by Aimée Thurlo
“I can see why she’s worried. Rosa sells herbs at her store,” Lucas said, “and has access to all the pickers and growers here. I think she also gathers a lot of herbs herself, and even has a small herb garden. She knows about home remedies, and carries some of the more common ones in her store.”
“I’ve heard something else recently that just didn’t make sense to me,” Gabriel added slowly. “I understand that she’s having money problems. She applied for a loan recently, but her accounts were in such sorry shape the bank turned her down.”
“How did you—?” Lucas smiled. “It’s Mary Sandoval, right? She’s always had a thing for the Blackhorse brothers, but I always knew she liked you best of all. It’s that trustworthy look in your eyes.”
“You’re full of it, Shadow,” Gabriel growled. “And nice try, but how I found out is none of your business.’
Marlee glanced at her watch. “It’s too bad that editorial came out now. I really needed to stop by and get a few cans of beans and some vegetables. But going to Rosa’s now will definitely create problems.”
“Come on,” Lucas said, almost eager for a confrontation that would force things out into the open. “I’ll walk over with you. It’ll be a way for me to show this town what I think of all the gossip.”
“I’ll stop by, too, but first I have a couple of things that need to be done here,” Gabriel added.
“Neither of you have to do anything,” Marlee protested.
“You’re wrong. We do,” Lucas said, then grabbed her hand and led her outside.
Lucas was aware of the way people they encountered watched as they went by. He could feel their fears and the weight of their suspicions as they stared at Marlee. Near as he could tell, they couldn’t make up their minds whether he was a conspirator or a dupe. It hurt him to see this side of the townspeople he’d known for so long.
They’d just passed the bank, and were walking past the alleyway, when a flicker of movement caught his eye. Lucas glanced back, searching the shadows. “What’s Larra-bee doing meeting with Rosa in an alley? I thought he was supposed to be sick.”
Making sure they both stayed out of view, Lucas and Marlee stood beside the entrance to the alley, but they were too far away to hear. Marlee sneaked a peek, then ducked back. “It looks like they’re having an argument.”
“Earl works at the bank,” Lucas said, thinking out loud. “I wonder if Rosa’s trying to convince him to help her get that loan.”
“Maybe, or they could be arguing about an unpaid bill. Earl downs that soda by the case.”
Lucas heard footsteps approaching and hurried Marlee away. For now, he’d rather Earl and Rosa didn’t know he’d seen them. It could turn out to their advantage later on.
When they went inside Rosa’s store this time, no one stared or made accusations. Lucas remained by Marlee’s side, steadfast and undaunted by the situation. Marlee felt like a prisoner being escorted by a sympathetic guard. Resentment built up inside her, knowing that it was Lucas’s presence that was making the difference. She shopped quickly, determined not to let it get to her. They were acting out of ignorance and fear, not maliciousness.
Because one van carrying foodstuffs had made it through the roadwork, the canned goods weren’t completely depleted. Marlee managed to get enough to take care of her and Lucas for a few days. At the counter, she tried to meet Rosa’s gaze, but the woman refused to look directly at her.
Aware of Lucas directly behind her, Marlee fought the shame that filled her. She felt dirty, and tainted by false accusations.
Marlee took a deep breath. She would not go through this again. “Rosa, I’m not guilty of anything and, deep down, I think you know that. I don’t deserve to be treated this way.”
Rosa’s eyes narrowed. “If you’re trying to shift the blame to me in front of everyone here, you’re wasting your time.”
“I’m not trying to do anything. I am willing to believe anyone is innocent until proven guilty, a luxury that you haven’t extended to me.”
“These are dangerous times,” Rosa said, her eyes filled with anger. “We can’t afford to give anyone the benefit of the doubt. But I know darn well that I had nothing to do with the herbs that tainted the water supply.”
Lucas moved forward, stepping closer to the counter. “The test results said that there wasn’t enough of anything in the water to harm anyone.”
“Go tell Muzzy that,” Rosa countered.
“That dog could be sick from just about anything, and you know it. The editorial wasn’t specific.”
“He was sick to his stomach, and wouldn’t eat anything Mrs. Burnham gave him. That’s enough for me.”
“It shouldn’t be,” Marlee retorted, angrier than she’d wanted to become. “That little dog is always running away from Mrs. Burnham. He could have eaten something that was spoiled when he raided a neighbor’s garbage, or maybe he dug something up. I understand he’s big on tulip bulbs. Besides, there’s another point you haven’t considered. There are others around here besides you and me who know about herbs.”
“All that’s true,” Rosa said slowly. “But the fact remains that you are the one who housed the peddler, and then tried to keep it a secret. That’s enough in my book to make you an enemy of this town.”
“I gave shelter to an old man who needed it,” Marlee said. “If a bit of kindness makes me an enemy of the town in your book, then some of your pages must be missing!”
Marlee stormed out, then slowed down once she hit the sidewalk. She shouldn’t have allowed herself to become so angry. She was reacting more to the injustices in her own past than she was to anything Rosa was doing. She should have handled it differently, but having Lucas hear and see all that had hurt. They were forcing him into the role of a protector, and that stung her pride and her feelings.
