“Did I hurt you?”
“Oh, yes!” Madeline answered with a fluttery laugh.
With quiet remorse, he lowered his head and studied his hands. “I don’t remember any of it.”
“What?”
“I looked up to see you hanging there and I didn’t know how you got there or what I may have done to you”
“You honestly don’t remember any of it?”
Devon stood and handed her clothes to her. “I will take you home now.”
“You mean you don’t want me here anymore?”
“That’s not it.”
“Then what is it?”
“I don’t know now,” he responded in a low voice.
Madeline tugged her jeans over her calves. “Is it because I—?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore!” He left the cave.
“That dammed man!” Yanking her T-shirt on, she followed him.
Devon sat stoically on the horse.
With an irritated sigh, she placed her hands on her hips. “So, you’re dumping me?”
He looked perplexed. “Dumping?”
“Yeah, you know? Like garbage.”
He ignored her ugly accusation. “Your dad will be worried.”
Madeline shook her head with a skeptical laugh. “You didn’t care about that last night.”
Devon looked away. “I should have.”
Worried about this new, brooding Devon, she stepped closer to the horse. “Please tell me what’s really going on?”
“You wouldn’t understand, Madeline.”
“You’re a tribal chief or something, right?” she asked.
“Or something would be a better description.”
She stomped her foot. “You see? You’re not telling me the whole truth!”
“The truth?” With a fluid motion, Devon jumped from the horse and glared at her. “What about your truth?”
“My…?”
“Yes, like back at the post?”
Madeline’s aggressive demeanor wavered, and she looked away from him. “I wasn’t prepared for any of this.”
“Yes, well now, neither one of us is prepared.”
“Dev, just tell me!”
Devon seized her waist, set her on the horse and jumped on.
Madeline leaned her head against his shoulder, wrapped her arms around his waist, and they rode down the rocky path.
Sky Cutter Road
When Devon and Madeline arrived at the trailer, Rick stepped out onto the porch and crossed his arms over his chest.
Devon slid off the horse, helped her down, took her hand and led her to the steps.
“That’s what? The third time you’ve disappeared?” Rick looked flustered.
“Now, wait just a minute.” Madeline attempted to defend her recent actions.
“No!” Rick glared at her.
Devon looked concerned. “Sir, it’s all my fault.”
“And you!” Rick pointed at him. “You ask for her hand, and then disappear?”
Devon flinched at his shout and slid his hands into his jeans’ pockets.
“And you, young lady!” Madeline jerked her head at his tone. “You tell me you’re going to marry this guy, and then you changed your mind. Next, you sit around mooning over him, and then you vanish again with no note or anything to let me know you’re okay.” Rick released an angry breath. “Well, that’s enough!”
Devon stepped forward. “Mr. Sayers, please let me explain.”
Rick held his hand up and gazed into his eyes. “I made a trip to the People, and the silent day already started as of sunrise this morning.”
Devon glanced over at Madeline.
“What is he talking about?” she asked.
Devon seemed to ignore her question while he spoke to Rick, “Yes, sir, I’ll be there when the sun sets.” He jumped back up on his horse.
Madeline looked from Rick to Devon. “Can one of you tell me what the hell is going on?”
Devon laughed.
“What is so funny?” Madeline couldn’t comprehend any of this as a laughing matter.
“Always in trouble!” He waved and rode away.
She gazed over at the empty porch. What the hell? They just both disappear? “Damned men! Who fucking needs all of this?” Marching up the steps in a huff, she stomped her way into the trailer. “Rick?” she called. “You’d better explain all of this!” She searched every room while her fury grew, and finally headed to the window.
Rick’s Jeep blew dust over the road as it disappeared over the rise.
They both ran? So help me, when I catch up with these two stubborn men! Her hands balled into fists. Day of silence and when the sun sets? With an irate motion, Madeline took one of her sandals off and threw it against the trailer wall.
