The Long Moon

by Stephy Smith

  Quit thinking she cares, he told himself. She only wants to protect her investment. Isn’t that all she’s ever wanted anyway?

  Turning to Farley, he explained, “I’m looking for a man. He’s been threatening River’s grandpa, and I heard he would be in town for the rodeo. I haven’t seen him today. His name is Harvey Jamison.” Carson narrowed his eyes against the bright sun.

  “Need help finding him? You remember I was a detective before I got hurt.” Farley’s eyes filled with an excited challenge.

  “Couldn’t hurt none. You may have to stay away from Cassie a while longer if you want to see it through.”

  “Count me in. Cassie is at the motel here in town. I said she had to rest, not stay home.” Farley punched him in the arm.

  “I’ve been working with a man named Logan Sweet. He’s standing over near the bull’s pen with the locals. Will, the man helping the steak vendor set up, the one with the cowboy hat, works for River. He’s helping look for Jamison too.” Carson tossed his head towards the men as he filled Farley in.

  “Do you have a description of Jamison?” Farley scanned the area.

  “Jamison has blond hair, blue eyes, around five-foot-six to five-eight. He has a longhorn tattooed on the left side of his neck, average build. Usually he wears tank tops or t-shirts and blue jeans with tennis shoes.” River volunteered. Her voice sang with the angels when she talked. Goose bumps spread across Carson’s skin.

  “Any weapons I need to know about?” Farley reached in his pocket and pulled out a bouquet of roses for a toddler walking beside a woman.

  “Not aware of any. He works with a couple of his cousins. Don’t know what they look like. I went to school with Harvey until he was kicked out for punching a teacher. He’s around twenty-seven, I’m guessing.”

  “Good to know. Do you know why he’s harassing her?”

  Carson transmitted the story as he’d heard it. In his own mind he thought it was something more than wanting her hand in marriage. Harvey had made it known more than once he had taken an interest in River. Carson tried to tell himself Harvey could have her, but not her land and cattle.

  After he filled Farley in, they tossed their plates in the garbage. The three split up, leading their own ways in different directions. They were in agreement, if they found any important information they would keep each other informed.

  There were no major catastrophes, and Carson felt good about the information he overheard from time to time. It was early afternoon when the setting up of the Fair came to a close. The locals meandered to their vehicles and exited the fairgrounds in the typical lackadaisical fashion of small town life.

  “I’m gonna go check on Cassie. Do you wanna meet somewhere for supper?” Farley turned to Carson in the parking lot when they met up again.

  “I need to go question some of the ranch hands, and I don’t know when I’ll be back tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow and let you know what I find.” Carson extended his hand for a shake.

  “Until tomorrow then, my friend.” Farley headed for his car.

  “Tell Cassie I said hello.” Carson called over his shoulder as he made his way to his pickup.

  River’s truck was missing from the parking lot. Carson hastened his steps. Rumors of Harvey and his crew confirmed his suspicions. They were going to try something during the Fair, which qualified his concerns. The stealing grubs had already burnt River’s barn. There was no telling what kind of dirty underhanded trick they would try next.

  The trip to the ranch didn’t take long with the lead foot of Carson on the gas pedal. All he could think of was emerald eyes gazing at him and the flowing brown hair whipping in the wind. He chided himself, trying to pull his feelings back behind the protective wall he had built.

  “Everyone is right, you know. You do care for the little woman whether you want to or not. Just face it,” he said to himself. He wheeled his truck in front of her house and slammed it in park.

  ****

  “Where have you been all my life Rosa?” Moon gazed at the reddening face of the young nurse.

  “Flattery will get you nowhere with me Mr. Moon.” She shook a long skinny finger at him.

  “Not even if I go pick a bunch of dandelions for you. You know they’re pretty in a certain wild kind of way.” He waited for her to take his pulse and listen to his lungs. “Did you hear my heart singing you a love song?”

