by Aimée Thurlo
She avoided his gaze, stepping outside. “He can jump the fence or dig under, so if it’s okay, I’ll be walking around the back of your property from time to time looking for Bear.”
“You don’t need permission, Myka. You’re always welcome.”
“Thanks.” She reached into her pocket. “There’s something I should return to you. Your dad gave me his extra set of house and truck keys when you went off to college.” She tossed them to him through the open door.
He caught them with one hand. As he did, he saw the inscribed cedar stick attached to the key ring. “I made this for Dad in eighth grade shop. I didn’t realize he still had it.”
“You were his son. He was proud of you. You could have chosen a career as a sheepherder and he would have bragged about you to his friends.”
“I just wish—” He stopped and turned away, staring at the drawings on the wall. She was too easy to talk to.
“I know it’s hard for you to be here, Joshua. I think what you really need is a distraction. I’ve got the perfect idea.”
CHAPTER THREE
MYKA HAD JUST finished getting dressed for the meeting when she heard a knock on the door. Thinking it would be Joshua, she finished dabbing on some lipstick and answered it.
Tanner’s sister, Betty, stood at the threshold with her daughter, six-year-old Evelyn, beside her.
“Aunt Myka! You look so pretty,” Evie said, reaching up to give her a hug.
Myka bent down to hold her close. “Thanks, sweetie.” Evie was such a terrific kid. With golden locks and the face of an angel, she could charm her way into anyone’s heart.
“I hope you don’t mind my dropping by unannounced, Myka. I know about the meeting tonight, but I was out running errands and I needed to ask you a favor.”
Betty, her sister-in-law, was a stunning blonde with vibrant blue eyes. “Need me to babysit this week?” Myka asked, guessing at the request.
“No, but I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help. You’ve been a real lifesaver. Shameless that I am, I need to ask you a different favor.”
“Come in and have a seat.”
“Aunt Myka, do you have any cookies?”
“Evie!” Betty said.
Myka laughed. “They’re in the cookie jar in the kitchen. Take as many as you like.”
“No, just two, do you hear me Evelyn?” Betty said.
“Three! Mom, please?”
“They’re small,” Myka said softly. “And I bake a supply of chocolate chip cookies mostly for her. Come on, let me spoil her.”
Betty smiled. “Okay, three,” she told Evie.
As Evie hurried off, Betty focused on Myka once again. “I have a question for you about the inn.”
“You don’t have to clear anything with me, Betty. I may own a third of it, but it’s your baby.”
“I know that restoring the place sounds nuts, Myka, but all the inn needs is some TLC to start attracting paying guests again. Come hunting season, we’ll have lots of people looking for lodging or a base camp. I want to be ready, but I’ve run into a snag.” She lowered her voice and in a barely audible whisper, added, “Tony’s out of prison.”
Betty’s husband had almost destroyed her, physically and mentally. He’d been convicted of assault and battery against a former employer. “Is he still refusing to give you a divorce?”
“Yeah, and I don’t want him to find out about the inn.”
Myka’s face hardened. “You inherited a stake in the inn, not him. He has no legal claim whatsoever.”
“Legalities won’t matter to him, and the fear of prison obviously hasn’t stopped him in the past. If he decides I’m trying to cheat him, he’ll make trouble, and he can do a lot of damage when he’s angry.”
“Did you know he was trouble back in high school?”
“I guess, but whenever I was with Tony, I felt...invincible. Being Tony’s girl meant no one ever gave me a hard time.”
“It’s hard to believe how wrong things went,” Myka said.
“After Evie was born everything fell apart. He lost his job and started drinking when he couldn’t find another. His rages...” She shuddered.
“Will’s still staying with you, right?” Myka asked. Tanner and Betty’s older brother was also the town’s police chief.
She nodded. “I’ve filed a restraining order against Tony, so he’ll go back to prison if he comes within three hundred feet of me. But he still scares me.”
“Will’s a trained officer and almost Tony’s size. You shouldn’t worry.”
