Love's Obsession

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Book excerpt

Chapter 1

Doris Tims was strolling down the sidewalk in Rolling Fork. She was on her lunch break from her job at the coffee shop. The Gallery was next and, on a whim, she decided to go in. She spotted two girls looking in the magic mirror. Doris frowned. The last thing she needed was someone else thinking he was in love with her.

Doris walked around looking at the displays. She was enjoying the quiet. When she turned around, she saw the girls were gone and she was standing by the magic mirror. She looked down at the mirror, and the face of Officer Mark Black Feather appeared in the mirror. He looked back at her and smiled. Doris knew him because she had seen him at the coffee shop. They had never spoken to each other because one of the other waitresses always hurried to take his order.

Mark smiled at the familiar face in the mirror. He had noticed her before, but had not had a chance to get to know her. “Hello,” he said.

Doris stood there, stunned. She did not know what to say. She just stood there looking at Mark.

“Are you alright?” Mark asked with concern.

Doris shook her head and, still without saying anything, hurried out of The Gallery. When she was outside, she hurried along the sidewalk in the direction of the coffee shop. Suddenly she heard the sound of a motorcycle engine racing. She looked up, startled. Derrick Bolin was riding his motorcycle on the sidewalk, and he was headed straight for her. Before she could do anything, she felt herself lifted and carried to the side away from the advancing motorcycle. Derrick drove back onto the road and roared away down the road. Doris had her face buried in the chest of her rescuer.

Mark Black Feather had been in the store next to The Gallery when he had looked into a mirror and saw Doris. When she reacted the way she did, he had hurried outside to see if he could catch her and see what was wrong. When he had seen the motorcycle headed straight for her, his heart was in his throat. He ran to grab her out of the way before she could be hit.

“Are you okay?” asked Mark leaning away and looking down at Doris.

Doris looked up and shivered. She stared into Mark Black Feather’s concerned face and sighed. “Thank you for saving me. Derrick almost got me this time,” she said.

“You know the person on the motorcycle?” asked Mark.

“Yes, it was Derrick Bolin. He saw me and decided he wanted me. I told him no. He would not take no. He started harassing me. I reported him to the police, but they could not do anything without proof. Then my parents were killed in a drive-by shooting. I know his gang was responsible, but I can’t prove it. So again, nothing was done; now, he has decided if he can’t have me, no one else will.”

All the time she had been talking, Mark had held onto her and listened. When she stopped talking, Mark took out his radio and called the police station.

“This is Officer Black Feather. I just witnessed an attempted vehicular homicide. A motorcycle tried to run down a young woman on the sidewalk in front of The Gallery. The rider of the motorcycle was Derrick Bolin.” He went on to describe the motorcycle and give its tag number. “I want an arrest warrant issued for Bolin at once.”

Doris watched in amazement as he returned his radio to his belt and smiled at her. “Do you think they will get him?” asked Doris.

“Yes, they will get him, but you are still in danger, and his gang members may come after you when they find out he has been arrested. You have to be kept somewhere safe until he is taken care of,” said Mark.

“I can’t go to a safehouse,” said Doris scowling. “I have a sister and brother I have to take care of. If I disappear, the CPS will take them away from me. I may not be able to get them back.”

“We will go and pick up your sister and brother, and I know just the place to take you where you all will be safe. We have to go by the police station first and sign the complaint against Derrick. A judge has to sign off on the warrant.”

Mark took her arm and led her to his car. He was not on duty, so he was in his personal car. Doris let him help her into his car and sat quietly while he reached across and fastened her seat belt. Mark smiled at her for reassurance and hurried around and got into the drivers’ seat.

After a quick stop at headquarters, where Mark quickly told his story and signed the proper papers, he led Doris back out to his car and headed for the school.

Doris went in and signed her sister and brother out. She told the school there was a family emergency. She was waiting outside the office when Orin and Sarah appeared. She quickly explained they had to leave for a while and led them out to Mark’s car.

She gave Mark her address, and he drove them by their house so they could pack some clothes and the kids could get their favorite toys. When Orin and Sarah were occupied with their packing, Mark drew Doris aside and told her to be sure and pack all of their important papers.

“If it is alright with you, I am going to have a couple of friends of mine come by and pack up your house and put everything in storage. It will take a while for Derrick to go to trial, and his friends will be looking for ways to intimidate you. They will ransack your house and destroy everything in it, and sometimes they will burn the house. If it is in storage, you will have your things when this is all over.”

Doris looked up at him with tears in her eyes, but with a determined look on her face. “Thank you, Officer Black Feather. I appreciate all you are doing for me. Please have everything stored as soon as possible.”

Mark took out his phone and called his cousins on the reservation. He made arrangements for them to come out at once and pack up the house and store it all in a storage shed at his folks’ house. When he hung up the phone, he found Doris and her siblings finished packing and ready to go. Doris handed him the key to the door, and they started out to Mark’s car.

