Tracie Peterson - [Desert Roses 01] (33 page)

Valerie stepped forward, but at the last minute she turned and lunged for Joel with the syringe held like a dagger. He dropped his hold on Alex and managed to narrowly avoid the needle.

“You traitor!” he screamed, slapping her back. Whether she let go on her own accord or had no choice due to the force of Harper’s blow, Valerie dropped her hold on the syringe and let it fall. Hitting hard against the stones, the syringe shattered and the contents spilled out.

“No!” Joel screamed, pushing Alex aside.

Luke sprung into action like a mountain lion to the kill. He rushed Joel and sent him sprawling backward. Alex hurriedly got to her feet, determined to help Luke in whatever way she could, but instead found Jastrow at her side, pulling her and Valerie back up the path.

“You ladies must get out of harm’s way,” he told them. “But he has a gun,” Alex protested. “We have to help Luke.” “I’ll do what I can, but first I must see you safely away from this area. Go for help.”

Alex looked to Valerie, who nodded. “We can get help,” Valerie said as if to assure Alex it was for the best.

She looked back at the men who were fighting. “Please help him,” she said, turning to go up the path with Valerie. They’d only gone a couple of feet, however, when the sheriff, followed by several rangers, Mr. Stokes, and Senator Winthrop, appeared on the trail.

“Down here!” she called. “Help us—Mr. Harper has a gun.” Just then a shot was fired. Alex gasped for breath and turned on her heel, her hand at her throat.
Dear God, don’t let Luke be hurt
, she prayed.

The sheriff and rangers rushed past her to take the matter in hand. Valerie began to cry anew and Alex thought for a moment she might join her.

“Neither one is shot!” the sheriff called out.

Alex watched Luke get up and dust off his clothes. She longed to go to him, to feel his arms around her.

“Alexandria? Are you all right?”

She looked behind her to see her mother coming behind the senator and nodded as the senator hurried to take Valerie in his arms.

“What of you? Are you hurt?” he asked his daughter. “Oh, Daddy, I’m fine now. Now that I know he can’t hurt you.”

The senator’s expression grew stony. He put Valerie at arm’s length and looked her over. “I’m so sorry for what I’ve put you through.”

Alex’s mother took hold of her and hugged her close. “Oh, my darling, I feared the worst.”

“You had good reason to,” Alex admitted. “Harper planned the worst.” Then remembering she’d confronted Joel only a short time earlier about her mother’s whereabouts, she questioned. “Where did he take you? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“Who?” Katherine looked confused. “Joel Harper. Didn’t he find you in the cabin and take you from there? Michaela came and told me you were missing. I was afraid, and when Mr. Harper made some comments to me this evening, I presumed he was the one responsible.”

“No,” her mother replied, shaking her head. “Not at all. Something came up, and with the help of my guard, we settled the matter quite readily. No, Joel Harper had nothing to do with me leaving the cabin.”

“I’m so glad, Mother. I’ve only wanted your safety—your happiness.”

Katherine Keegan reached up and gently touched her daughter’s cheek. “I’ve wanted no less for you, child. You’re safe now. That’s all that matters.”

Valerie began to sob loudly. The senator stepped back, appearing uncertain as to what he should do. Alex saw her mother’s expression and knew the compassion she felt for the younger woman.

“Maybe you could talk with her, Mother. Her own mother died, and I can speak from experience—you never outgrow the need for your mother.”

Her mother smiled and nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.” Katherine went to Valerie and embraced her. The debutante seemed to fall apart at the motherly touch.

The senator went to Bradley Jastrow and shook his head. “I can’t begin to extend my apologies for what my aide perceived as acceptable politics.”

Alex heard little else. Luke approached her with a look of grave concern. “Are you all right?”

“I am now,” she said in a barely audible voice.

Luke pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. “I thought he would kill you.”

“He would have. There’s no doubt about that.” She looked up to meet his gaze. “I thought he would kill you. I could hardly pray.”

“He can’t hurt anyone now.” He held her tight and Alex realized she loved this man more than life.

“I couldn’t have endured it if he’d killed you,” Alex said softly. “I . . .”

“You don’t understand! They have to die. They know too much!” Joel screamed as the sheriff and one burly ranger forced him back up the path. “It’s too late now. Too late. They have to die.”