A half hour later after tossing several other things then having to clean up her mess, Madeline stepped out of the shower, toweled her hair and gazed at her reflection. A strange glinting reflected in the steamy mirror. She wiped the steam from the glass, saw a sparkling from behind her, and spun around. The diamond-lined dress hung on the door hook, and a pair of moccasins, also sewn with tiny diamonds, sat on the floor below.
She raised the moccasins while glimpsing her reflection in the mirror. Her hair sparkled with reflective light. Blonde highlights? A strange, light glow appeared on her face as well and she touched her skin, her fingers tingling. Her gaze dropped to her torso, to find a glimmering showed beneath her skin. With trembling hands, she hurriedly put the dress and moccasins on, feeling peculiar pings of tiny electric shocks all over her body.
Am I sick again?
The glowing of her skin grew to a brilliant, shimmering from her mirrored reflection. Madeline gaped at the astonishing image. She rushed out of the bedroom and gazed around in a panic, her heart pounding in her chest. Opening the front door, she hopped down the steps and halted.
A group of riders sat atop their horses as they all stared at her.
Madeline’s jaw dropped as she observed the peculiar sight, only found in some old western movie.
An older man sat on the middle horse, dressed in a traditional Indian outfit, red and white paint streaks adorning his cheeks. A full Indian headdress of white feathers with red tips completed the image.
With a sense of the surreal, she looked over at the other riders.
Two women accompanied him, and she recognized one as the beautiful woman who’d spoken to her at the post. She remembered Rick calling her Kamikowa. Two younger men decorated in war paint waited on their mounts at either side of the horse line.
The older Indian man solemnly nodded at her.
With a curious urge to ask why they were there, Madeline opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She raised her hands to her throat and attempted again to say something, but only her breath rushed out.
Kamikowa drew her horse closer, holding the lead rein of a jet-black pony with little white spots dotted all over it. She leaned over and handed Madeline the reins.
She bit her lip, remembering her hesitation at the post last week, when Rick had warned her. You will shame him in front of his people. She drew in a deep breath and took the reins, staring at the painted animal. Okay, Madeline, they are watching, so you have to jump up on this horse as though you were born to do it!
Picturing how Devon mounted his horse, she grabbed the pony’s mane, and propelling her body from the ground with all her might, she swung her leg over its side. Finding herself on the animal’s back, she was truly amazed.
The two Indian braves maneuvered their horses closer, nudging her pony and prompting it to turn, while the older Indian moved to the front. The two women positioned their horses on either side of Madeline’s, and the two braves rode to the back of the group.
Madeline watched the smooth, hushed equestrian maneuvers with amazement as the meaning of their quiet actions finally became clear to her. A silent procession and the day of silence! Smiling in satisfaction at her smart conclusion, she peeked ar
ound. There were no smiles on any of her escort’s tan faces, and she assumed her often used impassive expression. I never dreamed I would have to use that tactic in a place like this! She sat straight and stiff on her horse, her shoulders erect. Dev would’ve laughed at her.
The riders must be there to bring her to Devon. She imagined his engaging smile as her heart pounded in her chest with the thought of seeing him again. Madeline pushed away the inkling that the wild brave from the taming cave was the reason her pulse rate accelerated so wildly.
Finally, it occurred to her. This is my wedding procession! So, when the sun sets? She gazed at the sky. I will see him again. A warm and tender ache vibrated through her. Oh, I do love him! She jumped with a start at the revelation.
Having faced the most powerful people in the world with no hesitation and no insecurities, the implausible conclusion rolled over her like a splash of icy cold water. Truly afraid for the very first time in her orderly life, Madeline attempted to swallow her trepidation from such a shocking epiphany. Sentimental feelings of a romantic nature were rare for her. The occasional elation triggered by successes in the business world had been the only happiness she’d ever encountered.
