He couldn’t see Landry but knew she was there. Sensed her. Could almost feel her heartbeat weakening with every passing second. “Yes!”
Everything went dark again.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Landry slowly opened her eyes.
“Hi there.” Marcie smiled, but her eyes were bloodshot like they always got after she’d had a long crying jag. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again.”
“What … what happened?” Landry struggled to sit up, but pain screamed through the left side of her chest. She dropped back onto the pillow. “You were shot.” Marcie wiped another tear away. “I told you that you should’ve come back home.”
Memories flooded her. “Phillip shot me. Nickolai!”
“He’s okay. He’s in a room right down the hall.”
“Jediah?”
Marcie’s brows furrowed. “The old man?” She shook her head. “I’m sorry; he died.”
“In the mine.”
Marcie shook her head. “Honey, you must’ve bonked your head. You weren’t in a mine. Y’all were on a trail near Weaver’s Needle. All four of you.”
“I’m confused.”
“I’m sure you’ll remember everything once you start feeling better.”
“Landry!” Nickolai rolled into her room in a wheelchair, his right leg stuck out in front of him with a cast around his ankle. He rolled beside her bed and took her hand. “They wouldn’t let me see you after your surgery, and I was sick with worry.”
“Surgery?”
“To remove the bullet from your chest.” Marcie held up a little clear vial and shook it. A metal slug rattled inside. “I figured you’d want to keep it.”
“I do.” Landry squeezed Nickolai’s hand. “What happened? I remember being in the shaft then the mine. I remember getting shot. But how did we get out? How did we get here?”
He gave her a crooked smile. “What mine? What shaft?” He squeezed her hand back. “We were right by the rocks across from Weaver’s Needle with Jediah when I fell off the rock and broke my ankle. Remember, you put a splint on it from the first aid kit?”
What? “You broke your ankle when you found the shaft to the mine and fell in. I splinted it in the shaft.”
Nickolai shook his head, shooting Marcie a look. “No, I fell off the rocks just before Phillip showed up and demanded the map.” He frowned, and the lines around his eyes deepened. “He shot Jediah, killing him.”
Landry nodded. “Yeah, he shot Jediah because Jediah was going to go get help. Phillip shot him and he fell down the shaft beside us.”
“Honey, there was no shaft.”
“So how did I get shot?” None of this made any sense. Why didn’t Nickolai remember what happened?
He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “Phillip grabbed my backpack and I lunged for him. He shot you then kicked me. We both lost consciousness.” His eyes widened as he spoke. “Apparently Chris got a text I sent him, and sent police to the coordinates of my cell phone. Officer Hogan found us and had us airlifted to the hospital here.”
That made no sense. Had she hit her head? “What about Phillip?”
Nickolai gave her a sad smile. “I remember getting the gun from Phillip and pulling the trigger. Apparently my aim found its mark. He didn’t make it.”
Landry fought to remember the details as Nickolai told them. She couldn’t.
“What do you remember?” Marcie asked.
“I remember Nickolai finding the shaft to the mine and falling in; that’s how he broke his ankle. Phillip had my gun—apparently he’s the one who broke into my hotel room and stole it—and he made me climb down the rope into the shaft with them….” Saying it out loud made it sound fanciful in comparison to Nickolai’s version.
Maybe she had hit her head. Or maybe when she lost consciousness when Phillip shot her, she had a crazy dream that mixed fact with fantasy.
“Landry?” Nickolai whispered her name with his rough and coarse voice.
She smiled. “I just realized I’m probably mixing parts of what’s real with a heavy dose of imagination. All that matters is we made it out safely, and we’re okay.”
“Amen to that,” Marcie said.
“Amen,” Nickolai added.
She frowned at him. Maybe she’d hit her head a little too hard.
Marcie cleared her throat. “I’m going to go find me a cup of coffee. I’ll be back.” She leaned over and kissed the top of Landry’s head. “Try to stay out of trouble while I’m gone, will you?”
“You got it, Mom.” Landry smiled as her best friend left the room. She turned her head to look back at Nickolai. “I must’ve really had some imagination working overtime, because I thought I just heard you say amen behind Marcie.”
He smiled, pretty wide, showing off his perfectly straight teeth. “You aren’t imagining that.”
“What?” She squeezed his hand. “Tell me about that.”
“When you were shot … well, I thought I’d lose my mind.”
“Oh, Nickolai.” She enveloped his hand with both of hers.
