by Reece Butler
“They like to pull hair!” warned Florrie. Aggie shushed her.
The bird shook his head at Florrie, neck feathers ruffling as if chastising her for telling secrets. Then it leaned its head toward Marci and gave a low trill, almost a croon. Simon had never the bird use it for anyone but Lance before. Marci looked at the wicked beak and black eyes, and smiled.
“You can have one,” she said. “But I’ll get it for you.”
Simon caught his breath when the bird crow-hopped right next to her shoulder. Its deadly beak was so close to her eyes that it could blind her with one peck. The bird sifted its beak through Marci’s hair but didn’t try to pull any out. She reached up and plucked one strand from the root and handed it to the bird. It took the strand in its beak and bobbed a thank-you. After crow-hopping a few steps away it leaped in the air, flapped loudly and, with a few downward sweeps of wide wings, soared away.
The others followed in a line, dipping and swooping, making more noise than Simon had heard in years. All but one left. The sentinel watched the others fly away and then settled in to guard.
Simon would bet the ranch that the ravens had just accepted Marci as family. That strand of hair would be hidden somewhere only a raven could find, along with whatever trinkets they’d stolen over the years. Perhaps the hair would be placed next to those from Ross MacDougal, the first to have Raven as his Totem. Simon didn’t know as much as Lance about the spiritual side of their heritage, but he was damn sure there was more going on than a bird wanting a hair to line a nest.
“Since none of you men have any manners,” said Aggie, “I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Aggie Adams, married to Keith and Donny, who you met. You have no idea what a wonderful gift you gave us last night.” She glanced at Keith, blushing like a fourteen-year-old after her first kiss.
“I expect Miss Marci has a very good idea,” said Donny. It was Marci who flushed this time. Donny tossed Travis in the air, making him squeal, and settled him on his shoulders.
Keith sauntered over to Marci, who’d sat up. “Ma’am?”
He held out his hand. She took it and used his leverage to roll gracefully to her feet. She flipped her hair behind her shoulders and swatted at the dust and dirt.
“Sorry, I’m a mess,” she said.
“Nothing to apologize for. You were having a great time with my boys,” he said solemnly.
“Mom, Miss Marci said she could teach me to sew an apron on Uncle Simon’s treadle machine!”
Aggie gave Simon That Look. But since she wasn’t his wife, he just laughed. He should have realized Florrie would have seen the machine years back and had been biding her time.
“Don’t know how long I’m going to need Marci’s help,” said Simon to Aggie, “but the lady has free run of the house.”
“Please, Mom?”
Aggie hugged her daughter, so unlike her in looks or temperament. “Of course, as long as we can work it out with Miss Marci. I guess the domestic gene skipped a generation, sweetie. Your grandmother will be pleased to get a letter about you learning to sew.” She looked over at Marci. “We’ll talk once you get settled.”
“I’ll need your help,” said Marci to the girl. “Between us we’ll figure out how to get it to work.” That wide smile of hers appeared again. “I have some experience making old things work.”
“So I see,” mused Keith, giving Simon a sardonic look.
Simon bent over and reached for his crutches to hide the signs of heat that crept over his cheeks. He knew exactly what Keith meant and would get him back later for the comment.
“Time to go home,” said Donny. “Uncle Simon needs to, ah, put his foot up.”
The three Adams adults shared a snicker, rounded up the children, and drove away.
Chapter Eighteen
Simon automatically checked out the dirt on Marci’s butt as she waved at the truck. He hoped she’d let him brush it off, but she took care of it before turning around. Her gaze lingered on the sentinel bird watching them from the barn.
“You weren’t afraid,” he said. “Most people are.”
Marci was quiet as she walked to the porch. She pointed at the swing. He heard the unspoken order and sat. She settled beside him and pushed off with her foot. The old swing creaked as they rocked. He waited with a lot of patience for a horny man finally alone with his woman. But this was more important than hot sex. If Marci could accept what just happened, there was a far better chance she would accept Lance.
