The Eagle and the Fox (A Snowy Range Mystery, #1) (16 page)

What Josh wanted to know was if Marcus had meant them, because if the answer to that question was yes, then that moved their friendship in a direction that was leaps and bounds away from them simply laying their cards on the table the other night at dinner.

God, dinner. Them agreeing
he’s not my type
and knowing, inside—in the very private spaces where that admission meant opening themselves up to a very raw, very dangerous world of options and opportunities—that somehow trust had taken center stage.

In less than twenty-four hours, what passed for normal in their world had turned upside down and inside out. Events were moving at Mach speed, rapidly getting out of control. What Josh wanted was to throw caution to the winds, to tell Marcus Colton how much he was attracted to him, that it had been like that for almost two years. Two years of visits to the store. Two damn years of them just making small talk, with him trying to find a way to linger in the store aisles, praying Marcus would come to offer help, ask him about the ranch, and maybe even say he’d love to come visit sometime to see the reining stock.

Instead, he’d been tongue-tied the whole time. It hadn’t been until he’d gotten his back up against the wall and
had
to ask Marcus for an extension of time on the ranch’s accounts that he’d finally hit pay dirt. Not on his own account but because Marcus seemed to know how to be with him, how to ask a personal question without making it seem intrusive. And Marcus had shown Josh a side of himself he’d never known—his humor, his way of cutting through the bullshit, of looking trouble in the eye and daring it to mess with him or the people he cared about.

Marcus Colton had seen Josh dive down the rabbit hole, but he’d kept a hand on his shirt collar and refused to let go, talking him out of the spiral of crazy and back into the light. That Josh remembered everything from the moment Marcus had crawled up his leg to him wrapping his arms around him, to the way he’d handed over his heart and soul with a few words, it’d been enough to both break him and put him back together.

Marcus thought he’d failed, but he hadn’t. If Sorenson hadn’t popped him one, the fear and hate and irrational need for revenge might have loosed its hold. Might...

But what if it hadn’t?

Maybe it was a good thing the trooper had taken matters into his own hands. That still begged the question—was Marcus regretting those words or was he simply feeling like he’d failed, or both?

Josh hated lying. He wasn’t good at it. Becca and the girls were always catching him in his fibs.

No, it’s fine, sis. Doesn’t hurt. Sure, I can do that. No, it doesn’t bother me so much now. Nah, I don’t need the meds...

The pain pills were wearing off. His head throbbed and the places on his face and arms that had gotten singed stung enough to make his skin crawl. He wanted a cold shower to take away the irritation, and then he wanted Marcus to take him in his arms again, but this time... God damn it, this time he wouldn’t let go.

Aware Marcus was running out of patience, Josh made a decision. He would lie and keep their friendship under false pretenses rather than admit to hearing the man’s confession and risk losing him to regret and a feeling of obligation neither of them was prepared to accept.

Josh cleared his throat and tried to relax. He said, “I have no idea what the hell I thought I was doing. It wasn’t until Becca explained what had happened and told me you and Sorenson saved my worthless ass...”

Visibly relaxing, Marcus shoved his hands in his pockets. “So, um... You don’t remember anything?”

“Not exactly.”

Marcus ducked his head, once more wary. Josh knew he needed half-truths to make it credible. Marcus wasn’t dumb, he’d see through a bald-faced lie easy enough.

“I was helping set up a triage station, thinking how once it was done I could join one of the crews. But...”

Marcus approached the bed. “But what?”

“I saw how they chased it, the flames, moving like zephyrs, just shadows against a wall of color. It was picking up speed and I recall you saying about a backfire, how it might stop it. And I knew that was right, it was the way to turn it all around. Save John’s place. And mine and Becca’s and all the other folks in the valley.” He took a breath. Talking hurt his throat. Lying was going to hurt too. But losing Marcus wouldn’t just hurt, it would devastate him.

Marcus spoke quietly, asking, “Why didn’t you come find me?”

“I think I intended to. Or tried, anyway.” The man raised his eyebrows, curious. This was where the lie—and giving Marcus an out—began. “All I remember was feeling angry and frustrated. At the fire, at whoever’d done something so careless as to put good people at risk. Destroying what a man’s worked hard for his entire life, like it meant nothing. I just...”

