chapter Eight
Running Bear approached Xav at the stone-and-fire ring in the canyons as Xav stared out across the sandy, winding arroyo that led to the other ranch, which the brothers called Loco Diablo and which Ash called Sister Wind Ranch.
Galen had said all the land had been parceled out, but the cartel and Wolf’s mercenaries had tunneled underneath Loco Diablo, putting in an underground of well-fortressed mazes. The land had become Wolf’s staging area, with plans for the networked tunnels to reach the Callahans’ ranch. Years had been dedicated to the goal of taking Rancho Diablo from below—until they’d been discovered.
Loco Diablo might not ever be inhabitable now, not by law-abiding folks just wanting to work the land and raise cattle or crops. Ash said they should just pour concrete over the land and put in schools, a hospital, other things that could benefit the community. She said this was a way to heal the damage to the land and the negative energy that had been sown into the soil by Wolf and his men.
Xav thought her idea was excellent.
“Xav,” Running Bear said, finally situating himself on the ground and deciding to speak.
Xav sat near him. “Hello, Chief.”
“Thank you for bringing Ashlyn home.”
He looked pleased, and Xav hoped that meant he’d done the right thing by bringing Ash and the children here. “I was happy to do it.”
“You have four children.”
“Have you been by to see them?”
Running Bear shook his head. “I will go soon.”
“Good. That’ll make Ash happy.”
“Wolf is not dead.”
Xav stared at the chief, whose wrinkled, dark-skinned face was devoid of expression, his dark eyes completely convinced of what he was saying. “I don’t understand. I shot those two men.”
“Rhein is dead. Wolf is not.”
It was the worst possible news. Xav couldn’t believe it. “I did my best.”
“I know. It was not meant to be.”
He looked toward Loco Diablo, across the wide canyon that stretched dark rose and dusty against the backdrop of a turquoise sky. “How is it meant to be?”
“We will know soon.”
That didn’t give him much to go on. “Is Ash safe?”
Running Bear turned to him. “No one is safe.”
“You’re going to say I should take her and the children and go.”
“I do not know what you are called to do. You are not a Callahan. Your path is not for me to know.”
“And Ash?” His heart sank. “What is her path?”
“Her path is her path.” Running Bear seemed content with his assessment. “Only Ash will know what the spirits guide her to do.”
“I don’t believe in that,” Xav said. “I believe we make a plan, we follow it and we flush these criminals out of here. Cover all of Loco Diablo with concrete and put in a theme park and a rodeo, I don’t care. But put them out of business once and for all.”
Running Bear nodded, and it seemed as if his onyx eyes smiled a little, but Xav wouldn’t have sworn to it. “You are impatient.”
“Damn right I am.” He took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m not a Callahan. I freely admit that I don’t have the propensity for outthinking the enemy. In my father’s world, in the world I know best—” He thought about that for a moment. “Hell, my father just ironed his enemies flat. Rolled over them like they were paper.”
“And you want to do that.”
“Yes, I do.” Action instead of defense. Ash’s fright this morning had him worried. Whether she would admit it or not, Ash had been terrified by Wolf’s appearance. If Running Bear was right and Wolf was alive, then Wolf was on the ranch, close enough to attack.
“I’ve got to go, Chief. I need to get home.”
Running Bear didn’t say anything. He looked toward the sky at a hawk circling above.
“Come by and see the babies. They’d like to meet their great-grandfather.”
Running Bear didn’t answer, and Xav knew he was no longer thinking about him, or Ash, or the Callahans. His mind was on the hawk and whatever else only Running Bear understood.
Xav galloped back to the ranch, checking for cell service, his heart burning with sudden fear that something was very wrong at Rancho Diablo.
* * *
ASH WENT UP THE STAIRS SLOWLY, not really certain it was necessary to don the fabled gown but wanting to please Fiona more than anything. It was hard to deny the sweet-natured aunt such a simple request.
She’d try the dress on, then tell Fiona thank you for the thoughtful gesture—but she’d also tell her the truth: there were no sparks, no glitter bouncing around the attic, and no handsome man revealing himself to be her one true love, as the Callahan brides had all claimed would happen.
She already knew who her one true love was, had known for years. She wasn’t going to marry Xav, so magic wedding dress or no, there’d be no charmed fairy-tale ending. She couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong, she just knew something was, and marrying Xav wasn’t going to stop the evil she felt following her, encompassing her.
