by Medley, Lisa
Ela’s brows knitted together in thought and determination. “You will take me with you. Back to my father. To my tribe.”
Noah smoothed his hand down her arm in a comforting gesture, hoping to stay the response he expected next. “No, Ela. There’s no going back. We can never return through the wormhole again. Even if we could, it’s not safe. There’s no way to control where or when we might end up. This is your home now, or, hopefully, where I want to take you next can be your home.”
She spoke in Apache again. He caught the word “home” and what he was pretty sure was an Apache curse word he’d heard used more than once by Narsimha, one of her father’s most trusted braves.
Her face grew stern as she realized her error. She remembered and tapped her transcom. “Where would you take me?”
“There’s a reservation…a tribe of Apache, not far from here. An hour or so west. I spoke with their chief—president—apparently, chief isn’t politically correct anymore. We both have a lot to learn. Anyway, he’s interested in your…situation. Obviously, I didn’t tell him everything. I thought you could spend some time there while I was gone. Then, when I get back, we can decide how to go forward.”
Her silence was deafening. No telling what she was plotting behind those beautiful, dark-brown eyes, but curiosity shone through loud and clear. At least now he had her attention.
“Let’s get you some clothes first.”
Noah led her down the maze of hallways back to the housing pods. Tessa’s pod was interconnected with his own. They left their inner doors unlocked for easy access, even though Tessa spent most of her free time and nights in Cole’s pod now. He knew she wouldn’t mind the invasion of privacy if it was to help Ela.
Tessa was Ela’s number one supporter since their return. They’d all three been reluctant to fulfill the chief’s request and bring Ela back. Mostly they’d acquiesced to avoid a war and to ensure a safe getaway. The consequences, however, had proven challenging.
Ela looked around the room but remained in the doorway, hesitant.
“Come on in, you’re going to need some clothes to visit the tribe.” Noah grasped the sleeve of her smock. “Clothes,” he said in Apache.
“Clothes,” Ela parroted. She pressed her hand against his chest then closed her fist around a handful of his shirt. “Clothes,” she repeated in Apache.
“Yes.” Noah stared down at her. She was so near, he could smell the apple scent of her shampoo. Dr. Franklin’s contribution, no doubt. Her brown eyes peered up at him, so deep and dark, like two endless galaxies he could never hope to explore. God, she was beautiful. She drove him crazy. Divided his attention. Filled his thoughts when he was away from her. And, some days, made it damn near impossible to do his work. She trusted him. Even though she was angry with him for leaving her in the sick bay alone with the staff, those eyes bored into him, reminding him how much she counted on him. And damn if that didn’t make him feel all heroic and shit. He found himself leaning in, but her hand twisted his shirt tighter, and he caught himself before he did something stupid. Yeah, his intentions suddenly felt a hell of a lot less heroic. His taking advantage of her was the last thing she needed to deal with on top of everything else.
He stepped back a pace. “You’re a bit…curvier…than Tessa, but we’ll make it work.”
Noah walked to the closet and slid the pocket door open. Tessa’s pants and jeans were arranged in neat piles and all of her shirts hung along the center rod. The predominant color was black. At least it would be easy to match an outfit. He grabbed a couple of T-shirts and a pair of jeans and tossed them onto the bed. He was reluctant to open her drawers and rummage through her underthings, but no one liked going commando.
This is above and beyond the call of duty.
He blindly grabbed the first few pairs of underwear and socks he laid eyes on and pushed the drawer closed, making a hasty retreat from the closet. An empty backpack on the floor in the corner caught his eye, and he stuffed the extra clothes into it for Ela. She’d have to make do with what he packed. Surely the Apaches would take her under their wing. Jonathan Little, their tribe president, had indicated as much in the short but awkward phone conversation he’d had with him yesterday. How exactly do you ease into, “So there’s this Apache princess we brought back from the 1800s on our last space mission. She needs a home. She’s just not fitting in here. Can you help?”