  “No, I heard it telling me to run, run as far away from you as I could get.” Her small giggle refreshed his inner sanctum. He loved being around younger folks. She was shy, but had a will to admire.

  “You know Rosa, it’s refreshing to see people your age work to help old and decrepit men like me. I mean that. Now, it’s time to get back to battering each other around. I never was much of a mushy minded man.” He patted her small arm.

  “Mushy minded…I think the other ladies here would disagree with you. They seem to think your mind has turned a bit soggy.”

  “They don’t mean that.” He held back his pain as she worked his hip in ways it hadn’t been in for years.

  “I’ll be back in a few days. Mr. Moon, be nice to the other girls. You sure get them riled up.” She waved good-bye as she skittered through the door.

  Chapter Nine

  River paused by the window when she heard the approach of Carson’s pickup when he came to check in with the other hands. The fire appeared close, but chasing smoke could lead to fifty miles away at times. Fires had become a familiar curse plaguing the drought stricken plains. She marveled at the tan smoke billowing in the air. The phone rang and she impatiently reached for it. Carson was here and she wanted to see if he found out anything new about Harvey. Her feet set in motion as she dropped the receiver and ran out the door.

  “Grandma Dessie called and said the fire is headed toward their ranch!”

  Carson opened the door to his pickup and she dove in headfirst. The tires squealed before she could right herself in the seat. White knuckles clenched the dashboard. Her chest constricted, her pulse erupted with fierce thumps resounding in her ears.

  “Can’t you go any faster? It’ll take a while to get Grandma Dessie out of the house!” Fatal visions threatened to dominate her strength of mind. Carson pushed the pedal to the floor and fishtailed down the dirt road.

  Her eyes trained on her grandparent’s place. Time eluded her with the sensation the world was in slow motion, everything except the fire roaring around them. The smoke blackening the sky, cutting her vision of the house, she sucked in her breath and waited for it to clear.

  She already lost her barn. To lose her grandparents wasn’t an option she was willing to face.

  Flames flickered in the air leaping and rolling as if doing aerobics across the land. The sixty mile an hour winds whipped around, sending the hungry monster one-way and then the other. The fire doubled in size as it licked up the grass, feeding itself while it traveled across the plains. River’s heart rumbled in her rib cage, threatening to escape. She attempted to calm herself without alerting Carson she was on the verge of panic.

  The whole countryside was obscured in the midst of the orange and yellow blaze. Anxiety flared with hope to reach the elderly couple. Her fingers shook as she yanked the cell phone from its case. She dialed the numbers of neighbors in the path of the raging inferno. A spark of anguish and trepidation suffocated the seriousness of danger and permeated her serenity.

  “Hang on!” Carson warned, and she leaned with the truck as it wheeled around the corner.

  “Oh please, let me reach them in time,” she begged in a whisper. The truck lurched forward and hit a pothole in the road. Her head banged against the top of the cab. Scandalous urgency refused to let her complain.

  The wind shifted and carried the fire away from the house and straight towards hers. Carson applied the brakes and skidded across the gravel drive. She pulled the handle before the pickup stopped. Out on the porch stood her grandparents with their suitcases in hand. Carson ran to the couple and grabbed
the baggage.

  The fire whipped back to the house and then backed away again. River ran to the iron pipe corrals and climbed to the top. The speed of the monstrosity reached her property. Her mind screamed out in silence, tears stung her eyes and she willed them not to fall. The vision of her barn up in flames was one thing, now her house was being threatened, and it intensified the beating of her pulse.

  Minutes of agony seemed to turn into days of horror. Flames danced merrily across the dry plain. She lingered on the fence, her eyes fixed on her home. She might be homeless at any time, but at least she survived. Most of all, she still had Grandma and Grandpa. Fear twisted her insides when she realized how close she came to losing them, as she had Carson years before.

