Her Survivor: A Black Eagle Ops Novel (3 page)

Back in the vehicle and on the road, ZQ seemed bent on getting Dustin’s mind off what had happened in the fast-food joint. ZQ told him about hearing from Ashley, how close he felt she was to saying she’d come to the ranch to heal. Then he moved on to the story behind the name of the small settlement near Eagle Rock Ranch.

Dustin crumpled his wrappers and shoved them in the bag. “That’s got to be an old Native tale. Rocks with medicinal properties? Injured Apache warriors standing under the waterfalls to get healed? Shit.” Much as he hated to admit it, his interest was piqued.

“The town’s main street, called Waterfall Road, faces the falls and pond below them that flows into a stream. Its buildings are only on one side so as not to block the view of Warrior Falls. Other streets branch off the back of Waterfall Road.”

“What’s the population of this place? Does it even have a traffic light?”

“About six thousand.” ZQ chuckled. “And two traffic lights, smart-ass.”

Six-freaking-thousand? So much for finding a physical therapist there. “How far away is the nearest town big enough to support a therapy center? I was released under the condition of getting a good workout five times a week with a certified therapist. I’ve got two months before the Navy tests me to see if I’m physically able to return to duty.” He was slowly trying to accept it wasn’t likely he’d be able to stay in, unless they gave him a desk job. That idea sure as hell didn’t appeal. He was a SEAL, dammit.

ZQ shot him a glance. “Got that covered, Dust. I hired a PT person to come to the ranch to treat you. Gina’s been helping Mom and her arthritis for the past year, so I know she’s good.” He branched off the main highway. “I’ll drive you down Waterfall Road, show you the falls. I need to stop at Bookstore by the Falls to pick up a book for Mom.

“The young lady running it just inherited the place and wants to rearrange things to maximize her small store. I told her you could probably give her some advice since you have a degree as an architect.” ZQ pulled into an angled, vertical parking spot in front of the quaint little shop.

“Dammit, why did you volunteer me for something like that?” Dustin’s temper rose. He just wanted to be left alone. He wouldn’t be ready to work for at least a month. What was the Old Man up to? Wasn’t walking into the fast-food joint enough pressure for one day? Now he was to encounter a woman and who knew how many customers? Really, all he wanted to do was go to bed and take a nap. The ride had exhausted him.

“Meeting a few of the townsfolk won’t hurt.” ZQ slung his wrist over the steering wheel. “Besides, there’s something about Kelcee I can’t put my finger on.”

Dustin turned his gaze to ZQ. “What do you mean?”

“I think she’s in hiding. I sense wariness and fear in her. I thought if you met her and didn’t get the same vibe, then I’d chalk it up to too much time in the SEALs. Too much time spent constantly on the alert. You know?”

What if she was hiding something? Hell, it was her business, not ZQ’s and certainly not his. Still, the Old Man would have no rest in his ass until Dustin did what he wanted. “Okay. Five minutes, and then I’m out of here.”

He opened the door and used his cane to exit the vehicle. The rumble of the falls drew his attention. Leaning his arms and cane over the hood of the SUV, he surveyed the vista before him. Damn, it nearly took his breath away—a drop of rocks he judged to be fifteen feet wide and twenty feet high, a variety of trees, including weeping willows with branches bending as if to kiss the natural pool of water. Thick, green ferns, colorful flowers he didn’t recognize, and the peaceful sound of continual water movement brought its own sense of tranquility. Mist from the falls cooled the hot air a few degrees. Gray geese honked as they lazily paddled over the surface. No wonder this area birthed myths with its mystical quality.

There were three steps to the porch in front of the store, so he made a slow lap around the vehicle to loosen up before attempting the little climb. His hospital-supplied sneakers were made to fit his titanium foot and his natural one. ZQ had bought him baggy carpenter jeans that didn’t rub his leg in the still-tender areas. Dustin wasn’t exactly wild about the Longhorn T-shirt, but he guessed it was ZQ’s way of making sure he’d fit in right away.

ZQ held the door open for Dustin, who felt like he stepped back in time when he entered. The place was ancient, its walls held up by shelves of books, cordoned off by rows of what looked to be handmade shelves. In the back corner sat the counter and register. A door obviously led to a stairway, and an archway led to a storage area with another door to a restroom. How strong were the foundation and the walls?

