Fractured Eden

by Steven Gossington

  “What’s that?”

  “I saw you standing by a bunch of cows. Do you have any cattle?”

  Aaron lurched back laughing. “No, they’re not my cattle. They’ve been grazing behind my house.”

  “I’ve been wracking my brain to figure it out. Why would I have a vision of you with cows?”

  Aaron took a deep breath. “Let me put it this way. They’re unusual cattle, and those cows and their owner have been an important part of my life recently.”

  Tucker clapped his hands. “Well then, that explains it. Merci beaucoup. Thanks.”

  “You were right about Rachel. Someone did try to hurt her, and I appreciate your warning me about that. Feel free to let me know your thoughts and visions anytime.”

  “I will. It makes me feel better to talk about them.”

  “I imagine your visions are usually accurate?”

  Tucker raised his hand. “No, not usually accurate. I’m always accurate. I don’t think I’ve ever been wrong.”

  Aaron smiled as Tucker strutted out of the clinic.

  After work, Aaron pulled into Rachel’s driveway in his new candy-apple red 1948 Ford F-1 pickup truck. He escorted her to the truck and spread his arms.

  “What do you think? I just picked it up,” Aaron said.

  “It’s old.”

  “Sure, it is. It’s a classic. The one I told you about.”

  He had a broad smile on his face as they puttered away.

  “Where are we going?” she said.

  “Let’s decide on dinner later. I want to make another stop first.”

  “You sound mighty mysterious. Is this a surprise?”

  “I need to find out something about myself.”

  Aaron drove for a while along Big Thicket roads and stopped in front of the entrance sign to Ghost Road.

  Rachel leaned forward. “Would you believe it? I’ve never been here before.”

  “I have once, and it scared the bejeebers out of me.” He recounted to Rachel the stories of decapitated ghosts and strange wandering lights along the road.

  Aaron turned onto the road and crept along until he reached the halfway point.

  “Let’s get out.” They were alone on the road.

  Rachel shivered. “Are you sure about this? Should we even be here in the dark?”

  He touched her shoulder. “We can do this. For me now, I feel like it’s kind of a rite of passage. That’s why I came.”

  They stepped out onto the road and crept along the grassy shoulder hand in hand. Aaron strained his ears. “The Big Thicket is quiet tonight.”

  “It smells kind of nice out here, like fresh pine needles,” Rachel said.

  Aaron smiled at her. “You’ve stopped shivering. Good.”

  “It’s warm and comfortable.”

  Aaron stopped. “Do you believe in angels?”

  Rachel cocked her head. “I guess so. Why do you ask?”

  “I may never know for sure, but since I moved here, I feel like I’ve been helped by angels. Is that just my crazy brain acting up again?”

  Rachel squeezed his hand. “You’re not crazy, and I believe you have been helped. We all need help sometimes.”

  Aaron laughed and lifted a hand to the sky. “Well, in that case, bring on the angels.” Images of Marley Brighton and Grant Belkin floated across his vision.

  He peered into Rachel’s eyes. “You’re not a real angel, are you?”

  “What if I was?”

  “I know. You probably wouldn’t tell me if you were, but how about if I keep thinking you’re an angel?”

  She hugged him. “I’d like that. I’ll try to live up to it.”

  They strolled for about an hour up and down both sides of the road.

  As they approached Aaron’s truck, a soothing breeze ruffled their hair.

  Aaron stopped. “I haven’t seen any freaky visions, and the air out here feels really good in my lungs.” He smiled at Rachel. “I think we’re accepted.”

  “What do you mean? Who’s accepting us?”

  “The Big Thicket.” Aaron cupped his hands around his mouth. “Thank you, Big Thicket,” he yelled. He ran in circles around his truck, pumping his arms in the air.

  Rachel laughed. “I’ve never seen anybody so ecstatic about a bunch of trees.”

  Aaron stopped and put his hands on her shoulders.

  “It’s more than that. I know for sure now. This is my home.”

  An hour later, Aaron and Rachel sat in their favorite Tex-Mex restaurant, munching on burritos and guacamole.

  “You don’t like my truck much, do you?” Aaron said. “It’s okay if you don’t.”

  She touched his hand. “I’m getting used to it. It reminds me of one of my grandfather’s old trucks. I have fond memories of that truck.”

  “Then I’ll keep it for a while.”

  “Good.” She took a sip of her margarita. “What will happen to Race Taggett?”

  “He’s with his mother, Wanda, in the state psychiatric facility.” Aaron smiled. “I don’t think he’ll hurt anybody else.”

  “I guess the insanity defense was tailor-made for those two.”

  Aaron nodded. “I’m sure that will be his defense. Besides, I don’t think you could execute that guy anyway. He truly has nine lives.”

  “At least he’s out of our lives now.”

