The fire’s hypnotic flames crackled and popped, sending sparks dancing toward the silent treetops. If there were any onlookers of the two-legged variety, the sight of Wendell, Lindsey, and Jake sitting around the fire together might be viewed as a perfect, little family on a camping vacation. The presence of Malcolm added an odd, if not special, touch. But, of course, looks could be deceiving. Jake’s storytelling—his confession, really—had not yet begun, so an invisible tension permeated the smoke and pine scented air.
“Jake, I think I would like to hear the part about how you found me here first. That way we can kind of ‘warm up’ before getting into the hard stuff—the stuff that’s going to make me want to hit you, too…though I doubt my punch would do even a fraction of the damage that Shawna’s did. Why did she hit you, anyway?”
“First of all, I’d prefer that no punching takes place. This face can’t stand another blow just yet. As far as ‘why she hit me,’ well, that’s a story for another night. Here. Eat your ramen.”
Jake made them each another mug of his special herb tea and put a towel over Malcolm’s cage to protect the bird from the rapidly falling temperature, but he left an opening so the bird could still see them. He gave Wendell a store-bought bone and a scratch behind his ears, then scooted his low beach-type chair over so that he sat facing Lindsey, almost knee to knee.
“Once upon a time—”
“You don’t have to do that,” Lindsey said, not sure if she was annoyed or enamored.
“Okay. I just wasn’t sure how to start. I’m more of a writer or a listener than a talker.”
Jake did his best, trying to stick to facts. He explained to Lindsey that the morning after Shawna’s right hook had met his jaw, he’d gone over to her place. He wanted to make sure she was all right and, in all honesty, he said he was hoping for a little sympathy.
“I was on your porch, ringing the bell, just as the mail lady walked up your sidewalk. I told her I was just about to go in, so she let me take the mail—two envelopes and an educational journal. But after several minutes went by and you didn’t answer the door, I looked in the back and didn’t see any sign of you, Wendell, or Malcolm. That’s when I got worried. So I went by Laura’s, figuring that if anyone knew your whereabouts, it would be Laura.”
“I didn’t tell her where I was going.”
“That’s what she said.”
“Go on.”
“When I mentioned to Laura that Malcolm and Wendell were gone too, she was sure all three of you were headed out of Tucson. At first she had no idea where, then she said that maybe you had retreated to the Zuni Mountains. She said she’d mentioned it to you, and she gave me the basic directions. I had no trouble finding the Zuni pueblo, but finding you was another matter. I’ve been driving around these hills and plateaus on dirt trails for about eight hours.” He shook his head. “I’ve got to tell you, Linds, you chose the worst road in the entire Cibola National Forest.”
“I’ll agree with you on that. I had some…trouble in spots,” Lindsey admitted. “But I don’t understand why you drove all the way from Tucson when you didn’t even know for sure that I was here.”
“I was willing to take a chance. You see, as I was leaving Laura’s, she mentioned your ‘bug bites’ and the discomfort you were having. Based upon what she told me, plus a little of my own research, I arrived at the conclusion that your sores had nothing to do with insects. If my educated hunch was correct, you were going to feel much worse over the next several days. I wanted to help you, Lindsey.” He smiled. “And of course I didn’t want to break any federal laws, so I needed to deliver your mail, too. So I had to come.”
“Well, doctor, what’s the diagnosis?”
“Can I take a look?”
Even Lindsey hadn’t looked in a few days, though she knew the sores were still there, alive and raging with pain. She lifted her loosely fitting sweatshirt just enough for Jake to shine his flashlight on her midsection, and she didn’t like the look on his face.
He sighed and switched off the flashlight. “This is one of those good news-bad news moments, I’m afraid.”
She’d heard that before. Oh, well. “Bad news first,” demanded Lindsey.
“You have shingles, and they are too far along for medication or natural remedies to slow the disease. It will run its full course. But the good news is that I just happen to have some natural remedies that will ease your pain and soreness a little.”
