by Freya Barker
There isn't much to pack. Most of what I own is still in a storage unit in Grand Junction and although I've gotta figure out eventually what to do with that, for now I won't have to worry about it. Other than clothes, toiletries and my laptop, there really isn't anything else. It's much the same for Caleb, although he still has a furnished rental place somewhere. I never paid much attention to be honest.
Just half an hour after the boys left, we are sitting in the kitchen with Emma, having another coffee and eating a massive breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, fresh muffins and orange juice. The woman is nuts. I swear she must've been up at four AM to be able to get this spread on the table. It's only nine-thirty now.
"Emma, this is delicious," I say around a mouthful of blueberry pancake, "but I have to admit, part of me is glad we won't be this close anymore 'cause I'd grow to massive proportions under your watch, I'm afraid."
A growl and a tap to the back of my head lets me know Caleb is not pleased with my observation.
"Really? You wouldn't be able to do your caveman thing and haul me off everywhere if I were twice the size now, would you?"
"Katie..." The low vibration in his tone should be warning that his patience with my irritable self is coming to an end, but I don't care and Emma only seems amused with our back and forth.
"I'll be big as a house before you know it, Caleb," I can hear a whine in my voice and shocked I snap my mouth shut before more slips out. My fork clatters to my plate when I suddenly realize the source of my unusual crankiness with utter clarity. My eyes slowly creeping up to where Caleb's black t-shirt ends and that delicious hollow right under his prominent Adam's apple where I like to nuzzle begins. With a finger crooked under my chin, he lifts my face so I'm now finding myself looking in his deep hazel ones. The gentle warmth I see there tells me he is aware of my little revelation; maybe even experienced it at the same time I did. When those last words tumbled out of my mouth.
Without taking his eyes off me Caleb says to Emma, "Thanks for breakfast, Ems. Beautiful, as usual. I think we'll wait for the boys in the guest-house."
"Absolutely," I hear her say, before Caleb wheels me out of the kitchen, out the door and down the path.
"I don't get it," I mumble with my face pressed to that delicious spot on his neck I was ogling moments before. Caleb has me out of my chair and on his lap on the couch seconds after we walk in the door, apparently his preferred position for conversation, and if I have to admit, it's fast becoming mine too. "How is it possible to suppress something that momentous from my mind? Pregnant, Caleb? Me. It's just hitting me now. Actually no, that's not true. It hit me yesterday in the hospital when they asked if there was a possibility and I answered yes, but somehow I managed to push it away. What kind of person does that?"
"Someone who's been uprooted, almost run off the road and shot at perhaps? Someone who has always had a tight reign on her life and her surroundings, who suddenly finds herself at the mercy of circumstance and needs to compartmentalize a few things to get through yet another trauma? Honestly, little one. Give yourself a break."
Still disappointed in myself, but hearing what he says and feeling a little better I slip my arms around his waist and give a little squeeze.
"When do you think we'll know for sure?"
"Not really my area of expertise, but when is your period due? If it doesn't show, that should tell us something, right? Or we could get an over the counter test?" he says with an eyebrow raised.
"Anyone ever tell you, you can be a bit of a smartass, Mr. Whitetail? Not due my period until sometime next week, but they've been a bit wonky since my injury. Don't ask me why."
"Picking up a test then. And wonky? Is that a scientific term, Ms. Acker?" he counters with a smile on his face.
"Whatever. You're a pain in my ass," I grumble.
"I like your ass. Plan to tap that ass."
I turn to him with my mouth open in mock disbelief. "Oh Em Gee! For your information, I like your ass too, but if you don't watch it, you'll end up with my footprint all over it."
The world suddenly rights itself again when Caleb throws his head back and belts out his beautiful laugh.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Bliss.
Breathing in the fresh air, while sitting out here in the early morning sun that is slowly warming the day ahead is simply bliss. A quiet little void for me to collect my thoughts and reflect on the last few days that have whipped by since we moved into 'the barn', as everyone now calls Caleb's new home.