He’d gone with the Jane-Doe-with-amnesia approach instead. It was enough to intrigue Jonathan Little into agreeing to meet her. He was just hoping on a wing and a prayer that the rest would work out. Bringing her back to the sick bay was not going to make anyone happy. Least of all Ela.
Cautious optimism battled with dread inside his gut.
Gathering an outfit from the bed, he handed it to Ela then tapped his transcom. “You can change in the bathroom, there.” He pointed to the tiny lavatory.
“Change?” she asked.
“Take off your clothes. This.” Noah tugged at her gown. “Put these on instead. They’ll be more comfortable. And less…revealing.” He felt his face flush and turned away from her.
He hadn’t failed to notice her long, shapely legs. Her dark features stood out all the more starkly against the white of the gown. She was a beautiful woman, no doubt about it. All the more reason he needed to spend some time away from her. He couldn’t deny he was attracted to her. She was stubborn as hell, but feisty and smart, and those damn eyes! Those eyes reminded him of everything he’d been missing all these years of working and living alone. Even when she was upset with him, her light shone through those eyes and warmed him in a way no spaceship ever could.
She made him look at his life in a different way than he had before. Every little thing he took for granted on a daily basis, from brushing his teeth to popping a frozen burrito into the microwave, was new to her. The kicker was she’d really not experienced anything at all yet. She’d spent most of her time cooped up in that sick bay. When he was with Ela, he felt guilty for being off mission. When he was working, he felt guilty for abandoning Ela. He didn’t know what the answer was, but the constant battle was tearing him up inside.
He needed to regain his focus.
Being an astronaut had been his dream since childhood. And now he was. More so than anyone else in human history, other than Cole and Tessa. What they’d experienced? Hell, they could have quietly retired to lives of luxury with Janson’s hefty compensation upon their return, but it wasn’t in their DNA. Exploring, pushing their limits, that was what drove them. All three. He wouldn’t give that up. He couldn’t. Not even for the lovely distraction who slid the door closed and was more than likely naked, one thin piece of plywood away from him.
Nope. He didn’t need any distractions.
Better Ela was tucked away on the reservation for a few days or weeks. Whatever it took to get her on track and him on mission. It was best for them both. Best for everyone, really.
The bathroom door slid open, and Ela stood in the doorway, uncertain. The T-shirt was tight. Her peaked nipples stood out clearly behind the form-fitting cloth, and Noah immediately realized he’d forgotten an essential piece of a female’s wardrobe: a bra. Ela gathered her long ebony hair and pulled it over her shoulder, where it covered one breast. The unconscious concealment did nothing, however, to deter his line of sight from the tight curve of denim covering her very fine hips and ass when she crossed the room.
Noah swallowed hard then regained his composure.
Bra. She definitely needed a bra. Not to hold up her magnificent breasts. They rode high and tight against the stretched fabric. She needed a bra to cover those amazing nipples. No guy on the base needed to see those. None of them. The mere thought spiked through his chest like a shot of adrenaline, spurring him into action. He whipped around and made haste to the closet, ripping open drawers until he found what he was looking for. He grabbed a black bra and returned to the bedroom, presenting it to Ela.
“Here, put this on, too.”
> Ela accepted the offering and stretched it between her hands, puzzling out its purpose. After some inspection and testing, she folded the bra in half, held it with one arm straight and stretched the remaining material back, nocking the fold against the corner of her mouth as one would an arrow, then let go. The bra snapped, rocketed across the room, and tangled around a lamp.
She huffed in obvious satisfaction at the fulfillment of his request.
Flummoxed, Noah retrieved the bra from the lamp and stuffed it into the backpack. He grabbed a light jacket from the back of Tessa’s chair and pulled it around Ela’s shoulders instead. Someone else could explain the bra situation to her. Anyone other than him.
