A Rare Breed

by Mary Tate Engels

  Realistically, she knew that this would be their last trip to the beautiful turquoise pool with its sparkling waterfall. There would be no more lazy afternoons lying in Jake's arms on the white beach. She gazed longingly at the water, which seemed dark and ominous in the growing twilight. Even the crystalline sand was shadowed. Brit remembered their lovemaking there and their speculation that the Anasazi had been here before them, perhaps making love on that same spot. She thought of their laughter, of their shared moments of quiet pleasure. It was over, she knew.

  Sighing, she fell into line behind Yolanda. They moved slowly and methodically toward camp. Jake couldn't make it any other way. By her second trip back to camp, Brit was exhausted.

  It was dark when they arrived. They quickly agreed that Jake should sleep in the tent since climbing up the rock wall to their little cave was out of the question. Brit switched the sleeping bags and tried to make the bed comfortable for him.

  He joined her inside the tent. "I hate to move Rudi and Yolanda to that cave."

  Brit glanced up. "What? You mean it's okay for me, but not good enough for them?"

  "No." He scoffed. "Of course, that's not what I mean. It's just—"

  "I know what you mean, Jake. But button it up. They don't mind. You're injured and you need to be here. And I ..." she paused and grinned, "need to be with you. Actually, a hard surfaced mattress is what you need. It'll keep you flat and more comfortable."

  "Would you help me with this thing, Brit?"

  "Sure, Jake. What?"

  He raised his arms slightly. "Make it tight, Brit. Tight as you can."

  She tried to ignore his obvious pain as she pulled the Ace bandage taut around his smooth dark-skinned chest. "How's that? Does it hint? Too tight?"

  "Ahhh, no. It's good. Now I know how a corset feels. Awful. I can't believe women wore these torture devices willingly."

  "All to attract our men," Brit commented wryly, helping him put his shirt back on. "But it wasn’t usually worn with a broken rib."

  "Feels like . . . hell."

  She watched him kneel with effort and pack away his camera. Was it worth it? she wanted to yell at him. Was it worth risking your life for a couple of photos? But she didn’t because she was afraid his answer would be yes.

  When they returned outside to eat, there was no campfire because Jake always started it. But supper was ready. Rudi handed Jake a bowl of chili. "It's not exactly homemade, but it's the best I can do down here."

  "It smells great, Rudi. Thanks."

  Yolanda brought him hot chocolate and a couple of aspirin. "Here you go, Spiderman. I wish I had something stronger for the pain, Jake, like a little whiskey."

  Jake smiled, but it looked more like a grimace. "Thanks, Yolanda. This'll be fine. You've all been great. I could never have made it out of there without you."

  She grinned and winked at him. "Hey, I think we owed you a couple, Spiderman. At least, I did."

  "Naw, you owe me nothing," Jake objected modestly. "You sure you'll be okay sleeping up in the cave? I'm sorry to—"

  She held up one hand to stop him. "It's no big deal, Jake. If you and Brit can sleep up there, so can Rudi and I. It'll be something to tell our grandkids about." She gave Brit a generous smile. "Someday I may even write a book about our experiences, like Bonnie did. Wouldn't that be a hoot?"

  Brit chuckled. She couldn't believe this was the same Yolanda who screamed about the loss of her valuables and objected so strongly to sleeping on the ground their first night here.

  Before long, Brit and Jake decided to turn in for the night. Brit went with him into the tent, ostensibly to help. Jake removed his shirt, then stretched out on the sleeping bag. Brit removed his boots and socks and tugged the legs of his jeans. He was a spectacular man, so masculine with long lean legs, a slender waist and broad muscular chest. The sight of him, his coffee-colored skin glowing in the lantern light, took her breath.

  How could she sleep with him and not make love? Then, the Ace bandage binding his ribs reminded her that it was painful for him to move. And she knew they would do nothing except sleep.

  Brit removed her clothes, Jake's shirt and jeans, and folded them. She looked up and saw him watching her.

  "You're beautiful, Brit. Sometimes I forget what a fabulous woman you are under my sloppy clothes."

