There it was again. It was faint, but unmistakable. He jumped from his mount, dug through the saddlebag for the two-way radio, and ran to the open meadow he’d just passed.
The big sky was crystal blue, and the mountains looked as if they held him captive. He’d never felt trapped by the mountains before. This had always been his country. But with Melanie alone and not knowing what to expect when he made it back to her, he felt as though he were imprisoned there. He looked into the sky and focused on the sound of the engine until he found the tiny speck in the vast cerulean ocean that was a small water plane flying overhead. This was it! All he had to do was radio a message to the plane and find the spot where he could land. He only prayed that it was not too late.
* * *
MELANIE’S EYES DRIFTED open to the sound of a droning hum. The florescent lights above the bed–yes, she was definitely in a bed and not on some cold, hard rock–blinded her until she could adjust her eyes. Where was she? She tried to remember. The mountains. The trail. The lightning. Stoney’s arms. Stoney leaving her...
Turning her head, she saw the familiar sight of an IV bag hung on a chrome stand with a rubber tube attached to her right arm. The room was a bright antiseptic white, almost blinding her eyes. Her head–her whole body for that matter–felt as if a sledgehammer had taken open assault on her.
It took considerable strength to roll over and when she did, she saw him. Stoney was propped in a side chair too small to fit his long body, and he was asleep with his head rolled back against the wall.
She gazed at him for a long time until tears blurred her vision, memorizing every detail on his face, his hands, trying to convince herself that he was real. He hadn’t left her in the mountains. Thank God, he hadn’t left her. As he'd promised, he'd kept his word and come back for her.
Her mouth was so dry she couldn’t stand it. She needed water fast. “Stoney,” she rasped in a voice just loud enough to cause him to stir. And it was a good thing he did because she didn’t know if she had the energy to do it again.
His chin was propped up by his balled fist and his body was curled against the arms of the chair uncomfortably. He stirred in the chair until his behind slipped off the seat and he slid to the floor, waking him completely.
Yawning, Stoney rubbed his face. She noticed the growth of beard darkening his face. His face was ragged, and he seemed older than he looked yesterday. Wait, no it wasn’t yesterday that they snuggled together, making love in their sleeping bags. It seemed so long ago, though she wasn’t sure how long. Two days, she recalled him saying at some point. They were two days away from getting help. How long had she been like this?
Abruptly, he turned to her, his eyes filling with light as he noticed for the first time she was awake. He was at her side in an instant, touching her face, feathering his fingers across her cheek as if the very sight of her was his only link to life itself. He spoke on a sigh of relief. “You’re back.”
Melanie swallowed. Her mouth was cotton dry, preventing her from speaking. She gave it another try and mouthed the word “water,” but instantly got frustrated with her lack of progress.
“That’s my Sunshine. You get as ticked as your little heart desires. Try again. What do you need? You need Joshua?”
She grabbed his shirt to stop him from leaving her side and motioned to the water jug on the tray table.
“You’re thirsty? You want a drink?”
She nodded wearily, slumped her heavy head back on the pillow and waited until he pressed the paper cup to her lips. No doubt she’d been on fluids since she’d arrived at the clinic, but she felt the cool liquid seep right through her parched tongue.
“How long?” she managed to get out.
“We got here yesterday. You've been...sleeping. You need to get some rest.”
“My head. Oh, it hurts, Stoney.”
Stoney's chest tightened, from relief, from the love he felt for Melanie. She looked so frail, it was killing him. “Hold on, I’m running for Joshua.”
“No, don’t go. I need you here.”
He wiped the tear than trickled down her pale cheeks. “Okay, I’m here. I’m right here.”
“I’ve been such a fool,” she mumbled, swallowing a sob.
He should have told her she was right. She’d been a damn fool not to warn him about her medical condition. It nearly cost her her life. He shuddered inside just thinking about the seizure she'd had as the helicopter landed. Thank God they'd been at the clinic when it happened. He couldn't think of what he'd do if he lost her. But this wasn’t a time for I-told-you-so’s. He wasn’t about to kick her down now that she couldn’t fight back.
