“We,” Sara corrected.
Jared chuckled and gently pushed her hair behind her ear. “Well, of course, I’ll be there with you, as will the rest of the band. But, you don’t need any of us. You shine all on your own Sara,” he said with admiration.
Sara tried changing the subject. She didn’t like being singled out. “Speaking of the band, how will they get down here – fly?”
“Probably,” Jared said. “Since we’re already down here. We usually all come together, by coach.”
“You have your own bus?”
Jared laughed. “No, we rent one for the occasion. Needless to say, we’ll probably need one soon, thanks to you,” he continued, turning the spotlight back on Sara.
Sara sighed, exasperated. “In that case, shouldn’t we go back, and get them and the equipment?”
“Not really. They’ve been here so many times they could find the ranch with their eyes closed. I’ll call and rent a van. Steve, Carl, and Lucy can get things together. They can handle it Sara.”
“Don’t you think we need to get in a little more practice before the convention?”
“We probably should get them down here a little early, so we can practice some. Dad?”
Tom looked away from the screen. “Hmm?”
“Could we set up in the far end of the garage?”
Tom smiled. “Sure. If you got too loud, the only neighbors that might complain would be the prairie dogs. That or Wil E,” he responded, chuckling at his private joke. Sara and Jared joined in, knowing he was referring to the Looney Tune cartoon character.
Their euphoric moods changed when Nadine entered the room, and took her place beside Tom on the couch. Tom picked up her hand and placed it between his. His voice now serious, and sympathetic. “How is she?”
Nadine sighed. “She’s coping.”
They all sat in silence for a while until Jared broke it. “So, Dad, are we still going to finish the fence in the morning?”
Tom glanced toward the stairs, at Nadine and then back at Jared. “I don’t know. I think the best thing to do is keep the rest of the horses away from the northern grazing grounds for a while. At least, until Leo has the results of the tests. If Satan died of anthrax, the ground where he went down will be contaminated. I don’t want the other horses dying too, especially not little Angelstar.” He glanced at Sara and grinned. “Sara seems to like her,” he said looking toward Jared, his voice full of prompting. “A lot….”
Jared cleared his throat. “Yes, she does. That reminds me, Sara. I’ve decided to give you Angelstar.”
Sara smiled, excitedly. “Really?”
Jared grinned. “Yes, really – if you want her. Remember, a horse is a big responsibility, especially one that’s half mustang. They’re a little feistier than domesticated horses.”
Sara pursed her lips. “I don’t know, Jared. Angelstar is Satan’s colt. Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to give her to Myra? She is all that’s left of Satan, now – correct?”
Jared seemed disappointed. “Yeah, but….”
“It’s not that I don’t want her. I just think, you should at least, ask Myra first. If she doesn’t want her, I’ll gladly take her. I’ve never owned a horse.”
Tom looked at Jared and smiled. “That might not be a bad idea. If Myra does want the colt, we’ve got plenty of horses. Sara can have her pick.”
Sara smiled. “You don’t have to do that, Tom.”
He glanced at Jared again. “No, I don’t, but, I want to. Besides, they’re half yours already. They belong to Jared. I’ve just been looking after them for him.”
Sara smiled. “Thank you….”
“Jared, wasn’t there also a matter of looking for a piece of land – to build a house on?”
“Mother spoke to you about it?”
“Yes, she has, and I think it’s a wonderful idea. We’d love to have you and Sara closer by. It would be good for Myra too. She’s been lonely since you left. She never says much about it, but I can tell she misses you.”
Jared studied Sara’s eyes. “Well, we wouldn’t be permanently moving to Arizona, Dad. I’ve invested a lot of time and money in Wisteria Hall. I can’t just walk away from it, and I don’t want to sell it either. It was hard enough to get my hands on it for the price I paid. It’s not something that is going to happen again. However, I would like the opportunity to design and build my own house, our house.” He smiled.
Tom grinned. “Then it’s settled. Find the land you want, and I’ll have my lawyer draw up the paperwork. You can start building anytime you want.”
