by Hallie Lee
The wretched bridge to the creek had disappeared.
It lay in a pile of wreckage twenty feet below.
•
The terrain was arduous, consisting of haphazard rocks, dagger sharp branches, and murky water undoubtedly swimming with snakes and alligators. Not to mention the twisted metal and rotting wood that had held the shameful bridge together for years.
“Bella! Bella!” I raised my voice over the current.
I used my hands and butt to brace myself, and then scooted down a few feet, searching for either a foothold on a rock, or a reachable branch. “Bella!” I called again, spotting a limb that might or might not be able to hold my weight. I couldn’t care less. It was a way to get closer to Bella.
As I gripped the limb, my weight took it down farther and faster than I’d anticipated. I ended up skidding down to the water, and bouncing off jagged impediments that ripped my naked back to tatters.
“Bella!” Once I regained my footing, I waded along with the current. “Bella!”
I hadn’t gone far when I stumbled over a large, male body, floating face down in the water. I half swam and half crawled to the figure, finding Madhawk, who was dead—for sure this time.
I continued to move in the same direction as the water, and my anxiety increased with each new step. Was I going to find Bella like that? Her face pale and unseeing, her beautiful hair tangled awkwardly against the bed of the creek? No, I refused to let my mind go there.
“Bella! Bella!” I shouted, encouraged by the wailing sound of sirens in the distance. As the current roughly pushed me around a bend in the water, I spotted Bella clinging to a branch on the opposite side of the creek. “Bella!”
“Luke!” Her head bobbed perilously in and out of the water.
Even though I didn’t know what kind of shape she was in, she was alive. “I’m coming.” I splashed through the cloudy water, half stumbling and half swimming across the creek. I shoved debris and stones aside, until I finally reached the branch that held Bella in its clutches. I grasped her waist, holding her tightly against me, while using my other arm to tear away the foliage that held her down. “It’s okay,” I panted. “I’ve got you.”
“I know.” Dark strands of hair twisted around her face like an octopus. “And Mama?”
“She’s lost a lot of blood. But the EMTs are with her now.” I grunted as I peeled thick vines of undergrowth away from her body. “Take deep breaths.”
When I finally freed her, I pried a muddy stone aside to make a landing for her to rest. “Here.” I settled her safely down, moving my hands along her face to brush her hair aside. Impulsively, I kissed her, desperate to feel her quick, short breaths against my mouth.
“You saved me,” she said softly, resting her forehead against mine.
“Are you okay?” I patted her all over, looking for injuries. “You made it all the way to the creek side.”
“I know. I swam, and then I was going to climb up and run to Uncle Wolf’s house to get his gun. But I tripped and slid back to the bottom.” She frowned. “You’re all bloody. You’ve cut yourself, Luke.”
“I’m fine.” I kissed her again. “I’m great now that I know you’re okay.” Although there were other words of endearment fighting their way to the surface, I said instead, “Madhawk is dead.”
She nodded, as if she already knew, and then directed her sights to the helicopter swirling overhead. “Quite a posse for a rescue on the creek.”
I pointed. “Look. There’s your mom. And your Uncle Wolfheart.” Several feet above us, we could make out their anxious expressions as they peered over the bluff.
“She’s fine,” I hollered. Bella and I chuckled as my voice echoed from inside the mouth of the creek.
Meadow, looking bewildered, waved and blew Bella a kiss before an EMT led her aside, presumably for a trip to Saint John’s Hospital.
“She’s stubborn,” Bella quipped. “She probably wouldn’t go until she had a look at me.”
“Can’t say I blame her.” I kissed her again. “Were you scared?”
“At first. When Madhawk hit Mama, but…” Her expression blazed with confidence as she glanced at the woods on either side of the creek.
“But what?”
“I saw him.”
I arched my brow, confused. “Who?”
“Hania.”
“Your mamaw’s wolf dog?”
“Yes. He was as magnificent as always. Regal. With that pure white ring of fur around his neck, and his glacier blue eyes.” Bella glanced toward the cliff, where her mother and uncle had been standing moments before. “I wish they could have seen him.”
