Chapter 5

 

 

How her heart changed so quickly. It amazed her.

She had started the evening wanting to get even, to make Jack pay for infuriating her and wound up being grateful for the opportunity to learn about a simple people who seemed to have a profound message. She felt shy, embarrassed by her arrogance, and thought she was the naive one among so many of wisdom. The Paiutes impressed her with their clear common sense and she felt privileged to have witnessed this evening. She knew, deep within, that had she not wandered off course, none of this would have happened. She was so excited to find Bryan and tell him this information. Soon she would see her brother… she simply had to believe that.

When Jack turned and asked her if she had any words of hope, any message for the people, Mairie took a deep breath as she saw his look of encouragement. It was almost as if they were no longer at odds with each other… more like a team now. United in hope.

She had already thought of the only truth she could impart to these people, who appeared to be caught in the past.

"Many generations of the Indian will suffer, yet in the land of tomorrow the Indian begins to receive the respect he should have always had. One day many tribes will own casinos, gaming establishments, and they will become rich, richer than the white men who come to play." She said her message was one of hope, and that it was very important the Indians continue to teach their children the balanced way so that in the land of their tomorrows, their children's great-grandchildren would be able to teach the white man. For many whites are finally open to hearing truth.

Even though she had spoken about suffering, everyone had seemed pleased with her words of eventual respect, even Jack. Wovoka claimed she was an honored traveler from another world and that the people were honored in return that she'd chosen them to hear her message. She didn't have the heart to contradict him, or take away the hope of these people.

Arrangements were made to gather the herb in the morning, and then she sat listening to the Indian songs of celebration. As the stars appeared to dance above her head, she realized that she was the one moving. She was traveling on this beautiful life-giving planet at astonishing speed through the universe. Why had she never thought of this before? So many new thoughts were running through her mind. Not the least was seeing the earth as our ultimate Mother. That was a new concept for her. Once she had mourned the concreting of the world as just the loss of beauty and nature. Now she saw it as threatening our very lives. Most synthetic drugs were based on nature. Like aspirin from a willow tree. Gould it be that in trying to dominate the earth, we're actually creating an artificial means of destroying ourselves?

Where were these thoughts coming from?

Geez… she felt like a recruit for Greenpeace, or something.

Shaking her head, Mairie looked across the fire to Jack and saw that he was in animated conversation with the elders of the tribe. He had left her after the plans were made for a party to travel to the petroglyphs and bring back the plant. She'd stayed with the women and had listened to the singing—smiling, wondering, marveling… and thinking some pretty revolutionary thoughts. Soon her eyes became sleepy and the woman at her side motioned toward the lodges. Mairie smiled her thanks and withdrew from the circle.

Inside the lodge, she saw that a small fire had been lit. She looked up to the smoke hole and sighed. What an evening, and she still hadn't obtained Jack's promise to take her to the ranch after she received the herb. Somehow, she knew he would. She sat for what seemed like a half hour, thinking back on what had just happened. It was so powerful, yet so simple. Sing. Dance. Peace with the earth, and each other. Why was this so scary to the white man? Why had they tried to wipe out the Indian teachings? Knowing she was pondering questions far greater than her mind was ready to handle at the moment, Mairie reluctantly stood up to get undressed. It was then she realized her ankle felt so much better. She wondered what the Paiute woman had administered.

Untying the beaded sash, she laid it in a basket with loving care. Removing the necklace, she held it in her hands and admired the intricate work. How many hours had someone persevered to create such beauty? Placing it on top of the sash, Mairie smiled at herself while remembering how she grew up with the notion that "store-bought" was somehow better than handmade. How curious to now appreciate the art and mastery of the individual craftsman. So many things, so many lessons, she was learning. Even though she missed her brother terribly, even though she knew he was worried about her, perhaps this incredible detour was actually serving her?

She didn't feel like the same woman who had been pushed out of that plane.

"I'm sorry. I thought you would be sleeping."

Startled, Mairie jumped at the sound of his voice. He stood at the entrance to the lodge with a questioning look on his face. A sigh almost escaped her lips when she thought about the sleeping arrangements, for Jack Delaney was just too handsome to be spending the night with her again. Especially this night… this night when she felt so open to the unexpected.

