Leoti (23 page)

“Even with me?” she turned, hurt in her voice.

He continued to hold her tight to him but he rested on his pillow. Josie relaxed and let him hold her. His forehead pressed to the back of her head. “If there is sacred land here or near Blackfoot my people would protect it. We are a very proud people, Josie, and Chicatee is not something I want to discuss before the judge or with you. It’s not because I don’t trust and love you, Leoti. It’s just the roots of their story run too deep in my soul for me to dig up. My father poisoned the Chicatee land by betraying a sacred trust among our people and selling it. He was supposed to be the land’s protector and he turned out to be a drunk and a thief. ”

“What happened to the Chicatee people?”

Elu didn’t answer.

She rolled to her back and he moved away from her to give her space. “I respect your wish to not discuss them, Elu. But you have to swear to me you will fight, that you will use the system that you don’t believe in against itself so you can keep from losing it all.”

“You think I’m keeping something pertinent for the case from you?”

“Aren’t you? All of this land is rich with history. Only telling part of that history keeps you from exposing a truth that could help us win this case. Elu, you’ve told me so many stories, like the time you were lost near the mountain, and about what your grandfather taught you. Why must you be so stubborn about this part? We need to show that the land rights from river to river should belong to the Blackfoot Confederacy.”

“Leoti, sometimes there is no more story to tell. There are many things about this country, about this planet, that we don’t fully understand. I will join you in this fight. I should have never abandoned it over my pride. But you must trust me to keep Chicatee, and its history out of it.”

“If this land has ties to some tribal customs or traditions you need to tell the courts. Don’t let them assume it. Swear to me when the council members come you will tell the truth. They may not know the value of the land they parted with.”

Elu smiled. “You care a lot for my happiness.”

“Yes, I do.”

He kissed her, and she rolled to her side to press her body up against him. “I want to stay like this forever.” She said in broken syllables between their kisses. He smiled and gazed long and hard into her eyes. “Forever is not long enough.”

He eased over her and she dropped to her back, parting her thighs to welcome him in. He made love to her again and again, until she begged for him to release her and when he finally did, sleep came quickly. The kind of familiar, peaceful sleep she’d found in his arms before, with Po guarding them nearby.
Her new family
.

The Morning

Elu didn’t want to wake her. If he stayed in bed with her he’d make love to her again, and he knew from her silent protests she was tired. How he survived years with no woman to warm his bed and his heart confounded him. His phone rang, it rarely rang, and never at six in the morning. Plucking it from the receiver he pressed it to his ear. “Hello?”

“Elu, this is Maggie. Sorry for calling so early. Eddie has a fever and it won’t come down. I was hoping you could come over and see to him?”

“Morning, Maggie. What’s his temperature?”

“101.”

“Okay. Let me get dressed. I should be there in ten to fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you, Elu. Thank you.”

He hurried back in the room. He thought to wake her and tell her but she looked like an angel in the center of his bed. Instead he washed up and put on clothes, taking his medical bag with him. “Watch over our girl until I get back, Po.”

The dog whined. Elu knew he needed to stretch his legs. He wrote her a quick note and left it on the pillow. “Fine come along. We won’t be gone long.”

****

Josie had overslept. The tired wakefulness made her listless, barely able to lift her head from her pillow. She opened her eyes and found herself alone. After lying perfectly still and waiting for her body to respond to the need to rise she rose on her elbows. She immediately noticed that Elu had brought her luggage into the room for her. A note lay on Elu’s pillow. Josie read his words with a smile. He was so sweet, off to help someone else. Her champion.

She stretched and glanced again around the room. When she moved in she would definitely need to add a more feminine touch to the place. She and Elu hadn’t discussed the future, but Josie had it all planned. The day before she left New York she did a conference call with her mom and sister and told them the news. Her home in Manhattan was up for sale. She was going to love living in Montana. She would take a break from practicing law and start writing fiction. She even had the chance to see Carlton.

One Week Earlier –

“CW! You got a visitor.” Leo called out before Josie could enter the room. She’d been nervous all the way in to L.A., and that anxiety hadn’t lessoned once she arrived in the studio. She could hear the band warming up. Leo, Carlton’s manager, was taking her to his back room, where he went over the lyrics or changed them for a song.

The door parted and she saw he was seated on the edge of the sofa with a pen in his mouth, and his brow furrowed as he studied something on a notepad. It took a moment after Leo announced her arrival for him to acknowledge them both, but when his gaze lifted Josie’s heart stopped. One thing she knew for sure, she’d always love him. And from the look in his eye, he’d always love her.

“Hi.” Josie said.

“Hi,” he said rising. He wore a white fitted shirt with no sleeves and faded jeans. A studded bracelet belt was around his waist and a cuff on his wrist. His eyes had the restless look they always had before he started a tour. She figured he was stressed, and she was partly the cause. “Give us a moment Leo.”

The manager nodded and closed the door. “I had to catch you before you left for Europe. I hear that’s in two days?”

Carlton nodded. “You could’ve called.”

“I’d rather see you in person.” Josie stepped to him. “The way we left things. Carlton, we can’t leave things that way. We’ve shared too much, meant too much to each other.”

He didn’t move. Didn’t respond to her soft voice or gentle smile. Usually that was all it took for him to shoulder the burden of whatever fight or disagreement they had. She felt alone and adrift now. “I went to see a doctor. They can’t figure out why I lost my memory. In fact they couldn’t tell me much.”

“Are you okay now?” he asked.

“I think so. I know who I am. Funny, it took for me to lose my mind to discover who I truly am.”

