Chapter 23 - The Plan
Chapter 23
The Plan
Bear Buchanan slowed as the big deputy took the lead into the third-floor storage room above the bookstore.
He wasn’t surprised that no one in the room noticed him slide into the shadows with the deputy storming in. Bear had no idea what was happening in the building he owned, but everyone in the room seemed to be in shock.
Bear moved around them as if all were mannequins.
Danny had pushed past two brothers and lifted a woman who was beautiful, tall, and mad. The deputy hugged her while she kicked him.
Bear almost laughed. The young deputy had told Bear he was guarding a witness. The lady left him at the sheriff’s back door heading for a hideout. She had a gang of bad guys hunting her. Dan admitted he feared she’d be shot before he could get back to her. Or, she’d disappear and he’d never see her again.
From the looks of it the woman was very much alive but Bear couldn’t figure out why his third-story storage room was her hiding place. Couldn’t someone in the sheriff’s office think of another hideout?
When Dan let her down, she smacked him a playful blow with her fist in his middle. He folded over and let out fake suffering.
Rusty, the town’s best carpenter if anyone asked Bear, stepped up and faced Deputy Davis. “You may be a member of law enforcement, Dan, but don’t you touch my sister unless she smiles, ’cause if you do I’ll see you lose a few teeth.” He lifted his fist an inch from Dan.
Bear started laughing again. Danny might be bigger, but Bear figured his money would be on Rusty in a fight. Danny was mostly writing tickets and Rusty was building houses. Fact was Bear liked both men. He might be thirty years older, but if the two men started a fight, Bear would stop it.
Before anyone moved, Andi acted. She turned to her newly found brother and yelled, “Don’t you dare hurt my deputy.”
Everyone froze but Bear. For the first time in years, he laughed so hard his stomach hurt. Neither man would know why they were fighting, but Bear knew why he was laughing. She might be hitting the deputy but the lady was making a claim on Danny. And from all appearances, judging by his grin, the big guy didn’t seem to mind her beating on him one bit.
Bear watched the kid circle the only woman in the room and asked Rusty, “If the deputy is hers do we have to take him home too? Just feeding the guy will bankrupt us.”
Meanwhile, the lady was threatening everyone but never left Dan’s side. She introduced him to her brothers. Rusty had known Dan for years. They’d worked together on community projects and Dan helped Zach when he was new in town.
But Danny shook hands with Rusty and Jackson, as friends do. Bear backstepped as he usually did in crowds.
The only ones in the room not talking now were the lady and the deputy.
Rusty, a carpenter who had done some work for Bear a few times, started arguing with the sheriff the second he came through the door. He wanted Andi to come to his house. “We’re taking my sister home, Pecos.”
The sheriff was trying to explain that the brothers needed to disappear with the sister for a few weeks, and Rusty was claiming his house would be the place for Andi. It was so isolated the mailman couldn’t find it. Rusty said the three siblings needed time to talk.
Jackson grumbled something from over by the window.
Bear frowned at the lawyer. The hideout was getting more crowded than the town square. “What are you doing here, Jackson?”
“I’m their lawyer. I saved Rusty’s life one night when he rolled his car. I got Zach out of trouble when he came to town to find his kin, and I called Andi’s mother to find Andi. I’ve been trying to give these siblings their inheritance for a year, even though they don’t even want it.”
Since the lawyer was on some kind of platform speech, Bear decided to do like everyone else: ignore him.
Andi wasn’t listening to the sheriff or the lawyer since she was arguing with Danny. She told him he was late and he was telling her to stop using him as a punching bag.
Bear had no idea why the two were quarrelling. His best guess was it was foreplay. She was pointing at his heart and calling him names and he kept patting her a bit low on her back. They were growing louder and closer.
Finally, all the men stopped talking and just watched the couple.
Bear heard Zach tell his brother if a girl ever yelled at him that way he’d run.
Rusty answered, “It’s not as simple as you think.”
The sheriff finally got a word in. “Quiet!” His command rattled the dirty windows.
Andi kept poking Dan.
The deputy caught her hand and tucked it under his arm and announced, “Bear assures me he can get out of town without being followed. But no one goes with Bear but me and her. She’ll pass through the opening in the rim. Bear will guide her. Once we get to the climb, I’ll remain behind to make sure no one follows.”
Everyone started talking at once. Rusty said he was here to protect his sister. Zach just said, “Me too.”
The lawyer demanded he should go because he was her lawyer.
The sheriff just wanted to see this secret path that folks had talked about for generations. Everyone thought it was a myth.
Bear shook his head and joined the argument. “I go, with Danny on guard. I know I can trust him with a secret. He’ll only be with us until we start to climb, not all the way. I go alone with her as we near the rim. She’ll be safe. I’ll show her the passage.”
When no one said anything, Bear added, “Her brothers will be safe if no one knows the plan but us. They can meet up with her in Dallas. They’ll be safer that way.”
Everyone nodded but Danny.
“Everybody understand?”
Bear saw they understood there was no room for discussion.
The sheriff nodded. “I will be sure she’ll have cover until we get on the county road.” He looked around the room. “Andi, I think it’s safe to go with your brothers now. You three have a great deal to talk about.” The sheriff pointed to the deputy. “Dan will pick you up. I’ll be on the turn into Holly Rim from County Road 45, making sure no stranger passes.” He looked at Andi. “Remember you, Dan, and Bear will be at Eliza’s place by dawn. As soon as it’s light enough you’ll all be climbing. Then . . .”
Andi took over. “Draw me a map to the passage. I can take care of myself from there. I don’t want to put anyone else in sight of the men trying to kill me.”
No one said anything. No one liked the idea of her going it alone after she was out of the valley either, but they also knew she’d be safer if she didn’t have a tail.
Bear watched the couple. The deputy sat down on the desk so he was eye to eye with her. He gently placed his hands on her waist and pulled her between his legs.
She didn’t protest. In fact, she pushed closer and rested her hand over her deputy’s chest.
Everyone in the room was talking and planning but the couple. They were not fighting, or yelling. They were making peace with each other. Saying goodbye. Maybe forever.
Bear realized that it didn’t matter if their secret love was out of sight or for the world to see. It existed.
His little Eliza knew nothing of the plan. Maybe she’d help because a woman was in danger, but Bear was going to ask her to allow people on her land. Even if Bear stayed on the path on the other side of the rim, people would know the legend was real.
Bear was breaking his word.
His fairy might turn her back. He’d help save a woman’s life, but he’d shatter his.