Coyote Gorgeous (5 page)

"
Glad you
approve.
"
Kal filled both
glasses and drank standing up then sighed.
"
It’s my favorite French burgundy,
but it has to be served just right.
"

She raised her
glass.
"
Congratulations on a
perfect delivery.
"

A smile lit his face at
the compliment. He raised his glass to her then set it on the
table.
"
I’ll be right
back.
"

When he turned his back to walk into
the house, Madison had to remind herself that she had come to catch
a killer, not enjoy an evening of fine wine, good food, and
pleasant company. Why did she feel so attracted to Kal? He was
nothing like the men she knew, all cops and rangers. But Kal should
remain a suspect. Madison had better watch how much she
drank.

"
I have a few
hours before the night predators emerge,
"
Madison said, making conversation toward the open
door as she settled against the chair cushions and tried to relax.
The sun dipped behind the hills, streaking red across a dark
turquoise sky.
"
With the soft
background music, it feels like a wide screen documentary
from
Arizona Highways
out here.
"

Kal appeared in the
doorway holding two plates.
"
Hope you like classic jazz.
"

"
I
do.
"
It had been a long time
since someone had treated Madison like a lady. Not since that
sonovabitch, two-faced cheater, Jake. She didn’t want to rehash bad
memories. Not tonight.

"
It’s Sydney
Bechet on the clarinet.
"
Kal
set the two plates of appetizing salad on the table.
"
Mixed greens with balsamic
vinaigrette.
"

"
I love
Bechet.
"
Madison couldn’t
help but smile.
"
Enticing,
slow and rhythmic, with a freshness and spontaneity no electronic
instrument can replicate.
"

"
So, you
really like jazz.
"
He smiled
mysteriously as he sat across from her on the bench.

"
Didn’t I say
so?
"
Madison had eyes only
for Kal, the way his muscles moved, and the play of the orange
light on the regular planes of his face. He seemed in perfect
control of his slightest movements at all times, like a cat, or a
fine-tuned martial artist. Certainly, there could be no harm in
enjoying the scenery.

She bit into a piece of
lettuce and cherry tomato, making small appreciative sounds.
"
It’s good.
"

He dropped a napkin in his
lap and dug into his salad.
"
I didn’t want to sound like a cliché by playing the Native
flute. Although I have an extensive collection, if you
prefer.
"

Madison shook her head and
smiled.
"
Maybe
later.
"
Redirecting the
conversation might avoid his probing into her plain, boring career
and disastrous experiences with men.
"
Mrs. Esteban said you grew up on
the Reservation.
"

"
I am Hopi.
It means
the people of
peace,
"
Kal said it with
pride.
"
And my name,
Kaletaka, means
Guardian of the
People
, according to the
legends.
"

"
What kind of
legends?
"
Enjoying the food,
Madison welcomed a lesson in Native American culture.

"
Silly
things, really.
"
As he
reached for the salt, his hand brushed her fingers on the
tablecloth. Accident? Unlikely. Not according to the piercing way
he stared into her eyes.

Shuddering with the electric charge of
his contact, Madison quickly pulled back her hand. She’d enjoyed it
a little too much, like the wine. She must remain sharp, and this
man had a way of throwing her off balance. She felt herself blush
under his insistent gaze as she set aside her empty
plate.

To hide her embarrassment,
she looked down and dabbed her mouth with her napkin.
"
I’m curious about these
legends.
"

A strike of dry lightning illuminated
the distant hills.

Kal glanced up and
smiled.
"
My tribe believes
that on a night like this, skinwalkers might walk the
land.
"

The muffled sound of faraway thunder
rumbled all around.

"
Skinwalkers?
"
Madison
had heard the word before but knew nothing about its
meaning.

"
Great
Coyote, the creator of the universe, enters a human body so he can
walk as a human for a while. And under the full moon, the man
becomes half coyote.
"
He
stood and took away the salad plates.

Left alone on the deck, Madison
pondered Kal’s story. Skinwalkers? Three dead animals under a full
moon. Coincidence? Or was Kal trying to sell her on a shapeshifter
legend? Night had fallen, and the moon shadows of the sculptures
under the white tent looked ominous, as if they would start walking
anytime. She chuckled at her own fear that morning, when the
sculptures had spooked her.

Although she’d had only a few sips of
wine, she felt euphoric. She should watch her drinking.

