Shakota turned quickly back to the door, and the heavy man who grabbed the counter to hoist himself up slammed the door and turned to sit on the twin bed, wiping his brow. She looked down at his feet and instantly recognized the pattern on the bottom of his shoes. Sheriff Hoyt Brooks was alive and well, not a single injury or worry in his mind as he sat there jovially, smiling at her salaciously.
“Well, now, Travis, I didn’t know you were seeing anyone, and she’s a right pretty thing. No wonder you wanted to keep her to yourself.”
Travis glared at Shakota, hands on his hips. “I’m not seeing anyone. Who are you, and why are you here?”
“I’m Shakota Clearwater, and I’m here representing my tribe, the Crow Nation.” She stood and offered a hand in greeting. He didn’t take it, and she sighed. “I hear you’re the man to speak to if we need to acquire some firepower for hunting at a low cost without waiting for permits.”
“Where did you hear that?” he snapped, even more leery.
She hedged, “Let’s just say I heard it through the grapevine when I went digging for a source.” She heard movement behind her, and she realized the sheriff had boxed her in. Still, she held her ground. Of course, she would have thought Garrett would be here by now, having seen or at least heard two people enter the camper. “Listen, I’m not looking for anything big or special. We’re just low on hunting gear. I only need a couple of rifles and three or four shotguns.”
“Do you have cash?” Baker asked, his eyes narrowed and making him look like some sort of strange beast. He’d spent too much time in prison and too much time in the sun.
“Yes, I do. It’s in my car. I’m not dumb enough to carry that kind of money on me. I wanted to make sure you were the guy first and that you had what I needed.” At least if she could get him to follow her to the car, it would alert Garrett that she had them both here. She wasn’t sure what was taking so long, but she was getting antsy.
He seemed impressed with her response. “Here’s how it works. I’ll show you the goods, and you get the cash. While my partner counts the cash, I’ll deliver the merchandise to your car. You follow, and if it comes up short, he’ll call me and let me know. Got it?”
It was actually a very good system, and Shakota thought fast on how to spin it in her direction. If she supposedly went to the car to get the cash, she could circle around and tell Garrett what was going on, and they could both get back inside and take down their targets. “I think that’s a good way to play it. Let’s see what you have.”
He moved over to the cabinet, which she hadn’t noticed was locked until he twisted the combination. She cautiously looked at the contents when he swung the door open and fought not to choke at how many firearms were stuffed inside. She hoped none of them were loaded; that was an accident waiting to happen.
He pulled out three rifles and three shotguns, knocking several other items in the floor; behind her, the sheriff grouched, “Watch it, Travis. Those are expensive.”
Travis didn’t even respond as he laid out the weapons. “You get two of each, total a thousand hard cash. Take your pick.”
Shakota studied them. She’d hunted, and she knew what worked best. She pointed to the four highest quality. “I’ll take those. Let me run to the car, and I’ll be right back.”
She exited the camper, hustled around the neighbor, and circled to the back, looking for Garrett and finding him nowhere. Her heart jumped into her throat, but as she whipped around, she found him coming up behind her. “What the hell is going on?” she hissed at him.
He held up his hands in surrender and whispered, “I thought it over and made a couple of calls.”
She frowned. “To who?”
“To Leland Maynard, so he would know we had Hoyt, and to the local authorities, so they could come pick these guys up. I’m too close to things, and I’m too emotional about it. I needed intervention.”
Both relieved and proud, Shakota kissed him soundly. “I’m glad you made that decision.” But then she frowned. “How soon will someone be here?”
“Any minute now,” he told her. “Why?”
She glanced toward the camper. “Baker’s mother is in there, and she’s frail. And the two men expect me back with a thousand dollars in about two minutes. I told them I came to buy guns for the reservation, and there are four guns laid out right now for me to buy.”
Chapter 18
“Oh, hell,” he breathed. “All right, we’re going to wait it out. They should be here in time.” As Garrett reassured her, they heard the crunch of tires on gravel, and two unmarked cars rolled by the camper, parking a few yards away.
