Leoti Read online

  “You can have those things!”

  “Can I?”

  “Josie, damn it, we love each other. You want to be married babe? Fuck it! We’ll do it. You want a kid, I’ll give you as many as you want. Name it. It’s yours.”

  “When did you propose?” she shouted at him. “The last we talked you said you didn’t want to get married, don’t patronize me this way.”

  “I changed my mind.” He grabbed both of her arms. “I lost you sweetheart. You scared the shit out of me. I came here and sat under a moon and wrote a song for you. I thought hard about this. You complete me. No one supports me like you do. We get each other. I won’t give you up.”

  Josie shook her head. “Remember I have my memory. I know you weren’t ready and I know I pushed you hard. That was never fair to you.”

  “Look at me. I love you.” He kissed her. Josie’s eyes closed. She held the sides of his face and returned the kiss. It was sweet and soft, just like the way he loved her. He put his forehead to hers. “I need you. Please, Josie, don’t give up on us, not when I can finally give you what you need.”

  The rumbling engines of trucks approaching drew her gaze up and over his shoulder. Two arrived with the Sherriff police cruiser accompanying them. Men got out of the cars in dark suits.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Where’s Elu?” the Sheriff asked.

  “What’s going on?” she demanded.

  “We have an order to have him off this property in 48 hours. The courts have seized it.”

  They handed her the documents. Josie read them. “He can appeal this, why wasn’t it appealed?”

  “Look lady, we need Elu to vacate this land or we will have him removed.”

  “The hell you will!” Josie snapped.

  “Josie, this isn’t your business.” Carlton reached for her arm.

  “Stay out of this.” She shoved the document at the Sheriff. “He will be appealing this order in court on Monday. He has time. I will be in touch, Sheriff.”

  “Ma’am?”

  Josie stepped to him. “Please, Sheriff, this is Elu’s land. You know that. Give me a chance to save it for him.”

  The Sheriff tipped his hat. “Rex, let’s go.”

  “Now wait a minute, Sheriff.”

  “Let’s go!” The Sheriff said, walking back to his cruiser. Rex glared after Josie.

  “Whatever you think you can do to save this land you can forget it. If you want to help Elu, then help him pack.” Rex smirked and walked off.

  Carlton stopped her. “What are you doing? You can’t get involved with this.”

  “Let me go.”

  “Josie, slow down. Think of this. Do you want people to know you’ve been here, held up with him?”

  She snatched away. “That’s what it is? People find out I’ve been here with Elu it will make you look bad. Ruin your street cred.”

  “Don’t give me that bullshit!”

  “Carlton you never wanted to go public with our relationship. Never gave one damn interview naming me as your girlfriend.”

  “We agreed to protect our privacy!” he shouted at her.

  “No. I agreed to protect your privacy. I agreed to be yours when you needed me, and to be patient when you didn’t. I agreed to wait all night for phone calls that never came. I agreed to wait on marriage and kids until you were ready. I’m not doing it anymore!”

  “You talk like what we had was awful.”

  “I love you, Carlton, but I found out that I love me too. That’s what this is really about. Me.”

  “Okay!” he shouted. Soon they were both smiling. She shook her head looking away. Carlton stepped in her space. He knew his woman, and he needed to remember that. Not fight with her. “Let’s argue tonight, over dinner, wine, and you can tell me how much of a screw up I am. I’ll tell you how things will be different, and we’ll make love remembering why we love each other.”

  “Carlton, stop.”

  “Josie, don’t pull away. Come with me. I can’t do this here. You owe me that much.”

  She nodded.

  “He needs me.”

  “I need you” Carlton pressed.

  Josie wiped under her eyes. “There’s an office of the ACLU in Libby. I will call in a favor for him. Take me to Libby so I can help Elu save this place and we can talk about our future tonight, alone. Deal?”

  Carlton sighed, relieved. “Thank God.”

