Renegade Moon (CupidKey)

by Rigley, Karen E.

  She allowed him to pull her to her feet. His hand felt warm and pleasant, but without the sparks that Eric’s touch ignited.

  “See those stones that cross the water? Let’s hop across.”

  The strange, up-thrust rocks, almost like giant toadstools spaced across the creek, fascinated her. Water truly must thunder through this canyon to carve those out like that. She glanced down at her rubber-soled tennis shoes and bare legs.

  “Why not?” she agreed with a laugh, joining in his light mood.

  Martin hopped onto the first stone. He waited, and Destiny followed. When her feet slipped, he caught her around her waist.

  “Careful.” He grinned, pulling her closer than she considered necessary.

  “I’ll go first. You take up too much room.” She leaped to the next boulder. Martin landed lightly beside her, his arms pinioning her body to prevent her from being knocked into the creek. For a moment he pressed his face against her hair.

  “There’s a legend about these stones,” he said softly.

  Destiny squirmed from his too-intimate embrace. To keep her balance, she extended one leg to rest a foot on the next boulder. “What kind of legend?”

  “Native American.” He freed her to jump to the next stone, following closely behind. They balanced atop it, midway across the creek bed, Destiny again with a foot stretched to the next rock.

  “Tell me.”

  “They’re called the Marriage Stones. According to ancient myth, if a brave lures his chosen maiden across these stepping stones, they’ll marry.”

  A giant thundercloud loomed up over the edge of the canyon, blocking the sun. A gust of wind whipped her hair into her face. She shivered. “Let’s go back. The wind is chilly.”

  “Come on. We’re almost across,” Martin coaxed, hopping to the next stone and tugging Destiny’s hand.

  “No, I’d rather not.” She stayed firmly planted upon her own pillar.

  “It’s only a silly Indian legend.”

  “I want to get back to the car before it starts raining.” She refused to admit that the story bothered her. To punctuate her statement, a deep rumble of thunder rolled across the sky. Other huge billows joined the first one. Destiny leaped from pillar to pillar until she reached the bank. Martin watched her a moment, then followed.

  Icy fat drops pelted them. Martin grabbed Destiny’s hand and raced for the Suburban. “We’ve got to get out of here,” he said, all teasing gone, as they leaped into the vehicle. Rain pelted down, coming at a steep slant. Martin drove as fast as possible through the swiftly rising water.

  “Is this four-wheel drive?” Destiny was truly frightened. Never had she seen such a flash flood—the water visibly rising, rain obscuring their vision, the wipers unable to keep up with it.

  “No, but it’s posi-track. We’ll be all right.” He never took his focus from his driving and soon they got through the soft, sucking wet sand and drove right out of the storm, leaving the gusting wind and pelting rain behind in a rainbow.

  Destiny was so glad to see her little dusty Mustang waiting at the Wagon Wheel she could have kissed it. She recalled Lee’s warning about gully-washers, and how dangerous they could be to the unwary.

  Several people stood outside chatting, pointing in the direction of the storm as if to lure it their way. Rain was always eagerly anticipated here.

  “Will you do me a favor?” Martin asked. That strange mood he’d displayed at the creek, his ‘coming on’ to her, had evaporated. Destiny wondered if she had imagined it.

  “What kind of favor?”

  “Can you return our picnic stuff to Estrella? I really need to get on the road. It’s a long drive to the Double Bar-M.”

  “Sure. Of course.”

  He handed it over. “Destiny, I enjoyed the day. I’ll be back sometime soon and I hope we’ll see each other then. Okay?”

  She smiled. “Okay. Have a safe trip.”

  “Thanks. See you soon.” Without any attempt to touch or kiss her, he got back into the Suburban and drove away.

  Bemused, Destiny put the things in the car. Her inexplicable reluctance to cross the stones, the wild ride through the savage storm, it all seemed dreamlike now. Just as she started to get into her car, Lee Duncan walked up. She figured he’d come to get his car.

