Right Out of Nowhere

by Laurie Salzler

  About two hours from their destination, Roni radioed Jeff to let him know where they were. Thankfully, he’d previously let Fenn know she’d be bringing Kate out. Emergency personnel were already awaiting their arrival to give Kate a full checkup.

  They broke out of the woods and into the rec site meadow, and a single individual broke from the small crowd, ran to Kate, and pulled her off her horse.

  “Baby, are you okay? God, I was so worried.”

  Roni’s ears burned when she heard the tone of endearment.

  “Angel, I’m fine.” Kate embraced the woman and kissed her with obvious affection. “The rescuer found me last night.”

  The rescuer? Roni blinked in surprise at Kate’s choice of words. Did I just dream the fact that last night I had my fingers pushed so far into Kate, I could almost feel her eyeballs?

  Kate turned her companion to Roni. “Angel, this is Roni. She took real good care of me last night.”

  Roni couldn’t believe she had the audacity to wink at her while Angel shook her hand and thanked her profusely.

  “Kate, you need to get checked out by the paramedics, and I need to get going.” Roni was anxious to get away from these two.

  “Roni!”

  Roni looked up and brightened considerably when she saw Beth standing next to the ambulance. Her bulky winter coat made her look larger than ever. Roni tipped her hat to the two women and squeezed Chenoa into an easy canter toward Beth. Roni released Puller from the vest after dismounting and barely stood up before Beth yanked her into a bear hug.

  “Jeff told us you were called out. I’m so glad you’re safe.” Beth swiped tears from her eyes. “Goddammit.”

  Roni laughed, kissed her cheek, and ignored Beth’s hormone-induced tears. “How’d you get here? You didn’t drive, did you?”

  “Your dad brought me up. Are you kidding? At this point I couldn’t fit behind a tractor wheel.”

  “Does Jeff know you’re here?” Roni glanced up in time to see Kate and Angel walk past her. She lifted her hand in a halfhearted wave. “Good luck.” They were so absorbed in each other they didn’t notice.

  Beth followed her eyes and gave her a smirk. “That’s gratitude for you. It just goes to show you, good looks aren’t everything.”

  “Whatever. It’s not worth the irritation.”

  “To answer your question, yes, Dad told Jeff this morning we were coming up. Of course he whined like a baby, said it wasn’t fair and all that shit. As long as he’s able to come down when I pop this bowling ball out, I’m fine with him being up there. I couldn’t stand him following me around and doting on me left and right.”

  Roni chuckled. She looked around the rec area, surprised to not see her father. “Where’s Dad?”

  “You know him. He’s around here someplace, chatting up anybody who’ll listen. Come on.” Beth looped her arm through Roni’s. “Let’s go find him so we can get you out of here.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We brought the horse trailer up so you could spend the night at the ranch. Dad said he’ll take you back up again at first light tomorrow.”

  “I don’t know about that. I should really get back to the cabin.” She hated to say no, but she worried if another call came in, Jeff would have to pack out. It’d be too dangerous attempting a rescue with no radio backup.

  Beth laughed and pulled Roni’s arm closer as they walked toward the rig. “Dad said you probably wouldn’t. So we brought up a bale of hay for Chenoa and some extra supplies for you in case. Your mom also packed a thermos and warm food for you. She even sent up a can of dog food for the midget.”

  “Hey, watch out, he’s the one who found Kate. He thinks he deserves a steak or something.” Roni picked Puller up and let him lick Beth’s face. “See? He’s already trying to butter you up.”

  “Hey, Oat-girl.” Roni turned toward the familiar nickname her father had given her as a child.

  Joseph Oatman stood next to a cabin, shaking hands with a police officer before he headed their way. His round face and jet-black hair, albeit gray around the edges, spoke volumes of his Nez Perce heritage. When she was a child, he used to wear a long braid down the middle of his back. These days he kept it cut to his shoulders, which did nothing but accentuate his handsomeness. The long fleece coat that waved around him gave him an air of authority, and rightfully so. Her father knew just about everybody in these parts, and those he didn’t, he made sure he would at some point. It was how he ran his life, both personal and business wise.

