Canyon Wolf Bride Page 22

  Ben picked her up at work, knocking on the door to her office as she was collecting her purse from her desk drawer.

  “Hey there,” Paige said with an easy smile as she flicked the light off and locked the door.

  “Hey yourself.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  “No hints?” she asked as he opened his car door for her.

  Ben slid in beside her and smiled easily. He always made her feel like a school kid. He was such a great guy, with a big, wide smile and freckles sprinkled across his nose and cheeks. His sandy colored hair was tousled and she couldn’t help but laugh at his spotted neck tie. He looked much too boyish to be sporting one. She had the urge to grab it and untie it and loosen his shirt. He should take off the jacket, too. It just wasn’t him. He looked much more like himself in jeans and a t-shirt.

  “Put this on,” he ordered as he handed her a dark silk scarf.

  “Put it where?”

  “Over your eyes. I want this to be a surprise,” he explained as he turned onto the main road.

  Paige shrugged and laughed at the silliness of it. “Okay.” She fastened the scarf around her eyes and giggled. “This is so mysterious,” she whispered.

  “Don’t peek. I’ll have to tickle you if you do,” he warned.

  Ben was definitely fun. She half expected to sit on a whoopee cushion upon entering his car. He was known as the resident clown on campus and no one could pull a fast one on him. He knew them all. In fact, he invented most of them. Paige knew that before the evening was over, she would be the butt of many jokes, but they were always done in fun and she didn’t mind. She needed to laugh.

  They had been driving for maybe ten minutes when Ben turned the car off and announced their arrival.

  “Don’t peek. I’ll come around.”

  Paige giggled again. Where was he taking her? She heard the door open and Ben took her hand.

  “Watch your head.”

  Paige stepped out of the car and heard birds chirping. He guided her about a hundred yards and stopped.

  “Okay, there’s three steps. Don’t let go of my arm.”

  “Okay.” Paige walked up three steps and was led across what felt like a wooden floor or wood planks to her. Ben stopped her and opened a door. Paige heard a screen door shut and she realized she must be at someone’s home. Oh, no. She wasn’t ready to meet his folks just yet. Suddenly she wished he would have taken it slower. A nice dinner would have been fine. She didn’t feel like meeting new people, yet. Oh, calm down, Paige. Try to have fun, she told herself. Ben led her a little further and then stopped again. She heard a chair scoot on the floor.

  “Okay, sit down.”

  Paige sat down and heard a door swinging on its hinges. Everything felt suddenly familiar to her. Even the smell. She smelled home cooking, but it was more than that. There was something about the house. She heard a grandfather clock chime and her heart dropped. She clawed at the scarf and pulled it off. An elderly woman was pouring tea into tall crystal glasses two feet from her. Their eyes met and both of them looked horrified.

  “Aunt Bette.”

  “Paige, dear. How are you? I had no idea that Ben was bringing you.”

  Paige stood abruptly and pushed in her chair.

  “You two have met before?”

  Both of them twirled their heads around to stare at him. How could he not have known? Aunt Bette was nearly as famous as Sean after his gold medal win. Everyone within a hundred miles knew that she was the great aunt of the ski champion.

  “This is Bette Wilson. Sean Wilson’s aunt.”

  “Oh.” Ben’s face fell. He had no idea. He was trying to create a memorable, romantic evening and now he had a mess. Way to go, Ben Wheeler, he told himself. She’ll never forget this first date, for sure.

  “Let’s just go.” Paige offered, looking apologetically to both of them.

  “Are you sure?” Aunt Bette asked. “I’d love for you to stay. I made a wonderful dinner. I promise I’ll stay out of your way.”

  Ben shrugged and looked at Paige. She gave away nothing with her eyes.

  “It would seem strange to eat here without you,” she replied softly.

  “Oh, I couldn’t,” Aunt Bette said.

  “Please, join us. I’m sorry. I was just a little surprised.”

  “Me, too.”

