The Sage After Rain A love story

by Hawkes, Jaclyn

  After the rest of the crew had gotten out of the chopper, Matt went and talked to Mac and asked him to come back and get him in the early afternoon. He'd find Taya and fly her out then and hopefully that would still leave him time to do what he desperately needed to get done that day as well as leave Zan enough time to bring someone in to protect her sheep.

  He worked feverishly through the morning and then when his guys stopped for lunch, he climbed to the highest point he could find and glassed to see if he could find Taya. If she was still in that little canyon, it was going to be a trick to find a place to put down the helicopter.

  After searching, he located a few of her sheep still near the canyon, but he couldn't find her and hiked closer to get a better look. Taya was nowhere to be seen, and even catching glimpses of all three dogs wasn't helping. Finally, he spotted Horse in a tangle of a dead cedar tree about halfway between where he was and the canyon with the sheep nearly a mile away. Taya wasn't with Horse and Matt looked all around trying to figure out where she had gone when she had tied Horse to the cedar.

  As he was searching he noticed Horse was moving around a little and was dragging the cedar tree along behind her. That was really weird. He couldn't picture Taya tying Horse to something that wasn't solid.

  He looked back to where he had seen Zeus and wondered why he and Horse weren't in the same general vicinity like they usually were. Usually, Taya was on Horse and the dog was their shadow. Troubled by the unusual circumstances, he headed their way, cussing the fact that today of all days he needed things to be going smoother than this. It was October eleventh. He had four more days to package this deal up and turn it in and it was going to take every second of those four days to do it, but Taya’s safety eclipsed it all.

  He was almost to the cedar tree and Horse when he noticed the broken rein on the bridle and began to truly wonder if there was a problem. He looked all around as he approached the horse. John's men couldn't have found her clear out here could they?

  Horse wasn't tied at all, the bridle was simply tangled in the dead tree branches. Catching her up, he improvised a rein and lengthened the stirrups and jumped on and headed for Zeus. If the dog was still there, then Taya was there somewhere. He went over the ridge and down into the little canyon and headed for the massive, shaggy white dog.

  When Matt had first seen him a few minutes ago he had been walking around, but now he was lying near some rocks with his head on his front paws. Matt urged Horse to travel as fast as possible in the rough terrain, but it still took more than twenty minutes to get to Zeus.

  He didn't get up when Matt walked close to him and Matt knew something was terribly wrong. He got off Horse and this time tied her up and went to Zeus to see what was going on. The huge dog wagged his tail gently and gave an almost inaudible whine as Matt talked to him. This was getting more and more weird. He and Zeus had finally called a truce and acknowledged being on the same team, but it wasn't like Zeus to lay there and not even get up. And where was Taya?

  Then Matt saw the snake. It lay a few feet in front of Zeus and still gave an occasional twitch although it was obviously not in any shape to live long. He glanced at Zeus understanding now what was wrong with the great, white dog. He'd been bitten by the snake. He'd have to get medical attention for him just as soon as he figured out where Taya was.

  He went past the dog and saw the heel of her boot lying behind a nearby rock and tried not to think the worst as he vaulted the boulders between them to get to her. She was breathing. Her heart was beating, and he couldn't see any evidence of either a snake bite or any other trauma, but she was out cold.

  He knelt beside her and began to talk to her as he unstrapped his water bottle from his pack and splashed some on her face. Leaning down, he picked her up to gently move her out of the rocks so he could look at her better. As he set her down she moaned and he had never in his life heard such a good sound. He kept talking to her and splashed the water again and she finally opened her eyes to him.

  She looked at him like she was confused to see him for a minute and then she panicked and gasped and grabbed at him. "Matt, there's a snake! We need to get away from here!" She went to jump up and then groaned and put a hand to her head, still struggling to rise.

  "It's dead, Taya. Zeus killed it, but he's sick. Were you bitten?"

  She hesitated for a moment while she thought about it. "No. I don't think so. Horse panicked and spooked and we kind of had a bit of a tussle in the rocks. I think she caught me in the back of the head with a hoof on the way up." She put the hand back to her head again. "Where did you come from? What are you doing here?"

  "I came to get you to fly you out. Now we're flying Zeus out too. We need to get him to a vet as fast as we can. Are you up to riding out of here?"

  "I think so."

  "If I lift him into the saddle in front of you, can you hang on to him to get him to the helicopter?"

  "Yes, I'll do whatever I have to do."

  "Then come on. We need to hurry. We may already be too late if he was bitten more than once."

  It was all Matt could do to get the behemoth canine onto the horse. At least once he was settled up there in front of Taya he didn't act like he was going to make a fuss. Simply the fact that he was so docile about the whole thing made Matt less hopeful about saving him. This wasn't the Zeus he knew.

  Somehow they made it to the ridge above the little canyon where Matt had arranged to meet Mac. Matt took the saddle off Horse and turned her loose, hoping she would either stay with the sheep or go back to the trailer. As soon as Mac landed, they lifted the huge dog into the door and set him gently on the floor and buckled in and took off. Matt still wasn't sure where to go with them and Taya finally encouraged him to take them to the airport. John's men probably weren't watching the smaller port that Mac flew out of and they could rent a car and go straight to the vet. At this point, Mac offered to let them use his own vehicle in order to expedite the trip.