While they were putting their stuff in the trunk of the car, two trucks stopped and Mark’s cousins arrived. “Doris, this is Jamie Long Feather and his brother Silas. Fellows, this is Doris Tims and Orin and Sarah.”

They all said hello, and Mark gave them the key to the house. The brothers headed for the house, and Mark ushered everyone into his car. Orin and Sarah were in the back seat and Doris was in the front with Mark. Mark smiled at Doris and squeezed her hand before starting the car.

“I haven’t even asked you where we are going,” said Doris.

“Somewhere you will be safe and protected. I’m taking you to my folks on the reservation.”

Doris looked startled. “Are you sure they won’t mind?” she asked.

“They will be pleased to help. Now, why don’t you call the coffee shop and tell them you have to go out of town on a family emergency,” said Mark.

Doris flushed. “I forgot all about the coffee shop. I should have been back from my lunch break an hour ago.” She quickly called the coffee shop and talked to the manager. After she hung up the phone, she leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes for a minute.

“Did they give you a hard time?” asked Mark.

“No, he told me they may have to fill my position if I’m away too long. I can understand. I have no idea how long it will take to have Derrick taken care of, and I have to make sure Orin and Sarah are not hurt by him or his friends.”

“They will not hurt any of you,” said Mark determinedly.

Doris smiled. She had hope. The first glimmer of hope she had seen since the death of her parents, and it was all because of Mark Black Feather. According to the magic mirror, he was her true love. So much had happened; she had pushed the magic mirror to the back of her mind. Now, since things had quieted, it popped back up.

She looked over at Mark. She saw him checking his mirrors. “What is it? Is someone following us?”

“I don’t think so. I have been going a roundabout way, so I could check on followers. So far, I have not seen any sign of anyone. I’m hoping we took care of things fast enough to keep the gang from being aware of our plans,” Mark smiled reassuringly.

“Officer Black Feather,” said Doris.

“Mark, please, Officer Black Feather is such a mouthful.” Mark flashed another smile.

Doris smiled. “Mark, I am so glad you were there when Derrick tried to run over me. If not for your quick action, I would not have made it. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I hope we have a chance to get to know each other, but I will not put any pressure on you, so relax.”

Doris relaxed for the first time in a while and smiled at Mark. “I would like to get to know you better,” she said.

Mark turned into the reservation and started toward the roads leading to his parents’ home. It took about thirty minutes of driving on the reservation to get to the Black Feather family home. There were several children playing in the yard, and they all called out to Mark when they saw his car. When he got out, they came running, calling out, “Uncle Mark.”

Doris exited the car and smiled to see Mark’s interaction with his nieces and nephews. Orin and Sarah left the car and came to Doris’s side. She put an arm around each of them and hugged them close.

Mark started toward them but stopped when an older lady came out of the house. He turned and hurried up to her, giving her a hug and greeting her. He quickly explained why he was there and how Doris and her siblings needed a safe place to stay.

“Good,” said Daisy Black Feather. “Moon Walking told me to get ready for your lady and her family yesterday.”

Mark shook his head and walked with his mother to where Doris, Orin, and Sarah were standing.

Daisy came right up to Doris and took her hand. “Welcome to our home. I have rooms prepared for you. We will keep you safe. You have nothing to worry about. Come in and I will get you settled.”

Doris was so surprised she followed without question. When Mark started walking beside her, she looked up at him in question. “How did she know to have rooms ready for us?” she asked.

“Moon Walking told her to be ready yesterday,” replied Mark.

“Yesterday, everything only happened today,” said Doris.

Mark shrugged his shoulders. “Moon Walking always knows. We have all learned to pay attention when she tells us something needs to be done.”

“Yeah, I have heard stories about Moon Walking. She is a legend in her own time,” agreed Doris.

They reached the porch, and Doris reached back for Orin and Sarah to usher them inside. Mark entered with his arm around Doris’s shoulder. He was trying to reassure her.

“Mom, this is Doris Tims. The youngsters are Orin and Sarah. Doris, this is my mom, Daisy Black Feather,” said Mark.

“I am pleased to meet you, Miss Tims,” said Daisy.

“Please call me Doris. I am very happy to meet Mark’s mom,” said Doris.

“I have fixed a room for you to share with Sarah. Orin can share with my grandson Joey. He is staying with us while his mother delivers his baby sister.” Daisy led the way to the bedrooms. She left Orin in a room with a boy about his age and continued down the hall to another room with a large bed for Doris and Sarah.

“This is lovely,” said Doris, looking around at the spacious bedroom.

“I am glad you are pleased,” said Daisy looking very satisfied.

“It is a beautiful room. I am sure we will be fine here,” said Doris.