by Milan Watson
She crossed the road and walked past the Wash and Whirl before heading to her own shop. What had been a hobby during high school and turned into a part time job after school, while she waitressed at the diner. When her orders for jewelry finally made it impossible to fit in a few shifts a week she had taken the plunge and taken out a business loan. After three years the business loan was almost paid off and Scarlet’s Beads was running steady in the black.
It wasn’t everyone who enjoyed playing with beads all day, but Scarlet simply loved it. There were so many possibilities; such a large variety of beads and Scarlet was never short of new ideas. She made everything from day to day string beads, all the way through to crafted-wire bead necklaces and bracelets.
Scarlet unlocked the doors, and flipped the closed sign to open before setting down her tote. After she switched on the radio she sat down at her beading table and pulled out her container of glass beads. If Alice wanted something special for her wedding, this was something she could give her. As she laid the different types of beads on the table her mind drifted to Burke.
Would he really come back to White Horse Creek? If he did would he still look the same? Would her tummy still twist into a bundle of nerves if he looked her way?
She pushed the thought aside and smiled wryly. Who was she kidding? Burke Birkowitz didn’t even know she existed.
Chapter 3
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Three days and almost two thousand miles later Burke saw the ten mile sign to White Horse Creek.
He could have taken a flight, business class for comfort, but instead he opted to drive cross-country in his red sports car, hoping the speed and the road would give him time to prepare for whatever demons were awaiting him in White Horse Creek.
For the last three days he considered turning back to Tampa more times to count, and yet here he was. Ten more miles and he would back in the nightmare of his childhood, the nightmare might be dead and he might be thirty one years old, but some memories didn’t fade.
The good ones did.
He thought of Lisa and her whimsical personality. Would she still be angry at him for leaving? He remembered his parting words and couldn’t help but cringe. Lisa didn’t deserve his wrath or his condescension, just like back then he didn’t deserve her love.
They had both been young and head over heels in love, but not even Lisa’s love could shield him from his father. It took him more than a year to accept he wouldn’t see her again, to stop thinking about her every hour of every day. When he finally did and looked back at their relationship with the clarity that time brought, it was easy to see their infatuation had been puppy love. She was the sweetest and most vibrant girl he had ever met and he had broken her heart into a million pieces.
A sigh escaped him before he banged his hand against the steering wheel. Why was he still churned up about this place after so many years? It was just a town, like the dozens of other small towns he had passed since he left Tampa.
He knew the answer; he just refused to admit it still had a hold over him.
In the distance, about two miles up the road there was a light blue hatchback pulled off against the side of the road. Burke didn’t pride himself on being kind, but there were times when you had to be, even if it was just because your mama’s voice still rang in your head when you saw a lady stranded on the side of a highway.
It had to be a lady, he thought, pulling up behind it. What self-respecting man would drive a powder blue hatchback with a bumper sticker of a sexy pink devil on the rear?
He shook his head and climbed out of the vehicle. Although his car was the latest toy he had bought to fill the void leaving his family had created, it wasn’t really built for tall men or long distances. It didn’t help that he had spent the last two nights in motorway motels that weren’t familiar with the concept of ergonomic mattresses.
He stretched his arms in the air and heard his neck crack before he walked to the driver’s door. He knocked on the tinted window and waited for it to be lowered. When nothing happened he bent and glanced inside, only to find the car empty.
A sound in the woods caught his attention. The weather in Colorado was a far stretch from the swim trunk weather of Florida. There were at least a few inches of snow covering the ground and a frosty breeze biting at his face. He rubbed his hands together when he heard the sound again.
A woman’s voice.
Shaking his head, he cursed under his breath before heading in that direction. What twenty-first century woman thought it was a good idea to venture into the woods when her car broke down in icy weather. He glanced longingly back at his sports car and the heat it provided before glancing back at the woods.
If there was a report of a woman found frozen in the woods tomorrow, he would just feel guilty.
He had enough to feel guilty about as it was. He zipped up the jacket he had pulled on as soon as he crossed the Mason Dixon and headed into the woods towards the voice. It was soft and gentle, sweet almost as it grew louder.
After navigating at least a hundred yards into the treeline he saw her crouching by a bush, her bright red bomber-jacket hard to miss in a landscape of black branches and white snow. There was a light gray beanie pulled over her head with dark brown locks peeking out beneath.
He cleared his throat, not sure what the protocol was when you came across a raving lunatic talking to a bush in the woods.
Her head whipped around before big green eyes gave him a startled look. For a moment all Burke could do was stare. She had dark brows and thick lashes, her lips were full, oddly the top one slightly fuller than usual. Her nose and cheeks were pink from the cold but the skin in her neck was the color of cream. She searched his gaze and Burke couldn’t help the grin that tugged at his mouth.
He hadn’t had a single relationship since leaving White Horse Creek, but he did have a few very interesting encounters that weren’t ever repeated twice. But none of the women he had spent time with in the last seven years, or frankly ever, had taken his breath away with a single look.