  “Destiny, wait.” He stopped in front of her and gave her a rueful smile. “I apologize for my behavior last night. Really, all I can say is that I didn’t eat anything, and, well, I drank too much. Please forgive me. I promise never to pull a stunt like that again.”

  “That’s okay, Lee. We can all act foolishly at times.”

  “Will you go out with me again?”

  She smiled down at her feet. “Maybe. Let me think about it, okay?”

  “Okay,” he agreed, still a bit hangdog. “Are you going out to the dig today?”

  “I don’t know. I’m interviewing a local character this afternoon, so I’ll have to see how much time that takes.”

  “Oh? Is it concerning the dig?”

  The intensity of his tone surprised her. “No. Just something for another story I’m doing. There’s a lot to photograph and write about here.”

  Though he smiled and nodded, his expression showed he’d love to question her further. To forestall him, she got into her car, waved, and drove away. She’d take the picnic things to her cabin and wash them before returning them so they wouldn’t be all icky.

  Destiny waited until the following day to return the picnic items. When she drove up, she didn’t see Eric’s tan pickup, but he usually parked it behind the house out of sight from the front. She didn’t see Pinto in the corral either. Joby and Muddog came out from the side of the porch, barking. With a bit of trepidation, she opened the car door and spoke words of friendship. They appeared to remember her. After a couple of hello sniffs and licks on her arms, they trotted back into the shade.

  She gathered up the basket and started for the door. As she ascended the steps, the door opened.

  “Niña!” Estrella exclaimed with obvious pleasure. “What brings you here? Eric George is not at home.”

  “I didn’t come to see Eric. I’m returning this.”

  “Ah! And I have been fussing that Martin went away with these things.” She gave his name the Spanish pronunciation, MarTEEN. “Come in. Here, let me have the basket.”

  Destiny followed Estrella into the kitchen. “Sit down, niña, and I will pour you some fresh lemonade.” Destiny sat down at the big oak table and Estrella joined her, bringing two icy tumblers.

  She sipped. “Delicious.”

  “Grácias. Now tell me. Did you enjoy your picnic with Martin?” Her round face smiled expectantly, like a favorite aunt granted sweetheart secrets.

  Destiny took another sip of her lemonade to hide her grin. “Your food tasted wonderful,” she replied truthfully. “And Martin was a gentleman.” For the most part, she added silently. She still wondered if he’d actually made a pass at her or if she’d only imagined it. “We almost got caught in a gully-washer,” she added, and told where they’d gone.

  “Ah, sí. I know the Canyon of the Marriage Stones. I have heard the story, but . . .” She shrugged. “Quién sabe, eh? Who knows if it is true.”

  Destiny smiled. “Anyway, we didn’t make it across. The rain chased us back.” She gazed around. They were sitting at the big oak table in a large open room, stretching all the way across the length of the house, incorporating the living room at one end and the kitchen at the other. The dining table sat midway. Behind it was a sliding glass patio door that opened out into an enclosed courtyard. Destiny noticed the cabinetwork, using weathered, silvered boards.

  “How lovely. Such beautiful wood.”

  “Sí. Eric wants to fix the house up pretty. After the Montoyas retired and move
d to Albuquerque, and Eric got the ranch, he didn’t live in the big house. It required much work to make it like he wanted, so the three of us shared the small casa where we lived.” She giggled. “Sometimes it was very crowded, but we pushed each other out of the way when we were too close. Now, we enjoy this roomy house. Domingo and I have lived on this ranch for all our lives together. We were married on the Bar-M.”

  “Really? How romantic. I don’t know much about the Montoyas, except that they’re a prominent New Mexico family,” Destiny encouraged.

  “Sí, that they are. Señor Carlos Montoya, father to Martin and Eric’s father, was a very smart and clever man. Such a hard life he had when he was young. When his mother still carried him inside her, his parents came to the United States from Spain. He was a citizen by only a few days. There were other children born, and the family moved to Chicago. Times were hard for them and they lived in a very poor part of town. Many there got sick, as all their family did, and only Carlos was left alive when it was over. He had but twelve years, and he was left to face the world alone. He worked at the stockyards and it was there he met Red McDavis, who brought him to New Mexico. Señor Red, his wife die. He have one daughter, Elena. Beautiful fiery red hair, green eyes, she enchanted young Carlos, and they married when they grew up. When Señor Red die, he leave everything to Elena and Carlos, his daughter and he who had been like a loyal son to him. They had Carlos Junior, who is father to our dear boys and their sister.”

