Willow's Chaos

by A J Storm

  The truck pulled off onto the road to the entrance to the ranch. They drove through the gate at the top of the hill and moved onto the gravel road leading down to the ranch. Chaos saw them roaming in the pasture—beautiful Paint horses. He was almost as smitten with them as much as Howler was.

  Howler drove his truck to the main house and parked. Sadie and Ben were on the front porch with smiles spread across their faces.

  “That’s unusual,” he offered to Howler.

  “What’s that?”

  “Sadie with a smile across her face. Though when she inspected my tats that day, she was smiling up at me.” Chaos shot him an evil grin, wagging his eyebrows.

  Howler punched him in the arm and laughed. “Don’t push your luck, brother.” He winked at Chaos as he turned to get out of the truck.

  Chaos grabbed the gift before he exited the cab. Sadie had already stood, ready to step down the stairs as Chaos walked to her. She didn’t let him say a word before she threw her arms around the man.

  “Hi, Chaos. I’m so glad you agreed to be in our wedding. It means a lot to both of us.”

  Chaos stepped back, holding her by her arms. “Are you the same woman I met on my last trip here? What did you do with the sharp-tongued she-devil?” He laughed as her eyes twinkled at him

  “Oh, trust me, Chaos. She’s still here. I’m just on my best behavior,” Sadie offered as she smiled over at Howler.

  He hugged her again, then told her the gift was from Maggie. Sadie made sure Chaos was okay with his family staying in the new bunkhouse, and he assured her he was. She explained her brothers and families would be in the main house, allowing better watching of the children.

  3

  The last two days were a whirlwind for Chaos with people and family arriving and setting up the wedding venue in the pasture behind the corral where Sadie’s stock tank was. He wasn’t sure why she had her very own stock tank, but he guessed she needed one.

  He liked her brothers and the stories they shared about Sadie growing up. Of course, then the tables turned on him, and his parents shared their own stories about the boys, embarrassing the crap out of him. His crazy fears about the families not getting along dissolved. His parents loved Sadie. How could they not? She loved their son and made him happy.

  Saturday morning began with a flurry of activity, assuring anyone who didn’t know what day it was simply blind. The wedding day had arrived and was to be held in the afternoon. As for how long the ceremony would last, Chaos didn’t have a clue.

  Howler brought his shirt to him. It was a regular men’s teal V-necked shirt but was trimmed around the collar, neck, sleeves, and hem with wide decorative ribbons. Howler assured him the shirt was fine—being the groom, his shirt was red with the same ribbons. Chaos accepted it and promised to wear it.

  When the time came to start, Chaos stood next to Howler who stood next to the priest. He was dressed in white deerskin, softened to a supple leather, fashioned into a shirt with pants adorned with feathers and beading. His hair was pulled back into a braid with feathers fashioned at the back of the head. Moccasins were on his feet.

  Next to the priest stood Sadie’s sister-in-law and her husband, representing her family. Drums and flutes played softly in the background as the ushers seated the last few guests. Both sides of the aisle had filled to almost capacity. The music grew louder as Ben and Sadie appeared at the end of the path up to the priest. An older tribal woman walked ahead of the couple down the aisle with a smoking bundle of plants, waving it back and forth. Chaos later discovered it was sage, used to clear and bless the path Sadie and Ben would walk down.

  Ben was in full tribal dress and looked remarkably handsome, Chaos thought. Howler leaned over and whispered Ben’s age to him. He was shocked. The man didn’t look much older than fifty-five. Not having long hair, Ben wore a white leather, beaded headband around his head with a few feathers hanging off. It matched the buckskin suit and moccasins he wore.

  Sadie was breathtaking. She wore her mother’s wedding dress which was still in perfect condition. It was ivory consisting of a long, form-fitting sheath, covering her feet. The sleeves were short but formed a partial jacket in the front. Down each side at the stitching from the waist down hung fringe of different lengths. The dress was longer in the back, giving the illusion of having a small train. It was all handmade from softened deerskin, and she, too, wore moccasins. Feathers hung from a small collar around her neck.