“Need some help with your car?” he asked with a foolish grin. She was breathtaking sitting in front of the bush, watching him with a hesitant gaze.
Chapter 4
• ---------------------------- •
Scarlet looked up at the tall imposing man and felt her heart begin to race. If she wasn’t in the middle of the woods with no one within earshot, she might have allowed her curiosity to explore the jolt of attraction, but she wasn’t.
She was crouching in front of a bush and there was a tall, dark, and extremely handsome man standing over her. His eyes seemed friendly but they were cold; a shade of ice-blue that made her wonder how many other women he had found all alone in the woods before.
Suddenly all the horror novels she had read rushed to mind; serial killers and disturbed men with a penchant for violence. Didn’t one psychologist expressively say that you could never identify them? They looked just like any other man and more often than not they were charming and attractive.
Her phone was in the car and she had nothing with her to defend herself. Her blood rushed through her veins even as she searched his gaze. His eyes were the lightest shade of blue she had ever seen. He was rubbing his hands together in an effort to keep warm, but Scarlet couldn’t help but wonder if it was to throw her off guard.
He thought her car was broken, in other words she was stranded here alone. She moistened her lips against the icy breeze and wished she didn’t pull over to run after the darn puppy. This morning she had gotten up early and headed to Denver. Although it was Wednesday she could afford to close the shop for a few hours, especially for an important errand.
She had a large variety of glass beads, but hoped her supplier would have something new and unique, something Alice had never seen before. On her way back to White Horse Creek the cold front had moved in, slowing her pace. It was shortly after two when she approached town only to see a pup rushing across the highway.
After thirty minutes of begging, pleading, and promising steaks and treats for dinner, it hadn’t budged. It had growled at her, more than once. Although Scarlet wasn’t scared of dogs, she didn’t want to chance sticking her hand into a bush with a rabid pup.
The man stepped closer and Scarlet almost fell back. “I’m fine, the car is fine. Really you can be on your way.”
His smile made her insides twist, in a good way, not the scary way she expected. A deep laugh erupted from his throat as he shook head.
“I’ll be damned. You’re near terrified of me. Don’t know what you’re thinking but I just tried to help. You sure you don’t need any?” His baritone voice sounded kind, sending shivers running down her spine.
Suddenly the bush bristled as the puppy exploded from the underbrush, its yellow tail whipping from side to side as it rushed straight to the man’s feet.
“Hey there, pal,” he said, crouching down to rub the pup’s tiny blond head. The pup yapped happily, its straw-colored butt shaking from side to side as if it were Shakira.
Scarlet stood and brushed the snow from her knees before shaking her head. Her temper began to heat as a scowl set on her face. “Might want to try a leash some time, or at least keep track of where it’s going. I’ve been sitting here for the last thirty minutes thinking it was abandoned while you’re playing wild frontier.”
He glanced up at her, his smile still cocky as the puppy licked at his hand for more attention. “It’s not my puppy.”
Scarlet’s frown deepened. “He’s not yours?” She knew her voice had pitched but why in the blue moon would the puppy be licking and yapping at him after growling at her?
He kneeled in the snow and gave the pup a good rub. The puppy seemed to love the attention. Now that he was out from underneath the bush and she could finally take a good look at him, it was clear to see he had been homeless for a while. His ribs were visible and he desperately needed a bath. She judged him to be somewhere between three and six months, with a little retriever or Labrador mixed in.
“He’s not mine, but I don’t think he’s belonged to anybody for some time. He’s bony and clearly hungry.” While he spoke he didn’t take his hands off the puppy.
A blush flushed Scarlet’s cheeks the color of her name as she found herself assessing his hands. He had long fingers and his hands were tanned, the same as his face. Clearly he wasn’t from around here, or he would’ve been the same pasty shade of sun-deprived human as most folk in Colorado.
“Then who does he belong to?” Scarlet dragged her eyes away from him and scanned the woods. “We’re miles from anywhere.”
“Dunno, but he won’t make it out here. The radio just mentioned there might be a blizzard this afternoon.”
“Yeah I know. The closest town is White Horse Creek, but we don’t have a pet shelter there.”
“You take him, since you found him. Give him a happy Christmas.” The man picked up the puppy, its legs dangling over his arm while he met her gaze.
Scarlet considered it for a moment. She’d been living on her own for a while now and maybe it was time she got a pet to tie over the lonely nights. There was the matter of her landlord that might have a problem, but she was sure Sam Preston would understand as he was a dog lover himself.
She stepped forward and reached for the puppy with both hands. It growled before its small little jaw snapped in attempt to bite her.
The man chuckled, shaking his head. “Clearly this one’s been burned by a woman. Is that right, Pal?” He rubbed the dog’s head although Scarlet couldn’t help but feel offended. Since when did puppies bite, especially her? Puppies – and dogs in general – loved her.
