Zeke

by Annette Broadrick

  She crawled into the plane and opened her bags, staring into them. She was thankful she'd carried a large handbag. At least she could put her smaller necessities in there.

  Once she was out of the plane with her clothes, she added them to the items in the duffel bag. Zeke locked the plane and said, "I think we'll head in that direction." He pointed toward the mountains. "Since we didn't see anything as we were flying over, we can only hope there's something up ahead." They started down the road.

  Angie didn't give much thought on what was up ahead of them. She was too concerned about Zeke. With his head bandaged and his arm in a sling, he looked like a wounded warrior walking beside her. She tried to keep her concern from him but noticed that he made no effort to move faster than the pace she set.

  By the time the sun began to set several hours later, she was hard-pressed not to panic. They hadn't seen a soul, nor had there been any traces of people living nearby.

  The side of Zeke's face was swollen and discolored and he was holding his body stiff, as though every jolting step shot through him with agonizing regularity.

  They were going to have to find a place to spend the night before the light was gone. She kept glancing at Zeke. He hadn't said anything for more than an hour. She had offered to carry the small duffel bag shortly after they started walking, but he had refused and she hadn't pushed the issue.

  Her eyes searched the horizon as she had been doing repeatedly for hours. Only this time she saw a wisp of smoke in the distance.

  Chapter 4

  "Zeke! Look over there!"

  The heat and the continued jarring of his shoulder with every step he took had done nothing to improve Zeke's pain these past several hours. He had been forcing himself to keep moving, concentrating on placing first one foot, then the other, in front of him.

  Left, right, left, right. Reminded him of the military, always marching somewhere, always—

  Angie tugged on his arm, breaking his concentration.

  "There's smoke coming from the other side of that hill. Perhaps there's a settlement over there."

  Zeke stared in the direction she was pointing, forcing his eyes to focus. After a moment he saw smoke slowly rising above the tops of the trees.

  He stopped and absently rubbed his head.

  "Is your head bothering you?"

  "A little. That and my shoulder. The pain certainly hasn't gone away."

  "Do you want to take another one of my pain relievers?"

  He was tempted, definitely tempted. Then he looked around them, surprised to see how far the sun had moved along its arc in the sky. Glancing back at the smoke, he said, "Let's check out the smoke. Maybe we can find a phone or a car or something. I'm afraid if I take anything for pain now, I'll fall asleep."

  Zeke led the way through the trees, heading directly for the crest of the hill. By the time they reached the top, they were both breathing hard.

  They saw a primitive log cabin nestled in a small clearing below them. The smoke was drifting upward from a stone chimney.

  "Well, at least we found a place where we can stay," Angie pointed out, trying to find something positive to say. "And we know someone's there." She glanced up at Zeke, worried about his lack of color. "You need to rest. Let's go let them know we're here."

  They were lucky to have spotted anyone living in these mountains, Zeke decided, concentrating on taking each step. Those who had chosen to live among the mountains were reclusive by nature and wouldn't appreciate being disturbed by outsiders. He would have to make them understand about the plane... make them understand... what was happening to the light? The sun was going down too quickly. They were running out of light. Thank God, they were almost at the cabin—

  Zeke stumbled and, instead of catching himself, slid to the ground in a boneless heap. Angie grabbed his uninjured arm but couldn't keep him from going down.

  "Zeke!"

  Angie looked around, wondering what to do. He was too heavy for her to move. Turning toward the cabin, she trotted up to the door and knocked. When no one answered, she knocked again, saying, "Please, can you help us? Our plane went down and the pilot is injured. Please. Won't you help us?"

  After agonizing minutes that seemed to stretch into hours, the door slowly swung inward. An elderly woman stood there, looking uneasy.

  "Oh, thank you," Angie said as soon as the door opened. "Is there someone who could help me move him inside?" She motioned to where Zeke lay, unconscious. "We've been walking for several hours and he's been in considerable pain." She glanced back at Zeke. "I don't know what to do for him."

