Wild Mustang

by Jane Toombs

  “Elizabeth?”

  “Yeah, that was the name on my birth certificate, Elizabeth Sage Jennings. Shane helped our mom to get my last name changed to Bearclaw before she died. I guess I’m still Elizabeth, but nobody ever calls me that.”

  A possibility occurred to Laura. “Could the man have been your father?”

  Sage jumped up from her chair and ran to Laura, who put an arm around her.

  “Don’t be frightened, I’m here,” Laura told her.

  “But what if it is him?”

  “What did you tell the man?” Laura asked.

  “I said my name was Sage and I hung up. The phone rang again, but I let the answering machine take it. I’m scared to go listen and see if he left a message.”

  “I think we’d better find out.” Trailed by Sage, Laura headed for Shane’s bedroom, where she’d been told the answering machine was.

  She’d never set foot in his room before, but intent on listening to a possible message, she didn’t take time to look around. She crossed to the machine. The red light was blinking so she pushed the button.

  “Connie and I are coming by to see you, Sage,” a man’s voice said. “We have a birthday present for you.”

  “My birthday’s not till next month,” Sage muttered, her gaze fixed on the answering machine. “Doesn’t he even know that?”

  “So it is your father,” Laura said.

  “Yeah. He said in the letter he wrote to Shane that his new wife was named Connie.”

  “What’s his name?” Laura asked, figuring she should know before the couple showed up.

  “Bill.” Sage reached for Laura’s hand. “What’re we going to do?”

  Holding the girl’s hand firmly in hers, Laura led her from the bedroom, glancing down as she did at what she was wearing. Khaki shorts and a yellow T-shirt. That ought to do for Mr. and Mrs. Jennings.

  “We’re going to make a pitcher of iced tea, invite them in when they come and offer them some tea,” she told Sage.

  “But I don’t want them here,” Sage wailed.

  “Nothing bad will happen. The judge has granted Shane custody of you.”

  Sage’s fingers tightened on hers. “Yeah, but how do I know my father won’t ab-abduct me like those kids I see on milk cartons?”

  “I doubt if he has that in mind.” Laura tried her best to sound reassuring when the truth was she didn’t have a clue what this unknown man was like.

  “He used to hurt my mom.” Sage spoke in a whisper.

  “I am not going to let anything bad happen to you,” Laura said, beginning to be affected by the girl’s apprehension.

  “I wish Shane was here,” Sage wailed and burst into tears.

  Laura couldn’t help but wish the same thing as she held the sobbing girl close. She tried to tell herself that Bill Jennings might once have been a belligerent drunk, but supposedly he’d stopped drinking and turned his life around. Besides, he had his wife with him.

  When Sage had progressed to the sniffling stage, blowing her nose and wiping her eyes, Laura said, “I’ve decided we should believe that your father is coming to see you for exactly the reason he said he was—bringing you a present.”

  “Maybe.” Sage didn’t sound convinced. “But why did he wait till Shane and Grandfather were gone?”

  “It’s possible he called and asked for them because he wanted to tell one or the other of them ahead of time that he was coming here—not to find out if they were away.”

  Sage blinked at her, looking so woebegone that Laura felt her heart twist. She hugged the girl. “It’ll be all right,” she said, hoping she spoke the truth. “Now let’s go make that iced tea. And I’m in real and immediate need of a cup of coffee.”

  “I got to go feed Star first,” Sage said.

  “Okay, I’ll hold down the fort.”

  After Sage went out, Laura reflected that she felt she was doing just that—holding down the fort against hostiles. Except in the old days, hadn’t the Indians been the hostiles? A little role reversal, here.

  Revived by the coffee, Laura took a quick walk through the house to make sure it didn’t look too untidy, picking up things here and there and putting them where they belonged. By the time she was through, Sage was back in the kitchen making the tea with a resigned look on her face. Sullen was better than scared, though.

  “We ought to try to be polite,” she reminded the girl.

  Sage’s glance told her not to expect any such thing.