“Well you and your vicious dog better get out of here before the blizzard blows in.” Scarlet started to walk away when he called after her.
“I can’t take him. I don’t even live here. I live on the other side of the country. You’d better take him.” She couldn’t help but feel a small ounce of satisfaction at the desperate tone of his voice.
She shrugged, knowing from the brief time she had watched him with the puppy that he wouldn’t leave it there. The affection between them was mutual, although the taller and handsome part of the cute couple wasn’t ready to admit it just yet.
“If you haven’t noticed he doesn’t like me, and I’m quite fond of my fingers thank you. You’ll find a general store in town that sells pet food, might want to think about a leash as well. Bath wouldn’t be a bad idea either.”
He grunted. “He’s not my dog!”
Scarlet walked away chuckling to herself. “He is now, pal!”
She cleared the woods and headed to her car. The visibility was already dropping and unless she wanted to be on the road when the weather blew in, she’d better get back to the White River Ranch. Behind her car stood a sleek red sports model. The top could come down, although it was up. It was the type of car rich bachelors drove to impress women. A laugh escaped her; he wouldn’t impress the puppy with his car though. The guy clearly didn’t want the puppy but the puppy didn’t care. He had found himself an owner and Scarlet knew he would be cared for now.
A man didn’t pick up a dog he didn’t know, and nuzzle it like a newborn, if he didn’t care
After gunning the engine and turning the heat on high she couldn’t help but smile. She glanced in her rearview mirror before pulling out and saw him return to his car.
Her smile broadened. He also didn’t call a puppy Pal and nestle it inside his jacket – or put it on the leather seats of a very expensive sports car – if he really didn’t care.
She pressed the gas and knew she didn’t just encounter a serial killer in the woods, instead a very wealthy dog lover.
Chapter 5
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The puppy surprisingly flopped its butt down on the leather seat and fell fast asleep. Although it was probably ravenous, it was bushed from its adventures in the woods. Burke shook his head even as a smile tugged the corners of his mouth. The guy was kind of cute if you liked furry things with a temper, the only problem was he didn’t want a pet.
Perhaps he could give it to Alice, he thought as he drove into town. Curious about what had changed since he left town in the middle of the night all those years ago, he slowed the car and looked around. A few people on the sidewalks turned to look at the sleek convertible driving into their sleepy little town; Burke recognized Mrs. Pollock as she narrowed her eyes at the car. White Horse Creek had always been resistant to change – Mrs. Pollock’s purple rinse was testimony to that.
A traffic light had replaced the roundabout at the intersection in the middle of town, but what caught Burke’s attention was the transformation of the old saloon. An old rickety building that he and his friends had tried to sneak into too many times to count now stood like a landmark in the centre of town. It was as if someone had taken the time, and no doubt a lot of money, to bring the old relic back to life.
He shook his head, unable to believe it had been seven years. His life in Florida was evidence of everything he had achieved in those seven years, but driving back into White Horse Creek he still felt like the twenty-four year old who had taken the first bus out of town that long ago winter night.
The memories of his childhood rushed over him like an unwelcome breeze from a sewerage plant; the pain, the fear, and most of all the anger.
Anger that he couldn’t change it.
Anger that he hadn’t known how to handle it.
There was a new Laundromat in town as well. The Wash and Whirl looked quite classy from the outside, another first for White Horse Creek. He drove t
hrough town before taking the last road to the left and followed the meandering crescent until it opened up into a cul-de-sac. His childhood home and source of his nightmares stood proud in the centre, just like he remembered. But some things had changed. The house needed a new coat of paint, the porch was sagging on one end, and the shutters were a little battered by wind and weather.
He pulled up in front of the house instead of the driveway. For some reason it didn’t felt like home, and just like when he was young, Burke didn’t feel welcome. A big sigh escaped him as he glanced at the pup. “Pal, I have no idea what I’m walking into but I think I should apologize in advance for whatever is about to happen.”
The puppy yipped, its tail wagging. Burke couldn’t help but chuckle. Here he was facing the demons he had tried to forget for so many years and he was chuckling.
He climbed out of the car, the puppy in his arms and glanced around the cul-de-sac. What did he expect? A welcoming party? Shaking his head he headed through the front gate and up the path. The porch creaked beneath his weight, when he remembered the puppy probably had to go.
He turned and walked back to the snow covered lawn and set the puppy down. With its nose almost fused to the ground the puppy began searching for a place to put its mark. Burke was still watching the puppy when a voice screeched from the porch.
“Burke! I knew you’d come!” Alice bounced from the porch, over the path and straight into his arms.
Burke welcomed her and wrapped his arms around her. She smelled like something sweet, almost reminiscent of a honeysuckle. When her shoulders began to shiver Burke pulled her back. “Aw hell, Alice, don’t cry.”
She shook her head as she looked up at him with dark brown eyes. “I can’t believe you came. I knew you would I just can’t believe you did.” She laughed before wiping her nose with the back of her hand.
