Tracie Peterson - [Desert Roses 01]

by Shadows of the Canyon

  “You were going to leave with her—leave El Tovar? Were you planning on talking to me about this?”

  “I wanted to talk to you.” Alex tried to compose herself, but her efforts weren’t amounting to much. Her world was falling apart piece by piece and now she had to confront the possibility of another woman in Luke’s life. “You were . . . were . . . busy. And Valerie Winthrop said . . .” Alex buried her face in her hands and sobbed. With his good right arm, Luke pulled her against him and held her safe. She could feel his cast, rock solid, against her side as he tried his best to pull her closer.

  “Shhh, you don’t have to go on. There’s plenty of time to talk about this later.”

  Alex relished the warmth of his embrace. Luke smelled of hay and burnt wood—earthy smells that served to calm Alex’s soul. Luke was her mainstay. Luke was the one she could count on when things went bad. God would always reign supreme in her life, but Luke had come to mean more to her than any other human being. Was this love? Was this, in honesty and truth, what she had hoped existed but never dared to believe in?

  He stroked her hair, then gently rubbed the back of her neck. “It’s going to be all right. You’ll see. God is bigger than this. He’ll let the truth win out.”

  Alex pulled away just enough to see Luke’s face. “But, Luke, what if the truth is more than I can bear?”

  He gently cupped her chin. “Alex, no matter what the truth is, God will see you through. Remember, you’ve shared those very words with me. Bad things happen, but God is still there for you. He still loves you.”

  “I just don’t know what to do anymore,” she cried.

  His face was only inches from hers and, looking up, Alex found herself wondering what it would be like to kiss him. She didn’t have to wonder for long. Lowering his mouth to hers, Luke kissed her long and passionately. The warmth of his touch and the depth of his kiss were enough for Alex to completely forget the moment. She put her hand up to feel the stubble on his jaw, her heart racing madly. This felt so right.

  As he tightened his hold on her, Alex melted against him. They fit so well together, as if they’d always been intended for each other. If only this moment could go on forever. But like everything that offered comfort to Alex, this too had its end.

  “Alex,” Luke whispered, “there’s something I need to tell you.” This time, he was the one to pull away.

  His words were like a slap in the face. Alex immediately realized what they’d just done and stepped back. What had she been thinking? “I . . . I . . . don’t know what came over me.”

  She continued to back away as images of Luke and Valerie crept into her memory. She had to let go of her feelings for him. Even if those feelings were . . . very possibly . . . love.

  “You’re upset,” Luke said, moving toward her. “I didn’t mean to take advantage of that. I don’t want you to think badly of me, but I have to tell you why I . . .” He stopped when he saw her intense gaze.

  “Luke, I heard all about the ranch in Wyoming.” “How could you possibly know about that?” He seemed confused, speechless.

  It was true—everything Valerie had said. He was turning his back on everything she had thought he stood for. Alex felt sick.

  “I can’t say,” she replied. “I just do.” “Well, that’s part of what I want to talk to you about.” Alex didn’t want to hear about his plans with Valerie Winthrop. Not now. Not after what they had shared. “I can’t stay here anymore. I need to see if they’ll let me see my mother. I can’t just leave her to their mercy.” Alex reached for the door handle.

  “Wait. We need to talk.” “Not now, Luke. I just couldn’t bear it.” She opened the door and stepped into the hall. Walking toward the stairs, she was immediately set upon by reporters.

  “Is it true your mother killed your father because of his affairs?” one man questioned.

  “No!” Alex replied. They were like wolves circling prey. “Is it true your father sired an illegitimate child and that the woman was making demands on your mother?”

  “No! How can you say such things?” “Did your mother confess to pushing your father into the canyon?”

  Alex tried to move away from them, but it wasn’t until Luke pushed his way through the crowd that she had any success.

  “Miss Keegan has been through a lot this evening. She’s not up to answering any more questions.”

  “Say, aren’t you the cowboy who found her?” “Yeah, that’s him, he’s got a broken arm.” “Did you see what happened when Mrs. Keegan pushed her husband into the canyon?”