I know Clint's crew will be arriving in an hour or so, they've been putting finishing touches on the laundry room down here and the elevator shaft, and are ready to move it upstairs and start roughing in the plumbing and electrical. After that Caleb wants to take over and get his hands dirty.
So far we've been preoccupied with furniture arriving. The huge natural leather sectional sits proudly in the great room across from the fireplace. It's still rather pristine looking, but is supposed to weather and age with time, giving it an interesting rugged and natural patina. The kitchen island boasts four dark metal stools with seats and backs in the same leather as the couch and a rustic looking long knotted kitchen table and chairs sits in front of the sliding doors.
The last thing to arrive yesterday had Caleb almost as giddy as a kid at Christmas. We've spent our nights here on a couple of mattresses borrowed from Arlene, since Neil moved into the guesthouse right after we came here, but they were about five inches short for Caleb's long frame. With me sharing the bed, he hasn't had the luxury of lying across the bed diagonally so his feet ended up dangling off the end every night. Apparently that is not conducive to a good night's sleep. When the bed arrived yesterday afternoon, he literally dropped everything he was doing to put his baby together.
I sip my coffee with a smile on my face, recalling the enthusiastic and creative ways he found to 'christen' the new bed last night. I left him sleeping like a baby this morning. He has a few hours to catch up on.
A faint sound has me turn my head to the grove of trees to the side of the barn and my breath hitches. Standing right on the edge, still as a statue and looking right at me is that glorious pooch. Alright, he's a bit ratty, but all I can see is potential when I look at his eyes.
"Morning my friend," I say softly, not wanting to startle him, "finally you come for a visit."
His ears twitch when I start talking, as if trying to pick up the vibrations of my voice.
"Did we move in on your territory? Hope you don't mind. I'd like to be friends. Do you remember me?" I ramble on in the same soft voice, trying to let him get used to my sound, and slowly his tail starts moving from side to side. I carefully put my cup down on the ground beside me.
Just like before, I turn my hands palms up and put them on my knees, never stopping the cooing nonsense that falls from my mouth, and just like before, the dog starts inching his way closer, his tail wagging more enthusiastically with every step he takes.
I have no idea what I'm doing, it's not like I grew up with pets or know anything about them, but there is something about this dog that draws me. For all I know, he could be dangerous, but somehow I don't think I have anything to fear.
His head within reach of my hands, I resist reaching for him, and patiently wait for him to come to me.
"You're gonna need a name, boy, if you're gonna stick around. Or even if you just come to visit from time to time. I don't want to keep calling you ‘Dog’.”
His wet nose is sniffing over my hands and I gently curl my fingers under his chin to scratch. The steady wag of his tail and the weight of his large head now on my lap, tells me he desperately wants a friend too, and when he lifts his eyes to look at me I suddenly know what I'm gonna call him.
"I'm gonna call you Blue, baby. You like that?" I smile when ears perk up at the name. His eyes are an incredible shade of icy blue.
We sit together for a while, Blue and I, one of my hands scratching him, the other holding my coffee cup again. Blue has shifted and is
sitting next to me, staring out into the distance, seemingly content just to hang out. I'm good with that too.
Suddenly I hear a low growl come from him as he jumps up, turns around and moves behind me.
"Whoa, boy," I hear Caleb's low voice from the doorway.
When I turn around, he is leaning against the doorpost, a coffee in hand calmly eyeing the dog, whose neck hair is standing on end.
"Morning, little one. Your friend is a little protective of you. You seem to bring that out in us guys. Now, I want nothing more than to taste you, but I'm thinking we should handle this situation with care."
I should've guessed Katie and that dog would find a way to connect again. It was only a matter of time, but what surprises me is the instant possessive and protective instinct the dog has over her. As long as he doesn't get in my way, I'm happy to add an extra guard to her.
"Babe, talk to him and then slowly move to me so he knows you belong with me, or rather, I belong with you," I chuckle.
