Chapter 7
SEVEN
When the three-hundred pound reindeer with five foot wide horns jerked away from his handler and started jogging toward them across the square, Aiden tried not to be alarmed.
Snatching Fallon up in his arms, he felt his men moving in. Angela reached for her weapon, but hesitated. It would not be ideal to draw a gun in this crowd. Vaughn could probably wrestle the thing to the ground if he had to, but they’d certainly never trained on that.
Black moved like he was going to put himself between them, but something invisible bumped him out of the way, into Grace. He tripped and almost took her down, but he wrapped his arms around her and spun them around. It was actually a very nimble move, almost dancelike.
People scattered away from the loose animal, but nobody screamed or anything. It was like they’d seen the animal do this before.
Fallon giggled, and that was the first inkling that she was involved. She reached out her chubby hands and the massive animal jogged right up to her, pink tongue licking at her fingers.
A grinning woman followed along behind, but certainly didn’t seem to rush. She stopped beside them and took hold of the animal’s halter. She had thick dark hair drawn back in a ponytail, and a purple knit band around her ears. Her bright blue eyes creased with laughter. “I’m sorry about that. Frank gets a stubborn streak here and there and breaks away from us, but he wouldn’t hurt your little one. He likes kids.”
Aiden heaved a breath, glancing at Angela. The relief was there on her face as well.
“I think we’re okay,” he said, watching as Fallon patted the animal’s head. “She’s certainly okay with it.”
It felt like most of the town was watching them. Aiden sent out a subtle push for them to get back to what they were doing. He didn’t like to finesse groups of people like this, but he wanted no more attention than they had to have. People began turning and walking away.
Fallon was doing her baby chatter thing with the reindeer, and Angela snapped a quick picture with her phone. A grin split her own face as she watched her daughter interact with the huge animal. The baby wasn’t scared at all.
“Aiden and Angela, this is Maya Rivers, our local vet,” Grace said, grinning and a little breathless. She hadn’t been struggling when Black, Owen , had her in his arms.
Angela shook the vet’s hand, but Aiden just gave her a nod as he held onto his wriggling daughter. Fallon was trying to do jumping jacks in his arms or something, she was so excited.
“Frank knows this is his time to shine,” Maya said, her voice wry, “and he takes advantage of it. You’re with the group from up the mountain, right?”
“Yes,” he said, deciding that wouldn’t be too bad to admit.
“Well, you don’t know us, but I promise you he’s safe. Actually, you can let her sit on him, if you want.” She lifted her dark brows expectantly.
“I think we’re okay here,” he said, giving her a slight smile.
Maya held out a little candy cane. “You can give him one of these.” She ripped the plastic wrap away and handed it to Aiden.
There was a pressure at his back, and he knew Fallon wanted him to move closer. He looked down at his daughter and shook his head. “No, Fallon.”
She blinked her big blue-grey eyes at him, and the pressure eased. He looked back at Maya. “I think this is close enough.”
She didn’t take offense, just shrugged lightly, tucking the cane into the corner of her mouth. “Well, we’ll be up there by the big guy if you change your mind.”
Aiden felt a storm of emotion rolling toward them through the crowd, and he looked out. A tall man wearing a cream felt cowboy hat and tan uniform was striding toward them. People dodged out of his way more quickly than from the escaped reindeer.
“Well, shit,” Maya muttered, wincing. She kicked her boot into the snow.
“Damn it, Maya,” the man growled as he drew to a stop. “You have got to hang onto him.” He looked at Aiden and Angela. “I’m very sorry about that, folks. You’re not hurt, are you?”
Aiden gave a shake of his head. “We’re good. My daughter loved it, so no big deal.”
The man held out his hand. “I’m Walker Hayes, the sheriff for Bennett County.”
“Aiden Willingham, my wife Angela, and this is Fallon.”
Aiden focused his senses as he shook the sheriff’s hand, just to get a read on him. It was a little invasive, but he doubted he would get a chance to do this again. The sheriff was aggravated with Maya, but glad of the chance to interact with the newcomers. He’d heard about the group a little and wanted to feel them out. He didn’t want another militia sect anywhere near his county, because he was very protective of the town and its residents.
Black shifted up beside him and also shook the man’s hand. “Sheriff.”
“Black.”
