Redemption FinalWPF6 7 Read Free Page A

hand to pull Diane to her feet. “Come on,
killer. Let’s go find the cabin and get out of the heat for a while. Then you
can tell me—“
    He stumbled forward with the force of the blow that landed
between his shoulder blades. He’d have gone down to the ground if he’d been
wearing his pack. As it was, he staggered sideways, and turned to find himself
staring into the nearly black eyes of one very large and very pissed off Uriah Wadsworth.
    *
    “What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Get your goddamn
hands off her!” He stood tall over the sandy-haired man who’d been holding
Diane’s hand. “Diane, you are not going to do this to me, again. Not now.”
    For just a moment, two faces stared back at him and judging
from their wide eyes and open mouths, they hadn’t expected him to return so
soon. That's just too fucking bad.
    “Stop, Uriah. Stop right now. You have no right—“ Diane
started to say.
    “Shut up. I have every right, and you—“ His own words choked
off when the stranger he recognized from the trail stepped right up to him.
Uriah rolled his shoulders and glowered down. He was a good four inches taller
and twenty pounds heavier, yet the other man hadn’t backed off. Instead, he’d
stepped closer, until they stood just a few inches apart. With his arms hanging
loose by his side and hands fisted, the man was clearly willing to take Uriah
on. Something not many men were willing to try.
    “Stop it!” Diane said and tried to push her way between the
two men. “Goddamn you, Uriah! Quit acting like an ass. He’s the doctor here at
the park…his name is Gabe, and he’s just offered us a place to stay. Or at
least he did until you went all caveman.”
    “Is that right?” he asked, never breaking eye contact the
man… with Gabe. “And who’s gonna fix your ass up after I teach you some
respect… Gabe? ”
    Instead of backing off, Gabe smiled at him. It was a look
that made Uriah feel like the other man knew something…something he shouldn’t.
Then hips pressed against hips, chest against chest, and the smell of hot
sweaty man surrounded both of them.
    Gabe spoke in a low, smooth voice that fucking grabbed at
Uriah’s balls. “Oh, I think we both know who needs to be taught respect.” And
still Gabe smiled.
    Uriah stepped back and cleared his throat. “Come on, Diane.
Let’s go talk to the rangers. There’s gotta be something we can do….”
    “You go talk to the rangers. I’m done. Gabe, I’m sorry. If
the invitation is still open, Gabe, we’d love to take you up on it.”
    ****
    Joe Yazzie’s stomach churned and he wiped his palms on his
khaki shorts. With a quick tilt of his head, his long black hair swung down,
creating a curtain through which he could watch the big man at the counter of
the Phantom Ranch Ranger Station. The man looked like a hulking bear, dwarfing Sue
Petrie, the petite blonde ranger on desk duty.
    Squeezing his hands into tight fists, Joe dug his nails into
his palms and closed his eyes so he could focus on what was being said. The
wind was rushing in his head again, making it hard to hear. He thought the
spirits were talking, but he would answer them later.
    “My reservation for a cabin was mistakenly cancelled and I
need a spot at the campground,” the familiar voice growled.
    “I’m sorry, sir. That’s just not possible. We’re booked
full—“
    “Shit. Shit, shit, shit,” the big man muttered before the
ranger even finished speaking. Then the door banged shut, and Joe thought it
might be okay to look up again.
    “I wonder how many more will—“ Sue began, but Joe didn’t
wait to listen the ranger’s frequently uttered frustration at the number of
people who arrived at the bottom without a place to stay. He followed the other
man out the door.
    Keeping a safe distance, Joe tried to hear beyond the wind
and wondered if this was one of the Diné ancestors come to call. The man he
followed stalked with the grace of a mountain lion moving