Free Open Arms by Marysol James Page A

stepped forward to greet his friend.
    The woman who climbed out of the truck was dressed in black jeans and a gorgeous brown leather jacket and black leather boots. She had a red scarf wrapped around her neck, loose and fluttering in the breeze, and she was one of the tiniest people that Julie had ever seen. She was used to being the shortest person in a group, but she had more than a few inches on Kim. She admired the woman’s sleek black hair as it blew around her head, streaked with warmth from the morning winter sun.
    “Kim!” Phil stepped forward and gave her a hug; his strong arms wrapped around her tiny frame and she disappeared in to his broad chest. “How you doing, girl?”
    Kim stepped back and gave Phil a brilliant smile. “Good, as ever. You?”
    “Good.” Phil turned to the others. “Everyone, please meet Kimana Beck. Kimana, this is Julie, Jake, Tammy and Mattie.”
    Nods all around and Kimana smiled. “You can call me ‘Kim’, if you prefer. And thank you, so much. I’m so pleased that you called me. I have a very big personal interest in wolf protection.”
    “Yes, Phil said that you know a lot about them,” Jake said. “He mentioned you’re trying to get them reintroduced to the state?”
    “Oh, yes. Yes, I am. It’s been my mission for years.” She glanced around the ranch and hotel and then towards the foot of the mountains. “It seems odd that a wolf would venture so close to the buildings – the Rockies are right there, offering shelter and prey. Strange. Can you show me exactly where you saw it?”
    Jake nodded. “Yeah, that was me. I’ll take you to where we found the footprints this morning, down by the stables and then again up at the Big House.”
    “Thank you.”
    “I think I’ll stay up here, if that’s OK,” Julie said. “Rob and I have a meeting this morning with the builders about the new cabins. Do you mind?”
    “No, it’s fine,” Phil said. “We’ll call if anything comes up.”
    Julie nodded and she and Tammy watched as Jake, Phil, Mattie and Kimana walked away, down the hill to the open prairie.
    Tammy turned to Julie. “You know, it sounds crazy and horrible to say this, but I’ve never met a Native American before.”
    “Really?”
    Tammy shook her head. “Never. In New York, I was surrounded by a million nationalities and languages and cultures, all the time and everywhere, but I never – not once – met a Native American. Isn’t that sad?”
    “I know what you mean.”
    Tammy stared down the hill at the small group walking away, then cocked her head. “OK, well. You get to work. I’m going to take a truck and head in to Clarity to pick up a few things.”
    “You what?” Julie asked. “You sure? I can get someone to drive you in, if you want…”
    “No, it’s OK. I want to go myself.”
    Julie hesitated, feeling protective. But then she looked at Tammy, and she relaxed a bit. Her friend was happy and optimistic and almost completely back to herself. It was time for Julie to start treating her the way she had done until five weeks ago.
    “Alright,” Julie said. “You’ve got the keys?”
    Tammy produced them from the back pocket of her jeans. “Mattie gave them to me this morning.”
    “So, you’re all set. See you later. Drive safe, OK?’
    “Yes, ma’am.” Tammy winked and headed around to the back of the building, to the staff parking lot. Mattie had shown her the pickup truck they used for hotel and ranch stuff: runs in to town for feed and supplies for the horses; trips by Manny and his kitchen staff to buy some food from local farmers.
    She unlocked the door and clambered in. Even with her long legs, it was still a bit of a stretch and she giggled to herself, imagining Julie or Kimana trying to climb up to the driver’s seat. She started the engine, waited a few minutes as it warmed up. Tammy sat and gazed up at the mountains, looking at the snow-tipped trees and the clear blue sky overhead.
    Her thoughts turned to Rob, to