“All this time I’ve been thinking it was them, but it wasn’t.” She tried to roll over, away from him, but the IV kept her back.
“Hold on, Melanie,” he said softly. He eased himself down on the bed and pulled off his cowboy hat, tossing it to the table. He gently gripped her arms and pulled her closer, trying to give her a shred of comfort, being careful not to yank on her tubes.
“What are you talking about, Sunshine?”
“It was never them.”
Was she still delirious? She was talking in riddles. “Who? Who are you talking about?”
“My parents.” She started to sob softly. “All this time I’ve been thinking they were the enemy. I’ve been so angry at them for trying to control my life. I couldn’t see that it was my body that was letting me down.”
“No. Don’t talk like that. You’re strong. You’re feistier than the maddest bull I’ve ever ridden.” He chuckled, but his tension remained. She was hurt and scared, and so was he. He’d almost lost her. “A lot of people would have died out there, but you held on.”
“You didn’t call my father, did you?”
Guilt stabbed at him. He hadn't even thought of it. “I wanted to make sure you were okay first. I’ll call as soon–”
“No, don't. Please, Stoney, don’t do it.” Her eyes were pleading with him.
“I have to. If I don’t call him, he’ll call the ranch.”
“You don’t have to tell him what happened.”
“I can’t ask my folks to lie.”
“I don’t want them to. I didn’t tell them where I was going.” She swallowed back some sobs. “They’ll make me come home.”
“No one is going to make you do anything you–”
“You don’t know them!” She tried to sit up, pulling at her IV again, but he kept her back. “They’ll come.”
“They’re going to worry.”
“They won’t listen to me. You don’t know what it’s like.” She was crying uncontrollably now, her body shaking with each sob.
“They love you,” he said softly. And he knew he did, too. If it was him, he’d want to know. Damn, he wished he had known, but she kept her diabetes from him. The whole agonizing ride back to the reservation he'd envisioned her dying in his arms. The pain of it still burned in his chest now.
“You don’t understand. Unless you’ve lived my life you couldn’t. It’s like walking a fine line between love and abuse. I know they love me, but they keep me locked up until I feel so suffocated. I know they’re afraid. Maybe more so because I never was. I thought I could beat diabetes, but it won and I lost. I can’t go back to living that way, Stoney. I just can’t.”
She was breathing hard and he knew her tirade had taken its toll.
“We don’t have to talk about this now,” he insisted. “Later...when you're feeling better.”
She dragged in a deep breath and squeezed his hand.
Closing his eyes, he leaned forward and kissed her head, breathing in her scent, trying to memorize the feel of her silky skin against his lips. “Get some rest. I’m just going to find Joshua.” He kissed her again and with great strength, forced himself from her side.
Closing the door behind him, he heard the sounds of voices in the waiting room. Of children crying and mothers trying their best to soothe them. Stoney pulled at the ache in his b
ack from sleeping on the chair and heard his boots echo in the hallway as he walked. He found Joshua at the end of the hall outside an examining room talking to Ivan Collins, the Ranger who piloted the water plane he'd been able to radio.
Joshua Lightfoot was not only his cousin, but Stoney had considered him his best friend. The years they'd spent together in their youth had forged a bond that nothing could shake. At times, it was if they read each other’s minds. Although both men stood eye to eye and had the same dark hair and eyes, Joshua's Arapaho heritage was prominent in his features. “You look like hell,” Joshua said, slapping Stoney on the back.
“I feel just as good, thank you,” Stoney told his cousin.
“I take it Melanie is awake.”
“Thank God.”
“Good, I'll go examine her in a minute. I know you want to hang out here, but I'm going to keep her another day or two.”
“I want to stay,” he said quickly.
Joshua nodded. “I can pull a cot in from the back room for you to sleep on tonight.”
