Books by Linda Conrad

by Conrad, Linda

  No, this new closeness between them had come since the landslide and the kiss. It felt almost as if he was afraid of losing her, so he was determined to keep one hand on her at all times.

  He shouldn’t worry. She had no intention of losing sight of him, either. There hadn’t been a moment to think of what might’ve happened had she not stopped the kiss—and why she’d thought to do that was also still a mystery. But she could not stand to think about it. Not yet.

  “We’re all grateful you two have survived the landslide,” Kody told them as he carefully followed the road down.

  “All?” she questioned. “Ben’s family, you mean?” She couldn’t imagine Kody was talking about the FBI.

  Ben broke in. “Kody and I both belong to a society of medicine men, Tory. I’m sure Kody was talking about—”

  “The Brotherhood, you mean? Well, that’s nice they were worried about you. How do you suppose they heard about it so fast?”

  Ben’s expression said he’d just seen a ghost. Which, of course, was impossible since he wasn’t seeing anything at the moment.

  “How did you know about…”

  “The Brotherhood? Shirley told me.”

  “Ah. What else did she say?”

  “She said you were the heart of the group. The rest was all pretty hazy…but interesting.”

  “Ben called me for help from up on the cliff,” Kody interrupted from the front driver’s seat. “I’m the one with the big mouth. I called all of the Brotherhood to let them know about the trouble.”

  She thought about that for a moment. Pretty close relationship these men seemed to have. It made her a little curious to know why.

  Before she could ask any more questions, Kody changed the subject to ask Ben one of his own. “While you’re at the gym picking up your SUV, will you take the time to perform the Ghost Way ceremony for the principal? Are you well enough? I have to get right back to work. I’m hot on the trail of some information about the family of that teenager who died the other night.”

  “Perhaps,” Ben answered quietly.

  “The Ghost Way ceremony? Is that the one you and Shirley were talking about this morning? The one for getting rid of the chindi.”

  Ben laughed and tightened his grip around her shoulders. “You never forget anything, do you?”

  “Not much, I’m afraid. And I still don’t understand about the chindi.”

  She took a chance now that he was cornered and asked the other question that had been bothering her. “What’s more, I don’t really get the whole thing about medicine men ceremonies. You said it wasn’t totally religious and yet not exactly just the alternative medicine, either.”

  Looking from Ben to Kody, she shook her head with their silence. “Can one of you please explain?”

  Ben thought for a few seconds about what to say to her. He knew Kody would leave it up to him. But how was he to answer so she could easily relate?

  “A big part of what it means to be Navajo is a sense of balance…harmony in all things, both natural and manmade,” he began. “But bad stuff happens. And stressful happenings are difficult on any human being—even the Dine.

  “With prolonged stress, you whites become mentally ill, get stomach ulcers and contract psychosomatic sicknesses. The best way I can explain what the hataalii does is to relate it to Anglo psychiatric treatment. When the medicine man performs a ‘healing’ ceremony, the People believe the chants and potions will cure their problems. And so—they do.”

  “Ah. Mind over matter. The mind is a wondrous thing. That’s very interesting.”

  “More than just interesting, Doctor,” Ben told her with a scowl. “If you want to really make a difference to your traditional Dine patients, you must be able to relate to their needs. Talk their language and respect their beliefs.”

  He felt her put her hand over the one of his that had been resting on his knee.

  “Yes, Doctor, I know that. And it’s your job to teach me how. We have a deal.”

  8

  I n a trick of nature more reminiscent of a magic show than something from real life, Ben’s eyesight returned just as they pulled into the high school parking lot.

  When Kody brought his truck to a stop near the gym, Ben reached for the door handle and jumped to the ground. “Let’s go, Tory. I see Principal Billie heading this way. Someone must’ve seen us coming up the drive and let him know.”

  He turned to help her step down off the running board. She took his hand, but he knew she was quietly scrutinizing him and assuring herself that he could see.

