A Rare Breed (24 page)

"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 he
r neck. "We'll have our own pri
vate 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 cov
ered with the tarp where a heli
copter 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 sev
eral 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."

"Ride mules?" Rudi asked incredulously. "You must be kidding!"

Jake shrugged. "Beats walking. I'm sure we'll be ready for something other than walking by tomorrow."

"I think it sounds like a good idea." Brit reclined into the curve of Jake's outstretched arm. His body warmed her, thrilled her, and filled her with desire, even though she knew they could have no privacy tonight.

"Sounds like agony to another part of my anatomy," Rudi grumbled.

"Aw, honey. Riding a mule could be fun," Yolanda encouraged.

"It could be a lot of things, but 'fun' isn't one of them," he retorted.

She chuckled devilishly. "It could provide more material for the show. Yolanda rides a mule in the Grand Canyon."

"At my expense!" Rudi grumbled.

"We'll all suffer through it, believe me," Jake warned with a rueful laugh.

Brit sighed wearily. "I can't believe this is our last night in the wild. It's been quite an experience."

"And we owe it all to you, Jake," Rudi said. "You've saved us. And when we get back, buddy, we're going to repay you for your generosity."

"No, no—" Jake began.

"Of course, we will," Yolanda insisted. "You took us into your camp. You saved my life. I owe you everything, Jake. Trouble is, I don't know how to repay someone who saved my life. Maybe I should simply support you the rest of your life."

Jake just shook his head at them. "Thanks, but I have a job. I don't want any payment. Just remember the things you learned about the canyon and the life down here. That's all."

"Well, you've certainly opened up another world for us," Brit said. "Not only is it totally unlike our hustle-bustle cities, but it's been a nice quiet change. We all probably needed a little break from the rat race to make us appreciate the finer aspects of life."

"I wonder why we haven't come across any trace of Frank." Yolanda sat up and looked around. "Isn't this the route he followed?"

"Should have," Jake agreed.

"No traces of fires or anything."

"Well, he knows campfires aren't allowed in this part of the canyon. I figure he took a wrong turn somewhere, or crossed to the other side of the river for some reason."

"I'm worried about him," she said with an uncharacteristic sympathetic tone. "Down here with all the dangers and wild animals."

"We'll find him," Jake assured her. "He's probably out by now, even if he did wander off the beaten path."

"Maybe he f
ound another of those Indian ru
ins and has decided to abandon society and live down here," Yolanda suggested in a teasing tone.

"It's possible," Jake admitted. "I'm sure there are more places, maybe even civilizations that we haven't discovered."