  A vision of the she-wolf ran across Paige’s mind, but she pushed it away. Aunt Bette seemed safe enough. Mostly, it seemed like a distant nightmare.

  “So, are we staying?” Ben asked.

  “Yes,” Paige answered with a smile at Aunt Bette.

  Aunt Bette passed through the swinging door again and brought back another place setting before sitting down to join them. She passed the ham and potatoes around as Paige passed the salad and green beans down the table. Ben buttered everyone a roll and then said grace. Aunt Bette just couldn’t see the two of them together. They seemed compatible enough, but they looked more like siblings or old friends.

  Sean’s name was not brought up again. They talked about art and Ben’s students and the new Egyptian wing that was nearly finished. The exhibit was only a month away and had been on the news nightly. They had lemon cake and coffee for dessert and talked until nearly midnight. Aunt Bette hugged Paige for a long time in the hallway and whispered into her ear.

  “Come see me, honey.”

  Paige drew back and looked at her, tears rimming her eyes. “I will.”

  “You promise.”

  “Yes.”

  Aunt Bette smiled again and kissed her on the cheek. It was hard for Paige to believe that this sweet woman could turn into a wolf at the drop of a hat. To think that she roamed the woods during a full moon looking for fresh blood seemed ridiculous. Even her own eyes wanted to deny it. Sometimes life was so mysterious. Hadn’t she even joked about that to Ben on the way to Aunt Bette’s? Tonight had definitely been mysterious and very bitter sweet. Spending time with Aunt Bette made her miss Sean more. She wanted so much to ask about him, but she didn’t want to be rude to Ben.

  Ben drove back down the mountain. Paige had left her car at work and she still had to drive back up the mountain again. She couldn’t help but steal a glance at Sean’s old cabin as they passed by. The new owners were still up. Lights were on and a different truck was parked out front. It was strange.

  They reached her car and she thanked him. Ben smiled at her as he opened her door. Ben’s freckles stood out in the moonlight and she couldn’t help but laugh as he helped her into her car. He was just so darn cute. She felt bad for him but still found it hard to believe that he didn’t know Aunt Bette was related to Sean. The date only reminded her of how much she missed him. She wondered what he was doing at that very moment.

  He had screwed up big time. He made a mental note to himself. Never take a woman to her ex-boyfriend’s aunt’s for dinner again. He had rented both of the rooms upstairs for them for the night. They would have slept in separate rooms, but he thought it would have been nice and romantic and they could have stayed up late talking and kissing. His plan had exploded in his face. Aunt Bette never asked him about the rooms upstairs. She knew they would be vacant for the night. She would refund his money back to his credit card in the morning. Ben had a sneaking suspicion that Paige would never go out with him again.

  As she drove back up the mountain, she dreaded passing Sean’s cabin again, knowing he wasn’t there and never would be again. She felt horribly depressed as she passed it. She drove slow, nearly stopping at his mailbox. She stared at his old bedroom window and thought of the many nights they had shared there. But he wasn’t behind that window and he wasn’t in the bed there. The people inside were strangers and she never wanted to meet them. She had seen them before one morning. He was outside chopping wood on the old stump that Sean had used a million times before him. She came outside in jeans and a big flannel shirt that looked like it was his. She gave him a cup of coffee and he kissed her. They
saw her driving by slowly and the woman waved and smiled. Paige waved back and plastered on a smile. She hated them. They were in love and they had taken over her life.

  ****

  Earl Wellington flipped the steaks once more and turned down the fire as his wife called to him from the open kitchen window.

  “Darling, Joe’s on the phone.”

  Earl walked through the white French doors and wiped his hands on his apron. He picked up the cordless and walked back outside. “You’re a hard man to get a hold of.”

  “Hey, how are you? I just got your letters,” Joe said. They had a bad connection and the phone crackled loudly.

  “Where in the hell have you been?”

  “In the field. I’ve been camping in the canyon. We only came back because we’re nearly out of supplies. I think I’ve got something big here. I can’t really talk about it over the phone.”

