who’ve lived in the area for a long time – they’ve fought
the Army for years. Right now, they have a reprieve, but you know
how this works. The Army is never going to give up; so the families
keep fighting.”
“ These families still live
there,” Seth said.
“ This flat, open valley
will always be home to them. It doesn’t look like much . .
.”
“ The Army says it looks
like Iraq,” Seth smiled.
“ It’s home for them,”
Jocelyn said. “Has been since before Colorado was a
state.”
“ You think they killed the
tax agent?” Seth asked.
“ No one knows,” Jocelyn
said. “The sheriff at the time thought he probably killed
himself.”
“ He knew he was stranded,
saw the storm intensify, figured he couldn’t get out,” Seth said.
“Suicide was better than freezing to death?”
“ That’s what they
determined,” Jocelyn said.
“ Then why was it marked as
an unsolved case?” Seth asked.
“ If it was a suicide, the
tax agent’s family wouldn’t get a death pay out,” Jocelyn said.
“Big expensive lawyer from Boston showed up and made a fuss. Mr.
Bradley had a wife and a couple of young kids. The sheriff felt
sorry for them.”
“ Huh,” Seth said. “And the
horses?”
“ I knew you’d catch that,”
Jocelyn said. “No one knows what happened to his Arabian horses.
That’s part of the mystery. Was he killed for the horses? Was it a
tax problem? I’ll tell you though. There’s lots of talk about the
amazing horses from this valley. They’re prized by endurance horse
race fanatics. My daughter says if she doesn’t place in the Pony
Express Trail 100 this year, she’s going to get a horse from Piñon
Valley.”
“ Are they Arabian
horses?”
“ They don’t look it,”
Jocelyn said. “But if I were still a guitar-swinging, rock ‘n roll
gal, I’d wager they’re the descendents of Paul Bradley’s
horses.”
Seth nodded. Rachel smacked her lips and
started a chant of “Ma, Ma, Ma.”
“ I hate to get info and
run, but that’s the sound she makes before she starts . .
.”
Rachel let out a wail.
“ Crying,” Seth said. “She’s
hungry.”
“ Did you bring . .
.”
Seth scowled at Jocelyn. Their long-held
disdain for each other reappeared. He dug around in the bag Sandy
had given him to find a bottle of breast milk. He was about to take
Rachel from her when Jocelyn yanked the bottle away. She checked
the temperature. She gave him a kind of “so there” look and began
feeding Rachel.
“ I heard you’re getting
married again,” Jocelyn looked up at him. “Does she know about
Andy?”
“ She does.”
“ And she’s okay with
that?”
“ She says that knowing I
love and loved someone so deeply means that I’m able to love. Being
able to love is a rare gift,” Seth said. Jocelyn looked surprised.
He lifted a shoulder. “She’s twenty-three.”
“ Young people are so much
more emotionally aware than we were,” Jocelyn said. Seth
nodded.
“ She’s Aaron Alvin’s
daughter,” Seth said.
“ Poor girl,” Jocelyn said.
“That man is a bastard. How are they doing?”
“ Not great,” Seth
said.
“ She’s lucky to have you.”
When Jocelyn looked up, her eyes were filled with tears. “Andy was
too. I know that, it’s just that . . .”
“ It’s easier to hate me
than believe we couldn’t work it out.”
She gave a slight nod.
“ It’s easier for me too,”
he smiled.
She nodded and looked down at Rachel.
“ I think she’s asleep,”
Jocelyn said.
“ She sleeps for a little
bit after she eats,” he got up from his seat. “Then it’s burping,
diapers, and play. I’d better get her home, or I’ll never hear the
end of it from her teenage playmates.”
Jocelyn set Rachel in his arms. Rachel
fussed for a moment, and then fell back to sleep. Seth settled the
baby in her sling. He picked up the book of maps and they walked
into the open library space.
“ The CBI thought there
might be some connection between the tax agent
the Army for years. Right now, they have a reprieve, but you know
how this works. The Army is never going to give up; so the families
keep fighting.”
“ These families still live
there,” Seth said.
“ This flat, open valley
will always be home to them. It doesn’t look like much . .
.”
“ The Army says it looks
like Iraq,” Seth smiled.
“ It’s home for them,”
Jocelyn said. “Has been since before Colorado was a
state.”
“ You think they killed the
tax agent?” Seth asked.
“ No one knows,” Jocelyn
said. “The sheriff at the time thought he probably killed
himself.”
“ He knew he was stranded,
saw the storm intensify, figured he couldn’t get out,” Seth said.
“Suicide was better than freezing to death?”
“ That’s what they
determined,” Jocelyn said.
“ Then why was it marked as
an unsolved case?” Seth asked.
“ If it was a suicide, the
tax agent’s family wouldn’t get a death pay out,” Jocelyn said.
“Big expensive lawyer from Boston showed up and made a fuss. Mr.
Bradley had a wife and a couple of young kids. The sheriff felt
sorry for them.”
“ Huh,” Seth said. “And the
horses?”
“ I knew you’d catch that,”
Jocelyn said. “No one knows what happened to his Arabian horses.
That’s part of the mystery. Was he killed for the horses? Was it a
tax problem? I’ll tell you though. There’s lots of talk about the
amazing horses from this valley. They’re prized by endurance horse
race fanatics. My daughter says if she doesn’t place in the Pony
Express Trail 100 this year, she’s going to get a horse from Piñon
Valley.”
“ Are they Arabian
horses?”
“ They don’t look it,”
Jocelyn said. “But if I were still a guitar-swinging, rock ‘n roll
gal, I’d wager they’re the descendents of Paul Bradley’s
horses.”
Seth nodded. Rachel smacked her lips and
started a chant of “Ma, Ma, Ma.”
“ I hate to get info and
run, but that’s the sound she makes before she starts . .
.”
Rachel let out a wail.
“ Crying,” Seth said. “She’s
hungry.”
“ Did you bring . .
.”
Seth scowled at Jocelyn. Their long-held
disdain for each other reappeared. He dug around in the bag Sandy
had given him to find a bottle of breast milk. He was about to take
Rachel from her when Jocelyn yanked the bottle away. She checked
the temperature. She gave him a kind of “so there” look and began
feeding Rachel.
“ I heard you’re getting
married again,” Jocelyn looked up at him. “Does she know about
Andy?”
“ She does.”
“ And she’s okay with
that?”
“ She says that knowing I
love and loved someone so deeply means that I’m able to love. Being
able to love is a rare gift,” Seth said. Jocelyn looked surprised.
He lifted a shoulder. “She’s twenty-three.”
“ Young people are so much
more emotionally aware than we were,” Jocelyn said. Seth
nodded.
“ She’s Aaron Alvin’s
daughter,” Seth said.
“ Poor girl,” Jocelyn said.
“That man is a bastard. How are they doing?”
“ Not great,” Seth
said.
“ She’s lucky to have you.”
When Jocelyn looked up, her eyes were filled with tears. “Andy was
too. I know that, it’s just that . . .”
“ It’s easier to hate me
than believe we couldn’t work it out.”
She gave a slight nod.
“ It’s easier for me too,”
he smiled.
She nodded and looked down at Rachel.
“ I think she’s asleep,”
Jocelyn said.
“ She sleeps for a little
bit after she eats,” he got up from his seat. “Then it’s burping,
diapers, and play. I’d better get her home, or I’ll never hear the
end of it from her teenage playmates.”
Jocelyn set Rachel in his arms. Rachel
fussed for a moment, and then fell back to sleep. Seth settled the
baby in her sling. He picked up the book of maps and they walked
into the open library space.
“ The CBI thought there
might be some connection between the tax agent
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