  The woman stepped out of the cabin with dignified grace. "I'm alone here, but I will see what I can do." She quickly headed toward Zeke. "What are his injuries?"

  Angie kept up with the woman's rapid pace. "I think his shoulder is the worst, plus he has a cut on his head."

  "How long ago did this happen?"

  "Sometime this morning. I don't know how long that's been."

  They reached Zeke and knelt beside him. The woman eased the head bandage off and looked at the wound, then lightly touched his shoulder. He moaned without regaining consciousness.

  "His shoulder is dislocated. We mustn't leave it like this. The longer the shoulder is out, the more difficulty he will have." She motioned to Angie. "Come. You must help me."

  Angie had been watching the woman's competent movements with a sense of bewilderment. "How do you know what to do?" she asked.

  The woman glanced up. "I was a nurse for many years in a hospital near the coast. I'm too old to work, but I haven't lost the knowledge of what to do." She gave Angie instructions on how to hold him down while she worked with the shoulder. "It is better to do this while he is unconscious, because of the pain, you see."

  Angie braced herself against Zeke, not wanting to see him suffer but understanding the need for what this woman was preparing to do.

  The woman made an abrupt move, causing Zeke to jerk and cry out, then his head lolled to the side and the woman nodded, obviously satisfied. "There. Luckily the shoulder went back into place without much trouble."

  Angie thought her definition of trouble might not be the same as Zeke's.

  "We need to get him inside and he's much too heavy for us to carry," the woman said. She began to speak to him, rubbing his hands, while Angie watched in amazement.

  When Zeke eventually opened his eyes Angie wanted to hug him in relief.

  "Zeke? How are you feeling?"

  He stared up at her in bewilderment. Then his gaze slowly circled the clearing until it rested on the woman who knelt beside him. She smiled, patting his hand.

  "Good evening, Zeke. Do you think you can stand long enough for us to get you inside?"

  He blinked. "Who are you?"

  "Maria Cerventes. You and your friend found my place while seeking help. I am pleased to offer what I can, but you will need to help. Do you understand?"

  He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and nodded. The two women helped him to sit up. He groaned, clutching his shoulder.

  "Yes, it will be sore for a few days, but the worst is over, I think. We'll clean up that scalp wound, once we get you inside. It may need a few stitches."

  Zeke looked at Angie. "How did you find someone like her?" he asked.

  She grinned. "I can't take credit, you know. She's a trained nurse. We're very fortunate to have found anyone."

  Zeke managed to get to his feet, but he was still wobbly. He felt like a fool, allowing this weakness to get the best of him.

  With Maria on one side and Angie on the other, he managed to walk to the cabin.

  A lamp burned on a small table, lighting up one side of the long room. The fireplace gave a soft glow to the other side. The old woman pointed to a bed in the corner. "Why don't you lie down while I see about—"

  Zeke interrupted. "No. I won't take your bed." He glanced around the room. It was well furnished. He pointed to a sofa near the fireplace. "I'll stretch out there for a few
moments and rest."

  "Whatever you wish." Maria turned away and went over to the sink where she got some water and a clean cloth. "Sit and let me check your head."

  Angie felt in the way. She walked over to the fireplace and held out her hands.

  Without looking around, Maria said, "I have some stew on the stove. Why don't you help yourself. There's bread on the counter. By the time you have it set out on the table, I should be through with this young man."

  Zeke grinned. He hadn't been referred to as "young" in a long time. Age was definitely relative.

  "Do you think you can eat?" Maria asked, cleaning his forehead and placing new bandages there.

  "It certainly smells good. I guess my appetite hasn't been affected."

  "Good. Once you have eaten, I have a herbal tea that will help you to rest by easing the pain you're experiencing."

  Zeke and Angie sat at the small table. While they ate Zeke explained to Maria what had happened and how they hoped to find help to get out of the mountains.