Carlton moved toward her. He was a bit hesitant but the moment he came within reach they naturally embraced. She buried her face in his chest. “I’m so sorry, baby,” Josie said. “For everything. It was never you, Carlton, it was me. I let you down.”

“Shh,” he lifted her chin. “C’mon, I’m a man, I know my lady. We let each other down by not being honest with ourselves. I miss you so much, Josie.”

She nodded. “It’s over. Isn’t it?” she said.

Carlton smiled sadly. “I think so. Can’t convince my heart just yet.”

She dropped her face crying. Carlton held her until the tears stopped.

She stayed with him the entire day. Watched him rehearse. Had dinner with the band. Slept with him in his hotel, where they held each other and talked about the sweet moments. In the morning she said goodbye and it was the hardest goodbye of her life. She didn’t tell him about Elu. She didn’t have to. He told her he would always be there. All she had to do was call.

Josie smiled. This would be her new beginning. But first, she had to save her new home from the raiders who wanted to trample on her dream. She intended to do just that. After the night she and Elu shared her body ached for a bath. She got up, found her clothes and underwear then went in the bathroom to bathe. After a long cleansing in the stonewall shower she dressed and went through her regular beauty routine. When Elu returned she’d go for a walk with him and try again to break down the wall of secrets he built around him. They needed to return to Libby in two days and she and Tim were coming up short on the plan. That’s when she heard it, the soft sound of a door close. It was beyond the wall to the front of the cabin she supposed.
A car door
?

A smile curled the left corner of her lip up slyly. She had hoped to start breakfast before he returned. Now they could do it together. She loved his cooking.

Another door slammed, again from outside. Josie hurried out of the room forgetting her shoes. She opened the first door then pushed open the screen door. The sky was starless and night was fading with the approaching sun. Before her was Rex and another man. Strangers. Josie walked out to the edge of the porch barefoot to greet them, but stopped. Rex had a shotgun in his hand. The other man toted one too with a beer bottle.

“What are you doing here?”

“We were going to settle things with Elu. Reason with him. But you pretty lady, are even better.”

“Elu isn’t here. Get off his property.”

“Who is she, Rex?” the stranger asked turning up the beer bottle. He leered with serpent eyes, finished his drink, and tossed the empty bottle to the grass. Rex raised the shotgun letting it drop on his shoulder casually. His eyes were barely seen under the dark cover of his hat. But she sensed the viciousness in his glare.

“She’s the attorney that’s going to rob you of your job Jeffery––just like I told you. Gonna keep you and your family from barely getting by. She’s the one that went to the courts and got them to give Elu more time. Ain’t that right?”

“If you don’t leave I will call the Sheriff.” She shouted.

Rex brought the shotgun down. He leveled it at her. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“Elu is inside and he….”

Rex chuckled. His smile faded. Josie held her breath waiting, taking a small step back. “I think I know now how to get him to sign those papers.”

****

Maggie sat on the edge of the bed. She looked a lot more at ease than when he first arrived. Also Native American, her hair was longer and darker than Elu’s. She wore it in a single braid down the center of her back. She smiled down at her son. Elu put a hand to her shoulder. “He’s okay. It’s a cold, it’ll pass.”

She nodded. “Thank you for coming. I just wanted to be sure. He’s my baby.”

The boy was only two and Maggie was the nervous sort. A first time mother, he expected her to be a bit jumpy. If little Eddie bumped his knee he’d get a call from her to come massage it. Elu loved kids. He hoped to have some of his own someday. If God and Josie granted it.

“Elu!” he heard the door slam to the front of Maggie’s house. “Are you here?”

They both looked up confused and they walked out of Eddie’s room to find his father taking off his hat. “I thought that was your truck outside.”

“Something wrong?” Maggie asked.

“Go back inside, Maggie. I need to talk to Elu.”

She nodded and returned to her son. Elu didn’t like the look of Eddie. There was definitely something wrong. “What is it?”

“On the CB radio. I heard talk from the Henry boys. I think Rex and Jeffrey are going to stir up some trouble for you today. There’s talk about them getting you out of the way. Settling the matter so Mission Creek can start to be a prosperous town again. Charlie said they’ve been watching your place for over a week. Were you aware?”

Elu paused. After the Henry brothers and Rex rode up on his land he suspected they were out there waiting. Po was almost always jumpy in the early hours of the day when they went for their walks. But Rex was no fool. If he dared challenge him he’d make him pay. “Yes. I’m aware. Haven’t seen them in over a week.”

Eddie sighed. “Well I think we need to go back to the council. Tell them to reconsider and help you fight for your land. The town is divided on this, Elu. I get the feeling it will end bad.”

“I need to leave.” He marched out of the door. He’d left Josie alone. He doubted Rex would show up but he couldn’t take the risk. As soon as he was outside he whistled for Po. His friend ran out from around the house and jumped into the back of the truck.

“Need some help?” Eddie Sr. asked.

“Maybe. Follow me to be sure if you don’t mind. I left a friend at my place, need to get back to her.”

“Nope. I have your back.”

Elu got inside and started the truck, speeding out across the land.

Josie rode sandwiched between both men. To her right the man called Jeff had the shotgun pointed upward between his legs. She could smell the liquor coming off them both, strong, pungent. It seeped out of the pores of their skin. Tex cut his eyes over to her and snickered. A sickening wet smacking of his tongue. She cringed but kept her hands and nerves steady. How she itched to drive her nails into his beady eyes and yank them from his skull.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked.

“Elu will know.”

“You’re going to jail. Crescent Industries doesn’t encourage vigilantism. This is stupid.”

“She don’t understand, Rex. Tell her.” Jeffery chuckled.

“All Elu has to do is sign the contract and bring it to me. That’s all you need to know.”