Be My Guest

by Caroline Clemmons

  Wait. How could this be? Never had Russell's touch made her tingle as she did today at the touch of that cowboy. In retrospect she realized no man ever affected her in that way before Will Harrison. Long ago she decided such feelings occurred only in story books. Until today. Now she must revise that opinion. This information rocked her so that she stopped in her steps, oblivious to the pouring rain.

  So, what were her feelings for Russell? Comfortable. She found his kisses pleasant, but they evoked no skyrockets or bells. True, Russell's smile reassured her, but it never made her stomach do those weird flip flops. His touch aroused her, but sent no tingles coursing through her body. In fact, the feeling most evoked by Russell was one of being comfortable, not arduous. Was that all?

  Russell represented safety and comfort. How could she have been so stupid? It never occurred to her to expect more. He might as well be her brother or cousin.

  Whoa! How could a chance encounter with a stranger induce such tingling in her if Russell never had that effect? Oh, my, obviously Russell had not been the right man for her, after all. She thanked her lucky stars they hadn't married. How weird to consider herself fortunate he’d jilted her.

  Today’s encounter gave her broken romance a new perspective. A whole range of emotions she formerly thought of as improbable, if not impossible, now seemed attainable. Hallelujah!

  Rain pelted down to soak her knit top as she walked to her car. Pondering her revelations, she slid into the little car and steered toward U.S. Highway 84, intent on reaching Post by the fastest route before dark.

  Heavy rainfall made progress very slow. Several vehicles pulled to the side of the road to wait out the downpour, but she pressed onward. The turmoil of the day left her fatigued. Her thoughts centered on finding a quiet, comfortable motel for the night.

  Rain and wind pounded harder against the little car as it barely crept along in the low visibility. Even with the car's windshield wipers on their highest speed, Aurora could hardly see the lane’s stripe. At every dip in the highway, water pulled against the car’s undercarriage.

  She drove in heavy rainfall routinely in Port Arthur and Houston, but never in a deluge to match this. In the recesses of her mind she recalled hearing about the danger of flash floods in this type terrain. What should she do? If only she had stayed in Snyder. Too late now.

  Aurora drove into fast-moving water before she realized she crossed not just a low spot of the road, but the edge of some overflowed watercourse that rushed madly across the highway. She tried to reverse the car, but the low-slung Mustang stalled in the rising water. Fear gripped her. Remain calm and think logically, she told herself.

  Since rain caused the flood, it seemed logical the floodwater would recede once the rain stopped. She needed only to sit in her car until the rain ceased and the floodwater drained away. That seemed simple--until she checked out the car window.

  As she peered through the glass, she saw water rapidly rising. She must seek higher ground, even if it meant leaving her car. Salvage what you can. Aurora slipped the strap of her handbag over her head and pulled her arm through bandolier style. She took the headband from her hair and tied one end to her wrist and the other to her halogen torch.

  The briefcase contained her laptop computer and her financial records. She must save the briefcase at any cost. If she carried her briefcase and one suitcase, she might manage against the storm. Everything else must be abandoned. With great difficulty, she struggled to open the car door against the rising water’s pressure. Cold, muddy water rushed into the car as she struggled for her life.

  Chapter Two

  Will Harrison's soul reverberated with anger directed toward every aspect of his life. His heart throbbed with anger for the cancer that robbed him of his sweet wife Nancy three years earlier. His mind pulsed with anger toward the cow he chased when his horse fell on him and broke his leg, causing him months of pain and inconvenience. His being raged against the drought that baked the land dry and hard as stone and kept his grassland from growing properly last summer. Finally, his senses raged against the deluge of rain which now flooded his ranch and caused his lights and phone to quit, and probably had many of his cattle stranded, injured or drowned.

  Finally, dammitall, he was angry with Aurora, too. He couldn't decide quite how he could be angry with a beautiful woman he’d met only once, but it definitely suited his current mood. Perhaps it had something to do with her thinking him married and her refusal of his offer to take her on a tour of the area. Yeah, like that was her fault, Harrison.