"I was… thinking," she muttered, as she turned around and sat down on the rug of rabbit fur. Better not to stare at his deep blue eyes, or the way his trousers fit snug over his hips… or the fact that he wore only a vest and his tanned muscled arms were gleaming in the firelight. Suddenly, her plan seemed to backfire on her.

Yup… this was going to be another long night.

"And what were you thinking?" he asked, coming into the lodge and sitting down on the rug opposite her.

Startled by his nonchalant actions, Mairie cleared her throat. "I was wondering… well, if both of us are sleeping here, where is the elder going to sleep? This is his lodge, after all."

Jack grinned, as if he knew what was racing through her mind. "He is spending the night with his brother and his family. It's an honor to give over his lodging to a visitor from the heavens."

She shook her head. "That really is ridiculous. You know that. I am not from heaven. I'm from Pennsylvania. I just didn't have the heart to disappoint everyone tonight. They seemed… no, they deserved some message of hope, at least for future generations."

He smiled. A real smile again, and Mairie felt like warm honey was running through the inside of her chest and down her body.

"Thank you for that. It was a good message. But you forget, Mairie Callahan, I saw you. fall from heaven, so I know that much of it is true. I can't decide who or what you are after tonight." His smile was gentle and seductive.

Staring at his lips, Mairie attempted to bring herself back to the discussion. "It's simple, Jack. I'm a woman who is lost, and I'm seeking to get back to my own people… even my own time it appears." There. That sounded relatively intelligent, which surprised her, considering she was still wondering what his lips would taste like.

"Where in Pennsylvania do you live?"

She was slightly surprised that he switched the conversation and really had to focus. "Yardley. Not far from Philadelphia. It's a small town and I can commute easily by train into the city for work."

"You work?"

He seemed amazed, and Mairie couldn't stop a tiny giggle from escaping. "Of course I work, or at least, I used to before my brother became sick. I'm a computer sales rep. I don't suppose you know what computers are…"

He merely stared at her, and she found that she didn't have the energy to explain, nor to argue. "Forget it. It was just a way to make a living and keep the lights on."

"Keep the lights on? You mean, to buy provisions? Candles and such?"

Oh, brother… they were back to this again. "Jack, will you take me to the ranch tomorrow after I receive that plant from the petroglyphs?"

There. She finally asked the question.

 

Jack stared into her eyes and tried to fight the growing attraction. "Yes, Mairie. I will take you," he answered. "I was hoping that you would want to spend another day with the Paiutes. They would be honored." He wondered if he were really asking for his brothers, or for himself.

She shook her head and looked determined. "I must reach my brother. Especially after hearing what I did tonight. I'm on… I guess a mission. A mission of love. You see, I quit my job right after finding out that my brother had this disease. We had … adventures, Bryan and me, traveling to different countries… swimming with sharks in Australia, kayaking alongside whales in Alaska, climbing mountains in Peru. I never really wanted to do any of these things, but Bryan did… so I went with him. He's all I have left. He's my only family. I'm sorry, Jack, I have to leave and reunite with him."

He nodded, feeling the love she had within her for her brother. "I understand. Tomorrow I will take you to O. D. Gass's place and you can wait there for transportation west. It shouldn't be more than a week or two."

Her jaw dropped. "A week or two? You can't be serious. What kind of transportation are you talking about?"

Why was she so surprised? "Wagon trains going west on the Los Angeles-Salt Lake Emigrant Trail. It's right in front of Gass's ranch, and everyone stops there coming out of the desert whether they're going east or west. I just assumed you'd be going west. You aren't thinking about going back to Pennsylvania, are you?"

"I can't go back without my brother. I have to find him." She ran her fingers over her forehead and sighed deeply. "God, I hope the same thing didn't happen to him." Her eyes suddenly appeared frightened. "What if he's lost, too? What if he's wandering around in the desert? Why didn't I think of this before? That would explain why no one is looking for me."

He wanted to reach across the small space and touch her, calm her, yet he kept his distance out of respect. Plus, he remembered her temper and didn't want to see it flare up again. Still, the urge was nearly irresistible. "Mairie… didn't you say you were supposed to be met by someone when you landed?"

