Natalie Locke and the Sundancer

By Leah Leonard

Natalie Locke learned her lessons about texting while driving the hard way when an eighteen-wheeler crossed her path and she nearly lost her life. Thanks to her accident, she met her new mentor, Lone Eagle, a Native American Shaman who is destined to teach her about the healing powers in the rocks and stones she sells in her shop.

Can Lone Eagle teach her enough to mend her broken bones and dance at her high school prom?

• Language: English
• Publisher: eXtasy Books Inc
• Release date: Feb 29, 2012
• ISBN: 9781554879755

Book preview

Chapter One

Bump in the Road

Sixteen-year-old Natalie Locke and her best friend, Tracy, stood by the door in the living room of her friend’s house. Lone Eagle lived in an adobe, which was a mud-walled house, on the west side of the San Felipe Pueblo north of Albuquerque.

Earlier, Natalie had discovered her parents were gunned down in the family’s rock shop in Albuquerque when she was a baby. She was surprised enough to learn about the shooting, but when she also found out Lone Eagle’s dad was in the store and tried to save them, she realized they shared a complicated history. They were destined to be friends forever. Natalie was worried about her friend. For days Lone Eagle thought his father was responsible for killing her parents. She was here to set the record straight. Lone Eagle’s father, Chief Looking Elk, tried to stop the killer who robbed the family store, but couldn’t save her parents. Still, he tried, which was the important thing.

Your father was a hero. She grabbed his shoulder, shook him a bit. Awesome, huh?

Lone Eagle sighed.

Say something, will you?

Lone Eagle stood up from his couch. A metal spring showed through torn olive green burlap. He walked a few steps into his kitchen and returned a second later. Here. You forgot this. I found it on the road after you left last time.

The crutch. Although Natalie needed it, she didn’t want it. She wanted her legs to be mended, but healing took time. Thanks, but that wasn’t what I meant.

Tracy ignored them both and grabbed the dented crutch, tucking it under Natalie’s good arm. Thanks. We wondered about this.

Lone Eagle’s gaze fell to the floor. You better go. It’s late.

Yes, but are you okay? Natalie stepped closer and put her hand on his shoulder, trying to get him to look up at her. She wanted to make sure he was okay, but then again, Native Americans rarely made eye contact.

He shrugged. Fine.

Lone Eagle was always hard for her to read. He was a man of great depth but showed few emotions. Natalie worried the news she brought him wasn’t enough to lift him from his dour mood. You’re sure? Why don’t I believe you?

Ignoring her, he kept his eyes glued to the torn up rug in the middle of his living room. Yep.

Everything’s going to be okay now, she reassured him. You know I’m right.

He nodded, brushed past the girls and opened the door. See you soon.

Tracy didn’t hesitate to step out to the porch, but Natalie didn’t budge. She stared at her friend wondering if he would be all right after they left. It must be lonely living in a place like this, Natalie thought. Judging from Lone Eagle’s grumpy sister, it didn’t look like he had the kind of loving and supportive family she did. Although her parents were long gone, Natalie had her grandmother, who she called Gran. Gran would do anything in the world for her. Everyone should be so lucky.

Time for you to fly, Little Bird. He gestured again to the open door and the cool springtime night.

Alright, but you promised you’d stay in touch.

I did.

And to teach me more about the stones.

Yes.

And to take Gran up on her offer of dinner.

I know.

She wants to thank you for everything you’ve done for us, and all your dad did for us.

He nodded and pulled the door open.

Natalie limped to the doorway and turned around again. If you don’t come see me soon, I’ll drive out here myself next time.

He chuckled and glanced down at her legs which were both immobilized by Velcro braces. I’ll bet you will. Natalie hobbled down the hill in front of Lone Eagle’s house and climbed into Tracy’s car with greater ease than she had in months. Although she was still recovering from two broken legs, a shattered elbow and several other minor injuries, she was doing better than anyone imagined, especially after being pinned in her truck by a semi last December.

Tracy helped her into the car. Here you go. She buckled Natalie in and slammed the door.

