The River Valley Series

by Tess Thompson

  Annie went to the window. It was a pack. And they’d come closer to the house. Behind her, Marco began to pace. “What the hell are they?”

  “Coyotes,” she said.

  “Why would they come this close to us?”

  “I don’t know.” She went to the cot and collapsed, her battered body and head aching, expecting the worst. But Marco stayed at the window with his gun pointed towards the howling beasts. “Just let me go and they’ll leave.”

  “Shut up, you stupid bitch.” He rushed at her, raising his pistol and smacking her hard on the side of the head. Everything went black.

  The birds were the first sounds she heard the next morning. For a moment, she was home with Drake, expecting to open her eyes and see him asleep next to her. But in the next instant, it all came rushing back to her. Marco. She opened her eyes. He was passed out on the floor in front of the door holding his pistol in both hands, the tequila bottle, not quite empty, beside him. She reached for her clothes and slid into them as quietly as possible, her head and body aching. Marco did not stir. She reached inside the pocket of her jeans and pulled out the ring, wanting to hold it between her fingers for a moment. Drake. Alder. They were waiting for her to come home. She must figure out a way to get back to them.

  Putting the ring back in her pocket, she tiptoed to the window and looked out. There, in the yard, was the pack of coyotes, sleeping in a semi-circle in front of the shack. The largest one, her friend for all these weeks now, as if sensing her presence, woke and lifted his head, staring back at her. They were here for her.

  She turned away from the window, looking around the shack in the light of day. It was nothing more than a pile of boards slapped together. There were several spots along the front wall where the spaces between the boards were big enough to reach a hand through. Had Otis really slept here all these years? Under the cot, there was a small cardboard box. With her foot, she pushed it out from under the sagging makeshift bed and opened it, quietly. It was empty, except for several envelopes from Allie Smith, with an address in a town in Georgia to Otis Smith at Tulane University. The postmarks were 1982. Were these letters from his mother before he disappeared?

  Marco stirred slightly and then let out a long snore. She sat on the cot, holding Otis’s letters. If I get out of here, she promised herself, she would track down Allie Smith and tell her about Otis. She deserved to know the truth, after all these years.

  And then, a sound that at first she could not comprehend—a whirring. A helicopter. Linus. Linus, out looking for her. It had to be. But how to get outside? How to flag him? This she couldn’t fathom, with Marco blocking the door. Dare she try and pry the gun from his hands?

  Then, it came to her. Perhaps she could signal Linus with the light of her diamond. Perhaps she could reach her hand through one of the spaces and try to direct its reflection towards the sound.

  She moved to the largest space between the boards and pulled out her ring, praying silently that Marco wouldn’t wake. Keeping her gaze directed on him, she slipped her hand between the boards, holding the ring between her thumb and index finger. She moved it back and forth, aimed towards the sound. Would it catch in the sunlight and signal Linus? Please, God, let him see it.

  Marco woke then, with a start, looking around the room with bleary red eyes. She yanked her hand back inside, cupping the ring in the palm of her hand.

  “Are they still out there?” asked Marco.

  “Yes.”

  “What’s that noise?”

  “I don’t hear anything.” She put both her hands in the pockets of her jeans, letting the ring fall. The sound of the helicopter grew quieter. Her heart sank. They’d left. They hadn’t seen the glint of the ring or Marco’s truck.

  He got to his feet, grunting slightly. Hurting from the drink. She remembered this from the old days, and time seemed to merge and sway until it was as if ten years had not passed. She was still afraid. He was still dangerous. And she was without her boy. And Drake. Had he ever been real? Had the last ten years actually happened? She felt the bloodied spot on her temple. The blood had dried and caked. She ran her fingers up to her neck where she knew it was bruised purple. Her groin ached. Her left eye was almost closed shut. Yes, here it was again: the pain and humiliation and fear.

