Two Spirit Ranch (7 page)

His foot hit the brakes, and his car skidded to a stop on the slippery highway.  He jumped out of his car and rushed over to the scene, cold rain pouring down his face and soaking his clothes.

“Sherilynn!” he screamed out, praying that somehow she was okay.  Somehow she walked away from this.  She had to have been okay.  She had to. They had their whole future together.

His few years on the sheriff’s force had already given him a sixth sense to know when it was too late. When he made it to the car, his eyes landed on her lifeless figure slumped over the steering wheel. Tears poured down his already rain soaked face and he let out a cry of grief as the thunder raged on. The love of his life, his fiancée Sherilynn, was dead.  If it had been possible, he would have wished himself dead that very moment, too…

“Terri!” Jake continued to call as he ran towards the ranch, jumping over fallen branches and smaller trees. An eerie sense of déjà vu tingled in the back of his mind which he tried to mentally push away.

“Jake!  Thank God!” he finally heard her yell back.

And then she appeared, running out of the ranch and straight towards him.  She didn't stop until she instinctively threw herself into his arms.  Jake held her tightly, with all of his might, almost hugging the breath out of her, thankful she was alright.

He pulled back and took a good look at her.  Her face had turned an almost ashen pale shade, and she appeared to be trying to catch her breath.

“Are you okay?” he asked, gripping her shoulders.

All she could do was nod before throwing herself into his strong arms again.

Jake embraced her as he scanned the area around them.

“My God!  It's a miracle!” he exclaimed.

Fallen tress surrounded the entire ranch house, but not one single tree had fallen on the house.

Terri reluctantly left Jake's arms and took in the complete damage for the first time herself.

“I thought I was going to die,” she said softly.

The moment she saw the tornado, she dropped the phone and had run into a bedroom closet to try and shield herself from the windows.  The sound of the tornado became deafening, and Terri thought her heart would beat out of her chest. The smell and warmth of Uncle Bud’s old clothes surrounded and comforted her. She thought of and tried to focus on his smiling face as the storm raged outside. Loud snapping sounds filled the air.  But just as soon as it appeared, the tornado passed over and a peaceful quiet settled in the house once more.

“You're okay,” Jake said reassuringly, and without thinking twice about it took her hand into his.  “I can't believe it, not one tree hit the house. Someone up there is watching over you, Terri.”

“Uncle Bud,” Terri said quietly.  In her heart, she believed that her uncle had looked out for her from beyond.  How else could such a miraculous event occur?

“Come on,” Jake said, leading her towards the ranch, “Let's go in and sit for a moment.  I know where Bud kept his scotch, and I think you could use a shot right now.”

“Yeah, I agree,” she replied, following him and holding his hand even tighter.  This simple touch between them felt so natural, so easy...in a way she had never even felt with Tom who she thought she loved more than life itself. She was so grateful for having a strong, masculine figure like Jake in her life.

As they neared the house, the sun cut through the clouds and illuminated an uprooted ponderosa tree.  A slight glimmer near the roots caught Terri's eye.

“Wait a sec,” she said, leading him to the knot of tangled roots.

“What is it?”

“I see something shiny in the roots of that tree.”

When they got close enough to inspect it further, Jake muttered, “Well, look a there.”

There in between the roots were fragments of what looked to be shards of multi-colored pottery. An array of different pieces with colorful designs seemed to have been preserved under the tree.

“What is it?” Terri asked.

Jake knelt down, picked up one of the clay pieces, and held it up to the light.

“Looks like Native American pottery pieces from one of the tribes that lived in this area. Possibly the Crow people.”

Terri bent down to have a closer look herself. “There looks like a lot of it,” she said, amazed. “How long do you think it was buried?”

“That’s a good question. I don’t know. But there is someone who would. An old professor I had in college, Professor Redfeather, is an expert on the local history. I'd like to call him to come take a look at this if you don't mind.  He lives nearby and does a lot of work with preserving and cataloging Native artifacts.”

“Of course.  I’ve love to learn a little more about these pieces. Maybe it’s an important find! It'd be nice if something good comes from all of this,” she said, pointing to the all the storm debris.

“I know some good guys who would be happy to help you clean this up, too, if you let them keep the wood,” Jake said.

“That'd be great.  I wouldn't even know where to start,” she said surveying the littered landscape. He practically read her mind. How wonderful.