  “Speaking of the Taggetts, I heard something funny recently. Sid Taggett won a lot of money gambling in Las Vegas, and he told his friends here that Wanda’s voodoo charms may have helped him hit the jackpot.”

  Rachel grinned. “I hear some gamblers keep voodoo dolls with them to bring luck.”

  “Let’s go to New Orleans and check into that,” Aaron said.

  Rachel snorted. “I’ll go to New Orleans with you, but I don’t know about the voodoo part.”

  “All right, no voodoo.” Aaron snapped his fingers. “I’ve been meaning to tell you something. One reason I left Connecticut was that there were some complaints about my clinical competence. Well, I got a letter recently from a doctor friend. I’ve been exonerated of any wrongdoing at my old hospital.”

  “I find it hard to believe someone would charge you with that.”

  Aaron blushed and smiled. “Thanks. Turns out it was all bogus anyway. A doctor lied about me, and she and the asshole chief of staff have been sanctioned.”

  Rachel slapped the table. “Good.”

  “And get this. The medical staff wants me to come back to my old job.”

  Rachel frowned. “Are you considering that?”

  “Hell, no. I’d never go back there. Besides, you told me that this is your home.” He squeezed her hand. “And I want to be where you are.”

  Rachel smiled, and her dimples deepened.

  A song popped into Aaron’s head.

  “What are you humming?” Rachel said.

  “ ‘Mayberry,’ by Rascal Flatts.” He laughed. “I guess it’s not exactly the Garden of Eden around here, but with you, my new town seems more like mythical Mayberry now.”

  After dinner, they stood by his car and embraced for several minutes.

  “I want to take something back,” Aaron said.

  “What?”

  “I had it backwards. It’s more than Mayberry. You do make this place seem more like the Garden of Eden to me.” Aaron stared into her eyes. “I feel like this is the beginning of a wonderful relationship, ours I mean.”

  “I feel the same way.”

  She planted her dimples on his lips.

  Late the next afternoon, Aaron waved at Marley and Cristal walking their dog along the road. He stopped in his driveway to check his mailbox and wait for them.

  “I heard you bought a classic truck,” Marley said.

  Aaron nodded. “I drove it around town yesterday. Let me show you.” He opened the garage door and they walked over to his restored 1948 Ford F-1 truck. “What do you think?”

  “It’s a beauty.”

  “It’s a bit slow and bounc
y, but I like it.”

  Cristal ran her hand along the side of the truck. “It’s smooth. I like red.”

  Aaron grinned. “Red is my favorite color.”

  “Dale McCorkindale ordered it for you, didn’t he?” Marley said.

  “Yes, and to his credit, he got me a good one, for a decent price.”

  “I think he’s going to jail.”

  Aaron’s jaw dropped. “Jail? For what?”

  “The police think he was embezzling money from his car business.”

  Aaron shook his head. “I had a feeling that something fishy was going on with him.” I’ll bet he blew all that money on his wild investment schemes.

  “His wife filed for divorce, too.”

  “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.” She probably found out about his VD and his prostitutes.

  Aaron stepped closer to Marley. “I guess Forrester is moving on with life?”

  Marley sighed. “It’s a struggle, but he’s learning to live with his disability.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” You stayed by him, all these years.

  Aaron blushed and held up his hands. “Now, don’t laugh at me, but I get this strange impression. Sometimes I think you’re an angel. I mean, a real angel. Is that crazy, or what?”

  Marley smiled. “What an idea.” Her eyes sparkled. “Don’t you go spreading that rumor.”

  Aaron shrugged his shoulders. “No one would believe it anyway.”

  Marley and Cristal stood facing him, hand in hand.

  I’m over her, but I’ll never forget her, Aaron thought.

  “I wanted you to know. We’re moving away,” Marley said.

  Aaron froze. “What? Why?”

  “We’ll move close to my parents. They can help me with Forrester and Cristal, and we’ll be near a major medical center for Forrester.”

  “I understand. Can I hug you?” He threw his arms around her in a tight embrace. Cristal hugged his leg.

  Marley stepped back. A breeze lifted her hair, and she nodded at him. “You can handle it now. You’re in the right place, and you’ve helped a lot of people in this town. You’re a good man, Aaron Rovsing, and a mighty fine doctor.”

  A warmth surged through his body. I know that now.

  She put her hand on his shoulder. “I heard you stood your ground with Race. That gave hope to him, and you.”

  Aaron gazed at the remarkable person before him.

  Marley kissed him on the cheek, then she turned and walked with Cristal to the end of the driveway, where she stopped and waved goodbye.

  Chapter 64

  The next morning, Aaron woke up to cows mooing.

  He pulled on some clothes and walked out the back door into the early morning light.

  “Mornin’,” Grant Belkin said, his voice reverberating around the pasture. He sat on his horse by Aaron’s backyard fence and not far from the herd of cattle.

