Walker stood in one place with his shoulders squared and his rippling muscles throbbing. He cast a sweeping glance over the barn yard, the garden gate, the corral—he was master of Cunningham Homestead. No one could dispute that anymore.
At last, he let out his breath and strode back to the truck. He slid into the driver’s seat and turned the ignition. He smiled across at Marla. “Everything’s under control now.”
“You were pretty hard on him, weren’t you?”
“You bet I was,” he spat. “I should have been a lot harder, after the things he’s done, but I couldn’t exactly kill him outright. If he wants to behave, he will. Otherwise, I’ll have to get really tough on him.”
He threw the truck into gear and drove the rest of the way up the driveway. He parked in the barn and helped Marla out. He took her by the hand and led her up to the house. He held the door open for her, but when they walked in, Marla stopped dead in her tracks.
Star stood in the kitchen. She took one look at Marla and turned on Walker. “Are you back?”
“I’m back. I just had some business to attend to, but it’s taken care of now. What’s going on? What brings you over the mountain?”
“Pop is sick,” Star replied. “Mama called me this morning. She can’t get hold of Aurora, and she didn’t know where you were. I’m the only one she could get hold of.”
Walker set his bag on the kitchen table. “So Pop is sick. What’s wrong with him?”
Star shook her head. “I don’t mean he has a cold or anything like that. He’s sick. He’s fading. Mama thinks he won’t last much longer.”
Just then, Rena Cunningham came out of the bedroom adjoining the living room. One look at her pinched, worried face said it all. Rena took a closer look at Marla. “Walker?”
“Morning, Mama. I think you know Marla Dunlap.”
“I know her.” Rena sighed. “I’m sorry I can’t welcome you with more cheer, Marla. I’m a little tied up at the moment. Maybe Star can get you a glass of iced tea.”
“You leave Marla to me, Mama,” Star replied. “You concentrate on Pop.”
“Has anyone gone to find Aurora?” Rena asked. “She should be here.”
“I haven’t had a chance to go find her,” Star replied. “I’ve been trying to get hold of Shaw. Once I’ve done that, I’ll hunt up Aurora.”
Rena wandered back to the bedroom. Walker spoke to Star in hushed tones, “Is it really that bad? How could he turn so fast?”
Star nodded. “It really is that bad. I’m afraid Mama is right and this is it.”
“Then we better get Aurora,” Walker declared. “Aiken says she’s up at your old house.”
“Austin told Brody he was taking over the house,” Star replied, “but no one has gone up to see them.”
Walker tugged Marla by the hand to the hall behind the living room. He guided her down the hall and into a large bedroom. A colorful floral quilt spread over a bed hung with gossamer curtains, and posters of horses and landscapes hung on the walls. Marla inspected the room. “Is this your room? It looks like a girl’s room.”
“This is Aurora’s old room.” He looked around. “I guess she’s not using it since she moved out with Austin. You can use it until we make it our own.”
Marla sat down on the bed. “If this isn’t your room, which is yours?”
“My room isn’t anywhere you would want to stay. It’s a man cave, and it also serves as my office. We’ll stay here together. Feel free to change anything you like. You can take those pictures down and put up whatever you want.” He headed for the door.
“Are you going to see your father now?”
He propped his hands on either side of her hips and leaned in to kiss her. “I’ll see him later. Right now, I have to go see Aurora.”
“I’m sure she’ll want to come as soon as she hears about your father.”
“That’s not why I have to see her.” He hung his head. “I owe her an apology, and she won’t come down to see Pop until she hears straight from me that she has my approval to marry Austin. I did wrong not to give it to her before. She shouldn’t have to live another day without it. I can deliver the message about Pop at the same time.”
“Let me come with you,” she urged.
He held out his hand to stop her. “Sorry. I have to do this on my own. Make yourself at home here—and I mean, make yourself at home. You’re gonna be here for a long, long time.”
She put out her hand to take his. “You promise?”