Josh’s breaths came fast and choppy. “I-I heard Sorenson talking, saying it looked deliberate and all I wanted was to find who’d do such a thing, make them pay and pay and...” Throat finally closing as raw emotion overwhelmed his senses, Josh let himself teeter on the precipice. It was no act.

Marcus took his left hand and gripped it gently, his thumb making small circular motions over the bruised knuckles. He murmured, “It’s over. Let it go, Josh. You’re safe, we’re all safe.”

“Are we... safe, I mean? Somebody set that fire. And it wasn’t just some kids not knowing better. That was malicious. They meant for it to hurt.”

“But why the Barnes? How do they factor in all this?”

Josh pounded the bed with his right fist, working out his frustrations. He growled, “We need to talk with Will, find out what he knows, if anything. I’d bet my left nut his folk’s place was targeted because Will saw something he wasn’t supposed to or...”

Marcus said what Josh hated to consider, but from their vantage point, all the signs pointed in the teen’s direction. “If Will’s involved, then I’m betting he’s tangled with those four thugs, and not just last Sunday afternoon.” He scrubbed at his mouth, his brows drawn together in a frown. “I can’t believe he’d be mixed up with a gang. I’ve known him his whole damn life, Josh.”

“Same here. But who knows what happens when they hit high school. It’s not like it’s local and we have the luxury of knowing the teachers and seeing the kids walk to school or hang around town. It’s a regional campus and one you and I know has had more than its fair share of run-ins with drug dealers.”

“Shit, cowboy, I hope to hell that’s not the case. It would kill his parents...”

Shifting his torso so he could look at Marcus directly, Josh, said, “I went to Laramie, to the Fairgrounds, to talk with him. Coach said he missed the team penning drill. I assumed it was because he’d been banged up so bad, but now I’m wondering about that.”

“Don’t. That boy’s a hurting pup. John was worried about him breaking more ribs he was working so hard at the fire.”

“Still, seems to me he’s a person of interest. Maybe he saw something he shouldn’t and doesn’t have a clue. Or he knows why those four hoodlums are hanging around our area causing mischief and is afraid to tell. Whatever the reason, we won’t know until we sit him down and ask questions, with or without his father present.”

The nurse popped in and said, “Mr. Colton, I left your lunch in your room. Would you like me to bring it in here?”

Marcus looked at Josh, the question
is it all right
on his face. Josh grinned and said, “Why don’t you wheel that tray of yours in here, Marcus. That pretty lady’s got more to do than play waitress for a couple of old coots like us.”

Marcus chuckled. “Speak for yourself, cowboy. I’ll be right back.”

Josh whispered, “Thank you, God, for small favors,” as he pulled his own table into position. The aide entered and set the tray down, lifted the lid and held it away from the platter. He smiled. “Looks good enough to eat, ma’am.”

“They’ll be bringing the discharge papers along in a bit, Mr. Foxglove. And the nurse will have some instructions about keeping your wound clean.”

Marcus wheeled his table into the room and positioned it on the opposite side of the bed. “Scooch your legs over so I can sit. If I use the chair, I’ll need a couple telephone books to get me high enough to reach the damn tray.”

By the time Becca showed up and they’d been carted to the entrance in wheelchairs, they had a plan in place for looking into what was going on. It drove Josh nuts that they knew all the actors, but not what was driving them to move from annoying acts of vandalism and petty theft to a serious case of arson. He’d paired Petilune and the Giniw kid, possibly Petilune’s brothers and the four unknown troublemakers, with Will Barnes a potential link for all the parties.

Of course, the most gnawing question was, what was going to happen next and what could they do to stop it?

Becca drove up in Marcus’ van. “Hope you don’t mind me borrowing this, Mr. Colton. With the girls and us, seemed the best way to do it.”

“It’s Marcus, darlin’ and no, I don’t mind at all.” He slipped into the back seat with the girls while Josh hoisted himself in the front seat.

When they got to the ranch, Petilune herded Maudie and Felicity inside while Becca explained, “We cleaned it out best we could.” She grimaced and pointed to the small stack of supplies in the corner. “It was kind of a mess from all the crap people were tracking in. We gathered up whatever was still usable and stowed it there.”

Marcus thanked her, then looked puzzled when Becca held out a thick envelope. “What’s this, girl?”

