by Nya Rawlyns
Marcus nodded. “She worked all afternoon to get it just right. And I go and fuck it all up. Jesus, Becca...” He wanted to pound sand, punch holes in the wall with his fist. He hated feeling helpless like this.
Giving him a quick hug, Becca said, “I have to go, but promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”
“Not sure I can do that, but I’ll try.”
She sighed and opened the door, then paused and said, “If Josh gets back at a decent hour, you want me to have him call you?”
The answer was yes, a yes he wanted to howl to the rafters. Instead he asked, “Did he go somewhere?” then realized how stupid that sounded. So stupid he felt the heat rise up his neck.
Becca diplomatically looked away. “He took one of the three-year-olds to the fairgrounds to show him to a prospective buyer passing through town. His rig was hooked up to my truck so...” She pointed to Josh’s vehicle. “I get black beauty there.”
Remembering his manners, Marcus called out as Becca climbed into the cab of the truck, “Thanks for all you’ve done. I owe you.”
“The only thing you owe me, Marcus, is your appetite on Sunday. Come by around ten. The girls are really looking forward to taking you out for an adventure.” She waved and backed up, doing a wide, sweeping turn before heading back the way she’d come.
He decided to close up early. If anyone came by they could always pound on the door. He just didn’t feel like dealing with people or anything much at the moment. Avoiding the display bin, he bent to pick up the apron. As he was folding it neatly, he felt inside the wide pocket, not at all surprised the money the child had tucked away, her special bonus, had gone missing. He wasn’t going to bet on who got her grubby hands on it.
On the loading dock he lit a cigarette and inhaled. The rear lot was in shadow. Marcus had a feeling he was being watched. Kit’s admonition to keep Petilune away from her brothers ran in an endless loop in his head.
He shouted, “How the hell am I supposed to do that Eagle Boy? You wanna give me a clue, because I’m fucking listening...”
Sinking onto the top step, he watched and waited, but there wasn’t a sound nor a whisper of a breeze. Eventually he realized he was alone. Alone with his thoughts, with the life he’d forged after Tommy died. He’d convinced himself he’d had his time—that he didn’t really need that kind of companionship anymore, not at this stage of his life.
He’d found contentment, a purpose. It would be enough. It had to be.
Pulling his cell phone from his back pocket, he stared at Josh’s number on the screen and wondered if he might call later. Just to say hi, how are you?
He glanced in the direction of a stand of pine and called out, “You can come sit a spell, if you like, son,” but it was too late. If Kit had been there, he’d already faded into the shadows.
Marcus lit another cigarette and allowed his thoughts to drift to Sunday and a family dinner with Becca and her girls. And Josh.
****
Thursday had dawned chilly. Periodic snow showers blew through the valley, the flakes evaporating almost before they hit the ground. Marcus had been busy running back and forth to the loading dock, supervising where to put the replacement inventory, and then sorting out who got what from the jumble of packages the UPS man had dropped off.
By the time he’d handed out the last of the parcels, he was ready for a cup of coffee and fifteen minutes off his aching feet. To his surprise, Petilune knocked on the office door. Marcus hadn’t expected to see her again. Not after Janice had carted her off kicking and screaming, though that was merely a fanciful image he carried in his head, not having witnessed the actual scene.
He asked, “You all right, sweety?”
Petilune nodded, the tight braids bobbing up and down. Somebody had washed and tended to her hair, making it look neat and pretty. He prayed it had been Janice and not Polly or one of her girls. He needed some evidence that her mother wasn’t just a useless sack of shit, so strung out on drugs and liquor that the only reason she kept Petilune around was because he was her version of a sugar daddy.
The pinafore was worn thin in spots, but clean—it was one of two outfits she had for school. Other than nodding, the girl hadn’t said anything, which wasn’t unusual. Sometimes she chattered like a magpie, other times she was lost in her little world. Marcus asked, “How was school today?” He refused to bring up the episode of the day before, though it made his gut clench to hold back.
