Shadow Bones. Colleen Rhoads

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      “That’s my favorite spot! I love to walk through the wildflowers there. He’s going to ruin my whole summer.”

      “Skye, show a little graciousness,” Mary called after her as Skye stormed from the store.

      Skye climbed in her 1962 Dodge pickup. Though the paint didn’t shine anymore and the seats were cracked, she felt close to her father in this truck. He’d restored it once upon a time, but he’d left it behind like a discarded toy. Just like he’d left his family.

      But she would never leave this island as he did. Her mother needed her, and Skye needed the blue twilight in Lake Superior’s depths on a lazy summer afternoon. She needed the way the sun glinted off the white cliffs in the winter and the harsh sound of the gulls fighting for a morsel of fish. This land was in her blood, just like it had been in her ancestors’. She was her father’s daughter, the daughter of an Ojibwa chieftain. But she would prove more faithful than he.

      The truck’s tires kicked up a cloud of dust behind her, and the back end fishtailed on the gravel road. She realized she was clenching the steering wheel so hard her fingers were numb. Her jaw ached, and she forced herself to try to relax. She wanted to appear calm and in control when she tried to talk Jake Baxter into giving up this crazy scheme.

      The mine was ten miles out of town. Surrounded by pine forests interspersed with stands of white birch, the garnet mine had been her focus ever since she took over management three years ago. She pulled into the parking lot in front of the mine. Two other vehicles were parked there. She’d never seen either one of them. The beat-up truck was probably his. It held picks and other digging tools.

      She got out of her vehicle and slammed the door behind her with more force than necessary, though the action failed to relieve the tension coiled in her gut.

      Following the trail of crushed wildflowers, she stalked up the slope to the site her mother had told her Jake intended to dig up. The path to the meadow was always dangerous, as it narrowed to only a foot wide at its steepest, most treacherous part, and in her state of mind, it was hard to take the care she should.

      As she neared the rocky outcropping, she could hear the murmur of voices. The man’s deep voice sent an odd thrill up her spine, a reaction that made her grit her teeth.

      She paused to assess the enemy before stepping around the final boulder barring her way.

      Jake Baxter stood with his feet planted on the ground as though he owned it. A red denim shirt and well-worn jeans outlined his tall, rangy form. Skye’s gaze traveled from his scuffed boots to the Indiana Jones-style hat that topped his shaggy black hair. The man had to be at least six-four.

      He stood tossing a rock from hand to hand like a quarterback would play with a football. The woman on his left wore the same determined expression, and her dark hair matched Jake’s. The other woman was blond and blue-eyed, the antithesis of the other two, and Skye recognized her as Becca Duncan, who frequented her shop.

      The three stood deep in conversation, then Becca turned and saw her. “Skye, I’m glad you’ve come out. You’ve never met my brother and sister.”

      When Jake turned and his dark eyes focused on her face, Skye wanted to run. Even from here, she could see the determination in his jaw and the piercing expression in eyes the color of the walnut trees that grew in the forest.

      He wouldn’t intimidate her. She lifted her chin and stepped from behind the rock. “Hello, Becca.” Her tone measured, she advanced to the stone outcropping.

      Jake’s gaze swept her and rested on her face. “You’re Skye Blackbird? Somehow I’d pictured someone dressed in gauzy skirts and wearing crystals around her neck.”

      “Oh?” At least her linen slacks were still spotless. She smoothed her red jacket over her hips.

      “I’ve heard you’re the island medicine woman. You look too much like a modern woman to believe in herbs and roots.”

      “A typically uninformed comment. God created everything in this world for a purpose. If we give our bodies the natural substances God made for us, we’d all be a lot better off. Even an Indiana Jones-type like you.”

      Instead of the comment irritating him as she’d planned, he grinned, a lazy smile full of self-confidence. “I’m glad you noticed.”

      Skye gritted her teeth but managed to keep silent.

      “You look mad enough to kick a boulder in two,” Jake said. “Was it something I said?” His grin widened.

      Becca’s smile faltered. “You okay, Skye?”

      “No, no, I’m not.” Skye folded her arms over her chest. She narrowed her gaze and glared at Jake. “I’ve brought the lease, but only under duress. I’d like to persuade you to abandon the idea of digging here. You’ll disrupt my mining and destroy the environment in this area. There are other, less fragile, places on the island to dig. I suggest you look around.”

      She tossed out the final comment with a challenging tilt to her chin.

      Jake shoved his hands in his pockets, and the amusement in his eyes died. “It’s not that easy.”

      His deep drawl raised Skye’s hackles even more. “Sure it is,” she said. “You pack up this equipment and saunter off to some place that wants you.”

      “I have a feeling about this spot,” Jake said. “If I’m right, it could be a huge discovery. I’m sorry you don’t approve, but your mother has given her permission. She owns the land, so I don’t think you have anything to say about it.” The final sentence was uttered with a gentleness that didn’t quite extend to the grim look in his eyes.

      Heat rushed to Skye’s cheeks, and her jaw ached from clenching her teeth. “Don’t get in the way of my workers,” she snapped.

      “I don’t intend to. Now if you’ll give me that contract, I can sign it and get to work.”

      “Mother made a change.” She dropped her backpack, flipped it open and then pulled out the lease. She wanted to crumple it into a ball and toss it over the cliff, but she forced an impassive glare and handed it to Jake.

      Skye pointed out the crossed out clause. “The lease is for the summer only with no extension.”

      Jake sighed. He took off his hat and rubbed his forehead. “That’s not acceptable to me. We had an agreement.” He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed. “Mrs. Metis? Jake Baxter here. I really need that clause in the lease. I can’t jeopardize the dig with time constraints, and you gave me your word.”

      As soon as she heard his cajoling voice and the way he reminded her mother of her promise, Skye knew her mother would cave. Mary Metis prided herself on being a woman of her word. Besides, Jake had a way of presenting his view that seemed so plausible.

      He handed her the phone, and she listened while her mother told her to reinstate the clause. Skye knew better than to argue. Nothing was more important to her mother than her word.

      She clicked off the phone and handed it back to Jake. She crossed out the correction her mother had made, though it pained her to do so.

      “May I borrow your pen?”

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