Then hed woken to reality and a vast amount of guilt. Hed made a promise to his father that hed continue the ways of his people. There was no room for a white woman in the Indian cultureno place for her in his promise to his father. Hed left that morning without a word, before shed awakened.
Hed taken two days off from work and escaped to the bluffs on a vision quest, his mind a confused mass of old beliefs and fresh desire. The quest turned into a reaffirmation of his Lakotan beliefs, but he moved no closer to resolving his feelings for Maggie.
Nor would he be given the chance to work through them.
Upon his return, the first thing that hit him was the message on his answering machine from the South Dakota National Guard. Youve been ordered to active duty. You have twenty-four hours to report to your assigned duty station.
His world had rushed in around him and hed made a decision. For the next fourteen months, hed lived with the result in the hell of Iraq.
But now he stood with Maggie once again in his arms and knew what a terrible mistake hed made. Her soft curves had blossomed even more as a mother and he liked italmost too much. She was his stepbrothers widow, still mourning the loss of her husband.
When Maggie stopped shaking, he held her away. Are you going to be all right?
She sniffed and rubbed her nose against the sleeve of her sweatshirt. You must think Im a complete flake.
No, your son was kidnapped. Id say youre reacting the way any mother would.
Thanks. A tentative smile lifted the corners of her mouth. Then her eyes filled with more tears and her lips trembled.
Joe wanted to kiss those lips and chase away her fears, instead he folded her into his arms. Her watery smile was a sad reminder of the how happy she used to be. That seemed like a lifetime ago. I remember the first time I saw you at the youth center. You were playing basketball with some of the kids.
A hiccupping laugh was muffled against his shirt. I was terrible.
No, He tipped her head up. You were wonderful.
How can you say that? I didnt even know how to dribble.
But you tried. Shed laughed and played, even though she couldnt bounce the ball once without having it taken away from her.
Maggies lips twisted. I never could get a ball in the bucket.
His arms tightened around her slim waist. Yes, you did.
Not by myself. Her voice dropped to a whisper and she tucked her head against his chest.
Hed helped her make a shot by standing behind her and placing his hands over hers. Her backside had pressed against him, stirring his blood in a way he couldnt ignore.
The warmth of Maggie against him now brought back those memories. His body remembered her shape and responded. Joe closed his eyes and willed the surge to subside. He wasnt there to make love to Maggie. Who were you playing with? I cant remember.
Charlie, Tray and Kiya She stopped her list and her breath caught.
Joe glanced down to see her eyes fill again with tears. What?
Her fingers curled in his shirt and she pressed her face against his chest. Kiya was alive then.
Joe had received the news from Paul that Kiya Driskall, one of the troubled teens Maggie had been working with, had overdosed.
What happened, Maggie?
I dont know. Maggie tore away from Joe and walked toward the window. Shed been through detox at the hospital. She was doing so well. She inhaled a jerky stream of air and let it out, her shoulders bowing with her release. Charlie found her behind the center, shed injected meth. There was nothing we could do. She was already dead. Maggie turned to Joe, her eyes haunted.
It wasnt your fault, Maggie. He reached for her, but she backed away.
No, Joe. She jerked away. I failed her. Just like I failed Dakota. I wasnt there when she needed me. The kids quit coming to the facility, even the ones that werent involved in drugs or alcohol. They just quit coming. I ended up going to them. One by one. But no one would talk to me except Charlie and even he was afraid to be seen with me. It was like I was the plague.
Joe shook his head. Dont blame yourself, Maggie. Something else must have happened. Possibly something related to Dakotas kidnapping?
I dont know. I wish to hell I did. She turned back to the window and pressed her cheek to the glass. Now Dakotas gone.
Hes not dead, Maggie. Dont give up on him. Joe stepped up behind Maggie and turned her toward him. You ready to go to work on this case?
For a moment she stared at him, her eyes glazed and unseeing.
She blinked, and the Maggie he rememberedthe Maggie who could fearlessly stand up to a group of rowdy teenagers surfaced. Im ready.
Chapter Three
Thats my girl, he said.
Joe almost dropped his arms from around her at the words. Shed married his brother and had a kid as soon as he left. How could he wish Maggie was his girl? Then he looked into eyes so green they reminded him of prairie grass in springtime. He could see why Paul had fallen in love with her and offered to give her what Joe couldnt. Maggie was the kind of girl who was easy to love, if you didnt have a thick head.
During the time hed spent hunkered down with his troops, with bullets and mortars flying overhead, hed discovered what a fool hed been. The soldiers hed fought with were his brothers. Black, white, redit didnt matter. They relied on each other to survive. They shared the same world, the same country. He wished hed seen the truth before he left. Before Maggie had married Paul.
Her full lips drew into a thin line. Where do we start?
First, lets get you out of here. He let go of her and walked back toward the living room. Grab a coat, youre going to work with me.
She reached into a closet for a winter jacket, scarf and gloves, pulling them on before she paused to say, What did they mean, give back what I stole? I didnt steal anything. At least not that I know of.
Thats what we want to find out. When we get to the station you can tell me everything you know about whats been going on on the Painted Rock Reservation and anything Paul might have been involved with at the Grand Buffalo Casino.
That wont take long, she muttered.
He grasped her hand and gazed down at her. Everything, Maggie. Even the smallest detail may be a clue as to what triggered someone to hold your baby for ransom.
Okay, she said, not sounding convinced. She drew away from him, her chin down, making a show of fitting her gloves against her fingers.
Was she uncomfortable about sharing information with him?
Probably. Hed been a jerk before hed left. What proof did she have that he wasnt still a jerk? A bitter lump of regret settled in the pit of his stomach. Look, if it makes you feel any better, one of the other officers can interview you.
Her head came up, her eyes widening. No. I want you. Was that trust in her eyes? Or was he mistaking desperation for something he wanted to see?
Okay. But lets get out of here.
She glanced back at the living room, heaving a long sigh. I want him back, Joe. The words had become Maggies mantra, echoing inside Joes thoughts.