She stared at him for a few seconds and relief flooded over her features. "Of course, you're right. Someone from the diving school. Yes… even if we're both lost, someone would have notified the authorities. But why hasn't there been anyone looking for me? It doesn't make sense."

He didn't want to tell her that nothing she was saying made sense. A diving school? What authorities? There was nothing out here except O.D. Gass's limited power as justice of the peace. "You'll find your answers tomorrow when you get to the ranch," he said with encouragement, though he had no idea what answers she would actually find.

She appeared thoughtful, as if wondering the same thing. How could she deny what she'd witnessed tonight? How could she still think she was a hundred and twenty-two years into the future? Surely by now she must realize that no one from the sky was going to come looking for her? He knew he should be thankful that by this time tomorrow she would be in the hands of Gass and his wife and be their problem, yet something, some tiny nagging instinct, was telling him it wouldn't be that simple. Besides, after tonight, after watching her, listening to her, he didn't exactly want to walk away.

It was that last thought that shook him the most.

Mairie Callahan, woman of mystery, was capturing his mind.

"I'll leave for a few minutes and you can change," he offered, wanting to create some space between them. Suddenly, the lodge seemed far too small for them both. She moved, as though to make room for him to rise, and they brushed each others' arms in the process. Jack froze, feeling the silkiness of her skin, and stifled a groan.

She looked up at him and whispered, "I think I'm supposed to sleep in this shift." She touched the thin material and grinned. "The women were so nice to me. I'm… well, I guess this might come as a surprise, but I'm actually grateful to you for bringing me here. It was quite an experience tonight, Jack. Thank you."

The last words were said so softly he had to strain to hear them. Her expression was sincere, her smile was almost shy. Was she doing it again? Was she initiating a flirtation?

All he had to do was move a few inches to kiss her, to capture her mouth and taste what he had been desiring all day and night. Damn… he must have been too long away from white women to recognize the coy, subtle moves in the mating dance. Or he could be delusional himself. Considering their interactions, the latter was most likely.

"So, tell me of your life, Mairie Callahan," he said, in an attempt at composure. "You have worked and secured your own income. What else? You have never married? No children? No family, other than your brother?"

"Who said I was never married?"

Surprised, Jack shrugged. "I assumed you made your home with your brother."

She toyed with one of the beads in her hair. "My brother and I didn't live together. I was only traveling with him since he was diagnosed as terminal. Right now he's in remission, but the outlook isn't hopeful."

"What is remission? I don't understand."

"Remission…" She crossed her legs before her and sighed. "Seems like false hope where my brother is concerned. It's when the white cell count lowers. He was feeling so much better, he decided to do all the things he's always wanted to do… while he still had time. I was just his sidekick. I didn't want him to do them alone."

"He is fortunate to have you for his sister," he said. "You do love him."

"Yes…" she murmured, while looking into the dying flames. "I do love him."

She seemed so sad suddenly that he again wanted to reach across and touch her, to let her know that he understood loss. "What was it like to see whales?" he asked, trying to change the subject and take away her pain.

Immediately, she smiled. "Oh, Jack… it was spectacular. Imagine, being in such a small boat and this… this magnificent creature is swimming less than thirty feet away. I mean, I was terrified at first, sure we were going to capsize. And then there was this… peace. I guess that's the best way to describe it. A noble peace. Far better than swimming with sharks."

She giggled, a wonderful childlike giggle, and Jack felt any resistance melting with it. For just a moment, she seemed so natural, so real. There wasn't any defensiveness about her. She wasn't striving to make a point or understand his. She was… earthy and genuine. And he found himself on dangerous ground. He didn't need this, this feeling of connectedness, not now and not with her. How laughable, that he had gone on his vision quest to find hope and he'd found Mairie Callahan, a mysterious and quite possibly mad woman.

The gods must love laughter.

"Tell me of your husband. Is he not concerned that you have been gone with your brother?" He asked the question to stop the strange feelings from growing within him. Better that he should remember this woman was not his hope. She belonged to another.

She shoulders stiffened and her chin lifted. He recognized that expression coming over her face and took a deep breath to brace himself for her answer.

"My husband," she began, emphasizing the last word, "is no longer my concern. We are not married any longer."

"I'm sorry." He said the words, yet something inside him was oddly relieved by her answer. Why should he even care?