  “Really?” Earl asked, now more intrigued than before.

  “Yeah, this whole thing just might bust wide open.”

  “What is it?”

  “Not over the phone. So, what is so damned important? You sent three letters and left messages at the lodge. I’m sorry about your heart attack. I take it you’re better.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Listen, I can’t discuss mine over the phone either. We have to do this in person.”

  Joe laughed out loud.

  “This sounds pretty covert. What is it, man? Catch you a real, live Sasquatch?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Even you’re beginning to doubt the ape man these days?”

  “No, this is even weirder,” Earl explained. The phone crackled even louder.

  “I have a really bad connection. Well, nothing would shock me. You have no idea what I’ve seen out here.”

  “Oh, I bet I do.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  The phone line popped and crackled some more. “Have you run into Sean Wilson out there?”

  “Who?”

  “Sean Wilson.”

  “The ski champ?”

  “Yeah, my daughter’s fiancé. Former fiancé.”

  “No. I’ve been mostly concerned with enormous packs of wolves.”

  “Really?” Earl asked as he flipped the steaks again. A big chunk of fat fell off one of them and sizzled as it landed in the fire.

  “Yeah, but like I said, I don’t want to go into this over the phone.”

  “When do you go back into the canyon?”

  “Tonight.”

  “Can you wait for me?”

  “What?”

  “I can be there tonight.”

  “What in the hell for? Besides, do you really need to be hiking and camping in your condition?” Joe asked.

  “I’m fine. I’ll explain everything when I get there.”

  “It’s not that easy. You have to take a horse down into Havasu Canyon.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ve already checked it out. I’ll be there late tonight.”

  “Okay, we’ll stay in the lodge tonight then.”

  “Okay, see you in a few hours.”

  “All right. Have a safe trip.”

  “Bye.”

  “Bye.” Earl hung up the phone and turned off the grill. He placed the steaks on a platter and walked inside.

  “Honey?”

  “In here,” Nan called from the living room.

  “Let’s eat. I need to catch the red eye to Arizona.”

  “Oh, Earl. Is that really necessary?”

  “Yes, honey. We’ve already talked about this. I’ll be back in two days.”

  She sighed as she entered the kitchen and put the finishing touches on the salad.

  “Will you be looking up Sean when you get there?”

  “I’m sure I’ll run into him. It’s not very heavily populated.”

  “Dear, what’s this all about?”

  “Now, come on, honey. You know I can’t tell you. Not yet anyways. It has to do with Joe’s work and it’s highly confidential.”

  “Do you really expect me to believe that?” she asked skeptically as she set the table.

  “Yes, I do. Now, please honey, just be supportive. I won’t be gone long. Joe needs my help.”

  She nodded, resigned to the fact that she wasn’t going to get anything else out of him and not sure she wanted to. She couldn’t help wondering if somehow this all tied into Sean. It seemed an awfully strange coincidence that Sean was in a remote canyon area and now her husband was traveling there in the name of science. Maybe her husband was just using Joe as an excuse to speak to Sean. Paige was still not herself and maybe her father was going to try to bring them back together. She couldn’t argue with that logic. She had thought of calling Sean a million times, but she had no way of getting in touch with him. Most cell phones didn’t reach and she didn’t have an address or phone number to reach him in the canyon. She’d just have to wait and see what happens. She was crossing her fingers.

  ****

  Sean poured himself a drink in his new home. He had been there a week now. It was nice to have his own space and he was sure that Coming Wind and Blue Flower were ready for some privacy, but it was somehow lonelier. He stirred his rum and coke and watched the ice cubes swirl around the square glass. He thought of Paige and wondered what she was doing. It was a Saturday night and it made him sick to think of her sitting home alone, but then again, the alternative was worse. The thought of her with another man drove him mad.

  It was strange that he should have these thoughts as he waited for Night Jasmine. She was due at eight o’clock and dinner was nearly ready. He made a simple dinner. They would have grilled chicken, wild rice, and salad on the patio out back. There was a magnificent view of the canyon and the sun was just beginning to set.