Jared looked at Sara again. “Well, we’re not in a big hurry. Let’s get a few loose ends tied up first. There’s the matter of the Council thing, now Satan, and the convention is just a few weeks away.”
Nadine laughed and raised an eyebrow at Jared. “And there is another matter that has to be dealt with too….”
Jared sighed and stood, towing Sara along. “Yeah. That will need to be sorted soon.” He winked at Sara. “I think it might be time for bed. It’s been a long and tiring day.” Sara smiled, automatically yawning to conceal her expectations.
Jared squeezed her hand. The warm amber glow and sparkle in his eyes told Sara sleep was second on his agenda. He closed the door behind them, pushing her against the wall, pressing his body against hers. He claimed her lips as he slid his hands under her shirt, and grazed his fingers up her back. Sara shivered as he nibbled her neck. His voice deep and husky as he breathed against her skin. “I’ll cash-in my rain check now….”
After their shower, while they lay tangled in each other’s arms, Sara listened to Jared’s faint snoring. Because her mind was filled with too many mingled thoughts, Sara couldn’t sleep. She kept going back to the conversation in the lounge. What matter had Nadine and Jared been talking about that needed to be dealt with? It seemed like all of them were in on a private joke, and Sara had missed the punch line.
Sara started thinking about Jared’s grandmother. How she’d suddenly died, without warning. She thought about the sketches Jared hadn’t shown her. The information in George Thundercloud’s book. Myra’s horse, Satan. How they’d found him in the desert. Then her thoughts wandered back to the horrible dream she’d had of the wooden wolves. Her mind refused to settle enough for sleep to take her.
Once Jared rolled over on his side, Sara decided to read. But what to read? The only book she’d brought with her was George Thundercloud’s, and she didn’t want to read that. It did not make for late night reading. Sara decided to web surf for a while. She quietly and carefully unzipped her laptop case. To her surprise, her loving bed partner had packed ‘Breaking Dawn’ for her. The last book of the ‘Twilight’ set. Sara smiled, and started reading, curious as to how the story would end.
Around 3:30 or 4:00, Sara’s eyelids started drooping. She put her book down, cuddled up to Jared’s back and drifted to sleep.
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Sara did have a dream, but when she woke the next morning, all she could remember, was that her dream had been pleasant. As she rolled over to face him, Jared was just slipping on his boots. “I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”
Sara smiled. “No. I’ve been awake for a while. I had trouble falling asleep last night.”
Jared studied her eyes. “All things considered, that’s a little hard to believe. Am I losing my touch?”
“I don’t know...” Sara pursed her lips. “Maybe you’d better check,” she smiled.
Jared narrowed his eyes, grinning wryly at her. He bent down, resting his weight on his arms on either side of her, and kissed her. Sara put her hand behind his neck, kissing him back, pulling him closer, and threatening to ignite a familiar fire.
Jared considered undressing and giving in to her, but pulled back, resisting the temptation. “Oh no! We got away with that yesterday. I doubt Dad will be that patient this morning. I know what you want, but this time, I’m giving you the rain check.” He sat on the side of the bed and picked up his com
b.
Sara reached for it and knelt behind him. Jared drew in a quick breath, closing his eyes, and handed it to her. She wasn’t helping his already aroused condition, as she pulled the comb through his long hair in slow, sensual strokes. “Are you helping your father with the fence again?”
Sara’s warm breath tickled his neck. Jared’s eyes changed to deepest glowing amber as he fought for control. He shivered as she used her fingers to separate his hair into parts, and lightly grazed her nails over the skin of his neck. “Yes… what are you and Mother doing?” he countered in an unsteady tone.
Sara finished braiding his hair and tied it off. She could tell by his quickened breath, she was getting to him. She traced the outline of his ear with her index finger, her voice seductive and alluring. “Actually, I was hoping I might go with you.”
Jared turned quickly, surprised. “You’re kidding – right?”
“No. I thought I would take my guitar, and work on some new songs.”
