She lifted a slim shoulder. “Today, perhaps. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try again tomorrow. Or the day after that. Or the day after that. It’s cumulative.”
“What? The fear? Or the solution to it?”
“Both.”
Tanna had no logical response for that.
Since the woman stared at Tanna so blatantly, she stared back. The woman’s coal black hair hung loose, almost to the waistband of her faded jeans. Her eyes were brown. Not golden, or chocolate, but basic brown. She had a prominent nose. Full lips—too full for her angular face. A regal neck. She was rail thin. From nervous energy? She threw off that vibe. She also wore a dingy T-shirt at least three sizes too big. But with the shirtsleeves hacked off, Tanna could see her arms were corded with muscle. She could also see the woman’s skin was marked with odd tattoos.
She should be plain-looking. But something about her unadorned nature was striking. Compelling. Ethereal. Yet, as hard and rigid as the rocks surrounding them.
The woman didn’t look away as Tanna scrutinized her.
Then their eyes met. Tanna said, “I’m Tanna Barker.”
“I know. I’m Summer Red Stone.”
“I’m glad to meet you, Summer, mostly because you’re not a figment of my imagination so I can cross going insane off my list of mental defects.”
Summer smiled. “I’ve been called a ghost on more than one occasion.”
Cryptic. And a little creepy.
“You wonder what I want,” Summer said.
A statement, not a question. “Maybe. I heard your name at the branding so I’m guessing you’re involved with Eli?”
“Not just involved, we’re intertwined.”
There was the possessive tone. “Are you here to warn me off your man?”
Summer didn’t smile or shake her head or laugh. She merely said, “No. You are a beautiful, damaged woman, Tanna. As much as that appeals to my Eli and his penchant for saving souls, well, I got here first. And he’s got his hands completely full saving mine.” Then she did smile. “But he can help you if you’ll let him.”
“You sound so sure.”
“I am. Be patient with yourself. Overcoming fear is one of the hardest things there is and it doesn’t have a set time frame.”
Tanna stretched out from her protective little ball and sighed. “It’s been nine months—”
“Since the fear started,” Summer inserted. “And it’s been one hour since you faced it. Permit yourself to fail. Forgive yourself for the failure. Each time you try it’ll get easier.”
“Are you some wise medicine woman or something?” Tanna demanded.
Summer laughed. “Not even close.”
Eli strolled into view. Summer didn’t turn around to greet him. She waited, her body perfectly still, for him to come to her. Then Eli’s arms encircled her. He placed a soft kiss on her neck and a smile of pure serenity spread across her face as she closed her eyes.
“You okay?” Eli asked Tanna.
“No. But I had my first little freak-out session and I’m done with it. For today, anyway.”
Summer opened her eyes. “I’ll leave you two to talk. Nice meeting you.”
“You too.”
Summer placed a kiss in the center of Eli’s palm and disentangled from his embrace. She didn’t turn around. She knew she had Eli’s undivided attention as she walked away.
Tanna watched her disappear up the path and noticed Eli’s house for the first time. Hidden at the top of the rise and surrounded by trees, it’d been easy to miss. “I didn’t see your place. It’s well camouflaged.”
“The wind blows a little in Wyoming, if you hadn’t noticed,” he said dryly, “and that spot offers the best protection from the elements.”
“What did you build it out of?” It looked modern, and yet rustic.
“From materials I scrounged. Which is why it’s a mishmash of logs, wood, rocks and metal. The roof joists are from an old building they tore down in Rawlins and didn’t cost nothin’.”
“It’s really cool. How’d you come up with such a personal design for it?”
He chuckled. “I didn’t. I revamped the traditional house I inherited, which had started to crumble but it had good bones. So I moved a trailer out here and worked on it whenever I had the time and cash. I’ve always lived simply, in small houses.”
“This is a wonderful place.”
“Thanks. It is. It feels like a home, now that Summer is here.” He glanced at the house and then back at her. “You wanna talk about what happened today?”
Tanna shook her head. “I need time to think.”
“I figured as much. Luckily, I’ve got stalls that need cleaning, and that’s as good a place as any to sort things out.”
“I’m shoveling shit today?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
After thirty seconds or so, she shrugged. “Fits, given my mood.”
Chapter Eleven
Fletch’s phone rang and the caller ID read Eli’s home number. He answered with, “You’ve got great timing, cuz. I’m on the road.”
“Hey, Fletch. It’s not Eli; it’s Summer.”
The hair on the back of his neck stood up. “Summer, is Eli all right?”
“Yeah. I’m calling about Tanna.”
His stomach churned. “Did something happen to her?”