Past, Darkly (The Dreams Book 2)
Page 10
Eventually, the nausea ceased and I sat on the blanket again. James walked to the stream with the cup, dipped it into the water, and brought it to me. I drank it in one cool, easy gulp.
“Want to walk over and wash your face or do you need me to bring some to you?” I saw the concern as he asked.
“Can you bring it to me, please?”
With that, he returned to the stream, filled the cup and his hat, then made his way back to the blanket. “You have had a hard lick to your head today. And I reckon you are a bit scared too, ain’t you?”
Yes, I nodded.
“Alright then, let’s get some food in your stomach, then we can talk a bit more so that you will be more comfortable around me and your new surroundings.” He took my face in his hands again, running one thumb across my cheek. “You are going to be just fine. You are strong, so you will survive.” Then he winked at me and said, “Once you get your appetite back, it’s gonna take me and the dogs a while to find enough food for you, but you’ll be just fine.”
With that, I giggled. “See? Everything’s better when you laugh, ain’t it?” he said, looking into my eyes once again.
“Yes, it is. You are right,” I whispered.
“Besides that, if my elixir don’t kill you, it’s sure to cure you. And that’s a medical fact,” he said with a smile and I giggled again. “Now, let’s get our supper.” He stroked my head and returned to the food simmering on the logs. One of the dogs yawned and the whippoorwill continued to cry somewhere on the horizon.
Taking a small tin plate out of the saddlebag, he used the cup to place the soggy, grease-filled biscuit on it. Next, he cut a leg from the bird and added it to the plate.
“Think you can stomach a few bites of this? See what you can swallow. I’ll eat after you do. Now go ahead and try to get a little food in you. You’re gonna need your strength for the ride into Chattanooga.” He handed the plate to me, the firelight dancing off the trees and brush around us. A little breeze wafted through the air, bringing the aroma of the sassafras and cedar from the fire with it on a magical wave of sensual stimulation as it mingled with the aroma of the cooked food.
“What is this?” I asked.
“It’s wild turkey. Ever had it before?”
Yes, I nodded.
“Here’s a spoon to eat the gravy with,” he said, handing me a utensil pulled from the saddlebag. “See how the hard tack dissolves? You can put it in a cup of coffee or anything hot. It changes form and becomes a mite more palatable. Think you will like it better?”
“Yes, let me try some of this,” I replied.
“Once you finish up, I’ll take my turn. May I ask you a few questions whilst you finish your supper?”
“Of course you may,” I said, moving a strand of hair from my face with the back of my hand. The turkey smelled delicious, even though I didn’t usually consume meat. I took a few bites of the gravy, then a piece of food. The fire hissed and the crescent of a new moon appeared on the horizon. Looking up, I could see the stars in the black sky. They looked so close it was as if I could reach up and touch them.
Chapter 6
“First, though, do not eat so fast, Maggie Marie. You will make yourself sick again. Can you slow down a bit? We will be here all night, so there is no need to be in a rush, no need whatsoever,” James said.
“Okay, okay,” I mumbled as I took a deep breath. “I’ll try to breathe between bites. Will that make you feel better?”
“Yes, ma’am, that will indeed. I would rather you not get sick again and I don’t relish having to keep you from choking. If you’ll just slow down, I reason that you’ll not suffer anymore tonight.” With that said, he walked to the spot where I had been sick earlier. Taking his boot, he kicked dirt over the area, as if making a point.
“I understand, James. I will slow down. What questions do you have? And if you are going to quiz me, I have every right to ask you questions. Fair is fair.”
“For someone scared to death, sick, and at my mercy, you sure have a lot of gumption. But you are right. Fair is fair.” I saw the twinkle in his eyes again. “I get to go first, though.”
“That seems reasonable. What do you want to ask?” I said, placing the almost empty tin plate beside me in the grass.
“Another thing before I go on, Maggie Marie, when you are well enough, I will no longer wait on you hand and foot,” he said as he stood, reached down, and took my plate. Walking over, he fed the dogs all that remained on the plate, except for the turkey bones, which he threw into the fire.
“Why did you do that?” I asked.
“Bird bones will get stuck in a dog’s throat and splinter. It can kill a good dog. You are a city girl, after all. I reckon you don’t know much about how to get along by yourself, do you?”
“I’m very independent. How can you say something like that? I’ve always taken care of myself!”
His eyes flashed again, and he grinned. “Yep. You’re real independent like,” he said. “Now, tell me how you spend a day.” He sat beside me and removed a packet hidden within his jacket. Taking out a small tin, he asked, “Do you smoke?”
“No, no, I don’t smoke, but it’s okay if you do.”
“Well, thank you for that, ma’am, I did not realize I needed to ask your permission in order to have a cigarette. I swear, you are the most uppity, self-righteous woman I have ever met in my life.” He moved to the fire, picked up a stick, and lit his cigarette, licking it first to make sure it was rolled. He looked at me to see if I was watching. I turned my head, but he saw me staring at him.
“Lots of women have looked at me before. It ain’t nothing new. I like it, so don’t worry yourself none about it.”