“I grew up reading fantasy books where people could be telepathic with animals,” she said finally. “I always wanted to be special instead of…what I was.”
He took a chance and pulled her snug. She sighed and relaxed against his chest.
“That bird is too smart, and too big, even for a raven,” she said. “But I knew it wouldn’t hurt me. It didn’t talk to me like the people in those books. It was more that I just knew what it wanted. It knew I wasn’t going to harm its people, and it accepted me.”
She tilted those black eyes up at him. He suddenly realized how like a raven she was with her intelligent eyes and black hair.
“I think the best way to explain things is to tell you what happened with Keith when we were kids,” he said. He waited for her nod to continue.
“Keith’s father had bought a big horse for breeding. It was high strung and no one was allowed near it. Keith was about twelve at the time. He had his eye on some girls and wanted to show how good he was with horses. One Saturday just before the end of school he had his chance. His fathers were away for some reason. He managed to saddle the horse and was so full of himself he figured he’d have no problems showing off.”
“He rode it even though he knew it was dangerous?”
“Us kids weren’t told the horse had thrown the previous owner. He broke his neck when he landed. His widow sold the horse at a loss, which was how the Double Diamond could afford it.”
Marci shook her head. “Cars, bikes, or horses, it’s the same thing. Boys showing off to look like men.”
Simon cleared his throat rather than get into that line of conversation.
“Keith was far from home, high in the hills, when it threw him and took off. He was lucky in that he landed in a pile of brush, but he slid into a deep gulch. One of his feet got caught in a crevice. He couldn’t get out. He told us later that he was starting to panic when he saw a raven. All the boys knew the birds kept an eye on Lance because if anyone tried to bully him, they’d swoop down with their feet wide and beak open.”
“I got the impression they were protective,” she said.
“Since Keith had nothing to lose and he was well and truly stuck, he called out. The bird came close, circled over him once, and took off. Lance and I had done something our mother didn’t like, so we were pulling weeds in the yard. We heard the bird fly in, squawking like anything. He flew right to Lance, circled him, then flew to the barn. Lance said someone must be hurt, so we grabbed horses and took off after the bird.”
“Bareback?”
He cleared his throat. “If I say yes, will you say I’m just as bad as Keith?”
She rolled her eyes. “Just say the truth.”
“Yes, we were bareback.” He took her fingers and interlaced them with his own. “I hope this impresses you, but we both leaped on the horses from the back, grabbed hold of their manes, and took off.”
“Like Indians in a cowboy movie.”
He nodded. “We practiced a lot to do that.” He tapped his cast. “I won’t be doing that again.”
“I guess you got Keith loose, since he’s still here.”
“Yes, though he got well scraped. It was almost dark by the time we got him home. His father had found the horse, covered in lather, by the barn. He figured it was Keith who’d taken it because of the length of the stirrups. He was about to organize a search party when they spotted us riding in.”
“I bet he got in big trouble.”
Simon remembered him roaring and swearing at h
is son doing such a damn fool thing. But instead of beating him, as would have happened to one of the MacDougals, he’d grabbed Keith in a bear hug. Then he gruffly sent him in so his worried mother could fix his foot.
He didn’t see Lance and Simon watch as, tears streaming, he fell to his knees and thanked God for saving his boy. He swore he’d put the horse down so it couldn’t harm anyone else.
After he’d gone in, Lance went to the horse, nervously circling the pen. He’d calmly approached the animal and a few minutes later, got him haltered. He rode the animal home with Simon riding behind, holding the reins of the one Lance rode to save Keith. It was Lance’s first horse of his own. Keith’s father signed it over once he was sure Lance had managed to fix whatever made the horse bolt.
“For the rest of the summer Keith didn’t ride or leave the ranch except for church and family outings. And when there were barn dances, everyone went except him. His mother found all sorts of things for him to do. But he had some great scars on his ankle to show the guys.”