Again, the girl shrugged. Apparently it was one of her quiet days. That was the only explanation he allowed himself to accept. To do otherwise meant other possibilities could rear their ugly heads.
He was tempted to call Becca to come to the store and find a way to check the child for bruising, or to talk with her, maybe draw her out. But Becca had said do nothing, and she said it with conviction. So he put a lid on the questions for the time being.
But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t keep an eye on the girl.
Chapter Fourteen
Week’s End
The drive up to Dubois had been tedious and not without incident. A snow burst had glazed the road enough to make for a not-so-fun white knuckle drive. Plus, it was the first long trip for the two colts in the trailer. They’d been good, riding quietly, until the tight ess-curves and steep gradients challenged their balance and sense of humor.
By the time Josh reached Lander and stopped at a diner to grab coffee and snacks, he was ready to post a free-to-good-home banner on the rear of the trailer. If it hadn’t been for the dollar signs dancing in his head, he might have given in to temptation.
That all changed when he checked on them. Both colts were quaking like aspen in a stiff breeze. The one was lathered so badly, Josh wondered if he was facing a colic incident. Rather than risk moving them while they were still riled up, he asked the cashier if she knew of a local vet. Fortunately one was available. The gal came out, did a hands-on and gave them just enough tranqs to take the edge off.
She left Josh a syringe for just in case and wished him good luck. He was tempted to jam the needle in his thigh. The geldings weren’t the only ones jumping out of their skins. This trip was the first one he’d taken without someone riding shotgun. While he didn’t like to admit to having trouble moving well enough to handle two frisky horses, he also appreciated the value of having an extra set of experienced hands when shit happened.
And when it came to horses, shit always happened.
Fortunately the run from Lander north to just below Dubois went off without a hitch. The nice folks at the ranch put him up overnight to let the weather pass. He’d repaid their kindness by giving them a round pen training tutorial the next day. That made him late getting home, but it had been worth it. Having a fat check to give Becca bought them a fair amount of time. He could get straight with Marcus, buy repair parts for the tractor, and see to putting something aside for Maudie and Felicity.
He had a fellow on the hook for the last gelding, but the buyer was having commitment issues. And Josh wasn’t sure it was a good fit in any case. He couldn’t fault the man for his riding skills, but there was something in the man’s eye that told him the gelding wasn’t ever going to come first. So he set that prospect aside for the time being, because when his gut told him to wait, he listened.
The sign for Centurion, population two hundred six, alerted him to slow down. He was exiting the town limits when he noticed Marcus trotting along the road ahead of him. He honked to get the man’s attention, then eased over and put the truck in park. Opening the passenger side window he called out, “Hey, Marcus. You rob a bank or something?”
Out of breath, Marcus staggered to the truck and climbed in. There was a fresh bottle of water in the cup holder. Josh cracked the lid and handed it over. Marcus gasped, “Thanks,” and drained it in three gulps.
“You leave the iron plugged in or something, buddy?”
“N-no. Polly got a call from her girl. She overheard some friends talking about possible trouble over at th
e high school. I figured I’d better skedaddle back to the store.”
Josh grinned. “What, you lock yourself out of your truck or something?”
“No, I walked up to Polly’s.” The man grimaced. “Thought I could use the exercise.”
Josh mumbled, “Oh.” That explained why Marcus had been on the road, but not why he’d been running toward the store like a mountain lion was on his tail.
Marcus sucked a few lungsful of air and continued. “Supposed to be a dance tonight. Rumor’s got it some outsiders are planning on making a statement.”
“Statement.” Josh squinted at the display on the dashboard, checking the time. “What the hell’s that supposed to mean? And who are these outsiders?”
“That’s the sixty-four-dollar question. The only strangers we know lurking around these parts are those four guys we tangled with.”
Josh looked at Marcus. The man wore a frantic expression, like it was one of his kids going to be in the middle of a teen fracas. Then it hit him, and he barked, “Please tell me Petilune’s not going to be there.”
“Wish I could, but yeah. She told me before she left the store she’s got a special date to the dance.”
