Past, Darkly (The Dreams Book 2)

by Hunter Jones

  “Yes, I seem to remember most of it,” I said, shielding the sun from my eyes, when really I was attempting to keep him from catching me looking at his naked torso.

  “I’ll put my shirt on later. Hope you don’t find me too tempting or anything.” He grinned and stood.

  “Damn you,” I whispered.

  “Did you just say what I think you said? I’ve never heard a lady use such language in all my life. Now, I gotta dry off and the quickest way to do it is in the sunshine. You’ll need the blanket to shelter yourself after you rinse off in the creek.” There was a pause before he continued, “Do you remember anything about last night like roaming off into the trees? I thought you went to relieve yourself, but you didn’t return for the longest time. When I found you sitting on the ground, you were talking. Much like you were having a conversation with someone I couldn’t see.”

  “So maybe I don’t remember everything. What’s your point?” I replied.

  “My point is that we need to get a move on to Chattanooga. With you up and walking last night, I’m believing that you can get in the creek and bathe yourself this morning. Once you get cleaned up, we will start our trip. I could’ve been there today already. What do you think?”

  The golden sunlight surrounded his perfect body and the buzz of life from a new autumn day hummed around me. “Let’s do it,” I said.

  He smiled at me and said, “Atta girl.”

  Reaching down, he pulled me to my feet. The feel of his arms took me by surprise. The sensation of his breath on my skin gave me a tingle. Did he hold me for just a minute too long? Is he enjoying this as much as I am?

  A fire smoldered in last night’s embers. In the distance, I heard James’s hounds barking in the thicket. He placed one hand in my hair and whispered, “See if you can stand by yourself.”

  Yes, I nodded. As he removed his arms, I was surprised to find that I could balance myself. “Let me see if I can walk,” I said to him.

  “I’m right here to spot you, should you appear to stumble.” Motioning to the stream he said, “It’s all set up for you. Real private like so that you can get in the water.” The blanket was draped over a broken tree branch. The way it hung did provide a barrier in case someone walked into the thicket that hid our encampment.

  James placed his arm out for me to take his hand. “Want a shot of my medicine?” he asked. “It’s good for body aches. You must be stiff after sleeping on the ground.”

  “Sure, thank you. That is a really good idea,” I replied when really I was hoping it would take away the nervousness he made me feel.

  Reaching into his back pocket, he removed the flask and opened it. He took a shot first, watching me all the while. When he handed it to me, it was as if it was our own secret communion taking place before God and no one else. I closed my eyes and drank the sticky tonic, feeling the immediate rush throughout my system.

  “Don’t drink too much. We got a long way to go today. Last thing I need is a drunk woman taking up my time.” We both laughed and he took another drink.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “It’s my elixir. Don’t you remember us talking about it yesterday?”

  “Of course I remember that, but what is it? What is it made of?”

  “This is a family recipe, not my family, but my friend Frank’s family. We’re like brothers and we know the ingredients, but no one else, so I reckon I cannot tell you or it will break our vow of secrecy.” He smiled and placed his hand out for me again. “Let’s get you in that water. It’s gonna be cold, but you won’t be in there too long, I’m thinking.”

  The leaves crushed as we walked across them on the short distance to the stream. “It will be good to get out of these clothes,” I remarked, then realized what I’d said. “I’m so sorry! I meant it will be good to freshen up.”

  “Maggie Marie,” he finally said as we slipped behind the blanket barrier. “I have seen naked women before. Although I have not been graced by your obvious charms.” He glanced down at my chest and I felt a slight blush cross my face.

  I began to remove my jacket. “No, now don’t be taking off your clothes or anything. We ain’t got time for nothing physical and I reckon it would not be proper, seeing how we just met. You need to behave and get in the creek and take a bath. You are going to have to get in the water and rinse yourself off.”

  “What do you mean ‘behave’? Doesn’t everybody take their clothes off for a bath? You’re the one who keeps looking at my chest, so maybe you should behave, not me.” Bastard, I whispered.