“I appreciate that.”
Stoney forced his hand through his disheveled hair and turned to Ivan Collins.
“I owe you.”
The Ranger waved him off, then shook Stoney's hand. “All in a day's work. Lucky for you I was out doing an aerial scan of that ridge. I'm glad she's doing okay now. Whatever possessed her to go that deep into the mountains without her insulin?”
“She had her medicine. Her mount got spooked by a clap of thunder and shot off. Somehow the saddlebag with her insulin got lost. We weren't able to find it.” He left out the part about not knowing Melanie was diabetic and absorbed Joshua's questioning stare. “She wanted to see some of the wildlife in their natural surroundings. She's a zoologist.”
Ivan's blond, bushy eyebrows lifted. “A zoologist, huh? Now that's interesting. Where does she do her work?”
Stoney sobered, his jaw squared. What was he implying? Melanie had just gone to hell and back and he was thinking of sending her back out there. “She’s fixin' to go to Africa to do some research for a few years.”
“Hmm, then that's our loss. We're always looking for a good naturalist to work with the Park Services. The pay's not great, but you can't beat the view.”
“That's for sure,” Joshua said lightly. Stoney caught his cousin's stare and knew what was on his mind.
The Ranger pushed his hat on his head. “Mention it to her, if you will. Just in case she decides Africa is too far for her liking. Have her give me a call when she’s feeling up to it and we'll talk.” He strode down the hall, his footsteps echoing on the tile floor. Stoney and Joshua were left with an eerie silence.
“You can’t keep her locked up because of her illness, man,” Joshua said after a moment.
“Who said anything about locking her up. Like I said, she has plans,” Stoney countered, not meeting his gaze.
“What makes you think she's going to want to leave Wyoming now?”
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
Joshua leaned against the wall. “You're in love with her. That much I saw the second you walked in yesterday, and you haven't left her side until just now.”
“She has big plans that don't include me,” Stoney said.
“They could if you'd just ask. Maybe that's what brought her here?”
Stoney didn't say anything. How could Joshua understand? He'd always known what he wanted and it was right here on the reservation.
“I've got to go,” Joshua said, motioning to the waiting room. “The house is packed and I've got vaccines to administer by noon.”
Stoney shook Joshua's hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “Thanks, man.”
Joshua nodded. “I'll be in to check on Melanie as soon as I'm finished here.”
Stoney turned and walked back to Melanie's room. His stomach burned with the memory of her words. I know they love me, but they keep me locked up until I feel so suffocated. Sending her out into the kind of life she wanted almost killed her. As much as he hated to admit it to himself, the thought of locking her up to keep her safe was somehow more comforting than letting her follow her dreams.
Telling her about Ivan Collins could keep her here in Wyoming. The thought of having her in his life and in his arms was incredible. But how could he send her out into the wilderness again, not knowing if she'd come home to him?
#
Chapter Eleven
TWO DAYS IN the clinic had Melanie ready to break out. Joshua had insisted that although he was a healer of the body, she needed a blessing by the tribal spiritual healer. But with or without the blessing, Melanie insisted she was leaving. Knowing the woman as he did, Stoney gently advised Joshua that as long as there was no risk to her physically, he'd better release her. For all concerned parties.
Stoney had promised he wouldn't make the call to Melanie's father and to his great relief, no phone calls had come in at the ranch. That left them with where to go next. They hadn’t talked about the future while they were trailing in the mountains. Melanie hadn’t been in much of a mood to talk during her stay in the clinic, either.
She'd needed to prove to herself that she could live the kind of life she'd always dreamed of, despite her diabetes or any deal she'd made with her father. By not fulfilling what she'd set out to do, in her mind, she’d failed.