Aiden appreciated the man’s protective instinct. “It’s nice to meet you, Sheriff. Does Frank get loose often?”
The taller man scowled and scraped a hand over his bearded jaw. “Enough,” he said pointedly, looking at the vet.
Instead of cowering, she grinned and bumped her shoulder into him. “Hey, at least it wasn’t Donny. Can you imagine the mess he’d make down here?” Maya looked between Aiden and Angela. “Donny is a bear I’m rehabbing. He’s hibernating now, but this past fall he got out of the enclosure and made a bit of a mess.”
The sheriff scowled. “He ruined a department jeep and scared Maisey to death.”
“I told her I was sorry, and I paid you for the damage,” Maya said, frowning.
Angela laughed, and Aiden glanced at her. You okay? he sent her mentally.
Angela smiled and nodded slightly as she leaned into his side, reaching out to stroke Frank’s long face. He had incredibly long lashes around his big, dark eyes. Fallon was still petting the reindeer. “Sorry,” she said, chuckling. “I just realized how crazy this would look to anyone watching us.”
Maya smiled along with her, but the sheriff continued to scowl. The man obviously took his job seriously. He caught Aiden’s eye. “Hope Frank didn’t freak your men out.”
The sheriff was letting him know that he’d spotted their security. The men had faded into the crowd as soon as they realized there was no danger, so Aiden was surprised that the sheriff had even noticed them. “They’re fine. It would take more than a reindeer to spook them.”
Walker gave a nod of his head and touched the brim of his hat. “Well, you folks enjoy the rest of the festival.”
“We will. Thank you, sheriff.”
Angela gave the man a little wave as he turned away. She glanced at Aiden. “He seems nice.”
“He really is,” Maya said. “I just aggravate him with my shenanigans.” Laughing, she shrugged a little. “Well, I’d better get Frank back for pictures. You’re coming to see Santa, right?”
“Heading in that direction now,” Angela promised.
Nodding, Maya pulled the reluctant reindeer back toward his job. Fallon made a grumpy sound, then waved goodbye at the reindeer.
Angela looked up at him, one sleek brow raised. “Well, this has been an experience.” She looked at Black, hovering to the side. “Is it always like this?”
The taller man sighed and tipped his hat forward, his eyes shielded. “Seems like there’s always some craziness going on. The town is big on getting together and partying. And potlucks. And they seem to have more than their fair share of eccentrics.”
Angela grinned, and Aiden loved the light in her expression. Her eyes were actually shining with enjoyment, and he hadn’t seen her like that for a long time.
“Oh, yeah,” Grace said, nodding. “Even minor holidays get some kind of recognition. Christmas is definitely our biggest holiday, though. It lasts all month, pretty much. Did you check out the shopping? There are usually some door buster deals festival night. And I can introduce you to some of the ‘eccentrics’.”
She held out a hand and guided them toward the line waiting for Santa pictures. It was long and wasn’t moving very fast.
“Babe, do you mind if I check out that bookstore?” Angela nodded her head toward the shop to their right.
Aiden glanced around, feeling for anything out of place. “Go ahead. I don’t think we’re gonna move far while you’re gone.”
Grace and Angela headed toward the shop front, Grace talking animatedly with her hands. It seemed like Angela had found a friend.
Angela couldn’t get over the perfection of the night. She glanced back. Aiden stood with Fallon propped on his hip, playing with the giraffe as they waited for the line to move. Fallon was smiling, her slobbery little mouth open and her blue eyes shining. Lights twinkled all around them, and snow fell gently, creating a perfect backdrop for the night. It was a charming picture.
“You have a gorgeous family,” Grace said. She was holding the door of the bookstore open for Angela.
“Oh, sorry,” she said, ducking quickly into the entry.
“Don’t be sorry! The two of them were definitely worth the glance back. If I had a family like that, I would do the same thing.”
Angela scanned her face. “You’re not involved then?”
“No,” Grace sighed, pulling off her gloves. “Haven’t been for a while. I had a fiancé in New York, but that was a couple of years ago. He professed to love me, but had no interest in moving down here to the back of beyond, as he called it, when my dad got sick. The man lived on takeout, so he would have died from starvation within a couple of days, probably.”