  She walked off. She could have said she had no plans of being his wife, or Madeline’s ‘girl’. She could have told him about Leoti. And who she was now. But that wasn’t pressing. She had to help Elu, and the best way for her to do that was with the courts. Walking around the cabin she found Elu strolling through the green, with Po barking, jumping, frolicking in the grass. She smiled.

  “Elu?”

  He stopped. He didn’t turn around. Josie hurried toward him, desperate to explain herself. Out of breath she put her hand to his back. “Hey?”

  “You’re leaving,” he said sadly.

  “The Sheriff and Rex they…”

  “You’re leaving.” He looked over his shoulder.

  She shook her head. “I have to go to help you, to help us both.”

  “Then go.”

  “Elu, wait. I’m going to file an appeal on your behalf in Libby. I have some friends that I can call in favors with. They want to seize the property. We can stop it, okay?”

  “No. Just go,” he said softly, and began to walk away.

  “Wait a minute damn it. Don’t be stubborn, don’t be a fool!”

  He stopped. He turned and looked at her. She saw such raw hurt in his eyes she had to look away. Even Po looked upon her as if he didn’t know her anymore.

  “Po, it’s me.”

  The dog put his head down, but remained at Elu’s side.

  “So this is it? You two are going to shut me out before giving me a chance. I haven’t chosen anyone yet,” her voice broke.

  “We will respect your choice Leo – Josie. But we don’t need you like your family does. I’ll deal with the Sheriff. Go back to your life. It’s where you belong.”

  “Call me Leoti, damn it! I’m still her. But if you love me you wouldn’t turn Josie away either.”

  Elu looked away from her. She wiped at her tears. “So that’s it. You’re going to shut me out. How is that fair, Elu? Why do you get to hide and I have to face things? Those people want to take your land from you and you can’t win on principle. You need someone like me to fight for you. I owe it to you! I know how to win this.” She took a step toward him. “Elu, please. Trust me, just one more time.”

  “Don’t you think I want to? Do you think I could ever look at this place the same way again with you gone? You come here and fill me up with your love, Leoti, until I’m drunk with it. Then it’s over. Your mother was right. I kept the world out, because I found… never mind what I found. I can’t compete with your life, and I won’t force you to give it up. You needed my protection. You don’t anymore. You even look stronger.”

  “That’s not true, I’m in love with you. We can figure something out. I mean I can do both, or you can come with me. Po should see the city,” she wiped at her tears. “Po?” she stooped down, tears falling. “Po?”

  The dog walked over to her. He licked at her face and she hugged him around the neck. “I love you both. I just need a little time to figure it all out.”

  She looked up. “Elu, please don’t give up on me.”

  He reached down for her and made her stand. Drawing her up into his massive arms against him her feet lifted from the ground. She held on to his neck, kissing him softly, kissing him long.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too, Josie,” he said using her name. She felt such a relief in her heart when he said her name. “I’m going to go to Libby. I will file the appeal. You may need to come there when I call you. I’ll get you an attorney, and we’ll stop them. Don’t worry. And I’ll call you. I promise,” she said backing
away from his embrace.

  He said nothing.

  “Aren’t you proud of me? No more running right?”

  He nodded. “I am proud of you.”

  “I’ll call you tomorrow. No. I’ll call you tonight. I’ll call you every minute okay?”

  He just watched her.

  “I love you too, Po,” she said to the dog who wasn’t as strong as his master. He turned away and walked off. “I love you both. I’ll be back.”

  Elu watched her. When she turned and hurried into the cabin to collect her things he shook his head. “No you won’t.”

  Chapter Nine

  “You’re mighty quiet.” Tiffani glanced from the road to her sister. The car coasted at a moderate speed. John Legend serenaded them softly, but Josie’s melancholy wasn’t from his sultry voice. She could have been listening to hard rock and felt the same way. Her focus remained trained on the trees that zipped by. Driving out of the mountains was as scenic as driving into them. Picture perfect, like the two weeks she’d spent with Elu. Josie had gathered her things and left the cabin. Elu never returned. She wrote him a brief note, promising to call as soon as she got home. Leaving every number she knew of for him to reach her. She had to call her own cell phone from his house to record his number.

