Downstairs, she found a place along the line of onlookers, just in front of the General Store. She arrived just in time to see a long-haired man leading a camel past the crowd. Little kids were pointing and laughing at the odd looking “horse.” A group of women in Pioneer clothing strolled past waving American flags. Another group of women walked by handing out little apple pies to the crowd from the trays they carried. A large wagon pulled by a tractor contained more trays of the delectable desert. Then, the City Council rode by in the back of a light blue pickup truck: two elderly men and an old woman who could barely sit up straight as she leaned over her oxygen tank to wave at the good folks of Wayne County. A troupe of little people skipped past, and JD overheard someone mention that a midget wrestling contest was going to take place in Bicknell.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a couple of older women looking at her, or rather, stealing glances at her as they whispered to each other. JD looked their way and offered a friendly smile. The younger looking woman, who might have been in her seventies, took that as an invitation to approach her.
“Are you the one in charge of renovating the old Schoolhouse?”
“Yes, I’m JD Halstead,” she replied stuck out her hand to greet her.
“Nice to meet you,” the woman beamed and shook her hand. “I’m Jackie and this is my mother, Nada. She was a student at that school you’re remodeling.”
JD leaned forward to peer around Jackie and saw that her companion was a very elderly woman, leaning on a walker. Her hair was a soft, wispy white cloud around her face that was deeply lined and covered in liver-colored age spots.
“Hi,” JD said to Nada. “You were a student at the Schoolhouse?” surprised that any former students were still alive. The schoolhouse had officially closed in the late forties, JD remembered from Rick’s notes.
Nada squinted at her, trembling slightly “What was that?”
Jackie leaned closer to her mother and spoke loudly, “I told her that you went to that school when you were a little girl.”
Nada looked at her with blue eyes that were filmed over. “Yes, that’s right,” she said in a gravelly voice that JD could barely hear over the noise of the parade. “I saw Butch Cassidy there, too, I did. I was pretty popular after that.” She smiled broadly, her teeth missing.
Jackie saw the look of disbelief on JD’s face and assured her that her mother had indeed met the famous outlaw. “He faked his death and came back here for a few years to hide out. He was good to the folks around here – helped them as much as could when times got hard for everyone here.”
Nada nodded in agreement. “There’s still quite a few of us still around from the old days, you know. We’re going to have a reunion in that schoolhouse once it’s completed.” The old woman beamed.
JD smiled and said, “That would be wonderful.”
Someone had been eavesdropping and intruded on their conversation just then, “You are talking about LeRoy Parker.” The newcomer to the discussion was an older man with short, spiky, white hair and round framed glasses.
“LeRoy Parker?” JD asked confused.
“Hi, I’m Davy. I’m a historian of sorts in these parts,” he said as he extended his hand in greeting. JD shook his hand as he continued. “LeRoy Parker was Butch Cassidy’s real name. Back in the day when Butch and Sundance were hiding out from the law, they’d sometimes turn to the locals for a place to hide. In fact, my grandfather helped Butch a few times. Grandma wasn’t too happy about that. She didn’t want to get arrested for helping a known criminal and a fugitive at that.
“Once, Granddad told her to fix up a big breakfast for the farmhands that he had hired for the day. When she was clearing off the table, she found a gold coin under one of those plates. She was so mad. You see, that was Butch’s trademark, a gold coin under the plate. Grandmother gave Granddad such a tongue-lashing, but I think she was secretly grateful for the money. Times were hard back then.”
JD digested that bit of information and then reflected on Matthew’s suggestion that Butch must have hid something in the Schoolhouse all those years ago. The possibility was beginning to intrigue her.
Jackie and Nada laughed appreciatively at Davy’s story. Jackie asked Davy his family name, and they swapped names back and forth. JD left them to their genealogical investigation and wandered toward where some of the crowds were going – to Torrey’s Fourth of July festival held in the green field just east of the Schoolhouse. Tents and booths displayed handmade quilts, new and used books, carnival attractions, and all sorts of assorted arts and crafts as well as baked goods. JD soon learned that there was going to be pie eating contests, four-wheeler pulls, and oddly enough, a llama race.