Evie ran back into the room and offered Betty a cookie. “These are great, Mommy. Myka makes the best chocolate chip cookies ever.”
Betty smiled as she took the cookie.
“Can I watch TV?”
Betty looked at Myka, who nodded. “Go ahead, it won’t bother us,” Myka said.
Betty waited until Evie’s favorite cartoons popped on screen, then she changed the subject.
“How’s Josh doing? I heard he’s back in town.”
“He’s fine, I guess,” Myka said. “He wants to sell his dad’s house, but I warned him about the real estate market these days.”
“I’m going to ask him to look at my renovation plans for the inn. I’d like to knock out some walls, and since he’s an architect, I thought he might tell me where it’s safe to do that,” Betty said. “I don’t think we should mention that Will’s part owner, though.”
“You think Josh still carries a grudge? He and Will had fought over Sophie back in high school. That was a lifetime ago.”
Betty laughed. “No, not at all, but Josh and Will have always been like oil and water. They’ve already had a run-in.”
“What happened?”
“Josh missed a stop sign as he was coming into town.”
“Let me guess. The one on Orchard Lane that’s buried by the house-high tumbleweeds?”
Betty nodded. “The town doesn’t have a weed and litter crew anymore. Heck, if the rest of us didn’t know the stop sign was there, we’d miss it, too.”
“Did Will give him a ticket?”
“Yeah. All he said was that Josh was pushing his buttons.” Betty rolled her eyes, then glanced over at her daughter. Seeing Evie engrossed in the show, she continued in a low voice. “I think the real problem is that he doesn’t want Josh back in town.”
“That’s none of his business. Why does he care?”
“Will may not actually say it, but he thinks it’s his duty to look out for you, his little brother’s widow. He’s convinced Josh has always had a thing for you.”
“No, that’s not true. Besides, I choose my own friends. Your brother needs to butt out.”
“I agree. Getting back to Joshua, I haven’t seen him in ages. Can we go over there and say hi?” Betty asked.
“No need. He’s coming over in a few minutes.”
“Ah. You two going on a date?”
Myka shook her head, but before she could elaborate, Betty added, “Too bad.”
“Joshua Nez isn’t right for me, Betty. The most we’ll ever be is friends.” Hearing a knock on the door, Myka stood. “That must be him now. Come on in, Josh.”
Joshua came in a moment later, wearing a lightweight sports jacket, dress slacks and an open-necked shirt. Myka bit back a sigh. No matter what he wore, he was always eye candy. Although he looked professional, there was an unmistakable ruggedness about him. Untamed—that word fit him the best.
Seeing Betty, Josh smiled. “It’s been a long time,” he said, and shook her hand. Looking down at her daughter, who’d come over, he smiled. “And who’s this?”
“I’m Evie,” the girl said.
“Pleasure, Evie.” Joshua shook hands with her, too, and she beamed.
Myka looked at Joshua. “She means Bear.”
Joshua raised his eyebrows. “From what you’ve told me, that dog is way too big to play with a kid Evie’s size.”
“He’s like a big teddy bear,” Evie said. “And he’s my friend. Can I go get him, please?”
Myka crouched in front of Evie. “Bear’s not around right now, sweetie,” she said gently. “When Mr. Nez went to heaven, Bear wanted to be by himself for a while.”
“Oh, okay,” she said. Then, after a heartbeat, “Can I have another cookie?”
“One more and that’s it,” Betty said.
Myka smiled. “I love the way kids do that. No disappointment lingers for long. They can switch gears in an instant.”
“I envy her that, too,” Betty said softly, then focused on Josh. “I’m glad you’re here, Josh. I wanted to ask you a favor. Would you drop by the Blue Spruce Inn on Main Street tomorrow morning? I’ll trade you breakfast—all homemade—for your opinion on my renovating ideas. We have a tight budget, so I have to make sure I don’t make any costly mistakes.”
