Read Online Red Mesa by Aimée & David Thurlo - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Aimée & David Thurlo
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house.”
Ella said nothing, but decided to go ahead with her search anyway. Rose needed help, and not just with Dawn.
Ella watched her mother stare at hercane. “It’s no shame to use that, you know,” Ella said.
“It slows me down.”
“I’m home today, Mom. I’ll take care of things. Just relax.”
She saw her mother trying to get up, then slipping back into the chair cushion. Ella handed her the cane, then held out her hand, but Rose pulled away. “I am not helpless.”
“Mom, you were hurt in a really bad car accident, and for a while we didn’t know ifyou’d ever be able to walk again at all. This isn’t about being helpless. This is about being human. We’re family, and it’s okay if we help each other. How many times did you help me when I got the flu, or when I sprained my ankle one time trying to beat Clifford in a race?”
Rose smiled. “You were only twelve, but even then you were the most stubborn child I’d ever seen—until now. My granddaughteris a lot like you in that way. When she decides that she wants to do something, that girl acts like nothing in the world can stop her.”
Hearing Dawn moving around in the nursery, Ella left her mother and went to her daughter.
Hoping to get Dawn to expend some of her excess energy, Ella took her out for a walk along a path leading to an old pasture, holding her tiny hand and letting Dawn setthe pace. Two, the family mutt, ambled along beside them. As they reached the shelter made of cottonwood branches that had once served as a lean-to for sheep, Two suddenly stopped and bared his teeth.
Ella picked Dawn up instantly. She’d expected Dawn to start crying or show fear, but as if she, too, had seen or sensed danger, Dawn became very still.
Ella only had the backup .22 derringer inher boot. She made it a point not to wear a holster when she was with her daughter, afraid that the little girl would reach for the weapon.
Now, as she watched the bushy terrain ahead, she couldn’t sense or see anything other than a few sparrows and a mourning dove. But another look at Two convinced her that something or someone was nearby. The animal’s hackles were raised and his deep-throatedgrowl signaled he was ready to fight.
Ella backed away, listening and visually searching the area around her, then turned and jogged back to the house. Leaving Dawn with Rose, she retrieved her service pistol and went back outside. Two hadn’t moved, nor had he sat down.
Ella went on ahead, moving carefully and searching for tracks. The dog finally joined her and stayed at her side, sniffingthe air.
Ella was thorough, but she found nothing. As she glanced down at the dog, she saw that Two had relaxed and his hackles were back down.
“I wish you could talk, Two. I’d love to know what it was you saw, or what your nose told you about who or what was here.”
They returned to the house without incident, but Ella was still tense. As she looked at Dawn, she tried to make sense out of herchild’s reaction. Dawn normally would have loudly protested being picked up quickly like that. Yet she’d remained quiet, her eyes glued straight ahead.
Ella sat down on the floor with Dawn, who was sorting her plastic blocks by color. “Daughter, when we went for a walk, did you see anyone out there besides Two?”
Dawn looked up, her dark brown eyes wide as she shook her head.
Rose watched themfor a moment. “What happened?” she asked as Ella sat back, lost in thought, idly handing Dawn one block at a time to place in the proper pile.
Ella recounted the events. “It was really weird, Mom. But there were no tracks at all.”
“At least not where you looked,” Rose said slowly. “Maybe you just didn’t search the right place. The only thing that will set Two off like that is when he thinksone of us is in danger.”
Ella nodded. “I agree, but I found nothing.” She regretted not having checked to see if the badger fetish around her neck had felt warm at the time. That
Ella said nothing, but decided to go ahead with her search anyway. Rose needed help, and not just with Dawn.
Ella watched her mother stare at hercane. “It’s no shame to use that, you know,” Ella said.
“It slows me down.”
“I’m home today, Mom. I’ll take care of things. Just relax.”
She saw her mother trying to get up, then slipping back into the chair cushion. Ella handed her the cane, then held out her hand, but Rose pulled away. “I am not helpless.”
“Mom, you were hurt in a really bad car accident, and for a while we didn’t know ifyou’d ever be able to walk again at all. This isn’t about being helpless. This is about being human. We’re family, and it’s okay if we help each other. How many times did you help me when I got the flu, or when I sprained my ankle one time trying to beat Clifford in a race?”
Rose smiled. “You were only twelve, but even then you were the most stubborn child I’d ever seen—until now. My granddaughteris a lot like you in that way. When she decides that she wants to do something, that girl acts like nothing in the world can stop her.”
Hearing Dawn moving around in the nursery, Ella left her mother and went to her daughter.
Hoping to get Dawn to expend some of her excess energy, Ella took her out for a walk along a path leading to an old pasture, holding her tiny hand and letting Dawn setthe pace. Two, the family mutt, ambled along beside them. As they reached the shelter made of cottonwood branches that had once served as a lean-to for sheep, Two suddenly stopped and bared his teeth.
Ella picked Dawn up instantly. She’d expected Dawn to start crying or show fear, but as if she, too, had seen or sensed danger, Dawn became very still.
Ella only had the backup .22 derringer inher boot. She made it a point not to wear a holster when she was with her daughter, afraid that the little girl would reach for the weapon.
Now, as she watched the bushy terrain ahead, she couldn’t sense or see anything other than a few sparrows and a mourning dove. But another look at Two convinced her that something or someone was nearby. The animal’s hackles were raised and his deep-throatedgrowl signaled he was ready to fight.
Ella backed away, listening and visually searching the area around her, then turned and jogged back to the house. Leaving Dawn with Rose, she retrieved her service pistol and went back outside. Two hadn’t moved, nor had he sat down.
Ella went on ahead, moving carefully and searching for tracks. The dog finally joined her and stayed at her side, sniffingthe air.
Ella was thorough, but she found nothing. As she glanced down at the dog, she saw that Two had relaxed and his hackles were back down.
“I wish you could talk, Two. I’d love to know what it was you saw, or what your nose told you about who or what was here.”
They returned to the house without incident, but Ella was still tense. As she looked at Dawn, she tried to make sense out of herchild’s reaction. Dawn normally would have loudly protested being picked up quickly like that. Yet she’d remained quiet, her eyes glued straight ahead.
Ella sat down on the floor with Dawn, who was sorting her plastic blocks by color. “Daughter, when we went for a walk, did you see anyone out there besides Two?”
Dawn looked up, her dark brown eyes wide as she shook her head.
Rose watched themfor a moment. “What happened?” she asked as Ella sat back, lost in thought, idly handing Dawn one block at a time to place in the proper pile.
Ella recounted the events. “It was really weird, Mom. But there were no tracks at all.”
“At least not where you looked,” Rose said slowly. “Maybe you just didn’t search the right place. The only thing that will set Two off like that is when he thinksone of us is in danger.”
Ella nodded. “I agree, but I found nothing.” She regretted not having checked to see if the badger fetish around her neck had felt warm at the time. That
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