Alex pulled away enough to see Joel’s crazed expression as he came to a halt in front of the senator and Bradley Jastrow. “You don’t know how hard I’ve worked,” he said to the senator. “I’ve done all of this for you—for us. We must go to the White House. We must be president!”

The senator shook his head. “No, Joel. All that’s over with. I’m resigning from the election. My daughter needs me now.”

“You can’t! I’ve done too much to make this happen. I’ve . . . I’ve even . . .” His expression grew wild and he lunged forward as if to harm the senator, but the sheriff and rangers held him fast.

Half dragging, half carrying Joel Harper, they moved off toward the hotel. The remaining ranger turned to the party. “I’ll need to talk to you all.”

A loud commotion could be heard at the top of the walkway. Alex strained to see what was happening, but when flashes of light exploded in the dimming evening light, she
knew full well the newspaper reporters had found out the truth. Or at least their version of it.

Several of them came rushing down the path toward where the senator stood beside Bradley Jastrow.

“Senator! We need a statement. Is it true that your aide tried to murder Mr. Jastrow?”

“Did he also kill Rufus Keegan?”

They seemed to momentarily forget Alex and Luke. Valerie went protectively to her father’s side, as if bolstering her own strength in order to protect him.

“Leave my father alone,” she demanded.

Katherine came to Alex and Luke. “There something I need to speak with you about. Something you must see for yourselves.”

“What is it, Mother?”

Alex looked to Luke, but he shrugged. “Yes, what is it?” Katherine drew a deep breath. “Let’s go to Mrs. Godfrey’s office. I can tell you all about it there.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Alex settled into step beside Luke, while her mother took the initiative and led the way back to El Tovar. Alex felt Luke reach for her hand and she smiled. Looking up to meet his gaze, her smile broadened. How right it felt to hold hands with her best friend in all the world—to love him and care about him as she did. She looked away, wondering what had caused her mother to suddenly take leave of her protective cabin.

“Do you know what this is about?” Alex asked Luke softly. “No, I was about to ask you the same question.”

Alex shrugged. “Guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

She looked up at El Tovar in all its glory. The chalet-styling looked foreign against the canyon setting. With the sunlight all but gone, the place loomed like a brooding hulk.
I’m tired
, Alex thought.
I’m tired of this place and this job. I’m tired of the things that Arizona represents to me
. She had never thought it possible that she’d feel this way. She’d loved the canyon since she was a child and now she only wanted to leave.

Luke’s giving me a way out
, she thought as she continued her self-reflection. Marriage . . . a home . . . a family of her own. She could have it all with this man, if only she’d put aside her fears. Luke wasn’t like her father. He wasn’t like Joel Harper. In fact, Luke was unlike any man she’d ever known. She looked to where her mother stood waiting at the porch entry to the hotel.

She smiled at the approaching couple, and Alex wondered what her mother might say to her concerns. Perhaps she’d get the chance to ask her later.

“Can’t you just tell us what’s happened?” Alex questioned. “You’d better see for yourself,” her mother replied. “I think such a monumental moment merits a face-to-face experience.”

Alex couldn’t begin to imagine what her mother had
planned. She could see her mother’s peaceful countenance, however, and knew that whatever the news, it must be good.

They made their way down the employee hallway and turned toward Mrs. Godfrey’s office. Just then, Alex heard the unmistakable cry of a baby. Her mother opened the door before she could question the matter and revealed Michaela holding a squalling infant.

At first, Alex wondered if this had been the real reason Michaela had gone away on vacation. She’d left rather abruptly, surprising everyone with her temporary resignation. She’d been gone long enough to have given birth.

“Oh, Mrs. Keegan,” Michaela declared, “I’m so glad you’re back. He won’t settle down. I tried feeding him as you suggested, but he just isn’t interested.”

Katherine smiled. “Alexandria, I know this will come as a shock to you, but this is your little brother.”

Alex felt her mouth drop open. Her eyes widened as she looked to Luke. He appeared just as shocked as she was. “How . . . I mean who . . .” She let her question trail off as she searched her mother’s face for an answer.

“Sit down,” her mother instructed. “I need to tell you the whole story.”

