“Isn’t it beautiful?” Winona gazed up at the raptor.
“Beautiful.” But Jason wasn’t looking at the eagle.
Jason followed Winona through the parking lot toward the entrance of Knockers, already able to hear the band. Given the pub’s name, he’d thought it must be one of those places where women wore short shorts and skimpy belly shirts. He was glad to be wrong.
“The name honors the Tommyknockers, little gnome creatures that supposedly inhabit the mines here,” Winona had told him on the way here. “My friend Lexi believes one saved her life.”
Jason knew better than to disrespect another culture’s beliefs and legends. There was more to this world than could be understood or explained.
McBride held the door open for both of them. “The food here is good, and the brews are fantastic. But the atmosphere is what makes it.”
It was like stepping into happy chaos. The place was packed, a band on stage, the dance floor crowded, people milling about near the front door waiting for tables to open.
Winona had to shout for him to hear her. “This is the heart of Scarlet Springs.”
She didn’t wait for the hostess, but grabbed a couple of menus and led them toward the rear of the restaurant. “Joe always sets aside a table for the Team. It’s his way of thanking us for saving lives.”
As soon as they reached the table, Jason understood why the Team sat here and not toward the front. Not far from the table was a climbing wall with brightly colored handholds that went up to the ceiling.
A climbing wall in a pub?
You’re in Colorado, man.
Right.
Jason recognized some of the faces—Megs and Ahearn, Sasha, Creed Herrera, Bahir Acharya, and Conrad and Kenzie. There were new faces, too.
When the Team spotted Winona, heads turned.
A woman with red hair called out and waved. “Win!”
“Everybody, scoot closer. Move!” Megs stood, moved her chair. “Pretend we like each other or something.”
Winona introduced Jason to the people he hadn’t yet met. “This is Lexi, my friend. She’s the Team’s accountant and volunteers at the clinic. This is Austin Taylor, her husband. This is their little girl, Emily, in case you couldn’t tell by the red hair. This is Eric Hawke, our fire chief, and his son, Caden. Eric’s wife, Vicki, runs Knockers’ deep dish pizza business and is expecting their second.”
Jason shook their hands in turn. “Good to meet you all.”
“Any news about Naomi and the baby?” Lexi asked.
“I heard from Chaska just before we came here. The baby is fine. Naomi is pretty uncomfortable from the surgery, but her blood pressure is better. Her dad and step-mother just got into town from Pine Ridge and are at the hospital now.”
“Do you have photos? Have they named him?”
Winona’s smile was tinged with sadness. “They named him Shota.”
Lexi’s eyes went wide. “Oh, Win! That’s perfect!”
“Isn’t it?” Winona passed her phone to Lexi so she could see the photos. “Isn’t he adorable? I got to hold him for a few minutes.”
As if the word baby were magic, several women who worked at Knockers hurried over to their table to see the photos, passing Winona’s phone around.
Grandpa beamed, his gaze meeting Jason’s. “I can remember people makin’ a fuss like this when Chaska and Winona were born. They grew up there—on the rez. The years pass so fast—like wind over the grass.”
A pretty woman with tattoos of skulls and roses on her arms rested her hand on Grandpa Belcourt’s shoulder. “Congratulations, Grandfather. You must be so happy.”
Grandpa Belcourt chuckled. “I’ve been waitin’ for my grandchildren to settle down for a long time.”
The woman turned to Jason. “I’m Rain Moffat, co-owner and general manager. If there’s anything you need, let me know.”
“Jason Chiago. I’m here with McBride.”
“We came to cash in our coupons for free meals.” McBride waved his around, a grin on his face.
“Right on. Do you know what you’d like to order?” Rain took their drink and dinner orders, and, finally, there was a moment of relative quiet.
Winona leaned across the table. “The first time Chaska brought me here, I was completely overwhelmed. I didn’t know anyone. I’d never seen a climbing wall. Everything was so new.”
Jason could understand that. “Why did you leave Pine Ridge?”
“Chaska left to study engineering at CU and fell in love with climbing. I missed him—we’d never been apart before—and I wanted to study to become a vet. CSU in Fort Collins has a great veterinary medicine program, so I followed him here.”
“Don’t you miss being home with other Lakota?” Jason had seen how respectful she was toward her grandfather and other living creatures. It made no sense that she could turn her back on the reservation.
“Sure, but Scarlet Springs is home, too. We visit Pine Ridge when we can, and Grandpa spends part of the year here with us.”
“My place doesn’t have the air conditioning,” Grandpa explained. “I like the air conditioning.”
Jason understood that.
A shadow fell across the table.
McBride got to his feet. “Hey, Jack, good to see you, man.”
“How have you been? It’s been a while.” A tall man with gray hair and sun-browned skin shook McBride’s hand.
“Is the rest of the family here?”
“It’s just me and Janet tonight. My wife had a craving for Vicki’s pizza.” The man—Jack—turned to Winona. “I’m happy to run into you, Winona. Can I have a moment of your time?”
Winona looked surprised. “Of course.”
She stood and followed Jack.
“What does Jack West want with Winona?” Megs asked.
McBride leaned closer, filled in the blanks for Jason. “Jack West is one of the wealthiest men in the state. He’s also about as honorable and generous a person as you could hope to meet—and a good friend. He and his family have been running cattle and breeding quarter horses for generations. He hosts the best barbeques.”
Then Winona was back. “Jason, can you come with me? We need your help.”
Chapter 5
Winona listened while Jack explained the situation to Jason, the three of them standing outside Knockers, the cold wind making her wish she’d worn her jacket.
“My son and I run black Angus on our ranch north of town. I’ve lost a few prime steers, and it looks like wolves could be to blame. The strange part is that we haven’t had wolves in Colorado for about eighty years.”
Winona couldn’t deny that the idea of wild wolves in the state excited her. “There have been confirmed sightings of lone wolves who’ve wandered down from Wyoming, but they never stayed. If wolves have settled in the mountains north of Scarlet, that’s going to be big news.”
Jason raised an eyebrow. “You want me to confirm that it’s wolves?”
Jack shook his head. “Based on the size of the tracks, I’m pretty sure it’s wolves. I want to know whether we’re talking about a pack or a lone wolf passing through. I was hoping Chaska could help me, but he’s doing more important things right now. Winona tells me you’re one of the best trackers in the country.”