Leoti (9 page)

“Leoti, just close your eyes, I promise you won’t be disappointed,” he said gazing at her with love.

“Fine.” She closed her eyes and placed a hand over them.

“I want to show you something.” He helped her into the right position. Po went running past them. “Ready?” he whispered in her ear.

She nodded and removed her hands from her eyes. They were standing before the most spectacular view. A lake was spread before them. Cypress grew around it with grass and other trees, and north of it were snowcapped mountains that made it picture perfect.

“Sometimes when I need to breathe I come where the air is purest.” He dropped his chin on her shoulder and held her. “My ancestors looked upon the same view. This is a place where time stands still. My grandfather often said
he'amâxhoo'êstse
, which means he sits above.”

Josie’s gaze lifted to the blue heaven above the mountains and lake. In this spot she could feel the presence of peace as if it were a third person, angel, hovering above and shielding them from the world.

“Look,” he whispered.

An eagle or large winged bird flew from one tree out over the still waters and dove down; its talons snatched a fish and then flew away.

“Oh wow,” she said softly. The side of his face rubbed against her own. She could feel his uneven breathing against her cheek as he held her close. The warmth of his muscular arms became a force field against the wind whipping up out of the cliffs and over them. He felt so male, so mightily strong and protective.

“Feel the way the wind speaks to you here, hear its touch across the waters, listen to the way the lake whispers back.” She did, as he asked. She listened, she inhaled and more importantly she felt everything strongly, especially her blooming feelings of adoration for him and this life. “I can never let this land go. Never. Do you understand now?”

“I do.” She swallowed. “And you won’t, Elu, I promise you. It’s beautiful.”

After a moment of standing they took a seat. Josie between Elu’s granite tight thighs, rested back against him, staring out at the lake. The three of them were so content. Po stretched from his front paws and yawned then lay in front of them. She could see a life here, living in the mountains, making a home for him and Po. Babies, lots of babies raised by him.

“Where is the land your family owned?” she asked.

“West of that mountain,” he said holding her.

“You lost it?”

“My father was a weak man. He sold it for nothing. Yes, we lost it.”

“So your wife’s land is the only place left.”

“It is.”

“Then we have to find a way to fight for it. Together,” she said firmly.

He kissed the back of her head. “Together, huh?”

As she sat there she considered the feeling. How fleeting life was. If she hadn’t been hurt, on that road, that morning, she wouldn’t be sharing this moment. What would her life be if she never shared this moment with him?

“Why don’t things last?” she asked softly.

“Feelings do.”

“But everything fades, Elu. I don’t remember much, and that proves it. My past has faded. Maybe someday soon this will too. That’s what holds you back? Isn’t it? I want our time to last. To never fade. I don’t ever want to lose what I found here with you.”

“Change is inevitable. We are both on borrowed time, and a day will come when we will have to face the truth. How else will we know if what we feel now is real if we don’t? My feelings for you are timeless. You’re my Leoti, how could it not be?”

She closed her eyes and inhaled. Folded in his strong arms with his kisses to the back of her head and the side of her face she ignored the warning, for the moment. She wouldn’t let anything taint what they shared. As the sun lifted higher in the sky the lunch hour drew close. “Ready to head back down?” he asked and she lifted with him helping her to her feet.

“I guess,” she said, disappointed. He helped her rise and they ventured along the path whence they came. Josie noticed a small cabin positioned close to the lake.

“What’s that?” she asked stopping on the hill.

“That, is the cabin you were staying at before I found you.”

“Really?” Josie stopped. She considered what Elu said. If she faced the past she could start looking forward to the future again.

She started down the hill towards the cabin.

“Where are you going?” he called after, following her down.

“I want to see if something’s there that may jog my memory!” she yelled back to him.

“Okay, well wait up I don’t want you to fall!” he yelled to her.

“I’ll be okay.” She gauged her steps carefully. She arrived at the steps to the deck at the back of the cabin. “See, told you I would be okay.” She dropped her hands to her hips. “You got a key?”

“Nope,” he said watching her look into the windows. She walked over to the back door and tried it. “We don’t need one. It’s open.”

She disappeared inside.

He felt a pang of anxiety at her return. He wanted to usher in her memories but he needed another day, maybe two, of just them. Quickly he hurried in after her.

“Anything look familiar?” he asked.

Josie walked around the cabin fingering things here and there. Elu stood behind her. It was then he saw the journal lying on the floor near the door. He nearly pointed it out but something stopped him.

“No, it doesn’t look familiar.”

“Why don’t you look in the bedroom and make sure I didn’t leave anything?” he suggested, nodding toward the bedroom.

“Good idea,” Josie gave a wink.

Elu watched her disappear into the bedroom. He picked the journal up from the floor.

“Elu?”

He slammed the book shut and tucked it under his shirt to the back of his pants.

“I didn’t see anything.” She said joining him.

“I’m sorry. Let’s go, I’m hungry. I’m sure you and Po are too.” Elu took her hand and pulled her out of the cabin. “We aren’t far from my truck,” he stammered awkwardly.

“You okay?”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine.”

Josie looked back over her shoulder and sighed heavily as they made the quick journey back to Elu’s truck and then drove back to his cabin. They walked inside and Josie made her way into the bedroom to take her shoes off. “What do you want for lunch, I have mac and cheese, some chicken,” he called to her from the kitchen.

“Mac and cheese sounds good.” she yelled back.

Elu stood in the kitchen and pulled the journal from the back of his pants. He placed it on a shelf out of her reach. He’d give it to her, possibly tonight. “What are you doing?” she asked sitting down at the table. She opened a bag of chips.