  Chaos smiled at them, thinking his brother was the luckiest man alive. She was beautiful and full of such spirit. Howler had whispered that walking down the aisle was the only white man tradition she let him put in. It was so he could study her beauty and love as she approached him. Chaos had to agree, he’d never seen her so beautiful.

  He noticed that instead of flowers, the sister-in-law was holding a basket of corn, which puzzled him. He decided he’d ask for interpretations later. Howler was currently mesmerized by the woman walking toward him. The priest spoke and offered a prayer of blessing, asking the Great Spirit for a long and happy life.

  Chaos watched Sadie reach into the basket and pull out a red and black cloth belt which she then presented to Howler. Howler took the belt and put it on. Chaos decided it represented the gold ring and acceptance of their union. Howler quietly placed a traditional ring on the third finger of Sadie’s left hand.

  Her brother’s wife then presented the basket of corn to the couple. It was at that moment Chaos saw a braided piece of horse hair also in the basket. It dawned on him then. The fruits of the ranch. He guessed it was the acceptance of the marriage of the bride’s family.

  Sadie and Howler faced the guests and performed the Rite of the Seven Steps, beginning with Howler. At each step, they each pledged a vow, and after each had moved seven steps, the priest ended the ceremony with a Cherokee prayer. Then the priest offered the couple a pottery vessel having two spouts, one on either side. They took drinks simultaneously to the East, West, North, and South. The priest then took a drink, lifted the vessel to the heavens, and smashed it to the ground, breaking the pot and sealing the vows of marriage.

  The priest buried the broken pottery in a pre-dug hole beside him, thus giving the couple and their marriage into the hands of Mother Earth. Sadie’s brother then stepped forward and wrapped the couple in a white blanket, announcing and accepting the marriage.

  As quick as Chaos could blink his eyes, men and women of the tribe set up tables, moved chairs, and filled tables with food and drink. Music broke out, bringing in guitars and fiddles, along with the flutes and drums. He was amazed and thrilled with the celebration taking place and the acceptance of the marriage by both families with the tremendous outpouring of their love to each other.

  That evening, after the local guests were gone and most of the family on both sides were in their houses, Howler, Sadie, Ben, and Chaos sat around the fire still burning in the pit. They discussed the meanings of certain aspects of the ceremony. Most of them, he’d figured out by himself, except the double-sided vessel.

  Ben explained the idea was if the couple drank together without spilling a drop, their marriage would be fruitful. The Rite of the Seven Steps proclaimed their vows and promises to each other and the world. The priest presented them to the Spirit when he drank from the vessel and broke it. It was all very interesting and confusing to Chaos. Ben looked at him and smiled.

  “Young paleface, just as your tattoos are a symbol and ritual to your life, our tribe has symbols and rituals for theirs. Don’t sweat the small stuff,” he laughed, slapped Chaos on the back, and announced he was off to bed.

  Monday morning, Chaos was on the jet, heading home to Austin. He had to admit the last few days had been wonderful. Being with his family had quieted his loneliness even if only for a small amount of time. It was welcomed.

  Howler and Sadie had left on their honeymoon the day after their wedding. His parents had left to drive back to Austin the same day. They felt like a bit of travel adventure. Mac an
d Creeper flew back to where they were working on a case early Monday morning, and in the afternoon, Ben drove Chaos to the Antler Municipal airport.

  Now he was sitting on the jet, having a soda, ready to be back home. An hour and thirty minutes later, he was. A limo picked him up and drove to the office building. He was exhausted.

  Tuesday morning, Chaos woke late. He almost felt hung over, but he attributed it to the travel. After a shower and a cup of coffee, he headed down to work.

  Maggie smiled and welcomed him back, exchanging pleasantries about the wedding. Chaos went into his office and shut the door. He was in one of his moods and realized he should have taken the day off as well.

  Turning on the computers, he readied himself to begin his searches for Mac and Creeper’s tasks. Maggie quietly opened the door and tiptoed into his office, closing the door behind her.