Kal returned with two
steaming plates and set them on the table.
"
Chicken
Marsala.
"

The appetizing dish, with
mushrooms and onions, served on a bed of bow-tie pasta, had a
divine aroma. Madison took a bite and sighed with delight.
"
You made this from scratch? Where
did you learn gourmet cooking?
"

He nodded humbly and sat
at the table.
"
I travel with
my art. I have a knack with food. I learn
fast.
"

"
This is
sublime.
"
But the Marsala
sauce contained alcohol, too. Madison had better watch her
intake.
"
To get back to the
legends, you mean skinwalkers are like werewolves, but
coyotes?
"

"
A skinwalker
can be any animal. All kinds of evil spirits can take over human
beings. But the Coyote is the most sacred.
"
The feral glint in his eyes made Madison
shiver.

"
But this is
legend. It never happens, right?
"
Even fresh from the Reservation, he couldn’t be that remote
from reality.

Kal took on a mysterious
expression as he gazed upon her, and his voice changed to the
rhythm of traditional storytelling.
"
Many elders claim to have seen
shapeshifters. They skip generations but invariably return in
regular cycles to do mischief in the glow of the full
moon.
"

"
But for what
purpose?
"
Such stories just
didn’t make sense.

"
The Great
Coyote, creator of the universe, is a mischievous
god.
"
The candlelight gave
his skin a golden glow.

Madison forced down her
mounting lust. This was no time for such thoughts.
"
Now I understand why you create
such striking creatures in your art.
"

"
Legends and
mythology are great sources of inspiration.
"
He topped off both glasses.

"
But you
don’t believe these legends, do you?
"

"
What we
believe is irrelevant.
"
His
face closed, and he lowered his gaze to focus on his plate. He
hadn’t answered the question. What was he hiding?

Madison took a sip of
wine.
"
Any interesting
stories?
"

"
There are
plenty, but I don’t know them all.
"
He shoved food into his mouth as if to avoid the
topic. An obvious lie.

Madison remained silent. Why didn’t he
want to tell her? Cricket chirps filled the night air, punctuating
the conversation lag. The breeze carried a hint of sweet
sage.

Kal glanced up, suddenly
tense.
"
What about you? Why
were you so adamant against accepting a date?
"
His teasing tone took a sharp edge.
"
Is there a boyfriend I should be
worried about?
"

"
No.
"
The answer came
too quickly.
Damn
.

He beamed at her and grinned. Madison
hated herself for being so transparent.

"
An ex,
maybe?
"
When she didn’t
answer, his face grew serious.
"
One who did not treat you right?
"

Madison sighed.
"
Actually, the man was very
charming. Aren’t they all in the beginning?
"
Did the wine make her talk too much? She barely
had one glass. So why was she babbling? Something about Kal
loosened her tongue.
"
The
bastard charmed every woman in a thirty mile radius into his bed. I
can’t believe it took me months to find
out.
"

"
Obviously,
he didn’t appreciate or deserve you.
"
Kal said softly, gazing into her eyes.

"
Thanks.
"
She held his
gaze a little too long then looked away to break the
spell.

He raised the empty
bottle.
"
Should I open
another?
"

Madison covered her glass
with her hand.
"
That’s quite
enough for me. Thank you.
"

"
As for this
stupid boyfriend of yours, you are better off without
him.
"

"
Right.
"
But it didn’t
help her self-esteem. Could boring little Madison ever be enough
for a man?

For dessert, Kal demonstrated his
skills with the blowtorch on some scrumptious crème brulée with
blueberries. He served it along with strong coffee sweetened with
Amaretto liqueur. Great! More alcohol.

"
What was
your childhood like?
"
He
stirred his coffee, eyes fixed on his cup.

"
My mother
was a military medic. She died in Kuwait during Desert Storm. I
have fond memories of her.
"
Madison stopped the flow of words bubbling to the surface.
She didn’t want to wax nostalgic in front of him.

Kal lifted one brow in
concern.
"
And your
father?
"

"
My father
and my older brother are cops, and hunters. They trained me as a
sharp shooter when I could barely hold a
rifle.
"
She sipped the
coffee, enjoying the sweet almond taste from the Amaretto.
"
Later, they dragged me on hunting
expeditions. But I couldn’t aim a gun at an innocent animal. It
made me sick to my stomach.
"

"
Yet you plan
to shoot a wild animal tonight.
"
His green eyes studied her with intensity.

"
There is a
difference.
"
She couldn’t
believe he didn’t see it.
"
This beast is a dangerous predator. It kills for the sake of
killing.
"

"
Of
course.
"
His eyes remained
hooded.
"
Are you close to
your family?
"

"
No.
"
Why did he have to
ask the difficult questions?
"
When I joined the rangers, they made fun of me. In their
eyes, I don’t have what it takes to be a real cop. Truth is, I
never wanted to be like them. I protect wildlife, I don’t kill for
sport.
"

"
Is that why
you carry a gun?
"