"I'm not." Shrugging, she added, "I respect the institution of marriage. I'm just extremely grateful to be out of an institution."

"You were in an institution?" He had been afraid of that.

Her jaw dropped. "I'm talking about the institution of marriage. Marriage… that most respected state of matrimony where almost no one is happy. What did you think I meant? You still think I'm crazy?"

"No." Even though he said it, he really wasn't sure of her sanity, or his own at this point.

"Let me tell you something. Being married to that man could have made me crazy. Men! You all think alike."

She said the word men as if it were a curse.

"I'm sorry if I offended you. I was confused. You said, you were married." He knew he was stepping on thin ice and tried to be careful.

"What is it with you guys? This is exactly what I'm talking about. I said, 'Who said I was never married?’“

He could only stare at her, wondering if she was slipping into incoherence again. Was she married or not? How could a simple question have turned into this debate?

"Look, I'm almost to the point of believing that men and women will never communicate successfully. I've read all the books. I know that men are from Mars. It would just be nice to meet up with an earthling for a change."

He merely stared at her. One moment she seemed quite sane, and in the next she began speaking in riddles. "Mairie, perhaps you should rest now. The evening appears to have wearied you."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously and he realized that somehow, no matter how carefully chosen, his words were about to set her off again.

"That's right, I am tired. Tired of trying to justify to you who I am and where I come from and that I am not crazy, and tomorrow when we get to that ranch, I will prove it. There must be a road that leads to modern civilization. I'll hitchhike if I have to, but I am getting out of this and finding my brother. I appreciate all you have done and everything, but enough is enough." She slid down onto the rug and turned her back to him. "Goodnight."

He continued to stare at her and felt certain that tomorrow she would be even more troubled by what she found. Jack wanted to stroke her hair, to soothe her, yet he knew he couldn't help her anymore. He could only lead her where she wanted to go and bid her good-bye. Better to put her out of his mind than allow her to seize possession of it.

Maybe she really was a witch after all.

An earthling? Now, what the hell did she mean by that?

 

They came off the mountain slowly. Mairie rode the horse and Jack led by foot. She felt guilty, seeing that it was Jack's horse but he insisted that the horse would need its strength to get through the desert. The plant was wrapped in a damp cloth and in a saddlebag on the side of the horse, along with Jack's filled canteen and another container of water that Mairie swore was the bladder from some animal. Little did she realize that before the morning was over, she would be grateful to drink from it.

When they finally left the mountain, Mairie stared out before her. There was a long green patch in the middle of the valley, yet it seemed so very far away. How would they ever make it there? To reach it, they followed a crooked trail that wound through dry washes. Her throat burned from the dry heat. Her face stung from the blazing sun. Her spirits plummeted from the lack of anything modern in sight. This was not the country she had left two days ago.

She and Jack didn't speak, for it seemed a mutual agreement to save their energy for movement. He rode behind her when they left the mountain for a short period in order to cover more ground, and then dismounted to give the horse a break. Her guilt deepened every time he took off his hat and wiped his forehead on his sleeve, yet he refused to tax his horse with two riders for any long period. Realizing the water was for the horse, Mairie stopped herself from asking for more. Jack insisted she ride for her injured foot. Still, it bothered her that he would push himself so hard under the desert sun.

"You need to rest," she called out. "Let's stop and take a break."

He shook his head. "Soon. There's a spring at the west end of the trail. We'll stop there."

They must have traveled over twenty miles; at least, it felt like that to her. The desert seemed to go on forever, while the green oasis tantalized her like a mirage that always appeared further away. Her mind felt like it had closed down. Even thinking took too much energy. Her gratitude toward the man before her increased when she realized that without him finding her, without his assistance, she might have died a horrible death in the desert. For no one… no one had come looking for her. Her mind couldn't put any of it together any longer. She closed her eyes to the glare of the sun and envisioned this spring… somewhere out there in the merciless land.

"Mairie…" The sound of her name was almost breathless and she seemed to come out of a comatose state. Her lids opened slowly, as if dreading the assault of blinding light.

What she saw lifted her spirits.

The oasis of green no longer beckoned from an endless distance. It was before them, within reach. Shelter, water… sustenance. Dear God, they had made it. They would live.