A woman with strawberry blond hair pulled back in a bun, with curls that had escaped to grace her cheeks and neck, greeted them. She wore a green short-sleeve sweater over a yellow and green flowered skirt that nearly reached her ankles and showcased her hourglass figure. On her feet were green sequined ballet slippers. Everything inside this place was old, including the new owner’s mid-’20s soul.

He removed the sunglasses ZQ had given him to peer deeper into her vibrant green eyes. Oh yeah. This beauty definitely had a story.

Kelcee didn’t know what to expect when ZQ spoke to her about his friend who was just getting out of the hospital. She anticipated someone frail. This man, with one earpiece of his sunglasses clamped between his teeth, towered over her and had broad muscled shoulders built for hugging. Even though one large bicep bore three jagged scars, she imagined they would deliver strong hugs in return. His face was scarred on one side and no doubt he had more scars elsewhere, especially since he used a cane.

Being scarred like that would probably take some getting used to, particularly on the face where everyone could see them. She extended her hand. “Hello, welcome to my little book nook. My name is Kelcee Todd.”

The man with short, wavy, dark hair removed the shades from his mouth and tucked one temple bar under the neckline of his T-shirt. He flicked his hat back, which allowed her to take in blue eyes so serious, they seemed to read the secrets of her soul. She nearly gasped as his hand encased hers and a tingle zigzagged up her arm. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Dustin Franks. ZQ said you wanted to rearrange your place.” His voice was dark and dangerous like a thunderstorm at midnight.

“Yes.” She cleared her throat and waved her open hand between the old shelving and the cramped checkout counter. “The original owner had things to suit him. I’d like to give the shop a fresher appeal without losing any of its charm.”

“Charm?” His gaze swept over the interior as if he were getting ready to condemn the building.

Suddenly she wasn’t so sure she liked this guy and his square jaw with the cute indentation in it. Still, she kept talking. “The layout the previous owner had isn’t the most efficient, plus I want to be able to see people as they come in.” She paused and worried her lower lip with her upper teeth for a minute. “So I can greet them as they enter.”
Or see if it’s my brother or one of his men.

“You two talk. I have a book to pick up for Mom.” ZQ tugged a slip of paper from his shirt pocket. “It’s for that book club she belongs to, the one Wanda runs. Mom claims she picks the worst books to talk about.” He chuckled. “Too highbrow for her tastes. ‘Literary snobbery’ she calls it. I practically force her to go or she’d hide out on the ranch with Dad gone. She needs some social interaction.”

“This month’s selection is around the corner of this row of shelves, the middle one.” She pointed to the row and ZQ meandered off. She returned her attention to Dustin, who was giving the shop some close scrutiny. His nose was scrunched as if he smelled something foul, which further ruffled her feathers. She worked hard to keep the store clean.

“This place ever been checked for termites, being so close to the water?”

“Of course! Every year.” She was more than ready to defend her shop.

“Well, that’s one thing in its favor. The building’s substructure should be evaluated for stability. What about mold?”

A haze of red lowered over her vision and her hands slapped on her hips. “Mold?”

ZQ peeked around the corner, his eyebrows raised to his hairline.

“Yeah, being so close to all that constantly flowing water would make it an ideal place for mold to grow. How old is this…?” He waved his fingers around as if he was searching for the right words.

“Bookstore, Dustin,” she forced through clenched jaws. “There’s not a damn thing wrong with this building that some updating wouldn’t take care of. I drew up rough floor plans of the store. They’re to scale as best I could do. I measured the place and its windows. I’ve got it over here.”

He followed her as she stepped behind the counter at the far side of the building. “Is this where you want to keep your register and computer?”

She removed her drawing and a pad of graph paper from the shelf beneath the computer. “No. I’d like my computer where I won’t keep bumping my knees on this stupid shelf. But that would mean rewiring for the register and everything. And that sounds costly to me.”

Two weeks earlier, she’d found an envelope containing some money in a drawer under Frank’s worn stockings. Her quick call to the lawyer told her anything she found was hers.

Choosing whether to spend it on her living quarters or in the store had been a tough decision. She’d bought paint, curtains, a new mattress and box spring, and a sofa. Enough to make her new place livable and clean. Now she wished she’d saved the monetary windfall for the store. The money Frank had in the bank and her savings, she’d earmarked for future taxes and a car.

“Here’s my drawing. I had to tape four sheets of paper together.” She opened it for him to see.

Dustin stepped behind her and she noticed a slight limp and the gentle tapping of his cane. The fragrance of male soap overwhelmed her. He leaned over her and studied her version of a blueprint. “Not a bad drawing. I graduated as an architect before I joined the Navy. I couldn’t handle sitting inside in a cubicle all day. No view of the outside.”

