Right Out of Nowhere

by Laurie Salzler

  She’d happened upon this place by accident a few years back while out searching for a lost hang glider. Ironically, the woman pilot had been so engrossed looking at the pools, she’d crashed her glider into the nearby trees. When Roni found her, she was taking advantage of the hot water to ease the bumps and bruises that resulted from her awkward landing. Fortunately, she’d sustained nothing more serious than a sprained ankle and multiple scratches from the tree branches.

  Roni guided Chenoa to within fifty feet of the heated water, dismounted, removed his tack, and gave him the freedom to graze wherever he wanted. She verbally released Puller and he went about shuffling in the grasses nearby, apparently hoping to find a rodent or two to terrorize.

  Roni undressed and draped her clothes on one of the few large boulders that lined the edge of her favorite pool. Naked but for her ever-present hat, she waded in slowly to gradually adjust to the hundred degree water. Little by little she crouched down until she’d submerged up to her shoulders and then leaned back against one of the sun-warmed boulders. “Ahhh, this is heaven.” Before closing her eyes, she glanced around, hoping to see Puller. She found him dozing belly up in the sun near her clothes. He looked as content as she felt.

  “You’ve got the right idea there, buddy.” Roni laughed and he wagged his tail with his eyes closed.

  The warmth from the geothermal water relaxed her muscles and eased the aches she’d acquired the past few days, not the least of which were bruises from her as of yet unexplained dances with Sparky. She loved that, unlike many hot springs, these pools were rich in carbonates and free of sulfur. The Lava Hot Springs site in the southeastern part of Idaho was the only other one she knew of that didn’t smell like rotten eggs.

  Forced out of the water by her rising body temperature, Roni stood up and stretched. She felt a million times better. Chirping from the sky alerted her to the golden eagle circling overhead that was probably looking for prey.

  “You better be careful, Puller. That bird is going to think you look like tasty roadkill.” His response was more tail wags.

  Roni waded out and sat on the rock next to her clothes. She watched steam roll off her toned body as superheated skin met the cool morning air. She leaned back onto her elbows and let the sun dry her. She’d missed her hot springs. Although they were on Forest Service land, to her knowledge, nobody else other than the hang glider knew about them. It was no wonder warring Indian tribes had considered the hot springs a neutral zone. They believed them sacred. The peace and solitude of the mountains refreshed her body, mind, and soul. She’d almost forgotten the events of last night. Sitting in a place like this made it easy to ignore problems, responsibilities, worries, and anything else that didn’t bode well in her world.

  Despite the hardness of the rock, she dozed in the warming sun. A slight breeze carrying the scent of pine resin caressed her skin and ruffled her hair. The many evergreens growing along the base of the mountain seemed to absorb all sound except for the wind.

  Puller’s anxious barking brought her back to reality. She whipped her head around and saw the dachshund running circles around her saddle. Roni heard buzzing. Snake? But it sounded more like static than the telltale sound of a rattler. She got up to take a cautious look. She bent down and carefully grabbed a hold of the saddle horn.

  “V e-ron-ica.”

  “What the hell?” Roni ripped open her saddlebag and discovered a radio. “That little shit!” She yanked it out and pressed the receiver button. “What?”

  “Veronica, you know proper etiquette on the radio, over,” Jeff said. “Anyway, I was just checking in to see if you’re enjoying your bubble bath. Over.”

  Roni looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jeff. She scanned the woods, oblivious of her nakedness. “What? Where in the hell are you?” As an afterthought she yelled “over” into the radio.

  “You can stop turning in circles, sis. I’m at the cabin. Over.”

  “How did you—?”

  “Know where you are? You go to those springs every time you’re pissed or upset. Given your reaction last night, I figured you’d be heading there at first light. I got up at four and tucked a radio in your saddlebag. I can fake-snore real good, don’t you think? Over.”

  “I hate you.”

  “Want to hear something sad? Over.”

  “Why would anybody ever answer yes to that?”