He stared at her in blank astonishment. Then he dove onto the bed and covered her with his bulk. His lips devoured her mouth, and he surrounded her face with his big hands. He kissed her and probed her mouth with his tongue, and his muscled body spoke to her every pore of the years to come.
“You’re never going to leave this house. This is your future. We’re together now, for life. In a few days, the whole mountain will know we’re mated. Then no one will question. No one will wonder. We’ll have a big Bruin wedding with all the tribes invited, and this will be the first Cunningham wedding with the Farrells in attendance. You’re all mine, and wild horses couldn’t drag you away from me now.”
She swam in his eyes and read her future there.
He leaned back. “Just do me one favor. Don’t say anything about us getting married to my Mama. Don’t take her attention away from Pop until we know what’s going on with him. If he recovers or if he dies, Mama will find out about us soon enough. Just leave her alone for a little while longer.”
“Okay. I’ll go along with whatever you think is best.”
He pushed himself off the bed. “See you in a little while. You can take a shower in the bathroom down the hall, and you’ll find some clean clothes in the closet. I’m not sure how close you are to Aurora in size, but they’ll make you presentable until we can find some other clothes for you. If you need anything to eat or drink, just ask Star.” He closed the door, and his footsteps vanished into the house.
How strange it was to find herself in someone else's house. She never called another house home in her life. She never realized until now how oppressive she found her family's presence, their expectations, their conversations—everything about them grated on her last nerve. They knew too much about her, and she knew too much about them.
Would she get aggravated by the Cunningham's idiosyncrasies after thirty-odd years? Would Walker turn into a brute with whom she couldn't stand to be in the same room?
Her dream came back to her. She’d been here before in dozens of dreams. This was the place she came when she dreamed of Walker. He kissed her and hugged her and protected her here. He talked and listened to her, and no problem she faced was too hard for him to solve. Whatever bothered her, he took it seriously.
She would always have something to talk to him about. Bruins didn't split up. A Bruin couldn't just decide one day to quit a marriage. Bruins worked it out. They depended on each other and supported each other.
Marla saw it time and again. Her parents and grandparents did it. Her aunts and uncles did it. Everyone on Bruins' Peak did it that way, and she would do it, too. For the first time since she could remember, she was happy to be a Bruin, looking forward to the rest of her Bruin life. She was glad to do what every other Bruin on the mountain was doing and would do until the end of time.
Aurora's room surrounded her in a peaceful glow. It offered her sanctuary like her room at Dunlap Homestead never did. The bed didn’t call on her to cover her head with the covers and hide from life. She met Walker here, and their love bolstered her courage to face life straight on.
The whole room smelled of Aurora, but that didn’t bother Marla. The Bruin smell no longer meant pain or danger to her. She and Walker would make this room their own. Their own smell, their combined smell, would invade every corner of the room until everything smelled of them. The bed would smell of their lovemaking. Their clothes would smell of each other. When Walker left home, she could bury her face in his pillow and be with him.
She started to study the room with fresh eyes. She planned how she would decorate it, and she wouldn't put up Gothic horror like she had at her parents' house. She would tell Aiken to burn everything in her old room, especially the statue with the glowing eyes and the gazelle's blood dripping from its jaws.
How could she ever look at that thing all day long? How could she find comfort in it? She used to love that statue. She thought of herself as the sacrificed gazelle and the monster devouring it all at the same time. She was the monster who destroyed her vulnerable, beautiful self.
She shuddered when she thought of it now. She hated it and never wanted to see it again. She regretted that she would carry that image in her mind for the rest of her life. She could only console herself with the fact that she didn't have to be that monster anymore. She could be the gazelle, and she wasn't dead. She could bound away on springy legs and escape to a vibrant life far away from murderous monsters.
She studied Aurora's posters. What a different life Aurora led, that she could surround herself with these magnificent landscapes, waterfalls spraying rainbows over forests, and fairies and unicorns decorating the countryside. Marla's life could have been that way if she hadn't met those hunters.
