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“He didn’t think it was serious. He only went in for some tests. He expected to be back home after a few days. His death was a shock to all of us.”
Joshua glanced at his dad’s house, then at her. “I’d heard about Tanner’s accident at the plant. Getting taken by surprise with news like that...I know how it feels,” he said and gave her an impromptu hug.
The second she felt his strong arms around her, Myka’s pulse began to race. That flicker of life took her by surprise. Unsettled by her reaction, she stepped back.
She stared at the ground for a moment, breathed deeply and looked back up at him. “At least Tanner was spared having to see what has happened to the community. Independence is in trouble.”
He acknowledged the real estate signs lining the street. “I’ve seen things like this on the news, but it’s different when it hits home.”
“IVA held the town together. Luxury—American Style.” Myka took another deep breath. “Now that IVA’s gone, the only way we’re going to survive is by reinventing ourselves.”
He smiled. “So you’re still an optimist?”
She shrugged. “What else can you do?”
“You’ll be staying here, then?”
“I’ll try to stick it out,” she said, “but right now Independence feels like a home with all the children gone. I keep hoping a new industry will move in. The plant is just sitting there, the buildings empty.”
“I passed by on the way in,” he said with a nod.
Her sheep began to gather along the north end of the pasture, which stopped at the front corner of the house. Here, the semi-rural neighborhood was still zoned for certain livestock. Joshua smiled and went over to the fence. They readily let him pet them. His touch was gentle and calmed the sheep even as they clustered around.
This was a side of Joshua few ever got to see, particularly back in the day.
“I feel as if I’ve stepped back in time,” he said. “You still have your Churro sheep. More head than ever, too, if I remember correctly.”
“You bet. They’ve allowed me to fend off the bill collectors. I spin and dye the wool and then sell the yarn on the internet through my store, Myka’s Wooly Dreams.”
“Now that’s the Myka I remember. You always had a knack for turning a bad situation around.”
“Life doesn’t give us much of a choice sometimes,” Myka said softly. “So what are your plans?”
“I don’t know,” he answered. “Not yet anyway. I need time to figure out my next move. I had to close my architectural firm. My partners and I couldn’t make it work. The downturn in housing hit our company hard. We hung on as long as we could, but in the end, we all knew what had to be done.”
“Yes, I’m sorry, I had heard about that. Every time Bertie visits her daughter Andrea in San Francisco she brings back the latest news.” She felt helpless and didn’t know what else to say about his career, so she changed the topic. “I gather you and Andrea remained good friends.”
He nodded. “She and I would get together for lunch when we could and catch up. It was good to see a familiar face from time to time.”
“And now, here we are,” Myka said.
“Looks like I’ll be fixing up Dad’s house and putting it on the market.” He stared straight out at the for sale signs and didn’t so much as blink. “If you hear of anyone who might be interested, let me know.”
“It’s really a buyer’s market right now,” she warned, even though she knew she didn’t have to.
“I’ll do what I can to spruce up the place and see how it goes.”
Life’s hard knocks appeared to have toughened him and that only added to the raw masculinity that was so much a part of Joshua.
She tore her gaze from his and walked back to her porch. She climbed the three steps.
“That’s one of my nicest memories of home—you spinning yarn out on the porch,” he said, walking to the porch rail.
“This is when I’m happiest. But my days here are numbered unless something more lucrative comes along. I’m a good bookkeeper—one of the last people IVA let go. Despite that, I haven’t been able to find anything in the area, not even over in Painted Canyon, and they’ve got that big mining operation just north of the city.”
“If I was still in business, I would have offered you a job,” he said.
“Running your own company was your dream even before college. It must have been tough walking away.”
Joshua looked out across the valley. “It was, and starting over is going to be even tougher. After you’ve had your own company and called the shots, it’s harder to work for someone else.”
She stood beside him with the porch rail between them. “We each got what we wanted, but we just couldn’t hold on to it.”
“Myka, I’m sorry life’s been so rough on you,” he said, brushing his knuckles across her cheek.
His unexpected touch startled her. As she saw herself reflected in his gaze, she stepped back. She didn’t want pity.
“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask,” she blurted. “Sometimes just talking to someone can make things easier.”
“Thanks,” he said. “It was good seeing you here today, Myka, but I better get busy.”
“Before you leave, I need to tell you about Bear,” she said, and explained about his father’s missing pet.
