MM02 - Until Morning Comes (7 page)

With Sara looking on and providing encouragement, Jo Beth taught Silas about focusing and shutter speeds and exposure. After the lesson, Silas walked around taking shots of the dog's tail, the porch rafters, and his wife's feet. Jo Beth and Sara left him standing on the porch, happily clicking away at the outdoor privy.

o0o

Evening came quickly to the desert. The sun dropped over the western rim of the earth, and the sky changed from pink to red to deep purple. The long shadow of the mountain melted into the surrounding darkness, and Jo Beth sat on the front porch swing, at peace.

Out of the darkness came the cooing of a turtledove. Jo Beth stopped swinging to listen. The call sounded once more. How could that be? she wondered. A dove in this barren place with no forests nearby?

There was a small rustle, and Colter stepped out of the darkness. Jo Beth put her hand over her heart.

“You startled me.”

“I didn't mean to.” He propped one foot on the front porch steps and watched her.

“How did you get here? I didn't hear an engine, or a horse either.”

“I ran.”

He didn't look as if he had been running. In the narrow light provided by the moon, he was as unhurried and unruffled as if he had stepped from an air-conditioned limousine. Even his chest, bare in the moonlight, didn't show a sign of perspiration.

Jo Beth set her swing into gentle notion, rocking and looking at Colter. She had learned silences from him, so she waited for him to speak.

He didn't for a long while, content to watch the play of light over Jo Beth's fair hair. The creaking of rusty hinges on the swing was the only sound. Finally Colter spoke.

“While I was running, I decided that a perfect day should have a perfect ending.” He climbed the steps and moved across the porch until he was standing in front of her. Catching the chains, he brought the swing to a halt. “A perfect ending demands a perfect woman.”

“I'm not perfect, Colter.”

“You're close enough.”

He sat down beside her, resting his arm along the back of the swing. His forearm brushed the sensitive skin at the back of her neck. That small contact was enough to make her shiver.

He noticed and smiled. With one moccasined foot he set the swing into motion again.

“I'm glad you came, Colter. I haven't thanked you properly for what you did today.”

He smiled. “How does a Mississippi girl properly thank a slightly confused San Francisco doctor?”

“Like this.” With a wicked grin, she shook his hand.

“Let me rephrase that question. How does a pretty Yellow Bird thank a hungry Gray Wolf?”

She reached toward the back of the swing and pulled his arm down over her shoulder. Then she slid across the slatted swing and took his face between her hands.

“Like this.”

Chapter Five

She kissed him with exquisite tenderness. The swing continued its rocking, and across the porch Zar thumped his tail on the wooden floor. The stars moved through the velvet blackness of the heavens, and the moon kept its course across the vast sky.

Without breaking contact, Colter shifted Jo Beth onto his lap. One foot renewed the motion of the swing so that they swayed together, gently, like two night-blooming flowers in a friendly breeze.

They finally reached a break point, and they had to stop or plunge over the edge.

“Stopping is pain,” he said, his mouth only a fraction of an inch from her lips.

“My parents are inside.”

“And I'm still being noble.” He settled her head against his chest, stroking her hair and swinging. “I had no idea that hair could be such a powerful aphrodisiac.”

“Is it?”

“It's always the first thing I notice about you... this bright and shining cascade of hair.”

She rested her hand on his chest, right over his heart, and sat quietly, content to listen to the mystical music of his voice.

“Before I came to Arizona, I had almost given up running. For one thing, I didn't have time. But the need was there... Apaches have always been great athletes, you know. Swift runners.”

Zar ambled over and rubbed against Colter's legs. Colter bent down to pat the dog's head, then settled back with Jo Beth in his arms.

“Don't stop, Colter. The sound of your voice is soothing.”

“Your cabin is dark tonight.”

“My parents went to bed early, and I wanted to sit in the dark.”

“At first I thought all of you had gone to bed, and then I saw your hair, shining through the night.”

She leaned back to look at him. “You're joking.”

“No.” He smiled at her. “So I stopped and called to you.”

“I didn't hear you.”

“Did you hear a turtledove?”

“That was you?”

“Yes.”

“Colter, you're full of surprises.”