  “Josie?”

  The way her sister spoke her name stilled her. Was she ready to be honest with any of them when she struggled with her feelings? Could she verbalize how torn apart she was inside? A deep intake of breath and a slow exhale released her. She needed time, and she wanted to be alone. How on earth could she get her family to release her after what she’d put them through?

  “Wonder what Carlton and Madeline are talking about?” Josie said.

  Tiffani laughed softly, and then fell silent.

  Carlton was such a sweetheart. He sensed her needs without her telling him. He offered to drive Madeline back while she and Tiffani rode together. Her mother protested immediately, but Carlton was firm. Madeline just wasn’t used to so many being firm with her. She gave in with a pout. That was the kind of guy he was.

  Tiffani increased speed, and their car swerved around a camper to take up right behind Carlton. “He loves you a lot to put up with Madeline.”

  “He does love me. I know.” Josie answered.

  “Do you love him? That’s the question.” Tiffani glanced over then returned her gaze to the road.

  “Whose question is that?” Josie asked frowning at her sister’s tone. “Did Carlton say something to you?”

  “Mine.” Tiffani said refusing to look over again.

  “I see. Well the bigger question, Tiffani, is am I in love with him still?”

  “Still? It’s only been two weeks.”

  “Trust me, it feels like a lifetime.” Josie mumbled under her breath.

  “Okay, then are you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “And the Indian?”

  “He’s not an Indian. Stop calling him that. He’s Native American. Elu. Call him Elu, okay?”

  “Elu, sorry,” Tiffani said with an eye roll. “What about him? You in love?”

  Josie smiled sadly. “Yeah, I am in love with him. That came out easy, huh?” She dropped her head back against the seat. She pressed the bottoms of her palms against her eyes. “I really screwed this one up. Two weeks ago, Carlton was all my heart could manage. Now Elu and Po are all I can think of.”

  “Po?”

  “The dog.”

  “I thought you hated dogs.” Tiffani frowned.

  “No, I don’t.” She chuckled. “I love Po. I have from the first day I saw him.”

  “You seem different.” Tiffani’s eyes cut from her to the road and then back again. “What was it like, not knowing who you were?”

  “Scary, confusing, simple. I think the word for it is simple.”

  “Simple? How could memory loss be simple?”

  Josie smiled. “Imagine a chance to step out of your life and live everything differently. No fear of being a failure. Like having a clean slate.”

  “Sounds like a nightmare.” Tiffani frowned.

  “I got a chance at just being Leoti.”

  “Leoti? What is that?”

  “Long story. Elu and Po took care of me, I wanted to stay. I could have stayed there and had babies and lived off the land, hell we could’ve lived in a teepee, girl, it was soooo peaceful, less stressful and simple. I can’t describe it better than that. I’ve been in overdrive since college. My career and writing the book, the activism, I haven’t taken a breath. Here in Montana life is so easy, I could stay here forever.”

  Tiffani laughed. “Yeah right. You’d miss a pedicure, and spa treatment in a week.”

  Josie smiled. “You have no idea how liberating it is be loved by a man like Elu Takotie.”

  Tiffani cringed. Carlton was the dream. Not some man that turned her sister’s head. How could Josie be so disloyal?

  “Tiffani?”

  “Yeah,” Tiffani said, sucking in a breath and holding the steering wheel tight.

  “Where did you go?”

  “Nowhere, I’m fine.”

  “You sure?”

  She shot her a piercing look. “You know, Josie, you talk about Elu the Native American like he’s some angel of mercy. But do you even consider how much that man in the car ahead of us loves you? What you put him through? He walked off his tour to find you. He’s ready to give you everything. Hell, there are women out there dying to be his.”

  “Wait a second.”

  “Carlton’s been sick with worry. He cried last night. I was there when you weren’t.”