  Sean finally agreed to the date, mostly to shut up Coming Wind. He kept insisting that the leader of the pack needed a woman and Sean kept insisting that he didn’t want one. Ever. Coming Wind just laughed. He thought Night Jasmine was suited perfectly for him. She had lived all her life in Havasu Canyon and was considered the most desirable, available female in the tribe. Her sense of style and artistic talent made her stand out among the others. There was a regal air about her. She had shown an interest in painting when she was only five-years-old and Coming Wind took her under his wing as a favor to her parents. Her father was his second cousin and a very good friend. Coming Wind knew she would break into the art world within the next couple of years. Her canyon art was to be featured in a new artist’s exhibit this coming fall and she had already been featured in a local art magazine.

  Sean was standing in his backyard, watching the sunset when he heard soft footsteps behind him.

  “Hello,” she said as she approached with a bottle of wine.

  Sean had never seen her more lovely. Gone were her girlish braids. Her hair was down, flowing down her back, cascading over her shoulders. Her face was framed by wispy, dark bangs. Her large, almond-shaped eyes smiled at him as she stepped barefoot onto the stone patio. She wore a crisp, white cotton sundress trimmed in lace. Sean thought it looked more like a little girl’s nightgown, which made it even more enticing. She exuded a delightful mixture of sultry innocence. Paige began to drift away from the corners of his mind.

  “Hello. You look beautiful, Night Jasmine.”

  “You look quite handsome, yourself. I hope you don’t mind that I let myself in. I knocked, but there was no answer.”

  “Not at all. I’m sorry. I was just enjoying the sunset.”

  Night Jasmine walked across the patio, feeling the warm, smooth stones beneath her feet. A warm wind played with her hair as the fading sunlight played across her features. She handed Sean the bottle of wine and he set it on the table. She touched his chin and he looked down at her, his face shrouded in shadows. No woman had touched him since Paige and it sent a shock through him. She looked at him, studying his face. The face of the wolf. The alpha wolf. He was a powerful man. The leader of their tr
ibe and only part Indian. How strange. Here she was. She had been thrilled when her teacher and mentor, Coming Wind suggested that they date. She had met Paige only a few months before and had even helped embroider their wedding blanket.

  She was different from Paige. She understood the wolf. It was in her blood. Her father and two brothers carried the gene. No one knew why the engagement was off, but most speculated. The women of the tribe guessed it had to do with the gene and some of them remembered how Sean’s mother could never stomach canyon life. Maybe Paige simply didn’t want to move to Havasu Canyon or maybe she learned the secret of the Havasupai. No one was sure, but all the women now had their eyes on Sean. He was the most eligible bachelor in the canyon and every great leader needed a great woman. Night Jasmine decided early on that they should all get in line. Behind her.

  “It smells great. What did you cook?” she asked.

  “I grilled some chicken. I hope you like rice and I made a small salad. You ready to eat?” he asked scratching his stubbled chin with his thumb.

  “Sure.”

  “I’ll open the wine.” Sean ran inside to grab a corkscrew and returned with two glasses of dark merlot. They watched the sunset together in silence. A lone eagle circled the canyon, making his way to a high cliff. Sean pointed to the nest and Night Jasmine nodded. He placed his hand on her waist and she smiled. She wanted so badly to be his woman. What an honor it would be to sleep with the chief. White Feather spoke of him years ago, when she was a little girl. He said a white man would come to lead the tribe and the tribe would flourish like never before. She never dreamed that she would be in his home and possibly his new wife. She didn’t even care about traveling anymore. She could paint at home. Coming Wind painted for years before traveling to art exhibits around the world. She wished she had her easel. She wanted to remember this night and capture the beauty of the canyon from his patio. She would paint the eagle as she began her descent bathed in orange and melon rays of sunshine, to her nest perched on a high canyon cliff. She wanted to sketch his face so she would never forget the proud expression he wore on their first night together.