“Who’s we?” he said, picking up on that immediately.
Betty winced. “Myka, Will and I are partners.”
“It’s mostly Betty’s thing,” Myka said quickly. “Will and I chip in with the property taxes and help out with other expenses when we can.”
“Wait a sec. I’m missing something. You’re spending money to fix up an inn here in Independence?” he asked.
Betty nodded. “It’ll be more of a B and B. A lot of people come into this part of the state during hunting and skiing season, and on summer vacation. It’ll be a seasonal business, but I think we’ll be able to make it work.”
“I’ll be glad to stop by tomorrow and take a look,” Joshua said, “but I should warn you. One of your partners may not appreciate my input.”
“That’ll be Will’s problem, then. Myka and I would really appreciate your expertise,” Betty said.
Hearing the grandfather clock chime, Myka gasped. “Oh, no! We have to go right now, Josh. The meeting is at Liza’s house and we’ll be late.”
“Wait—you’re going to a crafter’s meeting?” Betty asked, looking at Josh. “There aren’t any woodworkers there, I don’t think. It’s mostly the knitting, crocheting and weaving crowd.”
“Tonight will be different,” Myka said. “We’re going to do some serious brainstorming and try to come up with ideas on how to help Independence. The more input, the better. Why don’t you come, Betty?”
“I wish I could, but I have to get Evie home, then it’s dinner, bath and bed. Let me know what happens.”
Myka saw Betty and Evie to the door, then came back for her purse.
“What’s Betty’s story?” Joshua asked, after she’d left. “That was Tony’s kid, right?”
Myka nodded. “Betty’s had some rough times, thanks to Tony, but she and her daughter will be okay now that they’re back home,” she said, unwilling to add any more details. “Ready to go?”
* * *
WHEN THEY ARRIVED, people were in the den hovering around a table covered with inexpensive snacks—everything from pretzels to chips, salsa and iced tea.
The gathering, normally consisting of ten or twelve, was nearly double that size. Many familiar faces were present, mostly the husbands and adult children of the regulars. Liza’s sofa and two easy chairs had been supplemented by several dining room chairs and a dozen metal folding chairs borrowed from the Independence Methodist Church.
As Myka stepped into the room, Liza caught her eye then went around to the TV, the focal point of the family room.
“Time to get started, everyone,” she announced.
As a hush descended, Myka moved to stand beside Liza. “I’m glad to see you all here. Most of you know Joshua Nez,” she said and motioned to where he stood. “I’ve asked him to join us because he’s an architect and he comes up with new ideas all the time. Joshua’s also a native of Independence and knows our community.”
Several shout-out welcomes to Joshua went around the room, then Myka continued. “We’re all having a tough time getting by these days. Individually, none of us are in the position to help the community. What we need to do is pull together. A lot of you already know that I’ve got my own small internet business,” she said, and saw people nod. “Business is good, so I’ve been thinking of expanding my inventory to include a variety of crafts. I don’t have the cash to buy your pieces, but I could take them on consignment. Almost everything I’ve listed over the past months has sold within a week or less. Something like this could help everyone’s bottom line and, ultimately, the town’s economy.”
Robyn, Liza’s daughter, stood up next. She had a stately five-foot-eight frame that always commanded attention, as did her beautiful black hair and blue eyes. “Myka, what you’re proposing wouldn’t even make a dent in the town’s economy,” she said in a quiet, nonjudgmental voice.
“I’m not saying it’s a cure-all, or that we’d be rich, but we need to start somewhere. Extra money in our pockets could mean all the difference in the world to Mabel’s Coffee Shop, for example, or Shorty’s Burgers,” Myka said.
“I think it’s a good idea,” Daniel’s grandmother, Elise Medeiros, added.
“Thank you, Grandma,” Myka replied, then glanced around the room. “We have something to offer the world. Our crafts are based on Rio Grande traditions, and there’s always a market for beautiful, handcrafted things.”