  “Hmm, yeah, I never thought about that. Anyway, the point is, I have this big plate of pancakes here and nobody to share them with. Over.”

  Roni’s stomach grumbled and her mouth watered at the thought of breakfast. In her haste to leave, she’d only had a cup of coffee and later a squished protein bar found in her coat pocket during the ride.

  “You there? Over.”

  “Yes, I’m here. I’ll be heading back shortly. Over.”

  “That’s good because Mike is looking for you. Over.”

  “Shit. I forgot he was going to be in Elk City this week. All right, I’ll see you in a few hours. Over.”

  Roni turned the radio off and stashed it into her saddlebag. She whistled for Chenoa and got dressed. While she tightened the saddle, Puller growled deep and low in his throat. Roni glanced down to see what direction he was looking. She scanned the trees but didn’t detect any movement or anything out of the norm. Chenoa snorted and tossed his head.

  “What’s the matter with you two?”

  She reached down without looking, grabbed Puller around his waist, and inserted him into her vest. She gathered the reins and swung herself into the saddle. The additional height gave her a better view and advantage.

  “Easy now. Let’s just wait a second and see what’s out there.”

  Puller continued his growling, and she caught the white flash of his teeth. Clearly something was bothering the hell out of him. Then she saw it. Barely. The tip of the mountain lion’s long tail gave it away as it twitched. The cat was crouched so low to the ground she might have missed it but for that tiniest of movements. Her heart beat a little faster as she recalled that a few minutes ago she and Puller had been dozing in the sun, unaware the cat was stalking them.

  Fortunately, the cougar was on the other side of the pools, and Chenoa could put a good distance between them in a short amount of time. Nevertheless, Roni pulled the rifle from the scabbard and held it at the ready as they cantered away. Just before she entered the woods, the mountain lion screamed. She didn’t look back. She clucked and encouraged Chenoa to pick up a little more speed. He seemed more than eager to put additional distance between him and the hungry predator.

  Chapter Four

  THE HORSES IN the meadow greeted Roni and Chenoa with whinnies and nickers as they broke out of the trees. By the time she rode up to the cabin, Jeff was sitting on the porch. His eyes were closed, and he nursed a steel mug of coffee. The aroma hit her senses and made her mouth water as she dismounted.

  “Is there any more of that?” She squatted down to let Puller escape from his mobile tunnel. He didn’t hesitate to run over to the nearest tree and lift his leg.

  “Yup.” Jeff yawned. “There’s a thermos sitting inside and a plate of pancakes in the warmer.”

  Roni’s appetite gave her good reason to quickly pull the saddle and bridle off Chenoa and drop it to the ground for the time being.

  “There you go, buddy.”

  The horse meandered off with his nose to the ground. He was already looking for a place to roll to ease the scratchiness of the drying sweat on his hide.

  Roni turned to Jeff. “I’ve got something to tell you, but my stomach is growling so loudly I won’t be able to talk over it. I’ll be right back.”

  “That’s what you get for sneaking off before breakfast.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” The door banged behind her as she raced to the stove. She snagged a pancake, stuffed it in her mouth, and dropped five more onto a plate. She went back out, sat on a step, and tore a pancake in half. She shoved one part into her mouth and gave the other to P
uller. She continued devouring the rest of her food.

  “Hey, you never give that dog people food. What gives?” Jeff’s look was incredulous. His long moustache stuck out straight on both sides and through force of habit he had twisted the ends up into handlebars.

  Roni chewed, swallowed, and took a sip of coffee. “That little man earned his keep today.” She looked fondly at Puller and gave him another, albeit smaller piece. “We have a lion in the area.”

  Jeff sat bolt upright and gave her his undivided attention. “Really? I’ll bet that’s what I heard last night. It’s been a while since I’ve seen one in these mountains.”

  In between shoving food into her mouth and gulps of coffee, Roni relayed what had happened. When she finished eating, she leaned back with a satisfied groan. “God, I ate too much.” She pulled her hat forward over her eyes and flopped down on her back.

  “Before you start snoozing, you need to call Mike.”