Lucas came out a moment later. “You shouldn’t have lost your temper,” he said. “That only made things worse.”
“Yeah, I know. But I have to tell you, it’s hard to stay calm when you know you’re being used. The town desperately needs a scapegoat, and I happen to be convenient.”
“I know, but you also have good friends here. Remember that.”
The deep, level tone of his voice and the fire in his gaze made the harshness melt away from her heart. “Why can’t they see that I would no more hurt them than I would hurt myself?”
“They will. Give it some time.”
“You know, the peddler’s said to bring bad luck and then good. I wonder when the good luck is going to start. I’m overdue, don’t you think?” She managed a thin smile.
“Yes, you are,” he said as they reached the Blazer. “But then again, maybe the good fortune he brings has already started, and you just haven’t noticed it.”
Marlee looked up at him quickly. She wanted to ask him to explain, to tell her what she already knew, but couldn’t bring herself to do it. She knew her hesitation hurt him. She saw the brief flash in his eyes, though a second later it was gone. She knew he wanted her to need him, and not be afraid of that feeling. He wanted her trust.
“Some blessings are too dangerous to accept,” she whispered.
Her words had been barely .audible, but she knew he’d heard them. When he remained quiet, she knew it was because he couldn’t argue against the truth.
THE DAY HADN’T IMPROVED as it passed, but finally it was close to midnight Marlee stood in the darkened living room, staring thoughtfully out the window. Bathed in moonlight, the snow glistened like jewels against the black sky, and covered the ground in ice and shadows that swirled in the breeze. Though Lucas was in the boardinghouse, she felt more isolated and alone than she’d ever been. No matter how tempting it was, or how badly she yearned to reach out to him, she knew she could not. She wouldn’t involve him in her problems any more than he already was.
She thought about the peddler and that little raven carving she’d accepted from him. He had claimed it would grant her one wish, if she wished hard enough. But what
good would one wish be when the one person she wanted most in this world could never be hers?
A silent tear fell down her cheek. Fate had been cruel when it had brought Lucas here to her boardinghouse. Every day it taunted her with her heart’s most desperate wish. Her love for Lucas was real and the kind that would last a lifetime for her. But sometimes the best way to love was to let go, and that’s what she had been trying to do. She would not have Lucas share the hell her past held. He stood for life, for freedom, and she would bring him neither.
Marlee sensed his presence in the room before she ever heard footsteps. She turned to face him, and yearning squeezed her heart as she watched him stride up to her, shirtless, jeans slung low on his hips. He moved with grace and power, and stopped only inches away.
He took her face in his hands and captured her gaze. “I know you, my heart, because I know myself. To you, being strong means standing alone. But standing with another, with me, will increase your strength. It won’t take anything away,” he said, his words a cracked whisper.
Desire smoked in his dark eyes. She felt the shudder that traveled over him as she placed her hands on his naked chest. He had come to offer the only comfort he could give her, the kind that would take the winter from her soul and replace it with the radiance of a new dawn. Longing pierced her. Every cell in her body wanted him to love her in all the ways a man could love a woman.
His gaze dropped to her mouth and remained there, caressing her without narrowing the gap between them. Her pulse was racing. Marlee shivered, yearnings ribboning through her until she couldn’t think.
As if sensing her willingness, he lowered his mouth to hers and pressed her to him. Suddenly Marlee was overwhelmed with sensations that left her aching and exquisitely vulnerable. His needs burned through her, kindling her own. The roughness of his mouth, the hardness of his chest, the tenderness of his arms, wove a spell around her she didn’t want to break. She surrendered to his kiss until only her connection to Lucas sustained her.
Instinct guiding her, she tightened her lips around his restless tongue and then loosened them, letting him taste her as she tasted him. She felt him shudder, and that violent need that he barely kept leashed fueled the fire within her.
Dark, heated images danced in her head as she pressed herself against him. She could barely breathe for the intensity of the feelings.
The phone rang four times before they parted, and Lucas picked up his cellular phone with a muttered oath.
“I hope I didn’t wake you,” Lucas heard Gabriel say. “But I’ve got some news that might interest you. I did a background check on Earl Larrabee, and found out something interesting. The reason I kept coming up against a brick wall was because he had his name legally changed.”
“Why?”
“I haven’t got a clue, but I will find out.” Gabriel paused. “Were you asleep? You sound odd somehow.”
“It’s late, that’s all. Are you okay? Why aren’t you asleep?”
Gabriel didn’t answer right away. “I was just up checking on my wife. She’s fine and sound asleep.”
Lucas closed up his cellular phone and smiled. “My brother misses his wife. He’s lonely sleeping in the spare room, though that’s not why he said he called at this hour.”
“What happened?” Marlee moved away, needing to put some space between them. She could still taste Lucas on her lips.
“In a town like Four Winds, this shouldn’t come as a big surprise, but it looks like we now have another wild card in the game. Earl Larrabee turns out to be a man very intent on keeping his own secrets. He changed his name before he came here.”
“The people of Four Winds, for the most part, share one thing—pasts too dark to forget.”
