“I see the blue of the river.” Kohana pointed to the west. “We’ll ride there and rest, before heading back.”
Cora galloped ahead and got to the river’s edge first. She sat and let Buttercup drink before riding over to a clump of trees and tying her reins to it. Kohana did the same with Crackerjack.
When he dismounted, he pulled two chilled waters out of the backpack and a couple of apples. “Garrick told me he’d have these in a cooler pack for us. He didn’t want us getting thirsty or hungry.”
She took a bottle and an apple and headed for the creek bank. She sat on the soft grass and watched the water flowing past them.
“Garrick’s a caretaker at heart,” Cora said. “I have difficulty seeing him as a soldier of fortune.”
“He was a good one. He can be fierce when he needs to. Still, you’re right about the other side of him.”
She moved to sit facing Kohana. He blushed from her intent regard of him.
“What? I can see you have questions.”
“As a young woman part of your fascination was the hint of mystery and danger about you. When I heard the path you’d taken, it didn’t surprise me.”
“Do you see me as hard and mean?”
“My understanding of you does not see you as mean. Hard in ways, yes. However, in the positive, I’ve always thought you were grown at eighteen, self-contained, and in strong control of yourself. In many ways a man who didn’t need someone else. I feared you’d leave, or we’d break up for some reason. My fears became a reality.”
Kohana placed his bottle to the side and took hold of her hand. “I saw myself as you did, and I’ve told myself I needed no one.” His thumb rubbed the length of her palm. “Yet, I kept your gift, the necklace. Several times I told myself to get rid of it. I didn’t need a reminder of you. You were in the past. Still, the day I was attacked I wore it.” He lifted her and brought her against him, then he rolled and she was underneath.
“I’m not sure how many nights your blue eyes haunted me or my body ached to have you touch me. I tried to find a temporary replacement and it never worked. I guess I do need at least one person—you.”
His head blocked out the sunlight as he leaned forward and kissed her.
“Well, well, if this isn’t cozy,” a harsh, male voice interrupted them.
Kohana rolled and pulled his gun out at the same time. The man chuckled and kept his gun directed at Cora.
“You can shoot me, but I’d bet I can shoot her before I go down.”
Cora looked from Kohana to the man who’d tried to kidnap her. She and Kohana had been so interested in each other, they hadn’t heard his horse. It told her how truly Kohana had been affected by their exchange. He had excellent hearing and normally the man would never have surprised them.
Looking at Kohana, she saw the hardness, the warrior. Neither man moved or blinked.
“Tell him what he wants,” Cora said, hoping to get the man to look her way. He did. She’d surprised him. At that second, Kohana shot and hit his wrist holding the gun. When the man rushed to pick it up, he shot him in the shoulder. The stranger moaned and rolled on the ground in pain.
“Call Garrick and Beck,” Kohana said as he fastened the man’s hands with the rawhide he wore to hold his hair back.
Cora clicked off her phone. “They’re headed this way and Beck said he’d call Kel.”
“Good. Sit by the river and relax. I have a few questions for our attacker.” He took the man’s arm and walked further from Cora.
Then he pulled out his knife. “You are the one who helped cut my face and other areas of my body. You may be a twin, but I don’t think your brother has the same tattoo under his wrist. I got a good look when you sliced me up.” His knife slid down the man’s cheek leaving a thin line of blood.
“Are there more of you? Or were you the lone holdout hoping to be the hero?”
The man spit in his face. Kohana popped him in the nose.
“Police brutality. You broke my nose, you asshole,” the man yelled.
Kohana felt Cora’s staring at them. “Look the other way, Cora,” he yelled.
“If you do, he’ll kill me,” the man screamed.
Cora walked closer. “Stop, Kohana, or Kel will be mad.” Then she walked closer to the man and frowned.
“I’d like to take his knife and do a bit of cutting myself. But then I’d be lowering myself to your level. You’re lucky we believe in letting Justice take its course.” She took Kohana’s knife. “You know it’s over. You don’t need to go any further.”