Marci chuckled. “Typical guy. Were the girls impressed?” She laughed when he shook his head. “Did you get in trouble for taking the horses instead of pulling weeds?”
Simon paused. How to explain Lance and their mother?
“So you did get in trouble.”
“Not for that. Lance was punished for following his instincts and going after the raven. I was punished for following Lance.”
She sat up, suddenly furious. “Why? You both saved someone’s life!”
Simon tightened his fingers around hers. “I can’t explain my mother, Marci. I don’t know why she married my father even though she knew of his background.” He held up their hands. “I’ve got white skin and red hair, just like my father, a proud member of the MacDougal Clan from the Scottish Highlands. That’s all my mother could see.”
“What are you saying?”
His heart contracted at saying the words. His mother had humiliated him all his life, if not directly, then by her treatment of his twin brother. She’d been dead a while and he’d thought he was over it. Having to tell Marci about her made him realize that a part of him still cringed in shame.
“You are so beautiful,” he said, “and so is your skin. It’s soft and smooth, with feminine muscles underneath. But all that my mother would see, is that your skin isn’t white.”
The swing rattled and squeaked as she bristled beside him. He had to hold tight to her hands so she couldn’t pull away.
“Lance’s skin is brown. My two great-grandfathers were both Chiefs. One was Chief of the Bannock Tribe. Fergus and I got the MacDougal genes. Lance got the Bannock. My mother took one look at his dark skin and said he was no child of hers. She pretended she had only one baby, me, as well as her precious first son, Fergus. Nothing my father said or did could change her.”
“Who took care of him?”
“My mother was so big with us twins that my father hired a housekeeper. Because of Lance, Mrs. Larson stayed, and pretty much raised both of us. We had a connection Mom couldn’t break, which was good as she put all her efforts into Fergus. We had an open invitation to visit our Bannock relatives, but Mom refused to allow it. Dad wouldn’t go against Mom.”
“You only had the one father?”
He nodded. “I think that was why Dad gave in to Mom so much. He never had the link that many brothers have. He was all alone, except for Mom.”
“So, what happened after you saved Keith?”
“Mom told Dad that Lance was a bad influence on me, and she wanted him gone. He left the next morning on his new horse. I didn’t see him again until right before school started. After that, he spent every summer with them.”
“That’s terrible! How could a parent act that way?”
“I don’t know, but it was good for Lance. He was finally with people who looked like him. They respected his link with the ravens, and taught him many things. It’s why he has such a touch with horses, especially injured ones. He seems to know what’s wrong, and can reach them so they’re not crazed with pain and fear.”
Having Lance gone wasn’t so good for him, though. Furious at his parents, and without Lance’s calming influence, he got into a lot of trouble. That meant being ordered to the woodshed too many nights. His father would dole out his punishment, muttering how he should’ve sent both boys to their grandfather. Simon had kept his mouth shut but the hurt went deep.
“Did you ever meet your Indian relatives?”
He nodded. “The next summer. Lance had been gone a couple of weeks. I got in another fight, this one after church, because of what people said about my mother and Lance. I hated how she treated him, but she was still my mother. When my dad said to get the switch and head for the woodshed, I said I’d gotten in a fight because they’d insulted my mother. It didn’t matter to my father. I was furious that I’d get a beating for protecting her when she was so against my own brother. I took off on my horse with nothing but the clothes I had on.”
“You went to find Lance.”
“Yep. But my parents were sure I was staying with one of the other valley families so they didn’t worry. But when Sunday rolled around again, and no one at church had seen me they got concerned. Then they got a note that I was safe with Lance.”
Much to his surprise, his Bannock relatives had welcomed him. That summer challenged him, pushing him physically and mentally beyond anything his parents thought he was capable of. The People knew what to do with young men who didn’t think they fit anywhere. It was a tough time but he’d proven himself worthy. Only much later did he realize it was himself he’d had to prove his worth to. No one else’s opinion mattered. Lance knew it in his bones but Simon had to keep relearning.