“Thought I saw one of the masks I made up there, just checking,” he said turning to smile at her. “Now, let’s have lunch.”

Chapter Five

Tiffani mentioned a rental office. He hoped she was right. He could find no resort or any hotels in the area she would have stayed in. And the deeper he drove into the valley the more he dreaded night travel through the mountains.

Many questions hammered him over and over. Already he was losing his nerve on the marriage issue. In fact if he were honest it was the silent treatment she put on him that had him ditching a gig and driving through Montana to find her. She was his. Not a day since he’d met her was he ever denied access to her love and forgiveness. It was going on two weeks since they last spoke.

Carlton took a deep breath and gripped the steering wheel. The next turn off the highway drew him closer to Mission Creek, home of the Blackfoot Confederation of Native Tribes. So the sign read. His gaze dropped to the digital display on his dash. It was a quarter past three. He’d gas up and find this rental office. Wheeling into the small station he threw the car in park and looked around. A young man in a grease-stained shirt with faded jeans walked out. A wad of chewing tobacco was stuffed under his bottom lip. He shot a stream of dark spit to the side and squinted at him. Opening the door he met the attendant halfway.

“Gas?” the guy mumbled.

Carlton reached behind his back and plucked his wallet from his pocket. He looked over the rim of his dark aviator shades passing the guy a twenty-dollar bill. Dirt caked fingernails grasped the crisp bill the attendant accepted and started the pump.

“Excuse me,” Carlton said.

The young man glanced up from under his cap moving his gummed down wad around to the side of his jaw. “Yeah?” he spit again.

“The cabins, is there a rental office here? A place to rent one?”

The guy smirked looking him over. “Nah, private owned. Though Milton Jennings runs maintenance on a few, he can help you rent one if you want.”

“Where can I find this Milton?”

“He works out of Nate’s Foods and Produce doing odds and ends. It’s a mile up the road. Try there now.”

“Thanks.”

Carlton got back in, and he soon located the general store. He noticed again the emptiness of the town. Where was everybody? When he got out he put his sunglasses in his front pocket and strained to see through the storefront window. There was movement.

“Good they’re open,” he said pulling on the door, but it held firm.

“Go away we’re closed!” An old man with a grey beard yelled.

“Open up please!” he said between pounds on the door.

“Go away, come back tomorrow we got a busted pipe in here.” Nathan dismissed pushing something that looked like a mop handle.

Now what was he to do? He wasn’t even sure where to start. “I need a moment! I’m lost,” he called back to him through the door. The elderly gentleman turned, his cataract eyes narrowed slightly at Carlton. After a long pause he set aside the mop handle and shuffled toward the door. Carlton stepped back, the door was unlocked and pushed open, and the overall clad gentleman gave him a questioning look.

“Son, I can’t let you in, I’m knee deep in here. One of the freezer pipes busted. Sorry.”

“Is Milton here?” he asked.

The name registered. Frown lines replaced the wrinkles above his brow and around his eyes formed. “Milton’s gone.”

Carlton sighed. “I need to find a guest, a renter of one of the cabins. Can you tell me where I can?”

“Sorry can’t help you, Milton will be back in a few. You can wait outside if you want,” he started to close the door.

“Wait,” Carlton threw up his hand on the closing door. He retrieved his wallet. Instinct said that his Josie would have definitely wandered into town. She loved little shops. He could see her exploring these. “Have you seen this lady?” he asked showing him the picture he always carried with him when on tour. Nathan squinted at the picture then looked to the man suspiciously. He didn’t answer. Carlton smiled at the stranger’s protective nature. Small town folk were good that way. “She’s my girlfriend, no, my fiancé.”

Nathan smiled showing gums, teeth missing at the top. “Sure have seen her. Pretty thang. Very friendly.”

“I’m trying to find her. She rented a cabin out here and, well I’m not sure how to locate her.”

Nathan pushed the door open wider, his eyes stretching with concern. “Is she in some kind of trouble?”

“Why do you ask that?”

“What’s all the desperation for?”

“A surprise visit that’s all. I’m not sure which cabin she’s in. Any help in pointing me to where I can find Milton would help.”

“Son, there are over eighty cabins up that mountain. She’s staying in one of them but I don’t know which one and doubt Milton would know. They’re privately owned mostly. He deals with maintenance, only rents out a few.”

Carlton dropped his head in defeat and shook it. He checked his watch. If he couldn’t find her he’d definitely need his own cabin with night approaching.

“How do you rent one?”

“One of what?” Nathan asked his grey eyes glistening.

“A cabin.”

“I told ya, they’re privately owned, you rent from the owners.”

“Do you own one?”

“No but Elu does.”

“Elu?”

“Yeah, but you ain’t getting him to come down here this time of day, Milton might have a few to rent as well.” Nathan looked past him at the truck arriving. “There goes Milton.”

Carlton turned. A pick-up truck parked next to his car. Milton was a small man, kind of scraggly. He hopped out the truck with a cap pulled down low on his head. He ignored them both, going for his tools in the bed of the truck, and then approached. Carlton stepped down.

“Milton?”

The man stopped. His head slowly rose and he gave him a blank stare.

“My name is Carlton. I was looking for you.”

“For?”

“A renter. Is it possible you could help me find one in particular.” Carlton removed his wallet and showed Josie’s picture again. He held it under Milton’s nose. “She’s my fiancé, I’m trying to find her.”

Milton’s eyes lowered. He stared at the picture for a moment then looked up at Carlton. A strange expression passed over his face, which he failed at concealing. “Ain’t seen her.”