Was that when she’d started to fall in love with Daniel?
She covered her mouth, as if that could stop the words her mind had spoken.
Started. Oh, God It had to be only started.
Because there remained that part of Daniel she couldn’t reconcile with. The element in him that had given rise to Taumaturgio. The masked crusader. The risk-defying miracle worker. The man who would fly into the night to save the world, and never return to her or to their son.
Taumaturgio was as much a part of Daniel Delligatti as the street-hardened child or the confused adolescent or the rumpled Tompkins or the gentle Paulo. And Taumaturgio was the part of him that could break her heart, and Matthew’s.
*
Daniel hadn’t lost his skills. He knew someone had tracked him through the aisles of the Far Hills Market.
He stepped into the express lane with his coffee, crackers, apples and peanut butter, then turned to face his pursuer.
Marti Susland.
“Daniel. I’d like to talk to you.”
“Okay,” he agreed slowly. “Here?”
“No. I’ll get us soft drinks from the machine–” She tipped her head toward the exit. “–and meet you across the street on the bench by the post office.”
She popped the top of her soda can as he arrived.
“Remember what I told you about the founding of Far Hills?” she asked as he took the can she held out. “About the legend?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“But I didn’t tell you what happened after Leaping Star died up on that overlook.” She gazed off to some distant point. “I’d always heard about the Suslands having a lot of tragedies, but I didn’t know the details, not until I started doing research for the local history section we’re working on. I didn’t know a lot of things . . .
“Charles Susland and Annalee had five babies–one died at birth, another died of diphtheria. A daughter died in childbirth. A son died in an insane asylum. My grandfather was shot to death during a bank robbery in the thirties.
“The next generation didn’t fare any better–World War II, polio and an uncle killed himself after he’d murdered his cousin. I was eight then–it’s the first time I heard of the Susland Curse.”
She left another silence. When she finally turned, her face had an intensity that was far from dreamy.
“You see, Daniel? Our family’s had generations of sorrow and tragedies. Kendra’s mother lost her husband with Kendra still a baby, and was never the same. And my other sister died leaving an eleven-year-old son. And now Kendra . . .”
Uneasiness prickled at the back of Daniel’s neck. “What about Kendra?”
“She’s been alone a long time. Alone, like Leaping Star said. And now she’s raising a son alone.”
“Not anymore. I’m going to be here to help raise Matthew. And–” He bit off the last words.
But Marti filled in. “And Kendra. You’ll be with Kendra. If she’ll let her defenses down enough to let you.”
“That’s between Kendra and me.”
Her intensity eased into a glint of humor. “Of course, but an aunt can hope for her niece’s happiness.” It couldn’t have been any clearer if she’d shouted, “I’m going to meddle.”
“You weren’t so impressed with me at the start,” he said bluntly. “Why the sudden change?”
“I wouldn’t say it’s sudden. I was leery when you showed up–with good cause. All I knew was you’d gotten Kendra pregnant and disappeared. But I’m not one who sticks to an opinion when I see reason to change it. You might be what Kendra and Far Hills need.”
He raised his brows. “I suspect Kendra would tell you that the last thing she needs is an out-of-work pilot.”
She cut him a sharp look. “Out of work, huh? You intend to tell Kendra that?”
Hell, he hadn’t intended to tell her. “Eventually. I’d like to say I had leads on jobs at the same time.”
“What kind of job are you after?”
He curbed his amusement enough to give her a straight answer: “Flying. Need a crop duster?”
“No.” She didn’t pull her punches. “You don’t want to do that, anyhow. Too tame.”
He narrowed his eyes at her, searching for the meaning behind that comment. Had Kendra been talking to her? Marti’s expression gave no clues.
“What other kind of jobs have you held?”
“Only way I’ve ever earned a paycheck is by flying.”
“But you have a number of other abilities, don’t you.” He didn’t answer, but she didn’t seem to require any confirmation. She tapped a blunt fingernail against the soda can. “You know, Kendra wrote an article a while back about a grant for a new position–regional instructor and coordinator for search and rescue volunteers. A pilot,” she added as if putting whipped cream on a sundae, “would be a bonus they’d have a hard time passing up.”
“Search and rescue.” He turned that over. “Around here?”
“Of course around here. You think I’m trying to get you a job in the Yukon? So, what do you think?”
He looked from her to the mountains beyond the town’s buildings. “Yeah, I might like that. And they might like my credentials. Now I’ve got a question–why would you do anything for me?”
She’d wasted no time pulling paper and a pencil from her purse, and began writing. “I told you–I think you might be good for Kendra.”
“You said Kendra and Far Hills before. Why would having me around be any good for your ranch?”
“I wondered if you’d picked up on that.” She seemed pleased he had. “I think you can be the solution to the Susland curse.”
“What do I have to do with some old curse?
“You haven’t turned your back on your son.”
“Why the hell would I?”
“Why would any man? But some men do. Charles Susland did. That’s why Leaping Star said his blood would be alone. Like Kendra. ‘Only when someone loves enough to undo your wrongs will the laughter of children live beyond its echo in Far Hills.’ ”
Marti’s voice had an eerie sound