  “Now sit on this rock and let’s get you calmed down. This ain’t the best of times for us to begin a fight betwixt ourselves. And you are a fine one, picking a fight with the person who saved your life. I would think the women of the future would be taught some manners, but I reckon not.” He smiled and the anger begin to melt. “Just don’t be cussing no more. I cannot handle that type of speech coming from the mouth of a beautiful woman. You seem like a lady, and that type of talk is coarse and cheapens you. Can you just keep your mouth shut, please?”

  “Okay, okay. Now tell me how to take a bath in 1873.” I did as I was told and sat on the rock. I started to remove my boots, curious to find out what would happen next.

  Watching me, he pushed tendrils of his hair behind his ears. “Do not take off your boots or anything. Just let me see something first.” Getting on his knees in front of me, he unbuttoned the top two buttons of my shirt. Slowly, he ran his hands across the top of my shoulders, then lightly touched the area between my breasts. I felt my breathing become slower and wondered what he would do. After looking into my eyes, he finally took both hands and gently touched the lace of my bra.

  The breeze brought the fragrance of the cedar from the remnants of the fire. We looked at each other and I felt my chest flood with desire for him.

  “After giving this some thought, you have many enchanting attributes. Your curves are very alluring and enticing.” His eyes had that sparkle that made me wish he would rip my clothes off and take me in this abandoned field. But he smiled and said, “Are you so well-endowed that a seamstress had to make a special holster for your breasts?” he whispered as he ran his fingers underneath my bra strap.

  “A holster? What are you talking about? Oh…you mean my bra? You’ve never seen one before, have you?” I had to laugh. Here I thought he was so taken with me that he couldn’t take his hands off me, only to realize that he had never seen a bra before today.

  “No, no, I have not seen anything like this before, not even in Atlanta or New Orleans.”

  “Women wear these now; well, in the future, we wear these instead of corsets. It makes moving around less cumbersome. In the future, women work, so we have found clothing that allows us to move around more comfortably, which make our lives easier.” I had to giggle again. “If your questions are over, I’m going to take my bath now. Can you get us packed up? I’ll only need a few minutes to rinse the dirt and dust off.”

  “Surely I can do that,” he said. “When you finish, dry off as best you can with the blanket. Once we make it into town, I will ensure that you have a hot bath and clean clothes. Now, your hair will be wet, but I’ve got an extra hat in the saddlebag. You can wear that. It’s best that people not know that I’m traveling with a woman right now.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because, besides robbing me, they will kill me so they can rape you. There are renegades out here. You need to quit asking questions and get a move on, woman.” He looked away and stood.

  Without turning back, he walked toward our campsite and I was left alone. As I slipped into the cold, clear stream wearing all my clothes, he made a clicking sound. From the distance, his code was returned with a different signal. Instead of the usual twitter of a mockingbird, this time, the call returned was a crow-like, cawing sound. The gurgling of the stream lured me to the edge, making me gladly surrender to the cold, blue water of the creek. As I submerged myself, I felt as if it washed my fear
away along with the dust and blood of yesterday.

  Chapter 9

  Leaving the past in the stream, I emerged fresh and ready to meet the challenges of this new day and new world. Washing in my clothes was a new experience, yet it made me feel better. The venture made me come to life. Taking off my jacket, I gave it one final rinse in the flowing current and allowed it to dry in the warmth of the sun. I took the blanket off the thicket and began to dry my jeans and shirt. My hair proved to be a mess and I did what I could to remove the tangles with my fingers.

  “Think this comb might be of some help to you, ma’am?” James said as I shrieked from the surprise of his nearness.

  “Have you been standing there watching me? Can I not get any privacy? Besides that, you scared me to death. I wasn’t expecting you. Can’t you whistle or rattle the bushes or something?”

  “There won’t be a next time. Here.” He handed the comb to me. “Do what you can to comb out your hair. Then we’ve got to get a move on real quick like.”