  Destiny listened in fascination. “Martin did mention a younger sister.”

  “Sí.” Dreamily Estrella refilled their glasses and sat back down. “She favors both her pretty mother and handsome father.”

  “And their mother is a Carrington, right? From West Texas?”

  “Sí, and such a beauty. Leila Carrington. She come with her father to buy some horses. Carlos could not resist her. New Mexico has much magic and legends, and he fell under her special magic as well. Then Martin came along, and, later, that sweet baby girl. In between is Eric George. I help raise all three, along with my two.”

  “Eric told me his birth parents died when he was very young.”

  Sighing sadly, Estrella shook her head. “His poor madre. Ah, she was a big and healthy woman, full-blood Apache, as was his papa, and it was so unexpected when she sickened.” Again a sad sigh. “But Señor Carlos, he remembered the kindnesses of Red McDavis to his father, and cared for our little Eric.” Laughing suddenly, she clapped her chubby hands together. “You should have seen Martin. Such the big brother he was, and he was just a baby himself. So sad that . . .”

  Estrella emerged from her reverie. “More lemonade?”

  “Oh, no thank you.” Darn. So sad, what? What was so sad? She heard the sound of a vehicle and glanced out the front door to see the tan pickup top the rise and go around the side of the house. Well. That settled the question of whether or not she should leave before Eric returned. In a moment, he entered through the back door.

  “Hello,” he said, targeting Destiny. “What are you doing here?”

  “Eric George!” Estrella scolded. “You take that back.”

  “It’s a legitimate question, but I’ll reword it. What brings you here?” He never took his eyes from Destiny’s face.

  She boldly met his stare. “I’m returning some items we used on the picnic. Martin didn’t have time, as he left for home immediately afterward. And I’ll be going now.”

  “Why rush?” Eric said, his gaze still locked on her. “It’s nearly lunchtime.”

  “I must be heading home.” She rose, but Estrella seized her by the arm and glaring at Eric, said, “You will stay and have lunch. Eric George insists.” Her expression stated in no uncertain terms that she’d love to turn him over her lap and spank him soundly. “Do you not?” she snapped.

  “I insist,” he said with a hooded expression.

  “Very well,” Destiny replied, trying to match his stony expression with one of her own. Estrella, who had been standing by as guard, patted Destiny’s arm and went into the kitchen. Another car engine drew Destiny’s attention. Lee Duncan’s sea-green Mercedes topped the rise and pulled up to the house. Joby and Muddog roared over to meet it. Eric stepped out to call them off. Destiny watched from inside the house as Lee got out, then the other door opened and Iris Blake Rampton emerged.

  Destiny wanted to sink through the floor. She was becoming thoroughly sick of finding Iris everywhere she went, with her fawning, possessive behavior toward Eric. The first thing Iris did when she walked up onto the porch was take Eric’s arm. Destiny noticed Iris peering at the screen door, trying to see inside. She smiled to herself, imagining what Iris must have thought when she saw the Mustang. The happy trio entered. Well, two looked happy, but the third?

  “ . . . to go over these topo maps with you, Eric,” Lee was saying. “There might be more sites than we’ve uncovered.” He smiled at Destiny. “Hi, there.”

  “Hello, Lee, Iris,” Destiny responded, deliberately speaking to Iris. She received a sardonic little smile for her trouble.

  Estrella greeted them with an invitation to stay for lunch. She reminded Destiny of her grandmother, always wanting to feed people. Getting acceptances, Estrella rushed back to her cooking.

  While Estrella was busy in the kitchen, Lee took out several topographical maps and spread them on the table. Eric and Iris came over to see. Iris rested her hand on Eric’s shoulder.