“You think you’re funny,” I said, pulling my shirt closed around my neck in some type of weak attempt at hiding my attraction to him. All I could think of to say was, “The dampness from the dew is making the night air feel cold. Can we make the fire bigger or move closer to it?”
With that, he removed another blanket from the back of the saddlebag. “Here, place that over you.” He picked up the saddle and sat it down on the east side, which did help block the breeze that was starting to blow colder. He stretched those long legs out on the ground and put his arm over the saddle, propping himself up to look up at me. His long, blond hair seemed to glow in the light. The nearness of him made my skin tingle and my pulse race.
After a pause in which the night sounds combined into a symphony, James took a long drag from his cigarette. He looked at me, eyes raised and moving from my chest to my face. Even with the blanket over me, it felt as if he could imagine me naked. As he looked at me more intensely, he whispered, “What I want to know, as a man, is why you aren’t wearing a corset and why your breasts are in some kind of harness.” He exhaled the smoke slowly and continued, “But, as a gentleman, I’d best not be asking about such things. Why don’t you explain to me what you do in Atlanta all day?”
Chapter 7
The wind whipped around my face and I knew he could hear my heart pounding in the stillness of the night. What a sexy thing to say. Is he attracted to me too? I felt the sky going dark before I was able to respond to his question.
The sensation of James taking my face in his hands brought me to the surface. “Girl, I can’t let you lose consciousness yet due to the injury to your head. Stay with me now. We are going to keep you awake by talking. Don’t you be passing out on me or going to sleep.” He revived me by patting my face with his hands and massaging my throat with his long fingers. He removed one hand and inhaled from the cigarette, blowing the smoke directly at my nose and mouth.
“Why did you do that? That tobacco smells terrible,” I said.
“It works every time. I knew that it would revive you.” He laughed. “Now go on. Tell me about yourself, seeing how we are stuck out here in the middle of nowhere with not much else to do.”
“James, did anyone ever tell you that you have elevated flirting to an art form?” I asked.
Maybe I don’t want to go back now. I rubbed the back of my neck and heard an owl somewhere in the distance. The fire continued to dance in front of us.
I shook my hair free for a minute. Atlanta is 143 years away. They might as well be light years. How can I answer this question?
“James, Atlanta is so different. I live in a little city outside Atlanta in the year of 2016. We all own our own homes. Most people that want a job can secure one – men and women. We have grocery stores in each neighborhood, which makes food easy to obtain. There are six million people and we have easy access to food and water, some of the best in the world. We all drive cars; they are called automobiles. I can drive from Chattanooga to Atlanta in little more than one hour’s time. We speak to each other on telephones and computers instead of meeting face to face or sending mockingbird signals. You know how you have hotels that are three or five stories high? The new Atlanta has buildings over forty stories high.”
He thought of all the information and stubbed his cigarette out on the bare earth. “Even though I have no way of knowing what in the world you are talking about, I reckon this must be the New Atlanta we keep hearing about where all shall live in peace. Is that true?”
“It’s true enough,” I replied.
“Maggie Marie, I don’t expect to get an exact answer from you. I’ve got you figured out.” He looked over to see if his dogs were asleep. “Now, does everyone get along?” he whispered.
“Yes, we do, if you mean do races live together. We live in harmony, work together, there is work for everyone, food, entertainment. It is a beautiful city with a vision for the future. Atlanta, Georgia even has the largest airport in the world.”
“Do tell, please, ma’am,” he said.
“Airplanes, these man-made cars with wings, can fly people anywhere in the world. You can be wherever you wish in a matter of hours.”
The stillness of the night surrounded us. James rolled another smoke, lit it, and puffed for a while as he gazed at the stars and watched the heavens. I snuggled deeper into the second blanket he gave me.
He began by looking down at his stretched out legs and rubbed his knees. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke. “I reckon there’s a few ways to utilize your talents in the show. One being I put Widow’s Weeds on you and tell the audience that you are too mournful to speak in public. We will say that when we met, you wouldn’t say one word, not even in private. They can see for themselves how, after a few days on the elixir, you are now strong enough to appear in public.” Saying that, he glanced over to gauge my response.
“Got it,” I replied, looking him directly in the eyes. “What are the other two ways?”
“You tell the audience about the future. What lies ahead for an America after it is united and reformed. Tell them what you told me about computers, telephones, and cars. They will either think you are crazy or that you are a visionary. Maybe both. Either way, it will entertain them and that is what we want.” He finished and turned toward me, one hand on his forehead.
“Sounds great, James. What’s the third option?” I asked.
With this question, he reached for my face. I turned my eyes toward the fire, then back toward his. He asked, “How old are you, Maggie Marie?”
“I’m twenty-seven. Why? How old are you?” I responded.
“Thank you for asking. I will be twenty-nine later this month.”
As he looked deeply into my eyes, I finally asked him, “Why are you concerned about age? What does age have to do with anything?”
“We will tell them you are my wife. That way, I can keep you close and no one will bother with you until I can deliver you back to the safety of your life in 2016. Others won’t be asking a slew of questions if you are Mrs. Cleighton. You can maintain your privacy too. If that is what you wish.” My stomach turned into a vat of butterflies exercising their freedom all at the same time. He was so beautiful. Was he asking me to marry him? I really didn’t understand what was happening. “What do you think?” The gaze of his blue eyes made me go weak.