Four officers piled out, and Shakota wondered if that was the entire on-duty force for the town or even the county. She and Garrett met them on the other side of the neighbor’s trailer, and Garrett told them, “Cover the back and the left side. And be careful. They’ve got weapons. We don’t know if they’re loaded or not.”
“I don’t think they are,” Shakota told them. “But they have an arsenal, with two rifles and two shotguns out and ready to load. Be careful of the old lady in there,” she added. “She’s sick and frail, and I don’t think she even realizes her son is doing anything illegal.”
They all nodded and discussed positions. Garrett took her by the arm and pulled her away. “I want to see,” she told him.
He nodded. “So do I, but we need to keep our distance in case it breaks out in a gunfight.” He guided her around one of the unmarked cars, and he opened the rear door on the driver’s side, positioning them behind it like a shield. Two of the officers stood at the door, hands on their weapons but not drawing them, and one of them knocked.
Travis opened the door and immediately tried to slam it, but one of the officers shouldered it open while the other busted in, drawing his weapon and pointing it at Travis. There was a cacophony of shouting Shakota couldn’t make out, and in moments, the other two cops rounded the camper and barged in.
“I think we got them,” Garrett said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and squeezed, and she leaned back into him, feeling triumphant.
“Are we going to be able to make charges stick?” she asked hopefully.
“You’ve got the files we pulled in the Bronco, right?” he asked. She nodded. “Between those and the arsenal you say is inside, they’ve got enough charges against both of them to go away for most of the rest of their lives. Trafficking, harboring a fugitive, parole violation ten ways to Sunday, and a felon in possession of a firearm are just the start for Baker. And conspiracy, trafficking, entrapment, and accessory to murder should put Hoyt behind bars.”
It was all justified, and as they were led from the camper in handcuffs, she wanted to jump for joy. They backed away from the police car, and she knew the moment Garrett locked eyes with the sheriff. “You son of a bitch,” the sheriff spat.
“Takes one to know one, Hoyt.” Garrett stepped forward, and Shakota reached for him but couldn’t grab him in time. “How does it feel? To finally get what you deserve.”
“I don’t want to hear it. Maybe you don’t realize it, but your old man was deep in the gambling game and owed a lot of money.”
“And that justifies his death? How do you explain my mother?” he asked, hatred and disgust dripping from his voice.
“She was a casualty,” Hoyt said, blowing it off. Before anyone could react, Garrett shot forward and landed a right hook to the man’s jaw, twisting his neck as it landed with a sickening sound. Blood and a tooth shot from his mouth, and his nose bled. “You broke my nose!”
Garrett stepped back with his hands up before the cops could move. “I was threatened,” he said with a wink, and Shakota hid a smile. He’d controlled himself and still released a bit of his anger. It would go a long way in his ability to heal from all this.
“I saw it with my own eyes,” chuckled one of the cops as they shoved both men in the back of the car. The other two officers caught up, goin
g to the other car and loading Louise into it. Shakota walked quickly to them.
“What are you doing with her?” she asked, worried they were arresting the poor woman.
“Don’t worry, ma’am,” one of them told her. “We’re taking her to the hospital to get checked out, and then we’re going to find her a place where she’s taken care of without living in a cardboard box like this.”
Relieved, she thanked them and returned to Garrett, who was rubbing his knuckles and looking incredibly satisfied. Approaching him and throwing her arms around his neck, she kissed him hungrily, forgetting their surroundings. “It’s over,” she told him when they finally broke apart.
“Almost,” he corrected. “I’ll have to give my statement and so will you. And we have to turn those files over. Of course, talking to Leland, he had started to suspect something after he heard about the two strangers coming through town, and he found that file you got the day Hoyt disappeared.”
“So, he didn’t think you were involved this whole time?” Shakota was confused and a little suspicious.