  Joseph engulfed her in his strong arms, and she let out a grunt when he squeezed.

  “Holy shit, Dad, let go. I can’t breathe,” Roni said in a raspy voice. Beth giggled behind her.

  Joseph laughed and loosened his arms. He pinched her cheek. “What? Can’t a father give his favorite daughter a hug?”

  Roni rolled her eyes and played along with the age-old banter. “I’m your only daughter, Dad. I’m surprised to see you guys up here.”

  “Jeff radioed to tell us you were riding out today. Your mother wanted me to go shoe shopping with her in Clearwater. I thought this was as good an excuse as any to get out of that.”

  “Crony shopping was more up your alley today, huh?” Roni playfully punched him in the arm.

  He ignored her comment. “Did Beth ask you about spending the night at the ranch?”

  Roni sighed. “As appealing as that sounds, I should really head back up. Who knows what kind of trouble Jeff has gotten into while I’ve been gone?”

  “We figured you’d say that. Too bad the new girl isn’t up there already.”

  “Yeah, Dad, about that.”

  Joseph raised his hand, and her words stopped on her tongue. Since seeing a television show where a kid told his parents to “talk to the hand,” her father had been using that gesture ever since. She guessed it was better than him telling her to shut the hell up. Nevertheless, he implied it with this simple show of his palm.

  “It’s only for this season.”

  “But . . .” Roni tried again. The hand came up again. This time he waved it, meaning he was serious, end of discussion, period.

  “Come on.” Joseph took Chenoa’s reins from her and led him along. “Let’s get some of Mom’s warm food into you and give Chenoa some hay.”

  Roni walked next to a waddling Beth as they followed him.

  “He’s only doing this because he loves you guys, you know,” Beth said.

  Roni sighed and didn’t answer.

  “If you don’t think this is hard on him too, you’re wrong. He knew you’d be unhappy about it, but he worries about the both of you.”

  “We’d be fine.”

  “Yes, you’re probably right. But it only takes a split second for something to happen. You know how dangerous these mountains can be. And hello, you and Jeff are not immortal. You know the same things that happen to the people you rescue can happen to you too. It would kill your parents and me if anything ever happened to you or Jeff.”

  Roni put her arm around Beth’s shoulders and pulled her tight against her side. “You missed your calling. You should have been a lawyer.”

  “Nah, then you wouldn’t like me so much because I’d have a diploma that proved I’m always right.”

  Roni snorted. She knew Beth had a point. Beth could always make her laugh, even when she was in the darkest of moods. She had an uncanny ability to see right into Roni and most of the time right through her. It was one of the many reasons she loved her so much.

  Beth kept her company while she ate a beef-and vegetable-laden stew and drank hot tea. She managed to stuff a piece of chocolate cake into her overfull stomach as well.

  The temperature had risen to well above freezing, and the sun was bright and warm. Roni took her hat and coat off to soak some of it up.

  “Where’d Dad go? God that man can disappear in a heartbeat if you don’t watch him.” Roni careened her neck to look around her. A sudden gasp from Beth got her attention. “What?” She whi
pped her head back to Beth.

  “Is that? Oh my God, is that a hickey on your neck?”

  “What? No! Of course not.” Roni self-consciously tucked her neck into her shoulder.

  Beth moved closer and grabbed hold of Roni’s shirt collar. “Holy shit. It is.”

  Roni covered the right side of her neck with her hand. “I got scraped by a branch when I was looking for Kate.”

  Beth snickered in disbelief. “You got that mark from a tree? Please, Roni, I may have fallen off the bean wagon, but I didn’t do it yesterday.” She looked around and lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Did Kate do that to you?”

  “Shhh.” Roni lowered her head. Mortified, she didn’t want to meet Beth’s eyes. “She came on to me last night.”

  “Jesus, it looks like you were attacked by a power vacuum. She did more than come on to you.”

  “Fuck, is it really that bad?” Roni pulled her collar up as far as it would go.

  Beth picked up Roni’s Stetson and handed it to her. “Better put your hat on too. That thing just sings sex in a tent.”

