Leoti Read online

  “What’s that?” she asked stopping on the hill.

  “That, is the cabin you were staying at before I found you.”

  “Really?” Josie stopped. She considered what Elu said. If she faced the past she could start looking forward to the future again.

  She started down the hill towards the cabin.

  “Where are you going?” he called after, following her down.

  “I want to see if something’s there that may jog my memory!” she yelled back to him.

  “Okay, well wait up I don’t want you to fall!” he yelled to her.

  “I’ll be okay.” She gauged her steps carefully. She arrived at the steps to the deck at the back of the cabin. “See, told you I would be okay.” She dropped her hands to her hips. “You got a key?”

  “Nope,” he said watching her look into the windows. She walked over to the back door and tried it. “We don’t need one. It’s open.”

  She disappeared inside.

  He felt a pang of anxiety at her return. He wanted to usher in her memories but he needed another day, maybe two, of just them. Quickly he hurried in after her.

  “Anything look familiar?” he asked.

  Josie walked around the cabin fingering things here and there. Elu stood behind her. It was then he saw the journal lying on the floor near the door. He nearly pointed it out but something stopped him.

  “No, it doesn’t look familiar.”

  “Why don’t you look in the bedroom and make sure I didn’t leave anything?” he suggested, nodding toward the bedroom.

  “Good idea,” Josie gave a wink.

  Elu watched her disappear into the bedroom. He picked the journal up from the floor.

  “Elu?”

  He slammed the book shut and tucked it under his shirt to the back of his pants.

  “I didn’t see anything.” She said joining him.

  “I’m sorry. Let’s go, I’m hungry. I’m sure you and Po are too.” Elu took her hand and pulled her out of the cabin. “We aren’t far from my truck,” he stammered awkwardly.

  “You okay?”

  “Yes, yes, I’m fine.”

  Josie looked back over her shoulder and sighed heavily as they made the quick journey back to Elu’s truck and then drove back to his cabin. They walked inside and Josie made her way into the bedroom to take her shoes off. “What do you want for lunch, I have mac and cheese, some chicken,” he called to her from the kitchen.

  “Mac and cheese sounds good.” she yelled back.

  Elu stood in the kitchen and pulled the journal from the back of his pants. He placed it on a shelf out of her reach. He’d give it to her, possibly tonight. “What are you doing?” she asked sitting down at the table. She opened a bag of chips.

  “Thought I saw one of the masks I made up there, just checking,” he said turning to smile at her. “Now, let’s have lunch.”

  Chapter Five

  Tiffani mentioned a rental office. He hoped she was right. He could find no resort or any hotels in the area she would have stayed in. And the deeper he drove into the valley the more he dreaded night travel through the mountains.

  Many questions hammered him over and over. Already he was losing his nerve on the marriage issue. In fact if he were honest it was the silent treatment she put on him that had him ditching a gig and driving through Montana to find her. She was his. Not a day since he’d met her was he ever denied access to her love and forgiveness. It was going on two weeks since they last spoke.

  Carlton took a deep breath and gripped the steering wheel. The next turn off the highway drew him closer to Mission Creek, home of the Blackfoot Confederation of Native Tribes. So the sign read. His gaze dropped to the digital display on his dash. It was a quarter past three. He’d gas up and find this rental office. Wheeling into the small station he threw the car in park and looked around. A young man in a grease-stained shirt with faded jeans walked out. A wad of chewing tobacco was stuffed under his bottom lip. He shot a stream of dark spit to the side and squinted at him. Opening the door he met the attendant halfway.

  “Gas?” the guy mumbled.

  Carlton reached behind his back and plucked his wallet from his pocket. He looked over the rim of his dark aviator shades passing the guy a twenty-dollar bill. Dirt caked fingernails grasped the crisp bill the attendant accepted and started the pump.

  “Excuse me,” Carlton said.

  The young man glanced up from under his cap moving his gummed down wad around to the side of his jaw. “Yeah?” he spit again.

