Terri was by Alexa’s other side. “Okay, can you lift her?”
“Of course.” Trystan swept the patient into her arms and cradled her, placing her gingerly on the bed. Alexa was already asleep.
Terri spent several minutes fussing with the covers, the weight of her daughter’s stare boring a hole through her back. “Yes?”
The Value of Valor
“What was that all about?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Terri said.
“Don’t use that innocent tone of voice on me. You don’t just up and move a patient in that condition on a whim. I know there’s something going on.”
Terri turned to face her daughter. “Come out here.” She motioned to the kitchen.
Trystan leaned against the kitchen counter with her arms folded.
Terri whispered, “There is a man on the reservation who was out at the accident site this morning. We moved Alexa for her safety.”
“Do you know that this man is bad? Maybe he’s a friend out looking for her.”
Terri twisted her hands nervously. “Perhaps. But we don’t know that.” She gestured toward the guest room and her patient. “We know nothing about Alexa except that someone wants her dead. This man could tell us anything to convince us he’s got her best interests at heart and we’d have no way of knowing if it was the truth. We can’t risk it.
She’s been through too much already.”
Trystan’s face registered surprise. “You’re really attached to this woman, aren’t you?”
“She’s lost and alone. She needs someone to care.” Terri shrugged.
“Why shouldn’t I be that person?”
“Okay, I’m sold.”
After a moment’s silence, Terri asked, “Can you feel the gentleness of her spirit?”
“Oh, yes. I certainly can.”
“It’s as though it radiates off her.”
“She’s definitely something special.” And someone I’d like to get to know much better, Trystan added silently, smiling as she took her mother’s hand. “She couldn’t have a better advocate. You want me to stay with her for a while?”
“That would be great,” Terri sighed, clearly relieved. “I need to go back to the clinic and put things in order in case this man comes by.”
“Amá?” Trystan waited until Terri turned around. “Be careful.”
“I will. And, Acheehen?”
“Yes?”
“I saw the way you looked at Alexa. Remember that she has a life somewhere that we know nothing about.” She said softly, “I don’t want you to get your heart broken, Acheehen. I’m much too fond of it just the way it is.”
To herself, Trystan muttered, “It may already be too late for that.”
She watched her mother cross the street to the clinic, then turned back to Lynn Ames
the bed, pulling a chair close. Tentatively, she reached out and stroked the back of Alexa’s hand with her fingertips. So soft.
Alexa whimpered in her sleep.
Trystan cooed, “Shh, it’s okay, baby. I’m here. You’re safe now. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
Peter blew out a frustrated breath. So far, he had spent two hours in Chinle on the Navajo reservation, interviewing tribal elders and assorted others; he’d come up completely empty. No sign of Jay and no indication that anyone had seen the accident. Several people admitted to hearing about it—after all, a crash that spectacular was big news in this small community. But beyond that, the reservation was a dead end. There was only one more stop to make—the clinic.
He examined the building critically. It was a hogan, round in shape and made of adobe. Stepping across the threshold, he was surprised at how modern and clean it looked on the inside.
“Hello? Is anyone here?”
“Hello, I’m in here,” Terri called from one of the inner rooms. She wiped her damp palms on her pants.
“I’m Peter Enright.” He shook the petite woman’s hand as she emerged. She was very attractive—about his age or a little older, he suspected, with luxuriant reddish-brown skin and rich, dark eyes.
“I’m Terri Lightfoot, the
“Of course.” Trystan swept the patient into her arms and cradled her, placing her gingerly on the bed. Alexa was already asleep.
Terri spent several minutes fussing with the covers, the weight of her daughter’s stare boring a hole through her back. “Yes?”
The Value of Valor
“What was that all about?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Terri said.
“Don’t use that innocent tone of voice on me. You don’t just up and move a patient in that condition on a whim. I know there’s something going on.”
Terri turned to face her daughter. “Come out here.” She motioned to the kitchen.
Trystan leaned against the kitchen counter with her arms folded.
Terri whispered, “There is a man on the reservation who was out at the accident site this morning. We moved Alexa for her safety.”
“Do you know that this man is bad? Maybe he’s a friend out looking for her.”
Terri twisted her hands nervously. “Perhaps. But we don’t know that.” She gestured toward the guest room and her patient. “We know nothing about Alexa except that someone wants her dead. This man could tell us anything to convince us he’s got her best interests at heart and we’d have no way of knowing if it was the truth. We can’t risk it.
She’s been through too much already.”
Trystan’s face registered surprise. “You’re really attached to this woman, aren’t you?”
“She’s lost and alone. She needs someone to care.” Terri shrugged.
“Why shouldn’t I be that person?”
“Okay, I’m sold.”
After a moment’s silence, Terri asked, “Can you feel the gentleness of her spirit?”
“Oh, yes. I certainly can.”
“It’s as though it radiates off her.”
“She’s definitely something special.” And someone I’d like to get to know much better, Trystan added silently, smiling as she took her mother’s hand. “She couldn’t have a better advocate. You want me to stay with her for a while?”
“That would be great,” Terri sighed, clearly relieved. “I need to go back to the clinic and put things in order in case this man comes by.”
“Amá?” Trystan waited until Terri turned around. “Be careful.”
“I will. And, Acheehen?”
“Yes?”
“I saw the way you looked at Alexa. Remember that she has a life somewhere that we know nothing about.” She said softly, “I don’t want you to get your heart broken, Acheehen. I’m much too fond of it just the way it is.”
To herself, Trystan muttered, “It may already be too late for that.”
She watched her mother cross the street to the clinic, then turned back to Lynn Ames
the bed, pulling a chair close. Tentatively, she reached out and stroked the back of Alexa’s hand with her fingertips. So soft.
Alexa whimpered in her sleep.
Trystan cooed, “Shh, it’s okay, baby. I’m here. You’re safe now. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
Peter blew out a frustrated breath. So far, he had spent two hours in Chinle on the Navajo reservation, interviewing tribal elders and assorted others; he’d come up completely empty. No sign of Jay and no indication that anyone had seen the accident. Several people admitted to hearing about it—after all, a crash that spectacular was big news in this small community. But beyond that, the reservation was a dead end. There was only one more stop to make—the clinic.
He examined the building critically. It was a hogan, round in shape and made of adobe. Stepping across the threshold, he was surprised at how modern and clean it looked on the inside.
“Hello? Is anyone here?”
“Hello, I’m in here,” Terri called from one of the inner rooms. She wiped her damp palms on her pants.
“I’m Peter Enright.” He shook the petite woman’s hand as she emerged. She was very attractive—about his age or a little older, he suspected, with luxuriant reddish-brown skin and rich, dark eyes.
“I’m Terri Lightfoot, the
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