  “Sir, I have a walk-in.”

  “You do? How in the hell did you catch that?”

  “Shit, Chaos, turn off the sarcasm for one second. There’s a beautiful young lady who just walked in, saying she needed to see you.”

  “Well, why didn’t you say so? I thought you caught some dreaded disease,” he quipped as he stood and walked to the door. “Let’s see who this beauty is.”

  Chaos stepped out of his door, looking across at the beautiful dark-haired woman. “Willow? What are you doing here?”

  His eyes took in her entire body language as she slowly rose from the couch with tears welling in her eyes, making them bluer.

  “I didn’t know where else to go,” she weakly whispered, fighting her emotions.

  “Here,” he offered, sweeping his body out of the doorway. “You came to the right place. Come in… come in. Maggie?” Maggie jumped from her chair, knowing exactly what Chaos was requesting.

  As Chaos ushered the woman into his office, Maggie rushed toward the refrigerator and back by her desk, swiping a box of tissues on her way into his office. She offered Willow a cold bottle of water and set the box of tissues in front of her on his desk. She then nodded at her boss, walking out and closing the door behind her.

  His internal instinct was to wrap this woman in his arms and whisper he’d protect her from whatever threat she was facing. However, this was obviously a business issue, and professionalism was key.

  “How can I help you, Willow?”

  Her eyes were focused on the bottle in her hands, and she unscrewed the cap, taking a sip of the water. “My sister’s gone missing, and I know something is very wrong.”

  Chaos’ eyebrows scrunched together, watching her and thinking on what she’d said. He wasn’t certain how she was so sure it wasn’t an innocent disappearance.

  “Willow, how old is your sister? And when did you last see or talk to her? She’s an adult, right? Is it possible she’s simply taken a break from things surrounding her?”

  “She turned thirty this year—she’s three years younger than me. I saw her last Thursday. I know what you’re thinking, Chaos. Yes, she’s a grown woman and can go wherever she wants, whenever she wants without telling anyone, but we talked that day, and she told me she was afraid.”

  “Did she say of what?”

  Willow grabbed a tissue, dabbing the corners of her eyes. “She’d been dating a guy she never brought around to meet the family. Even though she and I live on our own, we always get together with our parents for Sunday brunch the third Sunday of every month. She never brought this guy with her, and for Nova, it was unusual. She became secretive about him. This past Sunday was the third one, and she missed it—no explanation—she just didn’t show up.”

  “Okay, what did the two of you talk about last Thursday. Something obviously set your alarms off,” he pushed.

  “She told me she’d been to the doctor and found out she’s two months pregnant. Nova was devastated and didn’t want Viper to find out—what man goes by the name of Viper? It was the first time she used his name.”

  Chaos cleared his throat, thinking Chaos was a bit unusual for a grown man’s name. “Viper, is that the only name you’ve got?”

  “Yes, she never mentioned his real name—not sure she knew it.”

  “Is there any chance she could’ve gone away to… um… sorry, I know this is delicate, but I have to ask. Is there a possibility she went for an abortion?”

  Willow’s eyes were huge and filled with anger. “Hell, no. She wanted this baby—no doubt in my mind.”

  “Willow, did she say that out loud to you?” He was uncomfortable continuing to push her, but he also knew no one knew what they’d do in that situation until faced with it.

  “I know my sister, Chaos. She would never abort the baby. She believed it was a baby and not a fetus.”

  “Okay, okay, we’ll go with that. I’m sorry, I had to ask. Was there anything else she said you can think of? Did this Viper know? Did she tell him? Did she tell you she was leaving?”

  His heart broke as tears finally escaped her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. He wanted to reach across and brush them away with his thumbs. Hell, he wanted to hold her face in his hands and kiss away the pain.

  Willow wiped her cheeks with the tissue. “I’m sorry I’m such a baby, but I love my little sister and seeing her like that hurt. The answer to all those questions is no. She wasn’t going to tell him, and she talked like she’d be at Mom and Dad’s on Sunday. Please, Chaos, can you find her? I can pay for your time.”