  Neither one of them was sure if it was safe to contact the FBI or Zan, but at some point they decided they would have to. They had Mac call Zan and ask him if he would meet Zeus at the veterinarian's, hoping that if any one was listening in they wouldn't associate the call with Taya.

  Apparently Zan understood part of what was going on. He met them at the veterinary hospital with an extra car and driver. While Zan was with the vet, for several minutes Taya and Matt had an intense conversation about who was going where. She finally agreed to go to his parents' complex until she got hold of someone from the FBI, but she insisted that Zan take her so Matt could go back to the desert to help his guys.

  He struggled with that and finally agreed, knowing she would never forgive herself if she caused his whole contract to default and he honestly would have to spend every single minute between now and the fifteenth to finalize things. Even that was being optimistic. If he only had a few more days or a few more guys. One of the two. He borrowed the vet's office line to call Drew at the Routt County Sheriff's office and tell him what was going on. At least she would have that protection around her.

  Matt was the one who asked Zan to help make sure Taya was safe. It galled him to do it, but he did it anyway. Telling her goodbye killed him. He knew that if everything went as planned it would only be a few days before they saw each other again, but he hated not being able to make sure for himself that she was safe. The long hug as he got in the car to leave wasn't nearly enough. It was good that so many issues had to be decided right away because he had to have more control of things in their lives than this and soon. Much of this would make him crazy.

  Chapter 26

  With Matt safely headed back to the desert, Taya went in to see about her dog. Over the last four and a half months he had been her constant companion and had become like her left arm or something. This time, he had probably saved her from being bitten by the snake.

  It had taken all of her self control to keep her composure until Matt was headed back to his project and when she went ba
ck inside the vet's, seeing Zeus laying there seemingly lifeless just after telling Matt goodbye for who knew how long had her breaking right down and crying.

  Zan came and put his arms around her, and the vet tried to help by saying they had a better than fifty percent chance of saving him. To her right then, that felt like they were telling her it was half likely he was going to die and she hugged his white head and sobbed.

  Zeus had to stay in the hospital and Zan lead her out and to his truck like he was afraid she was going to break. She hadn't been this much of a mess even when she had arrived here last spring in a cast and with stitches and she knew Zan was at a loose end as far as what to do with her. For his sake she tried to get more control of herself and gave herself a pep talk.

  For the next several days, she was probably going to be with strangers, in a strange place, without any of her things including clothes, and without any of her animals or even Matt, and she had no way of knowing how she could safely contact anyone. That was without even thinking about the fact that there were some rather unpleasant people who wanted to find her and keep her quiet in any way they could. She needed to get a handle on the emotion now or she was going to embarrass herself in front of Matt's family.

  Before they made it into Steamboat, Taya asked Zan if he would pull over at a rest stop and give her a blessing. She needed that extra help in her life right now more than he could know. Or maybe he did know her needs. His deep, dark eyes seemed to understand when he looked at her after he finished. As Matt's brother let them through first one locked gate and then a second, Zan assured her he would arrange to have some of her things brought in to her one way or another and that he would contact the FBI for her. Sue Maylon's sweet familiar face was what saved her as she watched Zan's big truck pull away to head back home without her.

  Even though Sue hadn't been around her much, she seemed to know exactly what Taya needed just then. She hugged her, and then fed her, and then sent her to the shower with a pair of borrowed sweats and the promise to let Taya use her washer until they were able to get her some more clothing.

  Drew was enough like Matt that he made Taya even more homesick, but Matt's dad helped her lighten up with his easy laugh and teasing sense of humor. They were wonderful to her, and she felt guilty for feeling whiny and sad.

  The fact that Taya had been kicked in the head and knocked unconscious that afternoon had been completely overshadowed by all the other issues that day, until Drew came in and asked her if she had seen a doctor yet. Sue had looked from one to the other and was horrified to find out what had happened and that nothing had been done about it. She was all for taking Taya to the emergency room immediately, but Drew stopped her.

  He looked at her with a glance much like Matt's and turned to his mother. "Mom, maybe just some rest would be better. She doesn't look like she's up for a trip to the hospital. It might do more harm than good. Let's keep her here where it's safe and quiet. She's probably not used to so much stuff going on out in the desert."

  It wasn't only what had happened for the last day or two, it was the emotions that had gone with all of it that had worn her out as well. Sue offered to let her stay right in their home with them or in one of the guest cabins either one. Taya opted for the guest cabin in the hopes of keeping everyone safer and not being such an unexpected intrusion into the Maylon home front, but that night as she tried to go to sleep it felt incredibly lonely and she cried for Zeus again. Then she wondered where Matt was and if he was okay after all that had happened. She still didn't even know if they were going to able to be together after all of this was over.

  He must have realized how she was struggling because first thing the next morning Drew delivered a beautiful bouquet of wild flowers with a note that simply said. "I miss you, Matt"

  That sweet bouquet helped her make it through the next day of living in limbo and when on the third morning Zan showed up with clothes, toiletries, cosmetics, and her lap top and then brought in her huge, white buddy, she broke down and cried again on both Zan and the dog.