The smell of fresh-baked pies, pastries, and breads permeated the air and made her mouth water. She stopped by a booth and purchased a small apple pie. Eating it piece by piece with a small plastic spoon, JD continued her tour of the celebration. The swirl and hubbub of activity made her dizzy, but in a good way. She saw families with young children, squealing in delight as they reached up to pet llamas on lead, or rode on the ponies with ribbons braided through their manes and tails.
She headed for the quilt displays she had seen earlier. She had consumed half the apple pie by the time she found a gorgeous red-and cream-colored quilt she couldn’t resist purchasing. She bought it, knowing that it would clash with her blue and white room back in L.A., but it was so pretty she considered repainting her room.
A man in another booth talked her into buying a couple of jars of Marion berry jam and honey. For the first time since arriving in Torrey, her mind wasn’t preoccupied with the project. Strolling through the fair-like atmosphere, JD purchased various trinkets and art work, thinking of Christmas, a few months away and Missy’s birthday in August. Shortly before two o’clock, JD began to get sleepy and headed back to her apartment for a nap.
What a glorious nap it was. She slept until early evening, and when she had awoken, she was amazed to hear that the party and festivities were still going strong outside. She was famished. She headed downstairs again, to see if the deli had anything appealing. The place was packed with people and she had a long wait, but she didn’t mind. She enjoyed watching the people around her, realizing that there must have been several family reunions taking place that day. JD heard accents she didn’t quite recognize, and there were city-type people, hikers, bikers, campers, and horse people in abundance, coming and going. Like the city, she realized, except everyone seemed to know everyone else and was very friendly to each other. She also noticed that there were a lot of very elderly people in the crowds, being helped along by family members.
It was her turn at the deli counter a lot sooner than she had anticipated as she was so preoccupied in people-watching. JD ordered the enchiladas with extra guacamole and when she got her meal, she returned to the festivities outside, following the crowd to the green field again to watch fireworks.
Apparently, fireworks in this area were rare events, as she learned from overhearing comments made by residents to visitors. Torrey and the surrounding areas were usually too dry for fireworks. However, this year had proven to be wetter than usual and the County Officials agreed to allow certain types of fireworks for the town’s amusement.
JD looked about as families and friends gathered on blankets spread over the ground, or sat in the backs of pickup trucks, or relaxed in lawn chairs. A feeling of loneliness crept over her just then, and she heaved a sigh of self-pity, debating about returning to her apartment, or finding an inconspicuous place where she could sit and not appear to be alone.
Even though it was growing dark and she reasoned that no one would see her sitting alone, she decided to head back to her apartment anyway. Perhaps she could see the fireworks from there. As she walked along the edge of the road away from the crowds, an obnoxious motorcyclist pulled up and blocked her path. She stood there a moment, eyeing the stranger warily before the black helmet came off revealing a grinning Matthew Rigo.
Chapter 11
JD opened her mouth to respond, trying to come up with an excuse, and failed. Matthew cut her off before she could make a sound. “Come on. I’ll take you to the best seat in town.”
He didn’t wait for her answer as he handed her his helmet. “Come on. You might not be here next year for the Fourth. You don’t know what you will be missing.” He flashed a smile and then added quickly, “besides, you’re not my boss yet.” She couldn’t disagree with that. It wasn’t fraternization−yet.
She smiled despite her uncertainties and pulled the helmet on. It smelled faintly of rain and sagebrush, which surprised her. She had expected the scent of his sweat. Matthew steadied his bike as she grabbed onto his shoulder and mounted the monstrous, black and silver motorcycle. The helmet was heavy and she was unsteady on her feet as she tried to negotiate getting her leg over the back end of the bike. Matthew threw back a hand against her thigh to steady her. She settled onto the seat as quickly as she could, highly aware that his hand was on her leg. He reached behind and took her hands, pulled her forward against his back, and placed her hands around his chest before giving them a pat.
