Soldier's Promise

“This place is full of cactus,” Starfall said. “Who’s going to miss one?”

“Who was this guy?” Carmen asked, joining Starfall in searching the ground.

“Some old German. A tourist. He said he collects cactus. It sounded like an easy way to earn twenty bucks. But maybe not. I’ve been looking all morning and haven’t seen any of these.”

“Starfall!”

Sophie ran to them. “I think I found one of those cactus you’re looking for,” the girl said.

“Really?” Starfall brightened. “Show me.”

Carmen followed the two of them to a spot near the canyon rim but away from the berry thicket. Sophie squatted down and pointed. “It’s not very big,” she said. “But it looks like your picture.”

Starfall pulled out the paper and held it beside the cactus. “I think you’re right.” She patted Sophie’s shoulder. “Thanks, honey.” She straightened, then put up her hand to shield her eyes as she stared in the distance. A sly smile spread across her face. “Well, what do you know?”

Carmen followed the other woman’s gaze and recognized the tall figure striding toward them, just as Sophie shouted “Jake!” and began running toward her brother.

Jake hugged Sophie, then the two continued arm in arm toward Carmen and Starfall.

“What are you all looking at?” he asked when he joined them.

“Why, you, Soldier Boy,” Starfall said, while Carmen said nothing.

“Hello, Carmen,” he said.

“Hello.” She kept her expression and her voice cool. She still hadn’t made up her mind how she felt about Jake. On one hand, she admired his devotion to his sister and mother, and his courage and determination to do the right thing. But he also struck her as quick-tempered and a little mysterious. She appreciated a strong man, but she didn’t want to have to wonder if he was on the right side of the law.

“I told Mom you’d come back,” Sophie said.

“Where is she?” Jake looked past his sister toward the other women, who had moved down the rim of the wash to pick more berries.

“I talked her into sitting down under a tree and resting.” Sophie pointed to a shady spot where Phoenix sat. Just then, the older woman looked over to them, smiled and waved.

“How is she feeling today?” Jake asked.

“She says she’s better.” Sophie shrugged. “I guess she is. She came back to the trailer about suppertime and went straight to bed and slept all night, so maybe she was just really tired.”

“Uh-huh.”

“What brings you to see us, Soldier Boy?” Starfall lightly touched Jake’s shoulder and smiled.

“I was out hiking and saw you all picking berries and thought it would be a good opportunity to visit with my mom and sister away from the camp.”

“You’re not afraid of the Prophet’s enforcers, are you?” Starfall said. She squeezed his bicep. “You look like a man who knows how to handle himself.”

Jake shrugged away from her. “What were you ladies looking at just now?” he asked.

“We were looking at cactus,” Sophie said, ignoring Starfall’s frown.

“What kind of cactus?” Jake focused on the ground where Sophie pointed.

“Starfall knows,” Sophie said. “Show him the picture.”

“I don’t think so.” Starfall hugged her arms across her chest. “Why don’t you go back to your mother, and let us adults talk?”

Sophie pouted. “Jake’s my brother. I want to stay with him.”

Jake put his arm around her. “Sure, you can stay with me.”

Starfall tossed her head. “I was hoping I’d run into you again soon,” she said.

“Why is that?” he asked.

She glanced at Carmen. “I wanted to talk to you. Alone.”

“You can say whatever you need to say here,” he said.

Now it was Starfall’s turn to pout. But Jake’s expression sent the clear message that he wasn’t budging. “I have something that belongs to you,” she said. “Something I found when I was out walking yesterday.”

He tensed, and it was as if the temperature around him dropped a few degrees. “What is it?” he asked, the three words sharp with anger.

Starfall twirled a lock of hair. “Something you wouldn’t want to fall into the wrong hands.”

“Give it back.”

Sophie cringed at his sharp tone, but Starfall only laughed. “Oh no,” she said. “If you want it, you’ll have to pay for it. Or I could hand it over to the Prophet. He might be very interested in it.”

“What are you talking about?” Sophie asked before Carmen could voice the question.

But neither Jake nor Starfall answered. They glared at each other, then his expression cooled, and he seemed to shrug off his anger. He turned his back to Starfall and squatted to get a closer look at the cactus. It was a clear dismissal. Starfall glared at him, hands fisted at her sides, and Carmen braced herself to pull the other woman off him if she decided to attack.

Jake had to be aware of Starfall’s anger, but he continued to ignore her. “I think that’s a Colorado hookless cactus,” he said to Sophie.

Starfall glared at Carmen, then moved over behind Jake. “Don’t you want to know more about this item I found?” she asked.

“Right now I’m more interested in this cactus.”

“How does a guy like you know anything about cactus?” she asked.

“It’s a hobby of mine.”

“That’s the same thing the guy said who asked me to find these for him,” Starfall said. “Since when are cactus such a big hobby?”

Jake stood. “You might be surprised,” he said. “Who was the guy?”

She opened her mouth to answer, but her words were drowned out by the loud crack! of gunfire. Granite shards exploded from a nearby boulder. Sophie screamed, and Carmen reached for her weapon but was shoved hard as Jake forced her and Sophie to the ground and then pulled Starfall after them. “Stay down,” he ordered, even as he drew a gun.

Chapter Six (#u6b33b1d0-f18c-5247-ae0e-d119b689371b)