Josh groaned, “Shit. No gold star for guessing who that is.” He mulled it over for a few minutes, then asked, “How’s a non-student get to go to a dance? I thought after the near riots they had last year at those social events they decided to card everyone to keep out the troublemakers.”
“We don’t know that Kit isn’t a student, now do we? In fact, we know squat about him other than he’s got a crush on Pet and might be mixed up with either her brothers or those juvies.”
Josh stared at Marcus, taking in the dress loafers, chinos and navy blue polo shirt. He couldn’t recall ever seeing Marcus dressed up so he asked, “What exactly did you plan on doing about it, dressed like that?”
Blushing, Marcus replied, “I was having dinner at Polly’s with the new reverend. I, uh, wanted to talk with him...” He clamped his mouth shut and stared out the windshield. Finally he said, “Can you drive me home?”
Josh started the truck and put it in gear. He asked, “Who we going to see first?” Marcus gasped, “Huh?” and swiveled in his seat to look at Josh who ignored the interruption. “If memory serves those dances start around seven-thirty or so. That means we might have just enough time to swing by the Barnes place and see if Will’s still home. He might know something.” Shrugging, Josh pulled onto the highway and murmured, “Besides, we’ve been trying to figure out a way to talk to him for a week now. This seems like as good a time as any.”
At the store Marcus jumped out and stood by the truck, his fingers yanking at his bottom lip. He said, “Why don’t we go in my van? By the time you drive home, swap vehicles and then come back to the Barnes place, it’ll be too late. Will’s girlfriend lives up past Rock Creek Ranch so he’ll need to leave early.” He grimaced. “If you’re gonna ask me how I know that just chalk it up to spending too much of my time listening to gossip when folks check out at the register.”
Josh agreed and waited while Marcus ran inside. He didn’t say what he needed but when he reappeared, he carried the van’s keys in his right hand and the notebook in his left.
While they drove toward the Barnes’ homestead, Josh gave Marcus the short version of his action-packed two day trip. He shared the man’s worry about Petilune, but he had to agree with Becca. None of them had legal standing to file a complaint about the girl’s home environment. In point of fact, it wasn’t all that unusual in those parts for kids to come from less than ideal situations. Hard times, isolation, and endless tasks that needed doing all took a toll on families.
Marcus drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, grumbling, “Don’t make it right, though.”
“Just remember what happens if we do call in the hounds. Petilune gets lost in the system and there’s no way in hell you or me or anyone will get a say in helping that child out. Our best play is doing what we can right here. If shit goes down, then we play that game.”
Marcus growled, “The fucking game’s rigged.”
“Not arguing, man. But unless you want to lose her completely, I’m siding with Becca. And it ain’t a matter of doing nothing. We’re all gonna be there for her, and it’s up to us to make sure her mother knows she’s got eyes on that situation.”
Josh knew it wasn’t sitting well with Marcus. Hell, it didn’t sit well with him, but until something bad happened, well... Changing the subject, he said, “You know, I’m not sure why we thought Kit Golden Eagle was a loose cannon. It makes perfect sense for him to be a student at the school. I mean, how else would Petilune have met him?”
Marcus considered the question carefully before answering. “Well, it’s not just the meeting up. Those two, hand to God, are in love. I’d swear on a stack of bibles. The way that kid looked when he was warning me to keep her away from the brothers? That wasn’t him being a concerned neighbor or bestie. That was territorial. Anyone does anything to hurt that girl, they’re going to have to run like the devil because that boy’s lethal.”
“You think he’s involved with whatever might be happening tonight?”
Marcus shook his head no. “Petilune’s going to be there. I really doubt he’d deliberately put her in harm’s way if there’s trouble brewing.”
Marcus pointed toward the turnoff for the Barnes’ lane where a truck was poised at the intersection with the road. He honked and waved out the window, then pulled to the berm and rolled down his window.
John Barnes opened his door and stood on the cab step, yelling, “What’s doing, Marcus?”