  Because she wasn’t at ease, it seemed to Laura that the Jennings took forever to arrive. When they finally heard a car engine, Sage ran to the window to watch them turn into the drive.

  “They’ve got a van,” she announced. “A black one. Vans come in handy if you’re thinking of abducting people, don’t you think?”

  “What I think is that your imagination is running wild. You were such a gracious hostess when I first came here. Make an effort to be like that for them.”

  “Yeah, but I liked you.”

  “I was a stranger,” Laura reminded her. “You didn’t even know me.”

  “I sort of did. Grandfather said you might be the palomino from his dream and that would be good luck for us. When I saw your blond hair I knew he was right.”

  Footsteps on the porch made them both come to uneasy attention. Then came the knock.

  Laura crossed to the door and opened it. A somewhat overweight middle-aged man who was beginning to lose his graying hair stood beside a pleasant-faced younger woman who was obviously pregnant.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Jennings?” she said. “I’m Laura—” She started to say Walker, decided that might be confusing, and substituted, “Bearclaw. Won’t you come in?”

  She ushered them into the living room with Sage doing her best to hide behind her.

  “Elizabeth,” Bill Jennings said, holding out his hand. “Don’t you know me?”

  The girl retreated from him. “My name is Sage,” she said, “not Elizabeth. And I know you must be my father even if I don’t recognize you.”

  Not the most gracious of responses, but at least Sage was talking to him.

  “This is my wife, Connie,” Bill said. “Your new stepmother.”

  Sage frowned at the woman.

  “Please sit down,” Laura said hastily, not sure the girl wasn’t going to blurt out something unpleasant. “Sage has made iced tea for you.” She glanced at the girl. “Why don’t you bring it in?”

  Watching Sage hurry from the room, Laura hoped she’d return and not go hide somewhere.

  “I’m afraid your daughter is a bit overwhelmed at your sudden appearance,” she told the couple.

  Bill sighed. “I’ve been a rotten father. Rotten altogether, some might say. If I hadn’t met Connie I don’t know what would’ve become of me and that’s the truth.” He smiled at his wife.

  Laura decided she may as well state the obvious. “It will take Sage some time to get used to you.” Fixing her attention on Connie she said, “I couldn’t help but notice you’re expecting.”

  Connie’s smile was shy. “It’s my first. I’m due in October.”

  “A Halloween baby,” Bill said. “Connie here said we ought to get to know Eliz—Sage. The new baby will be her half brother, after all. Like Shane is.”

  Laura didn’t think Sage would take kindly to the comparison between Shane and the baby-to-come. “So you already know it’s a boy,” she said.

  Connie nodded. “I didn’t care, I just want a healthy baby. Bill’s kind of pleased, though.”

  “You bet. Sage and little Joe’ll have something else in common, too. Connie here is a quarter Mi-wok.”

  Laura remembered Grandfather telling her about Connie’s Miwok heritage.

  “My mother’s people still live in central California,” Connie said. “I thought maybe Sage would feel more at home with us if she knew that about me, so that’s why Bill told you right away.”

  Sage came into the room with the tray, which she placed on the coffee ta
ble in front of the couch where the Jennings sat.

  “I didn’t know about sugar,” she said, “so I didn’t put any in the tea.”

  “Thank you, honey,” Connie said. “I’m not supposed to have any while I’m pregnant.”

  Sage eyed Connie’s abdomen warily.

  “It’s a boy,” Bill told her. “We’re going to name him Joel William.”

  Watching Sage, Laura could almost see what was running through the girl’s mind—that she and the baby would be related.

  “I’d like some sweetener, if you don’t mind,” Bill added.

  Without a word, Sage turned on her heel and headed for the kitchen.

  “The message you left was that you were bringing Sage a present,” Laura said. “She mentioned that her birthday is next month.”

  Bill shook his head. “Told you I’ve been the world’s worst father. I knew it was in the summer sometime and took a chance it was this month. Well, she’ll get it early, that’s all.”

