Sky snorted. “Didn’t the guards say the man who spoke to them talked in clear plain English? The Nez Perce can speak English, but I never met one who didn’t have an unquestionable accent when he talked. I’m not even convinced there was a group of vigilantes. The only tracks anywhere near those bodies were those of Percival Hunter.”
“Yeah I know. I scouted around. They’ve sent for the federal agent in charge of Chinese affairs in this area to come look into the situation, but he won’t be able to get here for a couple of months. By then you and I both know there won’t be any evidence left to find. Nobody wants to believe it was Percival. Everyone who ever met the fellow seems to have genuinely liked him.”
“Not me.”
Geyser shifted and allowed his weight to rest on Sky’s shoulder. Sky grunted and gave the horse an elbow.
Jason chuckled. “You didn’t like him because the first time you met him he made you jealous.”
Sky gave a quiet laugh. “Look who knows so much!” Done with the hoof, he dropped it and turned in Jason’s direction. He froze and blinked in shock at the transformation. “Jason?” He raised hope-filled eyes to his cousin’s face.
Jason shrugged and smiled. “I gave my life back to the Lord, Sky. I want to thank you for not giving up on me all these years.”
Sky stepped out of the stall and had his cousin wrapped in a bear hug before he had even finished speaking. He tried to think of something to say, but his throat closed tight with emotion so he contented himself with thanking his Heavenly Father for this new miracle.
Jason pulled back. “I’m going home, Sky.”
Sky nodded. Suddenly the thought of home grew very appealing. “Home sounds good. There won’t be anything keeping Brooke and me here with you gone.” Sky got a faraway look in his eye. “Who would have thought that I would meet and marry the most wonderful woman in the world? And all because of you?”
Jason looked askance. “Yeah…well…that reminds me of something else I wanted to talk to you about.” He pulled a small pouch from his pocket and handed it to Sky.
When Sky opened it, he looked up at Jason. “I can’t take this.”
“Sure you can. It’s the money you paid me for Brooke. I can’t keep it.”
“She was worth every penny.”
“Sure, don’t you think I know it? Go ahead and rub it in.” He tried to sound angry but at Sky’s quick look, he grinned. “I want you to have the money back. You have a family to look after now; you’re going to need it.”
Sky decided to give up the fight and compromise. “Will you at least take the eighty dollars that you paid to bring her out here?”
Jason looked momentarily embarrassed. “Maybe someday, Sky. Right now I don’t want any more money in my pocket than I am going to need to make it back home.” He hesitated. “I’m afraid I might be tempted to buy myself a couple of drinks along the way. I never imagined giving up something could be so hard.” His shoulders slumped in despair.
Sky laid a hand in sympathy on Jason’s arm. “I’ll pray for you.”
“Thanks. I have a feeling I’m going to need a lot of prayer in the future. You might as well practice praying for me now.” A smile played across his cousin’s mouth, but Sky knew he was serious.
“When do you leave?”
“I thought about going home with Uncle Sean and Aunt Rachel.”
“They would like that. They’ve probably prayed for you as much as Gram and I have.”
Jason scuffed an arc in the dust with the toe of his boot. “Do you thinkGram is going to…?”
“Gram was heartbroken when you left, Jace. Nothing will make her happier than to see her prodigal son coming home.”
Jason sighed. “I hope you’re right.”
“I know I’m right.” Sky clapped him on the back.
“Do you know where your mother and dad are? I’d like to talk to them.”
Sky nodded. “They took a walk over that direction. They will be so happy to hear about your decision.”
He watched until Jason crested the small rise he’d indicated, then glanced at the cabin. “I have someone I need to talk to myself,” he mumbled.
Grimacing, he headed for the house. Brooke wouldn’t like his confession.
The longer Brooke had to think about Sky’s injured shoulder the more frustrated she became. He had to have been shot when he came to rescue her! He had told her Percival shot at him, but not that he had actually hit him! He could have been killed! Why wouldn’t he have told her such a thing? Here he had been waiting on her hand and foot, and he had a bullet hole in his shoulder! By the time Sky walked into the house, her frustration had bubbled over into anger.