Jared eyed Sara suspiciously. “It’s going to be very hot out there Sara.”
“I know – I don’t mind.” She kissed the side of his neck. “Please….”
Jared drew in a heavy sigh, grabbed her hand, and kissed it. “All right, but I’ll have to pack a beach umbrella, and make sure we’ve got plenty of water for everybody….”
Sara frowned and puckered out her lower lip. “You don’t want me to go with you?”
Jared raised an eyebrow and smiled. “You know I don’t care for you being with me. I just want you to understand the conditions you’ll be enduring – that’s all. We won’t be able to leave and bring you back, if you get bored. We want to try and finish today, so we could be out there for a very long time, maybe even until dusk….”
Jared was trying everything in his power to convince Sara she didn’t want to be there. All he needed was to have her out there, further testing his control, and tempting him.
Sara was determined to prove she could rough it, if she needed to. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll take my book that you so graciously packed for me, and read it if I get bored. I’ll be fine, really. Please Jared – I want to be with you.”
Resist that – no way! “All right…” Jared reached for a cowboy hat from his closet. “But, you’ll have to wear one of these. And I do mean wear it,” he said, shoving it on her head, so the brim covered her eyes.
Sara sighed, and shoved it back, so she could see. “All right, I’ll wear it, but I don’t have to like it!”
Jared chuckled and took her hand. “Come on. We’ve still got to convince Dad….”
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Tom wasn’t as willing to give in as Jared had been. His attitude wasn’t helping Sara’s cause. Having experienced Sara’s determination, and felt her wrath at the same time, Jared was tolerant, but fuelled with the backing of Tom’s iron will, Jared agreed with his father. Sara should stay at home.
Nadine stood in the background and enjoyed the argument with humorous interest. Knowing in the end Sara would win; Nadine had already packed extra food and water. When the debate was over, Tom crawled behind the wheel of his 4x4. Jared buckled his fiancée in the back and rode shotgun to his dad.
Not long in the journey, Sara realized she’d made a mistake. Tom was taking a different road to the one she and Jared had used. Apparently left from the last significant rainfall they’d had, this road was uncomfortable and riddled with deep potholes. Jared had explained, although the desert was dry, and they saw little rain; when it did rain, it came down in buckets. Water fell in such volumes that the arid sand couldn’t absorb it fast enough. As a result, they often suffered flash floods. Surely, this explained the enormous holes they kept swerving around, and bouncing through.
If Sara voiced her opinion truthfully, she wished she’d listened, and stayed at home. It wasn’t the heat or her driving thirst that was going to kill her. It was this monstrous machine beneath her, intent on dislodging her insides, which threatened to do it.
Sara must have made some kind of noise, although she doubted it could be heard above the sound of the engine, and the constant banging of some loose item in the back, because Tom stopped the vehicle and Jared turned, his handsome face adorned with a sly grin. “You all right back there Angel?”
Using the back of her hand, Sara wiped the sweat from her cheek and straightened her hat.
She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat was too dry from the desert dust. All that came out was a raspy whisper. Sara cleared her throat and tried again. “I’m perfectly fine….” My insides feel like scrambled eggs! I’m breathing baked earth, and I never want to sit down again! No problem! In truth, Sara felt like one of James Bond’s famous martinis – shaken - not stirred. Then she added the comment that called her bluff. “I don’t remember the road being this bumpy, on the bike….”
Jared laughed and turned in his seat. “That’s because on the bike it’s a lot easier to avoid the potholes. It’s not much further now – we’re almost there.”
Sara sneered at his back. The very corners of Jared’s mouth turned up.
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Tom approached what looked like a small canyon to Sara. Her eyes widened. Surely to God he’s going around it. As the front of the 4x4 angled down, Sara realized she was wrong. Oh shit! He’s not! Sara took a deep breath, quickly tightened her seat belt, and grabbed the handhold above her head. Did Thunderclouds descend from Japanese Kamikazes?