"S'ok Blue, that's Caleb. He lives here. You'll see a lot of him, especially when I'm around since he can't seem to stay away for very long, but I don't mind, I'm kinda hooked on him too."
With an impish grin and an occasional peek my way, Katie slowly rolls her chair over to me, trying to calm the dog down at the same time. He stops growling and moves his head back and forth between Katie and me, trying to get a handle on the situation. Funny that he isn't moving off the deck though. He is staying right there.
I'm careful not to move too much when Katie reaches me and starts touching me, coaxing the dog to come closer. Reluctantly, he starts sniffing; first the air in my general direction, and then slowly moving closer until I have Katie on one side, holding my hand, and the dog on the other, sniffing.
"His name is Blue," Katie says softly, a smile on her face when she lifts it up to me.
"Blue," I repeat and notice the dog's eyes on me too.
Carefully I nudge his fur with my finger where I can reach it, and before you know it, he's sitting down beside us, just outside the sliding door on the deck, looking out in the distance. Katie's hand squeezes mine.
When I finally bend down to taste her, the dog looks but doesn't move or make a sound. Good, ‘cause that would've been a problem.
With the sound of the first of the work trucks rolling onto the drive, Blue's head turns and with one last look in our direction, he lopes of into the trees.
"Who the fuck is Blue?" Gus walks into the kitchen with Joe in tow.
It's early afternoon and the morning has slipped by since Clint's crew showed up, turning our peaceful oasis into a cacophony of construction noise. Katie escaped out the front to sit at the picnic table put out there for the workmen, and is working on her laptop.
"Katie's dog," I explain, putting the finishing touches on the dough for the flatbreads I want to fry for tonight's dinner.
"Katie has a dog? Since when? Didn't know what she was jabbering on about out there."
"A stray who has taken a shine to her, and the feeling is mutual. Big sucker too. Must have some wolf in him somewhere. He doesn't want to stick around when there are others here though. Barely seems to tolerate me, but loves Katie," I shrug.
"Huh. Never figured her for a pet owner," Gus contemplates.
"By the way, hello Gus and Joe," I say pointedly, "what brings you here?"
Joe just chuckles.
"Caleb. Starting to look great. Never thought a barn could turn into something like this," he says looking around appreciatively.
"We've got a few developments we want to go over. Joe just got a call from Manny in Farmington this morning and thought we should stick our heads together."
"Sure. Let me finish this and put on some coffee, unless you guys want a beer?"
Both Gus and Joe opt for coffee so I make short work of wrapping up the dough and leaving it to rise and fixing us a pot.
Armed with coffee, I lead the guys outside to where Katie is still sitting by the picnic table but with her laptop now closed. Putting the two mugs I'm carrying down on the table in front of her, I bend down and kiss her head before taking a seat on the bench.
"So what did Manny have?" I ask Joe who takes a seat across from me.
"One of his men is dating a nurse from Shiprock, who works at the medical clinic there. Apparently she let it slip that her brother had texted her a week or so prior, asking her to stay after hours with an excuse. He needed her help. She was worried about him and after the on-call doctor left, she locked up and waited by the back door. He showed up with a Mexican guy, she said, whose hand was blistering. When she told him he needed to go to the hospital in Farmington, he pulled a gun on her, so she cleaned him up and bandaged him the best she could."
"Why didn't she come forward right away?" Katie questions.
"He threatened her and told her he'd first take care of every member of her family before he would put her out of her misery. Manny says you might know the brother though," Joe says, turning to me.
"Yeah? Who is it?"
"Benjamin Chee, apparently he's your brother's second hand man?"
A heavy feeling settles on my shoulders.
"Malachi's best friend since they were little. Those two would get into shit all the time, started calling me El Jefe when I would try to wrangle them. Dammit. Now I get why I couldn't get a straight answer from him. He not only is more involved with the Klesh than I knew, he also has a foot in with the cartel. Something smells."
"Something smells alright," Gus agrees, "Why would the Klesh' second in command be involved in any way in the torching of his leader's family home? A life-long friend to boot. Doesn't sit right."