  “The cabins, is there a rental office here? A place to rent one?”

  The guy smirked looking him over. “Nah, private owned. Though Milton Jennings runs maintenance on a few, he can help you rent one if you want.”

  “Where can I find this Milton?”

  “He works out of Nate’s Foods and Produce doing odds and ends. It’s a mile up the road. Try there now.”

  “Thanks.”

  Carlton got back in, and he soon located the general store. He noticed again the emptiness of the town. Where was everybody? When he got out he put his sunglasses in his front pocket and strained to see through the storefront window. There was movement.

  “Good they’re open,” he said pulling on the door, but it held firm.

  “Go away we’re closed!” An old man with a grey beard yelled.

  “Open up please!” he said between pounds on the door.

  “Go away, come back tomorrow we got a busted pipe in here.” Nathan dismissed pushing something that looked like a mop handle.

  Now what was he to do? He wasn’t even sure where to start. “I need a moment! I’m lost,” he called back to him through the door. The elderly gentleman turned, his cataract eyes narrowed slightly at Carlton. After a long pause he set aside the mop handle and shuffled toward the door. Carlton stepped back, the door was unlocked and pushed open, and the overall clad gentleman gave him a questioning look.

  “Son, I can’t let you in, I’m knee deep in here. One of the freezer pipes busted. Sorry.”

  “Is Milton here?” he asked.

  The name registered. Frown lines replaced the wrinkles above his brow and around his eyes formed. “Milton’s gone.”

  Carlton sighed. “I need to find a guest, a renter of one of the cabins. Can you tell me where I can?”

  “Sorry can’t help you, Milton will be back in a few. You can wait outside if you want,” he started to close the door.

  “Wait,” Carlton threw up his hand on the closing door. He retrieved his wallet. Instinct said that his Josie would have definitely wandered into town. She loved little shops. He could see her exploring these. “Have you seen this lady?” he asked showing him the picture he always carried with him when on tour. Nathan squinted at the picture then looked to the man suspiciously. He didn’t answer. Carlton smiled at the stranger’s protective nature. Small town folk were good that way. “She’s my girlfriend, no, my fiancé.”

  Nathan smiled showing gums, teeth missing at the top. “Sure have seen her. Pretty thang. Very friendly.”

  “I’m trying to find her. She rented a cabin out here and, well I’m not sure how to locate her.”

  Nathan pushed the door open wider, his eyes stretching with concern. “Is she in some kind of trouble?”

  “Why do you ask that?”

  “What’s all the desperation for?”

  “A surprise visit that’s all. I’m not sure which cabin she’s in. Any help in pointing me to where I can find Milton would help.”

  “Son, there are over eighty cabins up that mountain. She’s staying in one of them but I don’t know which one and doubt Milton would know. They’re privately owned mostly. He deals with maintenance, only rents out a few.”

  Carlton dropped his head in defeat and shook it. He checked his watch. If he couldn’t find her he’d definitely need his own cabin with night approaching.

  “How do you rent one?”

  “One of what?” Nathan asked his grey eyes glistening.


  “A cabin.”

  “I told ya, they’re privately owned, you rent from the owners.”

  “Do you own one?”

  “No but Elu does.”

  “Elu?”

  “Yeah, but you ain’t getting him to come down here this time of day, Milton might have a few to rent as well.” Nathan looked past him at the truck arriving. “There goes Milton.”

  Carlton turned. A pick-up truck parked next to his car. Milton was a small man, kind of scraggly. He hopped out the truck with a cap pulled down low on his head. He ignored them both, going for his tools in the bed of the truck, and then approached. Carlton stepped down.

  “Milton?”

  The man stopped. His head slowly rose and he gave him a blank stare.

  “My name is Carlton. I was looking for you.”

  “For?”

  “A renter. Is it possible you could help me find one in particular.” Carlton removed his wallet and showed Josie’s picture again. He held it under Milton’s nose. “She’s my fiancé, I’m trying to find her.”

