Heroes In Uniform (316 page)

“Moose turds. You'll dance if I tell you to. I'm your grandfather and you have to obey my wishes.”

“
Nimosom
—”

“We're going to the Sebastopol powwow tomorrow. I've talked to the elders, and they will ask the drummers to do a special song for you and your woman.”

Coop leapt off the bed. “No! Maggie is gone, and she doesn't want me. I won't make a fool of myself in front of the entire Native American community because of her.”

“Too late,” his grandfather said, snickering. “I already told them about your spirit bear, and they were all mighty impressed.”

Coop put his hands to his forehead, barely resisting strangling the old man. “I don't believe this. I
knew
I never should have told you about that.”

“Besides, you don't know she doesn't want you. All sorts of things might be preventing her from coming to you. Your mother's dreams said this woman is the one meant for you, and I, for one, believe them. Your mother is seldom wrong about these things.”

Cooper hadn't heard his grandfather string so many words together at one time in years. He pressed his mouth into a thin line. “Okay,
Nimosom
. I'll do this for you. But you're a sneaky old man, and it'll be a cold day in hell before I trust you with my secrets again.”

“Insolent pup,” his grandfather muttered under a broad grin, giving Coop's hair a sharp tug. “Be ready at four-thirty. We have to be up there to greet the sunrise with the others.” He glanced at the clock. “Come on, help your frail ol' gramps down the stairs. I missed the announcement of the Whitney verdict at noon, and I want to watch the evening news.”

Barely Dangerous: Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Three

Approaching Sacramento, Maggie pulled the hastily written directions to Cooper's house out of her purse and squinted at them in the burgeoning light of a magnificent sunrise over the Sierras. She had driven much of the night to get this far, having finally been allowed to leave the safe house after the guilty verdict yesterday.

She'd been ecstatic with the announcement, and lost no time packing her few belongings into a rented car and heading north on the three-hundred-fifty mile trip, stopping only for a few hours of much needed sleep at a hole in the wall motel in Los Banos.

Her hand shook so badly she could hardly read her own writing. She didn't know if she could face Cooper, she was so nervous. It was a testimony to her great love for him that she didn't turn around and flee back to L.A..

She pulled up into his split-track driveway, and looked around. His house was adorable. It was small and cozy, painted white with blue shutters. A carefully tended yard brimming with flowers and a spreading crepe myrtle was enclosed by a fresh white picket fence. She almost jumped up and down in her seat. A picket fence!

Dreams did come true, after all.

In her mind she heard her mother tell her not to hope too much or she would only be disappointed. Cooper might not want her.

She grabbed her purse, ran to the front door, and pushed the bell. After buzzing several times, she tried knocking.

No one answered.

Her heart sank. It seemed like every time she came looking for Cooper, he was gone. Maybe she should have called first. Except, she would have been so tongue-tied he wouldn’t have known who was calling.

Fighting tears, she dropped despondently to the cement stoop and leaned against the column holding up the porch roof.

What if he was away? What if he had moved out?

What if he was with another woman at her house?

Suddenly, the weight of the last three months was too much to bear. She covered her eyes with her hands and cried.

“Is there something I can do for you?” A sympathetic voice penetrated her wall of desolation. She glanced up to see a young woman in a bathrobe standing in the driveway next door clutching a newspaper in her hand. “Are you looking for Coop?”

Not trusting her voice, Maggie nodded.

The woman walked over. “He hasn't been home for over a week. He said he was going to his parents' place in the City.”

Maggie sniffed. “San Francisco? Did he say when he'd be back?”

The woman shook her head. “No. But I got the feeling it would be a while. He took a leave of absence from work and everything. Something about a—” She halted in mid-sentence, gasping in comprehension. “Well, then! I guess you'd better find him, hadn't you? I wish I could help, but he's never given us their phone number.”

Maggie stood up, given strength by the understanding look on the neighbor's face.

“Don't worry, I'll find him.” She smiled through her tears. “How many Coopers can there be in San Francisco?”

Four pages worth, as it turned out. And no Marie-Claire.

Luckily, she only had to call through five columns before she hit Fredrick Cooper and pay dirt.

“Blue Wolf?
Uh
, he's up in Sebastopol at a powwow today. Can I take a message?”

A
powwow
? Good lord. “Any idea where it's being held?”

“At one of the wineries, I believe. I'm sure there'll be signs.”

“Thanks so much. I'll try and find him there.”

“Can I tell him who called?”

She pretended not to hear the question from the man who sounded so much like her Wolf, and hung up her cell phone. Oh, my God, she was so tired. First the overnight drive to Sacramento. Then the two-hour drive down to San Francisco. And now there was another hour-and-a-half drive north to Sebastopol.

And at the end of her journey...a very uncertain outcome.

Barely Dangerous: Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Four

Maggie had never been to a powwow, so she had no idea what to expect when she walked into the Twenty-Fourth Annual Sebastopol Youth Club Powwow and Dance Contest. But she easily found her way past the craft and jewelry booths, the stands selling Navajo tacos and sodas, the services and information tables, and the throng of tourists.

She slid through the crush of spectators following the activities in the dance ring just as the master of ceremonies spoke into the microphone.

“Our next dance will be a special song, sung by our Host Northern Drum, dedicated to the grandson of one of our elders. He'll go around the circle once by himself, then he invites all his family and friends to help him in the dance, this special prayer. You ready Coop? Cooper Blue Wolf, ladies and gentlemen.”

She looked on in awe as her man, splendidly dressed in embroidered buckskin and feathers, entered the ring. His feet moved fluidly to the heartbeat of the drums and the chant of the singers, dancing a graceful clockwise pattern around the circle. Proud and stately steps alternated with dips and swoops, and high-stepping spins.