“Was it really him?”
Bella’s eyes glazed a bit, and she scanned the creek-side, suddenly mystified. “I don’t know,” she said. “And I don’t know if he was even real.” Her eyes swiveled back to me. “But maybe it doesn’t matter. Maybe all that matters is that he gave me courage. When I saw him, I knew everything was going to be okay. That Mama was going to be alright. And that you were going to find me.”
I tried to speak, but failed, so moved by this woman and her unshakable faith.
“His tranquil, steady presence reminded me to be brave. Even when the bridge fell, I had the most powerful sense of protection.”
The churning blades of the helicopter interrupted our musings, yanking us back to the commotion amid the creek. When the pilots threw the rescue ladder, I caught it, securing Bella for her lift off. “This is exciting!” she yelled over the noise.
She flashed me a wicked, mischievous smile—only minutes after nearly dying. God, I loved her.
“Off you go.” I watched the woman I loved airlifted to safety, thinking she was the most beautiful and courageous person I’d ever known.
•
After an EMT slathered a healthy amount of antiseptic over the cuts on my back, I lumbered over to the edge of the creek where Sheriff Rick and Wolfheart talked quietly.
“All these years,” muttered Wolfheart. “Right under my roof—”
“Probably best you didn’t know. It wouldn’t have brought Axe back,” the sheriff replied. “And knowing you, there’s a good chance you’d have taken matters into your own hands.”
Grim, Wolfheart shook his head, then turned to me with a worn smile. He shook my hand. “Thank you, Luke. I suspected I could count on you.”
I nodded, a little embarrassed. “How’s the boy? Fireman?”
The two exchanged looks before the sheriff said, “I reckon that’s a problem for another day.” The lines surrounding his eyes seemed more pronounced than usual, and I suddenly realized the toll being responsible for a town could take on a man.
They glanced at the coroner as he slowly approached. “Dan the Man,” the sheriff said in greeting. “Heck of a few days, eh?”
“I heard that.” The coroner considered the body bag as the EMTs carefully loaded it into the van. “At least we can sleep easy tonight.”
Wolfheart’s face lightened, as he obviously agreed. “What do you think killed him? The fall?”
Dan shrugged. “If not that, his ticker.” The coroner clutched his fist into a ball, grabbing ahold of the front of his shirt. “His hand was tight against his chest, like that. Ain’t exactly official, of course, but I often see that pose in fatal heart attacks.”
“You don’t say,” muttered Sheriff Rick.
Wolfheart said, “If he had underlying heart problems, maybe that’s why I didn’t detect a pulse—”
“Could have been a number of things, but the autopsy will tell us for sure.” Dan glanced at his watch. “Gotta run, Dancing with the Stars is on tonight. And it’s tango night.” The coroner demonstrated a jaunty jig as he hiked to his vehicle.
Night had fallen along the creek as Quietdove and Max worked with emergency personnel to set up a barricade with ref
lecting lights along the bluff. Another team had taken the long way around, toward Osprey Lake, in order to set up an equally vivid roadblock on the other side of the creek.
As the activity settled and the evening loomed, folks peeled off one by one, until only the sheriff, Bella, and I remained. “You did good today, Luke,” he said as he walked with me to my car.
Bella sat in the passenger seat, her hair still damp, and a thick blanket wrapped around her shoulders.
“How ya doing, young lady?” The sheriff asked, “You still feel like singing tomorrow?”
“Of course,” She nodded, the adrenaline keeping her wide-eyed and spirited. “I’ve waited for this all my life.”
Sheriff Rick patted the hood of my car a couple of times before waving goodbye. “Mighty fine, then. Good luck.”
“Any news on your mom?” I asked as I climbed in, and slowly followed the sheriff’s truck out of the creek.
“She’s doing better,” Bella said. “Uncle Wolf is staying with her at the hospital tonight. The doctors said if she does well tonight, she’ll be released early enough tomorrow to hear me sing.”