Jared grinned, said something to Tom in Navajo, and they burst out laughing. Obviously they didn’t intend for her to know they were enjoying themselves at her expense, and her posterior’s pride. As usual, Jared’s not much further, and we’re almost there, had turned into the day after eternity. Sara was about ready to throw up.
When at last Tom pulled next to a row of fence post and stopped, Sara had started to feel like a dehydrated pea in a bushel basket – one with bruises on its backside.
Jared and Tom got out and walked around to the back. They each grabbed the side of an oversized roll of barbed wire and lowered it to the ground. Sara decided that was what had been banging around in the back. She propped against the side of the truck and waited, while they walked a few paces and deposited the roll of wire next to the seated fence posts.
Jared came back, pulled out the massive beach umbrella and a chaser chair, and sat them up for Sara. He handed her a bottle of water from the cooler, and rested his hands on her shoulders, looking her square in the eye, his voice firm. “Now, you stay under this, and if you get thirsty – drink.” It wasn’t a request. It was a command, and Sara treated it as such.
Her breath quickened, her eyes widened with confusion. Jared softened. He smiled and gently kissed her. Sara didn’t need water to keep her cool. She needed ice. Jared’s kiss had its usual effect. Sara pulled him closer. Jared smiled, instantly reading her thoughts, mirrored with his own. He sighed. “This is going to be a long day!” He left her to help his father.
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Sara watched them for a while, and then started reading her book. She was anxious to see how the story ended but was too tired, and promptly fell fast asleep and started dreaming again, but this time, it wasn’t about wooden wolves and totem poles. Even that dream made more sense. This one flashed from one scene to another so fast it was entirely incomprehensible.
At first, Sara saw herself sitting on the bed, looking down at George Thundercloud’s book for the first time. She opened it as before. Instead of ink scrolling off the paper, a pale blue glow rose from the pages and hovered over her. There was a bright flash, and the next thing she knew, she was on her hands and knees, trapped on one end of the ledge at Mother’s Mountain. On the other end of the ledge, spiraled in a tight coil and poised to strike, was the pissed off rattlesnake.
The ground beneath Sara started to crack and crumble, forcing her to inch forward, toward the rattlesnake. A few seconds after she’d moved to a more substantial part of the ledge, the ground began to crack and collapse. Sara had
two choices - move forward or plummet to her death.
After being forced to move forward again, Sara started to call out for help. She eagerly looked up for Jared, but this time no one came. Each time Sara was forced to move forward, the rattler’s strike came closer and closer to her face. Whether it happened from the rattlesnake or a fatal fall, it was inevitable. Sara was going to die.
As the ground began to crack and crumble, Sara decided rather than die a slow, agonizing death from the rattlesnakes’ venom, she’d rather die by falling. It might be painful at first, but then it would be all over.
Sara drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her heart raced as she felt the ground starting to crumble. She screamed as she started to fall, but then her descent slowed. She started falling in slow motion. Sara opened her eyes and looked down. The ground had become a lake of molten lava. She could see tongues of fire rising off the surface. She could smell the sulfurous gases rising with the heat waves, burning her nose, and the back of her throat.
From the burning lake, came what appeared to be a bird, ascending from the flames. The lake began to morph, becoming the center of an active volcano. Sara saw a woman, standing a few feet away from the volcano. At first, she thought the woman might be her, but as she moved closer, Sara could see that the woman was actually Donna Rigden, Gary Browne’s cousin.
Donna was trapped. On one side of her was the volcano, on the other was a rattlesnake, bigger than the one Sara had faced, with glowing crimson eyes like Jared’s.
The bird started to swoop down, heading straight for Donna. She picked up a rock and threw it. While the snake was distracted, Donna made a run for it. She was almost past the snake, when the bird grabbed her by the leg, and started dragging her toward the edge of the volcano.
Donna struggled to break free, but the bird sank its talons in her leg. Sara could see the blood soaking Donna’s blue jeans and dripping down her ankle. After a while, Donna stopped struggling, and the bird began to drag her toward the volcano.
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