“No, not at first. But when they found the footprints on my land, it had the exact effect I’m sure Hoyt wanted, and Leland suspected me.” Garrett sighed. “Listen, we’ve had a long couple of days with no sleep. It’s still early. Why don’t we drive back home and take a long nap? I think we deserve it.”
Shakota liked the sound of that. “I’m all for it. Food first, and then we’ll hit the road.” They started toward the Bronco, hand in hand, and Shakota added, “Just don’t give me any of that ‘I’ll take the couch’ crap, okay?”
He snorted. “Are you kidding? I wouldn’t sleep away from you for the world right now.” He jerked her hand, twirling her into his arms. She expected him to kiss her, but instead, he wrapped her in a tight, warm embrace, his emotions pouring into her. She soaked it up, and she knew she had to make a decision soon. She couldn’t get any deeper into this with Garrett without knowing where she belonged, or she’d lose her heart.
Chapter 19
Garrett woke disoriented. There was a dim light shining through the bedroom window and an arm around his waist, connected to a soft, warm body curled against his back. He had to close his eyes and search his memory, the last two days a bit hazy because he’d been so amped with no sleep. As it flooded back, he smiled to himself.
Having Shakota snuggled against him reminded him why he was so sore. When they’d gotten back to his place, they’d both been exhausted, but with the stress relief of having found Hoyt, they had been edgy and in need of physical comfort. Their lovemaking had started harried and desperate, but it had softened and become a long, sensual pleasure.
They’d fallen asleep in each other’s arms, and as Garrett checked the clock, he realized they’d only been sleeping for a couple of hours. It was strange; he felt completely refreshed. He wanted to get up and shower and perhaps have an easy dinner prepared before Shakota woke up, but as he tried to slip out from under her arm, she said, “I’m a tracker, Garrett. You can’t escape me.”
He chuckled, looking back to see her eyes weren’t even open. “I didn’t want to wake you up. I thought I might surprise you with dinner in bed.”
“Mmm,” she moaned. “Are you going to cook naked? I’d rather watch you than sleep.”
“That might be dangerous. I wouldn’t want to risk damaging any part of me with hot grease from the frying pan.”
“In that case, I think you should pull an apron on, and I’ll just enjoy the rear view.” Her eyes popped open, and she smiled broadly. “Good morning, or evening, or whatever.”
He reached out and smoothed her hair behind her ears. “Same to you. Are you sure you want to get up?”
She nodded and sat up. “If I sleep any longer, I won’t sleep tonight, and my circadian rhythm will be all out of sorts.”
Garrett was secretly glad. He wanted to soak up every minute of her company he could before she went back to the reservation. He didn’t know what to expect in terms of trying to maintain a relationship, and he had a feeling she’d simply say goodbye, promise to call, and then forget about him. Something about that idea made him want to huddle in a corner, but he put on a brave face, determined to give her every reason to want to stay just a little longer.
He tugged on a pair of baggy jeans while she slipped on her pajamas, and he plodded into the kitchen with Shakota right behind him. Diablo was waiting, looking anxious, and Garrett bent to rub his ears. “Hey, buddy. Go play.” He opened the door, and Diablo went racing outside into the woods.
As he pulled out ground beef for burgers, Shakota settled in a chair at the table, and he was careful not to look at her. It was stupid, really; her image was already burned into his mind, and he’d never be able to get it out of his head. But he didn’t want to do anything to make it harder to say goodbye.
“How do you like your burgers?” he asked as he started mixing in spices and forming patties.
“Medium or medium well,” she answered. “It cooks out most of the fat but leaves a little flavor.”
He shook his head again. “Sweetheart, I don’t think you’ll ever have to worry about putting on weight.”
“Well, not if we keep up the kind of exercise we get doing what we did earlier,” she quipped, and he couldn’t help but turn to look at her, finding her eyes dancing with mischief and her lips curved into a seductive smile.