  “You gonna do the curing ceremony, cuz?” Kody hadn’t shut off the engine and sat with his truck idling while he waited for a decision.

  “Yes, I’m good. Thanks for the lift.”

  “No problem. You need any rides…or anything…just let us know.”

  Ben answered with a nod. Tory gave Kody a polite thanks and said how glad she was to meet him. And then his cousin roared off in a dusty cloud.

  “This Brotherhood society must be really close,” Tory began as she dropped his hand. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard about a group of men being like that in the white world.”

  “Maybe not,” Ben hedged. But he knew of certain squads of soldiers, both white and mixed race, who had become just as close—in times of war.

  The secret war with the Skinwalkers, raging across his homeland, had made the Brotherhood what they were today. But he didn’t feel comfortable discussing it with Tory. Not yet, at least.

  Ben smiled down at her. “You have half the mountain stuck to your hair and clothes,” he said in hopes of distracting her and changing the subject.

  “I do?” She touched her hair. “You’re just a little dusty, is all. Why did I get the worst of it?”

  Reaching over to push a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, he lifted his eyebrows. “Maybe because you were protecting me and led the way out. I’ve been meaning to thank you for that.”

  She blushed and his whole body took notice of the rosy change in the color of her skin. “Don’t be nuts.” She laughed. “You were the one who saved us both by getting us up the side of that cliff. You were amazing.”

  He couldn’t help himself. It was too late to hold back now that he’d touched her and his fingers knew the feel of her skin. He ran a finger down her jawline and lingered at the tip of her chin.

  “You’re the amazing one, Tory. Look at all the things you’ve already accomplished in your life. Getting through med school after starting from such meager circumstances, finding this way to pay off your student loans and settling in and meeting people in a place so far removed from everything you have ever known. You are one very special woman.”

  Embarrassed but secretly pleased, Tory shook her head. “That was nothing. It’s my life. There isn’t anything to do but live through it.”

  But none of it had prepared her for what she was dealing with now as he touched her face. The thought of their kiss, that life-altering and mind-twisting touch of his lips to hers, was distracting her beyond hope. She was stuck with this frustrating and unfulfilled urgency between them. A desperation for more stroking, touching and whatever else came next.

  Making him stop had left her feeling as if she was holding on to her place on planet Earth by simply a sheer force of will.

  “I’m glad you could make it, Doctor Wauneka.” A middle-aged Navajo man Ben had pointed out as being the school principal called out from about ten feet away, finally breaking the hypnotic tension between them.

  Ben waved him over. The salt-and-pepper-haired man in a blue suit walked up and shook his hand.

  “We ran into a little trouble on the road or we would’ve been here sooner.” Ben turned to her. “Dr. Tory Sommer, this is Earnest Billie. He’s been the principal of Raven Wash High School for as long as I can remember.”

  On occasion, like when her brain had turned to mush from the gentle touch of a hard-as-steel Navajo doctor, Tory made a complete fool of herself. This was one of thos
e terrible times.

  “Ya’at’eeh,” she said in what she hoped was a good imitation of the guttural sounds she’d been hearing whenever two natives greeted each other.

  Both men stood stock-still and stared at her.

  Principal Billie was the first one to recover. “Ya’at’eeh, Doctor Sommer. I had heard a new white doctor had come to our area to work at the Raven Wash Clinic. It’s nice to meet you.”

  She knew her face was flushing bright red with embarrassment at the apparent mistake she’d just made. But she decided not to compound the error by apologizing. Not when that also might be something Navajo society didn’t allow. Their customs were strange and confusing.

  “My clothes are a mess,” she mumbled as she tried desperately to dust her hands off on her slacks. “We were just in a landslide.”

  “Oh?” The principal turned to Ben for confirmation of what the obviously crazy white woman was saying.

  “It wasn’t anything,” Ben told him. “But perhaps this doctor could be allowed to clean up in one of the school’s restrooms while I perform your sing?”

