Making New Memories (5 page)

As soon as I realized Skye recognized him
everything calmed down but I don't think the man was ever the least
bit afraid of me even though I had my 9MM trained on him. He walked
right into our camp like he owned the place. When she reassured him
that I was a friend sent by Barry to take her away he calmly
threatened to hunt me down and kill me if I hurt her in any way. I
believe he would do it too. He's not somebody I would ever want to
make mad.

He asked her to write to him and let him know
she is all right. He told her to send it to General Delivery in
Kalispell Montana. He said he would pick the letters up at the post
office. Then he agreed to pack her belongings into her car and
deliver it to the parking lot at the mall. One of us will have to
pick it up and drive it down here. Are you volunteering?"

"Sure, I'll go pick up the car. When do I
need to be in Kalispell?" answers Stump, heart pounding at the
opportunity to maybe see his father in the flesh.

"He said he would deliver it before the
weekend. You have two days to get there. You want Goose to fly
you?"

"That would be great, thanks," answers Stump.
His heart pounding furiously, Stump can't believe he is so close to
finally finding his father. He wants to get to Kalispell as soon as
he can and stake out that parking lot.

Stump's idea of using the waterproof tape
works like a charm. Dylan is able to get a good hot shower and his
stitches stay completely dry. The antibiotics that Goose gave him
are working and after a good long nap he is feeling much better. He
dresses and heads to the main house for dinner with Skye.

As he is walking across the yard between the
barn and the house, Dylan feels unaccountably happy. It has been a
long time since he has looked forward to spending time with a woman
for anything besides unemotional sex. The truth is he really likes
Skye. She is not like any woman he has ever met before and she
intrigues him. While she is very feminine and sexy, she is also
tough and brave. Granted she has some major hang ups but he knows
with patience they can overcome them together. He just has to
convince her to try.

His attitude puzzles him some. When did he
get past Elena and the banker? What happened to his vow never to
fall for another woman? He shakes his head. It doesn't matter. He
wants to get to know Skye better and spending time with her makes
him happy.

******

When I walk out of my bedroom after a good
long nap, I follow the sound of voices to the great room where
everyone has gathered for dinner. The jeans I am wearing are a
little loose and about two inches shorter than I would like but
they fit ok. At least they are clean and the long sleeve silk
blouse is surprisingly warm. My stomach is rumbling with hunger and
the smells coming from the kitchen are heavenly.

When I enter the great room, the first person
I see is Dylan and he smiles warmly at me making my nerve endings
tingle and my heart speeds up a notch. He is standing in front of a
crackling fire in the fireplace wearing a forest green shirt the
same color as his eyes. His broad shoulders look even wider than I
remember and taper down to his trim waist and long legs encased in
well worn jeans. His chocolate brown hair is barely brushing his
collar and looks mussed like he has been running his fingers
through it. Butterflies are flitting around in my stomach and a
smile finds its way to my face.

When he sees Skye enter the room, Dylan feels
the smile spread across his face. She is so gorgeous. Her blue
eyes, the color of a clear Montana sky, are sparkling and her
cheeks are still rosy from spending so much time out in the cold.
Her blonde hair is hanging in loose curls down her back and he
longs to run his fingers through the silky tresses, to feel her
body pressed close to his and taste those luscious lips.

Watching his two good friends as they greet
each other, Barry's heart warms when he sees the interest the two
can't hide. Nothing would please him more than for them to get
together. Unfortunately they both have a lot of excess baggage and
it will take a lot of patience to work their way through the
mess.

He's not even sure that's possible after what
Skye's been through. Dylan seems to think she's changed since he
was around her. He hopes that's true and from what he's seen so
far, it may very well be true. She deserves to be free of the
crippling fear that has controlled her life for so many years.

He has to admit he was surprised when she
allowed Dylan to put his arm around her when they exited the
helicopter. He wouldn't have believed it possible if he hadn't seen
it with his own eyes. She had never even allowed him to get that
close to her all the times they went out in public together.