Sky eased himself into the chair across the table from where she sat fiddling with her cup of cold coffee. She refused to look at him. Fixing her eyes on some unseen point outside the window, she pretended to be enjoying the cup of coffee she hadn’t touched in the last half hour.
When they had sat in total silence for a full minute and she still hadn’t met his eyes, he reached across the table and tried to take one of her hands in his own. She pulled away from his touch and turned blazing eyes in his direction.
“Here I’ve been feeling so bad that I didn’t tell you about Percival Hunter being the one in that alley that night. And now I find that you lied to me as well! I had begun to think we might be able to make this marriage work, but—” she choked back a sob—“you don’t even care enough about me to tell me when you’re hurt!”
Sky blinked, taken aback. “Brooke, that’s not fair, and you know it! I didn’t tell you about my injury because I didn’t want you to worry about anything but getting well. This,” he indicated his shoulder, “was not life-threatening like your injury was!”
“You were shot, weren’t you?” Then her eyes widened in dismay. “I didn’t shoot you, did I?”
Despite himself, Sky chuckled. “No. Although for a minute there I thought you might.”
“How can you laugh at a time like this?” She glared at him. “Did Percival shoot you?”
He nodded.
“Let me see it.”
“Brooke, it’s only a flesh wound. Nothing serious.”
“Nothing serious? You were shot, Sky!” She stood abruptly, pushing back her chair, and suddenly her anger gave way to its root of fear. She continued in a choked voice, “Shot coming to save me, and I wouldn’t have needed saving if I had been honest and told you the truth in the first place.”
She folded her arms and stared out the window, tears streaming down her face. Sky stood and reached for her. She moved without hesitation into his arms, sobbing against his broad chest.
“Shhh, Brooke honey, it’s all right. Everything’s all right.” He rubbed her back and rested his chin on top of her head.
After a moment, she pushed back, staring up at him. “What if you had been killed?”
He lifted one eyebrow and asked quietly, “Am I to understand that you would have missed me if I had died on that hill?”
“Missed you? Oh, Sky…” Her eyes dropped to his mouth and, in answer, she lifted up on her tiptoes and kissed him softly.
Sky lifted his head, both eyebrows winging upward. His eyes twinkling, he tucked her closer and whispered, “I’ll take that as a yes, Mrs. Jordan.”
She nodded, her eyes never leaving his face.
With a sigh of satisfaction, he lowered his mouth to hers once more, and Brooke pressed into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck.
He kissed her gently, but when he finally pulled away, Brooke was breathless.
She rested her cheek against his chest. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Percival, Sky. I was just so scared. He said he would kill you if I told, and I already loved you so much that I couldn’t stand the thought. Now I know he intended to kill us both all along.” She lifted her face to his.
Bending down, he rubbed the tip of his nose against hers. “Say it again.”
“He intended to kill us both all a
long?”
He chuckled, pulling back. “The part about loving me.” She smiled innocently. “Did I say that?”
His eyes sparked with amusement. “Why, yes you did, Mrs. Jordan.”
She raised one finger to trace his lips and gazed into his eyes as she said in a whisper, “I love you, Sky, but there is so much about my life that you don’t know.”
“We have all our lives for you to tell me about it.”
Taking his hand, she led him to the couch. “I’d like to start now, if you want to listen.”
Reaching up, he tucked a stray curl of hair behind her ear. “I’ve wanted to know more about you since the moment I first laid eyes on you.”
She searched her memory. “I don’t know where to begin.”
“Tell me about your mother and sister. You spoke of them once. You miss them very much, don’t you?”
Brooke nodded and began there. She left nothing out and didn’t stop until she came to the part about God convicting her to tell him of her past. When she looked over at him, tears shimmered in his deep brown eyes.
He picked up her hand and played with her fingers. “You have been through more than I ever imagined.”