But a more sinister thought occurred to her. What if it wasn’t Xav whose handsome face she saw? Ash shivered. She didn’t dare put on the dress, even as nonsensical as she thought Fiona’s wedding tales were. There was no point in tempting the spirits.
“Hey!” Xav yelled up the attic stairs. “Ash!”
Startled, Ash squealed, peered down the stairs. “You bellowed loud enough to wake the dead!”
He stared up at her. “Hey, beautiful.”
“Do you have to yell when you want to get my attention?” she demanded, miffed even though the sight of Xav grinning up the stairs at her was enough to wipe away most of her ire.
“The spirit moved me to call loudly, just in case you weren’t thinking about me,” he said, “except I know that’s impossible. I know my girl, and I’m always on her mind. Hey, what are you doing up there? Looking for Christmas decorations?”
“Maybe. Can you go away?”
“I could, but I’d rather come up there and help you. I don’t want you carrying boxes down by yourself. Let your big, strong, handsome husband help you. Besides which, we need to talk, and the attic is a nice, quiet place for us to have this conversation.”
“I’m busy.”
He headed up the stairs anyway because he simply had no concept of not being wanted, probably because Xav knew she did want him.
She shook her head as he cleared the landing. “I noticed you referenced yourself as my husband. In case you’re living in an alternate universe where weddings take place just because you think they should, we’re not married.”
“I’m married in my heart. So we’re married.” He shrugged, a rebel with a dead-sexy smile. “If everybody else around here can go on dreams and mumbo jumbo, so can this cowboy.”
He leaned over and kissed her, smooching her until she felt her toes literally curl in her black suede boots. “Not here in the attic, Xav,” Ash said breathlessly. “Someone might come upstairs.”
He looked at her. “Is this the same woman who chased me from canyon to canyon and made love to me in every conceivable crevice and cave in front of the angels and the constellations, without the slightest bit of worry for anything except getting next to my big, strong body?”
“You don’t think much of yourself, do you?”
“It just so happens that I do. And you do, too. Come on, gorgeous, let’s make a little—” He glanced around the attic, his gaze curious. “There are no Christmas decorations up here. I see a mirror, a closet, a sofa, some antique chairs, but no festive decorations.”
She raised her brows, said nothing.
“What are you doing up here, little lady?” Xav asked.
“Hiding from you,” she said sweetly.
“Well, that won’t work. There’s no place on earth that I can’t find you, as you should know by now.”
That did seem to be true, or she wouldn’t be at Rancho Diablo. “What do you want, anyway?”
“Don’t remind me about why I’m here right now. I’m in full avoidance mode, especially if you’re offering kisses,” he said, glancing around the attic again. His gaze caught on the closet. “Is that where the fairy-tale gown is stashed?” he asked, his voice quiet, as if he didn’t want anyone to overhear.
“Why are you whispering?”
“Seems like the right thing to do up here. I’m going to open the closet and find out.”
“No!”
He looked at her with a teasing grin. “Oh, babe. I know what’s going on. You came up here to try on Fiona’s magic muumuu, didn’t you?”
“Muumuu? Really?”
He scooped her into his arms. “Babe, you’re wild about me, and your mind is on settling me. Hence you sneaking up here for a preview of the supposedly supernatural garment. Admit it.”
“Put me down and go away.”
“I can’t believe it. This is awesome!” He gave her a huge kiss that made her suddenly wonder if Fiona’s attic might be just the place for a sexy rendezvous after all. “Ash Callahan, you came up here to experience the Callahan magic for yourself—which can only mean one thing.”
“And that would be what?”
“You’re seriously contemplating taking the wedding walk with me.”
“I’m seriously not.”
He kissed her. “Sweetheart, I know you too well, and right now, I can tell you are fibbing your cute little heart out.” He sat down on the sofa with an exaggerated oof and smiled into her eyes as he situated her in his lap. “You go right ahead and drag out the wonderful wedding rig. I’m itching to see it on you.” He sighed with happiness and pushed her off. “Go on. I’m looking forward to the show.”
“I’m not going to do it.” Not in front of him, she wasn’t. He was so sure that she would fall into his arms like an overripe plum—the way she always had. The way she wanted to right this minute.
“You were going to before I found you,” he stated, sure of himself.