  "You're beautiful, too, Jake." She turned off the lantern and slid into the sleeping bag beside him. "But you're injured. And you need rest."

  He sighed heavily. "Just because I can't love you tonight, doesn't mean I don't want to. But I can imagine, and dream."

  She moved alongside his warm body and wrapped her leg around his. "Me, too." Reaching out, she rested her head on his arm and nestled her hand in his. Touching him was the only way she could communicate the depth of her feelings tonight.

  Everyone in camp spent the next day helping Jake in every way they could. They fixed his meals and brought them to him. They helped him up and down. They played cards with him.

  Finally, at dinner around the campfire, Jake said, “This is it. I'm ready to head out tomorrow."

  Brit froze. Did she hear him right? They'd be leaving? So soon? She felt frantic, slightly nauseated. It was crazy, having such physical reactions to something she'd wanted for so long. Or had she?

  Rudi and Yolanda exchanged quick glances. "You sure you can make it, Jake?" Yolanda asked anxiously.

  "With your help, I can. Aren't you ready to go?"

  She smiled shyly. "Jake, I know you aren't going to believe this, but I'm actually enjoying it here."

  "You're right. I don't believe it. I know you've been out of your element and it's been extremely difficult for you and the others. Now that this has happened, I'm ready to go. My work is basically done, except for more photos I had hoped to take. I thought a rescue chopper would be here by now, but Frank must have had problems getting out."

  "What do you think happened?"

  "I'm afraid he got lost somewhere along the way. Perhaps he took a wrong turn. He could be injured, too. Who knows? The best we can do is get ourselves out and send help for him. Tomor-row we hike. It'll take two to three days to reach Phantom Ranch, the only place to stay in the base of the canyon. Then we can get help."

  Later that night, in the darkness, Brit whispered, "Jake, you asleep?"

  "No. Thinking about tomorrow. Anxious, I guess."

  "Me, too. I'm like Yolanda. Reluctant." She propped up on her elbows and tried to see him in the darkness. She could only make out his form. "Kinda hate to leave."

  "You women are amazing. First, you hate it here, hate everything about it. Then you don't want to leave. I don't understand."

  "It's been a learning experience, as they say. So beautiful, so quiet. I'll miss this . . . miss everything here." Miss you, she thought, near tears.

  "Me, too."

  "You?" She forced a laugh. "What could you possibly miss?"

  He pulled her head down to rest on his chest and stroked her hair. "You. Everything here. Everything we've done. My social life has been more active here than at home."

  "You must be a hermit."

  "Well, Flagstaff is a small town. And lately, I've been so focused."

  "On what?"

  "Work, mostly."

  "Don't you have a girl?" She grinned at him in the dark and wished she could see his face. "I mean, don't you have a woman friend? Don't you go to movies? Play cards? Dance?"

  "No."

  "Jake, I don't believe that."

  "It's true. I'm a loner. I wanted to establish myself at NAU as a full professor. I'm on a tenured track. And you know how it is. They expect publication and research development. I went there fresh from my divorce. I was pretty angry. And bitter. I didn't trust people . . . women, especially. Donna embodied all my mistrust."

  "Donna?"

  "My former wife."

  "Are you still bitter? Is that why you're a loner?"

  "You've changed that, Brit. Changed my life and my mind. You give
me a chance to laugh, to have fun. I've loved having you here, Brit. I can't imagine what it would have been like without you."

  "Quiet."

  "Lonely."

  "I've loved being here, Jake. I hate the thought of going back. I don't want to leave you."

  "Then stay awhile. Stay with me in Flag and . . ." His hand came under her hair, and he gently stroked her neck. "We'll have our own private party every night." He rubbed her back.

  "We’ll eat in a real restaurant." His hand slid lower and caressed her rounded rear. "We'll make love in a real bed."

  "Sounds wonderful. Just being with you would be enough for me. I've realized since we've been down here, that people and relationships and love are more important than anything. Especially money or the things it buys. And you are the most important of all, Jake."

  She turned into the curve of his body, her spine to his chest. His hand moved over her, gentle fingers tracing her feminine curves, her breasts, her waist. He touched her lower, deeper.