  Roni ignored Jeff and focused on the sounds around her. A slight breeze moved through the trees, and she imagined the trees waving their tiny spring leaves. A horse snorted in the meadow, and a couple of grey jays quarreled over something in the pines behind the cabin.

  “Roni.”

  “I heard you.” Her reply echoed loudly in her ears from under the hat. She rolled onto her elbow, righted her Stetson, and looked toward the distant mountains. “I was just lying here trying to decide the best way to change Mike’s mind about sending someone else up here.”

  Jeff slapped his thigh and laughed. “I wouldn’t bet on it. From what Dad said last night, it’s a non-negotiable done deal.”

  Roni gave her brother a wicked grin. “We’ll see.”

  She got up, stretched, and went in. The cabin smelled like pancakes and coffee mixed with a hint of mustiness and wood smoke. Dishes filled the sink, and Roni doubted much would change over the summer in Beth’s absence. Although experienced in search and rescue, Beth’s talent was cooking. They never went hungry when Beth cooked. She was also anal about keeping the cabin neat and tidy. Her housekeeping would be severely missed this summer.

  Roni used her heels to pry off her boots. She set her hat on the table and got comfortable in the chair by the radio. Her eyes shifted to the yellowed picture tacked to the wall. Taken in the 1870s, it showed a miner’s pack train lined up in the center of town. That miner was her great grandfather when he was young. He sat atop a small, rangy black horse with a string of eighteen pack mules behind him on the muddy Elk City road. The porches of the weathered clapboard buildings on either side were crowded with men seemingly going about their business.

  Her grandfather used to entertain his family with stories of how, as a child, he would ride along with his father to get supplies. He’d tell how the huge population of Chinese far outnumbered the whites and how he’d spend hours listening to them converse in their native tongue. Roni wondered what her life would’ve been like back then. She would have trained horses of course. She and Beth would’ve lived together, and they could be . . .

  The cabin door squeaked and interrupted her daydreaming as Jeff came in with Puller on his heels. “Procrastinating?” He shot her a grin and twisted his perfectly groomed mustache.

  “Nope, I’m thinking.”

  He flopped into one of the chairs and patted his leg for the dog to join him. “You might as well get it over with.” He lifted the corner of a blanket for Puller to burrow under.

  Roni sighed. Any arguments she had for Mike were beginning to dim. Her practical side leaned toward safety and additional help. It was her emotional side and ingrained stubbornness that gave her cause for the biggest argument. She didn’t want anything to change. However in the grand scheme of things, she knew what she wanted wasn’t worth a hill of beans.

  Because the day was clear, there was little static on the radio after it powered up. While waiting for Mike, Roni exchanged small talk for a few minutes with one of the foresters. She decided to keep the presence of the mountain lion to herself at this point. She was concerned if word got out to any of the ranchers that grazed their cattle at the base of the mountains, there’d surely be an influx of self-appointed bounty hunters into their area. That would mean trouble . . . and undoubtedly more work for the SAR teams.

  “Roni, are you there? Over.”

  “Hey, Mike. Jeff and I got here late last night.” Roni winked at Jeff. “We’re pretty much settled in and ready to go. Over.”

  “Good, good. Hopefully we’re looking at a slow season this year. Over.”

  “We hope so.” Roni decided to try for the upper hand. “Jeff and I should do fine by ourselves. We decided not to solicit anybody else in the absence of Beth. We’ll just radio Elk City for backup if the need arises. Over.” She held her breath while waiting for Mike’s reply. She glanced at Jeff who sat shaking his head with a shit-eating grin painted all over his face.

  “Uh, yeah, Roni, that’s something I need to talk to you about. I went to the ranch to see your father yesterday. Beth happened to be there too. She looks great by the way, in case Jeff is listening. Anyway, the three of us had a nice chat about the two of you up there without a third person. Both your dad and Beth thought it best if the Forest Service assigns another SAR to your area. Over.”