  Luke fairly growled as he pushed Alex ahead of him. “I said, no more questions.”

  Taking hold of Alex, Luke maneuvered her down the hall. When they came to her mother’s room, he paused momentarily. Alex thought he seemed reluctant to let go of her, but finally he released his hold. “Alex, I have to talk to you. I won’t press you tonight, but tomorrow, we need to talk—it’s important.”

  Alex faced the idea with sheer dread. Nevertheless, she nodded. “All right. Tomorrow.”

  Tomorrow her world would further unravel, but tonight . . . tonight she would force a stay of execution in the memory of his kiss.

  That night in his cabin, Luke poked up the fire and stared absent-mindedly into the flames. Nothing in his life had prepared him for the experience of kissing Alex Keegan. He felt weak and powerful all at the same time. He knew in that moment, sharing their kiss, that she cared for him as he did for her. She wouldn’t admit it, but he knew it just the same.

  The night had brought about more than one revelation, however. Luke couldn’t help but remember Katherine Keegan’s sobbing hysteria and the words, “Rufus went over the edge.”

  Luke had been helpless to do much more than get Katherine to her feet. He held her against him while she cried, much as he had with Alex, but no other word from her was forthcoming. When the crowd arrived and others had taken over so that he could comfort Alex, Luke wondered quite seriously if they would simply haul Katherine to jail. She was the only one there when he arrived. She was the prime suspect, and yet Luke felt certain she hadn’t done the deed herself.

  Still, who else would want Rufus Keegan dead?

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  The mood of the hotel guests the following morning was more than somber—it was very nearly mournful. Luke ate his breakfast in haste, anxious to get away from El Tovar and back to the stables. He had told Mrs. Godfrey that he’d take his meals at the hotel from this point on, eating with his men in the employee dining area. She’d assured him that it was no trouble to have the girls bring meals to his cabin, but Luke felt otherwise.

  Walking through the lobby of El Tovar, Luke’s only desire was to talk to Alex. When he reached her mother’s room the ranger told him that Alex and her mother were not taking visitors. He’d insisted the man ask Alex to step outside to speak to Luke, but when the ranger returned, he reiterated that Miss Keegan was speaking to no one.

  Feeling a deep sense of frustration, Luke headed downstairs. If he couldn’t talk to Alex, maybe he could find Michaela. Instead, he found himself face-to-face with Joel Harper. The man stared at him with an expression that suggested contempt, and Luke wondered if his own face revealed his intense dislike for the man. Ever since talking with Michaela, Luke had wanted to put Harper in his place.

  “Mr. Toland.” Harper’s greeting was low, almost inaudible. “Harper,” Luke replied. “I’d like a word with you.” “Oh? I heard about your involvement in last night’s affair. Are you in some kind of trouble?”

  “No, but you will be if you don’t stay away from Alex Keegan.”

  Joel Harper’s upper lip curled and his expression took on a decidedly sinister quality. “And since when do employees make demands of hotel guests?”

  “Since you found it acceptable to force yourself on hotel employees. I know all about your actions with Alex, and I won’t tolerate it. If you doubt me, we can take this outside right now.”

  “Are you threatening
me, Mr. Toland?” “It’s not a threat—it’s a promise. If you don’t leave Alex alone, I’ll take the matter into my own hands.”

  “Is that what you did with her father?”

  Luke’s eyes narrowed. He’d never wanted to hit a man more than he wanted to hit Joel Harper. “I don’t know what you’re implying, but I’ve got no interest in discussing Keegan’s death. I want to make clear that you understand you aren’t to touch Alex again. Do you understand?”

  “I think that mule must have kicked more than your arm. Are you sure you haven’t loosened something in your head? Really, Mr. Toland, you should watch what you say to powerful men.”

  Luke stepped away lest he be tempted to give the man a sound beating. “If I see a powerful man, I’ll do just that.”

  “You don’t want to be on my bad side, Toland. You truly don’t.”

  “I don’t see that there’s any other side when it comes to you, Harper. Just remember what I said.”