Michaela got up. “Here, sit here. You can hold him. I think if I live to be a hundred, I’ll never want a child of my own.”

Alex took Michaela’s chair and, without even knowing why, did just as Michaela directed. As her friend placed the baby in arms, Alex couldn’t help but smile. “He’s so tiny.”

“Tiny, but loud,” Michaela said, heading quickly to the door. “If you need help with him, maybe it would be better to call Bernice. She has a whole collection of brothers and sisters and probably knows better what to do than I would.” She hurried from the room, pulling the door closed behind her before anyone could offer a comment.

But there was no need for comment. The baby had calmed in Alex’s arms. He looked up at her with deep blue eyes, warming Alex to the bottom of her heart.

“I think he likes you,” Luke said, coming to stand beside her.

“What’s his name?” Alex asked her mother.

Katherine took a seat directly across from Alex. “His name is Brock. Brock Scott. His mother was Gloria Scott.”

“Was?” Alex asked. “Is she dead?” “Yes, I’m afraid so,” Katherine replied. “But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me start at the beginning. You see, shortly before I came to El Tovar to tell your father I wanted a divorce, Miss Scott showed up at the house in Williams, with Brock in tow. I didn’t know who she was, but it was dreadfully hot that day so I invited her in. Once we sat down, she informed me that Brock was Rufus’s son and that she had come to insist we help her out financially.”

“Oh my,” Alex said, knowing how much this woman’s appearance must have wounded her mother.

“I’d never had to confront one of your father’s women, and I’d certainly never had one of them share such news. I was stunned to say the least.”

“And hurt,” Alex said, feeling for her mother. “Yes,” Katherine nodded. “I was hurt as well. This revelation was the final straw. It was as if my eyes were suddenly opened to the truth. There was no hope for Rufus and me. Here was a young woman with a new baby and the need for a husband and father for her son. I figured Rufus might as well divorce me and marry the poor woman and give the child a name.”

“Oh, Mother, I’m so sorry.” Alex met her mother’s gaze and saw the pain reflected there. Her expression pierced Alex’s heart, reminding her yet again of her father’s cruelty. Without thinking she said, “I’m glad he’s dead.”

“Alex, don’t be bitter about the past. Your father was a lost soul. He never knew what was missing in his life because he was so certain his money and power could fill all those empty places. When it didn’t, he tried to fill it with women.
When that didn’t work, he just became angry and hateful. You don’t want to be like him.”

“But I am like him,” Alex said, shaking her head. She looked back to the baby who was falling asleep. “Joel Harper reminded me of that very fact. He said I had my father’s independent nature, his determination, and his judgmental attitude.”

“I disagree,” Luke said softly. “You may have an independent nature and determination. You may even be a bit quick at times to assess a situation and see it in the wrong light—but you are nothing like him.”

“I agree,” Katherine replied. “Rufus did everything out of selfish need. He wanted the best—not for his family, but for himself. You’ve been patiently working this job for four years and during this time you’ve told me off and on that you were saving your money in order to take me away from my misery. That isn’t the act of a selfish woman.”

Alex felt a tear slide down her cheek. “I wanted to be a good Christian where Father was concerned. And how I wanted to respect him and honor him as the Bible said. But I feel I can’t mourn his passing now because I’ve mourned his absence all my life. I watched him with one woman or another since I was a small girl. I always envied those women because they were laughing and having such a marvelous time and Father was laughing too. I always wondered why he didn’t laugh with me?”

“Oh, my darling, I know. I know your pain so well. I tried hard to shield you from his actions. I knew you longed for him to care—to just once tell you that he loved you.”

“And now he never will.” “No. He never will. But neither will he ever hurt us again.” Katherine’s words were firm. “I mourn the man I first married. The man I loved. But like you, I mourned that man’s passing a long time ago. Losing the ugliness and sin of the man who’d become Rufus Keegan is not a sorrowful parting. Still, I won’t speak ill of him. He was a troubled man who
was hopelessly lost without God. He has condemned himself. Therefore, I don’t need to, and neither do you.”

Luke offered Alex a handkerchief. His expression was sympathetic, understanding. Alex felt certain he knew full well how confused her heart and head were over the entire matter.