  Zeus was a little unsteady on his feet and limped on the leg he'd been bitten on, but he had enough gumption left in him to let Matt's dad know in no uncertain terms that he was in charge of Taya, and no one was to get near her. Having Zeus there with her helped immensely and Zan stayed long enough to tease her into being in the best mood she'd been in since she'd last seen Matt. Just before he left, he hugged her and whispered that the FBI and the Steamboat police were working together for her security.

  After Zan left, Zeus was with her constantly and seemed to understand that she needed him almost under her feet to feel okay. Even though he obviously didn't feel all that hot, he dutifully picked himself up and dragged himself from room to room with her whenever she moved.

  Her laptop proved to be more than simply a way to do her work so she could stay busy, and keep her mind occupied. Sue told her Matt's Email address and she was able to send him a short message that night that he returned almost immediately. Taya knew he was busy, so she didn't send more, but just knowing he was okay and took the time to reply helped her.

  The next night when he woke her up at two o'clock in the morning because he couldn't wait until morning to see her helped even more. She heard his knock, and at first it scared her until she noticed Zeus was standing at the door wagging his tail. Taya flew to the door and ripped it open and ran into his arms. Even as tired as he was, he laughed at her. "Did you miss me?"

  "Yes! I missed you terribly! What are you doing here?"

  He ran a hand through his hair and took her hand to lead her into her living room and pull her onto his lap on her couch. "I finished that darn contract and sent it all in and then I had to see you."

  "You made it okay, then?"

  "Yes, you'll never guess who helped me."

  "What do you mean? Who helped you?"

  "Zan showed up the day after he brought you here. He had five guys with him and for two days they worked their tails off and helped us finish in time."

  "Zan did that? Oh my gosh! What a sweetie. When I see him I'm going to kiss him."

  Matt looked at her steadily and said, "Don't you dare, Taya. He honestly is in love with you. You shouldn't toy with him."

  "He's not in love with me, Matt. He's more like a brother."

  Shaking his head, he cautioned, "Taya, you think of him as a brother. He does not think of you as a sister. If you kissed him it would be mean. Don't lead him on. Plus, I don't want your mouth near anyone but me."

  She laughed up at him. "Did you miss me?"

  He sighed and leaned his head back. "I shouldn't even answer that. I missed you so much it could incriminate me. Living without you and wondering if you were safe was like . . . I don't even know what it was like. It was awful. The whole four hundred and something thousand dollars wasn't worth living without you for four days."

  She laughed. "Dang, that's a hundred grand a day! That might be exaggerating just a little, Matt."

  Smiling tiredly, he said, "Okay, maybe it was worth four days, but definitely not five."

  "So now what are you going to do?"

  "Sleep. I'm going to wake up only long enough to get a tux and climb onto a plane with you."

  Disappointed that he hadn’t touched on the future, she said, "You probably shouldn't have driven all the way here tonight. You look like heck. I would rather have had to wait to see you, than have you drive when you were too tired."

  He put a hand into her hair and tugged it gently as he kissed her. "I had to come. Sorry. How are things going here?"

  "Good. You're family has been wonderful to me. Zeus came from the vet yesterday morning and he's helped me not be so homesick. He's not moving too fast, but he's here and I love him. When you knocked, I knew it was you because he was standing at the door and wagging. I think he missed you too."

  He reached down to pet the huge, shaggy head. "How has he been with people here?"

  "He loves your mom, he tolerates Drew, and he wants
to eat your dad. All in all, that's better than I expected."

  Matt looked at her. "How have you done with them?"

  "I love them, but I hate to be an imposition. And I feel like I’m putting them in danger. I've been trying to stay busy so I don't drive them nuts. The first couple days that was hard because I had nothing to do. Yesterday Zan brought my laptop and it's been better."

  He took her hand and wove his fingers through hers. "You're not an imposition, Taya. They love me, so they love you. Don't you understand that?"

  She considered that and had to admit, "Honestly, no. That kind of unconditional love is a little hard for me to fathom."

  Touching her cheek, he said, "I'm sorry it is. That's the kind of love you've deserved to have your whole life."

  She looked off into the distance and said, "That's how I want my children to feel. I want them to know I love them no matter what they do, right or wrong."

  "They will. I'm sure they will.” He rubbed the back of her hand thoughtfully. “What are you going to do now that you're not the sheep princess?"

  It was hard to face him to answer when she only wanted to be with him, but she squashed her self doubt and simply said, "Make it through this trial and then the election. After that I don't know. It's difficult to know what to do until I know how careful I need to be about someone coming after me." She wished she could say she wanted to be wherever he was going to be, but she didn't dare. She still didn't even know what he wanted from her. He had driven here tonight, because he needed to see her, but he never talked about the future with her. She wasn't sure what was going on with the two of them.

  He rubbed the little bone behind her ear, and she laid her head on his chest and wished for those nights back on her swing again. She already missed the simplicity of the sheep camp. They hadn't had to figure out things like the future back then. She looked up at him and he touched her mouth with his thumb and she wondered what he was thinking.