  Though not exactly warming to him, Laura found herself feeling a bit sorry for Bill. He’d missed so many years of his daughter’s childhood and was now going to have a really hard time winning her trust. Connie she rather liked. Laura couldn’t feel these were bad people.

  “I left your present in the van,” Bill told Sage when she returned with several packets of sweetener and a spoon. “Remind me to give it to you before we leave. Sorry I was wrong about your birthday.”

  “That’s okay,” she mumbled.

  “I thought maybe you might send me a school picture sometime,” Bill said to her. “I’ll leave my card here so you’ll have my address.” Removing one from his wallet, he laid it on the coffee table.

  Sage nodded, not looking at him.

  “I’m an electrician,” he said. “That’s my company name on the card.”

  Connie smiled at him. “What with the building boom, he’s really busy these days.”

  Bill glanced at his watch. “That reminds me—we’ve got to get going. Came over the mountain for a builders’ convention in Reno, and we were so close I didn’t want to go back home without seeing you, Sage.”

  She looked him square in the face for the first time, but said nothing.

  “Want to come out with us and get your present?” he asked, rising from the couch.

  Sage glanced at Laura. Knowing the girl wouldn’t budge unless she went, too, Laura got up and took Sage’s hand.

  A few minutes later, all four of them were standing by the black van when Shane’s pickup roared into the drive. He cut the motor, leaped out and strode over to them.

  “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing here, Jennings?” he demanded.

  Bill bristled. “I came to see my daughter.”

  “We have a present for her,” Connie put in, obviously trying to do what she could to save the situation.

  Outside of shooting her one quick glance, Shane ignored her. “I don’t want you on my property,” he told Bill. “Not now, not ever.”

  The two men glared at each other.

  Laura knew why Shane was overreacting, but she wished he could control himself long enough so explanations could be made.

  Grandfather, who’d gotten out of the truck in less of a hurry than Shane, ambled over. “Hear you quit drinking,” he said to Bill. “Past time.” He turned to Sage, “Take the present your father brought, thank him, and go in the house. Now.”

  Hastily Connie reached into the van and brought out a colorfully wrapped box, handing it to Sage.

  Holding the box, Sage mumbled, “Thank you both,” and all but ran toward the house.

  Grandfather stepped between the two men. “Best thing you can do right now is hop in the van and hit the road,” he told Bill. “Best thing you can do,” he said to Shane, “is leave well enough alone.”

  He turned to Connie and helped her into the van, saying, “Tell your husband this is not a good day to talk things over.”

  Bill slammed himself into the other side of the van and the three of them watched him drive away, Shane muttering under his breath.

  Deciding the best thing for her to do was join Sage while Shane cooled off, Laura left the two men. She found the girl in the kitchen opening the box.

  “Look, it’s a CD player/radio with a headset just like the one I looked at in Reno yesterday,” Sage said.

  “So it is. A great birthday present.”

  Sage tore the wrappings off a smaller packet that had been taped to the outside of the box. “Four CDs.” She shuffled through them. “Whoa—one’s by that Navajo flute player. He’s way cool!”

  “Connie must have picked it out,” Laura said. “Your father told me Connie’s grandmother is a Mi-wok.”

  Sage looked at her. “She is?” Looking back down at the CD, she said, “I guess Connie’s baby’ll be related to me.”

  Noting there was no mention of Bill, Laura realized Sage wasn’t yet ready to accept her father. She didn’t push it, merely saying, “Yes. Joel will be your half brother.”

  “Shane was real mad,” Sage said.

  Laura nodded. “When he calms down, I’ll try to explain that your father did try to call him before he came.”

  “If Shane’d been here, he wouldn’t’ve let them come.”

  “Probably not.”

  “Connie’s not so bad,” Sage said, without looking at Laura.

  “I liked her,” Laura agreed, as she began gathering up the wrapping paper and ribbon and stuffing them into the now empty box.

  “I’m going to take the player and CDs to my room and try them out,” Sage told her.