Shingles? She’d heard of that but knew nothing about it. “How did I catch it? From a student?”
“No, from yourself. When adults get shingles it is mostly due to the combination of two factors. The first is that you had chickenpox at some time in your life, and the second is that you are under either unusual physical or mental stress, or both.”
She dropped her chin to her chest. “Oh. I guess I fit the bill.”
“So can I spray my magic potion on you?” he asked, stoking the fire gently.
“What’s in it?”
“Basil tea and apple cider vinegar. No poison apples, I promise.”
She stared at the radiant flames of the fire, looking hypnotized, and he passed her a couple of capsules. “Here, Lindsey. Take two of these,” he said.
She swallowed them without asking what they were. Was she starting to trust him again? Without further conversation, Jake led her into the tent, sprayed the vinegar and tea mixture on her sores, and sat with her while she drank the rest of her basil tea. Her last memory before she fell asleep was of Jake tucking her and Malcolm in, then returning to the flickering fire with Wendell.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
When she awoke to the aroma of bacon and eggs and coffee cooking over the fire, she became convinced that it was the most delicious smell in the whole world. And she was starving.
She poked her head out of the tent. “Good morning,” she said to Jake, who was sitting by the fire with both Wendell and Malcolm. “I will be right there.”
“Good, ‘cause breakfast is now being served.”
After breakfast, following Jake’s instructions, Lindsey drank more of the basil tea, swallowed two more of the cat’s claw capsules—this time she did ask what they were, out of curiosity—and sprayed her sores again. Jake said she needed to follow this routine for several days, and only stop if there were any ill effects from his remedies. Lindsey agreed willingly, but insisted he get back to all his explanations.
“Okay. Here goes,” he began. “My major is psychology—”
“I think I knew that part.”
“And I am nearing the end of my program. All that’s left to do is my thesis. My topic was “Women Alone and Their Coping Strategies.” I obtained my first three research subjects and got signed permission forms, and I began. But between bartending and food delivering, time began to slip away from me. Before long, I was running behind schedule. Then, just by chance, I met you.”
She scowled. “I’m sure there were plenty of women in Tucson that would have welcomed the opportunity to be part of a research project. So why me?”
“I had no intention of including you in my research at first. That idea just kind of snuck up on me as I began to think about you more and more. You got to me, Linds, from the moment I met you. In fact, thinking about you, your life, and your problems, even your happiness began to cloud my judgment and my research.”
She cocked an eyebrow, not buying a word. “So this is all my fault?”
“No, that’s not what I meant at all. Just listen. Please. When I think, I write. And before I knew it, I was writing about you—a sweet, talented, beautiful woman—who happened to be a woman alone. I didn’t consider you one of my ‘subjects.’ Not really, anyway.” He took a sip of coffee, watching her all the time. “By the time I met Laura, I was feeling a little—okay, very desperate. I needed another subject or two, and I needed them in a hurry because the clock was ticking. She practically threw herself at me. It was like a gift. Suddenly,
there she was, talking up a storm. That woman can talk! After that, I was back on track, almost seeing the light at the end of the thesis tunnel. Soon I’d be done, and I’d have the degree I’d wanted for so long.”
“So now you’ve got your degree, right?”
“No, actually. I don’t.” They sat in awkward silence, then he started up again. “Do you want me to go on?”
“Yes.”
“I planned to tell you all about me and my research, then ask if you would do me the honor of participating in my project. I was going to do that right after I finished helping Laura with her big surprise—” He tilted his head and smiled. “A unique birthday party she was throwing for a friend. I was a mere two days away from telling you everything. As you know, the party turned out to be a surprise for everyone. I had no idea that you and Laura knew each other, and then to discover that you were best friends? Wow. I was shocked. And I didn’t know what to do. The situation began to take on a life of its own. Selfishly, I just wanted to finish the project, earn the degree and get on with my life.”