Perched on the back of Matthew’s motorcycle in this position was far more intimate than she was comfortable with, but she didn’t have a chance to change her mind before he warned her, “Hold on tight,” and gunned the engine, spitting gravel at the crowd behind them. She could hear shouts of protest. Matthew just laughed.
They were soon flying down Highway 24 as it wound its way toward Capital Reef at speeds she wouldn’t have dared attempt in her Thunderbird. They roared over hills and flew through the little valleys. JD squeezed her eyes shut, berating herself for trusting this stranger with her life. She was sure she was going to end up a gooey, red smear on the pavement before the night was over. Matthew slowed just a bit when he veered off the road across a shallow gully. She couldn’t see a path in the dimming light, but Matthew obviously knew where he was going. They ascended rapidly, sliding over red dirt and kicking up clouds of red dust. At one point, the path became so steep she had to cling to Matthew desperately, as she began to slip over the edge of the seat.
Many long moments passed travelling at this angle before they finally came to a level spot. Matthew eased the motorcycle over a low ridge, then revved the engine again and cruised over the tops of the canyon walls. The evening sky was now a deep shade of blue above them with a splattering of stars just beginning to appear.
He slowed as he approached the edge of the canyon. The wide valley opened below them. Switching off the engine, Matthew had to pry JD’s fingers apart before he could help her dismount. She stumbled away from the bike, trying to twist the helmet off her head as he leaned the motorcycle onto its kickstand.
Matthew swung off the bike, caught her elbow, and brought her closer so he could pull it gently from her head. Her hair fell over her shoulders in wild disarray. A slow smile came to his mouth as he looked her over.
“You all right?” he asked, setting the helmet on the seat of the bike.
She nodded breathlessly. “I didn’t expect we’d be climbing the canyons.”
He threw back his head to laugh. She laughed a little as she tried to gather her hair back into a bun, but she had lost the clip that had held her hair in place. Matthew reached up and drew her hands away from messing with her hair.
“You look great,” he said, offering her that heartbreaking smile. JD looked down, abashed.
She saw the colored flashes of light on his face before she heard the pop of the first fireworks going off above Torrey. “Look,” he said and nodded toward the distance. She turned to see the show. He reached forward and caught the back of her sleeve, giving it a tug. She turned to see what he wanted and he patted the motorcycle he was leaning against. Leaning against the bike next to him, she was careful not to touch the hot exhaust pipes.
“Can’t get a better seat,” Matthew leaned towards her and whispered. She turned her head to acknowledge his observation. His face was so close that she could see the fireworks reflected in his eyes.
“Nice,” she agreed, captured by the lights that flickered in the depths of his eyes. She turned away from him, wrapping her arms around herself and stared ahead, waiting for the next display. Truth be told, she admitted to herself, the show wasn’t that impressive. Watching it from the top of the canyon with Matthew was.
“I don’t have to worry about a jealous boyfriend or anything, do I?” he asked.
JD glanced at him and replied coolly, “That’s a personal question.” Matthew’s brows shot up and he crafted a pained look, clutching his chest. “Oh, ouch. Sorry,” he said and then smiled.
Honestly, she didn’t want to admit that there was no boyfriend, or to be more truthful, that there had never been a boyfriend. Ever. The only men she had been around outside of school all worked for Gramps and they had enough respect for him, that they wouldn’t dare to presume to ask his granddaughter out. But Matthew didn’t need to know about and no one, JD concluded, needed to know about Matthew. She smiled to herself.
The fireworks show ended sooner than she had wanted. The quiet and peace that followed, made the night sky seem more impressive than the puny fireworks show. JD felt like she was on top of the world, and wondered what the place would look like as the sun came up. Perhaps she could find this place again on her own so she could find out for herself – maybe do some yoga. She noticed Matthew was looking at her looking at the stars.
“Beautiful,” he whispered.