  Roni knew her face was red because she felt intense heat crawl up her neck. The food she’d enjoyed a few minutes ago threatened to make an unwanted showing as nausea hit her suddenly. She grabbed the hat and smashed it down on her head. She’d hoped to keep the entire thing a secret, especially from Beth. She couldn’t come close to explaining to her why sex was just sex in her world, because the only love Roni felt was for her.

  “Nothing happened.”

  “You have a suck mark the size of Texas on your neck, and you’re saying nothing happened?” Beth gave her a look of disbelief.

  “All right. I’ll tell you. But you won’t believe me. I was having this great dream, and then I woke up to find it wasn’t a dream, and it didn’t go any farther than that and I made her stop.” Roni took a deep breath. Her face remained hot, and she knew it wasn’t from sitting in the sun. “Can’t we just drop it?”

  “Of course, whatever you say.” Beth giggled as she packed the food containers into the big cooler they’d brought.

  “What’s so funny?” Joseph asked as he came around the side of the trailer.

  “Nothing,” Roni and Beth said in unison.

  “You’d think I’d know better than to ask a question when you two are together. Roni, I arranged for you to spend the night in one of the cabins. They have room in the stable for Chenoa.”

  “Thanks, Dad. I do appreciate it, really, but I should start heading back.”

  “You may want to check your watch. You’ll have no more than a few hours of daylight riding time left. Why not stay here and head out when you want to tomorrow?” Joseph looked at Beth for support. “Help me out here, Beth.”

  Roni knew she didn’t have a chance when the two of them ganged up on her. “Okay, okay. I’ll stay here the night.” She silently calculated where she might’ve had to stop for the night had she gone through with her original plan. By her best estimation, it would’ve been right at the doorstep of that mountain lion’s territory. She didn’t want to be considered prey two nights in a row.

  Chapter Seven

  THE FLOCK OF buzzards circling in the thermals above caught Roni’s attention. She shoved her sleeve past her wrist to check her watch. Pleased she’d made such good time so far on her return trip, she decided to investigate.

  The trees were sparse as she rounded the base of the mountain she would eventually ascend. She was amazed at how much growth the birch leaves had accomplished in just a week. Thin white branches sliced into canopies dotted with light shades of quaking green. The sight of the meadow brought a smile to her face. Buttercups, with their pink- to reddish-brown petals, shared the early spring ground with the bright yellow sage buttercups. Closer to the edge of the woods, where the sun was late in warming them, the last of the white globeflowers hung onto their blossoms. Timid shoots of green grass were beginning to show amid the wildflowers and brown stalks of last year.

  Roni pushed her hat back and let the sun warm her face. She’d risen way before dawn after a sound sleep. Suddenly ravenous, she’d finished her mother’s cold stew and the last of the cake. Eager to get a move on, she’d foregone making tea on her Sterno, and after Puller finished the remaining canned food, she packed her things and headed for the stable to saddle her horse.

  Chenoa was relaxed and well rested beneath her. Every once in a while, the cool air enticed him to prance, but Roni held him back. They had a long ride ahead of them. Puller snuggled deep in her vest. When she’d put her foot in the stirrup earlier, Puller had danced circles around her, so she let him trot alongside her until he tired.

  Several vultures circled lower and descended gradually to the ground. Roni halted Chenoa and surveyed the surrounding area with her binoculars. The carcass appeared to be far enough away from the trees for her to make a safe approach. If it was a lion kill, the cat could be standing guard over it from a nearby tree branch. As a precaution, she pulled the rifle from the scabbard and pumped the lever action once to ready a bullet.

  She picked up the reins from Chenoa’s neck and urged him forward. The slight breeze brought the smell of death to her nose. The horse didn’t react, other than twitching his ears and flaring his nostrils. Her father used him to pack elk meat out of the mountains every year, so this wasn’t anything new to Chenoa. As she rode closer, she heard the hissing and quarreling of vultures as they vied with one another for the best feeding position. Several dominant birds spread their five-foot wings over what they claimed as their own. This kept the others at bay but increased the noise when they began sparring amongst themselves. Magpies, jays, and ravens bantered with each other in the grasses around what she could identify as an elk carcass. The big bull had been easy prey for whatever had brought it down. Even from about fifty feet, she could see the swollen front leg, which she guessed was an injury from fighting with another male during the fall rut.