  He flexed his left hand several times and stared at the now bare ring finger. What would Nancy think of this recent behavior? They intended the ring she placed on his finger to remain there forever. Twelve years is not forever. Even thoughts of another woman caused him to feel unfaithful to Nancy. Would he ever overcome this feeling? Will doubted anyone could ever take Nancy's place. He struck the window frame with the side of his fist, then leaned his forehead against the cool glass of the window. If only memories of Nancy didn't hurt quite so much!

  Kelly and Lori Beth might be right. Perhaps dating other women would help ease the pain in his heart from Nancy's death. He needed someone to resurrect those parts of his being that died with his wife--if that were possible. Even this morning when he’d promised his daughter he would remove his wedding ring if he met a woman who interested him, he sincerely doubted that day would ever come.

  What strange tricks life played. Not five hours after he made that promise, he met a woman who set him on his heels, one who even now flowed in and out of his mind. Was it possible? Was there be a chance he might feel whole once more?

  Though he might never see Aurora again, he admitted he found her intriguing and very much wanted to meet her once more. More than that, he found a kinship with her and found her quick wit stimulating. That surprised him. Her body stimulated him in a different way, which also surprised him. She resurrected feelings he thought dead. He saw her in his mind as clearly as if she now stood in front of him. Her thick auburn curls bounced across her shoulders and green eyes flashed like emeralds, her saucy smile tempted from perfect ivory skin.

  Will gave himself a mental shake, disgusted with his daydreams. Aw, why think about her? All that talk with Kelly and Lily this morning started it. He just got caught off guard, that's all.

  Even as the thought popped into his mind, he knew he lied to himself. There seemed something special about Aurora. At least, for a little while, she made him feel alive again. For a brief time today he forgot to mourn.

  He’d made the promise to Kelly this morning in good faith, and he kept it. When he placed his wedding ring in the little white box in which it came twelve years ago, he sensed himself at a crossroad. It seemed as if, with that action, he moved from one phase of his life to the next. That feeling remained with him all evening.

  Earlier in the day, Nick reminded him to stay off his injured leg, but Will found it difficult to follow those instructions. He stood now at the window, the weight of his six-foot-four frame rested heavily on his sturdy right leg while crutches balanced loosely under his arms. Will reached for the cell phone from the nearby table. He dialed his mother's number in Lubbock, and his daughter answered. Static in his ear failed to diminish his relief to hear Kelly's voice.

  "Daddy, we tried to call you but you didn't answer. We thought the phones there were out."

  "They are, and I’d left my cell in the truck. I wanted to tell my best girl good night, but I can barely hear you. What did Dr. Novak say about your braces, and how did your shopping trip go?"

  Kelly must be yelling into the phone, because her voice became easier to hear. "Dr. Novak said I'm doing great and then tightened the braces again. They kind of hurt this time." Dental pain became quickly forgotten in the excitement of new clothes. "Oh, Daddy, wait 'til you see the great stuff we got. I got some pink jeans and some lavender ones and some of the regular kind. And I got the greatest tops. Marcie will just die when she sees them." />
  His daughter's enthusiasm brought a smile to his face. "That's great, Punkin'. Good thing you stayed with Grandma, though. It's flooding here and the electricity's off. I'll have to start the emergency generator soon to keep the refrigerator working and keep the food cold. How's Aunt Lori Beth?"

  Even the static of the phone could not hide the excitement in the girl's voice. "The doctor said she's doing fine and so's the baby. She let me feel her stomach when the baby kicked her. It was really neat. Oh...Uncle Tommy wants to know how much rain's there and were the winds really bad?"

  He peered out the window again. A flash of lightning revealed the lake that now replaced the creek in front of his house. "There's water everywhere. The rain gauge is overflowing, which means we've had over six inches already and it's raining really hard. I'm sure all the highways near the ranch are closed by now."

