of mind living up here. She’d often wished there had been some magical way she could have known the man he’d been before the war had changed him. It was clear that Ray had come back from Vietnam a different man, one far different from the older brother her mother had grown up with.
Rather than dwell on the past, Rayanne started down the slope toward the edge of town. She’d like to think her pulse was picking up speed because of the workout she was getting from the walk, but there was no use fooling herself. This first trip back to Blessing was bound to stir up a few bad memories.
Keeping to a slow pace, she walked through the middle of town. In its heyday, Blessing had boasted a population of nearly two hundred people, but there was little evidence left of most of the houses. At least the old church looked much the same, as did the saloon. It was ironic that those two polar opposites survived.
It didn’t take long to reach the far end of town. Turning back, she had the oddest sensation that she was being watched. She did a slow turn, looking in all directions, but the only movement came from the breeze brushing across the grass and wildflowers. Obviously, her imagination was running hot.
There wasn’t much left of Blessing except faded boards and failed dreams. But maybe, just maybe, with hard work and the right words she could bring the town back to life. Through her, others could get a real glimpse of what life had been like here. She liked that idea. Maybe she could figure out a way to lay out the bare-bone facts of the town’s history and then make them come alive through the eyes of a fictional resident. The wife of one of the miners might be fun.
As she considered the possibilities, a glimpse of the town alive and thriving suddenly superimposed itself over the deserted street. She stared in horror at a scene straight out of her nightmares. That the vision had no more substance than did her dreams made it no less frightening. She had the awful suspicion if she were to look behind her, she’d see those gunmen riding into town with death in their eyes.
She rubbed her eyes and looked again. Everything was back to normal. The experience was disconcerting, but perhaps her ability to see what had been would stand her in good stead when it came time to write her book.
She’d already been gone longer than she’d planned, but she had one more stop before she left. If she was going to face her personal demons, it had to start with where it had all happened. She’d climb the steps to the church belfry, take a quick peek around and then head back to the cabin.
She entered the church through the front door just as she had before. The first thing she noticed was that Uncle Ray had replaced the missing step. Since she was the only other person who ever visited the church, he’d done it for her. She brushed her fingers over the unfinished board and smiled. He’d always done his best to take care of her.
She put her full weight on the step, enjoying its solid feel beneath her feet. Then one by one, she climbed the rest of the way up the stairs, noticing he’d also reinforced a few more of the cracked and worn boards while he was at it. The door to the roof swung open on well-oiled hinges. No more loud creaking to warn her if someone followed her out onto the roof like the gunman in her dream. She shivered, but shoved that thought out of her mind.
A few short steps carried her across to the railing. She kept her eyes firmly focused on her feet, telling herself she was keeping an eye out for rotted boards that could give way beneath her weight. The truth was she wasn’t quite ready to risk looking down at the street below.
Would she see weeds growing up between the wooden sidewalks or the townspeople going about their daily routine? There was only one way to find out. She latched on to the faded railing with both hands, locked her knees to make sure they’d support her, took a deep breath and cast her gaze outward.
Her relief at seeing nothing but a ghost town was palpable. Another major hurdle cleared. As she started to turn back toward the door, a movement below caught her eye. How odd. The batwing doors on the old saloon were swaying as if someone had just passed through them.
She glanced around, realizing for the first time that the breeze had picked up and white puffs of clouds she’d noticed earlier now covered most of the sky overhead in an angry gray blanket. One of the first things Uncle Ray had taught her was that storms could roll in with little notice. Getting soaked in an early-summer rain wouldn’t kill her.
A lightning strike might.
A deep rumble of thunder echoed down the valley, sending a shiver through her. Time to get the heck off the roof of the tallest building in town. Ignoring the grumble of a few of the boards, she hustled back to the door and breathed a little easier when she was back inside. She wasn’t out of the woods yet.
She smiled at the image. Actually, she had to reach the woods first. They’d shelter her from the storm well enough. Once the worst of it was past, she could make the final run for the cabin. At least the day was still warm enough that she didn’t have to worry about hypothermia setting in if she did get soaked along the way.
She cursed herself a fool for setting off so ill prepared. She knew better or at least she used to. Ray had laid out the rules for her the very first time she’d come to visit. He’d written them out in big block letters so she could read them on her own. Then he’d ordered her to study the rules until she knew them backward and forward.
When she’d recited them to him, he’d handed her a pen. Once she’d scrawled her name on the paper, Uncle Ray had presented her with her very own backpack filled with emergency supplies: granola bars, bottled water, a first-aid kit and even a rain poncho. It had been one of the proudest days of her life.
“Sorry, Uncle Ray. Guess I need a refresher course.”
She wouldn’t make the same mistake again. On her next trip to Blessing, she’d bring emergency supplies and stash them inside one of the buildings. For now, though, she had a long way to go to reach the slope leading up to the timberline. The dust kicked up by the wind stung her eyes, and another crash of thunder warned her that the storm was moving faster than she was.
Okay, so maybe she’d be better off waiting out the storm back in town. She reversed course and took off running for the nearest building. The church might be sturdier, but right now she couldn’t afford to be picky. The saloon would have to do.
The darkening sky flashed bright with another bolt of lightning. The resulting thunder followed right on its heels, warning her the storm was now centered right over the valley. Big, fat drops of rain splashed down on the dusty road as Rayanne ran. She kept a wary eye on the ground in front of her to avoid stepping in one of the wagon-wheel ruts still visible after all these years. The last thing she needed was to twist an ankle.
After another crack of thunder, the rain poured down even harder, instantly turning the dust into mud so that her shoes made a sucking noise as she ran. It was too late to worry about staying dry. Finding shelter was paramount. The wooden sidewalk outside the saloon creaked in protest when she put her full weight on it, but it held. After shoving through the swinging doors to the dim interior, she bent over, hands on her knees as she waited for her lungs to catch up on oxygen.
When she could breathe, she slipped off her flannel shirt and wrung it out as best she could. She reached for the hem of her T-shirt, planning to do the same with it, when the memory of watching the saloon door swaying in the breeze popped into her head. She froze and looked around to make sure she was alone.
What was she thinking? No one ever came up here uninvited. Of course the room was empty. She peeled off her T-shirt and twisted it until the rainwater dripped down onto the dusty floor. When it was as dry as she could make it, she slipped it back on, figuring her body heat would dry it out eventually. She hadn’t bothered with a bra, so at least she didn’t have to deal with the discomfort of wet lace and elastic while she was stuck here.
One of the old chairs looked sound enough to sit on, so she dragged it over toward the front window and made herself comfortable. The weather would change for the better soon, and then she’d head back to the cabin where a mug of hot chocolate with her name on it would be waiting.
* * *
Hellfire and damnation, did that woman