For a few precious moments, she’d almost forgotten all the logic and all the reasons why their relationship couldn’t be. She’d never been reckless, yet in Lucas’s arms she’d become a new person, someone she scarcely knew.
A million different kinds of wanting filled her. She welcomed the emotions. Despite the pain they caused, they proved that she was still alive. She moved to the window and stared at the emptiness outside, feeling as cold and as desolate as the moonless night.
“It’s too late to turn the clock back,” Lucas murmured. “You’re not alone. I’m a part of you, my heart, as you are a part of me.”
She started to answer, to protest, but when she turned around, he was gone. She walked to her room alone, undressed and slipped into bed. The cold sheets touched her, making her long for Lucas’s warmth.
“Good night, my Shadow. Whether we’re together or apart, you are and will always be the dearest part of me.”
Chapter Fourteen
Marlee was in the living room with Lucas, going through and updating medical charts, when they heard a vehicle pull up. Lucas stood up and walked to the window. “Now, this is good news! Both my brothers are here,” he said.
Gabriel and Joshua came to the door a moment later.
Lucas grinned at his youngest brother, who practically took up the whole doorway, but according to Navajo custom, Lucas refrained from giving him a hug. “Hey, Tree, when did you get back to town? Or better yet, how did you manage that feat?”
“The roads are icy and treacherous, but at least there’s a lane, of sorts, cleared through that rock slide. When I heard what was going on here, I figured I was needed, so I came back as quickly as I could.”
“He figured right, too,” Gabriel said. “He planted a few prayer sticks in the snow, and already I’m feeling much better,” he added.
“Planted?” Joshua glared at his brother. “I’ll plant you!
Gabriel smiled. “Lighten up, Tree. I was only joking. You know I’m grateful for your skills as a medicine man.”
“Did your wife and son return with you?” Lucas asked his youngest brother.
“My wife came, but because of the illnesses here, we felt it best to leave our boy with his grandparents.”
“Good choice.”
“I understand our good friend the librarian was shot and nearly killed,” Joshua added.
Lucas nodded. “I checked on him earlier.” He followed his brother’s example, knowing a traditionalist would not speak of Jake by name. It was said that names had power, and if that power was guarded, it could help that person in a time of crisis. “He’s still in intensive care, but he’s doing better.”
“I’ve been keeping close tabs on him, too,” Gabriel said. “I’d like to question him as soon as possible.”
“Have you been up to the water tower yet?” Marlee asked Gabriel.
“I went out today, or should I say, I tried. Between the high winds and the road conditions, I couldn’t make it. Even if I’d risked life and limb getting there, climbing to the top of the tower would have been impossible.”
Lucas nodded. “Next time, don’t go up there alone. I understand the need to check the town’s main water source, but you’ll need backup. Look at what happened to Jake.”
“We’re still not sure that he was shot there,” Gabriel cautioned, “though admittedly, it does seem probable.”
Marlee sat with them, but even working together and exploring different theories left them with no clear answers on how to proceed. As the howl of the wind grew stronger, Lucas went to the window. “You two may end up as boarders if you don’t get going soon. It looks like we’re in for even more snow.”
“Part of the legacy the peddler left us this time, some would say,” Joshua mused, pulling on his jacket.
“Or just rotten luck,” Lucas answered. “Could we hire you to go out and do a sun dance?” Teasing his younger brother was always a fun game, one Lucas enjoyed even more than Gabriel. Joshua, despite his size, was too gentle to haul off and slug anyone.
Gabriel laughed. “Better make that your last jab, Shadow. Nydia said baby brother pushed his legendary patience to the limit while visiting with her relatives this past week.”
“I’m disappointed in you, Tree,” Luc
as said, “you a married man, and all. Your ability to take abuse should be limitless by now.”
Joshua just smiled. “You’re lucky this town needs a medic. That’s the only thing that saves you half the time.”
Lucas laughed as his brothers walked off, then glanced at Marlee, who was standing with him on the porch, shivering. He put his arm around her. “Let’s go back inside before you freeze. We need to catch up on those progress reports.”
Two hours later, as they finally finished updating the patient records, Lucas’s cellular phone rang. He answered it, and while he was speaking, picked up his medical bag.
“I’ve got to go,” he announced after the call. “I’m headed up to Bill Riley’s cabin. It’s a long hike up there in this weather, but from the sound of it, he’s sick and needs help.”
“I’ll get my warmest boots.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m going to have to ride Chief up there. There’s no way I’d want to walk that distance in this weather, and I’m not at all sure any vehicle could make it up the trail that leads there in all this snow. And I may need to bring Bill down with me, so I can’t afford to be riding double going in.”
Accepting the necessity, Marlee saw him off, then, after turning up the house heat, went to the kitchen to take inventory on her supplies. Suddenly a loud crash and the tinkling of broken glass made her jump, and set her heart pounding.
Marlee rushed into the living room. A blast of icy wind brought her attention immediately to a gaping hole where most of her front window had been. A large rock lay against the far wall.
Anger ripped through her as she picked up the rock. A folded piece of paper had been attached to it with two rubber bands. She slipped the rubber bands off carefully, unfolded the paper, then read the message: “We don’t forgive traitors.”