  Joyous days spent in the house flittered in her mind, and she held her breath. Fire trucks roamed the pastures spraying the much-needed moisture across the land. She descended the rungs. Two fires in a short time were too many as far as she was concerned. Carson waited at the bottom. He reached around and pulled her trembling body close to his. She could no longer hold back the tears of devastation. Sobs racked her body as she leaned against his hard chest. The beat of his heart resounded in her ears as rapid as a raging river.

  The strength of his arms tugged her, holding her close in his protective frame. Security abounded as she accepted his offer of comfort from the blazing fire threatening her home. His nearness set forth an inferno of its own, and she clung to his desired presence.

  His arm lifted, loosening its hold. “Look, the fire is out.”

  Reluctantly she twisted around. The moments of tenderness would soon be lost. She turned her gaze to his face and kissed his lips. An undeniable hunger for the taste of his minty breath one last time before she would return to the life of loneliness to which she was accustomed. An emptiness she had no desire to return to.

  The sky darkened with the setting of the sun. Stars twinkled in the darkness; small orange embers dotted the land, and the smell of burnt cedar floated in the air. A few firefighters held steady throughout the night, dousing water on hotspots, sacrificing time with their families so she could have time with hers.

  Their bravery and courage humbled her. She shook with astonishment at the selfless act. The words ‘thank you’ seemed small. How can one repay the heroic deeds of these blessed souls? How could she thank Carson for his huge contribution of saving her sanity when she thought her grandparents were lost to her forever?

  In the morning, when she woke to the howling wind, she glanced out the window. The blackened earth, blown by the wind appeared to dance in the air. The strong pungent smell of smoke refreshed her memory. Thoughts of the neighboring farmers and ranchers having to rebuild their future were nauseating. In some small way, the need to help get them back on track crossed her mind with the question of how to complete the task.

  Sorrow grew in the pit of her stomach. It flared up as quick as the fire the day before. There were no structures burnt this time and no injuries, for which she was thankful, and yet the blackness left a void to dominate the place of all that was lost.

  She dressed for the rodeo and wandered out of the house in a trance like state. Her world was crashing before her eyes and there was no way to stop it. When Carson held her, she knew it was out of pity. He would’ve done it for anyone. In her heart, she didn’t want to be just anyone, she wanted to be his. Refusing to let her eyes to linger over the land passing by, she maneuvered her way to the fairgrounds and parked.

  No matter what life threw her way, she had to accept it and move on, or let it eat at her until it destroyed her sanity. Same choices Carson would have to make. She chose to accept it the way things were going for the time being. If there was a way to pin the fire that almost took her grandparents on Harvey, Carson would find it.

  River’s mind begged to stay away from Carson. As usual, her legs formed minds of their own, and she found herself following him around. She wondered how he ended up in the clown suit. He wasn’t a clown, just a cowboy working for her. A lightness cluttered her mind as if she would make him hers tonight after the rodeo.

  The first glimpse of him handing out the stick horses, and the twinkles in his eyes when he gazed upon the smiling faces of the children caught her breath. She never envisioned him as the fatherly type until this moment. Here he was in the midst of the children, laughing and playing as if he was a mere child himself. She pushed her way through the crowded throngs to his side. Stage makeup mixed with his aftershave. His clean-shaven face beckoned her hand to reach up and stroke his skin.

  When she talked to him, he seemed cold and distant. A shudder ran down her spine. Carson never had it in him to push someone aside no matter how much he disliked them. She wondered if it was her, or was he thinking of another woman? The tightness in her chest choked the air from her lungs.

  The clown makeup was applied so perfectly, and he fit the part. All she could hope for was he gave up bull riding for something safer. Then she thought again. It wasn’t any safer on the ground than on the back of the dangerous critters. It didn’t matter to the two thousand pound beast who you were or how nice you could be, it would turn on you in the blink of a star.

  Confusion of him running around in the arena to save another cowboy’s life was admirable, but she didn’t understand him as a man. More than once, she had asked her grandma what made marriage work. All her grandmother ever said was love, patience, ignorance and prayer. She understood the love, patience and prayer. Somehow, she couldn’t get the ignorance part to fit in.