The constant pounding of my heart and the songs from the wilderness filled the void while I tried to think of an answer. I wondered if he was going to kiss me and closed my eyes, ready for him to take me in his arms. Finally, he said, “Are you gonna tell me what you think or just sit there like a knot on a log?”
His words made me realize that the question James was asking was being asked as a business proposition, not from a personal level that came from his heart. “I will do what must be done in order to survive,” I answered and smiled, hoping that he couldn’t see the disappointment on my face, doubting he felt any of the sensations he made me feel.
He offered that smile that tugged at my heart and said, “Good, woman. Let’s go to sleep now. Your eyes look just fine, there is no more blood from your forehead, and your dinner has stayed down. Let’s get some sleep. I was to be in Chattanooga tonight, but we can make amends for time as we go. We may even have to ride at the same time, if the horse can bear the weight.”
“I am not that large,” I mumbled.
“We have had this conversation earlier and I do know my horse, Maggie. Let’s just plan on seeing how much riding we can do in a short amount of time. Do you agree?”
“Yes, yes, I agree.” With a pause, I asked, “When will you answer my questions? You promised.”
“That I did and I always keep my word but not tonight.” He smiled. “Now, if you’ll put your pretty head on this saddle, you can use it much like a pillow. You keep the blanket over you. I will sleep behind you to keep you warm. Does that meet your approval?”
For some reason, I was disappointed, yet I said, “That is a perfect idea.” He placed his back to mine.
“Sweet dreams,” he whispered as the hot tears of confusion, hurt, and desire rolled silently down my face. In the night sky, I saw a shooting star blaze overhead and, in the nearby thicket, someone called out another bird-like signal or code. Sleep descended over me as I saw the crescent moon disappear over the mountains to the west. The silent tears continued to flow as I thought of what I had, what I lost, and what I wanted. The stream moved past as if to remind me that life, like love, is ever changing, ever moving, and never ending.
Chapter 8
Dreams. Words. Lines. Atlanta. Haze. Boy. Triggered. Fall. Maggie. Pickett. Trauma. H and Ts. Code. Park. Handsome. Chattanooga. Signals. Wake. Up. Come On. Wake Up. Code. Come On. Wake Up.
Something was touching me. What is that? As I opened my eyes, I saw James kneeling in front of me, tickling my face with a feather. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. How are you feeling today? I thought you were never gonna wake up.” His wet hair glistened in the morning sun as droplets of water trickled down his shirtless chest. “C’mon; let me see your forehead.” James gently moved my hair away from my face and lightly kissed my temple. One hand took my chin while the other continued to stroke my hair. “You’ve got a bruise and the wound has sealed, but as they say, lucky for you it was your head. Otherwise, you might’ve really been hurt.”
“I’m not that stubborn and hard headed. Can’t you let me sleep a little longer?” I asked.
“No, not today. The signals say we need to get moving toward Chattanooga as soon as we can. Have you not heard the calls and codes this morning?” With that, I noticed the sounds of the animals and the birds that all busily welcomed a new day. In the distance, a rooster crowed.
James continued, “I do have to say, I’ve never in my life heard a woman snore as loudly as you, but I reckon it’s because of the tonic. You must be relaxed now, considering the day you lived through yesterday. Can you sit up by yourself?”
Touching my forehead, I could feel the lump that was still tender. It throbbed a little, but o
therwise, it felt like any other headache. “Do I need stitches?”
“Not this time. The blood mingled with the mud you fell into and it seems to have worked to stop any further damage,” he said. “Now, c’mon and sit up for me.”
The dogs barked in the distance and the birds continued to chirp happily from the thicket that surrounded us. I smelled coffee and saw a hawk circle overhead. Using my hands, I pushed my upper body off the ground, surprised that I could sit without James’s assistance. I noticed that the blanket that had covered me had been removed.
“That’s perfect, Maggie Marie. Do you still like your new name today? You seemed to take a liking to it last night.” He smiled and a bead of water dropped onto his cheek.
Yes, I nodded.
“Good, good. We are making some progress. Do you think you can eat a little? Even a bite or two of turkey will keep you from starving.”
“Cold turkey? You want me to eat cold turkey for breakfast?”
“Yes I do. Once you get some food in you, I found a shallow place in the stream where you can rinse the dirt and mud off yourself real quick like. Once we get into town, I will make certain you have a proper bath. We can do that tonight, seeing how we need to get up to Chattanooga by the end of the day.” He reached over to where the fire had been last night and handed me a stick with a piece of the leftover meat from supper.
I don’t even like meat. How can I eat this stuff?
As if reading my mind, he replied, “I know. I don’t like meat either, but it’s all we got right now. I hadn’t planned on finding you on the side of the road yesterday.”
Gnawing at the meat, I asked, “Are we reading each other’s minds now?”
“Dunno,” he said, moving a strand of hair from his eyes. “I noticed last night that we appear to have the same thoughts. That’s when I began to think about the husband and wife act. Do you remember that discussion?”