Well, Bain Campbell might be dead but Riley Faulkner wasn't. He and his bear-baiting friends still stalked Bruin kind. In a few days, the whole mountain would learn the news. The Bruins would look out for pit traps, but they couldn't stop Riley coming after them. The bear-baiters would change their strategy and come after their prey some other way.
Chapter 16
Walker closed the bedroom door with a soft click. He kissed the door before he hurried away to the kitchen where Star waited for him. Star jerked her chin at him. “So…Marla Dunlap, huh?”
Walker sidled up to the kitchen counter. “Don’t say anything to Mama just yet. If Pop really is dying, I don’t want to make this about me and Marla. Just leave it alone until we know exactly what’s going on.”
“You got it, Champ. Your word is law around here. You know that.”
“It is now.” He nodded toward the door. “I’m going up the mountain to see Aurora.”
“Great,” Star exclaimed. “Thanks. I didn’t feel right about leaving at a time like this.”
“I have to talk to her and Austin, anyway. I’ll bring them back with me.”
“Them?” Star’s eyes popped open. “Both of them?”
“Austin is Aurora’s mate. Everybody knows that.” He stood taller. “As long as I’m in charge around here, he’ll be just as welcome here as you are at the Farrells. I don’t see any reason why it should be otherwise. The Farrells aren’t our enemies.”
Star threw her arms around him. “Thank you so much, Walker. I knew we could count on you.”
“You tell Brody I said the same applies to you two,” he added. “If Pop dies, I expect him and Austin at the funeral with all the rest of our relatives. We’re not holding the Farrells at arm’s length anymore, especially with two sisters married to them. I want Hector to consider this place his second home. I’m sure Mama will want to have him around, too.”
“What about Dax?” she asked.
“Dax won’t cause you any further trouble. You can take that to the bank.” Walker headed for the door. “I’ll see you in a little while. Do me a favor, will you? If Marla comes out of that room while I’m gone, make her welcome.”
She beamed at him. “You bet I will.”
“Thanks.”
He shut the door behind him and set off at a run through the woods. He headed up the hill, out of Cunningham territory, to the no-man’s land on Bruins’ Peak. Down the other side, he slowed to a walk when he came to the clearing set among the trees.
Smoke curled out of the chimney and gave the little cabin tucked in a corner of the forest a cozy appearance. No one could ask for a more inviting home. Austin and Aurora would be happy there. Only one tiny cloud hung over the place. Would they welcome Walker?
If they didn’t, he had no one to blame but himself. He really stuck his foot in it by ignoring Aurora when she relied on him to come through for her. He let Brody down, too. He blew a lot of hot air about making peace with the Farrells, but when the hammer came down, he didn’t follow through.
He would have to keep a firm control of himself from now on to make sure nothing like this would ever happen again. If he wanted to take the next step and invite the Farrells to Cunningham Homestead, he would have to keep a tight leash on his tribe. He had to be on his game at all times to quell any sign of dissent as soon as it appeared.
He crossed the clearing, but he hesitated to knock on the door. Why hadn’t he come up here years ago to give Star and Brody his blessing? He hadn’t visited his nephew Hector. Where was his head?
He rapped on the door with his knuckles. Austin pulled it open and fixed his gaze on Walker, but he couldn’t think of anything to say.
Walker took a deep breath. “Howdy-do, Austin.”
Austin shifted from one foot to the other. “Howdy, Walker. To what do we owe the honor of a visit from you?”
“Can I speak to you and Aurora for a minute, Austin? I understand if you don’t want to let me inside. I’ll just say what I have to say from here and leave you to yourselves.”
Austin moved aside. “You’re welcome here, Walker. We’ve been worried about you.”
Walker stepped into the cabin. The only light came through the door, so Austin left it open. One look around showed Walker the little room that made up the whole house. Aurora sat in a rocking chair by the fire.
“Walker’s here to see you.” Austin called out.
Aurora started to get out of her chair. “Walker! You didn’t have to come all the way up here. I would have seen you the next time I came to the Homestead.”