Angela laughed, pulling off her knit cap. Her hair snapped with electricity, and she almost put it back on. “I’ve known some men like that.” She stuffed her hat in her pocket and looked around. “Oh, my gosh…”
The bookstore was like a well-worn robe. Warm and cozy, there was a small wood burner on the right wall radiating heat, with a couple of stuffed chairs in front of it. And there were shelves upon shelves of books, both new and used. The shelves absolutely sagged with them. The walls were covered with posters and flyers of signings and festivals, and one corner was devoted to oddities. It was a fascinating store, and she knew she wanted to come back when she had more time to linger.
She glanced out the front window. The line had only crept forward a few feet.
“Are you a reader,” Grace asked her, her pretty, unique eyes twinkling. No wonder Black had been staring at her.
“Oh, yes,” she breathed. “The past couple of years, I’ve really gotten into some paranormal romance.” She chuckled at the irony. Spotting a sign for paranormal, she headed in that direction, immediately spotting a book she wanted. Grace was a romance reader as well, and she pointed out a few authors she loved.
“Oh, Gracie, here you are,” a woman said, coming out of the stacks. She handed Grace a book. “Put that away, would you, dear?”
“Aunt Tash, this is Angela. She’s a counselor up the mountain. Try not to be weird. This is Aunt Tash’s store.”
Angela smiled at the small woman. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I love your store!”
The woman looked her up and down and nodded. “Yeah, you’ll do.”
And she disappeared back into the stacks.
Grace returned moments later, and shook her head. “Like I said, eccentrics.”
By the time they left the store, Angela had found several books she’d wanted, plus one for Aiden and two picture books for Fallon. She justified the purchase by telling herself that they might lose internet and power over the holiday. Not that they’d lost either in the three days since they’d arrived. Everything had run perfectly.
When they left the Dog Pound, they’d left all their old devices behind. Tablets, phones. Anything that had once connected to the Wi-Fi in that location. Krammer had supplied them with all new devices which had never been logged onto the internet at the Pound. All in hopes that they wouldn’t be tracked and found.
Same with their credit cards. They’d dumped everything old and gotten all new, under the new foundation name, as well as a crazy amount of physical cash. Angela understood that they were trying to minimize their digital footprint.
They had, to the best of their ability, disappeared.
Trying to look on the lighter side, she told herself they were creating a new home. And she was adding personal touches to the home. Actually, maybe these would be Christmas presents. Yes, they would. Christmas was Wednesday, and she planned on having presents under the tree for Fallon. She’d ordered a few things to the Elton building before they’d left, but she hadn’t had a chance to wrap them yet.
God, had she even brought wrapping paper in the move? She didn’t think so.
“I need some wrapping paper,” she told Grace.
An older woman rung her up, and she didn’t see Grace’s weird aunt again.
Grace led her into the store next door. It was a darling little Hallmark-type gift store, with aisles of cards and knickknacks. There were giant displays of rolled and packaged wrapping paper, bows, ribbons. She found a few more little gifts for Fallon and a special ornament for the tree. It would be her first holiday on the mountain, so they needed to commemorate it.
Grace led her to the counter, to a smiling older woman with straight black and grey hair pulled back in a long ponytail. Laughing brown eyes looked her up and down. “This is Penelope Smart,” Grace said. “Pen, this is Angela Willingham. She’s one of the counselors up the mountain. She came down the mountain for the festival with her family.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Angela. I noticed you with your family when Frank got loose. Way to stand your ground!” She pumped a small, silver ringed fist in the air.
Angela laughed, shaking her head. “We weren’t sure what exactly to do, but since no one else was running…”
Pen dipped her chin. “You did exactly right. The spirits presented you with a challenge, and you passed.”
Angela blinked and lifted her brows a little, watching the woman scan her items and put them in a bag.
“Pen is part Cherokee,” Grace explained.
Pen waved a hand. “On my mother’s side. Is this all you need?”
Angela handed over the cash for the purchase. “Yes, ma’am. You know, my mother always said we had Cherokee in our lineage. Maybe I’ll research it one of these days.”
Pen smiled, her cheeks lifting and making laugh lines around her eyes. “If you need help, just let me know.” Then she wiggled her dark eyebrows and leaned across the counter. “If you are, don’t be surprised if you feel it up on that mountain. It’s special, and the land calls to her people.”
