“Rose, this is Naomi. Naomi, this is Rose.”
Naomi caught the disappointment that flashed across Rose’s face, but it was gone in an instant, the smile that took its place seeming genuine.
Rose reached out, touched Naomi’s cheek. “I read about what you went through, dear. My goodness, you’re brave—and beautiful. Are you Native American, too?”
Chaska didn’t give Naomi time to answer—his attempt to prevent her from having to answer uncomfortable questions. “Tell me what’s going on with this snake.”
Rose launched into a long story about how it had moved in this spring and how she couldn’t get it to leave. “I’ve smudged it. I’ve dropped garlic in its hole. I put that plastic hawk up on my porch railing. I got some coyote urine from the hardware store, but that didn’t work either.”
Chaska looked like he was fighting not to laugh. “Well, it sounds like you’ve tried everything.”
“I respect the snake’s energy. I really do. They’re a symbol of the Goddess, a symbol of rebirth, but most of my customers aren’t as evolved as I am. It scares them. I don’t want to call an exterminator, but it’s hurting my bottom line.”
The snake stuck its head out again, and Rose jumped, proving that it scared her, too. So much for being evolved.
“You here about that damned snake?”
Naomi turned toward the sound of the voice and saw that the woman in the pink kimono wasn’t a woman, but an older man, his face unshaven, the robe open at the top to expose a wedge of gray chest hair.
“Hey, Bob.” Chaska didn’t seem surprised at all, as if Bob and his pink kimono were the norm here in Scarlet. “This is Naomi Archer. Naomi, this is Bob Jewell, owner of the Forest Creek Inn across the street. He’s Lexi’s dad.”
“And grandpa to the cutest baby girl on earth. Nice to meet you.” Bob wiped his palm on his kimono and held his hand out for her. “Glad you’re okay, and glad they got those bastards.”
“I’ve met Emily, and sheiscute. And thank you.”
The two men went back to talking about the snake. They decided to run water down the hole with Rose’s hose. Chaska would catch the snake when it surfaced and stick it in the canvas bag he’d brought. Then he would release it at an old quarry above town.
“If the snake doesn’t come up quickly, we’ll stop, and I’ll go buy a trap. I don’t want to drown it. Agreed?”
Chaska went to get the bag out of the back of his truck, while Bob, whose white underwear showed when he bent over, went after Rose’s garden hose.
Rose turned to Naomi. “How long are you planning to stay in town?”
“I’m not sure. I was going to be here for a week, but things have changed.”
Rose lowered her voice, leaned closer. “I’ve always thought Chaska would be amazing in bed—all that intense Scorpio energy. I’ll bet he’s well hung, too.”
Naomi gaped at Rose, her cheeks burning. “I … I can’t talk about him like that.”
“I’ve shocked you. Sorry, dear.” She gave Naomi a motherly pat on the arm. “I would have thought a Native girl would be more open about sexuality.”
Naomi fought to keep the rage from her voice. “Open or not, I would never turn something as beautiful and sacred as my sex life with Chaska into a topic of cheap gossip. I respect him too much for that.”
She said it loud enough that she was afraid Chaska had heard her.
Although she’d just told Rose off, Rose seemed delighted. “So, youarelovers.”
“What?” Hadn’t Rose known that already?
No, she’d been fishing, and Naomi had just told her what she’d wanted to know. How was she going to explain this to Chaska?
He glanced over at the two of them, then went back to what he was doing. He got into position off to the side of the snake’s hole where he wouldn’t make a shadow, his hand inside the bag, which he had turned inside out. “Ready.”
Bob turned on the water, a slow stream running down into the hole.
The seconds ticked by, and nothing happened. Naomi was sure that Chaska was going to call it off when the snake’s head popped up.
In a blink, Chaska had grabbed it just behind its head, drawing its body out of the hole and turning the bag right side out, trapping it. The snake fought to escape, its tail curling this way and that.