After dinner and a few minutes of
companionable conversation, everyone scatters to their various
rooms leaving Dylan and me alone on the sofa by the fireplace.
Smiling he asks, "Are you settling in all right? Is there anything
you need?"

"I'm fine. Everyone has been so nice. How
about you? How is your shoulder?"

"It still hurts some but with the antibiotics
Goose gave me I'll be fine in a couple of days," answers Dylan.

"I really like Barry's wife, Melanie. I think
there must be a story that I haven't heard yet, will you tell
me?"

Hesitating only briefly, Dylan begins the
story, "Melanie ran away from home when she was fifteen and was
picked up while hitch hiking by the leader of one of those militia
groups in Idaho. He kidnapped her and held her captive for ten
years until she and Eric escaped. Eric's father was chasing her
when she got stranded by heavy snow on the back side of this ranch.
Barry found them thanks to Ringo, the Lab. If Eric's father had
gotten to her, he undoubtedly would have killed her. The other guys
and I were able to secure her safety. That's when we first came to
the ranch. Melanie and Barry fell in love over the months and the
rest is history."

"When you say she was kidnapped and held
captive, does that mean she was r..r..raped?"

"Yes, Eric's father raped her repeatedly
until she finally accepted her fate. He beat her regularly too. The
first time he beat Eric for trying to stop him from hitting Melanie
is when she got the courage to try to escape."

"I wonder how she ever got past being raped,"
I whisper.

Reaching for her hand, he looks deeply into
her eyes and says, "Skye, not all men are cruel. Sometimes it's
just a matter of overwriting bad memories with good ones. Just like
trusting me enough to lie curled up in my arms. That is a good
memory isn't it?"

Shyly looking at Dylan I reply, "Yes, I felt
very safe lying next to you. Honestly I was surprised and I think I
would like to do it again sometime, preferably in a warm bed. I'm
just really scared of what might come next."

A feeling of warmth flows down into Dylan's
soul. Smiling warmly as he gazes into her sky blue eyes he says,
"When you're ready, you let me know. I'll help you overwrite any
memory you want me too."

He brings her hand to his lips and tenderly
kisses her palm. "I better go. I'm still a little weak from the
loss of blood. Sleep well, Skye."

"Dylan, thank you," I say and kiss him on the
cheek.

As he is walking back across the yard to the
barn, Dylan is smiling. Skye said she likes lying curled up next to
him and wants to do it again sometime. Nothing would please him
more. Especially if they manage do more than lie together. He
reminds himself to take things slowly. He doesn't want to do
anything that might scare her. She is as skittish as any filly he
has ever seen.

Stump, who was born Clarence Kincaid, Jr.
travels to Kalispell Montana the next day where he gets a room in
the hotel overlooking the mall parking lot. The first thing he does
is search the parking lot to make sure Skye's red BMW has not yet
been delivered then he perches himself in the window to get a
glimpse of his father when he delivers the car.

He has only been watching for about two hours
when he sees the car pull into the lot and park right below his
window. Unable to tear his eyes away, Stump watches as his father
climbs out of the car and walks toward the mall. Butterflies are
doing somersaults in his stomach he is so excited. He is exactly as
Scoot had described him, very big and very hairy with a ponytail
half way down his back, a full beard and hairy arms sticking out
from under red plaid flannel shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbows.
When he disappears from sight, Stump grabs his room key and heads
for the fire stairs to try and catch up and follow him into the
mall.

He rushes into the mall and follows him to
the food court. Stump watches him as he gets food at one of the
vendors and moves to a table away from the other people to eat. His
father doesn't even know he has a son. Stump was born eight and a
half months after his father left for Vietnam and he is very
nervous. After Bear takes a seat at one of the tables, Stump, heart
pounding furiously, approaches,

"Excuse me sir, are you Clarence
Kincaid?"

Surprised at the intrusion, the man looks up
and assesses the young man speaking to him. He appears to be in his
mid to late thirties, about five foot ten or eleven, well developed
muscles, clean shaven, a military style haircut, and very hairy
arms. He reminds Bear of himself as a young man and his heart
speeds up a little.