  Aaron strolled to the fence, his dog at his side. He raised his voice over the din of the cattle. “Meet my new dog, Red.”

  “Good-lookin’ dog.”

  Aaron rubbed Red’s head. “I think I’m getting used to the Texas heat. I’m not sweating so much.”

  “It doesn’t take long.”

  Aaron scanned the herd. Many of the cows looked at him and mooed in unison, a bovine choir serenading him.

  He turned to Grant. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about that robbery we had in our neighborhood a few weeks back. Did they hit your house?”

  “Nope.”

  “The dispatcher thought you were the person who called and reported it.”

  “It was just a lucky guess on my part.”

  “So, it was you,” Aaron said. “You know, you constantly amaze me.”

  “Now, don’t get carried away. I’ve just been lookin’ after the neighborhood.”

  “Thank goodness.”

  “You’re lookin’ good,” Grant said. “Finally gettin’ enough sleep?”

  Aaron smiled. “Now that you mention it, yes. Everything’s great with me now.” He furrowed his brow at Grant. “How about you? Are you feeling all right?”

  “I couldn’t be better.”

  “Someone told me that you’d had a brain tumor.”

  Grant dismounted his horse and walked up to Aaron. “Ever’one has to walk through the fire, sooner or later.”

  “You mean, the tumor’s gone?”

  “You don’t have to worry about me.”

  “That’s good to know. Did you get surgery or radiation or chemotherapy?”

  “I got what I needed.”

  “What—”

  Grant raised his hand. “It’s okay. It’s all over.”

  Aaron sighed. “Well, in that case, I’m glad.”

  Grant pointed at his cattle. “The whole herd came to visit you this morning.”

  “They’re loud today. Louder than I’ve ever heard them before,” Aaron said.

  “Yep. They’re all into it. They haven’t had much to be happy about lately, until now.”

  “Why are they so happy now?”

  Grant turned to him. “The evil is gone. This is a good place again.”

  “Ah, yes. I keep thinking of the Garden of Eden.”

  Grant nodded. “Every Garden of Eden has its serpents.”

  Aaron studied the cows. They continued to moo at him, a lowing sound.

  “I’d swear they’re trying to talk to me,” Aaron said.

  “They are. Maybe they’re sayin’ that you’re where you’re supposed to be.” He put his hand on Aaron’s shoulder and lowered his voice. “You and I are here for a reason.”

  His eyes are brighter than ever, Aaron thought.

  Aaron nodded. “I do feel much better about my move here.”

  Grant stepped away from the fence and mounted his horse. He turned the horse toward Aaron, and his words boomed out. “You’ve been good for a lot of folks around here, includin’ Race Taggett.” His eyes were like searing beams of light. “You showed courage when you were trapped in his hidden world in the Big Thicket.”

  “Thanks.” Aaron cocked his head. But, how would you know I was trapped? I only told Rachel and Constable Greevy the whole story.

  Grant smiled. “Since you’ve come, we’re all in a better place. There’s hope for this town now. So I’m movin’ on.”

  “What do you mean, moving on?” Everyone is leaving.

  “I could do with a smaller pasture, so I’m takin’ my cattle to another ranch.”

  “Where?”

  “Not far from here. Don’t worry, I’ll never be far away.”

  Aaron lifted his hand. “Wait. You said I showed courage.” He pointed at Grant. “I had some help against Race Taggett, didn’t I?”

  Grant shook his head. “Nope. We were ready to help, but we didn’t have to. It was all you. The courage you needed was right there inside you all along.” He took off his hat and tipped it to Aaron. “Adios.”

  Aaron held his hand up and waved. He squinted as Grant and his horse faded away into the misty dawn.

  That was a strange light around his body.

  He scratched his cheek.

  What did he mean: ‘we were ready to help’?

  Aaron looked over the treetops to the early morning light. Geez, why do I get the feeling that some people around here aren’t real at all?

  That night, Aaron stood next to his back yard fence before turning in for the evening.

  I’ll miss those cattle.

  He turned toward a fluttering noise. Not six feet away from him, a large owl perched on a fence post.

  “So, I finally meet you up close, my guardian owl,” Aaron said. “I haven’t heard from you in a while.”

  They stared at each other, unblinking.

  Aaron smiled. “I’m okay now.”

  The owl blinked, spread his wings and flapped away into the trees.

  About the Author

  Steven Gossington is an emergency room physician (medical school - Baylor College of
Medicine; residency - Georgetown University Hospital) with over 30 years of patient care experience. For 11 years, he was an academic professor in emergency medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, and he published 20 book chapters and medical articles of original research. His enjoyment of mystery and suspense fiction and his love of writing led to his first novel Fractured Eden, a psychological suspense story in which he draws upon his extensive experience with mentally ill emergency room patients. He can be contacted at www.StevenGossington.com.