“I'm glad you mentioned surprises.” He made an expert maneuver, holding on to her while reaching into his pocket. “I have another gift for you. One slightly damaged goo goo cluster.”

She stared at the shiny wrapper in his hand. It was crumpled and mashed from being in his pocket.

“I think I'm going to cry.” She put her hands to her cheeks.

“You don't like mashed goo goo clusters?”

She saw the teasing light in his eyes. “I love them, and I’ve decided I can't eat and cry at the same time.” She took the candy and peeled back the wrapper. “What's more, I'm going to share.”

She broke off a tiny bit of candy and held it to his lips. He took it all into his mouth—the chocolate, the marshmallow, the peanuts, and two delicate fingers. He wrapped his tongue around her fingers.

“Hmmm, delicious.” With his mouth full, his words were garbled, but she understood them nonetheless.

“There's more where that came from.”

He released her fingers and swallowed the candy. “Eight more, if I'm not mistaken.”

“I'm talking about the candy.”

“I'm not.”

He lifted her hand and kissed the palm. Then he took her fingers into his mouth, one by one, savoring the texture and the special taste of her skin.

A flush heated her skin. Even after he let her fingers go and stood up, she still felt warm and languid.

“Tomorrow evening, Yellow Bird, I’ll come for you.”

“I don't know, Colter.”

“You will hear my signal and come to me.”

“The turtledove?”

“And you will ride with me.”

He disappeared as quickly as he had come, blending into the darkness so that she couldn't tell his direction. Instinctively, she knew he was running, and she leaned forward to catch the sounds. But not a single footfall marred the silence of the night.

She stayed in the swing a while longer, enjoying the luxury of doing nothing, then went inside to bed.

o0o

“Dad-blamed it, Jo Beth. You're slower than Christmas.” Silas moved from one cactus to another, taking pictures as fast as he could. “We've been here all morning, and I’ll bet I've made twice as many as you.”

“Four times.” She focused carefully, never looking up.

“Is that right? Hot dern, I'm gonna get rich.”

He moved around behind Jo Beth, snapped a great shot of the sky, then trained his camera on the western horizon. Colter and his stallion came into view.

“I've got that sucker now.” Silas frowned into his viewfinder as Colter came closer. “Hold it right there, Toronto.”

Jo Beth whirled around. “Colter. What a pleasant surprise.”

He smiled at her. “I knew I'd find you out here somewhere.” He held up the burden basket. “I brought lunch... enough for three.” He dismounted. “Hello, Silas.”

“Stay right where you sire.” Silas was clicking his camera furiously.

“Dad, what in the world are you doing?”

“Collecting evidence. I'm gonna send these pictures to my son.” He glared over the top of the camera at Colter. “Rick's a private eye. He'll know just what to do about you.... Shoot, I'm out of film.” He went to the Jeep to reload his camera.

“I'm sorry,” Jo Beth told Colter.

“It's better than being tied in the privy.” He caught her hand. “How are you?”

“Busy. Happy. And glad to see you.”

“Ready for a lunch break?”

“Yes.”

They let down the tailgate of the Jeep, and Colter unloaded the folding canvas chair Jo Beth had brought for Silas. Silas hopped around them like a bantam rooster, aiming his camera and yelling, “Gotcha.”

Colter took it all in stride, and Jo Beth smiled, but every time her father yelled, her heart broke a little. He needs me, she thought. Now, more than ever.

“Dad, let me put your camera away so you can eat lunch.”

“He just wants to get his hands on it so he can steal the evidence.” Silas, his Panama hat flapping with every movement of his head, nodded at Colter.

“Silas, I promise not to touch the camera.”

“Humph. A lot of good your promises are. You promised not to take my daughter captive, and look what's happened.”

Colter thought Silas must be more astute than he seemed, for at that very moment he was thinking ahead to the night, planning for the moment when he would take Jo Beth to his camp.

“Dad, this is Dr. Gray. Remember?” Jo Beth took her father's hand and led him to the canvas chair. “He doesn't want to take anyone captive. He's our friend, and he's brought us lunch.”

Colter prepared a paper plate and brought it to Silas.

“What is it?” The old man eyed the food suspiciously.

“Fresh fruit and fish I caught this morning.”