  Maria listened, nodding occasionally. When he finished, she said, "My son comes to check on me several times a week. I expect him tomorrow or the next day. He has a truck and could take you to a town large enough to be able to call for assistance."

  Zeke nodded. "I'd appreciate, that very much, if you don't mind having us stay over." He glanced around the cabin.

  Maria nodded. "I can make you a bed of sorts with blankets if I can't get you to take mine."

  "You've done enough, and I thank you for your generosity."

  Maria got up and went over to the stove. She poured hot water into a cup, added what looked to be dry leaves, stirred it and brought it back to the table.

  "Here. This should help your pain."

  Zeke took a sip and made a face.

  "I know. It isn't very tasteful, but it will help you to relax and rest. By morning you will be feeling much better."

  By the time Angie and Maria cleared the table, washed and put the dishes away and prepared sleeping pallets on the floor, Zeke was almost asleep. "Whatever you gave me is certainly potent," he managed to say. He tugged off his boots and socks. He looked Wearily around the room, then shook his head, unable to concentrate.

  Maria guided him to the bed she had made for him. "Don't fight it. Just sleep," she said as he stretched out with a satisfied groan. She smiled at Angie. "He should sleep all right, but if he has any pain during the night, give him the rest of this tea."

  "I can't tell you how grateful we are to have found you. Thank you so much for your first aid, your hospitality, your concern."

  Maria nodded. "Most of the time I enjoy being here in the mountains near my family, but having company reminds me of how much I enjoy being around other people. This has been good for me as well." She patted Angie's shoulder. "Now, then. You must get some rest, too. We'll be able to visit more tomorrow. Perhaps my son will come. Perhaps not. But we will enjoy our visit while we can."

  Maria blew out the lamp, whispered good-night and went to the other end of the cabin. She moved a heavy blanket along a rope, effectively shielding her end of the cabin from them.

  Angie went over to the duffel bag. She found her pajamas and pulled them out. Glancing at Zeke, she saw that he was sound asleep. After pouring some of the hot water into a bowl, she bathed herself before going to sleep.

  Her bed was no more than an arm's length from Zeke. She felt strange lying there beside him. She barely knew the man, and yet, because of the experiences they had shared, she felt as though she'd known him for a long time.

  She thought about her uncle. He must be distraught, wondering what had happened to them. She thought about the cut oil line. What was going on here in Mexico? Did the cut line have anything to do with Tio's reasons for not wanting her to visit?

  Why was somone like Zeke working for her uncle? He was different, in a way she couldn't define, from anyone who had worked for her uncle before.

  Nothing seemed familiar to her anymore. The life she had dreamed about was all part of the past and had nothing to do with the present that she was experiencing.

  She was alone with a man... a very attractive man, one who made her blood sing whenever he touched her. Tio would definitely disapprove. He had already made his disapproval clear while they had been in Mexico City.

  What would he think of their sleeping side by side with only an old woman sleeping behind a woolen partition as a chaperon?

  She sighed, turning on her side. There was nothing she could do about her uncle's concern. They were lucky to be alive. Perhaps it was their narrow escape that made her feel so restless now, so aware of how close she had come to dying before she had ever experienced what life and love were all about.

  ❧

  Hours later she awoke to the sounds of restless mutterings. She sat up and looked at Zeke. The fire had dwindled to glowing coals, still casting enough light for her to be able to see him.

  She placed her hand on his chest and he immediately opened his eyes.

  "Zeke?" she whispered. "Are you all right?"

  He touched the bandage around his head with the tips of his fingers, then dropped his hand. He glanced around the room, then at her. "I must have been dreaming. What time is it?"

  She looked at her watch. "Not quite two. Is your shoulder bothering you?"

  He rubbed it and winced. "Yeah. It's definitely protesting." He shoved the blanket aside and got to his feet.

  "What are you doing?"

  He glanced over his shoulder as he walked away from her. "Answering nature's call," he replied, opening the door.

