White Dragon

by Regina A Hanel

  Sam continued her questioning. "Why'd your parents move? Halie said she was devastated when your family left."

  "Believe me, so was I. My dad worked for a large auto parts manufacturer. They wanted him to manage their facility in Bowling Green. The job meant more money, so we followed the money trail. My mom worked in retail at the time. She was able to get a comparable job at the local Westmart. I don't think my dad ever asked her if she wanted to move though. I think he decided we were moving, and that was that. In hindsight, that was probably not such a good thing."

  Halie broke off a piece of the lasagna with her fork. She noticed Ronni's expression turn solemn and sensed her friend was hiding something. "I'm sure it wasn't easy for her either."

  Ronni bit into the lasagna. "Did you make this Sam? It's fantastic. I'm a meat and potatoes kind of gal myself, but this beats any meat lasagna I've ever made or eaten."

  Halie caught the change in subject, which confirmed the topic of Ronni's mom was sensitive to her, only she didn't know why. She wasn't going to pry either. If Ronni wanted to tell her, she'd do so in her own time.

  "Thanks," Sam said. "That's quite a compliment. Halie helped me tweak the recipe, but yeah, I made it."

  "I gotta know," Halie said, "How the heck did you ever find me?"

  "By chance."

  "By chance?" Halie said. "How do you find someone halfway on the other side of the country by chance?"

  "You're going to find this hard to believe, because I can hardly believe it myself, but it's true. About a year ago, a few of my biker friends from a local women's motorcycling group and I decided to plan a road trip to Sturgis, South Dakota, for the annual biker rally in August. None of us had ever been, though we'd wanted to go for years, but we always found one excuse or another, mostly work related and not being able to get the time off, or having squandered the time off on something else. Once we committed to going, the wait was exciting. We planned our route there and all the stuff we wanted to make sure we'd do when we got there. We found this website from a group that advertised Sturgis bike rally tours. One of the tours took bikers through Yellowstone and Grand Teton before the rally, which we thought would be great, but we wanted to go after the rally. The rally was our main reason for going. The Yellowstone-Grand Teton tour we thought would be a nice side attraction for the ride home. So we went on our own, after the rally ended, using almost the same route they'd mapped out."

  "That was smart," Sam said.

  "Thanks, I thought so. Anyway, we headed into Wyoming toward Yellowstone. At one of the diners we stopped in, I saw an article about the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival. The article displayed a photo of you, Halie, and underneath were a few lines about your photo gallery's grand opening in Jackson. I couldn't believe it. Naturally, I had to stop by. The route we'd originally planned took us through Jackson anyway. We rode in from West Yellowstone through Ashton, Idaho and the Targhee National Forest. Then it was merely a matter of stopping by and hoping you were here. It had to be fate that brought us together."

  "I'm a strong believer in fate," Sam said. "Meeting Halie when I did was definitely fate, and the two of us being together today has everything to do with fate. We'll have to tell you more about that later, if you're interested."

  "Anything to do with catching up on what's been going on with this one," she signaled with her thumb pointed in Halie's direction, "I'm interested in for sure."

  "Then we'll tackle that after dessert. So your trip sounded incredible. How many miles was it from where you live to Sturgis?" Sam asked.

  "The trip was amazing, more than I'd hoped for. From Bowling Green to Sturgis was close to thirteen hundred miles. We covered a few hundred miles a day, which was tiring, but there's nothing like seeing the country on the open road, and feeling the wind push against you. Scraping the bugs off you is something else, but who cares at that point, right?"

  "That's true," Halie said. "I owned a motorcycle for a few years too, when I lived in Boston, but I haven't ridden in a while. I'd love to ride again."

  "I could take you after dinner if you like," Ronni said. She snuck a look in Sam's direction.

  "Fine with me," Sam said, "as long as you've got another helmet."

  "I always carry a back-up," Ronni said, then winked. "You never know when you might need one."

  "Honestly," Halie huffed. "So finish telling us about the ride, before you get too sidetracked."