“That’s great news.” I squinted at her, trying to get a read on the emotional toll of the evening. “Are you holding up okay?”
I could feel her eyes on me in the darkness. “I am.” And then she added, “I explained to Uncle Wolf that you’d be sleeping on your couch tonight.”
I chuckled. “And what did he say?”
“He said he’d see me at church tomorrow,” she teased, sticking her head out the window, embracing the muggy Louisiana air.
“Bella.” My voice cracked as I steered along the windy dirt road. “I love you.”
“I know,” she smiled. And then, “Listen.” The faint echo of wolves serenading the moon drifted through the open window. She relaxed her head against my shoulder. “I love you too.”
“Hey,” I nudged her. “You never told me. What does Hania mean?”
“Hania.” Bella set her mesmerizing blue eyes on the moon. “Hania means Spirit Warrior.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Buford And Gerty
Sheriff Rick
A
s I stirred cream and sugar into my coffee, Gerty jumped on the kitchen counter for her morning trickle. I regarded her as I turned on the faucet. Tail high, eyes bright. As she swiveled in my direction, I shrunk under her scrutiny.
“It was a long night,” I said in my defense. “I can’t sleep ten hours a day like you.”
She blinked. Licked her paw. Unmoved.
After I filled her bowl with kibble, I padded to my room and took a gander in the mirror. I’d nicked myself shaving, and my eyes were bloodshot, but I was hoping the khakis would tip the scales in my favor. The real wildcard was the button-down shirt—blue, to match my eyes—because I figured there was no sense playing around anymore.
When Robin asked if I’d pick her up for church today, I’d tried my darndest to play it cool. Maybe I’d overdone it, because she felt obliged to clarify, “You don’t have to drive all the way to Osprey Lake, Ricky. I’ll be in Shady Gully at Desi’s.”
I looked at my watch again. Counting down the minutes. I wondered if I should shave my mustache. Dean hadn’t had a mustache, so maybe Robin wasn’t into them. I placed a finger over my upper lip, trying to get an idea how I’d look—
The doorbell rang, shaking me out of my adolescent angst.
Gerty positioned herself in front of the door, flaunting her long, perfectly toned body for the benefit of whoever was on the other side. “Don’t get comfortable,” I told her gruffly. “I’ve got five minutes before I gotta go. Tops.”
I swung the door wide open, discovering Fireman and Granny Lacey. Before I could say a word, the elder shoved the young hooligan inside. “My boys’ got something to say to you. Is that coffee I smell?”
Once I had Granny Lacey settled with a warm cup of sugar and cream with a side of coffee, she eyed Fireman. “Well go on. Tell the sheriff what you told me.”
The kid’s eyes were swollen, undoubtedly from crying over the notion of growing old in prison. Or maybe he was allergic to Gertrude. He hadn’t taken his hands off her since he arrived.
“I didn’t mean for it to burn down.” He stroked Gerty behind her ears and under her chin.
“What did you think was gonna happen then? And what if somebody had been in there?”
“Everyone was outside. Fighting. I knew I was alone.”
“Sheriff,” Granny said. “He knows what he did was wrong, but he’s not a bad boy. His heart is good, and well, what would be the point in putting him in the legal system?”
“He’s too young to actually do time, but arson is a serious manner—”
“He’ll have a record,” she said. “A Creek with a record, especially at his age, will label him for life.”
I sighed, resisting the urge to look at my watch, while Gerty purred beneath Fireman’s gentle fingers.
“It really was an accident,” Fireman insisted. “I just wanted to set Jesse’s papers on fire. I found some on his desk and put them in the garbage can. I guess I put too much gas in the can, because the flames shot up and caught on the curtains and I—” He dropped his head regretfully.
When he teared up, Gerty studied the boy for a long moment. She blinked at him a few times, and then stood and rubbed her body affectionately against his...
She then turned pointedly to me and glared.
“Okay. I’ll see what I can do. But you’re not off the hook. I’ll expect you to do some kind of community service. Maybe at the station. And that’s if I can get Jesse to drop the charges.”
