big enough he could have carried it out with him. He didn’t. I’m telling you, he came for her camera. That’s all he wanted.”
“I guess it’s good that the camera wasn’t here,” he said, almost to himself.
“I know.” Redfoot swayed a little in his chair. “You need to listen, Sky. Your woman, she needs you. This man is after her.”
Why would anyone be after Shala Winters? Because of her work bringing tourism to Precious? He recalled the troublemakers in town trying to stop the Chamber of Commerce from hiring her.
“Did you get a good look? Recognize him?”
The sirens seemed to stop in front of the house.
“He wore a ski mask. Big guy. Light eyes. Don’t think he’s from around here.”
The doorbell rang. Sky got up to answer.
“I’m not getting in that noisy…”
Redfoot’s words faltered, and Sky looked back. His foster father had stood up. “Sit down!” he ordered, but too late. Redfoot stumbled. Sky managed to catch him before he hit the floor, and said, “I got you,” but when he laid the old man down, he realized Redfoot was unconscious.
Maria came running into the room. “What’s wrong?”
“He passed out,” Sky replied.
“Dios!” Maria said, and Sky saw her tears.
“Open the door,” he ordered. “The paramedics are here.”
When Maria ran off, Sky looked back at Redfoot. The man had been more than just a foster father; he’d been the only real father Sky ever knew. His chest swelled with emotion, and for the first time ever he wondered if he’d actually told the man thank you. Had he ever said the words I love you? Probably not.
“Redfoot, don’t you dare die on me.”
C HAPTER E IGHT
Shala felt the moral heaviness in her chest expand, but this wasn’t wrong. It was her camera, damn it!
In the kitchen and pantry, she found all sorts of cooking appliances, but in spite of searching every nook and cranny, she didn’t find her Nikon. She did, however, learn the man had a fixation on Lucky Charms cereal. Three boxes made it a fixation. Considering her cabinet at home held two—she’d just finished one—she couldn’t judge.
With the kitchen deemed Nikon-free, she searched the television armoire in the living room. In there, she discoveredSky’s DVDs. She expected to find a few porn flicks, but nope, adventure movies, mostly. Amazingly, she’d seen all but two.
By the time she got to the computer room, she’d made up her mind to only take the memory card if she found her camera. She should have asked him for that in the first place. She would have, too, if she hadn’t been so distracted. This way, she could still download the images and get some work done. She’d even eventually pay the fine to get her camera back, though, come hell or a freaking huge tsunami, she would not shine his shoes. None of this meant she felt Sky had any right to keep her camera, but she didn’t feel right searching his house for it while he was gone.
Closing her eyes, she sent up a small prayer that Redfoot would be okay. She remembered how he had called her Blue Eyes, and she liked the idea that he’d given her a nickname. Her granddad had called her Pumpkin. Her dad, when he was alive, had called her Princess. Something about being called by a nickname made her feel special. She vaguely remembered asking her ex if he had a nickname for her. He’d laughed and said, “Yes—my fuck bunny.” And she hadn’t even been his only fuck bunny!
Pushing the past into a mental Dumpster, she poked around the computer room. Lots of drawers and file cabinets, lots of places to hide a camera, but they held only documents and old files. She didn’t take the time to check each out; her goal wasn’t to snoop. However, shutting the desk, she accidently jarred the computer awake. She heard it yawn, spit, and come alive. The screen lit up with a picture of her. Well, not just a picture of her, but her web page. He hadn’t been lying about visiting her site. He’d definitely done his
“I guess it’s good that the camera wasn’t here,” he said, almost to himself.
“I know.” Redfoot swayed a little in his chair. “You need to listen, Sky. Your woman, she needs you. This man is after her.”
Why would anyone be after Shala Winters? Because of her work bringing tourism to Precious? He recalled the troublemakers in town trying to stop the Chamber of Commerce from hiring her.
“Did you get a good look? Recognize him?”
The sirens seemed to stop in front of the house.
“He wore a ski mask. Big guy. Light eyes. Don’t think he’s from around here.”
The doorbell rang. Sky got up to answer.
“I’m not getting in that noisy…”
Redfoot’s words faltered, and Sky looked back. His foster father had stood up. “Sit down!” he ordered, but too late. Redfoot stumbled. Sky managed to catch him before he hit the floor, and said, “I got you,” but when he laid the old man down, he realized Redfoot was unconscious.
Maria came running into the room. “What’s wrong?”
“He passed out,” Sky replied.
“Dios!” Maria said, and Sky saw her tears.
“Open the door,” he ordered. “The paramedics are here.”
When Maria ran off, Sky looked back at Redfoot. The man had been more than just a foster father; he’d been the only real father Sky ever knew. His chest swelled with emotion, and for the first time ever he wondered if he’d actually told the man thank you. Had he ever said the words I love you? Probably not.
“Redfoot, don’t you dare die on me.”
C HAPTER E IGHT
Shala felt the moral heaviness in her chest expand, but this wasn’t wrong. It was her camera, damn it!
In the kitchen and pantry, she found all sorts of cooking appliances, but in spite of searching every nook and cranny, she didn’t find her Nikon. She did, however, learn the man had a fixation on Lucky Charms cereal. Three boxes made it a fixation. Considering her cabinet at home held two—she’d just finished one—she couldn’t judge.
With the kitchen deemed Nikon-free, she searched the television armoire in the living room. In there, she discoveredSky’s DVDs. She expected to find a few porn flicks, but nope, adventure movies, mostly. Amazingly, she’d seen all but two.
By the time she got to the computer room, she’d made up her mind to only take the memory card if she found her camera. She should have asked him for that in the first place. She would have, too, if she hadn’t been so distracted. This way, she could still download the images and get some work done. She’d even eventually pay the fine to get her camera back, though, come hell or a freaking huge tsunami, she would not shine his shoes. None of this meant she felt Sky had any right to keep her camera, but she didn’t feel right searching his house for it while he was gone.
Closing her eyes, she sent up a small prayer that Redfoot would be okay. She remembered how he had called her Blue Eyes, and she liked the idea that he’d given her a nickname. Her granddad had called her Pumpkin. Her dad, when he was alive, had called her Princess. Something about being called by a nickname made her feel special. She vaguely remembered asking her ex if he had a nickname for her. He’d laughed and said, “Yes—my fuck bunny.” And she hadn’t even been his only fuck bunny!
Pushing the past into a mental Dumpster, she poked around the computer room. Lots of drawers and file cabinets, lots of places to hide a camera, but they held only documents and old files. She didn’t take the time to check each out; her goal wasn’t to snoop. However, shutting the desk, she accidently jarred the computer awake. She heard it yawn, spit, and come alive. The screen lit up with a picture of her. Well, not just a picture of her, but her web page. He hadn’t been lying about visiting her site. He’d definitely done his
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