Free Shadow Bones by Colleen Rhoads

I’m gone.” He didn’t know if her attacker was still in the area, but he wasn’t about to take any chances.
    She nodded and punched the power button to lock all the doors. His mouth went dry as he started back toward the mine. He took a deep breath, ducked inside and dashed to the spot where he’d found Skye. He scooped up the box and ran back to the exit as if a wildcat were on his tail.
    As he reached the door, he thought he heard something. Hesitating in the corridor, he started in that direction, then stopped. He couldn’t make himself take another step. Besides, Skye needed medical attention, he told himself.
    Relief made him feel light-headed as he went back outside into the falling twilight. He approached the SUV. Several steps from the vehicle, something zinged by his head and slammed into the driver’s window. It shattered.
    â€œHit the floor!” he shouted to Skye. He dove to the ground and crawled forward.
    Two more rocks zipped by him. He needed to get to the SUV and get them both out of danger. As he neared the vehicle, the door swung open and he looked into Skye’s strained face where she lay on the seat.
    â€œGet in!” She crawled back to her own side and slid to the floor.
    He got to his hands and knees and dove in, then slammed the door behind him. The vehicle was alreadyrunning. Crouching as low as he could, he tromped on the accelerator.
    Only when they were a mile down the road did he breathe easier. He glanced at Skye as she crawled back into her seat. “Got any idea who might be lobbing rocks at us?”
    Skye shuddered. “I can’t imagine who it would be. Unless—” she broke off.
    â€œUnless?” he prompted.
    She hesitated again and pulled her long black braid over her shoulder, worrying it with her fingers. “There’s a disgruntled customer who tried to shake me off the ladder last week.”
    â€œWhat? Did you call the sheriff?”
    She shook her head. “I didn’t want to get her in trouble. She’s grieving her son. She came to the store for some herbs. When she explained what was wrong with him, I told her to take him to the doctor because I thought it might be appendicitis. She insisted on buying the herbs anyway. I guess she never took him and he died. She blames me for not giving her the right herbs now.”
    â€œThat’s crazy!”
    â€œYeah, well, Tallulah Levenger has always been a little different.”
    â€œWhere does she live? Maybe if I go put a little fear in her she’ll leave us alone.”
    Skye’s eyes were shadowed. “She was probably just deranged with grief when she came to the shop last week.”
    â€œSo you think she trailed you to the mind, knocked you out, then lobbed rocks at you?” Skye was too soft and wanted to believe the best of people. He knew any person was capable of just about any action. It wouldn’t be wise to discount the woman.
    â€œIt wouldn’t hurt to have the sheriff check her out,” he told her.
    â€œI suppose.” Skye rubbed her forehead.
    â€œYour head still aching?”
    â€œI don’t suppose you have any of the willow bark with you, do you?”
    â€œAs a matter of fact, it’s in my backpack.” He pulled to the side of the road in order to reach behind the seat with one hand. He grabbed it, then tossed it in her lap.
    She rummaged through it and found the herb and swallowed it. “That should help.”
    Jake suddenly realized he was feeling better himself. “You might have something there,” he said. “My muscle aches are much better even though it has to have worn off by now. It must have fixed me.”
    â€œYou sound surprised.” Her lips curved into a smile.
    â€œI am. I thought it was a lot of hokum.”
    â€œWe all have prejudices to overcome,” she said, a full-fledged grin breaking forth.
    Jake made a noncommittal sound. He grabbed his cell phone.