  “Yes, of course. I’ll unlock the gym for you and then show her to the nurse’s office. She’ll be more comfortable there.”

  And someone would be around to keep an eye on the crazy woman doctor, Tory thought to herself. But she’d made enough mistakes for one day and kept her mouth firmly shut while she followed the two Navajo men over to the gym. Then she trudged on with the principal to the nurse’s office.

  Tory could tell Mr. Billie didn’t much care for her. Without saying a word, he’d made it clear he felt she was out of place. Yet he was polite.

  And she imagined that was a good lesson about most of the Navajo. One she would try to respect.

  “April Henry. I can’t believe it’s you,” Tory said when the principal had shut the door behind himself and left the two women alone. “What are you doing as the school nurse? Does Dr. Hardeen know you’re holding down two jobs?”

  April laughed and shrugged a shoulder. “He did when I was working here part-time. He was even the one who suggested the idea at first. But I don’t have two jobs anymore. Not since I quit the clinic.”

  “You quit? But why?”

  “Uh…” April looked embarrassed, but then she set her jaw and continued. “It was that horrible Russel Beyal. Dr. Hardeen put him in charge of the entire afternoon shift.”

  April shivered in the heat of non-air-conditioned midday as if the very thought of the man unnerved her. “There is something beyond spooky about that guy. No way was I going to put up with him being my permanent supervisor. He studies women like a hawk getting ready for a meal. Ugh.”

  “Well, maybe you’re right about Russel. But the clinic is sure going to miss you.”

  April brightened. “Thanks, Doc. I’ll miss everyone there, too. But this is better for me. My fiancé is the head coach here and I’ll get lots of vacations when the schoolkids do. We’re going to be married this summer so the loss of half my income won’t be too bad.”

  The nurse did a double take and shot a glance up and down Tory’s body. “What happened to you? You look like you fell in a Dumpster.”

  Laughing at her own expense, Tory explained and asked for a place to clean up. She was hoping the bathroom would not have a mirror so she wouldn’t have to face her filthy image, but no such luck.

  Simply awful. For a split second she found herself grateful that Ben’s eyesight had been growing worse.

  What a horrible thing to even think. She chastised herself, but a tiny niggle of guilt remained.

  There wasn’t much she could do to fix up the way she looked. She needed a bath, and her clothes just might have to be burned in the end. Taking off her shirt and pants, she shook them out the best she could. Then she washed her face and hands and combed her fingers through her hair.

  The whole time, she was wishing for a leprechaun or fairy with a magic wand to come along and make her look beautiful so Ben wouldn’t have to see her like this again. Sighing with resignation, she put her clothes back on and reentered April’s office.

  “How long do you think Ben’s curing ceremony will take?” she asked.

  “I don’t have a clue. Sometimes those medicine man ceremonies take days.”

  When Tory’s mouth dropped open, April quickly added, “Oh, but I’m sure Dr. Wauneka’s ceremony will be a lot shorter. Maybe a couple of hours?”

  “Could you tell me what this chindi thing is all about?” Tory was concerned that it would be some superstitious ritual she really didn’t want Ben to explain.

  “Yeah, I asked an uncle to teach me about the chindi once. I was curious, too. I mean, I went to nursing school off the reservation and this prohibition about not entering a building where a person died for four days afterward seemed pretty far out there to me.”

  “Is that true? Four days. Just because someone passed away in the place?”

  “My uncle is an professor of anthropology at Arizona State. He’s done studies of the native Southwestern Indians’ ancient beliefs. Mostly the Hopi, Navajo, Pueblo and Apache.

  “He told me the Dine have been a highly advanced people for many hundreds, if not a thousand years. Our ancient ones were aware of the effects of bacteria and viruses long before they knew what those things were. And they apparently observed that contagion could be spread by the newly dead.”