  She placed her wrist against the small lump in her pocket. The ring. Drake. He was real. The ring was real; it was a symbol of all that was good in a life both joyous and difficult. Love is all there is and all there will ever be. She turned back to the window. The largest of the pack rose from the ground, standing tall on his four legs, still staring at her. His eyes blinked once, and then again. She glanced down at her hands, at the several small scars she had from cooking. Yes, her life was real. Not the one of terror and pain that had come last night. And not this mad man who stood beside her, cursing, breathing out the remnants of tequila. It was the other life that was real—the one with love and good work and the river that taught you your name.

  “What do they want?” Marco asked under his breath.

  “They’ve come for me.”

  “What?” He put his hand under her hair and yanked her face to look at him.

  “They’ve come to protect me. From you.”

  “They’re no match against my gun.”

  And then, the sound of the helicopter came once again. The helicopter was coming back, she thought, her heart leaping with sudden hope. The sound grew louder with every passing second. Was it above them? How she longed to rush out to the yard. I’m here, she said silently. Right here. Just look down. See the coyotes.

  But there was another sound now, too. A car, possibly more than one, coming down the dirt road. She glanced up at Marco. He heard it, too. He peered out the window, past the coyotes. A lone siren blared. In unison, the coyotes rose to their feet and then began to run, disappearing into the thicket in a matter of seconds.

  A cop car stopped near the shack. And there was another car—Mike and Tommy were in the front seat. Fred got out of his car, holding a bullhorn. “Marco, we know you’re in there.”

  Marco cursed under his breath and grabbed her by the arm. “Open the door,” he said to her, the gun at her temple. Annie did so and they walked into the morning sunlight.

  “She’s dead if you guys make one move closer to me,” shouted Marco.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Annie noticed something in the bushes. Something pink. It was Cindi, holding her gun. Tommy and Mike were out of their car by now. Above, the helicopter hovered. She looked up, shielding her eyes. Drake was sitting next to Linus, never taking his eyes from her. She moved her hand to her heart, and left it there. If Marco killed her, she wanted no doubt in Drake’s mind how much she loved him.

  Tommy called out to Marco. “Hey man, put down the gun. There’s no reason we can’t work this out. No harm’s been done that can’t be undone.”

  Annie held her breath, knowing they were trying to distract Marco while Cindi went around to the other side of the house where she could get a good shot in. Did our hapless cop understand the plan, she wondered?

  Marco pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arm around her neck, the gun still at her temple. “Get out of my way or she’s dead.”

  And then, a shot rang out in the morning air. Marco slumped beside her. She screamed and backed away. It was a clean shot right through his neck. Blood was gushing, seeping into the dry ground. She continued to scream, shaking. Then, Tommy was there, taking her in his arms. “It’s done. All done.”

  “How did you find me?”

  “Linus saw a light.”

  “It was my ring,” she whispered. “It was the only thing I could think of to signal him.”

  “It worked,” said Tommy. “Clever, clever girl.”

  Mike came up from behind. “Let’s get away from him.” They took her over to the cars. In a clearing a short distance away, the helicopter landed, and Drake, bent over from the waist, ran towards them. Tommy let her go just as Drake scooped her into his ar
ms, holding her tight as she sobbed into his shoulder. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

  “I know,” he whispered. “But I’m here and it’s all over.”

  “Alder?” she asked.

  “He’s fine. At the house with Lee.” His eyes roamed over her, taking in her bloody face and head. “What did he do to you?”

  “Just beat me. The coyotes came just as he was about to rape me.” She was babbling, and given the look on his face, she knew she’d have to explain it all later. “Never mind. He didn’t. He wasn’t able to. I was so scared. But your ring saved me.”

  Drake brought her closer, his arms tight around her, his voice in her ear. “You saved yourself. You’re safe now. He can never hurt you again.”

  Cindi came out from behind the house, handing her gun to Mike. She went to Annie, taking her hand. “Sorry, kiddo, but I couldn’t let him hurt you ever again. Even if I have to go to jail.”