  "Wow. It hasn't rained nearly that much here."

  "Kelly, there's so much static I can hardly understand you. I'm going to hang up now, Honey, and borrow your portable radio. Maybe I can get a weather report. I'll call you in the morning. Good night, Punkin', and be a good girl for Grandma."

  "I will. 'Night, Daddy."

  As Will disconnected the phone call, he gazed again through the window in front of him. Watching the much needed rain falling far too rapidly to soak into the hard-packed earth, Will stared forlornly and once again cursed the extremes of Texas weather. He frowned and rubbed at the glass of the window with his sleeve, uncertain of what he saw. Was that a light on the railroad tracks?

  Yes, it had to be. He watched closely as the light bobbed slowly along the rails. What on earth could cause that light in the middle of nowhere? Unlike the light one saw on a train or even one of the small handcarts, this appeared smaller but distinctly bright.

  He watched a few seconds more and decided it could only be a person walking along the tracks. Who would be out in this storm? The glow appeared like one of those halogen lights, maybe a hand torch or small lantern. This puzzled him even more. The only reason for someone to walk along the tracks in this weather would be if someone stranded by the storm sought the safety of the high earthen railroad bed.

  As he debated the reason for the light, Will saw the light stop briefly before it streaked down the bank of the road bed to sink beneath the water. He thought the mysterious person dropped the light. Maybe he imagined it. Wait. Further down he saw it resurface and shine around from the largest of the cottonwood trees by the creek. He watched with fascination and realized the person on the rails went into the water, climbed into the tree, and must have the light in his hand.]

  Will grabbed his crutches firmly and moved rapidly across the room. It would not be easy, but he must help whoever sat stranded in that tree.

  * * *

  Aurora clung to the trunk of the large cottonwood tree in which she perched. Her left side ached horribly from her collision with the tree after her fall into the flood. She lost all track of elapsed time, but thought she dozed off or blacked out for a while after the last wave of nausea.

  The blow affected her vision, too. Now she thought she saw the headlights of a car or truck moving toward the railroad bed. You have a concussion, she thought, and you're seeing things.

  She blinked and tried to focus. No. Headlights stopped near the tracks---and a person left when the vehicle's interior lights came on. The truck headlights burned two bright beacons as the truck remained near the tracks. The beams of light disclosed person who walked toward her. She hoped fervently this proved real and not a hallucination due to the injury to her head.

  Locked in her grip on the tree, she watched as the dark figure, whether real or imagined, approached. A new wave of nausea diverted her attention from the figure on the railroad tracks. She retched again into the muddy water beneath her.

  Suddenly, a light beamed her way from the tracks and she heard a man's voice call over the sound of the storm. She directed the beam of her own torch in his direction. The light revealed a man on crutches. His face blurred in rain and shadow, but she thought instantly of the man she met earlier in the day. This must be the cowboy, Will Harrison. After all, how many men on crutches lived in this area?

  Giant fingers of lightning reached across the night sky to spread eerie illumination. Will coiled the rope in his hands and yelled at her to grab the loop he threw. Time after time the rope hit tree limbs or fell beyond Aurora's grasp as the rope fought the storm.

  At last she caught the loop, and almost fell from the tree in the process. Aurora now could barely move her left arm. Dangling precariously from her perch, she slid the rope over her head and secured it under her arms.

  The man knelt on one leg with the other stuck out at an angle. Suddenly, her body jerked as the rope went taught and pain again shot through her back and ribs. She struggled, powerlessly against the torrent as her cold and stiffened muscles refused to cooperate.

  Finally, her feet touched the roadbed beneath and she grabbed the hand the kneeling man offered. He pulled the rope with one hand as he used the other to hoist her onto the part of the roadbed near him. Rain pelted fiercely against them. The night was black as ink between flashes of lightning.