  Milton’s eyes lowered. He stared at the picture for a moment then looked up at Carlton. A strange expression passed over his face, which he failed at concealing. “Ain’t seen her.”

  “What?” Carlton said surprised.

  “Sorry friend.” Milton shrugged and tried to pass. Carlton stepped in his way. “Wait, you sure? Look again.”

  “I say I ain’t seen her.”

  “Son, I told you they rent from the owners,” Nathan said behind him. Carlton still couldn’t shake the feeling that Milton was lying. Except his lie wasn’t like Nathan’s reluctance due to privacy. He sensed another motive that set his inner alarm bells off.

  “How about you rent me a cabin then?”

  “Can’t, ain’t none.” Milton said stubbornly.

  Nathan stepped out on the store steps letting the door close. “Elu has an empty cabin out there near the lake.” Nathan volunteered. “Like I said he ain’t coming down out of the mountain though for no renter. Hell I haven’t seen him in almost two weeks, but he wouldn’t mind.”

  Carlton cut his eyes between them both then returned them to Nathan. “Can you rent me one of his cabins and I will square it away with him in the morning?”

  Nathan shrugged his shoulders. “Sure, Milton rent him Elu’s and I’ll deal with the pipe,” he said taking the tools. “Elu been complaining that we never send renters his way.”

  Milton looked at Carlton as if he would object. Was the man slow? What was his problem, Carlton wondered. Milton threw up his hands in defeat. “Follow me, I’ll do it. But you explain it to Elu!” he shouted at the old man behind Carlton.

  The Cabin

  Josie sat at the dinner table. The sun having set, she and Po remained patient in the darkening room. Elu said he had a surprise for her. For the past half-hour she and Po watched him walk in and out of the cabin. It dawned on her how much she craved his attention when she wasn’t his focus. Trying not to pout about it she downed the last of the wine letting the smooth berry flavor coat her tongue then go down her throat.

  “Leoti?”

  She lowered the glass, and licked the last of the wine from her lips. He stood in between the cabin and the night. He leaned on the inside frame of the patio door. Part of that handsome face of his was covered in shadows.

  “Come with me,” he said. The request came across as if it were one syllable in a voice that was both deep and low. Over dinner she confessed that her feelings for him were strong and real. When pressed for his he evaded, and then he said he would rather show her. Was this the showing? Josie and Po both rose. She looked over to the dog who cocked his head as if to say he didn’t know the meaning of the invite either.

  “Guess we better find out huh, boy?”

  Po wagged his tail and stretched. She crossed the room faster than she intended, anxious nervousness left her shoving her hands deep down her front jean pockets. “What’s going on?” she asked rocking on the back of her heels once she stood before him. Elu’s hand extended and she immediately turned over hers. He lifted it to his lips and pressed a soft meaningful kiss to her knuckles. The mere brush of his lips sent tingles over her. All they had was simple touches and a few meaningful kisses between them. She craved more. He led her out the door. The night was cooler than she expected, but warm enough to endure. The wraparound deck, a polished oak with extended flooring, allowed for patio furniture and a man-made hot tub. The scene before her eyes was from the pages of every girl’s fantasy book.

  And there it was, like some ancient natural spring circled by smoothed over stones, bubbly, steamy blue waters with a clear luminance from the lamps built into the flooring. Above it, lanterns were strung, soft yellow globes. The night air swept through the trees shaking the branches and leaves. His strong arms closed in on her as he rubbed the side of his face against hers. Josie’s eyes closed from the comfort of his touch. “Those are healing stones. They’ve been in my family for years. Will you relax for me?”

  She turned in his arms, hers went around his waist. “Join me. Please. I want you to.”

  “I didn’t do this for that reason. I wanted to show you how much I care.”

  She pressed a single finger to his lips. He kissed it lightly and she was slow to remove it. She loved the feel of his lips. He was so much man she had to be his. If she had another life, another lover, she didn’t care. He was all she could think of.