He shook his head. “This is the first time I’ve heard about Dad having a pet. I hope he’s okay, but I can’t keep a dog. I don’t know how long I’ll be staying, or even where I’ll be living six months from now.”
“Then if it’s okay with you, I’d like to keep him. Will you let me know if he comes back or if you see him? You can’t miss a dog that big. He’s really a sweetheart, so don’t let his appearance or his bark put you off.”
“It was Dad’s house. If he comes back and thinks I’m an intruder...”
“He won’t bite,” she said quickly. Then she added, “He might sit on you, though. He did that to Daniel Medeiros once. Just knocked him to the ground and kept him there until Adam came home. He’s not dangerous, but I should warn you, he does drool a lot.”
Joshua stared at her.
She laughed. “Don’t worry about it. A dog his size doesn’t sneak up on anyone. When he’s running, he sounds more like a pony than a dog, and you can hear him breathing ten feet away. If you see him, just call me—your dad kept my number beside the phone in the living room. Oh, and Bear can be bribed. Carry some dog treats with you. Your dad has a jar of them in the kitchen.”
“So now I’m a dog trainer?”
“Guess so,” she said. “Welcome home, Joshua.”
He laughed.
“If you need any help sorting, carrying or moving stuff, let me know,” she said, pointing to the van. “I figure you’ll want to haul a lot of your father’s things away.”
“The van’s full of stuff from my apartment in San Francisco. As far as Dad’s things, Dan’s coming over later and we’ll handle it.”
They walked back to the van together, and after he got inside and started the engine, he glanced at her through the open window. “Remember that blue sweater you made for me right before I left for college?”
She smiled. “Yeah. It was my first attempt at making something wearable.”
“I’ve still got it, and it’s as warm as ever.” Without waiting for her to answer, he drove forward, then backed into the next driveway down.
She watched him as he propped open the front door of the house, then began to carry in boxes from the van. Although she could tell by the way he lifted them they were heavy, he walked with unwavering purpose.
Life might have knocked Joshua down, but something told her he’d soon be on his feet, stronger than ever.
* * *
AN HOUR LATER, Myka walked to the three-sided loafing shed in the backyard where she kept the grain. All ten sheep came to the fence, used to the routine.
After scooping grain into the feeders, she noticed a white butterfly perched on the edge of the welded pipe fence. It adapted to the breeze and, against all odds, remained where it was.
She wasn’t sure how long she’d stood there, watching, when a woman’s voice called her name. Myka turned her head and saw Liza Jenner standing at the corral gate. She waved and walked over to greet her friend.
In her early fifties, Liza was one of the town’s most experienced weavers. “Do you have any more of that spice-colored yarn left, Myka? The Spinning Wheels are meeting at my place tonight and we’re out of it for our Blankets for Warriors service project.”
“Come on. I’ve got some skeins in a box inside,” Myka said, unlocking the gate and letting Liza into the yard. “Has your daughter heard anything yet from that company in Las Cruces?”
“Yeah... She didn’t get the job. Unofficially, she was told they don’t like to hire anyone who’s been out of work that long. Have you ever heard of anything so crazy?”
Myka shook her head. “When Robyn worked in IVA’s public relations department, everyone loved her. That’s why she got such glowing recommendations. I can’t believe the trouble she’s having landing a job.”
“She took this last rejection really hard, but our get-together tonight will cheer her up,” Liza said. “You coming?”
“I’ll be there.” She looked back at the butterfly. If such a fragile creature could adapt to summer heat and strong winds, why couldn’t they be just as adaptable? “You know what this town’s problem is? We’re stuck in a holding pattern, clinging to our memories of what used to be—but that’s not good enough anymore.”
“You have something in mind?” Liza said as they walked toward the house.
“Yes. Tonight, instead of just talking about the projects we’re working on, let’s do something different. Ask everyone to bring a friend or their spouse and we’ll brainstorm on how to breathe life back into Independence. We dream up new colors, patterns and designs all the time. Why don’t we put some of that creativity to work and see what we can come up with for our town?”
“I’ll get busy making calls.”
She’d ask Joshua to come, too. It would be good for him to get away from all the memories the house still held.
Liza left five minutes later, and Myka finished taking care of the sheep.