“Yes. But you showed me the way out of the desert. I know that, no matter what the future holds, I will always have an oasis to turn to, because I’ve finally figured out that this is not a mirage.”
He grinned. “I don’t know. I keep thinking you’re going to disappear right out of my arms.” He winked at her. “Maybe I need to kiss you again to make sure this really is real.”
She smiled and leaned closer. As Sky’s lips moved across hers, heart-jolting tremors raced through her chest. She suppressed a moan of pleasure as she slid closer to him. She leaned into his strength, her fingers entwining themselves in his hair.
Sky had accepted her without reservation; loved her despite her past. Her fears and emotional uncertainty about their relationship, which had already been dwindling, now vanished like morning mist in the desert, and she thanked God for bringing her home. Home to her oasis.
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Shiloh, Oregon
Brooke stood in the middle of the kitchen and ticked off all the things she still needed to finish on the tips of her fingers. “Rolls in the oven. Butter in the ice-house. The potatoes are mashed. Sky will slice the roast. Oh—” she slapped a hand to her forehead—“I almost forgot the pies!” She started toward the pantry, but two strong hands slid around her from behind, stilling her progress.
Sky chuckled and kissed her neck as he pulled her back firmly against him. “Don’t worry. I’m not likely to let you forget about those pumpkin pies.”
“Sky!” Brooke spun and peeked around him toward the large open archway between the kitchen and the dining room of their home. “Your family will all be here at any minute!” She could see the front door propped open to welcome the family inside when they arrived. Sunlight from the unseasonably warm day streamed in through every window, and the red tablecloth on the polished plank table Sky had given her as a housewarming gift billowed softly.
He nuzzled her ear. “So? All they will see is a man who’s smitten with his wife.”
She planted her palms firmly in the middle of his chest and pushed. “Later. I want this first meal with all of us in our home to be perfect.” Her push would have had about as much effect on a rock wall.
Leaning in, he gave her a quick kiss, tucking her nearer. “My family loves you just the way you are.” His gaze roved over her face.
She grinned. “And I’d like to keep it that way.”
“And I’d like to keep you this way.” He gave her a squeeze and stepped even closer.
“Sk—”
The cajoling press of his lips stole her protest and her breath. Her resistance flew out the open door and she gave in, wrapped her arms around his neck, and stood on tiptoe to meet him kiss for kiss.
She lost all track of time until someone cleared their throat.
Brooke gasped and jerked back, spinning toward the sound. Sean, Rachel, Rocky, and Sharyah stood in the entryway, each with a grin to rival a carved pumpkin.
She felt her face flush and she pushed Sky back, giving him the best don’t-make-anymore-of-a-scene-than-you-already-have glare that she could muster.
“Knock-knock.” Jason poked his head in the front door, then stepped inside, guiding his sister by the hand. Gram, escorted by Cade, entered right on their heels. Everyone’s attention zoned in on them.
Sky stepped back with an unrepentant grin. He rubbed his thumb across his lips and turned to face his family. “Hi, everyone. Welcome. Brooke was just, uh—” he glanced around the kitchen—“finishing up in here.”
Sean smirked. “I like it when your mother finishes up in the kitchen just like that.”
“Dad!” It was Sharyah’s turn to turn crimson as she tossed a glance toward Cade.
Brooke suddenly realized Rachel was holding a pie in each hand. “Oh, here,” she brushed past Sky, “let me get—” A puff of black smoke belched from the depths of the oven. “Ah! The rolls!” She changed course, snatching up a potholder and pulling open the oven door.
Rachel bustled into the kitchen and set her pies on the counter. “Sharyah, dear, bring Mama and Marquis in here and help us. Sky, why don’t you take the men to the living room. I’m sure we’ll be ready to eat in just a few minutes.”
Batting smoke from before her face, Brooke plunked the tray of bread rolls onto the counter. Dismay washed over her. She’d wanted this meal to be just perfect.