  Annie sobbed, realizing in that moment the sacrifice Cindi had made for her. “I don’t want you to go to jail.”

  Cindi kissed her on the top of her head and backed away. “It’s all right. I’m ready to take my punishment.” She held her arms above her head, moving towards the cop. “I’m ready.”

  Fred spit into the ground and then looked up at the sky. “Well, now, I don’t know about that. Surely a case of self-defense if I ever saw one. He turned his gun right on you, Cindi, and you had no choice but to fire off a shot. Too bad for him you were a quicker draw. Can’t imagine anyone here will disagree with what I saw.”

  “No sir,” said Mike.

  “Seems clear to me,” said Tommy.

  Annie was back in Drake’s arms, still shaking. Linus ran towards them. “Oh, sweetie, I thought I would lose my mind. Drake called me at the inn when you didn’t show and I found poor Amanda tied up. It was like you just vanished. We knew your general vicinity because of your cell phone and I’ve been out since dawn, scouring this area for hours. I was about to give up when I saw this strange glint. Then I lowered down and saw the coyotes and the truck. Then it was just a matter of getting everyone out here. But we didn’t know if it was too late. We’ve been sick with worry.”

  For the first time, Annie smiled, hugging Linus. “Thank God for your crazy idea to learn how to fly a helicopter.”

  “I know. I’m a genius.”

  “You really are.”

  Chapter 31

  In late September, the night before her wedding, Annie awakened to the howling of the coyote. Leaving Drake to sleep, she went to the window and looked out into the yard lit with the brilliance of a full moon. Four full moons since Drake had come into her life. How many more would there be? One can’t know, she thought. All we know is this moon now. The pair of coyotes looked back at her, their yellow eyes brighter in the moonlight than the last time she’d seen them, all those weeks ago when she wasn’t certain she’d ever see Drake or Alder again. “Where have you been?” she whispered, her hand on the glass. His mate, as if she heard her, turned sideways, showing her extended stomach. Babies, thought Annie. They were having babies.

  They left then, trotting side by side into the thicket of pines and firs. She climbed back into bed. Drake rolled over to pull her close. “Did you have a dream?” he asked.

  “No. Did you turn the fence off?”

  “Yes, so it would be easier when everyone comes tomorrow for the wedding.”

  “My coyotes came. They’re having babies.”

  “That’s what we should do,” he said, his mouth on her neck and his hands moving down the curvature of her body.

  Yes. Babies. Lots of babies, she thought. But that they would save for later. For now, she wanted him all to herself. All we know for certain is this moon, this moment.

  Drake picked up Bella at the airport the next morning and when she arrived at the house, looking small and tan and beautiful, she cried when she saw Annie and Alder waiting for her at the front door. “I’ve missed you both so much,” said Bella, wrapping them both into a hug.

  “We’ve missed you, too,” said Annie.

  “I’ve missed you the most,” said Alder.

  Bella smiled, putting her small hand on the top of Alder’s head. “I’ve missed you the most, too.”

  They’d had little contact with her since she left with Graham, despite their efforts. All they knew—when she answered their email about the wedding—was that she would be there. She’d said, “I’ll be coming alone.”

  “Is Ben coming?” was the first thing out of Bella’s mouth when she began the process of making up Annie’s face for the ceremony.

  “Yes, he’s been here,” said Annie, holding as still as possible while Bella brushed her eyelids with lilac shadow. “For a month now, supervising the call center build out.”

  “Has he asked about me?”

  “Bella. Really?”

  She tossed her hair, looking at Annie like she was a specimen in a jar. “If you must know, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him.”

  “What’s happened with Graham?”

  Bella used the eyelash curler on Annie’s lashes. “You won’t believe me if I told you.”

  “Try me.”

  “I broke up with him.”

  “What? When?”

  “A week after we got back. He hadn’t actually left his wife, which, of course, is no surprise to you.”

  “Right. No surprise.”

  “But that’s not why, actually.”

