Read Online Cotton Grass Lodge by DeNise Woodbury - Free Book Online

and his cheek before he could fend off the apology. “You don’t dance worth a damn.” He grumbled indignantly. “Dogs.”
    The dog backed away, its head drooped in abject misery. As they both limped toward the lodge, Duncan was amused to discover a dog could be embarrassed, too. The groceries could wait.
    Duncan fixed his cup of coffee, and when he went out onto the porch, he noticed the puppy, motionless and alert. Its attention focused on a small disheveled man standing at the edge of the yard. Duncan considered for a moment and raised his cup. “Would you like a cup of coffee?” The man came closer and stopped at the bottom of the steps. “I like sweet, hot tea.” He didn’t appear to have many teeth. The dog with him lay down at the bottom of the steps and tolerated the brief, exuberant greeting Nameless gave, and then both dogs quieted.
    “I’ll be right back.” Duncan turned and went through the door of the lodge to the kitchen and dropped a teabag into a cup. The kettle still had plenty of hot water. When Duncan returned to the porch, the man was seated in the porch swing, his toes just reached the deck, pushing a controlled back and forth motion of the swing. A smile spread across the visitor’s face.
    Duncan handed the cup to the little man. He fit the description Nell had given of the Shaman. “I’m Duncan,” he said. “It’s nice to meet you.”
    The Shaman rocked gently and sipped his tea. Duncan settled into his own seat at a willow-twig table. He preferred no conversation to mindless babble, and the Shaman seemed content to oblige.
    Duncan drifted into silent contemplation of the lake. The color seemed dull compared to the white sparkle of a few days ago. He stood to follow a softly rhythmic pulsation of sound coming from the lake. A raven’s wings rustled the still air as the bird flew a lazy path through the yard. Wonder tinged his voice, “I’ve never heard a bird fly before.”
    The Shaman stood and put his cup on the small table. “You will stay here a long time.” The words clicked and popped with the formality of a second language.
    Duncan found the innocuous smile as unnerving as the statement. “What’s your name?” There came no answer.
    The Shaman descended the steps and gently put his hands on the puppy, as if reacquainting himself with the shape of its head. He released the dog and continued on his way. The pup looked back over his shoulder at Duncan, and they both watched the Shaman and his dog disappear into a brushy path.

Chapter 7
    Hanna slouched in the office chair behind Charlie’s desk with her feet propped up on an upside down five-gallon hydraulic oil bucket. She’d come to work early, prepared the plane, and now waited impatiently on the weather and the clock to get her day under way.
    Something bumped the front door. Dog heard it too and lumbered toward the door. If it were Charlie, he would have simply opened it and come in. Hanna stood and tossed the magazine she’d been reading onto a stack of others on top of the two foot tall safe. She caught the cascade of slick magazines and steadied them on the heavy-duty side table next to her chair.
    She pulled the door open just as Charlie’s three-toned pick-up splashed into the muddy parking lot.
    “It’s open.” He called through his window to the person standing on the step, “Go on in.” He flicked his cigarette into a puddle. The smoke, trapped inside his truck, focused on trying to escape the narrowing window as he cranked it shut.
    “Can I help you?” Hanna asked. Sudden recognition registered. “Oh—Alice?” The woman’s hair had grown, but she was still as small and fragile looking as she’d been last fall. Her feet were surrounded by three brightly colored bags and a car seat. Hanna instinctively reached to hug the woman and a quick response came from inside Alice’s jacket. The wailing baby fought its way toward the zippered opening. “Oh, my God, you’ve got a baby.” Hanna bent toward