“So now you know my twin brother is dark brown, that my mother was crazy, and my father supported her over his children.”
They rocked for a while. Back and forth, the only sound the squeak of the swing.
“My turn,” said Marci. “My mother fell in love with a man who promised to marry her. He even gave her a ring. But once he found out she was pregnant, he disappeared.”
“That’s not unusual,” said Simon, reassuring her.
Marci snorted. “The same thing happened with my older sister as well.”
“She didn’t use birth control?”
“Oh, yes, she did. And after getting pregnant with my sister, my mother was doubly careful. But she was as fertile as a rabbit. It took six weeks for her to get pregnant with my sister, and three months for me.”
“Did either man pay to support his child?”
Marci shook her head. “I think they paid a lump sum for Mom’s medical fees. Both of them were wealthy foreign students. Even if she could have proven they promised marriage, they left the country and married someone else. Someone equally wealthy.”
“Did your mother have a good job?” Simon noticed she bit her lip when unsure of herself. “After what I just told you, you think I’ll judge you for your past?”
He took her slight shrug as an apology.
“We moved around a lot when I was little, but Mom got regular work when I started grade four. She didn’t have one good job, she had two lousy ones,” she said. “Her day job was doing alterations at a clothing store. She taught me to sew. And she cleaned office buildings until late.” Marci lifted her eyes to the mountains. “I never saw so much open land until I got to Montana.”
“Did you have a small apartment in the city?”
“No, we didn’t have that much money. I guess we could’ve moved into one of the projects, but Mom had pride. I grew up in a trailer park.”
“A trailer park is nothing to be ashamed of,” he said quietly. “You can live in the most expensive house in town and be filled with the filth of your soul.”
This time it was Marci who squeezed her hand to give him comfort.
“It was old and rusted, but we kept that trailer as clean and neat as we could. That’s how I learned so much about fixing things.” She slid
him a small smile. “Thank goodness for duct tape. It fixes ripped chair seats, cracked windows, and rusted out holes that are so big creepy crawlies can get through without their wings touching the metal.”
He laughed along with her. He’d had everything to keep him alive. Food, shelter, clothing appropriate to the weather. But Marci had had love. He wanted his children to have both.
“My sister and I did well at school. My mother had to quit school after tenth grade when her mother died. Her father insisted she take over the house so he was well cared for. So education was very important to Mom. She gave up paying hours to make it to school appointments.”
He couldn’t imagine his mother doing so much for her children, unless it was her firstborn. He and Lance would’ve starved before she’d take on extra work to feed them.
“The first time I felt truly accepted was when I met his grandfathers, Keir and Gavin MacDougal, that summer on the land.”
“I knew my mother loved me with all her heart.”
“She’s gone?”
“Yes, just before my sister graduated from—” she suddenly leaned forward, coughing. He patted her back.
“Your sister did well, then?”
Marci nodded. “I was the disappointment. I married a week after I left high school. I had a state college scholarship, but Ted said he needed me. I was foolish and didn’t listen.” She shrugged. “And now I’m here.”
“That you are.” He kissed her knuckles. “Time for a nap.”
Chapter Nineteen
Marci opened the fridge, thinking about what to make for supper. Nikki said many of the ranch families had everyone over on Sundays after church for a big meal. If this was her home, she’d be making something from a leftover roast, as it was Monday.
Now that Simon had a cast that ended at the top of his calf he could get around, even climb stairs. Brenda had told him to stay off the walking cast for a few days. Of course, the first thing he did when he got home was to haul himself upstairs. He’d tripped halfway up, but a hard grip on the sturdy carved handrail had saved his dignity, and his other leg. He was working in his office down the hall. He’d grumbled, but agreed to put his foot up after what had happened earlier.