“Has anyone ever told you you’re a spoilsport?” he asked and grudgingly let her have the knife.
“Many times,” she said.
“I’m sure they did.”
Garrick got to them first. “Are you two all right?” he asked. He jumped off his horse and rushed to Cora’s side.
“We are thanks to Cora’s cleverness and him”—he shrugged at the man standing nearby—“being stupid.” He explained what Cora did. Beck arrived shortly afterward with Kel and his deputy right behind.
Kel put handcuffs on the man and his deputy helped him in the saddle. The deputy took the reins and led him to the dirt road and the police cruiser. Kel watched them ride off.
“I can’t stay. You two will have to come in and give me a statement. Flint talked to his friends in the FBI. They’ve been trying to catch up with these guys for some time. They’re on the way and will take him back to Atlanta.”
“Then it’s really over?” Cora asked.
“Yes, they were certain this is the last of the group,” Kel emphasized. “You can go home and back to work.”
“I’m so glad.” She glanced at Garrick and Kohana. “Not that I haven’t enjoyed my time off, but I like my job and miss it.”
“You promised us until Monday,” Garrick reminded her.
“I’ll compromise, Sunday afternoon. I’ll need to be home and get myself ready for my first day returning to work. Meanwhile I’ll call the woman covering for me to see which patients I need to take back.”
Kel started to walk off. “I want to get to the office and call about our prisoner. My deputy will take him to the ER to get fixed up. See you.”
“Here, Kel. Take Cora’s horse and ride to the road,” Garrick said. “She can ride with me that far.”
“Thanks. It beats walking.”
“Put your boot on mine, sweetheart, and give me your hand. I’ll swing you up behind me,” Garrick directed. Once she was seated they followed Kel. Kohana waved. “I’ll clean up our trash and be right behind you.”
* * * *
Kohana gathered their water bottles and leftover apples. He put the trash in one side of the saddlebag and rode toward the ranch house. He rode slowly giving himself a chance to recall how Cora had described him. She’d surprised him with her accurate description.
He did like being alone and time for quiet, calm reflection. Whenever they would return from a mission, he had a special spot where he drove. It was in the Georgia Mountains. He’d rent a certain cabin. It had been built in the middle of a forest of trees, and it clung to the mountainside and overlooked other forests, lakes, and valleys. He could see for miles. He’d stay three to five days. His last trip, he bought the place.
When he returned to Atlanta, he was ready for company, which until Garrick left was usually him.
He wanted to take Cora and Garrick to the cabin with him. For the first time he could remember he wanted to share this special place with someone. It’d be a good spot for their honeymoon.
He reined in his horse. Marriage was the biggest commitment and Cora would demand a full-hearted promise to stay in Triple Creeks Township. Was he ready or was this reaction from the fear of seeing her in danger? He’d best slow down and make certain he wasn’t giving a promise he couldn’t keep.
I’ll call Jarvis and visit him and the guys. Then I’ll make my decision.
He clicked the reins and rode on to the barn. Beck was in his offic
e and the others were gone, probably to the ranch house.
Kohana slid the saddle off and brushed the mare. Beck spotted him and put the saddle away.
“You took a while getting back. I thought you might be lost,” he said, but he grinned.
“I had many things to consider. I’m going to visit my buddies in Atlanta, and I’ll see my surgeon and get my final checkup.”
“Cora won’t be happy.”
“I have to do this for all three of us. If it isn’t going to work for me, Garrick will marry her.”
“Can you handle that idea? I sure as hell couldn’t if it was the three of us.”
“If I can’t, I’ll know I’m home to stay.”
“You do like to live dangerously.”
“I’m not going on an assignment.”
“I wasn’t talking about danger from work. I meant making your lady unhappy is the worst danger of all.”
Kohana laughed. “Heather’s got you and Gavin tied around her finger.”