“Thank you, Sheriff.” Granny Lacey tipped her head.
“Don’t thank me yet. Jesse is…well, Jesse.”
Granny Lacey asked Fireman, “What time is it?” She proffered her wrist.
Fireman cradled her scrawny arm and squinted at her ancient watch. “It’s time to go. Everyone’s going to see Bella sing. The whole creek is coming out.”
Granny Lacey narrowed her eyes at me. “We had to set out at the crack of dawn. And go nearly all the way to Osprey. And then circle back. When are you gonna get that bridge fixed?”
I stood up. “That’s next on my list.”
•
Robin’s son, Sterling, opened the door with a miffed expression. “You’re late.”
Bemused, I scrambled for a response.
He cracked a smile. “Just joshing with ya, man.”
“Okay,” I said. “Man.” Over his shoulder I spied Lenny, holding a bagel dripping with cream cheese. “Morning.”
“You want a bagel?” asked Lenny. “The girls are still primping.”
I followed him into the kitchen where Petey sat at the table, his eyes glued to an iPad. “Hey Sheriff,” he grinned. “Big night, eh?” As always, I was taken with the way Petey could light up a room. “How about that assist from my brother?”
I nodded in agreement. “He rose to the occasion, that’s for sure.”
“He’s in love,” Sterling said between a mouth full of eggs. “It gives you superpowers.” I studied the kid, suddenly curious as to what lay behind his jovial manner and gifted musical instincts.
Chatty laughter rose as the scent of battling perfumes wafted in from the hallway. “We’re ready!” Desi sashayed in a bright orange and yellow getup.
“Nice.” Lenny, ever enamored, admired his wife favorably.
Micah, perky and petite, sported a short skirt and offered a sassy smile, while Violet, tall and pale-skinned, towered beside her, clearly uncomfortable with the attention.
“Ladies,” I tipped my hat.
Robin’s daughter avoided my gaze, focusing instead on the Papillion prancing at her feet.
“Hey, check it out, Ruby.” Petey grinned, once again teasing V
iolet over her color-themed name. “It’s the video Timothy showed at service today.” He ambled over to the girls with his iPad.
When he hit play, Violet leaned in, engaged, while Micah ducked into the kitchen. She inspected the selection of bagels. “I wonder how many calories a bagel has?”
Desi gave her a loaded look before turning to Lenny. “Why didn’t you wake me up early? I wanted to watch North Lake’s early service online.”
“It will be online all day, and you were tired last night,” Lenny said. “I thought I’d let you sleep. Besides, we’re going to an actual bricks and mortar church today. Imagine.”
Desi pecked his cheek. “It is fun to dress up for a change.”
“I don’t know,” Lenny remarked. “I was kind of enjoying worshiping in my pajamas.”
Sterling quipped, “Let’s just hope Luke gets Bella to church on time.”
Petey’s eyes widened. “Now that has a nice ring to it.”
Micah snorted. “He’s so gross. All moony-eyed over her. I hope he doesn’t distract her. Ruin her focus.”
“I’m sure she can handle it,” Desi said, glancing at Lenny. “He texted me earlier about the shelter where we got Ginger and Mary Ann.”
Lenny squinted, “Luke wants a dog?”
“Why would anyone want a dog?” Robin said as she entered the kitchen. “When they could have a cat. Right Sheriff?”
“Beats me.” Buford tracked behind Robin, meandering over for a tour between my pants legs. Despite the black cat hair sullying my khakis, I stood tall with the victory.
When I subconsciously reached into my pocket for a celebratory taffy, Robin playfully whipped it out of my hand. “Grape! My favorite.” She wore slim black slacks and a colorful silk blouse. Classy as always, with a pair of sassy red glasses perched on her nose. “Shall we go?”
“We shall,” I answered, trying not to dwell on Sterling’s shocked expression or the whitening of Violet’s already pale face. Instead, I turned to Robin, suddenly finding the notion of escorting a beautiful woman to church thrilling in its novelty.