions whirled