He asks, "Who wants to know?"

The man's voice, as smooth as melted
chocolate, slides over Stump. Yes, that is exactly the way his Mom
had described it and how he remembers it from the taped recording
he has of his father reading a bedtime story to his older half
brother just before he left for Vietnam.

Nervously Stump lifts his chin and says,
"Well, if you are Clarence Kincaid, then you're my father. I'm
Clarence Kincaid, Jr."

Bear's heart stops at the words, his son? No,
it can't be true. He doesn't have a son. Then shaking his head he
says, "You're wrong, I don't have any kids."

Encouraged because he hasn't said he's not
Clarence Kincaid, Stump continues, "Sir, my mother, Jesse Williams
and you were dating and in love when you were drafted and chose to
join the Marines. I have an older half brother named Johnny who was
five at the time. You made a recording of
The
Little Train that Could
for him just before you left for
boot camp. I still have it. I was born eight and a half months to
the day after you left. I even look like the pictures of you my Mom
kept in her scrapbook."

Finishing off his burger and fries while
Stump is talking he wipes his mouth and asks, "How did you find
me?"

"Skye Reynolds told my buddy Scoot your name.
I came to pick up her car," Stump answers.

"Is Skye all right? Did that fellow get her
to the ranch in Wyoming safely?" Bear asks.

"Yes, they got to the ranch yesterday. I flew
back this morning to pick up the car," answers Stump.

"Are you a Marine?" asks Bear.

"I was. I retired after eight years. I work
for Drake Security now with Scoot and two others from our unit. We
all live on the ranch in Wyoming," answers Stump.

"How is Jesse?" asks Bear wistfully.

"She's all right. She lives in Phoenix and
works at a hospital there. She's a nurse you know," answers Stump.
Then he adds, "She still loves you, Sir, she never married. It hurt
her terribly when you didn't come back to her after you came home
from the war."

Dropping his eyes to the table he says, "I
couldn't. I still have flashbacks and I was afraid I would hurt
someone. I couldn't bear the thought of hurting Jesse or Johnny.
It's better if I stay away from people."

Not surprised by his statement Stump says,
"The doctors have made a lot of progress in treating Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder. That's what they call it now. They can help with
flashbacks. Mom works in a special unit where they treat veterans
with PTSD. She keeps hoping you'll show up one day."

He hands Bear a card with his cell phone
number on it along with his mother's contact information. Then
Stump rises from the table. "I guess I better get started on the
road back to Wyoming. Call anytime. You'll always be welcome at the
ranch."

As he watches his son walk away Clarence
Kincaid Sr. is overcome with loneliness. He has loved Jesse
Williams for nearly forty years. She is the reason he survived in
Vietnam and his love for her has kept him going ever since. He is
just so afraid of hurting her during one of his night terrors. Now
he finds out he hurt her by staying away. Maybe he should seek
help. If there is hope that he can overcome these dreams and find
his way back to Jesse he has to take it.

He jumps up from the table, rushes through
the mall, and back to the parking lot. He is standing beside the
red BMW when Stump comes out of the hotel. Surprised, Stump asks,
"Did you want something?"

Bear says, "Yeah, I want to go with you. I
want to get that help you talked about. I want to see your mother
and get to know you. Can we stop by my cabin and pick up some
things?"

Smiling Stump says, "Sure, get in." They
climb in the car and head for Wyoming.

Stump's heart is soaring! His father is
coming to the ranch with him! He is going to get help for his
flashbacks and be part of his life. Maybe he and his Mom will even
get together again. That would be the most wonderful thing in the
world. He never dreamed this trip would reap such wonderful
benefits so quickly. He can't wait to call his Mom.

Bear can't believe he has a son! He wishes he
had been around to watch him grow up. Jesse obviously did a
fantastic job. His son followed in his footsteps and joined the
Marines. He can't wait to get to know him better. He is so proud of
him already.