“And I love it.” Beck grinned and strode out of the barn and toward his house.
Chapter Thirteen
Garrick left Cora in the barn. She waved to him as he rode off to go back to work. Then she walked to the backdoor of the ranch house.
“Come on in,” Heather said. “I saw you heading this way. I’m pouring us some iced tea. Kohana’s parents are resting in one of our guest rooms.”
Cora pulled the screen open and went to the table and sat. “We had quite a ride.” She told Heather about them getting the last guy of the group.
“That’s good news and yet you don’t seem overjoyed.”
“Kohana and Garrick are going with me to my house later today. Kohana wants to do some physical therapy for his right hand, but I think they really want to convince me to accept them both as my husbands.”
“It sounds like a setup.” Heather grinned. “Do you mind?”
“I’m worried about Kohana’s ability to leave his present job behind and stay in Triple Creeks Township.”
Heather had sat across from her and had been sipping her tea as Cora talked. “I have an idea. You need to talk to someone wise and knowledgeable about threesome relationships.
“I’m sure you’ve heard of Holt’s grandmother. She does the ritual for the threesome marriage after you’ve been officially married to one of the two men. Her ritual connects the three in a way that’s hard to describe, but for me it was as important and binding as the first. She will be able to answer many of your questions.”
“I’ve met her a few times briefly,” Cora said.
“She’s precious. I’ve gotten to know her better. I go once a week for lessons in knitting.”
“I’ve seen you making baby clothes. I thought you’d known how to knit since you were young.”
“No. She’s a good teacher, and she loves visitors.” Heather got up and went to a drawer by the door. “Here’s her phone number. Call her and talk with her before you meet with Garrick and Kohana this afternoon.”
Cora put the numbers in her phone and then called her. A soft voice answered.
“Hello, this is Emlyn.”
“This is Cora Takoda. I’m a physical therapist at the hospital, and I’m visiting Heather. She suggested I talk with you.”
“What about my dear? Do you want knitting lesson?”
“I might in the future, but today I need to discuss threesome relationships.”
“Ah, you are considering such a marriage. Do come on over now. I’ve just made a huge tuna salad and was wishing I had someone to join me.”
“Thank you. I wouldn’t disturb your lunch, but I need the information before later this afternoon.”
“I’ll be looking for you. Heather can direct you to my cabin.”
Cora hung up. “She sounds very sweet.”
“She is, but she’s also tough. She won’t do the binding ceremony unless she feels all three, especially the future wife, is ready.”
“Where is her cabin?”
Heather drew a map. “Holt, Natalie, and Gray wanted her to live in an extension of their new home. But she wanted her own cabin. So they built her one on their land. She uses the mother-in-law suite when she wants to visit them and their children.”
“She sounds very independent. How old is she?”
“No one knows but Holt. She’d tear him a fine one if he told anyone.”
“I’d better get going. I don’t want to make her wait. Tell Kohana I had an appointment. Don’t tell him where. Do reassure him I’ll be fine, and I’ll see him and Garrick later at my house.”
“You’re leaving me to do the dirty work. But go ahead. I can handle him.”
“Thanks so much.” Cora hurried down the lane to Garrick’s house. It was a walkable distance. Once she got her purse and keys, she took off. When she drove by the ranch house, Kohana ran out and waved at her to stop, but she kept going.
In the rearview mirror, she saw his frown. Too bad, she didn’t need his permission to visit Miss Emlyn.
When she parked at the cabin and walked to the door, a tiny, white-haired lady was waiting there for her. “Hello, I’m Cora.”
“Welcome to my home.” She opened the door and motioned for Cora to walk inside. “We’ll eat in the kitchen. I had Holt build the cabin where the morning sunlight fills the room. It’s nice and warm on most days.”
Two places had been set at the table. A large bowl of salad was in the middle with a platter of muffins on a plate to the side.
“Would you like tea or coffee?”