“What?”
“The stars,” he said. “I come up here all the time to look at them.”
“Oh,” JD said and nodded, “Yeah, they are beautiful. Hard to imagine there are so many. You wonder if we really are alone in the universe. I sometimes think there is someone out there standing on a mountain like this, looking at our sun and wondering if they are alone in the Universe too.” She laughed, then ducked her head. Maybe she had shared too much with him, and it sounded silly.
“Me too,” he said, then laughed, “I’m sure we’re not alone,” he added. JD looked at him and searched his face as he turned his head and looked at the stars. She looked up also and just then saw a shooting star.
“Whoa!” Matthew exclaimed, “Did you see that?”
“Yes!” JD said excitedly, “I did! How cool is that?”
Matthew put his arm around JD’s shoulders and squeezed them with a look of excitement on his face, “Quick, make a wish!”
“Oh, uh,” JD stammered, “I don’t…”
“Hurry,” Matthew urged, laughing.
“I don’t know what to wish for,” JD said, flustered.
“Just wish for anything!”
“I, I, I wish for…the project to be completed successfully!” she blurted and looked at Matthew for his response. He blinked at her, looking stunned. He quickly recovered, “Yeah – good. That’s a good wish,” he assured her, giving her shoulders a squeeze, then releasing her as he returned his attention to the night sky.
“What about you?” she asked.
He glanced at her. “The same,” he intoned, almost automatically.
In that moment, JD felt a cold chill snake across her shoulders where his arm had been and she wondered if there was something he was hiding,
“We should go,” Matthew said a moment later and helped her climb back on the motorcycle without another word.
They had just gained asphalt when blue and red lights started flashing behind them. Even though she had his helmet on, she heard Matthew curse and then suddenly accelerate. JD gasped, tightening her arms around him, and shut her eyes, convinced he was going to try to make a run for it.
The siren blared and after a few long seconds, Matthew decelerated, easing off to the side of the road. JD slumped back, feeling the adrenaline surging through her, making her nauseous and wobbly. Matthew was rigid and didn�
�t bother to look behind him as the officer approached them, waving a flashlight before him.
The officer came around to the left and flicked his flashlight over them. Matthew stared straight ahead while JD kept the helmet on and the visor down.
Tall and lean with a square jaw and dark eyes, the officer seemed to loom over them. JD noticed that his badge read Roy Parker. He looked at Matthew with such intensity that she began to realize that in this small town, they probably knew each other.
JD could not hear their brief exchange before Officer Parker turned his head and said something to her. She hurriedly flipped the helmet visor up and offered a sheepish grin at him, feeling inexplicably guilty, even though she knew she hadn’t done anything wrong. He fixed her with a strange look at first. She knew she had never met him before, but his expression was one of recognition.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t hear you,” she said.
Officer Parker’s brows drew together in a deep line above his long, straight nose. “Never mind,” he said in a low and threatening voice that sent chills all over her. He looked away from her and down at a pad of paper he was holding. He scribbled something on it, ripped it out, and held it out for Matthew to take.
Matthew didn’t take it and lifted his chin in defiance. Officer Parker reached out and tucked the paper into Matthew’s front shirt pocket, then turned, and strode back to his cruiser, casting a hard look at her as he passed. JD suspected that Officer Parker had seen them go into the canyon and had situated himself at the base of the path Matthew had taken up to the top of the canyon walls and waited for them to return. She suddenly realized that perhaps driving a motorcycle up to the top of the canyon might have been illegal.
She looked at Matthew, who turned his head ever so slightly and watched the officer out of the corner of his eye. He was so tense she could feel it radiating from him. When the cruiser pulled away and drove past them toward Torrey, Matthew waited a few minutes until it was out of sight, and then he gunned it. She grabbed on to him, feeling the force of acceleration threaten to yank her from her seat. Matthew caught up with the cruiser in no time and had to slow down, but he rode close to the bumper, as if taunting the Officer.
If I Fall... Page 6