  The mere mention of Beth took all the fight and determination out of Roni. She would do anything for Beth, and the fact that Beth had been in on the discussion was paramount. Roni wondered if that’d been Mike’s strategy in an attempt to tame her reaction to a stranger joining them.

  She’d known Mike for several years. He’d once been a guest lecturer at her college Conservation Law class. Her numerous questions earned his attention, and they’d kept in touch after she graduated. It was Mike who suggested she attend SAR training despite her aspirations to become a full-time forester. The fates had presided and she’d gone on to receive her SAR certification, but instead of utilizing her degree in forestry, her focus had changed to training horses for the ranch.

  “ . . . nice fit with you and Jeff. Over.”

  “Wait. Sorry, Mike, you broke up a little. It must’ve been a sun-spot or something. Can you repeat? Over.” Roni mouthed, “Shut up,” to Jeff who’d begun to chuckle.

  “No problem. Her name is Selena Ayala, and her resume is quite impressive: Outward Bound, BS in Environmental Science with a minor in Conservation Law, certified paramedic in wilderness medicine, wildfire containment, and I hear she’s quite an accomplished horsewoman. What do you think? Over.”

  Roni wanted to tell him that all this Selena stuff sounded poke-me-in-the-eye dull, but she managed to remain politically correct. “Okay, I guess. Over.”

  “Good. Your father will give her a horse and map with coordinates to the cabin. She has instructions to meet with you a week from yesterday. Please have her confirm her arrival, and be safe this season. Over.”

  “Roger that. Over and out.”

  Roni turned off the radio, stood up, snatched her hat, and stomped past Jeff. She seized her flask from the table and went outside. Jeff’s laughter followed her out the door, only serving to fuel her frustration and anger. As she stood on the porch, she focused on the horses. Her first instinct was to ride hard into the mountains, but she knew her foul mood would unsettle her mount. Sparky wouldn’t know how to deal with it, and Chenoa was too tired from her earlier ride. She uncapped the flask, tipped her head back, and let whiskey roll over her tongue and down her throat. It burned its way to her gut and made her eyes water. Beth had taken Mike’s side. She just couldn’t believe it.

  “Damn it.”

  She took one more swig, which emptied the flask. She dropped it on the step and headed toward the meadow, intent on stewing for a while. The grazing horses ignored her as she walked among them, except for Sparky who made his way over to sniff her hair after she sat down. He grazed around her legs, flicked his ears back and forth, and swished his tail at some invisible pest before moving on.

  She couldn’t decide whether she was mad
that Beth couldn’t spend the summer with them or that Mike was sending an additional person up. The slow, methodical chewing of grass by the herd helped her relax. She focused on the sound, took a couple deep breaths, and let them out gradually. Eventually the tension in her body subsided, and her thoughts reverted to her past.

  Her four years of college had been good to, and for, her. During the week she studied hard and maintained a three-point-eight grade point average. Weekends were for studying women, and it was a rare instance that she didn’t have a warm bed partner. The sex was simply a distraction to get her through the time away from home and endure being away from Beth. Wanting nothing more than a physical release, she had intentions that were uncomplicated and undemanding.

  Since she’d graduated, sexual interludes were few and far between. Other than herself, Beth and her mother were the only women on the ranch. The nearest lesbian bar was several hours away in Boise, so her solution was to work her ass off to cool her raging libido.

  Today’s relative peace and quiet soon blanketed her. Relaxed and more at ease than after she’d stormed out of the cabin, she got up and decided to do something productive. She gave Sparky a pat, Chenoa a hug around the neck, and turned toward the pole barn. Her heavier gear needed swapping out for lighter supplies and the first-aid kit inventoried and added to her saddlebag. Her final task would be to change the batteries in the flashlight mounted on the breast strap of the saddle. There’d be no time for equipment adjustments when a SAR call came in. In many cases, each minute conserved was crucial to saving a life.

  Two hours later, she returned to the cabin in a somewhat better mood and very hungry. The pancakes and coffee were a distant memory, and her stomach growled and clenched. She wondered if Jeff had done anything about dinner. The deal was they’d each take turns making evening meals.