But not in Stoney’s eyes. He’d vowed not to give her any special treatment in the beginning because she insisted she could hold her own. He’d seen the fear in her eyes each time she was clearly out of her element. The lightning storm that passed over their heads, wading into the river and almost drowning would have rattled the most experienced trailer. She was harder on herself than he could ever be. And she had a determination and fire that he could only admire. She hadn’t failed at all.
But what he believed of her didn't count. Not this time.
The ride back to Black Rock was made in virtual silence. Melanie curled herself into the front seat of Stoney’s late model pickup truck, staring out at the white-capped mountain range they'd been lost in just a few days ago, watching as it whisked past them.
“You can stay at the ranch as long as you like,” he finally said, reaching out to take her hand.
She turned her head and gave him a weak smile. “That’s kind of you.”
He wondered what she was thinking. Somehow, he didn’t think he really wanted to know. He guessed that whatever was spinning circles in her head was going to take her farther away from Wyoming. Away from him.
But what was he thinking? Melanie was a woman with big dreams, and money to make them all come true. Did he really think that she’d hang around now that her reason for coming to Wyoming was gone?
No. Even if she didn’t go to Kenya, she’d go back to Long Island, back to the life she'd led with the social circle. He was a simple man, a cowboy with simple values. What could hard living on a ranch that had a shaky future possibly give her that could compare to the exciting life she’d led before she walked into his life?
He thought of Ivan Collins and his mention of a job with Park Services. As much as Stoney knew that telling Melanie about the job was what he should do, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He couldn’t bear the idea of her going back out into the mountains. This time without him.
He felt a sense of calm wash over him as he pulled his pickup onto the dirt road leading to Black Rock. He’d had his days on the road going from rodeo to rodeo. But in the last year, he realized just how much this place meant to him. It was his home, where he belonged.
Adele sprang out of the side door when she saw them pull up. Stoney got out of the pickup first and waited by the side of the truck for Melanie. Her mood immediately lifted when she saw Adele.
Adele pulled Stoney into her arms. “I’m so glad you’re home.” Turning to Melanie, she reached out and gave her a hug. “How are you feeling, honey? I’ve been so worried.”
“Better, thank you.” Melanie felt the weight of tears behind her eyelids. There
was so much love and concern for each other here. It wasn’t that she didn’t have that back in Long Island. She knew her parents' love for her ran as deep as the earth was wide. But unlike with her family, Melanie didn’t feel the same controlling attitude at Black Rock. Only pure love and concern.
She turned to the sound of horses' hooves in the distance. Mitch was at the stable, leaning down from his mount and talking to Wally, who sat in his wheelchair craning his neck to look at Mitch. On the other side of the stable, she saw Thunder, Chester and Dolly in the corral. Stoney hadn’t told her much of what had happened once they’d made it to the reservation. She hadn’t thought about how the horses got back to the ranch and now that she saw them dancing circles around the paddock, she was happy they were safe.
“Why don’t you come inside and rest awhile. I’m sure you’re tired from the ride.”
Melanie managed a smile for Adele sake. “My backside is numb from sitting in that hospital bed these last two days. If you don’t mind, I’m just going to check on Dolly.”
Turning away, she felt Stoney’s worried eyes on her back as she dug her boots into the gravel leading to the corral. As she drew closer, Dolly spotted her and pranced over to the side of the fence. “No apple chips for you today I’m afraid.” She gripped the dry wood rail with one hand and reached up to stroke the mare's coat with the other. “How are you doing, girl?” she murmured.
As if answering, Dolly bobbed her head up and down, and stomped her front hoof into the ground.
“She’s doing just fine.” Stoney brushed his hand on her back. She closed her eyes, taking his comfort. “How about you? Are you okay with all of this?”
The last thing she wanted was for Stoney to feel sorry for her. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was going to do now. Maybe she’d take him up on his offer and stay a few days at the ranch to clear her head before returning to Long Island to face her father. But she couldn’t bear to see the pity on Stoney's face. She’d given it her best, and she’d failed. Her body failed. Now she had to pick herself up and figure out which direction to turn next.
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