Marquis, her unseeing gaze fixed on nothing in particular, sniffed. “They don’t smell too bad. I bet the middle will be just fine.”
Sharyah pulled a face. “They look pretty bad, Marquis.”
“Now all is not lost,” Rachel proclaimed. “We have plenty of food. We’ll just put them on and if anyone wants one, they can have one, and if not, well then, Cade’s pigs will get a nice addition to their slop this evening.”
Eltha sidled up beside her and wrapped her in a one-armed hug. “Don’t you worry about a thing, dearie. We won’t boot you out of the family over a few burnt rolls, especially not when we all know it was that scoundrel Skyler’s fault!”
Brooke blinked away tears of happiness as they all put the finishing touches on the table. And minutes later, when they were all gathered around, with chatter flowing freely, she thought her heart might burst from the joy of belonging in such a wonderful family.
After the meal, as she set dessert out, Jason cleared his throat in an obvious attempt to gather everyone’s attention and slowly the room quieted. “I wanted to let you all know I’ve decided to take a job as the drive foreman for a cattle ranch. I’ll be leaving for Texas within the week to begin negotiations for bringing a herd this way come spring.”
“That’s great, Jason. You’ll do really well at that.” Cade said.
“Yeah, but—” he twirled his fork in the top of his pie—“there are a lot of saloons between here and Texas. I’d sure appreciate all your prayers for strength.”
“You got them.” Sky nodded and everyone else agreed.
“You two heard anything more from Pierce City?” Sean glanced back and forth from Jason to Sky.
Sky set his fork down and steepled his hands. “Got a letter from Jed the other day. He said the agent for Chinese affairs did come through town, but he didn’t have any further light to shed on the incident. They are still supposing the lynching was done by the Nez Perce as revenge against Chang.”
Jason sighed. “I don’t suppose we’ll ever really know for sure.”
Brooke sniffed. She knew good and well who was responsible for the death of those men.
Sky looked at her solemnly, then told Jason, “Jed did say that Alice took her father’s money and went back east to a finishing school like Fraser would have wanted. And Trace Johnson, had dropped by and said the young girl from back east confirmed that much of the jewelry Percival Hunter h
ad on him belonged to her family. So Trace has put that case to rest as it is almost certain Percival was indeed the man he was looking for.”
“Well,” Sean spoke around a bite, “that’s at least one good thing that came from this situation. The girl can be at rest that her parents’ killer is no longer on the loose.” He glanced back and forth between Sky and her. “How are you two settling into your new place here?”
Polishing off his last bite of pie, Sky leaned back and rested his arm along the top of her chair. He looked at her. “Pretty good. I put the finishing touches on the broken steps on the back porch yesterday and Brooke has just about scrubbed away the floor and windows in every room now.”
Brooke smiled at that. She had put in a lot of work to get the place clean. Rachel chuckled. “Well, it wasn’t in the best of shape, but I’m so glad you are just down the street from us! I say it was pure providence that the Conrads moved away when they did.”
Sky reached over and slid his hand over hers, giving her a squeeze. “Lots of pure providence in my life lately.”
Jason, Rocky, and Cade teased with choked coughs.
Sky’s warm gaze never left her face. He pumped his eyebrows and tossed her a wink that said they simply didn’t know what they were missing.
Every eye at the table was fixed on them, and heat crawled up from the depths of Brooke’s collar.
Sean glowered at the boys as he laid his napkin down by his plate. “Well, this has been good.” His gaze encompassed the table. “I’m glad you thought of this, Brooke. We should have family meals like this more often.”
“Yeah.” Rocky picked up a roll and clunked it against his plate. “Only we need to keep Sky out of the kitchen while Brooke is cooking!”
“Rocky Jordan!” Eltha and Rachel gasped in unison.
He had the grace to look sheepish. “Sorry.”
Brooke eased back into her chair, contentment washing through her. Only a few months ago, she never would have imagined the joy found in family camaraderie. And now she had the best family anyone could ask for.
Rocky Mountain Oasis Page 28