  “Good idea. Maybe later you can let me listen to the flute player with you.”

  That earned her a smile before Sage left the kitchen.

  Laura was setting the box and paper on the utility room floor when Grandfather came in the back door. “Where’s Shane?” she asked.

  “In his workshop. Best place for him.”

  “I’m not making a plea for Bill Jennings,” she said, “but he did call before he arrived, asking for you or Shane.”

  “Doubt that’ll make much difference to Shane.”

  “Did you notice Connie Jennings was pregnant?”

  Grandfather nodded.

  “The baby will be Sage’s half brother,” she added.

  “Doubt that’ll matter to Shane either. I’m an old man, wiser than I used to be, still with things to learn. I’ve learned the heart isn’t made to hold hate. Hate is bitter medicine, no one’s the better for it. Most times you can’t turn hate into love, but you can work on turning it into tolerance. If you can’t even do that, you still have to let go of hate. Burn it in a fire, like Lonely-She-Walks’ ghosts.”

  Laura frowned. “I keep hearing about Lonely-She-Walks—who was she?”

  “Pour us some iced tea and I’ll tell you. It’s a story you need to hear.”

  Sitting across the kitchen table from Grandfather, sipping tea, Laura listened to the tale of the maiden with the burden basket.

  She was frowning before he finished. Afterwards she sat in silence, wrapped in her own thoughts, and so preoccupied that she barely noticed when Grandfather got up and left the kitchen. Nor did she pay attention to Sage when she came in, not until the girl spoke.

  “You want to come listen to the flute CD?” Sage asked. “It’s really awesome.”

  Laura nodded and followed Sage into the bedroom where she sat on the bed. Gradually, the sound of the flute lured her into attention, making her realize how talented the man was.

  She smiled, remembering how Shane had made and played a willow flute for her at their camp. He wasn’t an artist like this man, but she’d never forget that night.

  “You do like him,” Sage said. “I knew you would.”

  Laura blinked, jerked from her reverie. “Oh, yes,” she replied. “Connie made a good choice.”

  Sage bit her lip. “It was nice of them to give me a birthday present, but that doesn’t mean I have to like him.”

/>   “No, but it does mean you have to write a thank-you note.”

  Scowling, Sage said, “I suppose.”

  “I forgot and left his card on the coffee table,” Laura said, rising and opening the door, thinking she’d better get it before Shane saw it.

  “That’s okay. I picked it up when Grandfather told me to go in the house ’cause I didn’t want Shane to get any madder.”

  “Good thinking.”

  “I was afraid they were going to get in a fight. It scared me. I mean, I don’t like my father, but I didn’t want to see Shane hit him.”

  “Grandfather didn’t let them get that far,” Laura assured her.

  “You want to hear some more CDs?”

  Before Laura could answer, the phone rang and Sage flew out of the room to answer it. “It’s for you,” she called to Laura. “Some lady.”

  Wondering if it might be Jade, Laura headed for the phone. “Did she give her name?” she asked Sage as the girl passed her on her way back to the bedroom.

  Sage shook her head.

  “This is Laura,” she said into the phone.

  “Connie Jennings. I’m sorry to bother you, but you’re the only one I feel I can talk to. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “No, not at all,” Laura said. Suspecting she was going to be asked to play the role of peacemaker, she added, “Though I’m not sure I can help.”

  “I’m not sure either, but poor Bill is so disappointed, I just had to talk to you. I didn’t know him when he drank, so he might have done bad things then, but he’s really a good man at heart. What he wanted to talk to Shane about was having Sage visit us sometimes after the baby is born so the two of them could get to know each other.”

  “I’m not sure this would be a good time to discuss that with Shane.”

  “I realize that and so does Bill. He doesn’t know I’m calling you, but I thought maybe you could try to sort of soften Shane’s attitude toward Bill and maybe call me at home in Torrance when you think there might be a chance Shane would listen to Bill. The number’s on the card he left.”

  “I really can’t promise anything.”