  The air felt cold to his bare skin and he shivered. He took several deep breaths as he followed a path around to the back of the cabin. He needed to clear his head. He needed to forget the scene he'd discovered when he opened his eyes.

  Seeing Angie lying so closely beside him, her hand resting on his chest, had brought his fantasies forcibly back to him.

  For a brief moment he had allowed himself to forget who she was. In that moment he had enjoyed the sight of her soft beauty, her alluring body, her piquant personality. He couldn't remember the last time he had reacted so strongly to a woman.

  When he returned to the cabin, Angie handed him a steaming cup.

  "What's this?" Zeke took a sip and made a face. "How could I forget?" he said to himself. Whatever it was had eased his pain earlier. He needed to stay knocked out, at least until morning, so that he wouldn't be quite so aware of the woman nearby. He upended the cup, draining it, then sat down on his bed once more.

  She sat beside him and they both gazed at the fire. Zeke couldn't believe how comfortable Angie appeared to be with him under those tantalizing conditions. The scene had a dreamlike quality for him, as though they had been together for years instead of a day. The rest of the world faded into nonexistence.

  "Your skin looks like satin in the firelight," he murmured into the long silence that stretched between them. Tentatively he held out his hand. "I've been tempted to touch it ,to see if it was as soft as it looks."

  She had been staring into the fire when he spoke. Now she slowly turned her head, causing her hair to slide forward over her shoulder. She said nothing when she saw his hand a few inches away from her face. Instead, she looked into his eyes and smiled.

  Zeke brushed his fingertips across her cheeks. They grew pinker with his touch but she didn't move away. Her eyes glowed emerald green in the soft firelight. He traced the line of her brow, following its shape until he reached the center of her forehead. He followed the straight line of her nose before pausing at the slight indentation on her chin. Then he rubbed his thumb softly across her lips.

  As though mesmerized by his sensory exploration, Zeke leaned toward her, longing to taste, as well as to touch. She tilted her face up to his, a tiny sigh escaping from her parted lips. When his mouth touched hers, he felt her lips quiver, but she didn't pull away from him.

  He leaned into the kiss, wanting a chance to fully taste and explore. Sh
yly she pressed back, her sensitive mouth opening for him. Afraid to test, his self-restraint by reaching for her, Zeke contented himself with their limited contact with each other. He turned his head slightly to improve the angle of his mouth upon hers and was startled when he felt her hands come to rest upon his chest. Every place her fingers touched him seemed to set a blaze going, shooting flames down through him, causing him to ache with the need to pull her closer so that he could feel her body pressing against him.

  Stifling a moan, he brought his hands up and cupped her face as though sipping nectar from her lips. His tongue outlined and explored her mouth until he finally took possession.

  She clutched him feverishly, touching his nape, her fingers burrowing through his hair, kneading his scalp like a delicate kitten.

  Zeke finally lifted his head, drawing in much-needed air to his oxygen-starved lungs. Her long, thick lashes rested against her flushed cheeks as he stared down at her. The soft material of her pajama top fluttered, betraying her shallow breaths.

  Slowly her lashes lifted, revealing the jewellike sparkle of her expressive eyes.

  "This is definitely not a good idea, Princess," he whispered. "I've been without a woman for too long to be indulging myself in some heavy necking in front of a fireplace late at night.''

  Her mouth was rosy and slightly swollen. His eyes were repeatedly drawn to its shape, invoking memories of how luscious she was, all ripe and inviting.

  "You're indulging yourself?" she repeated in a hesitant voice.

  "Without a doubt. I haven't any business kissing my boss's niece, regardless of the situation in which we find ourselves."

  "What's so wrong with it?"

  "We're from different worlds, Princess. No one knows that better than I."

  He found the grin she flashed at him adorable and irresistible. "If I'm not protesting, why should you?"

  He eyed her uncertainly. Although her tone was light, she couldn't disguise the unevenness of her breathing or the flush she wore so becomingly on her cheeks. Her kiss had also betrayed her lack of experience, a fact Zeke found endearing.