A Wedding in Willow Valley (Willow Valley Women) by Pickart Joan Elliott

Author:Pickart, Joan Elliott [Pickart, Joan Elliott]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Silhouette
Published: 2011-10-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

It was nearly eleven o’clock that night before Ben was able to head home. He was tired, more emotionally exhausted than physically, and his stomach grumbled because he’d been unable to take the time to eat either lunch or dinner.

He’d found Yazzie Slowtalker curled up in a wooden shed behind his house, cradling the broken arm he’d suffered when Eagle had shoved him out the window of the Madison house. Yazzie had been cold, hungry and in pain and had burst into tears when he saw his mother and Sheriff Skeeter. He quickly confessed to all the break-ins of the summer homes, saying he just wanted to get some money so he could leave the reservation after he graduated from high school in the spring.

Bethany Slowtalker had hugged her son and, with tears streaming down her face, told him she’d stand by his side through the legal ordeal yet to come. Ben had hurried home to change into a fresh uniform, then driven the pair over to Prescott, where charges were filed against Yazzie and he was placed in the juvenile detention center. A public defender was assigned to his case and the young woman said she’d drive Bethany back to Willow Valley.

Upon returning to town, Ben gave a statement to the newspaper saying the person responsible for the break-ins had been apprehended but because he was a minor his name was not being released. Ben knew full well that by then everyone in town and on the rez knew the whole story of Yazzie’s crime spree and Eagle’s attempt to stop his cousin, but at least the information had not come from the sheriff’s office.

Ben went to Dove’s to get Eagle’s official statement, realized it was too late in the day to check on Grandfather, then returned to the office to type up the endless reports necessary to complete the file.

“Home, food, bed,” Ben mumbled as he approached his house.

He turned into the long driveway that kept the house hidden from the road, then frowned as he saw that the sensor lights he’d installed were glowing in the distance. Deciding that an animal from the woods had no doubt wandered in front of the house and triggered the lights, Ben stiffened in shock when he saw Laurel’s red van. He parked next to it, and she got out and met him at the side of his vehicle.

“Hello,” Ben said. “I don’t mean to be rude, Laurel, but why are you here? How long have you been waiting for me to show up? No, back up. Why are you here?”

“I had to come, Ben,” Laurel said. “I came as soon as I got off work at the café. I knew you’d get home eventually. You’ve had a long day.”

“Yeah. What—I mean why—” Ben sighed. “Look, I’m bushed and I’m starving to death. There’s obviously something on your mind, so why don’t you come in while I get some food in me.”

“Yes, all right. Thank you.”

Inside the house, Ben turned

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