  Elu’s chest burned with conflict. She was all he wanted now. He needed her love, to protect her, to worship her. Not since he’d lost his wife had he felt such a complete connection with another soul. But he’d been dishonest. He should to tell her about the journal.

  “Leoti, there’s something I need to tell you first.”

  She stepped back shaking her head. “No more of this. I don’t remember much, I own my feelings, and you have been avoiding truly touching me. Let’s stop pretending we don’t both need this.”

  The night sky and mountainous landscape was her backdrop. He watched her start to unbutton her blouse. He’d seen her body before, but the slow strip tease did things to the man in him he couldn’t be blamed for. When her shirt parted and the dark lace cups of her bra lifted in to view Elu sucked in an audible breath, and dropped his head shaking it in defeat. There was just so much he could stand. With her gaze fixed on his she shrugged her shirt completely off, letting it drift to a stack of forgotten fabric at her feet. And that smile of hers was like a ray of sunshine in this dark star-filled night.

  “You’re beautiful.” He admitted, because she was. Her bruising blended with the even brown tone of her skin. And when she reached behind her to undo her bra he found the globes of her breasts to be flawless. Elu stood there staring. Next were her jeans. Josie eased the zipper down. She hooked her thumb inside the top rim and she worked them off her heart shaped hips until they fell to her feet. She toed out of the jeans trapped around her ankles. Eventually she kicked them aside. Lastly she removed her panty. Dared him with those beautiful long lashed eyes of hers and then turned and went to the hot tub.

  Josie dipped her big toe into the water and exhaled with surprise over the warmth stirring the water. She stole another glance at him from over her shoulder. Her magnificent man, and he was hers. She’d be damn if any other woman would share in the pleasures she found with him. She gave him a come-hither wink then stepped in.

  He wiped at his mouth and she knew he was thinking it over.

  “I don’t want to talk about it, Elu, I’m sick of talking, if you aren’t coming in then you have to leave me because I can’t relax with you so close.”

  “Po, inside.” He commanded.

  Po, who watched the strip tease with as much interest as his master, turned and went back inside. Josie drifted in the bubbling water, the jet streams massaging her achy ribs and backside. She waved her hands over the heated waves, sitting in the nook of the tub. Elu reached behind his neck and drew his shirt up and over his head toss
ing it aside. Josie had seen his chest before, but not much else. Her breath caught in her lungs as she waited for the else. The tattoo near his throat was the most intriguing, but the other markings on his arms and back seemed just as important.

  Flashes of him, naked, punched through her psyche. Elu was in a lake, swimming, and then gone. A deep sense of dejà vu went through her. She felt a rush from the recollection, like the thrill experienced after a rollercoaster ride. Her eyes closed and she waited for the intensity of it to pass. Tattoos? She had seen them before. Intricately snaked around each thick bicep, she’d seen him before, like this. Were they together? How was this possible? Watching him remove his pants and boxer shorts she found him too beautiful to speak. Later. She’d ask him later.

  And when his manhood sprung up at her, semi-erect, thickly veined and long, she drew in her lips. A flood of warm sensations rushed down to her center. Elu’s eyes never left hers as he stalked over then lowered into the water. With such passion in his stare, she was drawn from the side of the spa tub to the center where he waited. He watched her over the steam and bubbles, his long, silky hair floating on the rippling waves. Things with Elu had such a natural flow. When his hands slipped under the water and went to the outside curve of her thighs, her hands lifted to his shoulders. Her thighs parted and his fingers went lower to pinch her butt cheeks as she wrapped her legs around the muscular circumference of his waist. And his cock was pressed between them.

  “Make love to me,” she said. She kissed his lips softly. “Love me.”

  Straddling him. Her breasts were crushed against his chest as his mouth covered hers. His tongue darted in and out with a tease and she groaned chasing the kiss of her dreams. He traced every part of her mouth he could reach.

  “I need you,” she said within their kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tore her mouth from his to kiss his face and neck. “So bad, Elu, so bad. Please believe me.”