Lindsey was confused. “I had no idea that anyone was required to write a thesis for a bachelor’s degree.” She shrugged. “But then again, my only college experience was in the College of Education.”
He grinned. “What? All this time you thought I was an undergrad working on a bachelor’s degree?”
“You’re not?”
His chuckle was warm. “Hey, girl. You think I’m twenty-one or something? I’ll have you know I received my bachelor’s degree seven years ago and my master’s four years ago. I was going to be ‘Dr. Jake’ shortly after defending my thesis, which, of course, is not happening now because I screwed up by not having five legal subjects. I now have to start over, if I want to continue down this same path.” He shrugged. “But that’s my problem, not yours.”
Lindsey fought back a blush, embarrassed. “Oh dear. I assumed so much—and so incorrectly.”
He shrugged again. “And I guess I let you.” His eyes softened, becoming the beautiful blue she remembered. “Lindsey, I am so sorry. I never meant to use you or upset you.”
She took a deep breath, willing herself to speak. No longer was Jake just the young delivery boy in khaki pants or the college student in baggie shorts. Before her sat a man in gloriously tight jeans and a white T-shirt, looking good enough to be on the cover of Cowboys and Indians magazine.
“I don’t know much about you,” she admitted slowly. “The truth is that I’ve been so absorbed with myself, my problems, and my love life that now I’m the one who is sorry.”
He cocked his head slightly, gave her a little smile. “Let’s take a walk,” he suggested, gathering a water bottle, two apples, and two granola bars. “You okay with a walk?”
“Uh, sure. Sure. Let’s go.”
Malcolm was relocated to the tent, and Wendell followed the two humans. They didn’t stray far from the dirt road, but they walked lazily for several hours, speaking about inconsequential things: the trees, the birds, the weather, and the delicious, fragrant scents of nature that surrounded them. They watched squirrels scamper up and down trees and saw a rabbit dash by in a zigzag pattern—they even saw a cow amble slowly along, keeping her wary eyes on the three of them. When they stopped on a small rise under several pine trees to eat their snacks and drink water, Wendell suddenly got distracted and began to dig frantically. Dirt and rocks flew through the air as he focused on his work. Lindsey had never seen him this intense before.
“Stop that, Wendell!” called Lindsey. What are you doing?”
Jake walked over to the deepening hole in the ground. “Hey, buddy. Whatcha got there?” Wendell looked at Jake then back at his hole, obviously pleased about something. “Just looks like dirt and rocks to me. Lindsey, we need your expert opinion. Come take a closer look.”
“Yep. Dirt and rocks…wait…rocks with fossils in them. Look at this, Jake. The fossils look like shells and maybe snails. See that? They’re all over the place. This area must have been under the ocean at one time in history. Good job, Wendell. Wendell, the four-legged archeologist!”
The smiling moon hung high and bright in the sky, already casting well-defined shadows over the campsite. Lindsey and Wendell settled in the tent while Jake attempted to transform the small back seat in his Jeep into an area conducive to sleep.
Lindsey couldn’t sleep. Physically, she felt encouraging signs of improvement, but her brain and its constant stream of thoughts kept her awake. She remembered the first night they’d met, could practically smell the rain in the air on the night Jake had delivered Chinese food to her door with Wendell in tow. When she put her mind to it, she remembered almost everything that had happened between that night and the night of the Desert Performance, when he’d jumped into action, showing concern for her safety. He’d always been so good to her, a real friend—except for the research. But all of a sudden, that didn’t seem quite so awful.
Tonight she didn’t count sheep; she counted Jake’s kindness and the many blessings to which she’d been so blind over the past year. She needed to learn more about this amazing young man—except he wasn’t that young after all! He was a full-grown man, weeks away from having his doctoral degree, and that discovery allowed her to look at Jake with new eyes. For the first time she let herself think about how incredibly handsome he was, how his hair gleamed in the firelight when he ran his hand through it, guiding it away from his compelling blue eyes.