  Ronni chuckled. "The timing of the trip panned out perfect for me. I don't know if Halie told you or not, Sam, but I lost my job a couple of months ago."

  "Yeah, Halie mentioned that. I'm sorry."

  "It's the economy. Worst part is, I lost my apartment because the landlord didn't want to renew the lease. Not because I couldn't pay, but because he thought I was too high of a payment risk without a job. Nice guy, huh?" Ronni finished her last piece of bread and washed it down with a sip of water.

  "No. Not very. We didn't know about the apartment. What are your plans now?" Sam asked.

  "Tuesday I was planning on heading back with my group. I'll be living with my dad for a while until I can get back on my feet. It's a shock to the system to have to go backwards like that and rely on your parents again. They should be the one's knowing they can rely on me now, if they needed to."

  "I know this is totally out of the blue," Halie said, "but would you ever consider moving around here? I know I'd be thrilled. Sam said the guy at our local garage is looking for an auto mechanic."

  "I don't know," Ronni said. "I mean it would be great having a job again and being close to you guys, but so much would be up in the air."

  "He's a great guy, and very open minded. I could take you over there on Monday and introduce you to him, if you're any good and if you're interested," Sam said.

  "My dad says I'm one of the best, but I'm sure he's biased. The offer sounds tempting, but if it did work out, where would I live? I'm staying at a cheap motel in Jackson for this trip--splitting it three ways--two rooms with three of us to a room, but after Tuesday, it'll just be me. I'd be okay for a while, but not too long on my own."

  "We can ask our friend Corrine if she knows of anything decent and reasonable. She's a realtor in the area. And if not, I'm sure we could work something out until you found a place of your own," Sam said as she cleared the dishes off the kitchen table.

  "I don't know," Ronni said. "That's nice of you, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea. It would be a big move I'm not sure I'm ready to make."

  "Well, think about it. Maybe Tommy's already filled the position anyway and all this talk's for nothing. Either way, call us sometime tomorrow or latest by six-thirty Monday morning before I head into work, so I know if I should call him or not."

  BY THE TIME Ronni left Sam and Halie's home in Kelly, rain was falling. Sam offered to drive Ronni to the motel and pick her up the next day to get her bike, but Ronni declined. She said she'd ridden plenty of times in the rain, but appreciated the offer. Then she slipped on her rain gear and headed out. She thought to herself that she'd have to ask Halie for the vegetable lasagna recipe the next time they spoke, as she was certain it contained a secret ingredient.

  Ronni slowed her speed when she noticed the faint hue of orange blinking lights in the distance. As she neared a car, her headlight illuminated a young woman wearing a waist length raincoat over her head and waving a flashlight. She was standing by the front end of her car. Ronni wanted nothing more at that point than to crawl into her warm motel room bed and rest her tired head for the evening, but her conscience couldn't leave the woman alone. It wasn't safe for either of them to be out there together, but certainly less safe for one woman alone. Ronni pulled up behind the woman's car, leaving her bike running for light, and put on her flashers.

  She strode to the front of the car. A slender woman stood shivering in the rain, her eyes squinting to look at Ronni.

  "Hi. What happened here?" Ronni asked.

  "I don't know. I hit a pot hole and the car died on me. I tried
starting it, but it won't turn over," the woman said, moving closer to Ronni. She stood barely chest height to Ronni.

  Ronni found the woman's voice tender and pleasing. "You didn't run out of gas, did you?"

  The woman shot her a glare that clearly indicated a lack of gas was not the issue. "Sorry. I had to ask. Go ahead back in the car and pop the hood for me, but don't do anything else until I say so, okay?"

  Ronni lifted the hood and secured it in place before she searched underneath. She checked all the electrical connections and hoses. Everything felt tight and secure. She peeked out from behind the hood and looked into the car. The interior light illuminated the woman's face enough for Ronni to see her pale, but angelic natural complexion and high cheekbones. Sensing internal warmth taking her over, she quickly popped her head back behind the hood, surprised by the reaction she felt. Seconds later, she checked the terminals on the battery, and found the negative terminal loose. She headed to the open car door. Passing by, she first noticed the large, brown, somewhat puffed and reddened puppy dog eyes of the woman, as if she'd been crying.