For now, the jacket would solve the immediate issue. Besides, the July evenings got cool in the New Mexico desert and the reservation sat at the foot of the mountains. She’d need a jacket anyway, he reasoned.
Her footwear was the only other giveaway that she was out of place. Although, with the reservation nearby, her calf-high, beaded moccasins were perhaps less conspicuous than if she’d been stranded in the Northeast. He needed to choose his battles. Footwear wouldn’t be today’s battle.
Thinking about battles reminded him of the books in his own pod. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
He passed through the shared pod door and gathered six of the children’s books he’d been using to teach Ela some English. The typical Dick and Jane books, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Goodnight Moon, and Green Eggs and Ham, which had turned out to be all kinds of confusing to her. She couldn’t understand why anyone would eat green eggs and ham. Frankly, Noah couldn’t either. He stuffed the books, his toothbrush, and a couple of changes of clothes for himself into his own backpack then returned to her.
“Let’s go.”
Now he just had to get her off the base, settled in at the reservation, and himself back to work.
What could possibly go wrong?
***
Ela forced herself to close her mouth. The wonders outside the cage in which they’d kept her were beyond her imaginings or comprehension. Noah led her to a wheeled wagon of some sort and opened a flap on its side, motioning her to enter into it. When she refused, he walked around to the opposite side and opened another door then entered into the wagon himself, sitting behind yet another wheel.
He patted the car’s interior roof. “Car. “ He hit his translation button and repeated it.
“Car,” Ela said, tentatively.
Deeming it safe, she followed his example and eased herself onto the smooth tanned-hide cushion. Finally, a material she understood.
Noah closed the door and encouraged her to do the same. She grasped the handle and pulled it closed, jumping when the power of its weight slammed with a bang and shook the cart. Noah reached across her and grabbed hold of a strap beside her then pulled it across her body and snapped it closed. The strap tightened across her, trapping her inside and driving a blast of fear through her. She pulled at the strap, causing it to tighten further. Panic set in, and she flailed against the constriction.
“Stop. It’s okay. Look.” Noah pulled an identical strap from above his shoulder and across his own body, snapping it closed around himself. He leaned and undid the clasp of her belt then reengaged it, looser this time. “It’s a seat belt. Don’t struggle against it, and it won’t tighten. It will keep you safe while we travel.”
The strap was looser but not comfortable. She pulled in rapid, shallow breaths as her heart raced in her chest. Noah took her hand in his and looked at her as one would a wounded animal. Pity and concern filled his expression but also something else. Determination.
His beard-roughened jaw set firm as he fussed with the conveyance. His features were fair, his hair light and golden, the opposite of the raven black hair of every man in her village. And his eyes! The blue of a September sky. They’d had a dog once, born with blue eyes, but she’d never seen eyes like Noah’s.
She couldn’t deny her attraction to him. Noah was much different than the men of her tribe. He was confident and strong, but also gentle and patient with her, most of the time anyway. When she was near him—this near him—her heart raced and she often found herself holding her breath in anticipation. Of what, she wasn’t sure, but it was a reaction she hoped was not as visible as it felt inside her.
Her own father had entrusted him to care for her, yet Ela worried that placing her trust in Noah was not the best decision. The only one she could really trust was herself. At first, she’d been afraid and much too reliant on Noah to take care of her, when she wasn’t his responsibility. She wasn’t his sister or daughter or…wife. And he certainly wasn’t her chief. She could take care of herself. She was an Apache princess. It was time to start acting like one.
She forced herself to calm and determined that no matter what, she’d accept the following experiences and learn from them. If Noah wouldn’t help her get home, she’d figure out a way to get there herself. She was a smart girl. All she had to do was pay attention and use what she learned to her advantage, the same way hunters learned their prey and its habits to better stalk and kill it. She would learn everything there was to know about this strange world and then use it to get home.