  Looking down, I saw James had handed me an exquisite silver and ivory comb. This must have been one of his prized possessions, especially with his thick, long, shiny blond mane, which appeared to be perfectly maintained. As I pulled at a tangle, I noticed the initials “F.V.” engraved in the silver.

  “Did F.V. gift you with this comb?” I asked.

  James shot me a look that made me wish I had never asked him a question that was so very personal. “Ma’am, let’s please remember to keep the past in the past, seeing as that’s where it rightfully belongs.” He reached down, picked up my jacket, and gave it a shake to remove the leaves and twigs. One orange leaf twirled away, and the sunlight that filtered through the thicket of trees, making it appear to sparkle as it twirled and fell onto the red clay.

  James took the jacket by the shoulders and motioned me toward him with a nod. “If you’ll be so kind as to put this jacket on, the horse and the hounds are waiting for us to depart.”

  I allowed him to put it on me, taking care to pull my hair from beneath the collar. He took the comb and gave my hair one final stroke down the back of my head. “You truly are a beautiful woman,” he whispered.

  “Thank you, James,” were the only words I could manage. We walked in silence through the thicket toward his horse. The only sound was the crunch of leaves beneath our feet and the whining of his hounds as they played amongst themselves, awaiting the command of their master. James covered the fire and it was as if no one had ever been there. His horse turned to face us, nodding its head as if to say it was ready for the ride.

  “Do you know how to ride a horse or mount a saddle?”

  “Well, yes, I can do a few things,” I said.

  “Do you have to ride side saddle, or can you ride like a man?”

  “I’m not completely helpless, James. I can ride a horse.”

  “Glory be. Maybe you’ll be fit for something after all. Now get yourself on that horse, and let’s get started. We got people waiting for us.” He gave me that amused look that made me angry, yet intrigued by his interest in me.

  “Where’s that hat you wanted me to wear?”

  “See? You are doing just fine, little lady.” He reached into a pouch on the saddlebag and removed a woolen cap that had a small brim. “Pull this down and tuck your hair underneath it. The brim will assist in keeping the sun off your face,” he said as he sat the cap on my head. I did as I was told.

  “See if you can get on Ash. I’ll spot you.”

  “Ash? You have named your horse Ash?”

  “Why yes, yes I have. He seems to like the name and so do I. You got a problem with it?” James asked while holding the bridle and rubbing the horse’s nose. He held out his hand flat for the horse to eat what he offered.

  “Why did you name a horse Ash and what did you just feed it?”

  James turned toward me, the smile gone. Giving me a stern glance, he said, “Are you going to get on this horse or do you intend to stand there and continue to ask me a thousand more inane questions? Now, kindly get on the horse so we can get a move on. Time is money and that may be running out. Don’t make me leave you here, ma’am.”

  Fear and intrigue coursed through my veins as he said this. He was as ruthless as he was charming, which always had a devastating effect on me. Men like James were cold blooded, and they stopped at nothing to get what they wanted. I took the reins from him and wrapped them around the horn of the saddle and then I pulled myself onto the horse. He placed one hand into the bridle and we started our journey toward Chattanooga at a brisk pace. The foxhounds dashed around us, and I noticed that two appeared to act as guides or scouts. They would run ahead and then return as if letting the other dogs know what lay before us on the trail.

  James missed nothing in our surroundings. I saw his eyes move as if reading the sky, the dogs, and the sounds of the morning. My heart beat in rhythm with the pounding of the horse’s gait. I could sense fear, yet I didn’t understand why. James looked as though he had made this journey often, the dogs didn’t appear to be on high alert, and there was not a cloud in the sky. The shadow of a hawk passed over me as I looked skyward to see him perfectly outlined against the blue Georgia sky. The mountains stood proudly in the distance and, after a few minutes, we began to pass cannons and other debris that remained abandoned by the two armies that had fought here not so long ago. The scene was disturbing and I wondered if that was what had me unnerved. Of course, I was going somewhere with a man I didn’t know, so that might have been more alarming than I had first thought it to be.