  "Are you okay?" Ronni asked. Her heart raced, but she wasn't certain why. She didn't even know this woman, yet she felt some sort of closeness to her.

  "I'm tired, but I'll be okay. Thanks for asking though."

  "If there's anything I can do--"

  "I appreciate it, I do, but there's nothing--other than the car."

  "Sure," Ronni said, refocusing on the task at hand. "Do you have a tool box in the trunk?"

  "I do, but I'm not sure what's in it," the woman said. She pushed the trunk release. "It seems like everything always goes wrong at the same time. It might be better if it came in smaller chunks."

  Ronni realized the woman was trying to make her feel better by not making it seem as though she were blowing her off. "I hear you," Ronni said. "Unfortunately, that's the way life is sometimes, believe me, I know." Ronni headed to the rear of the car and opened the trunk. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes from under her rain slicker and from the front pocket of her leather jacket. She placed the end of the cigarette in her mouth, flicked on the lighter, and drew a deep breath. Several puffs later, she lifted the toolbox out of the trunk. When she neared the driver side of the car, she took the cigarette from her mouth and dropped it on the road. When she reached the front of the car and turned, she saw the woman lean out of the car and pick up her cigarette butt. Ronni thought the action strange. She took out a wrench and tightened the loose connection. "Okay. Try the key now," she yelled.

  The car started up instantly. Ronni closed the hood. "That should do it," she said. She wiped the water from her face and eyes. "You had a loose connection on the battery, but I think this battery's on its way out. If I were you, I'd get a new one the first chance you get."

  "Thanks so much for stopping and fixing the car. My name's Cali Brooks, by the way," she said, extending her hand.

  Ronni took her hand and shook it. "I'm Ronni--Ronni Summers, and you're very welcome." For some strange reason, Ronni didn't feel like letting Cali's hand go. After an awkward silence, she finally released the tender, soft hand from her hold. When she realized she was still holding the toolbox in her other hand, her face flushed. "I'll go ahead and pop this in your trunk. Take care," she said. Ronni strode away and heaved the box into its resting place. She shut the trunk, then wiped the seat of her motorcycle dry and rode off. Take care? What kind of an exit is take care? You're losing it Ronni.

  That night, Ronni lay awake listening to the raindrops fall on the motel roof. As tired as she was, she thought about Sam's offer to get her a job, about possibly restarting her life again, about leaving her dad and being farther away from her mom, and about Cali. She didn't want to move farther from her parents, but she grinned as she recalled Cali picking up her cigarette butt. Ronni figured she must either be a neat freak or one of those environmental types. No one had ever picked up a cigarette butt off the ground from her before. Then she thought, well, she probably shouldn't have thrown it there to begin with. Then she remembered Cali's captivating brown eyes and wondered why they looked so sad. She recalled the heated sensation and electrical charge that coursed through her body when their hands met, and she was certain her heart sped up from the encounter. She had trouble disengaging her eyes from Cali's and remembered not understanding why the draw to her was so intense. The remainder of the night Ronni tossed and turned in her sleep, visions of the charming Cali Brooks floating in and out of her dreams.

  HALIE CALLED SAM at the office on Monday afternoon. "How'd it go today with Ronni? Did you hear anything yet? I couldn't wait until tonight to find out."

  "Tommy said he loved her. Do you have a minute?" Sam asked.

  "Sure, go ahead."

  "I jotted down some notes, because I knew you'd ask and want details. Tommy said he gave her a late model suburban to work on that didn't start most of the time and when it did, it didn't have any power and wouldn't stay running for very long. He said she checked under the hood first, then tried starting it. It sputtered a few times but wouldn't start. She put a fuel pressure gauge on the fuel rail, which he said is what he would have done. He's guessing she saw the pressure was too low, because she immediately put it on the lift, dropped the fuel tank, replaced the fuel pump assembly, and installed a new fuel filter. Three hours later, when she lowered the vehicle and flipped the key, it fired up like brand-new. He was impressed and excited. Not only did he pay her for the three hours she worked in cash, he offered her the job right there."

