The Soldier's Promise

by Patricia Potter

  And she had a mission. She wanted to show him Covenant Falls was worth saving.

  She leaned back in his arms, her fingers tracing the lines of his face, lingering at the scar, then moving on. “I like your face,” she said. “It has...strength. And integrity.”

  When he didn’t reply, she clasped his hand. “I brought a picnic. I want you to see what Covenant Falls is all about.”

  “I can’t leave Amos alone, not with what is happening.”

  “He’s invited, as well.”

  “I’m expecting a visit from the police.”

  “Tom will call me if Sam makes a move. Sam has a shadow now who will stick to him like they’re Siamese twins.”

  He studied with those remarkable emerald eyes, then nodded. He went inside and called Amos, and they both came out. He locked the door behind him. As he turned, she saw the holster on his belt. She didn’t blame him. A police officer was trying to frame him, and there was no telling how far he would go. But then she didn’t know how far Josh would go, either.

  “This really isn’t the Wild West.”

  He ignored the comment and looked at the truck. “Is there room for both Amos and me?”

  “There’s space behind the seats. Nick’s dogs travel back there.”

  Josh opened the passenger-side door. Amos hesitated for a moment. “It’s okay,” Josh said.

  Amos jumped in. Eve saw Josh’s mouth bend into a smile as his dog sniffed the nest of blankets he found. Amos had obviously started to trust him, and her heart hurt to see how much that meant to Josh. He ruffled the fur along Amos’s back as Eve started the car.

  He didn’t say anything as Eve drove out onto Lake Road and then Mine Street. They rode past the Rusty Nail, then she turned onto an unmarked narrow road that wound through a forest of pines.

  Twenty minutes later, she took another turn onto a gravel road that led upward and quickly became enclosed by pines on both sides. Another two miles and she pulled into a clearing.

  She didn’t wait for him to get out, but stepped out herself and went to the bed of the truck. She grabbed the picnic basket and headed for a well-worn trail that overlooked a ravine and a river below. The trail was protected from the edge by a rustic wood fence, a safety measure her father had worked hard to obtain.

  A short, curving walk led to a viewing area with picnic tables. The falls were suddenly in sight. Sixty feet of foaming water tumbling over rocks into the fast-running river below. A rainbow curved into the heart of the falls.

  She was awed as she always was when she saw it. The rainbow wasn’t always there, but frequent enough to be a reason for a visit.

  She turned to look at Josh, and even he looked affected. Amos, obviously unimpressed, stayed by his side.

  “There’s an old path that goes to the top and over the mountains to a mining town. It’s a ghost town now. The town of Covenant Falls was originally Monroe Lake. Its history goes back to 1863, when Angus Monroe found a natural lake fed by melting snow and the falls and started a trading post. Gold seekers, mountain men and pioneers stopped for supplies. Some stayed after the mines played out. Monroe campaigned for statehood and made important friends in doing so, and Covenant Falls eventually gained city status.

  “Family members and friends of the family have pretty much run everything since then. It was pretty much benevolent until Al became heir and started throwing his weight around. Neither he nor his father had the magic touch in business that their ancestors had, and I think he’s terrified of losing everything they built. He’s the last of the line with the Monroe name. He and his wife don’t have children. They tried but his wife never could bring one to term. I’ll give him one thing. He didn’t try to divorce Lily. He really loves her.”

  “Al doesn’t sound Scottish.”

  “It’s really Alistair. Alistair and Angus and Jaime all pop up on the family tree. But Al hated that name.”

  “And the police officer? Your police chief said he’s the nephew.”

  “Sam is Al’s only sister’s son, the only heir. His parents died when he was ten. That’s why the name is different. Al tried to bring him into his business but he had no interest in the insurance and realty business. He received a degree in criminal justice, which, in Al’s point of view, makes him qualified to be police chief. It doesn’t. He’s not stupid, but he’s always been spoiled. Always got a free pass when he got in trouble. What Sam wants, Al wants for him. Especially when it benefits him, as well.”

  “How?”

  “Al lost the family ranch, but he has a stake in the county bank and owns the only insurance firm in town. The town does business with both.”

  “Is that legal?”

  “He abstains from decisions affecting the bank and insurance company, but the other council members pretty much do whatever he wants. I shudder to think what would happen to this town if Al was mayor and Sam police chief.” She hesitated, then continued, “Tell you the truth, I don’t think Al is aware of what we suspect. I think Sam thought this up on his own. He thinks being the Monroe heir makes him something akin to God. He resents the fact people don’t recognize that. When you came to town, I think he saw it as an opportunity to become a hero. Prove he’s a competent officer.”

  She paused, then added, “Don’t underestimate him. If he’s thwarted, I think he can be dangerous. He doesn’t have limits. I can’t tell you how much I want him out of the department.”

  Josh looked thoughtful. After a moment, he asked, “What powers do you have?”

  “I hire staff. That includes the police department and the chief. But while I prepare a budget, the council has to approve it. The council refused to fund the community center, which is why we have fund-raisers to finance it and volunteers to run it. If the council doesn’t approve of my police chief, they can eliminate the police force.”