Her mind was racing. Spur-of-the-moment ideas didn’t always pan out, but they had to try something. Endless waiting for the economy to turn around just wasn’t working. For the town’s sake, they had to find a new direction, and more important, a reason to hope.
CHAPTER TWO
JOSHUA STOOD ON his back porch, ignoring the dust that was blowing in the afternoon breeze and watching Myka, her hair swirling and falling in soft waves around her shoulders, tend her sheep. The girl he’d known since third grade had grown up and was more beautiful than ever.
He couldn’t remember a time he hadn’t been drawn to Myka, the good girl who always had something nice to say, and who’d stuck up for him when others tried to put him down. She was a natural leader, never quite falling in step with the rest of the girls, yet seemingly unaware of her own influence.
The fact that she’d eventually married Tanner was no surprise—they’d been a couple most of the way through high school. What did surprise him was Myka’s loyalty to this dying town. Why was she still here? What was she waiting for?
He wasn’t a betting man, but from the looks of it, he’d say that the odds were definitely against the place.
“You gonna stand out here all day?” Daniel asked, coming out of the house.
“Nah. Just needed some air.”
“And clouds of blowing dust from this unswept porch? City boy, all that carbon monoxide must have jellied your brains.”
He laughed, and they went back inside together. Daniel Medeiros, his best friend from high school and the town’s remaining grocer, had volunteered to help him clear out his father’s house. It was a good thing, too. The task was harder than he’d thought. Everything here was a memory wrapped in wishes, most of them never fulfilled.
His father had always dreamed of better things, making detailed sketches of the barn they’d someday build, and the workshop inside, with the benches and storeroom. Yet the money and time for his dad’s projects had never materialized as he spent his life laboring at his backbreaking job as IVA’s head custodian.
Joshua hadn’t made it any easier on the man. He’d constantly gotten into fights after school and around town. A group of guys, knowing his dad was a janitor—and a Navajo to boot—had hounded him since elementary school.
Knowing which buttons to push, they’d counted on getting a reaction from Joshua and had rarely been disappointed. Eventually, he won enough fights to earn respect, and that had somewhat toned down his defensiveness.
After high school he’d left to pursue his own goals, and somewhere along the way his dad’s time on earth had run out. Adam Nez’s dreams were just another footnote in the history of a man who’d done his best with what he had.
“We should donate most of your dad’s clothing and furnishings to Reverend Anders,” Daniel said, jarring him back to reality. “These days, he’s got a long list of people who need a hand.”
“Sure. That’s fine.”
“Help me load the boxes into my truck and I’ll take the stuff over there now.”
“After that, let me buy you dinner,” Joshua suggested.
Daniel laughed. “Hey, if you don’t mind, I’d rather buy the groceries at my store, then cook something on your dad’s old grill after the wind dies down—like the good ole days.”
“No problem,” Josh said, then thought about it a moment. “Business is okay for you, right? I mean, everyone needs to eat, and you’re the only full service grocer left.”
His friend shrugged. “I’m selling a lot more chicken and hamburger than steaks these days, and too many people are asking for credit. I’d give it to them if I could, but I’ve got to pay my suppliers, too.”
“You thinking of leaving?”
“I’d need to sell the business first, and that’s not going to happen. Not only are there no buyers, but the place has been in my family for generations.” He jammed his hands into the pockets of his windbreaker.
“It’s hard to walk away from things that matter,” Joshua said quietly. “When I look around here...” He shook his head.
“What might have been, huh?” Daniel asked, following Joshua’s line of sight as he gazed through the window at Myka’s place. “You always had a thing for her, didn’t you? But she was Tanner’s girl.”
“She and I have both gone through some tough times these past few years.”
“Which is why maybe you should back off. She’s a widow just trying to survive. Don’t complicate her life.”
“I don’t have any designs on Myka, Dan. I’m here to wrap up this part of my life then go on to whatever’s next.”
“So how long, exactly, are you planning to stick around?”
“No idea.” His pride wouldn’t let him admit it, but until he found a job, he couldn’t even afford cheap rent. He’d sunk every dime he’d had into trying to save the firm. When that had run out, he’d used his personal credit, just as his partners had, trying to stem the tide.
“So, dinner?” Daniel repeated. “After I drop this off at the church, I’ll stop at the store and pick up the food. You can grill us a couple of steaks and microwave some potatoes.”
Joshua pulled out his credit card and handed it to Daniel. “Just put whatever you bring on this.”