  "Are you kidding? That's so great," Halie exclaimed. She fidgeted with the phone cord on her desk. "Did she take it?"

  "She did and he wants her to start tomorrow."

  "That's fantastic! I'll call her tonight and congratulate her," Halie said. "That would be wonderful if she stays. I know we have April and Corrine, and I love those guys, but they're more your friends than mine, or at least they were your friends first. Now I'll have my best friend here too. If she does end up staying, she better think about getting herself a car soon, with winter not far around the corner."

  "I know. I mentioned that to her too. She said she'll start looking as soon as she finds a place and settles in."

  APRIL STOOD IN front of the stable doors, arms crossed, a bridle hanging over her shoulder, and leather gloves clasped in her hand. "What's been going on with you lately?" she asked Cali. "This is the third time you've been late in almost as many days. Keep it up and I'll be forced to hire someone more reliable to replace you. The least you could do is call. I hope you've got a darn good explanation," April continued on without taking a breath, before she realized Cali was crying.

  "I'm sorry," Cali said between sobs. "I haven't been sleeping well. I've been spending a lot of time at the hospital. My mom was attacked last week by a mountain lion. She's getting better, but she still looks awful."

  "Jesus. Hillary Coleman is your mom?" April asked. "Her story's been all over the papers. I didn't realize--her last name--"

  "Coleman's her maiden name. She took it back after her and my dad broke up."

  "I'm sorry I barked at you."

  "I deserved it. It's my own fault. I should have called and told you what happened. It's not only that though. Everything seems to be falling apart in front of me. I don't know what to do. Soon I won't have anywhere to live. I haven't even had time to search for a place after what happened with my mom. I'm tired. I can't think straight."

  "Take it easy," April said. "You have to tackle one thing at a time. I won't let you end up on the street. If it comes to that, you can stay with Corrine and me. We've got an extra room."

  "I couldn't do that. I won't impose like that."

  "It wouldn't be an imposition. In fact, you'd be helping us out. We could use the extra cash. You could rent it out cheap and stay however long you wanted. I'll even help you move your stuff. It doesn't have to be forever, but long enough until things settle down. In the meantime, you've got some time off coming to you. Why don't you t
ake a few more days and spend it with your mom?"

  "My moms, actually," Cali said with a wink. "My mom's partner's here, too. We're taking turns staying with her, but they're going to have to go home soon--their work--they were visiting..."

  "I understand. Go on home, get some rest, and think about what I said."

  "I will. Thanks."

  Chapter Eleven

  HALIE STOOD NEAR the register and watched April and Corrine stroll into the gallery. It was the week before the Fall Arts Festival. She was deciding which photographs to display at the festival and which to leave in the gallery. She'd given Susan the day off to spend with her sons, since they'd soon be more than busy with the store once the festival kicked off. Susan was still having a difficult time with Brian, and she mentioned to Halie that she thought a day at the car show and auction in Teton Village would help cheer her son up and alleviate some of the anger he was carrying around inside. Halie agreed.

  "Hey there you two," Halie said to April and Corrine as they approached. "It's good to see you guys." She walked around the counter and gave them each a big welcoming hug. "What brings you by today?"

  "We wanted to stop by and say hello and also search for a new picture to hang in our living room. I'm tired of the one that's been in there forever. I never liked it that much anyway," Corrine said.

  "Yeah, we're finally off this week and plan on spending some quality time together, some of which entails shopping." April rolled her eyes before glancing at her partner.

  "Sounds like you love shopping as much as Sam does," Halie said. "I'm glad you stopped by. I've got quite a few newly framed photographs you might like. Did you want to say hello to Sam first?"

  "Is Sam here too?" April asked.

  "She is. She took the day off to tile the floor for an area I want to use as a frame shop. Then it'll be like one stop shopping here."