Walker held out his hand. “Don’t get up for me, Aurora. I didn’t come here to inconvenience you two in any way.”
Aurora sat down. She glanced at Austin, who spoke for both of them. “What did you come here for?”
“I came to tell you,” he began, “I’m sorry for not giving you the green light to get married when you came to visit me in my room. I’m sorry I left you hanging so long, and I’m glad you went ahead without my say-so. I wish I could do that conversation over again, but I can’t. I can only tell you it’s all right now. You two belong together, and you won’t get any more resistance from me or any other Cunningham. I’m verbalizing my authority, and anyone who gives you trouble will answer to me, including Dax.”
“Thank you for saying so, Walker. That means a lot coming from you.”
He took a deep breath. “And now that I’ve got that over with, I have to tell you Pop’s on his last legs. Mama thinks he won’t live much longer. Star is contacting Shaw, and I’m here to bring you down to the house.”
Aurora’s head shot up. “Pop?”
Austin picked her jacket off the hook by the door. “You better go then. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Walker faced him. “I want you to come, too, Austin. You belong with Aurora, and you’re just as welcome at our Homestead as she is.”
Austin’s eyes popped open. “Are you sure? I don’t know about that.”
“I am,” he declared, “and I told Star that Brody will be welcome at our Homestead, too. You boys are family now. You have as much right at our family gatherings as any other Cunningham, and I want you around.”
Aurora studied his face. “Is there anything else you want to tell us, Walker?”
He blushed under his sideburns. How long had it been since he really blushed like that? He couldn’t hold back the brilliant smile spreading across his face. “I’m getting married. I’m marrying Marla Dunlap.”
Aurora jumped up and hugged him. She laughed to raise the rafters. “I’m so happy for you! I’m sure Mama is thrilled, too.”
He dug his toe into the floor. “Actually, she doesn’t know. I don’t want her distracted from Pop right now, but you two might as well know. I want
you and Brody and Hector at the wedding. I want all the Farrells there.”
“You probably don’t want Ma there,” Austin replied. “She would have nothing nice to say about any Cunningham, and she would probably find a way to ruin it for everyone.”
“I’ll leave that for Brody to deal with. Your mother has no reason to come to my wedding or Pop’s funeral. If he decides to leave your mother at home, I won’t stop him. Dax is another story, though, and I’ve brought him into line. You can come with me now, and you’ll see for yourself he’s as meek as a kitten.”
“If anything ever happens to you,” Austin warned, “he’ll be in charge. He’ll ruin everything all over again.”
“Nothing is going to happen to me,” Walker insisted. “I’m gonna live a long, happy healthy life with my wife and children in our family Homestead, and Dax will get married and either move away with his wife’s tribe or build himself another house, and all our kids will grow up together with no memory of any feud or war.”
Austin kissed his fingertips and pointed them toward the ceiling. “From your lips to God’s ears.”
Walker headed toward the open door. “So, let’s go. Let’s go down to the house.”
Austin and Aurora exchanged glances. “I guess there’s nothing stopping us.”
Austin helped Aurora into her jacket, and he slipped into his own leather jacket. Walker surveyed the cabin and clearing while he waited for them outside. The place fell into disrepair when Star and Brody moved away, but already he noticed the signs of a hammer here, an axe there, and fresh firewood stacked against the wall. A thick haunch of venison wrapped in a burlap sack hung from the woodshed ceiling. A bucket dripped by the well.
A pang of jealous nostalgia stung Walker. He would never get a chance to bring Marla to a place like this. They would never br free to live and mate in his den. Starting today, they would be stuck at the Homestead in the middle of a million domestic and political details of running a tribe and family.
Maybe Marla didn’t want to live in a den, anyway. She enjoyed the comforts of a warm house. Still, a newlywed couple could do a lot worse than live in a place like this. Austin and Aurora certainly made it comfortable, and they were both happier than he’d seen them in years.
Bruins' Peak Bears Box Set (Volume I) Page 54