  April blinked her eyes at Tory and continued. “To warn the People to stay away, they called that danger chindi, which was already the word for the evil spirit that resides in all of us. The elders taught the people to avoid the dead and the place of death for at least four days so the evil would have a chance to go away—even longer if it was in a closed place where the chindi might be caught.”

  “I see. That’s actually very clever. Probably saved the Dine from dying off in a plague like the Europeans did several times in their history. So what does the curing ceremony do?”

  “In modern times, doctors know pretty quickly when a place is contagious and should be decontaminated. So now, mostly to please the elders I think, if the death was an accident or a heart attack or something, the medicine man can use one of his chants and curing ceremonies to clear the air and make it all right to go in again.”

  The idea of mind over matter gave Tory another idea. “April, do you know of a curing ceremony for blindness?”

  “No. Why? You’re not having trouble with your eyesight, are you?”

  “Just curious.” Tory didn’t want to field any more questions on the subject. She’d already said too much.

  She had considered asking April for a ride home. Her house wasn’t that far. But she didn’t want to leave in case Ben needed her.

  “I should let you get back to work,” she told April. “By any chance is there an online computer that I could use to do a little research?”

  “In the library. But we’ll have to clear it with the librarian. And I know some Web sites are blocked so you won’t be able to get access to those places.”

  “No problem,” Tory said with a chuckle. “I doubt there’ll be a block on medical-school libraries. Thanks.”

  She might just shoot off a couple of e-mails, too. If it would be allowed.

  Tory’s frustration was growing by the minute. There had to be some way to help Ben besides just driving him around and helping out with his practice. If there was, she was determined to find it.

  Ben stuck his head into the school nurse’s office and looked around. The place seemed empty. He was grateful that his vision was still good after a long couple of hours doing the curing ceremony.

  But now, when he was really dying for a glimpse of Tory, she was nowhere in sight.

  He turned to leave, but then caught the sound of someone whispering coming from a back room. Curious, he quietly walked over to the partially closed door and listened.

  Hearing Tory’s voice speaking softly, he leaned in and decided to eavesdrop for a few moments before he interrupted and barged right in. Aft
er a second, he realized she was talking to one of the school’s students, a girl who must’ve come to the nurse’s office because she’d felt ill.

  “Thanks for helping me out in the library, Dr. Sommer,” he heard the young female voice say. “I don’t know what happened to make me just pass out like that.”

  Ben listened as Tory quietly asked the girl about her eating habits and then about the possibility she might be pregnant. Tory had a firm but pleasing bedside manner, he was happy to note. She’d been mistaken when she’d claimed she had trouble dealing with patients.

  “No, it’s nothing like any of that,” the girl said. “My boyfriend…well, he says it’s wrong to have sex before marriage. And besides that…” The girl’s voice suddenly lowered even more than before and she began to use a conspiratorial whisper. “It’s not allowed by the members of a new society he’s just joined. They claim it’s bad for the health and will ruin your athletic ability.”

  New society? Ben’s curiosity took a more sober turn.

  “Your boyfriend is on an athletic team?” Tory asked casually.

  “He’s a wrestler. State Junior Division champ. I’m on the girls’ basketball team, too.”

  “Oh? Did your boyfriend know the wrestler that died the other night?”

  “We both did. He was…he was a member of the society. But oh, Dr. Sommer, you’re not allowed to know about the society. I shouldn’t have said anything. My boyfriend will kill me if he finds out I told.”

  To Tory’s credit, she stayed calm and kept her voice low and easy. “I won’t say anything. But I really think you should come into the Raven Wash Clinic tomorrow so I can run a few tests to see why you fainted.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Won’t your parents let you see a white doctor?”

  “No, nothing like that. They’re cool. It’s that new society’s rules. They say all doctors are bad.

  “You see, the guys that belong all take this powder stuff,” the girl continued. “To make them stronger. My boyfriend thinks it’s steroids and that’s why they’re not allowed to even talk to any doctors. For fear someone will find out and make them stop.”