Thanks. Natalie hated being so helpless, but at this point, she had no choice. She appreciated Tracy’s help and vowed to repay her one day. They rattled down the gravel hill in Tracy’s mom’s car when they both heard a loud thump.

Both girls turned to each other.

What was that? Tracy checked the rearview mirror.

Natalie shook her head. I don’t know, but it didn’t sound good.

Tracy kept driving. Probably just a rock. No biggie.

Natalie hoped she was right. The last thing they needed tonight was car trouble. Tracy already had to call home once to let her mom know they were going to be late. Oh well. Tracy’s right. It’s nothing. She stared out the window as they traveled down the hill. Off in the distance, the bright lights of the casino on the San Felipe Pueblo filled the night sky.

Nat? Whatcha thinking about? Tracy whipped her blonde haired head around, both hands still on the wheel.

Natalie sighed. A lot. She was busy remembering the night she’d been on her way to a ski weekend in Taos with Tracy and her family. Her beloved purple pickup careened out of control, then she lived in a coma for two months. Ever since she woke up, life was hard. Her body was broken and bruised, and the healing process was slow. Now to complicate matters, she learned the truth about her parent’s death.

On the one hand, she felt relieved to know what happened to her mom and dad since Gran never talked about her parents’ murder much. But in another way, it was hard to believe, a lot to take in all at once.

Yeah, I figured. Wanna talk about it?

No. Truth be told, Natalie was still in shock. She’d talk to Tracy later but not yet. Her whole world turned upside down ever since the two of them drove to San Felipe Pueblo earlier that afternoon. At the time, Natalie wanted to see Lone Eagle and find out why he had been avoiding her. She thought he was mad at her or tired of her taking so long to do things since her casts and crutches slowed her down more than she wanted. She had no idea he would drop such a bomb on her by telling her his father killed her parents. She never raced out of any place so fast, and on two broken legs, even. Then she and Tracy went to see her Gran who explained Lone Eagle’s dad saved her life when she was just a tiny baby. Natalie knew they had to come back out here so Lone Eagle wouldn’t be stuck thinking his dad was a bad man. She hadn’t realized until now they shared a common past. While she slept in the hospital, she saw Lone Eagle in her dreams. Before tonight, she assumed everything that happened so far was all coincidence, but now she knew that wasn’t true. There was a lot more to it than that.

She should be happy. She was in some ways, but in the deeper recesses of her mind, the new information wasn’t settling right with her. I can’t believe my parents were murdered in our rock shop. I don’t understand why Gran never said a word all these years.

Tracy made a right turn to head down the main road in the pueblo toward the highway. She told you she wanted you to feel safe.

Natalie disagreed. Safety was one thing, but this was strange. Yeah but would you keep a business in the same location where your only son was murdered? I wouldn’t. I’d sell it. I’d want to leave the place and never go back.

Maybe she didn’t know what else to do. Your grandpa was retired by then, right?

Yeah, but—

It would’ve been creepy to stay in the place if you knew what had gone on there. Maybe this was for the best. Tracy always saw the practical side of things.

Easy for you to say. It’s still creepy, if you ask me. Natalie imagined her poor parents gunned down behind the counter near the cash register where she spent so much of her time since childhood.

Hey, I’ve spent a lot of my time there too, you know. You haven’t exactly been by yourself there. Tracy was Natalie’s best friend. They grew up together and were more like sisters than friends. The bond they shared had grown deeper than the one their mother’s had before they were born. There would be no life without Tracy and Natalie knew it.

I know, but still. Natalie spent her afternoons after school and summers helping her grandmother in the family shop. Tracy helped out during the summer break, too, and she was right. The situation affected them all.

My mom knows all about it, don’t you think? Tracy pulled a stick of gum out of a sleeve and popped it into her mouth, chomping loudly.

Yeah. She knows everything about the family.

So see? That’s what I mean. We’re all in this together. I know you’re shocked, but when you think about it, the whole thing makes sense.

Natalie wrinkled her nose. How do you suppose?

All these years you had my mom and Gran to take care of you. Gran gets some money from insurance and social security after your grandpa died, but otherwise, she must feel obligated to keep the business and make a little money. It’s the only thing she has left of your dad.