  Josie narrowed her eyes on her sister. “Really?”

  “I would give my right arm to have a man care about me half as much. And you get it twice, then sit here and whine like you’re the victim. It would serve you right if they both left you.” Tiffani said it all in a single breath, she felt exhausted from holding her true feelings back this long, and freer now that it was off her chest.

  “How close are you and Carlton?” Josie asked.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You have feelings for my boyfriend. That’s what I’m talking about.”

  “Carlton isn’t that type of man!” Tiffani snapped.

  Josie smiled sadly at her sister. “I know that, Tiff, and I know you aren’t that type of sister. Right?”

  Tiffani cut her eyes over at her. She blushed. “I would never betray you like that. No matter what.”

  They rode for the next hour in silence listening to John Legend’s bluesy voice. Tiffani felt so guilty over her crush she was beginning to itch with hives. Her nerves, set on edge, she tried to move them past it.

  “What about Ma? You plan to tell her you don’t want to practice law anymore?”

  “I want to talk to you about her. I asked her to go home, back to New York. But I don’t think she’ll do it. Would you consider taking her and leaving?”

  “She’s worried about you, we both are. Carlton said you wanted to stay in Libby for a few days so Mom and I were going to stay too.”

  “I know. I’ll come home soon. But right now I can’t take the stress. I have to help Elu and I need some time with Carlton. Please. Talk to her Tiff and take her home. Give me a break.”

  “If you’re sure that’s what you want.”

  “I am.” Josie tried to gauge her words carefully. She didn’t want to overstep her boundaries but she needed Tiffani’s help. “Can you tell me more about Crescent? Why they contracted with the government with this deal in Mission Creek?”

  Tiffani shrugged. “I’m just an architect. They don’t let me sit in on the board meetings.” Tiffani glanced over at her. “Is there something going on in Mission Creek I should know?”

  Josie ignored the question. Turns out she never put her cell phone in her purse on that fateful day. Carlton said he found it stuck between the sofa cushions in the cabin. If she had, had it days ago her and Elu probably would have ne
ver happened. That nugget of truth felt like destiny. She reached between her knees and fished out her cell phone from her purse. She punched up her recent call display and found his number. She’d tried to call him twice before but got no answer. It was getting late in the afternoon. He should be in. She let the phone ring, over and over. Nothing.

  “Elu not home?” Tiffani asked with an edge to her tone.

  “He won’t answer.” Josie said.

  She felt her sister’s critical stare and ignored it. She wouldn’t cry about it. Be weak about it. But the silent way he was pushing her from him burned. If he loved her he’d fight harder. Wouldn’t he? “He’s so stubborn.”

  “Then he’s met his match.” Tiffani smiled.

  Mission Creek

  Elu stared out across his land. Po lay at his feet; the silence was only disturbed by the ringing phone in the house. It was her. He was sure of it. But what could they say? What was left to say? He knew the risk, he knew it then, he understood it now. Still he was human and what man gives up on a dream?

  He closed his eyes. He rocked, and waited. And time passed. Meditating silently, his mind replayed every minute he’d shared with her. From her stubborn wit, to her tender touches, to the soft fragrant smell of her skin. Every single minute played over and over. When he opened his eyes again, the sun had set. The moon was now clear in the sky. Her moon.

  “Look at that, Po.”

  Po lifted his doggy brows and peeked at the moon. The pooch got up to his feet and barked at it. He barked and howled.

  Elu smiled.

  “It’s a sign, should we trust it?”

  Po barked again sniffing, circling, and then running off the porch into the night. Elu couldn’t decide, but his heart was clear.

  Libby, Montana

  “Full moon tonight?” Carlton said coming out on to the balcony of her hotel room. She felt him draw closer and then his arms went around her. Josie leaned back into what was familiar. Carlton was still very much in her heart and it only made her sad. He kissed the side of her neck and pressed his scruffy jaw against hers. “I’ve missed you, babe.”