“I know what you mean. I love those large windows that allow me to see the falls. It’s almost like being outdoors.”

“Do you want your work counter over there?” He jerked his thumb in that direction.

“Yes, but wouldn’t that make me more vulnerable to someone passing by?”
Cripes, why did I say that? Now he’ll wonder.
She twisted her neck to check his reaction to her careless remark and met his blue eyes. Oh, they were something.

“Vulnerable to whom? Are there a lot of troublemakers in this little town?” His gaze had locked hard on her and his hand closed gently around her elbow. The warmth of his touch made her want to sigh, which was so silly she got a shade or two pissed with herself.

She shook her head. “I can’t say. It’s nothing, really.” She’d never have said what she did if the man touching her hadn’t rattled her so by invading her space.

“Okay, if you say so.” He removed his hand and she missed his gentle, yet almost sensual touch. “I take it these little ovals are the windows since you’ve noted their size.” He kept staring at her, or so it seemed.

She swallowed and forced her gaze to stay focused on his eyes and not drift to his scars. “Yes. And these little parenthesis thingies indicate doors. The little x’s are outlets.” She pointed to indicate what she meant.

“Well, you’re certainly thorough. I don’t see the front porch on the drawing.”

“No. It stays as is. Men come here every day to play checkers or chess. Women like the wooden rocking chairs to sit and rest a spell, listen to the falls, and gossip.”

“Do these people bring you any income? If they don’t, you could close off the porch and increase your floor space and bottom line.”

Was the man deaf? She adored her front porch, and when business was slow, she sat on one of the rockers, too. Her potted flowers and hanging plants were her pride and joy. “No! The porch stays as is. I love it.”

He shifted his shoulders and looked down his nose at her. “Okay, but it’s a bad business decision, if you ask me.”

Owen and Clint ambled onto the porch, glanced in the windows, and waved at her before sitting down at the checker barrel. She hiked her chin, her temper rising. This yahoo didn’t know a thing about her adopted town. “Well, I didn’t ask you.”

His blue eyes turned stormy. “May I take this with me?” He folded her blueprint.

“Yes, of course. Take this pad of graph paper to work on. I won’t have any need for it.” She handed it to him. “My number is on the back of the pad. Call when you want to come in to talk or do any work. No hurry. I’ve just finished cleaning out the upstairs apartment and repainting. Frank, the man who I worked for and willed me this place, wasn’t one for keeping things up-to-date. Although, when both his stove and refrigerator stopped working, he did have the kitchen remodeled last year. He even asked me to help pick out cabinets and appliances.”

They’d had such fun. He’d teased her about turning a man’s kitchen into a girly room and she’d teased him about wanting every square inch of the room black. They’d compromised with cherry wood cabinets, matching wood flooring with black appliances, and black-and-white-speckled granite counters. To her surprise, he’d agreed to the white wallpaper decorated with baskets filled with bright red strawberries.

Lord, she did miss that old man and his sweet, yet grumpy ways. Whoever he took under his wing was safe. Now that measure of protection was gone, and she’d have to put on her big-girl panties and deal.

“I have people coming later today to remove some of his furniture. The worn bedding, for one. Plus, I sat on the sofa the other week and had to roll out of it, the springs were so shot.”

He never smiled at her weak attempt at humor to lighten their discussion. Maybe the guy didn’t smile much anymore. Folks said war messed with people’s minds.

“Do you have any books on the history of this town? Those falls, especially?”

“Yes. Two, in fact. Want me to get them for you?”

His dark eyebrows wrinkled like a caterpillar. “No, I don’t need your freakin’ help. I can get them myself. Just tell me where they’re shelved.”

Well, wasn’t he a grumpy ass? Imagine having his sour mood around all the time. She jerked the papers from his hand. “Look, we’ve both been railroaded into this working-together business. If the idea of being around me doesn’t appeal to you, fine. Suit yourself. If you’re still interested in the books about the legends concerning Wounded Warrior Falls, they’re in the second row on the right, third shelf up.”

He stormed off, his cane thumping louder. Well, he wasn’t getting any sympathy from her. She often got books for her customers. They liked a little special attention. All the stores in this town operated on the same “spoil the customer and he’ll be back” principle. This man would have to get used to the way things were done in Warrior Falls.