He couldn’t answer. He wanted to ask her to stay, but she’d ground it into his head that the spirit knew where it belonged. Obviously, the way she talked, hers belonged on the reservation, and he wasn’t going to pull her away from where she needed to be, even if it meant that his spirit didn’t get to settle with its kindred. He’d sacrifice anything to make sure she was happy.
If he could follow her, he would, but he’d already thought about it and couldn’t imagine a life away from this ranch and Courage. It gave him a panicked feeling, which was something he wasn’t used to. “Do you want cheese?”
“Sure,” she said, and he heard the chair scrape and then the refrigerator open. He glanced over and found her pulling out three kinds of cheese. “Which one do you want?” she asked.
“I’ll take pepper jack if you found any.”
“I did.” But she didn’t move away from the fridge, pulling out tomatoes, pickles, lettuce and onions. Was she really going to take the time to cut up all of that? She brushed up against him as she reached for the cutting board, and then she was at the other counter, rinsing the vegetables and slicing everything.
They worked in tandem without question, and he could picture this scenario as a permanent arrangement. In fact, it felt so right to prepare dinner with her in complete silence, with no tension, it seemed like ages ago he’d done this alone, and it drove home how empty his cabin would feel when she left. Would she go back tonight, or would he get one more blessed night with her?
“When are we going in to the sheriff’s station to give statements?” she asked out of nowhere. It was almost like she read his mind.
“We could go tonight, but I’m sure Leland has his hands full with Baker and Hoyt. He’s having to coordinate with several other counties regarding custody for Baker.” Garrett had spoken to the deputy on the way home, and Leland had promised to return his badge tomorrow morning.
Shakota didn’t respond for a minute, and Garrett tried not to regret having offered to go down the mountain tonight. Finally, she told him, “Would you mind me staying the night so we can go in the morning? I just need to rest my mind for a night before I can go back through everything. It’s a lot of pressure to track, and the mind gets a little weary.”
Garrett said a silent prayer to whatever god had just granted his wish. “I would love for you to stay the night. Maybe we can do something normal, like watch a movie. That would be different, wouldn’t it?”
She giggled. “Yes, I think that would be amazing.” He felt her energy change, going still, and he looked over to find her facing him, leaning back against the counter
with a strange expression. “Garrett, what are we doing?”
He wanted to pretend he didn’t know what she meant, but he couldn’t. “We’re exploring each other and our destiny, I guess,” he said, for lack of a better answer. “Why? Have you changed your mind about that?”
She looked tortured. “That’s just it. I haven’t made up my mind. Or rather, my spirit hasn’t given me anything to go on.” Her shoulders sagged. “The truth is, I don’t know where I belong. I feel torn because I’m drawn to the reservation. It’s always been my home, and to leave it would be leaving so much behind. But I’ve also felt stifled by it, and I feel so at home out here.” She gestured vaguely around her. “There’s so much to experience here.” She locked eyes with him somberly. “And this is your world.”
Feeling his jaw muscle start to twitch, Garrett reined in his emotions, not wanting them to affect any decision she made. “Whatever you choose, Shakota, I don’t want you to consider anything I’ve said or done. I want you to make a decision based on your own desires and your needs.”
“I need you,” she responded simply, in a quiet, pleading voice. Garrett froze, staring at the burgers in the pan. Carefully, he set them on a burner that was off, not wanting to ruin another meal, and turned to face her. There were tears in her eyes, and he couldn’t believe it. In the back of his mind, he’d thought she couldn’t cry. She was so strong and intelligent and balanced that he had forgotten she had a vulnerable side.
His own throat burned as he told her with a rasp, “You have me, Shakota. I’m never going anywhere. I’m right here.” And it was true. Even if she chose to go back to the reservation and stay there, he’d just be happy to see her once in a while, knowing she was where she belonged. He had no interest in moving on. He was absolutely convinced he couldn’t feel this way about anyone but her.
Courage To Follow (Cowboys of Courage 1) Page 14