Angela cocked her head. “We just moved in, but I feel very at home up there.”
Pen nodded her head knowingly. “That may be all the confirmation you need.”
Hm. She took the bag Pen handed her and they left the store. Aiden and Fallon had moved forward a few feet, but she felt confident following Grace into the next store down. It was some kind of artistic shop.
“We have a lot of local artisans,” Grace said, her eyes shining, “and this is where they display their wares. It’s a hopping place usually, and the tourists love it.”
There were booths of knitted products and loom products. There were a couple of sections of wood items, both big and small. She found Jordyn a carved, soaring eagle, the wings tipped up on edge as it soared. They had a nesting pair on the mountain, Black had said, but she hadn’t seen either of them yet.
“This is a wonderful place,” she breathed.
Grace nodded. “We have a lot of local talent. They aren’t all full-time artists. The lady that carved that is an accountant.” She pointed across the aisle to a wall of hanging stained-glass pieces. “The man that made those also is a plumber.”
Angela knew she had to look surprised. “That’s so fascinating.”
She paused at a display of beadwork in vibrant colors. There were animals and shapes, and tiny little scenes, as well as beaded hatbands and keychains. “Oh, my gosh. Aren’t these beautiful?”
Grace grinned. “You like them?”
“I do,” Angela breathed. She ran a finger over the lines of a horse head. It was beaded in half a dozen shades of black and gray, and had a jewel for the eye. It was stunning, but she had nowhere to wear it. She’d never even ridden a horse before, but they always fascinated her. Firmly, she pulled her hand back from the temptation. They needed to move on. She couldn’t resist a final glance, though.
They came to a section in the back full of beautifully made wooden furniture.
“This looks like Fallon’s crib,” she breathed, running her hands over the smooth wood of the table.
Grace nodded as she ran a hand lovingly over a chest of drawers. “Because it’s made by the same man, my brother Baron. He owns a lumber yard on the south end of town. We don’t do a lot of commercial timbering anymore, but private owners still can.”
“How long ago was our mountain timbered?”
She’d seen the scars from the clear-cutting. One edge of their property had a very clear line where the foresters had stopped. The trees were a lot less developed, and there was a lot of detritus left behind.
“Oh,” Grace said, her eyes going distant as she thought. “It’s been at least ten years since the timbering stopped. Most of the town was employed by the timber companies, so it was a devastating loss to the economy.” She motioned to the furniture. “Baron is such a craftsman, but he doesn’t do a lot of woodworking anymore. He’s too busy trying to keep the furniture company running. And keep the workers employed. You guys coming in has been a big boost to the economy.”
“That’s good to know,” Angela told her. “I’m sure we’ll be ordering more as more cabins get built.”
Grace didn’t ask her any questions about how many more cabins they’d be supplying or any details about the Foxhole at all, really. The only thing she asked about was Black.
They were heading back to Aiden and Fallon when Grace rested a hand on Angela’s arm. She turned to look at the woman.
Grace stood, a hesitant expression on her face. “So, this may be wildly inappropriate, but is Black attached to anyone? I asked him earlier, and he said he wasn’t, but I just wanted to check.”
Angela smiled slightly. “As far as I know, he is not in any kind of relationship.”
Grace’s cheeks were flushed from more than cold, but she gave Angela’s arm a squeeze. “Thanks. Guess I’ll have to ask him again another time.”
Angela looked at Black. When he stepped in to protect Grace from the reindeer, it had been a little telling. “I think you just need to be patient. He’s a quiet man who assimilates a lot of details. Just give him a while.”
They rejoined the group in line.
“Everything okay?” Aiden asked her.
She beamed at him. “Definitely. I’m falling in love, Aiden.”
He barked out a laugh. “I thought you were already in love?”
“Not with you, silly. With the town.”
His smile changed, and he nodded once. “I can understand why.”
She had so much to fill him in on.
“Santa is my Uncle Charles,” Grace whispered to her. “It’s not applicable now, but in a couple of years when Fallon has her list, we slip the parents a piece of paper when they pay for their picture, letting them know what they want.” She motioned to the little kiosk just past Santa and his elves.
Angela laughed, shaking her head. She hadn’t even thought that far ahead. Would they be here in two or three years? She had no idea.