  Luke stalked off in anger. He’d never intended to let the man get the best of him, but still, he had. Why was it so hard to remain calm and rational when dealing with the matter of Harper? It’s because he keeps bothering Alex, Luke reasoned. Michaela said he forced himself on Alex, and that was reason enough to resent him.

  The worst of it was that he wasn’t half as frustrated with Harper as he was Alex. Why wouldn’t she talk to him? After last night, he felt there was so much he needed to say. He couldn’t help but wonder if she didn’t feel the same way.

  Luke wondered if the rangers had talked to her again. They would need to get all their information together in order to figure out what had happened. Alex had nothing to do with her father’s death, of that he was certain, but he also felt she wasn’t telling the full truth. Luke believed she was holding back more than the fact her mother wanted a divorce, but he didn’t know what it could be. It wasn’t like Alex to lie, even to protect someone she loved. Still, nothing like this—nothing this horrible—had ever happened to her before.

  Walking along the rim path, Luke tried to make sense of everything that had happened. Keegan’s death. The kiss he’d shared with Alex. Her unwillingness to talk to him. How did she know about the ranch I want to buy? And why should it upset her so much?

  The park seemed uncommonly quiet. He saw a few visitors walking the pathways around the rim, but they made special effort to stay away from the edge. Where yesterday people had joked and teased each other by standing as close to the edge as possible, today they were guarded and sober. Keegan’s death had reminded them of their own mortality. Reality had once again set in.

  Another thing Luke noticed was an almost morbid curiosity to go to the place where Keegan had fallen. Not that there was much to see. There were no railings along the edge at this point, so it would have been very easy for a person to be pushed over. But could Katherine Keegan have done the deed? Luke seriously doubted it.

  Rufus Keegan was a good-sized man. He probably outweighed his wife by at least a hundred pounds. He could have easily fended her off, even if she’d thrown her full body weight against him. No, Luke didn’t believe for a moment that Mrs. Keegan had killed her husband. But if not her, then who? Someone wanted Rufus Keegan dead and Katherine, having been with him until the end, had to know who it was.

  Luke studied the shadows on the canyon walls. Someone must have killed Keegan. He was too ambitious to have risked his own life by dallying on the edge. Rufus Keegan was no one’s favorite character. He’d hurt people, stolen their livelihoods away, carried on affairs with women both single and married. Perhaps an irate father or husband had caught up with him. And the man’s business dealings, by Alex’s account, were far from fair or aboveboard. His death was probably a relief rather than a tragedy for most people. It would feel that way especially to Alex.

  Alex. Luke felt better just knowing that Alex had been busy with her duties last night and had witnesses to prove her whereabouts. As much as she despised her father’s actions, she would never plan out his murder—she wasn’t capable of that. But he’d also seen Keegan get the best of Alex’s gentle nature. Especially when the man insulted or hurt her mother.

  If Alex had come to him saying that she’d fought with her father and pushed him over the edge, it wouldn’t really have shocked Luke all that much. Keegan had long ago killed off any affection Alex had for him. His infidelity had left her doubtful of all men—even men who didn’t deserve the same reputation, like himself.

  Luke kicked at the dirt. Alex did not kill her father, he reminded himself. Though she might have wanted to as she labored with her anger and hate, she didn’t do the job. She didn’t want him dead—just out of her life. Luke only wished he knew who had wanted the man dead. If he could figure that out, he could save them all a whole lot of grief.

  Luke walked back to the hotel, lost in his thoughts. He’d not gone far from the place where Keegan had died when he heard his name being called.

  “Mr. Toland—Luke!”

  Luke looked away from the canyon and found Valerie approaching from the hotel.

  “I was hoping we might talk. Do you have some time?” “Not really,” Luke said, feeling uncomfortable as she closed the distance between them. He crossed his arms against his chest as if to put a wall between them. Valerie Winthrop knew no walls, however. She gently touched his arm.

  “Please. Last night was . . . so . . .” Tears filled her eyes and her voice broke.