Josh whispered, “Tell him you wanted to ask Will to look out for Petilune. As a friend.”
Nodding to Josh he understood, Marcus redirected his attention to John and explained why they were looking for his son. Barnes hollered back, “Sorry. You’re too late, he’s gone to pick up Lizzy. You want me to call him, tell him?”
Marcus replied, “If you don’t mind. Just call me an old fogey, but it’s her first dance and I worry, is all.”
Barnes bid them a good evening and took the right toward town. Josh grumbled they had just talked themselves out of an excuse to interrogate Will, but Marcus assured him they’d find another time and place.
Josh did a sniff test and groaned. “Maybe I best change. I’ve been wearing the same clothes for two days. You mind if I stop at the house for a minute?” When Marcus said it was fine and turned down the lane, Josh slapped his forehead. “Damn it, this is stupid, I shoulda just brought the rig home. Now you’ll have to take me back to your place afterwards.”
Coughing to clear his throat, Marcus muttered, “It’s no problem, you know... coming back to my place. Later.”
Josh hid his grin as he exited the van. Knowing he was welcome, that Marcus seemed to enjoy his company? That set up the kind of tingle in his groin he hadn’t enjoyed for a hell of a long time.
Humming a mindless tune, he rushed through brushing his teeth and using a wet washcloth to clean off some of the grime. He’d long ago out-grown his so-called nice wardrobe, so he made do with clean jeans, a button-down cotton shirt and a pair of boots he was pretty sure hadn’t been used when he last cleaned stalls.
There was nothing he could do about the swath of scar tissue standing out pinkish white along his chin and radiating from the corner of his mouth. Becca had made him shave what was left of the whiskers after his failure to tame the brush fire. He’d actually been very lucky not to have inflicted even more damage to his ugly mug. Mercifully, Marcus didn’t seem to notice it, or if he did he treated it like something not worth remarking on.
That was another reason Josh wanted to spend time with the man. It had taken a long while for him to feel normal around folks. That had been mostly on him, not his friends and neighbors. Out of kindness, they’d made their fair share of sympathy visits and given him those expressions of good will you expect but prayed they’d just stop. What the well-wishers didn’t k
now, and he could never explain, was how, in the reminding, it set off alarms and reactions he might not be able to control.
Marcus’s tone of voice, how he phrased questions, or directed those racing thoughts back on track, and how he made it comfortable for them to be together—that all counted more than Josh could ever say. Maybe now that they’d cracked open that door, together they might find reasons to look behind it. Josh had no idea what they’d discover, but for once he was willing to take a chance on the unknown. To take a chance with Marcus.
There were other reasons, almost on the order of professional ones. The man was sharp as a tack. He was good at reading people, and he was learning to cut right through the crap, making him an ideal partner when it came to brainstorming a problem.
Marcus poked his arm as they topped a rise. “Coming up on the school.”
The regional high school had been built back in the late nineties. It was an ugly tumor on the landscape, built of cinder blocks and narrow, uninspired windows. A bubble dome toward the rear was the gymnasium. Both ends truncated into stubby tees, each wing dedicated either to ninth and tenth, or to eleventh and twelfth grades. The middle section housed an auditorium, the administrative offices, a small library, and some common classrooms for home economics and computer sciences.
It was minimalist compared with other schools in the area, servicing as it did a wide-flung student base where kids graduated by virtue of attendance and not necessarily with any core competencies.
Josh didn’t usually think of it in those terms, but Marcus had taken an interest, doing online research into the state and local educational systems. He had the lingo and corporate speak down to a science. What Josh remembered about high school was mostly trying to stay invisible, until his growth spurt put him heads and shoulders above everyone else. After that he relied on his size and intimidation skills to get him through the day.
Marcus, being a few years older, had come up through an even less privileged system, which is why he never went to college, instead finding work on ranches, moving from one place to another. He’d said he’d circled the county at least three times before finally settling down. Josh was sure that also included finding Tom Henderson, a subject he was aching to explore but never quite had the guts to bring up.