Free Shadow Bones by Colleen Rhoads Page A

“I about forgot to call the sheriff. I’ll have him meet us at your mom’s.”
    â€œI hate all this.” She sounded near tears. “It’s sobering to think someone hates me enough to want to attack me like that.”
    â€œMaybe I was the target and not you.”
    â€œTallulah wouldn’t have any beef with you,” she reminded him.
    â€œMaybe it wasn’t Tallulah,” he said, thinking of Cameron.
    But she didn’t hear him. Her head was back against the headrest, and her eyes were closed. She needed to be looked at. He dropped the SUV’s gear into Drive and took off toward town again.
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    It felt like a woodpecker had taken up residence inside her skull. Skye suppressed a groan and opened her eyes. Her vision seemed blurry, and she blinked to try to clear it.
    â€œAlmost there,” Jake said. He reached across the seat and touched her cheek.
    The roughness of his fingers sharpened her senses, and almost without thinking, she leaned her face into the caress. His fingers stilled, then his thumb traced the curve of her cheek. The sweetness of the moment was almost more than she could bear. Who would have thought she and Jake Baxter would share some strange attraction between them?
    Maybe she was concussed. She straightened up and pulled away. “Did you get the sheriff?”
    â€œYep. I told you, but you wouldn’t wake up.”
    He turned the corner onto Houghton Street and stopped in front of her mother’s house. A four-square brick home, it had been built at the turn of the century by one of the Welsh fishermen who’d immigrated to theUnited States and settled along Superior’s shores. When this part of the island had been deeded to the Ojibwa tribe, her great-grandfather had taken possession of this property and everyone in town called it the Blackbird house.
    Someday it would be hers.
    But not for many years, she prayed. Jake opened his door and came around to assist her. She felt dizzy as she stood and leaned on his arm. He helped her to the house and pressed the doorbell.
    The sensation of his muscular arm around her waist was more disconcerting than she would have liked. Skye held herself stiffly, afraid of the way her pulse raced and her mouth felt as dry as the arid Windigo spring.
    Her mother opened the door. “Skye, what on earth?” She grabbed her daughter and helped her inside.
    Peter came through the door from the garage. He hurried to help and swung Skye into his arms. She leaned her head against his chest. He’d been the best father he knew how to be. She shouldn’t be comparing him to her own father so much. “I’m okay now,” she said, smiling up at him.
    â€œGood thing I just got here from the bank,” he said. “I thought you were going to faint for a minute. What did you do to her?” he asked, looking at Jake.
    â€œHe saved me, that’s what he did,” she said. “Someone knocked me out at the mine. Then when we came out, someone tried to stone us.”
    Peter’s eyes widened. His gaze darted to Jake again. “It appears I owe you my thanks. This girl is special toall of us.” His eyes misted with tears. “We’d better call the sheriff.”
    â€œJake already did.” Skye eased to the sofa and leaned her head against the back. “Mother, could you take a look at the cut on my head and see if it needs a butterfly?”
    â€œDon’t you think we’d better call a doctor?” Jake’s voice sounded worried.
    â€œI shall tend to my own daughter.” Her mother moved to Skye’s side and began to probe her head.
    Jake backed away. A knock came at the door. “That’s probably the sheriff,” he said.
    â€œI’ll let him in.” Peter hurried to the door and ushered the sheriff to the living room.
    Sheriff Mitchell frowned as he saw Skye. “What’s going on out at that mine?”
    â€œI wish we