Sunrise Canyon (New Americana 1)

In the house, she turned off the security light. She would turn it on again before she went to bed. But the night was clear and peaceful. The glare would only spoil it.

By the time she came back outside, the cookout had been cleared away and the table folded. The leftover food, condiments and utensils had been boxed and carried into the house. The students had retired to their cabins. Dusty, too, had taken his guitar and probably gone off to bed. Only Jake remained. He was standing by the fire pit, gazing down at the glowing coals. At Kira’s approach, he looked up.

“Thanks for cleaning up the mess,” she said. “It’s nice to come outside and find it done.”

“The kids did most of the work. It didn’t take long. Sit down and relax.” He indicated a spot near the fire pit. “You look like you could use a rest. I could make you another s’more, if you want one.”

Kira gave him a smile. The man could be endearing when he chose to be. “I’ve had enough to eat, thanks. Besides, everything’s put away.”

He sat beside her on the bench at a comfortable distance. His manner made her wonder if he had something serious on his mind. But if he did, he didn’t seem to be in a hurry.

“Did you learn anything new about the motorcycle?” she asked, making conversation.

“Only that sitting in the shed all those years didn’t do it any good. Dirty gas tank, dead battery and spark plugs, clogged fuel line, probably bad fuel pump, too—all things that’ll have to be fixed before I can figure out what caused it to break down in the first place.”

“I understand you had a helper.” Dusty had mentioned seeing Mack out by the shed.

Jake chuckled. “I can’t say he was much help. But the kid’s really into motorcycles. Talked my ear off. I didn’t have the heart to send him away.”

“Mack looked happier tonight than I’d ever seen him. He has to keep working with the horses, but what he really needs is a way to feel good about himself. I hope you won’t mind letting him help you sometimes.”

“I had a feeling you were going to say that. Sure. He can hang around when he’s not with the group. I’ll even see that he gets extra practice with the saddle and bridle, so he can keep up.”

“Thank you.” She reached out impulsively and laid a hand on his arm. His skin was warm to the touch, the muscles firm and taut beneath. His breath caught slightly, but he didn’t speak. In the silence, Kira could hear the chirr of crickets, the crackle and hiss of the dying fire. She liked touching him, liked the subtle electric current that seemed to flow from his skin to hers.

At last, he shifted on the bench and cleared his throat. “Our little girl did us proud tonight, didn’t she?”

“Our little girl.” It sounded strange, but not really wrong.

“I had no idea she could perform like that,” Kira said. “Dusty must have spent some time with her.”

“Whatever it took, she blew me away,” Jake said. “It was all I could do to keep from hugging her and telling her how proud of my daughter I was.”

“About that . . .” Kira let go of his arm and turned to face him on the bench. She’d been unsure of how to warn him about what might be Paige’s growing suspicions, but he’d just given her an opening.

“Paige asked me why you don’t shave your beard,” she said. “She’s a smart little girl. I don’t know how much longer you can keep her from guessing the truth.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.” He gazed into the dying fire.

“Kira, what would you think if I decided to stay—or to give it a try at least?”

Her pulse skipped. “I’ve already asked you to stay. You know it’s what I want. It’s what Dusty wants, too.”

“You know the risks. What if I can’t control this monster inside me?”

“Then we’ll deal with it. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stay. I can’t help thinking that your best chance of getting better is right here.”

“But what about Paige? It would kill me to leave her, but I can’t stand the thought of her seeing me at my worst.”

“I’ve already talked with her about your PTSD. If you told her what to expect if you have an episode, I think she’d understand.”

“Maybe. Still, it’s damned scary.”

“I know. When would you plan to tell her you’re her father?”

“Not right away. Not until I can feel confident about staying. If this didn’t work out, and I ended up leaving . . .”

Still gazing into the coals, he let the words trail off. Kira understood. To leave Paige as a stranger passing through would be one thing. To leave as her father could scar the rest of her life.