“Even if you’re right, I’m not now.”
“You’re so adorable when you’re shy.”
“I’m not the least bit shy.”
He got up, strode to the closet. “I’ll get you started. I’m dying to see this thing on you.” He stopped, turned to look at her, his hand still on the doorknob. “You realize the Callahan wives tell stories about seeing their one true love when they put on the gown?”
“Yes,” she said, distinctly unwilling to discuss this angle.
“It’s preposterous.”
“Of course it is.”
He grinned at her. “I get it. You’re scared you won’t see me!”
She shrugged. “This conversation is silly, the premise absurd.”
“But let’s visit Fiona World for a second,” he said, “wouldn’t it be a downer if you didn’t see me?”
“Why would it be a downer?” she demanded.
“Because we have four children. So I’m the only man you’re ever going to have,” he said, obviously quite sure of this. “It would be just too bad if you didn’t see me in a princely vision.”
She shook her head. “This conversation is so ridiculous. Xav, let’s just go downstairs.”
He grinned at her. “Fiona knows you’re up here, doesn’t she?”
“Of course!”
“Aha! There are wedding plans afoot!” He looked very pleased about that. “Don’t be embarrassed about wanting me, angel.”
She smiled. “Embarrassed isn’t the word that comes to mind. Annoyed, maybe.”
He stroked the inside of her arm, staring at her intently. “I want the best for you.”
“And you’re the best?”
“Yes. Of course.” A shadow crossed his face. “I am the best thing for you. In fact, I just had a long talk with Running Bear, which is how I know I’m the only man for you.” He put his arms around her, and she leaned into him, enjoying his strong, stubborn warmth, before she remembered she shouldn’t give in to him quite as easily as she always seemed to. “Some things aren’t what they seem,” Xav said.
“I’m a Callahan. I think I know that.”
“Some things are worse than they seem.”
An uneasy tickle swept her. “What are you talking about?”
“Sh—” he said. “Walls have ears.”
“Not up here they don’t.” She frowned, having the strangest feeling that something was really bugging him.
“They might,” he said. “One never knows with the Callahans.” He got up, kissed her hand and disappeared down the stairs.
“Great. There goes my prince.” She glanced toward the closet. “You’re just going to have to wait. My man is having a brain fart of some epic variety.”
She thought she saw a tiny twinkle burst through a crack between the doorway and the frame of the closet, but of course it was probably just a piece of dust filtering in the light. Ash shook her head at the fantastical imaginings Fiona’s tales had put in her mind and headed downstairs.
“What did you want to tell me?” Ash asked when she found him in the kitchen pouring two cups of coffee.
He looked so serious he scared her. Ash felt herself get a bit dizzy from fear washing over her.
“Where are the babies?” she demanded. “Are they all right?”
“They’re fine,” he said quickly. “They’re with Fiona and Burke, and I think some of Fiona’s friends are visiting, spoiling the babies to death. Mavis, Nadine and Corinne.”
“Her Books’n’Bingo Society friends,” Ash murmured.
“That’s what Fiona said. Anyway, as I mentioned, I ran into Running Bear at the stone-and-fire ring today—”
She looked at him. “No one runs into Running Bear. He’s never anywhere by accident.” Particularly not at the stone-and-fire ring. When she and her brothers had come to Rancho Diablo many years ago, Running Bear had instructed them to meet at the stone-and-fire circle. They’d been separated for years, not seeing each other as they went through life in the military and then on their own—and suddenly, they’d all received secret messages from Grandfather to meet at the location he specified, in a place called Rancho Diablo in New Mexico. The circle had seven stones, one for each of them, with a small fire lit in the center. Running Bear tended the fire, though he never said so. That strange and amazing day, when Grandfather had brought their family back together, he’d told them that the circle was their new home, their touchstone for remaining a family, while they served this urgent mission. No matter what happened at Rancho Diablo, they always had a home.
They’d agreed to protect Rancho Diablo and keep the land safe from the cartel, allowing their Callahan cousins to stay far away in Hell’s Colony with their many children. The Chacon Callahans had been raised in the tribe, each of them training in the military when they were old enough. They were uniquely qualified to take on the mission. “What was on Grandfather’s mind?”
Xav pulled her to him, held her close. “Babe, that vision you saw this morning was no vision. Wolf is alive.”