“The consignment store idea is good, but we’d each have to work pretty quickly to keep things rolling,” Bertie said. “We have to think this through. Once we start making stuff to sell, it’ll no longer be just our hobby—what we do to relax or take our mind off our troubles.”
“Which means we’d be sucking all the fun out of it,” said Fran Brown, a town councillor. “Then, if we start depending on it, and it dries up...”
She didn’t have to finish the sentence. They’d all been shocked when IVA had shut its doors. Myka glanced around as a heavy silence fell over the room.
“Anytime you try something new, especially in business, there’s a risk,” Joshua said. “But from what I’ve seen of the town, doing nothing is no longer an option.”
“Time’s working against us, but let’s take a few more days to think about this,” Myka said. “Maybe someone else can come up with a better idea by the time we meet again.”
After more discussion, the gathering finally disbanded. Myka and Joshua stayed behind, answering questions and trying to help the others overcome their reluctance.
Finally ready to call it a night, she and Joshua went to the door.
“You’ve planted the seed, Myka. That’s all you can do,” Liza said.
Joshua walked beside her as they headed back to his truck. “I wanted to brainstorm, but I did most of the talking and ended up scaring them,” Myka said.
“Not everyone can greet change with open arms. Some of the people there tonight have lived their entire lives in Independence, and they want things to go back to the way they were.”
“The old days aren’t coming back,” Myka said softly.
“I know, but they’ll have to accept it before they can move on and take action.”
As they crossed the street to where he’d parked, she felt the warmth of his body close to hers. It was a welcome awareness, one that contrasted sharply with the familiar ice-cold blasts of fear and sorrow she’d lived with these past few years.
He held the door open for her. “Give them time, Myka,” Joshua advised. “Their backs are to the wall and they’re scared.”
They were driving down the street at a leisurely pace when they heard a siren behind them and saw the flashing lights of a police
cruiser.
Joshua cursed and pulled over, turning off the engine.
Seeing Will behind them in the side mirror, Myka tried not to cringe. He was the last person she’d wanted to run into tonight.
“There was no stop sign back there, right?” Joshua asked.
“No. Just stay cool.” A moment later, her brother-in-law came up to the driver’s side window. Seeing Myka on the passenger side, he glared at her.
“What’s the problem, Will?” Joshua asked.
“I was going to ask the same thing,” Will said. “Did you have car trouble, Myka?”
She tried to keep her temper in check. After Tanner’s death, Will had been there for her—day or night. She knew he meant well, but this time he was going too far. “My car’s fine. Joshua’s next door now, so we decided to ride to the Spinning Wheels’ meeting together.”
He scowled at Joshua. “You taking up crochet?”
“I asked him to come,” she said, and explained, though she knew she didn’t have to. “You would have been welcome, too. Your welded sculptures, like that rearing horse you made out of scrap metal, are just stunning. They’re too large to ship easily, so it’s not a good match for my online business, but everyone would have valued your input.”
He expelled his breath in a hiss. “So far your online company’s doing okay, but I still think it’s dangerous for you to do business on the internet. There are too many crazies out there looking for trouble.”
“I really haven’t had any problems, not big ones anyway,” she said. “I’m very careful about protecting myself and my privacy.”
He looked at Joshua. “You never cared much for Independence, so why were you there?”
“To help brainstorm. I have a house to sell, and to do that, Independence will need to get back on its feet.”
“Had to go to college to figure that one out, did you?” Will snapped, then said “Myka, can I talk to you privately?”
She bristled at his tone of voice. Nodding to Will, she glanced at Joshua and added, “I’ll be back in a minute.”
Moments later, Myka stood with Will beside his cruiser. “Will Solis, why are you acting like such a horse’s butt, pulling Joshua over for no reason at all?” she demanded, keeping her voice low. “One of the reasons I asked him along tonight is because I know what it’s like to get a house in order after someone you love passes on. His dad died less than two weeks ago. Cut him some slack, and me, too. And on top of that, mind your own business.”