The wagon roared like a great mountain lion then purred beneath her. Noah gave her a tentative, lopsided smile, and they began to move forward, slowly at first and then at a speed much quicker than Narsimha’s fastest horse. She gripped the railing of the wagon until her knuckles turned white. Her other hand clutched at Noah’s leg instinctively, curling into the hard flesh beneath his pants, his strength reassuring to her.
He didn’t complain, only hurled them faster past impossibly high structures and gleaming wagons toward her unknown future.
Chapter Three
The reservation was an hour away. Noah didn’t know what to say to her. Every time she tightened her grip on his leg, his heart broke a little more. She was terrified and curious. He didn’t even know where to begin with explanations for everything they passed around the city and then the countryside on their way to the reservation. It was a straight shot from the base along the highway that mostly skirted the town.
The language barrier was a huge issue. The transcoms helped, but getting the context right and explaining in a way that related more directly to her world further complicated any explanations he tried to offer. The little bit of English he’d taught her wasn’t cutting it. Green Eggs and Ham could only get a guy so far. The tribal council would be much better in relating to her culturally…and in Apache. He assumed they still spoke Apache. With so much assimilation through the past two and a half centuries, who knew for sure? His conversation with the tribal president had been brief at best, and he hadn’t gotten into any of the details of her needs.
He’d practiced his introductions in his head a hundred times with a hundred different possible outcomes. None of them pleasant. In a bit more than twenty-four hours, he’d be flying his next payload to Janson’s space hotel. Or at least what there was of it so far. Cole and Tessa had been leading the assembly of each pod. One by one. Noah had completed more than a dozen delivery missions so far to the moon site. Construction was slow and expensive. The first paying customers had already waited a decade to spend two nights aboard the tethered accommodations, and the grand opening was still many months away. Of course, the first guests would sign multiple waivers, but paperwork couldn’t quell the uneasy coil twisting in Noah’s gut. Something bad was going to happen. Again.
So many things could go wrong. The tiniest of mistakes could kill them all at any moment. Still, Janson refused to hold off any longer. He was a man with a mission that Noah would help to carry out very, very soon. He had to get Ela settled. Then she was on her own for a while.
And so was he.
The silence in the car ate at him. Ela pressed her face up to the car window, as they passed a trailer full of horses.
“Horse!” Ela said in Apache. She tapped excitedly on the window, trying to make Noah understa
nd. She repeated the word in English. “Horse!”
“Yes!” Noah said, proud of her translation. It was the little victories that made all of the difference these days. “Many horses.” He turned on the car’s Wi-Fi for automatic translation.
“Will there be horses where you are taking me?” Ela asked, the transcom catching up and translating quickly.
“I’m sure there will be. The reservation will be much different than where you lived before, but I’d say at least a few things will remain the same. Certainly, horses haven’t changed much.” Noah laughed.
Ela turned to him and smiled, the tension smoothing from her face. “Have you ever had a horse?” she asked.
“I had a horse in Texas when I was a kid. My mom sold him when I moved away. She couldn’t take care of him anymore. He must be long dead by now.”
“What was he called? Your horse?” Ela asked.
Noah coughed. “Well, mostly we called him ESOB.”
Ela’s brows crinkled, confused by the translation. “What is ESOB?”
“Expensive son of a bitch,” Noah laughed again. “He got snake bit and nearly lost a leg. Dad spent a fortune on his recovery. Before that, we called him Winchester, but after, he just became ESOB. How about you? Did you have a horse?”
“No. Not one of my own. The braves had their favorites, but I often snuck away on Narsimha’s when he allowed it. He also taught me to hunt.”
“Oh,” Noah said, “So you spent a lot of time with him did you?”
“Yes. He was my father’s most trusted warrior. My father encouraged it. I think he wanted me to make a match with Narsimha, but I did not have love for him.”
“I can see why your father would want you to be with him. He was tough as hell.”
“I suppose…” Ela turned to stare back out the window. More long and quiet minutes passed and the tension coiled anew until she broke the silence. “And do you have a match? A…mate?”