"You think your brother might have been set up?" Katie grabs my hand as she voices the thought that had just formed a persistent seed in my mind. "I mean, think about it. It makes sense, doesn't it? He must've suspected something was off with his right hand man or else he would have taken him into confidence. He wouldn't have walked out on his gang like he did."
I squeeze her hand. What she is saying is more plausible than the idea that my brother, however fucked up, would care enough check up on and look after his parents just to ignore an attack on them. That never sat well with me.
"Okay," Joe offers, "let's follow that train of thought through. So, if Chee and his Mexican pal are in cahoots and intercepted a load of drugs from the cartel intended to be distributed by the Klesh on the street―a scam they managed to pin on Malachi. They’ve effectively gotten everyone; Klesh, cartel, and law enforcement barking up the wrong tree. No wonder they want to find Malachi themselves first. They need to take him out. Can't run the risk of him talking to anyone."
"He has proof," Gus slams his hand on the picnic table, "he has to have something that's got them running scared. We've gotta find him."
"Why me though?" Katie wants to know. "Why come after me? I'm nothing to your brother."
"You're everything to Caleb though," Gus responds for me with a nod in my direction, "and he would do anything, and everything, to keep you safe. Even give up his brother. That's what they're hoping for. Hell, counting on probably."
I head inside to get the pot of coffee for refills, needing a minute alone to process. It's like the tumblers of a lock slowly clicking into place; the way this whole tangled web of a case is starting to become clear. Not that it helps much. Malachi is still on the lam with a price on his head and the cartel is still a danger to anyone associated with me, it seems, until he’s found. Unless...
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Caleb leaves the table quite abruptly, but I get it. It's a shatload to absorb, and I'm not so sure how that last remark by Gus comes across, but it's gotta create some sort of internal conflict.
A sudden shiver runs down my spine, like someone just walked over my grave, and I look around the barnyard to the edge of the trees, but there is nothing to see. Weird. I've learned to trust my instincts and they rarely steer me wrong. I could've sworn I could feel eyes on me.
"
You ok?" Joe asks, having picked up on my jumpy behavior as well. Gus is already wordlessly scanning the tree line.
"Yeah. Just a weird vibe, is all."
When Caleb walks out with the coffeepot, it doesn't take him long to cotton on and without looking at me, he puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes. "Where?" is all he says.
"Not sure if it was anything."
"You guys are freaky ‘in-tune’.” Joe looks between the three of us, shaking his head.
"Years of working together," Gus grumbles, still facing the trees.
"It's a bit creepy."
A vaguely familiar rustling sound comes from the trees and all three men have their guns drawn and aimed before I can stop them.
"No! It's Blue," I yell, almost certain it's him I hear when I wheel my chair between the guys and the sounds, right in the line of fire, to their great displeasure. At least by the sounds of their swearing.
"Fuck Katie. Would you use your head?"
"Shut it, Gus. Don't stop trusting my instincts now."
With his neck hair up, but tail wagging hesitantly, Blue comes forward from the shrubs at the edge of the trees.
"What the fuck is that?"
"Katie's dog," Caleb chuckles at Gus, "that's the Blue she was telling you about."
"I need another coffee." Joe sits down and fills up. "Guess that's what you heard?"
"Possibly," I say, not quite so sure as I watch Blue's apprehensive approach, not taking my eyes off his. Amazing how much trust this animal puts in me to walk up to a yard filled with strange trucks, strange people and enough of Alpha testosterone to drive a rocket ship. Trust, or loyalty?
At least Blue has broken a bit of the tension. Having found his way to my side, he seems to keep himself between me and the trees at all times. I would've thought he'd be aggressive toward Gus and Joe, but he barely gives them a look and seems to have accepted Caleb completely. No, his focus is solely on me. Don't I feel special.
I scratch his ears, which he seems to like, since he'll occasionally groan loudly, making Caleb chuckle.