  “It’s not?”

  “No. It was Ben.” She applied mascara to Annie’s eyelashes. “When I got back, I found I couldn’t actually stand for Graham to touch me. Isn’t that crazy?”

  “Yeah, a little. I mean, given how long you’ve loved him.”

  “Right. And the truth is, he lied. Like he’s been doing for three years. Anyway, I broke it off and haven’t looked back.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  “I was embarrassed. You guys were right and I should never have left that day. I should’ve stayed and seen what this thing was with Ben.”

  “For God’s sake, why haven’t you contacted him?”

  “I did. He called back, saying his dance card was full. I was crushed, obviously. It’s like how does he meet someone in two weeks? But then I figured it out. He’s another player, just like Graham. So I said ‘screw you’ in my head and just went about the business of finding my next gig.”

  Another woman? There was no one in Ben’s life that she knew of. Had he just told her that to make her jealous?

  Just then Lee came into the room, carrying two bouquets of roses from Drake’s rose garden. Lee had arranged them, wrapping a pink ribbon about the stems. “They’re beautiful,” said Annie. “You’re the best matron of honor ever.”

  Lee smiled, setting the bouquets on the dresser. “It’s true.”

  She thought of how the red roses intermingled with the pink and yellow and white—all different colors, reflective of this life that could bring tragedy and joy and everything in between.

  After she was made up, they helped Annie into her wedding dress, just a simple silk that draped elegantly over her slight frame. Her hair was loose, the untamed curls about her shoulders, per Drake’s request. The three of them stood in front of the full-length mirror in what had been Annie’s room for all these months now. “Do you see yourself?” asked Lee. “Really look. And tell me what you see.”

  Annie looked, meeting her own reflection in the glass. It was a slim, beautiful woman staring back. The make-up job Bella had done on her made her eyes that much brighter and bigger. Even her hair looked good. “I’m beautiful.”

  “Yes, my sweet friend. You are.”

  “Hells yeah you are,” said Bella, moving away from the mirror to open a bottle of champagne. She poured glasses for the three of them, and even Lee, who seldom drank, accepted one. Annie watched the bubbles floating to the surface. Champagne on my wedding day. How was it possible to be this happy?

  “I have
to make a toast,” said Bella, her eyes glassy. “Just for the three of us to hear.”

  “Oh no, now, don’t make me cry and smear my make-up,” said Annie.

  “I love my brother more than any other person on this planet. And when he lost his family it nearly killed both of us. I’d given up that he’d ever be able to move past it, to have any kind of life other than one buried in memory. It took you, Annie, and your sweet and unassuming ways to soften his heart, to heal it enough that he could allow love in again. I will always be eternally grateful for you. I cannot wait to have you as my sister. Welcome to our family. I love you.”

  “Wow, did you memorize that speech or what?” Annie asked through her tears.

  Bella laughed. “I did, as a matter of fact. I wrote it out and everything. Because I wanted to make sure you heard every word.”

  “It was perfect,” said Lee. “I have a little toast of my own, actually.” She raised her glass. “Annie, from the first moment we met, you have been my best friend, confidant, and business partner. I’ve wished for love for you so many times. And to be here on your wedding day, seeing you happy and beautiful, I could ask for nothing more.”

  They were all in tears by then and, after several sips of champagne, began the small task of repairing their eye make-up.

  Linus came in just as they were finishing. “Is the bride ready?” He gazed at her, his eyes shining. “My God, you’re a vision.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “Are you ready to marry us?”

  “Never more ready for anything in my life,” said Linus. He reached inside his suit jacket and pulled out a piece of paper. “This is my certificate off the Internet. I’m official.”

  Lee shook her head, laughing. “Only you would become a certified minister just to perform the ceremony.”

  “I’m the only man for the job,” he said. “You know that. Now, come along. Your groom is waiting for you. And we better go because Ben and Tommy just gave him a shot of whiskey. It could get ugly in a matter of minutes.”