  “I’ll tell you what we tell all of our clients and that is we make no promises, but we’ll try. We’ll do the best we can and put in one hundred percent of our talents to find her. You’ll have three Jacksons on the job.”

  4

  Chaos took down all of Willow’s contact information, her sister’s demographic information, along with contacts, and finally, her parents’ information once he verified they’d given Willow permission to do so.

  He felt confident her emotions were under control and assured her Mac, Creeper, and he would start on it tomorrow. He didn’t want to let her go but knew professionally, he had to. His hands pushed on the desk, moving his chair back as he rose to his feet, eyeing her movements mimicking his. She smiled up at him and thanked him as his hand gripped the doorknob.

  Maggie sat at her desk, smiling and expressing her goodbyes to Willow. Chaos opened the main door for her, once again assuring her they’d start the investigation the next day. After ushering her out, he stopped at Maggie’s desk. Immediately, she picked up her pen and pad ready to take notes. She could read him like a damn book.

  “Bring those with you,” he ordered.

  Maggie took the chair vacated by Willow while Chaos moved behind his desk and handed her the sheet of paper where he’d written the information down. He repeated highlights from the details about her sister as Maggie wrote in a fast shorthand of her own.

  “First thing I need you to arrange is a conference Skype call with Creeper and Mac tomorrow morning. Type up all the information we gathered today in an outline and email. That’s it, thanks, Maggie.”

  “On it, boss man.” He smiled briefly as she rose and walked out, closing the door behind her.

  Deep in thought, Chaos sat back in his high-backed leather chair, elbows on the arms, and hands and fingers crossed together. The realization dawned on him it had been five months since he’d last seen her at the club. Chaos had intended to call her sooner, but things at work grew out of hand. Why didn’t she call him, he wondered? He’d told her she could—it had been the reason he gave her his card.

  Maybe she didn’t want to see him again. Could be, but he didn’t think so. Not to be conceited, he was good at reading people, and she was interested in him. One thing he was sure of—he wouldn’t let that much time pass by again. He wanted to get to know her as well as work with her on the case. Chaos turned his chair around to stare out the window at the skyline

  How the hell am I going to find some obscure male named Viper?

  Willow sat in her car in the parking lot for twenty minutes, des
perately trying to control her emotions. She hadn’t shared what Nova told her with anyone, including her parents. Why on earth had she told Chaos? It’d been five months since they met, and he hadn’t called her.

  Oh, my God, Willow—what were you thinking? You know nothing about this guy or his company.

  She fought hard to slow her breathing down, so she could drive back to the ranch. There were a ton of financial ledgers on her desk needing balancing. Backing out of the parking space, she told herself to give Chaos a chance and see what he came up with by the end of the week. She’d have to stay in contact with him on a more frequent basis.

  She also told herself she’d google his company as well. After all, this investigative crap was all new to her. What did she really know about him? Expensive tastes were the first item on her list she noticed about him. If his body was really covered in ink as he said, that alone was a small fortune. Then there were his boots—she was impressed by them. Most men her age couldn’t afford them—not until they reached her dad’s age. That should tell her something about his company—had to be successful.

  The interstate out of Austin wasn’t crowded. It gave her time to think about the morning’s events. It had taken all her courage just to walk into Chaos’ office building. Her panic level rose at each floor the elevator passed, but when she froze at the door, seeing all the names on gold nameplates, she was ready to turn around. Willow had just pressed the down button when the sweetest middle-aged woman spoke to her from the open office door. Willow wondered if it was coincidence or fate. Wasn’t sure, but she was grateful the woman was there. She was a calming spirit and seeing Chaos again was good. She’d forgotten how good he was.

  Her Mustang turned down the long lane to her parents’ three-story house. Now, her stomach really was turning over—puking was not an option. Willow parked the car, got out, and ran up the brick steps to the front door. The unlocked doorknob allowed her to step into the foyer, searching for her parents.