  A giant display of Zeus' power lit the sky. Will stared at her in disbelief then yelled above the storm. "Aurora? What in the hell are you doing here?"

  "Well, I didn't just decide to go for a swim," she yelled back at him as rain streamed down her face. What a stupid question. Did he think she planned to be here? She tried to stand and fell.

  Will caught her before she hit the ground. "Can you stand up? I don't know how I could carry you and manage crutches too.”

  Aurora put her hand on his shoulder. "I can walk, just give me a few minutes. My legs are just a little wobbly." Struggling against the wet fibers, she removed the rope from under her arms and stepped out of the loop.

  Before he threw one end of the rope to her, Will had tied the other end of the rope around the track rail to secure it in case he lost his grip on the rain slicked hemp. His cast-encased leg jutted to one side as he knelt on his good knee to cut the rope near the track. He picked up his crutches and used one to point toward his waiting truck as he rose.

  "You start moving and I'll follow you. It's a long walk to the truck."

  The clouds renewed their assault against the two mortals on the railroad tracks. Rain lashed at Aurora's face and wind drove the cold through her soaked clothing. She doubted she would ever be warm again.

  She staggered numbly toward the truck lights. When she reached the place where she left her suitcase and briefcase beside the tracks, she flashed her torch around. No giant water moccasin lay in wait for her. The cases sat just as she left them.

  With her right hand she picked up the briefcase and left the torch to dangle by the scarf tied to her wrist. When she tried to grasp the suitcase with her left hand, she winced in pain.

  Will shouted above the wind, "Dammit, Aurora, leave the damned luggage. Get in the truck. I'll get these if I have to tie the rope onto the handles and drag them."

  Far too tired to argue and, contrary to her nature, relieved to have someone else in charge this once, Aurora plodded against the storm toward the truck. Will followed and threw the luggage into the back of the truck bed. Aurora did not even glance back to see how Will managed to get the luggage there.

  She opened the passenger door to get in, but her body refused to obey. With her head resting against the doorframe, she stood trembling in the rain. She told herself she must raise her foot high enough to enter the truck. But she could not.

  Will leaned his crutches against the truck to scoop Aurora up and slide her onto the seat of the vehicle. He grabbed the blanket and folded it around her. Only her face remained uncovered. After he struggled to the other side of the truck and climbed in, he leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes.

  Exhaustion overcame him and he rested his head against the back of the seat. His slicker offered little protection against the blowing rain
. His rain-soaked body ached, and his leg throbbed from his struggles against the storm. They made it, though, he thought triumphantly to himself. If they died out there, no one would know what happened for days. But they made it.

  After a few moments he sat up. "You're shivering. It won't be long now until we can get you dried off. Sit tight while I turn the truck around and get us home."

  Aurora’s fatigue negated thought as she clutched the blanket around her in silence. She rested her pounding head against the window of the door at her side. Her aching body cried out at every bump and jolt, but she sat mutely as Will turned the truck around and drove forward.

  Flashes of lightning revealed buildings ahead. Relief flooded through her as the shape of a large house grew near. Soon she would be in a house, a warm, dry house with a warm, dry bed. What a heavenly thought!

  They drove into the garage attached to the house and stopped the truck. Aurora opened the truck door and almost fell out of the vehicle before Will made his way around to help her.

  "The electricity's off because of the storm. You'll need to bring your torch." The numbness of her battered body caused her to stand motionless. Her legs would not propel her forward. She stared about her in panic.

  Will misinterpreted her hesitation. "Come on, I'll get the luggage later. First, we need to get you warm and dry." With a gentle nudge, he moved her toward the door of his home.

  Normally a very neat person, Aurora moved through the house oblivious to the trail of mud and water she left with every step. Will guided her through the laundry room and into a large bathroom.

  "Get your clothes off and get into the shower. I'll start the generator so the electric pump on the water well can run. There won't be any light. Only the pump and a few appliances are hooked up to the generator."