Neither spoke as they closed the remaining short distance. Even the horse sensed that the torturous journey was nearing its end and a renewed vitality entered its step. Mairie sensed it spring into the muscles of the animal, propelling it onward with determination.

They stopped beside a tree-shaded spring and, as Jack reached up to help Mairie down, their gaze connected for a brief moment. No words were necessary. They each understood the other and Mairie felt a bonding occur. They had banded together and survived an ordeal.

As he gently placed her on the ground, she looked into his eyes and whispered, "Thank you."

He appeared exhausted, depleted. His skin seemed covered with a fine dusting of salt. Her heart expanded with compassion. He merely smiled and nodded before leading the horse to the water.

She stood for a moment, watching him, ignoring her thirst, her desire to throw herself into the creek, seeing him as the man he was. Why was she thinking of him as a knight, chivalrous, brave, honorable, in service? Surely it was lack of water.

She shook the thought from her mind and hobbled to the water's edge. Too weary to throw herself into the small running creek, she removed her jumpsuit and slowly walked in until the water reached her thighs. Then, instinctively, she fell to her knees, gratefully, humbly, in complete surrender to the power of nature. She felt her body temperature lower immediately as the water enveloped her in its coolness, and without thought she lowered her face and began drinking. How precious this gift. Tears she had been holding at bay sprang forth. No longer did she know what was happening to her, why she was on this incredible detour, and she was beyond rationalization. She only knew that something within her was altering, something was happening … some tightness in her that she had been carrying around like a boulder upon her chest was lifting. She felt tiny, vulnerable… losing her preconceived notions of the way she thought her world worked. This detour seemed necessary now for some unknown reason. She had no idea where it was leading her, what she was going to find… yet she knew she was bound to follow it through. Not for Bryan. Incredibly, not for her brother.

Now it was for herself.

 

Jack scanned the horizon, considering the short distance left of the arduous journey. The sun indicated it was early afternoon and he knew they would be at the ranch in less than an hour. Turning toward the water, he stood transfixed, forgetting even his intense thirst. It wasn't so much that he was accustomed to the desert heat… what captivated him at that moment was a vision in the form of a goddess, much like those he had seen in history books back east. He watched her intensely, after she had stopped drinking… her long black hair slicked back, her face turned up to the sky, her arms raised as she ran her fingers from the crown of her head down to the nape of her neck, pressing the moisture from her hair. Water droplets glistened in the sunlight as they ran down her skin, creating an iridescent beauty about her more stunning than when she was dressed last night as an Indian maiden.

His train of thought shook him to the core. He would have to release the notion that she was his gift. She was a lost traveler, and as soon as he deposited her at the ranch, he was out of it. Desert survival-instinct kicked in and he noticed that although her body appeared fair, her face had been burned by the sun. He walked over to a huge aloe plant and broke off a thick tip. Stepping boot deep into the creek, he squatted and took a few handfuls of water for himself, then made his way toward her, his steps absorbed by the sound of the babbling stream.

As he was looking down to her kneeling before him in the water, his breath caught. Her eyes were still closed, as though she were away somewhere in her mind and in that moment he felt privileged to observe her silent beauty.

"Your face has been burned by the sun." Even to his own ears his voice sounded raspy, filled with desire, and he cleared his throat. "I have something here that will ease the pain and refresh your skin." He stood looking down at her and felt the stirring of something that was better forgotten in this situation and with this woman. "It's the meat of an aloe plant."

Her eyes opened, her lovely blue eyes, and she stared up at him. She really was a goddess, a water nymph, something unearthly that was mesmerizing him. Suppressing a groan, he squeezed the succulent juices of the leaf onto the tips of his fingers and slowly lowered himself into the water until they were face to face. She didn't move. She didn't say a word. Her gaze followed him as he knelt before her and reached out his hand to her face. He hesitated for an instant, waiting to see if she would allow him to minister to her.

The tip of his thumb grazed her cheek with the moisture, and she winced in pain. He pulled back and cursed the rough calluses of his own hand against her smooth skin.

"I'm sorry. I… I'll be—"

"It's okay," she interrupted, with a voice as soft as a whisper.

Their gazes locked in a moment that felt like an eternity. His fingers didn't move. His caress stopped, as he drew in a breath between his teeth, and when his thumb continued to gently soothe her cheek with the aloe his fingers instinctively cupped the side of her face.