  As she edged away, Roni kept her eyes peeled. She took one more look behind her at the ensuing feast. Movement caught her eye from the distant tree line. A black bear, his coat shimmering in the sun, ambled toward the elk, intent on breaking up the winged party. Roni knew better than to get in this bear’s way. He’d just come out of hibernation and was hungry and no doubt very grumpy.

  Delighted to have seen this congregation of different wildlife, she pushed on and turned up the mountain to begin the long climb to the cabin. Although the snow had pretty much melted in the lower elevations, it still coated the pine branches and ground the higher she rode. Fortunately, it wasn’t deep or slippery. She reached down to pat Chenoa’s neck and wasn’t at all surprised to feel the dampness of sweat as she pulled her hand back. She would give him a break just ahead. The trail angled close to a cold stream from which they could drink.

  An hour later, she was on the move again. Chenoa had grazed for a few minutes while she let Jeff know her location, and Puller had a nice long pee break. With his head sticking out of the vest, she thought he resembled one of those head-bobbing dogs people oftentimes put in the rear window of their car. She doubted he cared much, as long as he was warm, comfortable, and didn’t have to walk up the mountain under the power of his own short little legs.

  The sun had all but disappeared as she finally broke out of the trees into the meadow. Streaks of red highlighted the darkening sky, and the moon had yet to make an appearance. The pine-needle-littered floor of the woods had enabled her to make a silent approach. Chenoa apparently decided to announce his arrival with a short whinny. The grazing horses raised their heads and welcomed him with nickers and whinnies of their own.

  “Hi, honey, I’m home,” she shouted as she rode past the cabin and on toward the pole barn. She dismounted, set Puller down, and began loosening Chenoa’s girth. She took his bridle off and turned him loose as Jeff strolled up with two cups of wine. Ever since she’d joined the Search and Rescue, they’d made it a tradition to celebrate a successful rescue with a toast.

 
“I’ve got dinner in the warmer for you. I did pretty good estimating when you’d be back,” Jeff said after they’d clinked tin cups and each taken a swallow.

  “You’ll make someone a good wife some day.” Roni downed the rest of her wine, handed the cup to Jeff, and grabbed the rifle and saddlebags. “Lead on, brother, I’m ready to be home.”

  Jeff took the saddlebags from her. “I’m glad you’re back. Trixie isn’t very good company.”

  “Trixie? I thought your dummy’s name was Agatha or something.” Roni looked for Puller. He was ahead of them, trading sniffs for leg-lifts every few feet.

  “I got rid of her and we now have Trixie.”

  She noticed the mischievous gleam in his eye as he glanced back at her. He was up to something; she was sure of it. She was tired, hungry, and in no mood for whatever he had in store for her. But it sure was nice to be home. Coming back to the cabin was like a reward for a job well done. Not all rescues turned out for the better. Sometimes they ended up doing a recovery detail. Fortunately, she’d only had to do a couple of them, one a drowning victim and the other a hunter who’d accidently shot himself in the groin. He hadn’t stood a chance and bled to death just minutes after his gun went off.

  Jeff returned the rifle to the wall as soon as they walked in. He hung up his hat and started puttering at the stove. Roni proceeded right to her bedroom, barely noticing the absence of Jeff’s scarecrow at the table. She put her back to the door and shoved it open with her butt. “I’ll be right out. I want to get out of these clothes.”

  She turned around and froze. Her mouth fell open, and the saddlebags dropped to the floor. Agatha, or Trixie, or whatever Jeff named his stupid dummy was on her bed, except the clothes were different.

  “What the hell?”

  Those were her clothes. And her other Stetson. And the “head” turned to one side revealed what looked like a big red splotch of paint on the neck part. Realization sunk in.

  “I’m going to kill her. Pregnant or not, Beth is so dead.”

  Jeff snickered behind her. “I think I see a resemblance.” He quickly pulled Roni’s collar away from her neck and exposed the mark. He darted backward, barely missing the smack she was intent on giving him. “Yup, right down to that big old red mark on your neck.”