Her steady, detached disposition gave her no insight for this new, sensitive feeling as she teetered at the edge of a new world. An existence and experience unknown to her, where you cared for someone more than yourself and you actually shared your feelings with another human being. This foreign, but arousing, frontier loomed in front of her, and it was both exhilarating and frightening.
The silent procession traveled across the open desert, the midday sun shimmering down on their solemn passage. Dust kicked up by their horses’ hooves flew over the cactus flowers and creosote bushes as they drew closer to the mountains. At the base of the range, where mirages caused all kinds of illusions, streams of radiant light rose from the waves of the desert heat.
Madeline sat like a majestic statue with her chin raised up proudly in a dignified manner while the reflected light sparkled from the hundreds of diamonds on her Indian wedding dress. She rode the black bridal pony toward the glimmering brilliance that would be her future as though she had been born to do it.
CHAPTER NINE
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Madeline had never endured such a long stretch of silence in her life. She jumped down from the horse, her backside throbbing with the tender soreness of riding all day on the bridal pony. She winced and restrained herself from rubbing the sore spots as the others dismounted. The braves led her pony away while she stood quietly and waited to see what would happen next. Since, I cannot seem to speak anyway. She’d wondered about that fact all the way there. Laryngitis leftover from the pneumonia; a coincidence to this supposed day of silence?
Someone touched her shoulder—the Kami woman. She took Madeline’s hand, led her to a path, and let her hand go when the way got narrower.
Madeline followed the women and climbed the long, narrow, rock-hewn trail along the steep mountainside for about twenty minutes. She struggled to keep her footing on the pebbly surface and grew breathless as they neared the top.
What she found there really did steal her breath away. A helicopter sat on a concrete pad, rotors cycling slowly. Madeline drew in a startled breath as the air from the blades spun faster and blew dust everywhere. She covered her face with her arm to avoid the flying debris.
The maidens each took hold of an elbow and urged her to board the copter. They helped her up and got in behind her, pulling the door shut.
Madeline grimaced and swiped at her eyes.
One of the women handed her a package of moist wipes.
Madeline pulled one out and patted the dust from her face, studying the silent women outfitted in suede, fringed Indian dresses. They appeared shy and timid, but their dark eyes conveyed a warm, friendly light.
Her focus returned to the situation at hand. She sat in a helicopter on top of a mountain, dressed as an Indian bride. Astounded by all the unexpected events, she distractedly eyed the pilot as he maneuvered the helicopter. The whirlybird rose and flew straight out over the mountain range and her stomach lurched from the sudden lift from solid earth. They approached a panoramic canyon, clouds appearing over the rim. The Grand Canyon? She leaned closer to the port window and peered at all the stretching rock-rimmed monuments of stone. It’s so gorgeous!
Sheets of color layered each side. Shades of greens, from emerald to a light lime swirled the tints along the canyon walls, as though a supreme artist had used a divine brush. She stared at a bright pink along the rim, blending into a light rose color. The colossal cliffs towered above the deep canyon. Below it, water currents rippled with the different reflected shades of the cliff colors as the sunlight’s luminescence blended with the reflection across the flow of the Colorado River.
The chopper hovered over a section of the rim where a strange, looped bridge made of steel and glass hung aloft over the canyon. Oh, I read about this, the Skywalk!
When the helicopter landed, the other women hopped to the ground. They glanced at her with expectant expressions and helped her down.
Madeline looked out beyond them and saw a four-story adobe structure clinging to the edge of the canyon. Grasping her hands, they walked her toward the buildings.
Does his tribe own the Skywalk? The place looked entirely deserted as they nudged her past the maps and signs full of information which lined the walls.
High windows adorned the building, and a hand-lettered notice hung over the entrance:
Closed for tribal ceremony.
Panic twisted in her stomach. My wedding? The women took her through the entrance and toward the stairs, tugging at her while her heart pounded in her ears. This is all for real! An anxious twinge ran along her back as she dug in her heels and halted.