Natalie already realized that long ago. Gran mentioned her father many times and his love of gemstones, a love Natalie had herself. She didn’t have any other kids besides him, so now she was all Gran had. Plus, Gran was always so sentimental about things. There would be no way she could sell the store her only son had loved so much. But still, to think they were killed there turned Natalie’s stomach.

Nat? Tracy glanced at her. Want some gum?

No thanks.

You’ll feel better by tomorrow, I’m sure. At least now you know Lone Eagle is a true friend.

That he was. Natalie couldn’t wait to learn more from him. She glanced out the window at the I-25 overpass where she had her accident last December. She felt good about coming out here today without anything weird happening.

Tracy accelerated to pull onto the highway when the car veered into the ditch and came to a screeching stop. Agh, Tracy shouted.

Terror gripped Natalie’s heart. She pressed her eyelids shut, cupped her hands over her eyes, hoping when she opened them again she would still be among the world of the living and not floating out in some otherworldly cloud. Once the car came to a full stop, she peeked out from her fingers.

From the looks of it, they were still alive. She could see the Casino off to her left and cars whizzing by in both directions. Tracy, are you okay?

Yeah. Are you? You didn’t hurt your legs or anything, did you?

I’m fine. The front of the car teetered off the side of the road. What happened?

I don’t know, but I think we have a flat tire.

Oh great. Just what they needed.

Chapter Two

Sigh of Relief

Lone Eagle watched Natalie and Tracy drive down the dusty road in front of his house. He didn’t mean to be rude, but he didn’t know what to say. Little Bird, the nickname he gave her, had given him much new information to digest. His soul felt relieved. When his father Chief Looking Elk forced him to teach the tribal ways to Natalie just prior to his death, Lone Eagle never understood the request. After digging around, he discovered disturbing information making him believe his father was responsible for her parent’s deaths, but now Little Bird told him the opposite had been true. His father helped save them on the day a lone gunman came into their Albuquerque rock shop. Was this true? He hoped so. Things around his home had been tragic enough these past few months. A little good news was needed.

He closed the front door and sat in the old recliner in the living room of his tiny adobe house, rerunning the entire conversation over and over again in his mind. His head spun. This was so much to take in. He felt better on the one hand, but there were still many unanswered questions. He sighed.

None of this made any sense. He met Natalie when his father sent him to her shop to claim his sacred bear fetish. Why wouldn’t Looking Elk have gone back to Locke’s Rocks in Albuquerque years ago to try and get his prized possession back? Without it, his life was unbearable, especially toward the end. The lung cancer he suffered with had become more painful in his final days than anyone should have to endure. His people believed the carvings they carried held special powers, and without the sacred bear, Looking Elk was reduced to a fraction of his former self. Lone Eagle pulled the turquoise carving from his front pocket, traced his fingers over the intricate inlaid stone design, resting the tip of his index finger on the green gaspeite heart on the bear’s belly. I don’t understand you, Pop. I wish I did.

Before he could finish the thought, the front door burst open. He tossed the bear in the air, catching it clumsily and popping it back into his pocket before his sister, Lupe, barreled into the room. Who was that I saw going down the road, bro? She pointed toward the long gravel drive leading down to the interstate and the casino where he worked most days.

Dunno. He lowered his eyes to the stack of newspapers on the floor near his feet, picked up the sports page, pretended to check the UNM Lobo’s basketball score.

You do, too, know. Lupe batted his paper with her meaty fist, tearing a long streak down the center of the photo of the player’s jersey. Tell me.

Or what? He never looked up, pretended like her interruption was unnoticed. She thrived on drama and loved to be a disruption. Not tonight. He wouldn’t have it.

Nobody comes up here this late at night unless it’s a tribal emergency, so you tell me who it was and why they were here.

Lone Eagle flipped the page, kept reading about the recent basketball victory at the local high school.

Lupe grabbed the paper in both hands, crumpled it beyond recognition and spit on the carpet. Hey.

"Hey yourself. I told you to