  Destiny smothered the urge to slap the hand away. What in the world was wrong with her, anyway? She had no right to feel jealous about Eric! But she felt it just the same.

  Estrella fixed a delicious meal of enchiladas, beans, and fresh tortillas, but Destiny couldn’t do it justice. Sitting at the table with Iris and Eric made eating torture. Eric seemed unperturbed as he put away a hearty meal. That made Destiny even madder.

  “Niña, are you not hungry?” Estrella asked.

  “I ate a late breakfast. This is delicious, really.”

  Iris pushed her plate away, leaned back in the chair, lifted her platinum hair with one hand, and fanned her neck with the other. “I don’t know why you refuse to have air-conditioning.”

  In answer, Eric reached around and slid back the patio door that opened out into the courtyard. A breeze swirled through the house, fluttering napkins on the table.

  “Good grief!” Iris snapped, slapping one to keep it from flying away. “A windstorm is not air-conditioning.”

  “I don’t like air-conditioning,” Eric stated flatly.

  “Well, if you had electricity you could use coolers and fans. Just think about being able to turn on lights without a match, and you could have a modern refrigerator instead of that old propane beast.” She flung a hand toward the ‘beast.’

  “I’m having the solar power system completely rebuilt. Meanwhile, that so-called beast serves us just fine.” Eric’s voice grew deadly. He shoved back from the table. “We’ll complete our business so you can leave this primitive dump.”

  “Fly off the handle, why don’t you?” Iris sniffed. “You’re just being stubborn. You can easily afford to bring in real electrical power.”

  His hands rested on the table as if he would spring into action any moment. “How would you know I can afford it?”

  “You’re a Montoya.”

  “Am I now!” he snapped, slamming both hands down on the table. Dishes clinked and rattled.

  Destiny jumped. She saw Estrella turn from the sink and take a quick look, then, just as quickly, turn back to her suds. Lee just sat there, staring at his plate.

  Iris’s alabaster face paled to chalky white and her eyes widened into pools of violet. Her gaze locked with Eric’s as the air between them practically crackled.

  “I’m sorry,” Iris whispered.

  “Let’s drop it.” Eric turned away from her. “Lee
, what else do you need to know about that area?”

  “Uh, just a couple of things . . .” Grabbing the maps, Lee bumbled into the living room to the coffee table. Eric followed. Iris rose and walked behind Eric. Destiny got up, gathered the remaining dishes, and took them to Estrella.

  Estrella was humming softly under her breath as she swished water in the sink. Taking that as a sign she didn’t intend to comment, Destiny bid her goodbye. Estrella extracted a promise to return, and Destiny moved toward the trio grouped about the coffee table in the living room. Iris was not touching Eric now. She stood to one side, her expression clearly unhappy. Something had triggered that outburst, and Destiny doubted that merely calling Eric a Montoya caused it. Oh, he might have corrected her by saying he wasn’t really a Montoya, just as he had with Destiny. But explode? What smoldered beneath his reaction?

  “Eric, I have to leave,” she said softly.

  “I’ll see you out.” He immediately turned away from Lee and Iris.

  “Bye, Lee. Bye, Iris,” she called as Eric escorted her out the door.

  “Enjoy the picnic?” Eric asked as they descended the steps. Sarcasm dripped from his voice.

  Destiny glanced up at him. “Yes. Very much. Your brother is an interesting person.”

  “Is that a fact.” The remark was not a question.

  They walked to the car in silence. He opened the door for her, she slid in, and without a word or wave or nod, he closed the door firmly and walked back to the house.

  Infuriated, Destiny sped away. Crunch, bump, protested the little Mustang as she crossed the ridge. Trembling with anger, she forced her foot off the gas pedal. But the whole time his hateful behavior blazed through her mind, her body yearned toward him with an unruly passion. He was driving her totally insane! And she didn’t know what to do about it.

  Eric stepped onto the porch and took a deep breath before turning to watch Destiny drive away. Everything’s happening at once, and at the wrong time. People he didn’t want here kept arriving, that gorgeous girl turned up, and to top it all off, Cupid.