  "I like a man who chooses something and goes after it. But Jake . . ."

  "You, Brit," he said in a low breath. "I want you."

  "Tonight?"

  "Now."

  "But, how"

  "I'll show you . . ."

  While he recuperated, Knife Wing told me stories of his people. They were ancient tales, re-lated from one generation to the next, from the beginning of time. The stories were strange to my ears, yet somehow familiar. They reminded me of Bible stories my grandmother used to tell me when I was a child. Some were tales about the beginning of the Zuni people; others had lessons for good behavior, like how to treat each other and how to respect the earth. Those stories helped me to understand Knife Wing, and we grew closer after that.

  He wanted to know if my people had stories, and I told him about how my grandparents came West in a covered wagon and lived in a sod house. My grandmother was a teacher and Mother traveled for the county extension service, teaching farmers first aid and how to cook and can and preserve vegetables. Our worlds weren't so different, after all. It was a beautiful time for Knife Wing and me.

  Chapter Eleven

  Brit woke early the next morning. All was quiet except for a confused dove coo-cooing at the last stars. She knew that the nocturnal creatures would be making their last journey across the rocks before daylight and heat drove them into hiding. In some ways, she envied the animals who could stay here in this exotic paradise with their mates.

  Lying very still beside Jake, even without touching him, she could feel the heat from his body. She loved that feeling. This is the beginning of the end of my great adventure, she thought sadly. And of my great love.

  Brit tried to evaluate this strange sense of loss she felt. Her loss was not of something actually attained, for her relationship with Jake was just beginning. But the potential of what they could have was monumental in her heart. It was a love she felt, but could not understand or even express. Her feelings for him started with admiration, with respect for what he did and how he thought and behaved. She smiled to herself. Yes, I love his mind.

  But their physical attraction could not be ignored, either. Yes, she found him irresistibly handsome. Dark and somewhat exotic. Sexy. When he touched her, she became his. Even before he touched her, she was his in her own imagination. Her thoughts of him, of them together, were privately exciting. But the reality was something quite different. She wasn't sure that he was hers at all. He had never made any commitment to her.

  Suddenly, a lump that felt as big as her fist filled her throat and Brit wanted to cry, to lament along with the lonely-sounding dove about her soon-to-be-lost love. She slid out of the sleeping bag and dressed quietly to avoid waking Jake. While she made coffee for their last morning in camp, she recalled a brief passage that Bonnie wrote in what was now getting to be a well-worn book.

  Leaving Knife Wing's camp was a mixed blessing. I was glad to get back to Sara and the comforts of home. But I missed Knife Wing terribly. I missed the ordinary things—seeing him every morning, sharing the day's activities, hearing his ancient stories at night, and more.

  Brit felt that she understood what Bonnie meant. There was the unwritten speculation that Bonnie and Knife Wing were already lovers, and undoubtedly Bonnie missed his loving along with the "ordinary things." Brit was full of those same mixed emotions now, too. She wanted to get back to civilization and the comforts of home, yet did not want to leave Jake. Unfortunately, both were inevitable.

  When everyone finally awoke, they all worked together to break camp. Brit marveled at how Yolanda and Rudi eagerly pitched in, packing exactly as Jake instructed since he was not able to bend or carry much weight. Adequate water, a minimal amount of food, and sleeping bags would be carried along in backpacks. The remainder of Jake's equipment would be piled at the edge of the clearing where supplies were dropped and covered with the tarp where a helicopter would pick it up later. By noon, they were ready to hike.

  "Wait!" Yolanda balked. She wore a strange, almost timid, expression. "We have to say good bye to this beautiful camp."

  "Oh, good Lord!" Rudi exclaimed. "Haven't you had enough of this place?"

  "There are memories here, Rudi," Yolanda explained. "Good ones as well as the not so good."

  "Especially the hot to good," he responded quickly. "I almost lost you here, so you’ll excuse me if I don’t get sentimental. Come on, babe."