  James kept a steady trot with his horse as we continued on the same trail. We eventually stopped at a small brook underneath an ancient oak. The dogs cooled themselves off in the water and then played in the sun while the horse drank and shook his head. James walked upstream along the meandering creek, and I saw him bend down to fill two containers with fresh water. I watched as he lowered himself to his hands and knees, placing his right ear to this sacred ground. After he stayed down for maybe a minute, I began to wonder if he was praying. Eventually, he stood and brushed the leaves from his hands and clothes and looked out into the distance for a brief moment.

  He walked toward me, handing me a container. “Need a drink of water?” he asked.

  No, I shook my head to answer.

  “That’s perfect. One of the secrets is to attempt to not drink so that we do not have to make as many stops. Understood?”

  He looked up at me and smiled. I returned his pleasantries. “Yes, I get what you are saying. Can we talk again?”

  “Yes, ma’am, we can talk, but please know that it is a bit difficult on my part to walk or run while having a conversation.” He adjusted the brim of his hat and placed one hand on the saddle horn. “What exactly is it you want to talk about?”

  “Let’s start with ‘ma’am.’ I just can’t stand that word.”

  “Well, I reckon you must find a way to ‘stand’ it for a while, seeing as how it is considered the correct way to address a lady around these parts. Once you’re back in Atlanta, people can call you whatever you wish. How does that suit you?”

  “That’s better, I guess. Can’t you call me Maggie Marie at least, like you did last night?”

  “Would that make you feel better?”

  Yes, I nodded.

  “I will do what I can for you. But let me make this clear. You are going to have to follow my lead. You, with all your high falutin’ ideas and imaginings, ain’t gonna make people take to you. I can and will refer to you as Maggie Marie, but otherwise, at least in public, you must do as I tell you. Do I make myself completely understood on this item of discussion?”

  “Okay, you win this one. I know what you are saying.”

  “What else do you feel the need to know?” The twinkle in his eyes almost took my breath away.

  “Why do you call your horse Ash?”

  He laughed and replied, “He’s the color of ashes after a fire burns away, so I reckon Ash is appropriate.
Me and him like the name just fine. Now, what else is on your mind?”

  “What are your dogs named?”

  James moved toward the saddlebag and pulled out two small apples. “Here, eat one of these while we rest. Want off the horse for a minute?”

  “Sure,” I replied and dismounted. James took the bridle from me and wrapped it around a tree stump. He then walked underneath a low-lying branch of the oak. “C’mon over here.” He sat down, stretching one long leg in front of him while patting the ground beside him. “C’mon, woman, and sit down.”

  Chapter 10

  Taking off his hat, he ran his fingers through his hair. I sat beside him, keeping a comfortable distance but staying close enough to feel the warmth of his body. “The dogs are called Pup, Brownie, Fox, Jim, and Frog.”

  “Frog? Why did you name a dog Frog?” I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Well, why not? He appears to like the name just fine, thank you, and he answers to it every time. What else do you have questions about? I can see it in your face when an item has captured your interest. It is apparent in your eyes. You are very expressive.”

  “Am I that easy to read?” I took a bite of the tart, green apple.

  “Yes, sometimes, but not always.”

  “Okay, then. How do you know about all the birdcalls and signals? You mentioned the Cherokees, but you don’t look Cherokee.”

  James bit into the apple in his hand, thought for a minute, and replied, “I was raised among the Cherokees. Before the war came through here, this was the Cherokee Nation. The U.S. Government didn’t own it until 1838 or 1839. I was a boy when it happened. Some went west and some stayed. My daddy and his daddy had traded with the Cherokees from what I have been told. They brought in spices from Europe and the east coast, mainly Georgia. The Savannah area, as best I can recall.” He wiped his eyes and rubbed his forehead as he spoke.

  “So, are you Cherokee?”