The two silent women tilted their heads at her as if attempting to understand her sudden stop.
She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head, refusing to go any farther.
The two maidens glanced at each other and dropped to the floor. They yanked at their long, black braids while tears rolled down their smooth cheeks.
A jolting sense of dismay joined the nervous jitter in her stomach. What hell are they doing?
The women rocked back and forth in misery or grief, while strands of their long, black hair drifted to the floor.
Do they think I’m mad at them or something? Madeline stood for a silent, amazed moment and watched the hushed grieving. Her concern grew, and she tapped one of them on the head.
The saddened woman raised her head with an expectant expression on her reddened face.
Madeline released a resigned sigh and held her hands out to them.
They blinked at her and rose with smiles on their tear-streaked faces, dropping the balls of ripped hair to the floor.
She stared in disbelief at the shredded hair lying on the carpeted floor. My God, these people!
Wearing joyful expressions, they smiled at her and cheerfully took her hands again.
Madeline rolled her eyes in surrender as they led her along the stairs.
After a rather lengthy climb up three flight of stairs, Madeline surveyed the room. It was magnificent actually, with its high beamed ceilings and Indian style paintings of horses and villages displayed on the pastel adobe walls. The maidens had stripped her of the diamond dress and plopped her into a large, sunken bathtub filled with scented water. When they first saw the glow to her skin, their eyes had widened and they bowed their heads in reverence.
Silent, Madeline fought her impatience over their endless ministrations for fear that if she protested, they might lose more of their beautiful, dark tresses. The aroma of the bathwater reminded her of the pine scent Devon always wore. Reconciled to the silly grooming and preparation, she simply let them do what they wanted to do with her.
Their expressions remained cheerful while they scrubbed her hair and skin with exuberance.
When the women finished gro
oming and fussing over her, the Kami Indian girl came into the room and nodded at Madeline. The entire maiden entourage left the room in silence, of course, as she sat on a leather couch, freshly bathed and dressed in her diamond dress with her hair gleaming. She waited impatiently in the quiet, which stretched out all around her. No sound existed at all: no music, no phones ringing and no voices, just a stifling hush.
Madeline fought her exasperation and strove to remain tranquil. Dammit, where is everyone? She peeked out to the corridor and carefully crept down the stairs to watch through the panoramic windows as the sun dipped into the canyon. Some strange anxiety ran through her, but she didn’t really understand it as she rushed out across the foyer through the lodge doorway. Running across the pebbled surface, and heading straight to the Skywalk, she halted just at the entrance.
The Skywalk lay like glass around the rim, and the bottom of the canyon sat hundreds of feet below. Madeline’s gaze rose to see Devon standing at the middle arc of the round bridge.
He smiled at her and held his hands out while behind him wispy clouds drifted swiftly toward the walk.
Her pulse beat hard in her chest, and the now familiar throbbing ran through her entire body. A strange, puffy white mist swallowed the entire image of him. “Wait!” she called, with no sound from her throat. Unlike the sensible Madeline Sayers of Malibu, she acted without thought and ran out across the smooth, glass surface. She didn’t stop to wonder at or analyze why her fear of losing him became so overwhelming.
The vibrations from her moccasin-clad footfalls landed with her running steps, but she could not hear them. The surreal hush became a living quiet when combined with the thickening mist drifting in on the cool breeze from the canyon.
Madeline could tell when she arrived at the curve, even though the swirling clouds obscured her sight.
Devon scooped her up, pulled her close to his chest and brought his mouth to hers.
She unabashedly wrapped her legs around his waist, looping her arms about his neck. Their kiss lasted for a long time and the heat from his mouth matched the heat he caused in her body. The kiss took her out of herself as though she were suspended in an enchantment of all that was Devon and everything lost meaning as time stopped around her. Contentment consumed her thoughts, while in her mind’s eye appeared a lighted place swirling with colors.
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