He’d asked for two more nights in which to tell his stories. Tomorrow Lindsey would request an additional night, during which she could ask her questions.
By midday the next day, Jake still hadn’t mentioned anything about his next story. It wasn’t a big deal to her anymore, since she’d heard everything she’d really wanted to hear. What else could there be? But she was curious. Keeping her eyes on Jake, she drank more tea, swallowed more cat’s claw, and sprayed the potion on her fading sores. She was feeling much better—even her wrist had improved, though it still hurt if she tried to lift anything.
“Jake, are you okay? You’re kind of quiet today.”
“I’m fine. Didn’t sleep too great, but I’m fine. Just thinking about stuff.”
“Stuff? Come on, Mr. Almost-got-my-doctoral-degree. Your vocabulary repertoire has got to have more than that,” she teased.
“Well then, Ms. Teacher. I’ll tell you what, you and I will engage in a ‘happy hour’ tale later this afternoon as we dine on a little red wine and cheddar cheese, and you can rate my vocabulary then. How does that sound?”
“Perfect.”
“Great. Hey, I was thinking about another hike.”
Lindsey quickly took stock. She’d really enjoyed the walk the day before, but she was still a little sore. Besides, she wouldn’t mind a little quiet time to write in her journal. “You know, I think I’d rather just stay here. But you can go.”
“You wouldn’t mind? I thought I could take Wendell for a real hike, for a couple of hours. We’re both a little antsy.”
“I wouldn’t mind at all, and he’d love it. Go. Really.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.”
She pulled out her journal as Jake and Wendell walked away, disappearing up the dusty, rutted road. The dog still had a stiff, plodding gate—he hadn’t completely healed from the injuries caused by the accident—and a contented, wagging tail. The man wore cowboy boots, a baseball cap with the word ‘Austin’ on it, and a sky blue T-shirt that clung to his muscular arms and firm core. Jake wasn’t overly muscular, but he was a strong, lean guy who obviously took good care of his body and possessed great genes…and great jeans, she thought. Why had she not noticed these things before? She didn’t dare write her current thoughts as she journaled. Those she’d keep to herself.
Still Camping in Zuni Mountains—Jake & Wendell are hiking. Life is strange. Life is…I don’t know. Life changes moment to moment. This moment is good, except
for my wrist pain. Sure is slowing me down with my writing. But at least today I can write a little, no matter how messy. I’m not mad at Jake anymore. Not really. How could I be? He’s tried so hard to help me in so many ways.
A soft thump came from the road, and she stopped writing. She put down her journal to listen with a serious ear. Did she hear footsteps? As the sound got louder she wondered if it might be a deer, since they’d seen deer tracks just yesterday, but she didn’t think a deer would have such a heavy step. A cow maybe?
Stepping out of the tent after putting her journal away she came face to face with the source of the noise. Not a deer or a cow, she discovered, but a horse. A horse with a rider who looked a lot like a Zuni warrior from long ago.
“Hey,” said the warrior. “Who are you?”
“I’m…I’m Lindsey,” she stammered. “From Tucson.”
He frowned. “Where is the dog? You’re supposed to have a giant dog with you.”
How does he know that? “Who are you and what do you want?” she asked, using her toughest teacher voice.
“I’m one of the Zuni Pueblo’s police officers,” he informed her, chin lifted proudly. “We got a call from a woman in Tucson asking about you. She said you might be in trouble or sick or missing.” He scratched his cheek, thinking. “But I can see you’re not missing.”
That had to have been Laura worrying about her. The thought made her smile. “I am fine. Thank you for checking. And so’s the dog. He’s just out for a hike with a friend of mine.” She softened her tone, relieved. “May I ask why you are riding a horse and dressed like that?”
“Oh, today is one of the days we put on a show for the tourists. It just ended, and I’m one of the dancers. And the horse, well, lady, I wouldn’t even think of driving my car up this dirt trail. A horse is the only way to go. What do you want me to tell your friend?”
Kindergarten Baby: A Novel Page 26