“No, it’s okay. I mean, it isn’t okay that you got shot, but …” He shook his head. “Anyway, when you were shot, I prayed. I didn’t know if God was listening to me at all anymore, but I begged Him to save you because you love Him so much. And He did. I’m feeling pretty thankful at the moment.”
Landry was pretty certain she could die of happiness right at this moment, even having been shot and having had surgery. Thank You, Jesus! For saving him for me!
“What?” His smile had to match hers.
“Can you get up here and kiss me?”
“Oh yes, ma’am.” He pulled himself up to sit on the side of her hospital bed. With a callused but gentle hand, he ran his fingers over her lower jaw, easing his head lower.
When he was just a breath away, his nose almost touching hers, he looked deep into her eyes. “I love you, Landry Parker.”
Her heart raced, and she parted her lips to tell him that she loved him, too, but his mouth covered hers, claiming it in a kiss. Claiming her heart forever.
EPILOGUE
Gopan stood silently in the back of the church, lurking in the shadows of the corner. The wedding was more beautiful than he’d witnessed in his many, many years. A beautiful bride madly in love with her charming groom, whose heart and devotion to her had been tested and found to be true.
“Shaman,” the man beside him whispered.
He turned and raised a brow at his young apprentice.
“We’ve destroyed the map. Burned it just like you said. But she”—he nodded at the bride—“could remember the location if she tried hard enough.” Tarak was so eager to please, yet needed to learn so much.
“Enough time has passed that she’s forgotten. They were paid a handsome fee, even though the map wasn’t recovered. The woman felt bad that much of the events were caused by a man’s obsession with her.” Gopan nodded toward the couple kissing. “They are getting on with their lives.”
The bride turned to the two women standing at the front of the church with her. She first hugged the short redhead who’d been crying ever since she’d preceded the bride down the aisle. The bride then hugged the young lady on the cusp of womanhood, who looked very much like her brother, the groom.
The groom turned and hugged the taller African American who stood beside him before returning his bride comfortably to the crook of his arm.
Gopan stepped back farther into the shadows as the bride and groom walked down the aisle, now as man and wife.
They both hesitated for a minute when they passed the shadow Gopan and his apprentice stood concealed in.
The groom cocked his head for a long moment then whispered, “Sadnleel da’ya’dee nzho.”
Gopan smiled as the groom led his bride away.
Long life, old age, everything is good.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
“I love boxing. I love Hallmark movies. I love fishing. I love scrap-booking. Nope, I’ve ne
ver fit into the boxes people have wanted to put me in.” Robin Caroll is definitely a contradiction, but one that beckons you to get to know her better. Robin’s passion has always been to tell stories to entertain others and come alongside them on their faith journey—aspects Robin weaves into each of her twenty-five published novels. When she isn’t writing, Robin spends quality time with her husband of twenty-six years, her three beautiful daughters and two handsome grandsons, and their character-filled pets at home. Robin gives back to the writing community by serving as executive director/conference director for ACFW. Her books have finaled/placed in such contests as the Carol Award, Holt Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, RT Reviewer’s Choice Award, Bookseller’s Best, and Book of the Year. You can find out more about Robin by visiting www.robincaroll.com.
Discussion Questions
1. Landry was a bit of a rebel in her following of rules. Do you agree with her actions and reasoning? Why or why not?
2. Mr. Winslet was a collector. What do you collect? Why are those items important to you?
3. Nickolai’s little sister was responsible for their parents’ deaths, but it was due to mental illness. Share your feelings about that. How do you think he should have felt toward his sister?
4. Phillip had been in love with Winifred for a long time. What advice would you have given him to help him deal with his emotions in a more productive way?
5. Stan had an indiscretion with Winifred years ago. His wife forgave his infidelity. Discuss your views on forgiveness.
6. Marcie was a “mother hen” to Landry. Friends are vital to our well-being. Discuss ways you can show appreciation to those friends closest to you.
7. Nickolai had a difficult faith journey, but Landry and others who lived their faith in their daily life were a witness to him. Share ways your spiritual life is a witness to others.
8. Landry lost both her parents to different illnesses. Discuss the importance of compassion and how we can show our sympathy to those grieving.
9. Greed was an underlying motive for all of Phillip’s actions. Discuss ways we can focus less on materialism in our daily lives.
10. The Native American culture is somewhat different from Christianity. Discuss how you feel about religious differences.
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