The Eagle and the Fox (A Snowy Range Mystery, #1) (37 page)

“Polly took me shopping.”

Josh glanced at Marcus. They’d both finally cottoned onto the girl’s uncanny ability to respond to a question without actually answering it.

Calhoun stood and offered her his seat. She smiled sweetly, her expression vacant, but she sat down and carefully smoothed her skirt over her knobby knees. Murmuring, “Thank you,” she folded her hands on the table and watched Marcus watching her.

Josh asked, “Did you sleep okay? Was the cot comfortable?”

He needed to establish Petilune being in the cabin all night, but was clueless how to go about it. The trucks were parked on the opposite side of the house. Sound would be muffled, so it wasn’t impossible for Petilune to have snuck in, grabbed the key to his truck and driven into Laramie. If she had, he was pretty sure the seat would have been moved up significantly as the girl was far too short to reach the pedals. The state of the gas tank might be another clue. She’d also be smart enough not to have used Marcus’ old truck. The engine made enough noise to wake the dead.

Petilune shrugged at the question about the cot, murmuring, “Um, I guess.”

Calhoun jumped on that. “Guess what, sweetheart?” Josh wanted to slap him for the unctuous tone of voice.

Yawning, she chirped, “I was asleep,” and that was the end of that.

Calhoun glared at Josh and muttered, “A word?”

Joining the detective in the living room, Josh hissed, “I can’t tell you what I don’t know, Calhoun. That child’s not right in the head. We all know that. I don’t think she understands half of what’s happening.” He held up a hand to stay the detective’s objections. “And as far as Kit’s concerned, my guess is he’s gone and won’t be back.”

“He’s bad news, Foxglove. Don’t go making the wrong choice.”

Josh leaned into Calhoun’s space and through gritted teeth said, “The only choice I need to make, Detective, is to protect my family. That includes Marcus, Petilune and my sister. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal.” Calhoun tugged on his suit lapels, straightening the fabric on his broad shoulders, and opened the door. He left a parting shot, “Be careful, Josh. Some people aren’t worth sacrificing all you’ve worked for.”

Closing the door, Josh murmured, “And what if you’re wrong, Calhoun? What if someone
is
worth the sacrifice?”

As he re-entered the kitchen, he watched Marcus gently stroking the neat braid that hung down Petilune’s back. The design was intricate, interlaced with tiny wildflowers. He was murmuring softly to the girl, the words indistinct.

Josh asked, “How about pancakes for breakfast?” They both looked up and smiled, though Marcus’ eyes reflected his anxiety.

He left them to their moment and quickly assembled the meal. As he was plating it, he asked Petilune, “Are you hungry enough to eat these?” He held up a plate with four pancakes. “I made extra, just in case.”

“No thank you, Uncle Josh. Not today.” She poured syrup over her pancakes, the vacant look gone, replaced by an expression Josh couldn’t decipher.

While the girl ate quietly, he and Marcus stared at each other over the table, neither touching their food.

When she’d left with Becca to go to school, Marcus took him aside and said, “I need to know what the hell is going on. Is Petilune in danger?”

“From Kit?”

“Yeah, from him.”

“No.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because he loves her.” Josh pulled Marcus into an embrace. “Because he knows we love her.”

His voice muffled, Marcus asked, “Is love going to be enough?”

Josh thought about that, about all they’d been though, about everything they’d be facing in the future—making a new life together, rebuilding the store. About his vow never to leave Marcus alone.

He answered honestly, “I don’t know about anybody else, but for me... Yeah, love’s enough.”

“How will we know if Kit comes back?”

“Don’t braid Pet’s hair.”

Marcus relaxed and ruefully groaned, “Right.” He slapped Josh’s butt and ordered, “Come on, cowboy. Let’s get you to bed.”

“Shit, you’re a damn tyrant, you know that? Can’t you let the rehab slide for one day?”

“No. Now strip and get in bed.”

Grumbling, Josh did as he was told. Marcus joined him and climbed onto the mattress and straddled Josh’s torso. With a heavy sigh, Josh asked, “All right, what’s on the agenda today?”

Marcus grinned, his eyes gone smoky with lust.

“You ever hear the expression... save a horse, ride a cowboy?”

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THE END

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Crossing boundaries, taking no prisoners. Write what’s in your soul.

It’s the bass beat, the heartbeat, the lyrics rude and true.

N
ya Rawlyns cut her teeth on sports-themed romantic comedies and historical romances. She found her true calling writing about the wilderness areas she has visited but calls home—in that place that counts the most, the heart.

She has lived in the country and on a sailboat on the Chesapeake Bay, earned more than 1000 miles in competitive trail and endurance racing, taught Political Science to unwilling freshmen, and found an avocation in materials science.

When she isn’t tending to her garden or the horses, the cats, or three pervert parakeets, she can be found day dreaming and listening to the voices in her head.

Websites:

Romancing Words:
http://www.romancingwords.com

Love’s Last Refuge:
http://loveslastrefuge.com/

The Men of Crow Creek:
http://the-men-of-crow-creek.weebly.com/

Nya Rawlyns catalog:

The Eagle and the Fox (A Snowy Range Mystery)

The Wrong Side of Right: transgressive homoerotica

Good Boy Bad: transgressive homoerotica

Bad Boyfriends:
M/M contemporary romance, romantic comedy

Curling Iron

Pumping Iron

Jerking Iron

Bad Boyfriends Box Set

The Crow Creek Series
: M/M contemporary erotic western romance

Ash & Oak

Pulling Leather

Strapping Ash

Sorting Will

Flankman

Mending Fences

The Strigoi Chronicles
: homoerotic lit, paranormal

The Holiday Toast Duo
: M/M romantic comedy

The Christmas Toast

The Valentine Toast

Cole in His Stocking

Acid Jazz Singer (Hunger Hurts)

Skin

Guardians of the Portals

Dance Macabre

Points on a Curve

The 90 Day Rule