Nightwalker (31 page)

A
month later, Jessy was fiddling with her bouquet when Dillon came over and stood next to her. The organist was getting ready, the crowd had assembled and the service was about to start.

“They found it,” he whispered.

“Who found what?” she whispered back.

“The excavators found the gold. The vein was right there, running under the saloon. Now the Paiute nation will have the gold, and the town will come back to life.”

She rose on her toes and kissed him. “That’s great. Now, please, get out of my way. I have somewhere to be.”

It was a simple ceremony, but Jessy wanted everything to be right. When the music began, she looked back. Sally Teasdale, hiding behind the door, gave her a wink and a wave. Jessy started down the aisle, tossing flower petals as she went, until she reached the make-
shift altar. The music changed, and to the traditional strains of “Here Comes the Bride,” Mrs. Teasdale, in simple but elegant pale blue with a matching veil, came walking down the aisle, smiling radiantly.

Timothy, tall and handsome, was waiting for her.

The ceremony was presided over by a minister and a shaman. Words were spoken in English and in Sioux, and Jessy was certain that the guests understood everything that was said, no matter what language. The ending was traditional, as the minister and shaman spoke together and said, “You may now kiss the bride.”

Timothy kissed the new Mrs. Sparhawk, and the assembled group of fifty or so—friends and anyone from the home who wanted to attend—applauded mightily.

It was time for the meal. Jessy took her seat next to Dillon, and Adam, Brent, Nikki, Jerry Cheever, Doug Tarleton, Sandra and Reggie all joined them at the table.

“It was a beautiful wedding,” Jerry Cheever said.

“Absolutely,” Sandra agreed. They’d been on two dates already; this was their third.

“I should have been the flower girl,” Reggie said, shaking her head.

“I was the maid of honor,” Jessy told her. “I just happened to throw flowers, too.”

“And you’re too old to be a flower girl,” Sandra said.

“You can be a bridesmaid at my wedding,” Jessy told Reggie.

“Are you getting married?” Reggie asked.

“Well, if I ever do,” Jessy said.

“If you want us to stick around for that wedding,”
Nikki said, “it had better be soon. We can’t stay here in Vegas forever.”

“Actually, if Jessy agrees, you might still be here for our wedding,” Dillon said. His dark eyes flashed as he looked at Jessy.

“Is that a proposal?” she asked him.

He nodded.

“It wasn’t a very good one.”

Dillon laughed and slipped to his knees by her side. “Jessy, will you marry me? I know we haven’t been together long, but I also know I’ll never love anyone as much as I love you or want to spend my life with anyone else.” He paused. “Was that better?”

She laughed. “Yes, yes, you can get off your knees. Why the hurry?” she whispered for his ears alone, but he just shook his head.

“Later,” he whispered back.

“She’ll be Jessy Sparhawk Wolf. Sounds like a zoo,” Reggie said, shaking her head.

“I’ll be going with you to pick out the bridesmaids’ dresses. I do not wear pink or anything ridiculously frilly.”

Everyone laughed, and the talk turned to planning and guest list.

That night, as they lay in bed together, she finally found out why Dillon was in such a rush.

“Ringo is leaving,” he told her.

“What? Why?” she asked, distressed.

“He says he’s a third wheel. But the truth is, he’s finished what he’s tried to do for over a hundred years. He told me he can feel the light calling to him, says he
can see it in a way he never did before. And he’s longing to go.”

She nodded. She was sad, but she understood.

Six weeks later they were married. It ended up being a huge affair, with all the entertainers and casino friends Jessy had ever worked with in attendance, along with friends of Dillon’s from Nevada, and beyond. Sandra and Nikki had gotten together to do most of the planning, and the end result was both traditional and contemporary. None of the trimmings that came with a wedding meant much to Jessy, though. She was in love with a man who was also her best friend and her strength.

Two days after the wedding, Jessy and Dillon made another drive out to Indigo. Ringo was with them, squishing Jessy in the middle between himself and Dillon. She tried not to cry, but the tears came anyway.

He tried to comfort her. “Don’t be sad. It’s just time.”

Construction equipment was everywhere around town. The old ghost town was coming into a life it had never known before. Whatever was being dug or built, however, the cemetery wasn’t to be touched. The Paiute had a great respect for the dead.

At the cemetery, Ringo directed them to his grave. He gave Dillon a solemn handshake, then said, “What the hell!” and hugged him. He kissed Jessy one last time. “Be happy,” he told her. “Keep strong, and be brave, just as you are. And never forget kindness. Be generous and kind to
all
around you, nightwalker,” he said.

She nodded and set flowers on his grave as he turned away. The sun was setting, but the evening was suddenly ablaze with a beam of light. Ringo walked toward the light as Dillon and Jessy watched him.

Then the light faded and Ringo was gone.

Dillon tilted Jessy’s chin and brushed her lips with a kiss. “We’ll do as he asked,” he told her softly. “We’ll live bravely and generously, and remember the lessons of the past.”

She smiled. “Live, learn and love,” she told him.

He smiled and brushed her lips with his again. Then, hand in hand, they walked away and left Indigo behind them.