  Luke felt sorry for her, but not enough to offer any physical comfort. He hesitated to send her away, however. “I suppose I can talk for a minute.”

  She sniffed daintily and dried her eyes with a lacy handkerchief. Luke thought for a moment that her tears were just put on, but she seemed genuinely upset.

  “What is it you wanted to talk about?” Luke questioned. The flowery scent of her perfume assailed him, and her nearness bothered him. He wasn’t attracted to her in the least, but he feared what other people might begin to think if they found him alone with her, standing so close, appearing so intimate.

  “I’m afraid,” she finally said. “Last night . . . it proved to me that life is definitely unpredictable.”

  “True enough,” Luke replied. “That’s why a person needs to know where he stands with the Lord. You could be talking to a person one minute and the next minute find they’re gone.”

  Valerie nodded. “That’s exactly what happened. Mr. Keegan and I were talking at the party. We were laughing and making plans for the future. Daddy had invited him to South Carolina—to our home. He was to come and bring his family and share our southern hospitality. The next thing I know, he’s dead.” She paled a bit and turned away from Luke to gaze at the canyon. “What a terrible place.” She rubbed her bare arms as if the sun had suddenly gone out of sight and the day had turned cold.

  “It isn’t the place that killed Rufus Keegan.” “I know, but if that big canyon hadn’t been there, he might yet be alive. Not only that,” she paused, looking around to make certain she wasn’t overheard, “my father . . . well . . . I fear for him.”

  Luke didn’t make the connection. “But why? He seems healthy enough. Safe enough.”

  Valerie drew close again. “I think someone may want to kill him. This campaign is so ugly. There are things going on that you can’t begin to know about. I just want to keep Daddy from harm.”

  “He’s going into a business that hardly allows for that. You can’t keep people from disliking his politics and him. He’ll be in one type of danger or another for the rest of his life.”

  “My point exactly,” Valerie said, taking hold of Luke’s hand. “You must help me.”

  “I don’t understand.” “I want to hire you. I want you to be Daddy’s bodyguard.” “Why me?” Luke asked, pulling away. He didn’t want to appear rude, but her touch was making him very uncomfortable. “I’ve got a busted wrist. I’m hardly going to be able to fight off ruthless attacks.”

  “You won’t be in that cast forever. You don’t even need
a sling anymore, so I know it must be healing fast. You’re a good man, Luke. You have scruples. That’s not something you often see, especially in political arenas. If I hired you to watch over Daddy, I know you’d do the job without reservation. You’d give it your all.”

  Luke managed to move away from her enough to raise his casted left arm. “I’ll be wearing this for weeks. I’m telling you, even if I wanted the job, I wouldn’t be of any use to you or your father.”

  “Don’t say that. You’re still strong and capable,” she gushed, moving toward him again. This time she threw herself against him and wrapped him in her embrace. “Please, Luke. I need you to do this for me. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to Daddy.”

  Luke pushed her back none too gently. “That’s hardly called for, Miss Winthrop.”

  She started to cry again. “Don’t be cruel. I’m not trying to make a scene, I simply don’t want anything to happen to my father.” She paused and looked at him quite soberly. “I thought you were a Christian. Aren’t Christians supposed to be kind to people? Aren’t they supposed to lend a helping hand and offer comfort?”

  “I suppose they are,” Luke said, feeling caught between the canyon and her wiles. “But that doesn’t mean I must sacrifice a job I love simply because you ask me to. I’m trying to show you Christian charity just by talking with you and listening to your concerns. But you’re making this really difficult. People in my world don’t just throw themselves all over another person. You seem to make a practice of it, and I don’t like it.”

  “You just don’t care,” she said, sobbing into her handkerchief. “I have no one who cares.”

  “What about Mr. Harper? You two are supposed to marry, aren’t you?”

  Valerie shook her head. “I don’t want to marry him. I don’t trust him. Joel is deceptive and devious. He does all sorts of underhanded things and threatens me all the time. I don’t dare talk to him about this, for he might very well be in on the plan to harm my father.”