He heard her intake of breath, her allowance. The spitfire was gone. In her place was a soft and gentle woman, who was staring into his eyes with a look of wonderment. Nothing else seemed to exist but the water and her… her startling wide eyes, her tender silky skin, her full waiting lips.

An unspoken introduction was made.

His thumb softly caressed the corner of her bottom lip and her face turned ever so slightly into his hand. He stared into her eyes, down to her lips, then back into her eyes… waiting for permission. Eye to eye, mouth to mouth, he inhaled her breath… wanting to take her inside him, to remember this exquisite moment. He kissed her… softly, gently, and watched her lids flutter closed. A rush of desire washed over him and he fought the urge to pull her closer, to deepen the connection, yet it felt so fragile, so precious, that he found his body shaking with the intensity of holding back.

How was he ever going to walk away from this?

 

Mairie felt every nerve ending come alive. The skin of her cheek received his touch like a gentle magnet, drawing some kind of electrical energy from his fingers. Her lips tingled, as his barely grazed over hers in an exquisite meeting of skin and texture and sensations. Her mind was reeling from the contact. Her senses were screaming at her to open her lips, to abandon herself to the most exquisite kiss awaiting her surrender.

The horse gave a great snort and Jack suddenly pulled away. Mairie almost lost her balance and had to fight to stay upright.

"Let me check the horse," he whispered while standing and hurrying out of the water.

She found herself breathing heavily, as though she'd just run a marathon. What the hell had just happened? And why had she allowed it? Surely she was weak from the sun and she'd had a momentary lapse into madness. Embarrassed, Mairie splashed her face with cool water and rose from the stream. She walked to the shore and stood in the sun to dry. She would not watch him check the horse and surrounding area, as if protecting her.

Lose the knight image, she told herself. This was some delusional man who preferred the past to the present, not a knight rescuing a lost damsel in distress. She'd obviously read too many books. He seemed satisfied that nothing was wrong and walked back to the stream. He filled the canteen and bladder with water and looked to the sun.

"We must be going. We have less than an hour's travel, and then you can get out of the sun."

That was it? He wasn't going to say anything about what had just happened? Typical male… to ignore what he couldn't understand. She mentally reprimanded herself for allowing such behavior. What weakness…

Shrugging, Mairie decided to play it off casually. So what if she had responded? She'd never see the man after today. What did it matter what he thought? It was weakness, sunstroke or something.

"Sure." She walked toward the horse and he didn't even look at her as he tied the canteens to the horn and then laced his fingers together to assist her into the saddle. Up she went, easily, and settled once more onto the horse's back. Soon they would reach this ranch and then this amazing detour would be over. What stories she would have to tell Bryan…

After another three miles or so they passed the lodges of nearly three hundred Paiutes, some of whom worked at the ranch, Jack said. She felt an excitement building inside her as they rounded a bend.

"How much farther?" she asked, seeing a small adobe house with outbuildings.

Jack stopped walking and turned to her. "This is it."

She merely stared back. "This is it?" It couldn't be. She was expecting the Ponderosa, or something. Not this depressing version of the Beverly Hillbillies before they struck oil.

"This is it," he said in a dull voice.

Shit…

There were no electrical lines running to the place. Nor phone lines. No cars were visible. Nothing modern in sight. A tall man was standing in the front wearing dark trousers and a white shirt. An equally tall woman opened the door and stood on the porch. She was wearing a long white dress… a dress that would have been worn a hundred years ago.

Fear slammed into her brain, sending distress signals to every organ. Something was very wrong… no search parties. No planes. It was one thing to think Jack might be living in the past. She could even rationalize the Paiutes in the mountains. But this… this could not be denied.

It couldn't be possible. Not in her world. Not in her mind. Not in any reality…

This was proof, undeniable proof of what she feared the most, what she had been denying since she had landed two days ago… proof that she had somehow time traveled into the past.

She no longer knew where to call out for help to stop this madness. She was alone, a stranger in a very strange land. Her body started trembling in the intense sunlight. Her mind was spinning in overdrive. And then it happened, something so weird that she was mildly surprised as the darkness entered her vision.

Slowly collapsing, she surrendered and welcomed the oblivion.