ZQ sauntered over with a book in his hands, leafing through it. “I can hear Mom bitching now. Did I hear raised voices a second ago?”

“Your buddy wants to do away with my front porch. You know how everyone loves it just the way it is.” She jerked her chin in Dustin’s direction. “He says I could increase my bottom line if I close it in and fill it with more books. Well, I’m not having it. I don’t know why you shoved the two of us together. He obviously isn’t interested in helping.”

She placed a hand on ZQ’s arm. “I don’t mean to seem ungrateful, ZQ. You know how I love this place with the porch and all. It’s just I don’t have the money for a lot of expensive repairs. I’ll figure out a way to rearrange things myself as I get the time and the extra funds. I don’t need someone hanging around who doesn’t like me or my store.”

“Now, Kelcee, don’t let that redheaded Irish temper get the best of you.” The corners of ZQ’s mouth twitched. She bet he had a way with women. All of them here in Warrior Falls sighed over his six-foot-six frame. Dustin was a couple inches shorter, probably six-four. She shook her head, jarring her thoughts back to ZQ. He probably had his momma wrapped around his little finger, baking him cookies and all his favorite dishes.

The cane’s pounding grew closer and two books were slapped onto the counter. “Ring up my purchases, please. Do you take Visa here or aren’t you that far advanced yet?”

ZQ’s head whipped in Dustin’s direction, and his jaw clenched as if he couldn’t believe his buddy had spoken to her like that.

She heaved an irritated sigh. “Can’t you see there’s a customer in line ahead of you? A
polite
customer?” ZQ cuffed Dustin on the back of his head as she rang up the book for ZQ’s mom.

Dustin kept glancing around as if he hadn’t a clue how rude he’d been. Then he spotted Owen and Clint while she bagged ZQ’s purchase. “I see you’ve got two freeloaders on your
charming
porch.”

She rang up Dustin’s books and swiped his card. “Yes, and as soon as you leave, I’m taking them some iced tea and homemade cookies. And I just dare your sour-ass disposition to say one word about it. Normally I’m one of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet…”

“You mean like a copperhead snake?” He punched in the PIN for his card while she jammed his books into a bag. Then he scooped up the floor plans she’d snatched from him earlier.

“You can’t have those!” She extended her hands to grab them back.

He leaned over the counter so they were almost nose-to-nose. “And why not? You drew them for me, didn’t you?”

Sweet Jesus, those eyes of his. She’d have to work hard at ignoring them. Because of her unwanted attraction, she pointed to the door. “Out! Something about you grates on my nerves.”

“What? My scars?”

“Oh, get over yourself. So you have scars. BFD.” She fisted a hand at her waist. “I have a teacup ass. ZQ has big feet. None of us is perfect.”

ZQ looked down at his boots.

Dustin grabbed her upper arm and forced her partway around as he barked a laugh. “A…a teacup ass? Hell, woman, there’s no way you could get all that delightful rear end into a teacup.”

Heat burned her cheeks and her fingers curled into fists.
How much time would I get in jail for belting an injured SEAL?
“Really? Really! Oh, you don’t even want to go there with me.” She exhaled a sigh that implied he was a freaking idiot. “Look, it’s an old saying. My Irish grandmama Fiona, who also had a teacup ass, used to brag on mine. It’s when a woman’s behind juts out so suddenly it makes a little shelf or table one could set a tiny teacup on and it wouldn’t slide off or the tea wouldn’t spill. Now I suggest you hit the road and don’t let my door slam your feel-sorry-for-me ass on the way out. Whatever scars you’ve got, you earned honorably. Wear them with pride.”

Dustin pivoted, bags and papers in hand, and marched for the door.

“Gee, that went well, all things considered.” ZQ looked over his shoulder, shot her a wide smile, and winked.

Dustin scowled at ZQ. “Kiss my ass, you big-footed bastard.”

Kelcee was never so glad to see a customer leave, even if he did have broad, solid shoulders and eyes a woman could dip her soul into.

Beneath the jovial façade, ZQ was boiling mad. He had half a notion to toss Dust into the pond and watch him take his temper out on the geese. What the hell had gotten into him? Had the stresses of the day triggered his PTSD? ZQ stepped out onto the porch and stopped to say hi to Clint and Owen. He’d planned on introducing Dust to the men, but the kid stomped his way to the SUV. He didn’t even bother to acknowledge the two seniors. ZQ made his apologies and told them his traveling buddy was due for pain medicine. He asked after their health and bid them a good day.