Her heart swelled with love and pride, and her eyes filled with joyful tears. After so long, to finally see him, she had to stop herself from running out and throwing her arms around him.

Without taking her eyes off him, she sank onto one of the bales of hay outlining the dance ring, and watched, rapt.

He was intent on his dancing, completely immersed in the rhythms and movements. As he passed her, she caught her breath at the beauty of the man.

Her
man.

She hoped
.

When he completed the circuit, an old man and a lovely woman joined him in the slow shuffle-step shuffle-step of what was announced as a traditional inter-tribal dance. Others entered the ring—a young family of parents and two children, and several middle-aged men. More and more people joined in, shaking hands with Cooper and the other dancers, until he was nearly lost from view in the crowd.

She had never felt more like a stranger and an outsider.

For a moment, she completely lost her nerve. What made her think this man, who was so clearly well-loved, part of a tightknit community, would want to include her in his world? In his family?

She swallowed a lump in her throat and rose, ready to make an escape.

As she did, the woman who had joined Cooper in the circle was suddenly standing in front of her, extending her hand. Maggie looked around, wondering if the woman was actually beckoning her, and not someone else.

Any doubt was removed when she smiled and wordlessly pulled a long-fringed shawl around Maggie's shoulders, leading her into the crowd of people in the ring.

She realized that this must be Cooper's soft-spoken mother, Marie-Claire, and the old man could only be his grandfather.

Her heart pumped double-time. What was she doing here? What if Cooper turned his back on her in front of his family and all these people?

It had been so long, she wouldn't blame him if he had completely forgotten about her.

She couldn't see him anywhere. Marie looped an arm through hers and set a snail's pace in the dance. With shaking knees, Maggie did her best to imitate the simple steps without tripping.

Suddenly, she felt strong hands grip her shoulders and spin her around.

“Maggie!” Cooper's astounded eyes met hers as the dancers continued in a languid stream around them.

“Wolf.” His name came out like a breathless, heartfelt wish, releasing all the love and longing she had bottled inside over the past three months.

Slowly, he smiled.

She drank in his features, the light scent of buckskin and honey that clung to him, the flush of sweat on his temples from the dancing, the gorgeous array of quills and colored embroidery that adorned him.

She smiled back, bursting with love. “Nice outfit,” she murmured. “Indian Warrior?”

One side of his smile lifted in a grin, and he reached for her. “Yep. Ever ridden one?”

Her fingers traced up his arms. “Not for months. Know any available?”

His hands slid around her back and pulled her close. “You sure that's what you want? They're pretty temperamental, you know.”

“Very sure.” She melded into his embrace with a whole-body sigh of pleasure.

“They need constant attention.” He caressed her jaw and tipped her chin up with his fingers. “And get pretty cranky if you don't take them for a ride every day.”

She brushed his lips with hers. “A nice long one. Two or three, some days. To make up for lost time.”

“
Mmm
. I think I know just the warrior for you. But we'll need a license. I want everything nice and legal.”

She threw her arms around his neck. “Yes, that sounds perfect.”

He lifted her off the ground, laughing and swinging her full circle, the fringe of her shawl flying.

His grandfather stepped up to them, grinning widely. “Glad to see you put away that gangster, Whitney. Knew you would.”

She glanced in surprise from him to Cooper as he set her on her feet. “How did you find out?”

“I didn’t.” Cooper shook his head. “Whitney? The scumbag on trial?
You
put him away?”

His grandfather cackled. “What do you think she's been doing all these months? After the story you told, it didn't take a genius to figure out. Just a matter of narrowing down which trial. If you’d bothered watching Court TV with me, you’d have seen her testify.” He grinned at her. “You were mighty impressive, young lady.”

Cooper stared at him, dumbfounded. “Why the hell didn't you tell me?”

“You needed to think things through on your own, boy. Looks like you came to the right decision, even not knowing.”

Maggie tightened her arms around him. “I'm sorry, Wolf. Dinny wouldn't let me call you. I pleaded and begged—”

“It's okay, pup. You're back now, and that's all that matters.” Suddenly, he held her away from him and peered at her waistline. “Is there— Are we—?”

She nodded, brimming with joy.

He pulled her into his arms, holding her tenderly, telling her of his love with every touch. His mouth sought hers, and she kissed him deeply, filled with dreams of their love, of their future, of the children they would raise, and the lifetime they would spend together.

As their lips parted, the drums picked up the cadence and the singers started a new song.

“A marriage blessing,” Cooper whispered to her. He held out his arm and placed hers over it. Surrounded by family and friends, they joined the dance, starting their journey together in the circle of life.

—The End—

About the Author

Nina Bruhns

New York Times
and
USA Today
Bestselling author Nina Bruhns' adventurous romantic thrillers contain a unique blend of interesting characters and settings, twisty suspense and sizzling romance. To date she has published over 30 award-winning novels.

Aside from hitting #11 on the New York Times Best Seller List, other awards and honors for Ms. Bruhns's books have included two RITA nominations, three Daphne du Maurier Awards for the Year's Best Overall Mystery-Suspense Book, two Romantic Times Reviewer Award for Best Book of the Year for series romance, a National Readers Choice Award, and five Dorothy Parker Awards of Excellence, just to name a few.

Read more about Nina Bruhns and her books on her website:

www.NinaBruhns.com

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Website:
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Additional Books by Nina Bruhns

DANGEROUS CURVES
(STORM Corps TD book 1)

WARRIOR’S BRIDE
(The Warriors trilogy book 1)

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
(New Orleans trilogy book 1)