“Folks passed the plate and took donations for all the shovels and stuff you brought. We all figured you wouldn’t want anything back, especially considering the shape most of the tools were in, so...” She ducked her head and blushed. “Probably don’t come close to compensating you, but it seemed only fair to try to make amends.”

Marcus opened the envelope like it had a viper hidden inside. After thumbing through the stack of bills, he said, “I can’t take this. It wouldn’t feel right if I did. Everybody pitched in. I was just doing my part.”

Before Becca could dig in and argue until the cows came home, Josh said, “Why don’t we give this to Polly? After what happened I think we all could use a celebration, and who better than her to put a party together for the whole town?”

Marcus nodded and rubbed his eye. Josh was pretty sure the man was hiding tears. Hell, he was choking up.

Addressing Becca, Marcus said, “I’d be honored if you’d see to that. Maybe you and the girls and Petilune could make it a real special affair, something with a fun theme?” He handed her the envelope, his chest rising and falling with a sigh of relief when Becca accepted it. She looked as touched by the gesture as Josh felt.

Marcus said his goodbyes and climbed in the van. Becca jabbed Josh in the ribs and waggled her eyebrows.

Josh mouthed, “What?”

Clearly irritated, his sister stomped to the van and said, “We’re having a roast chicken on Sunday. Josh was wondering if you’d like to join him, me and the girls?”

Becca and Marcus swiveled to stare at Josh. The blush started at his toes and rocketed to the stitches in his scalp. He mumbled, “That’s right,” and then hastened to add, “If you like, we can do a trail ride too. Maudie’s got a horse all picked out for you.” Where the hell had that come from?

Marcus stared dumbfounded long enough to make Josh want to dig a hole in the ground and then pull the dirt over top of himself. He didn’t actually hear Marcus agree, just Becca saying, “No, just bring yourself. Oh, and don’t worry about a change of clothes. We don’t stand on that fancy stuff, okay?”

After the van disappeared from sight, Josh said, “I can’t believe you just arranged a date for me and Marcus.”

She huffed, “It’s not a date. It’s just Sunday dinner and a trail ride,” and hurried off to see why the girls were hooting and hollering behind the house.

Rocking on his heels, Josh grinned. Sunday dinner and a trail ride was just family stuff, having a neighbor over to share a meal, nothing more, nothing less. And Becca had been the one to say it... if he wanted to get laid, then yeah, it was a date.

Feeling smug and panicked at the same time, Josh muttered, “It’s a date then.”

––––––––

M
arcus yawned and stretched, his body aching to just sit and relax for a few minutes, but instead he’d been running around like a chicken without a head as the cleanup crews added to the growing list of supplies needed.

The lumber mill had a load of posts on the way to replace the ones burned, but the crews had already stripped every grade of barbwire in the store. That meant sending his Wednesday part time helper to Laramie and Cheyenne to collect inventory promised him by the suppliers. He shuddered thinking about Cobb, with his cataracts and gleeful disregard for the speed limits, on that narrow road. The shudder turned to a grin. The elderly man had stood straighter, squared his shoulders and damn near saluted at having a chance to be part of the action.

Am I going to be like that? Will I take to the highway with no license or insurance, an up yours to the county cops, driving like a bat out of hell because what you remembered was being eighteen, not seventy-eight? Free and carefree, nimble and quick, full of yourself and convinced you’d live forever?

Marcus muttered, “Damn straight.”

“Language, Mr. Colton.” It was Petilune, her cheerful voice lifting the weight of the day off his shoulders.

“Well, now. I didn’t know it was getting so late.” He checked the clock on the wall and fake frowned. “You’re early. Tell me you’re not playing hooky, missy.”

Petilune blushed and jigged in place. She seemed overflowing with nervous energy. “No, sir. It’s teacher in-service day. We got let out early, is all.”

“Oh, okay then. I guess that’s all right.”

Marcus checked her over. She was wearing a new peasant skirt and a frilly blouse he hadn’t seen before. The waistband had been rolled and tucked in such a way Marcus figured Becca had donated the outfit for the girl to wear to school. Becca was sturdy in build while the child had yet to fill out.

It didn’t seem fitting that a young girl, pretty as Petilune, had to go through life wearing hand-me-downs. More than once, he’d been tempted to take her into Laramie to let her buy something new to wear.