Until the Day Breaks (California Rising Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

her, framing her in golden light, he mounted his horse in a hurry. “Leave me alone. You have done enough already.”
    Spinning his horse around, he spurred Oro out of the trees and down to the river.
    Urging the stallion toward the mountains, he rode hard for over an hour. Across sprawling meadows, through shady redwood glens, and up into the pine and oak-studded peaks and canyons of a sprawling wilderness. When the stallion’s gait stiffened and his ears pricked as they climbed the next hill, Roman knew his mount sensed danger.
    Instinctively, he untied his riata from his saddle. Cresting the summit, he saw the grizzly digging in a squirrel hole just yards away. Too close. Much too close to avoid an encounter with the beast.
    Roman cursed softly, quickly twirling the lasso up over his head. The big brown bear reared from his digging, standing on hind legs to better view his visitor. Roman threw the trusted rawhide. It uncoiled like a snake and settled around the bear’s thick neck.
    The captured brute charged, roaring his wrath. The stallion raced away, leaving the bear barreling close behind.
    Nearby stood a massive oak tree. Laying his body over the horse’s neck, Roman galloped Oro under a large limb, tossing the end of the riata over the branch and catching the rope again, allowing Oro to bolt just as the beast lunged at the stallion’s backside.
    In a nail-biting second, the bear was snatched back and dangled from the limb, hanging like an outlaw strung up by the town. Its hind feet clawed the ground, keeping the enraged animal from choking to death. Roman trotted his trembling stallion twice around the tree trunk, keeping the riata tightly drawn to hold the bear immobile. The animal roared, slicing the air with its claws.
    Roman climbed off Oro and secured the end of his lasso to another low-hanging branch. Walking back to his horse, he realized his knees were shaking, though his leg didn’t hurt as much now. Oro’s muscles quivered too. The stallion dripped and foamed with sweat.
    “It’s been a while since we faced a bear together, huh?” He patted the stallion’s soaked neck, feeling some of his manhood restored.
    Oro blew through flared nostrils, his eyes never leaving the strung-up beast. Roman took a second riata tied to his saddle and returned to the bear. He lassoed the grizzly’s paws and attached that riata to the tree as well. With the beast firmly bound, he mounted his stallion.
    Letting out a breath, he realized he felt sorry for the bear as it twisted around growling in frustration. This bruin would be a perfect competitor for the bear baiting. The bear was young, which meant it wouldn’t kill the bull too quickly. If the bull was old and wise, he might even win the match against the bear, though Roman doubted it. He’d only seen a bull win on two occasions, and those were against juvenile bears.
    He didn’t want any part in victoriously dragging this bear back to the Yankee hacienda. He figured the men would find the bear sooner or later. Hopefully sooner.

CHAPTER FIVE
    Two riders from the hunting party found the bear tied to the tree. The criollos were ecstatic, calling out to Roman to join them in hauling the animal back to the fiesta. Roman rode in the opposite direction, ignoring their excited summons.
    The criollos wasted no time. When Roman arrived at the fiesta that afternoon, having spent much of the day at a peaceful glen along the river where he bathed and shaved and spent some much-needed time resting, the bear and bull were chained together for the fight.
    Roman slowly walked his horse toward the circle of spectators. From a distance, Rachel Tyler’s golden hair shimmered in the sunshine. He didn’t want to speak to her, but he couldn’t stay away. She stood alongside a female Indian servant who whispered in her ear. It was obvious the little Yankee had no stomach for the savage fight between the animals. She covered her mouth with her hand and turned away as the bruin