“A glass of water would be nice. I had a tall glass of tea at Heather’s.
Cora watched as Emlyn got ice and then poured water over it. “There. We’ll eat, and you can tell me your concerns.”
“I know you don’t know me and I’m asking a lot, but…”
“I have heard of you and the good work you do at the hospital. You have helped several of my friends. Also I’m aware of how you volunteer your time and talents. You have been hurt deeply, but instead of being angry and holding it in, you found a positive way to use that energy. I am proud to know you.”
“Thank you, but what I did was for me as much as it was for the others, Miss Emlyn.”
“Call me Nana, all my younger friends do. Tell me what has put the sadness and uncertainty in your eyes.”
As they ate, Cora told her all of it and ended with saying, “He is back and still can’t say whether he will stay indefinitely. He will promise to go on missions only occasionally, if he’s needed. Garrick being home with me would assuage his guilt about being gone.”
“So you want all or nothing, is that right?”
“Do you think I’m wrong? I want a stable family, and if I’m able I’d like to have children. Otherwise, we’d hopefully adopt.”
“I see. Kohana apparently loves his work and feels a need to do it, but as you say he loves you, too. I see his suggestion as a compromise. Compromise is important in any relationship.”
“You think I should agree?”
“I can’t tell you the answer.” Nana touched her heart. “The answer is in you. But if you capture something that is a bit wild and used to roaming and you keep him at your side, one of two outcomes will occur.”
Cora leaned forward. “What are they?”
Nana smiled sweetly at her. The sunlight cast a glow on her shiny, white hair, and her brilliant blue eyes shone with warmth. “You know, but I will tell you.
“If he stays on your terms, he will change and not be the man you want and love, but a faint shadow of that person. If you let him go, he will return to you more eagerly each time.”
“Thank you for saying it out loud. I knew as you said, in my gut, but I didn’t want to admit it.”
“You must love him enough to let him go and trust he will not stay gone very long.”
Nana stood to take the dishes to the sink. “Let me clean up, Nana.”
“All right, I am tired. I’ll go take my afternoon nap. Just lock the door
on your way out.” She looked intently into Cora’s eyes. “Is he worth all this trouble?”
Cora didn’t answer for a moment. Then she nodded. “Yes, I think he is.”
Nana grinned. “It’s the answer I expected. What about Garrick?”
“I love him, too. He’s different than Kohana, but they complement each other, and they’re very good friends.”
“I can rest now. Soon, I will have another ceremony to perform.”
Cora watched her walk into her small bedroom. Talking with her had lightened Cora’s heart. She quickly washed the dishes and wiped the counters. Then she peeked in on Nana, who was sleeping soundly.
Quietly, she punched in the button to lock the door and slipped outside. She headed to her house and knew exactly what she would do.
* * * *
Kohana was pacing in her front yard when she arrived. He grabbed her by the shoulders. “Where have you been?”
“I had an appointment. It’s none of your business.”
He raked his hand through his hair and frowned. “I was worried about you.”
“Why. All the men from the group are in jail. I’ve gone around town on my own for years with no problem.” Cora started walking to the front door. “We’ll get started on your rehab.”
Once inside, Kohana prowled around the living room, while Cora got out the equipment she’d need. She stood in the doorway and watched him. He was like a tiger in a cage.
“Please stop pacing. Sit and let me exam your wrist.”
He jerked around at her voice, and then sauntered over to sit in a nearby chair. She sat on the footstool and took his right hand in hers.
“Show me where it’s tender.”
Kohana pointed out several areas and moved his hand to show which movement caused it to hurt. “I don’t think it’s too bad. I used my right hand to shoot earlier. My shot was good.”
“Still, I expect your hand ached later.”
“It did.”
“Did Gavin tell you the results of the X-ray?”
“He called and said it’s healing, but if I use it too much it’ll take longer to get back to normal.”
Bold Bodyguards [Triple Dare County, South Dakota 8] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Polyromance) Page 11