  “What happens then to law enforcement?”

  “It goes to the county to take over. But the sheriff’s office is understaffed. There wouldn’t be anyone here permanently.”

  “There’s no one on the council who supports you?”

  “One wholeheartedly, one halfheartedly.”

  “That comes back to the question of why me? Why did Clark pick on me to be the criminal mastermind?”

  “You’re new. No connections in the community. No one to defend you. When you first arrived, neighbors saw you and Amos walking late at night and feared you were up to no good. But he made a mistake. The burglaries had to be committed by someone who knows which businesses have weak spots and something worthwhile to steal. That eliminated you in Tom’s mind.”

  She studied him. His green eyes were penetrating, his expression appraising. He was assessing every word, withholding judgment, asking all the right questions.

  “I don’t want you to think ill of us,” she added. “This place is steeped in history. Most of the people here have roots going back as far as five and even six generations, including Al Monroe.”

  His green eyes were bright with interest. “Was your family one of the early ones?”

  “On my father’s side. His father had been foreman of one of the large ranches, and my dad grew up a ranch hand. Then he was drafted and served in Vietnam and he received a bunch of medals. He came back and joined the county’s sheriff’s department. He helped capture a murder suspect from Philadelphia and met my mother when he was up there helping with the case. But Colorado and the mountains were in his blood. They moved here, and Dad became police chief.”

  “Where’s your mother now?”

  “She hated Covenant Falls,” Eve said stiffly. “Didn’t like it from the day she saw it. Too small. Too provincial. Not enough ‘right’ people. But Dad wanted me raised here. It was a battle between them all my life. She stuck it out because that was the proper thing to do.

  “And she loved him.
But the day after Dad’s funeral she went back to Philly. I was married then and had Nick, and there was no question about staying or not staying. I agreed with my dad. I wanted my son to grow up in open spaces, clear skies and fresh air.”

  “Do you see her?

  “I take Nick once a year for a week.”

  “So Covenant Falls is in your blood, too,” he said. It wasn’t a question, more a statement.

  “Yes.”

  “How did the Hannitys come here, then? From what I understand, the cabin was mostly a vacation place.”

  “Summer visitors were welcome then,” she said. “Al’s father, Jaime, thought growth was a good thing, especially those from out of town who owned property and paid taxes without using much of the services. The land on your side of the lake was advertised as mountain retreats. The Hannitys were one of the first families to build a cabin they used in the summer. They were followed by others. Then Mr. and Mrs. Hannity were killed in a private plane crash. The next year David returned with his uncle, who I understood was his guardian. His uncle drowned in the lake a year later. David left and never returned.”

  “And the others?”

  “After the drowning and all the talk, out-of-towners stopped coming. A recession sped up the process. Home prices fell so low that people in town could afford to buy them. Shep was one of them.”

  “What talk?” She should have known he would zero in on that comment.

  “I would rather not repeat rumors,” she said. “My husband knew and liked David and I did, too.” She turned toward the falls. “Like most places, Covenant Falls has its secrets and tragedies, its good people and those few not so good. No worse and probably better than many towns. With the lake and mountains, it’s a great place to raise kids.”

  “Except when they get older and can’t find jobs,” he said skeptically.

  “A lot of us want to change that,” she said.

  She looked up and wished he wasn’t so difficult to read. “I understand why you wouldn’t want to be involved,” she said.

  “Sam Clark has involved me,” he said.

  “You’ll stay, then?” she said. Her heart pounded so loud she was sure he must hear it.

  He took her hand, holding it loosely in his. “For a while. You know, you’re very pretty when you get impassioned.”

  She felt her cheeks growing warm. He looked pretty darn good himself, with a shock of sandy hair pasted against his face by the mist. She found herself leaning against him.

  The rainbow looked close enough to touch, and a breeze seemed to caress them. The moment was magical.

  Amos barked then and, startled, they both looked down at him.

  “I think he likes the falls, too,” she said, leaning down to scratch his ears. “I have a treat for him if that’s okay?”

  “It’s good with me if it’s good with him,” he said.

  She went to the picnic basket and took her time finding a strip of chicken jerky. She needed a moment to steady her emotions. She was quaking inside.

  She held the piece of jerky to Amos, who sniffed it and looked at Josh. “Yes,” he told the dog.

  Amos took it in his mouth and sat, still looking at Josh. Half of the jerky hung out of one side of his mouth like a cigar.

  Eve laughed. “I would like a photo of that. He looks like a thin Churchill.”

  A slow smile spread across Josh’s face and eased the harsh lines around his eyes and mouth. There was something incredibly appealing about him with his barriers down. He leaned down and his lips touched hers. Gently at first. Her heart caught at the tenderness. Then the heat came, and the kiss turned urgent. A melting sensation settled in the pit of her stomach, and her arms went around his neck. The air between them was combustible, churning with winds of temptation.

  Then her world exploded, and all her reason with it.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  JOSH’S LAST THOUGHT before prolonging the kiss was that it was the worst idea ever. And the most irresistible.