  Still, Yolanda stood there. She looked up at the trees, around the camp, and down at the pool and stream where she'd nearly been washed away. As if called into some mystic ritual, a large golden eagle circled overhead, bidding them farewell from its wild, remote domain. "Yes," Yolanda yelled with a wave to the grand bird. "It's time for us to go, but we'll be back."

  Jake led the way down the trail with Rudi right behind him. Brit fell into step with Yolanda. "I understand what you're feeling."

  "I'm glad you do, 'cause I sure don't."

  "I sort of hate to leave, too. It's funny, isn't it. Weird that we want to leave and yet . . ." Brit paused and gazed at the towering red cliffs where the eagle was making one last circle.

  "Yeah, it's crazy, but I feel sad right now. I know I want to return someday." Yolanda spoke with conviction. "Definitely want to return here. Not exactly the way we came, but I'd sure like to come back here. It's a special place."

  "Yes," Brit agreed in a low voice. "Yes, it is." And they walked the vague path in silence.

  Occasionally along the way, Jake pointed out wild animals. From a lofty ledge, a couple of bighorn sheep watched them solemnly. They rounded a curve and scared a lone coyote drinking from the nearby stream. At one point in the heat of the afternoon, a hawk suddenly appeared, swooped down and, amid a cacophony of screeching, caught a small bird in midair. Just as suddenly, it disappeared with its prey.

  "How awful!" Brit exclaimed, voicing the horror they all felt.

  "It's a perfectly natural act," Jake explained, shading his eyes to view the distant spot where the hawk vanished. "He's gone. Probably feeding his family. Or her family. You've got to re-member that hawks are predators. This is how they live. We just witnessed a rare sight in nature."

  "I can do without that kind of rare sight." Brit shook her head and stumbled along. "Can we rest now?"

  During the course of the afternoon, they stopped frequently for water and rest. None of them was in top physical shape for such a hike. Jake was still in considerable pain with his cracked rib. After a couple of grueling hours, Rudi was red-faced and panting. Yolanda and Brit had no stamina in the heat. Their pace was slow and agonizing.

  By late afternoon, the heat took its toll, and Jake called for a rest stop that would last several hours. They ate peanut butter and crackers for supper and watched a small herd of deer grazing across the stream from them. Then they continued walking after dark when it was much cooler.

  The next day was much the same. Slow. Hot. Agonizing. Hiking out of the canyon was turning out to be a laborious trip. Several times
during the two days of hiking, they heard tour planes flying over the canyon. No one said anything, but they were reminders that civilization was not far away.

  The second night, they camped close to the stream. Everyone had willingly taken to the icy water, wading to soothe weary feet and splashing water over their dusty bodies with no regard to the chill. Supper was, again, cold and dry since they hadn't brought the stove along, and no fires were allowed in this part of the canyon.

  "I'm ready to go home," Yolanda admitted as she cuddled next to Rudi. "It's hard to believe this place is so cool at night when it's hot as blazes in the daytime."

  "I'm tired," Rudi said, and everyone agreed with silent nods. "Bone tired. And this backpack seems to get heavier by the hour."

  "At least we don't have to pack our garbage out like Jake threatened in the beginning," Yolanda said with a scowl.

  "I thought you'd appreciate having it airlifted with the equipment," Jake said, patting Yolanda's knee.

  "Thank you, Jake." She gave him a perfunctory smile, then added, "I'm hungry. What a lousy way to lose weight."

  Jake leaned back and propped his ankle on his knee. "This will be our last night camping. By tomorrow we'll reach Phantom Ranch. You can eat all you want there. And connections with the outside can be made."

  "You mean, we could call for a rescue?" Rudi asked. "All right! We could get a helicopter out, babe."

  "No helicopters, no planes," Yolanda repeated adamantly. "We're still in the bottom of the canyon. I told you, I'm not flying out of here."

  "Ohhh," Rudi groaned. "I don't think I can make it out on foot."

  Brit massaged her feet. "At least you have shoes. All I have are these thin moccasins."

  "There is another way," Jake suggested. "We could get the park service to bring down some mules for us. We can ride the mules out of the canyon from the ranch."