  Grandmother said sometimes a woman has to play ignorant, even though she knows she’s right, just to stop the argument, keep your mouth shut and smile. Give the man room to prove he was in the wrong. This time was different; she was the one who had been in the wrong. How could she ever prove to Carson how sorry she was? He didn’t seem to want to hear the words.

  Her heart caught in her throat when Carson told her he entered the bull riding. Her vision blurred through unshed tears. If only he understood, she couldn’t endorse his riding in high school no more than she could now; his life meant more to her than to have it slip away at the ends of bovine horns.

  Everybody in town knew of Farley the Fearless. He was the clown who saved Carson. Farley jumped in front of the bull when it charged Carson. River hoped it would be Carson’s wakeup call.

  Her cell phone rang. It was Cassie, a friend of hers from cheerleading camp. They kept in touch, but never discussed the men with which they were involved. After all these years, she was happy to hear from her.

  Cassie was in town with her husband and wanted to get together at the rodeo to catch up. River agreed to the distraction of having to sit on the edge of the bleachers during the bull riding. She would hold her breath until Carson exited the arena unscathed just the way she used to in high school. She sent up a silent prayer anyway. There was nothing more to do except wait for the adrenaline rush when the bull riding began.

  River floated across the green grass talking to acquaintances and friends along the way. The sun was bright in the sky, the petting zoo packed with families and the talent contest was well underway. Her pulse raced as she waited to see Cassie again. At least when Cassie arrived, she would have a reason not to watch Carson’s ride.

  Horrid screeches boomed over the intercom; some poor singer attempted to belt out Patsy Cline’s ‘Crazy’. River laughed to herself about how it had killed the mood to hit the dance floor.

  She wondered where Carson had wandered off too. Did he go to some unsuspecting place to meet the woman of his dreams or to have a conference with Farley? She glanced around the crowd, greeted a few more acquaintances before she spotted the two men standing with Carson’s horse, readied with her saddle and scanning the crowd.

  The gesture was her cue the barrel racing would commence in a short time. She casually made her way toward Carson and Farley. Carson gingerly passed the reins to her. “Luck.” he said, as she mounted the black gelding, turned the steed and rode to the arena
gate.

  The high-spirited horse pranced around. Her heart kept rhythm of the horse’s hooves as she waited for her name to be called. Natural instinct told her once inside the arena neither woman nor beast would pay attention to the pressure they were under.

  The anticipation was mesmeric. Her name was the last to be called and the time to beat was a fourteen point six. She whispered to the horse, “We’re up. We can do this, I know we can.” She had faith in the horse she had never ridden before. Carson wasn’t a slouch when it came to good horseflesh. He would never allow anyone on a horse they couldn’t handle. Her confidence stoked as they entered through the open gate. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. In an instant, she turned the horse to the barrels and gave him his reins. The barrels blurred by and she was now on the return home. Pulling the horse short of the bucking shoots with a wide turn. The crowd cheered as the announcer called out the unofficial time of fourteen even. She rode to Carson and Farley.

  “I’ll brush him down and settle him in. Thanks Carson.” She trotted the gelding to the trailer. This was the second time he should receive the credit for her success at the County Fair. “He’ll never own up to his part in the win, you know. He’s like that. His habit of passing the success onto you and me as he stands outside of the limelight is admirable. Yet, I want to share it with him.” She spoke to the horse as she ran the brush over the slick coat.

  Pride caught up with her. If the temptations of Carson beckoned her to come to him, she would fight the desire with the rage used to fight off an attack from a bear. Just like years gone by, if she saw the twinkle of pride in his eyes she wouldn’t know if it were for her or his horse.

  She focused on something other than the tall lean cowboy. She switched back to the excitement of seeing Cassie again. Her eye caught the sight of Will by the vendors. He was talking to some of the locals. She walked his way.

  “Hey Will, nice to see you here.”