It was a silver bracelet, and it was exquisite, semi-precious stones worked into a mosaic image of a coyote howling in front of a full moon, the edges filigreed flowers.
“I don’t think you have one like this.” The sales clerk, a young woman, stepped forward, opened the case, and retrieved the bracelet. “This is an exclusive by Naomi Archer. It’s one of a kind.”
“IamNaomi Archer.”
“You’re … Naomi?” The young woman’s eyes went wide. “Wow. Wait here! Just wait a second.”
She disappeared and returned with an older woman, the manager or perhaps the shop’s owner.
“Naomi Archer?” The older woman shook Naomi’s hand. “I just love your work. It’s exciting to have you here in my store.”
Chaska watched while the three women talked jewelry, pleased to see Naomi getting the attention she deserved. Her work trulywasamazing. Why couldn’t she see that? Okay, so he’d bet that being left to die by her mother and being raised by religious lunatics who’d adopted her because God told them to but who didn’t really love her had something to do with that.
I grew up thinking there was something wrong with me.
It hurt Chaska to think that belief might still live inside her.
Naomi seemed to float all the way back to his truck. “Did you hear them? They said people come in asking for my stuff.”
“I’m not surprised.” He opened the door for her and helped her up.
He drove back toward Scarlet, listening as Naomi talked about the boutique she dreamed of owning and how she’d even thought of moving to Colorado.
“Are we going home?” There was a note in her voice that told him she wasn’t sure she wanted to go back just yet.
“Nope. We’ve got one more stop.” He turned off the highway onto Sugarloaf Mountain Road, drove to the trailhead, and parked. He grabbed a daypack from behind his seat, checked to make sure it still held a space blanket and first aid kit, then added her camera and two bottles of water. “The trail is rocky and steep, so I’m going to have to carry you on my back.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“It’s two miles there and back, so it’s no big deal.” He gave her the daypack, helped her adjust it, then bent down. “Ready?”
It was a much tougher hike with a hundred twenty pounds on his back, but it was good training. There was no telling when he might have to do this to save a life. By the time they reached the summit, he was breathing hard.
“Oh, God, it’s beautiful up here!”
“It’s one of the best places in the county to watch the sunset.” He carried her to a rocky area, then set her down, helping her to keep her balance while she hopped to a wide, flat rock and sat.
“What is this place?” There was awe in her voice.
“Sugarloaf Mountain.” He sat beside her, took the daypack, handed her the camera, then pulled out a bottle of water and drank. “I’d hoped you would like it.”
“Like it?” She looked over at him, eyes wide. “It’s breathtaking.”
“That’s Mount Meeker, and that’s Longs Peak. We’ve done a lot of rescues on Longs. Over there are the Indian Peaks that surround Scarlet. To the south, there are Boulder’s mountains—Green Mountain, Bear Peak, South Boulder Peak.”
She switched lenses, adjusted the settings on her camera, and shot a few photos. But as the sun began to set, she put the camera down. “Some things you just have to see with your own eyes.”
A chilly breeze blew from the west, and she shivered.
“Hand me that blanket in the pack.”
She did as he asked.
He opened it, scooted closer to her, and wrapped it around the two of them, the symbolism of it striking him as he put his arm around her shoulders. In a Lakota wedding, the man and woman were wrapped together just like this in a blanket to symbolize their union.
You were led to her.
Okay. Why fight it?