Elk Creek

Chapter 6

"S-so," Val chattered as Whiskey carried them through the pelting snow. "You never t-told me how you met-t that W-williams." An unseen grimace marring her lips, Raina hugged Val closer, her hand tightening around the leads. Beside them, Jewel trotted, oblivious to the tension riding in the other saddle.

"I needed help..." she finally admitted after several minutes of silence. "After Iza was born, I couldn't afford to put her in daycare and I needed to work." The muscles in Val's shoulders tightened.

"W-why didn't you just call? Or come back. Why'd you leave anyway?" His agitated temper seemed to warm him, clearing his speech of all chatter.

"I don't want to talk about this," Raina said definitively. Her fingers closed around the fabric of his quickly freezing jacket. If they didn't get back soon, Val would be wearing ice.

"I c-can't help you without answers," Val mumbled, glaring up ahead of them.

"Williams doesn't know about Elk Creek. I don't need hel—" Val's unnaturally freezing fingers closed around her much warmer once.

"Then why are you still looking over your shoulder?" he challenged. Raina went rigid then silent. She couldn't talk to him about Carter. If she did, he'd ask why she left and didn't come back. She couldn't tell him that. It'd been too long.

Silently, they rode on until the house came into view.

"I'm gonna drop you at the house then take care of the horses," Raina said mechanically as they descended toward the rancher.

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"The garage."

"I'm not taking you to look at old tractor equipment."

"I don't wanna bother Ma. We c-converted the upper level of the garage. It's where I st-t-tay." The lack of communication for the better part of the ride had let the tremors slip back into Val's voice.

"Okay," Raina gave in, the slight quiver in Val's voice breaking her heart. She needed to get him warm. Tugging on the reins, she steered the horses west toward the old garage.

As they neared the drive that led to the main house, the green tin roof of the two story garage came into view. When Raina was in middle school, she and Val used to climb up into the loft above the garage to do their homework among the hay. It'd been their place.

Raina brought the horses to a halt beside the garage. "What do I do with the horses?" Silent, Val moved over to a key pad by the garage door and quickly typed in a code. With a rumble the door began to slide upwards to reveal what looked like the inside of a barn.

"Leave 'em in there." Val pulled the towel tighter around his shoulders and entered the garage.

With ease, Raina led the horses into the covered space and closed the garage door before following Val up to the second level. As she stepped into the converted loft, she was met by a wall of warm air. Wanting to close her eyes and just enjoy the feel of her old hideaway, Raina remembered Val's current state and forced herself forward.

"Val?" she called as she stepped through the kitchen into the vacant family room. Decorated in soft brown tones, the room somehow seemed modern, despite the indian rug on the floor and the Stetson thrown haphazard on the glass coffee table.

"In here." With light steps Raina followed the sound of Val's voice.

Stepping through an open doorway, she found her eyes glued to the muscular expanse that was Val's back. The sopping blue button up lay in a pile on the floor. Forcing herself to remember that he had fallen into a lake less than two hours earlier, Raina stepped forward.