Silas took a bite and smacked his lips. “Toronto, if you ever decide to give up being a savage, I can get you a job as a cook. I have this friend back home in Mississippi. Owns this little old restaurant—the Lonesome Pig, it's called. We're buddies, the two of us. One time...”

Colter and Jo Beth sat on the tailgate, eating their lunch while Silas talked and talked, spinning his fantasies. With Silas's voice droning in the background, they carried on a quiet conversation.

“The fish is delicious, Colter.”

“I have a confession to make. I didn't cook it.”

“I know you're full of surprises, but don't tell me you have a cook stashed away in that tepee.”

“No. I carried some fish to your cabin this morning, and when Sara found out what I was going to do, she insisted on cooking it.” He smiled. “I think she likes me.”

“I’ll have to warn her about San Francisco doctors bearing gifts.”

“I've run out of gifts, Jo Beth.” He took her hand and kissed her fingertips. “The second stage must come to an end.” She caught her breath. “Are you ready for the third stage?”

She looked into his eyes. “How can I say no?”

“Holding hands!” Silas overturned his chair and grabbed his camera. The paper plate went flying into the sand. “Turn my back for one minute and look what happens.”

He stalked toward the Jeep, snapping pictures with a vengeance.

“I should go, Jo Beth, before I make him too agitated.”

“Colter...”

“Until tonight.” He kissed her cheek, then vaulted on to his stallion and rode away.

Silas chased after him with the camera.

“Dad! Dad! Come back.” Jo Beth caught up to him and took his arm. “It's all right, Dad. He's gone.”

“Wait till Rick sees this evidence. He’ll tar and feather that Toronto.”

“I'm sure Rick will take care of everything.” She patted his hand. “Now, why don't we load our gear and go back to the cabin. I’ll bet Mom is lonesome without us.”

“I'll take her picture.”

“That's a grand idea.”

Jo Beth loaded her equipment and the folding chair, then began to collect scraps. Sitting on the tailgate was Colter's burden basket. She picked it up and caressed its rough sides.

“Colter,” she whispered. “What am I going to do?”

o0o

The call of the turtledove came late that night.

Jo Beth sat beside her open bedroom window and listened. Her parents had been in bed for at least two hours. They were safe, at least until morning.

She rose from the chair, and then sank back down, thinking. Could she do this? What if the impossible happened and she fell in love? Who in the world would watch after Silas and Sara?

The call of the turtledove sounded once more, urgently this time.

She leaned out the window. Colter was silhouetted by the moonlight, strong, bare-chested, and beautiful, astride the black stallion. She had to go. If she didn't, she'd always regret it.

Without another thought, she ran across the wooden floor and out the front door.

o0o

Colter saw her coming. Her hair was long and loose, and her feet were bare. When she reached the edge of the porch, she stopped. He urged the stallion to a gallop. The stallion veered sharply beside the porch, and Colter reached for her with his right arm. With one powerful motion, he swung her onto the blanket in front of him and raced off into the night.

They rode in silence. Colter was vividly aware of the woman in front of him, of her bright yellow hair, her pale white skin, and her slim hips, pressing against him. All his senses were alive. He felt the stirrings of the nocturnal desert creatures, saw the special brilliance of the heavens, and heard the soft rise and fall of Jo's breathing.

His arm tightened around her, and he pressed his knees into the stallion's sides, urging him on, hurrying him forward toward destiny. When his camp came into sight, he reined the stallion in.

He dismounted quickly and held his arms up to Jo. Her eyes were bright as she slid into them. He pressed her close for a moment, then released her.

“Wait by my side.”

She stood quietly while he tethered the stallion and readied him for the night. Then he took her hand and led her into his tepee. A glimmer of moonlight shone through the smoke hole and around the loosely fitting door flap.

Jo Beth stood in the small shaft of light while her eyes adjusted to the semi-gloom of the tepee. When she saw Colter's blanket, spread upon the hard ground, she started toward it.

“No.” He caught her shoulders. “Stand here where I can see you best.”

Jo Beth trembled when he put his hands on her face.

“Are you afraid?” Colter stroked her cheeks.

“No. Excited.”

His fingers traced her face, her eyebrows, her cheekbones, her nose, her lips. “You are beautiful.”