  She’d looked so appealing with the breeze and mist coloring her cheeks and her dark hair framing her face. He was charmed by the passionate way she talked about the town and her obvious fascination with history, an interest he shared.

  Her hazel eyes sparkled as she talked, and he’d wanted to bottle that delighted laugh when Amos had taken the jerky.

  When their lips met, he felt a warmth he’d never experienced before. It flowed through his body like warm honey. He felt her tremble as they pressed together like magnets, both helpless to resist the pull of the other.

  Tension coiled in his stomach as the kiss deepened. Her arms went around his neck, her fingers sending sensations reeling throughout his body. Heat erupted wherever she touched him as their lips played with each other, tasting, exploring. She seemed to melt into him as if she was made for him and he for her.

  He took in a shaky breath. He wanted to draw her to the ground and make love to her that minute. He fought that urge with every ounce of willpower he had.

  If he continued, they wouldn’t be able to stop. He knew that.

  Emotionally, everything was right with this. God, how he wanted it. Her kisses told him she wanted it. But everything else was wrong. She was not the kind of woman he’d slept with before. She was not the type you bed and leave. He pulled back. But she was still too close, too pretty, too ready for more. He knew a dozen reasons why he should stop, but none of them seemed imperative.

  “Don’t go away,” she whispered. He knew she meant more than a kiss.

  Good intentions went to hell in a basket. His arms went around her again, and he wasn’t sure whether the sound he heard was the thunder of the falls or his heart. He kissed her forehead and worked his way down to her mouth. The meeting of lips this time was explosive. It was not lust that was so powerful, although it was certainly there. The problem rested in the fact that lust was only a small part of what he felt. He didn’t just want her in bed, he wanted her with him in the morning, and the next day and the next.

  He didn’t believe in love.

  He kissed her again, slow and sensual. Her mouth opened to his, and his hands climbed to the back of her neck. If they had been anywhere but the falls, he wouldn’t have stopped. He wanted so much more than a kiss. He wanted the potent mixture of tenderness and fire he’d just barely tasted. He wanted to learn her every mood. He wanted to hear her laugh again. Hell, he wanted her.

  But this wasn’t the time or place. Anyone could be driving up here, even on a workday. She could be destroyed in the town she loved.

  He stepped back and it was one of the hardest things he’d ever done. “We should go,” he said.

  She looked dazed. Well, he was a little dazed himself. Make that a lot. “Wow,” she whispered. “What just happened?”

  “Damned if I know,” he replied. Not very eloquent, but it was honest.

  He looked down. Amos was looking from Josh to Eve and back again. “It’s okay,” he said softly. Amos whined, apparently feeling the tension in the air. “It’s okay,” he said again.

  He turned back to Eve. Mist had dampened her hair, and a curl clung to her cheek. He pushed it back and caressed the smoothness of her cheeks.

  “I like your falls,” he finally said. He was too shaken by the intensity. “Is it always this empty here?”

  Her voice was none too steady when she answered. “It’s pretty busy on the weekends. Families bring picnics. But during the week, most people work, and if they don’t, they go fishing in the lake. We get a few tourists during the summer, but mostly they have to stumble on us. We’re out of the way, and there are no other attractions around.” She paused, then grinned. “We do have a legend, though.”

  “Let me guess,” Josh said. “Two forbidden lovers jumping together?”

  “We’re not nearly
that predictable,” she teased, her eyes full of mischief. He had never seen her like this before. Fanciful and easy and ever so irresistible.

  “A happy legend, then?” he asked.

  “Yes, and it’s why the town is named Covenant Falls. Angus Monroe found the lake when he was almost dead from thirst. He had emigrated from Scotland with his brother to look for gold. His brother didn’t make it that far. He’d drowned while crossing a river.

  “Gold,” she continued with a beguiling smile, “had been his brother’s dream, not his. He was a trader by instinct, and he decided there were better ways to get gold than digging for it. He built a small cabin and hunted beaver that he sold. He saw settlements springing up throughout Colorado, and he envisioned a town built around this lake. Gold had been found, though, and it had a stronger call for others. It also stirred the Native tribes that were being pushed from their ancestral lands. Attacks became more frequent and no man was willing to bring his family to an unprotected new settlement.” Eve paused and looked back at the falls.

  “One day while returning from trapping, he found a badly injured Ute man at the foot of the falls. He had been shot by miners while hunting and had made it to the falls before collapsing.

  “Angus had learned a little about medicine, and he doctored the brave back to health. His patient turned out to be very important member of the Utes and when he survived, the Utes rewarded Angus with a covenant of protection.

  “They kept that promise and when other settlements were threatened by Native raids, Covenant Falls became a haven. Angus filed a squatter’s claim and lured other settlers to his new town. It grew slowly. Angus wanted a village like those he’d known in Scotland, with a kirk and school. Since it was the falls that created the lake, he decided to name his town Covenant Falls.

  “There’s something else,” she said. “Angus was rewarded with the Ute’s sister for a wife. From all the tales, he really loved her and treated her well. She died giving birth to their third child. Nothing he could do saved her. He never married again.”