She noticed Jake looked mesmerized studying one of the pottery pieces.

“I'm part Native American, you know,” he said softly.

“Really?” Terri said.  That explained his handsome, dark features. His cousin Carl looked more typical all American apple pie.

“Yeah.  My maternal grandmother was Crow,” he said, remembering the kind old woman who would always weave him a new sweater every Christmas.  Carl would often tease him when they were children, calling him “half-breed” in front of the other neighborhood kids.  They would make him play “Indian” to their cowboys.

“I hated being part Native growing up. Not only were they bad guys in the western movies, but sometimes I’d see alcoholic Indians begging on the streets of town or committing crimes around the reservation. At the time, I didn’t understand what was really behind some of that.  When I got older I found himself wishing I had learned more about that part of my culture from my grandmother before she passed. Her last words to me were, ‘You should be proud of your Native heritage. Learn the wisdom of ancestors.’”

He looked at Terri, who was listening intently, fascinated by his sharing of something personal to her.

“Those words led me to take Professor Redfeather's Native American Studies class,” he continued.  “The bespectled, long dark haired man opened up a new world for me and gave me insight into the past of my Native ancestors. How they were masters of the land and respected nature’s natural rhythms and cycles. How in many tribes men and women were equal. And how helping others, such as the English Colonists, was ingrained in their culture. I guess you could say my becoming a sheriff is ingrained in me!”

“Thank you, Jake, for opening up to me. I didn’t realize…,” Terri said. Terri thought to herself how this man in all of his authority but sensitivity had to be one of the sexiest men she'd ever seen.

“What I found it ironic is that only now is modern society relearning green principles that were respected by Natives for thousands of years.  I guess that why I butt heads with my cousin Carl so much…”

Jake's phone rang momentarily interrupting their moment together.

“Collins,” he answered.

He hung up the phone and said, “There's been some accidents down the highway I need to go check out, but I don't want to leave you...”

“No, go,” Terri said, placing a hand on his chest.  She could feel his heart beating through the fabric of his uniform.  What she would give to lay her head on his chest at night, his strong arms enveloping her.  She could only imagine the sense of serenity that would bring her.  “You have a duty, and I'll be fine.”

He looked at her, obviously hesitating.  It had been years since he felt this drawn to any woman, not since his fiancée…

“Are you sure?” he asked one more time, a bit uncertainly.

“Yes, definitely.  You're needed,” Terri said, taking a deep breath and putting on a strong face.  “I'll take some time assessing the rest of the damage. I okay. Thanks again for being there for me.”

“No problem. Be very careful walking around.”

“I will.”

He started to head back to his patrol car, but abruptly turned back around and said, “I'll stop by and check on you later.”

Terri thought it almost sounded like a question, a request for permission.

“Thanks.  I would really like that,” she replied because she couldn't think of anything more wonderful that moment that seeing this man once again.  Even though her brain told her to shield her heart, it was exactly her
heart
that was unmistakenly drawn to Jake.

She wrapped her arms around herself, wishing they were his strong, sinewy arms, as she watched him hurry back to his car.

In the background, she heard a distant ringing and realized it was her phone.  Dodging fallen twigs and branches, she made her way back to the house and picked up her cell phone right before it went to voicemail.  It was Martin calling from the office in New York. What a pleasant surprise, she thought.

“Hello?” she answered breathlessly.

“Terri, is that you?”

 “Oh, Martin, you have no idea what just happened. Is work okay?”

“Forget about work! I wanted to check on you, and see how your trip is going.”

“Well, I just survived my first tornado.”

“
Seriously
?”

“Unfortunately, yes.  But I'm okay, and amazingly, so is the ranch. A few fallen trees but nothing major.”

“Well, I'm glad to hear that.  I've been...worried about you.”

She was truly moved by Martin's words.  She'd been so lost in her fog of hurt and rejection between Uncle Bud dying and Tom leaving her that a friendly voice from back home made a huge difference.

“I'm okay.  Life is definitely...
different
here.  But it's nice.”

“Have you met some people?” Martin asked.

She paused momentarily. “Yes, I have, actually,” she said with a little lilt in her voice.

“Ah.  You’ve met someone. There’s a story there. C’mon, tell Uncle Marty everything…” Martin said, knowing her too well.

“No, Martin, it’s not that,” she said dismissingly. “Just some sweet people here. That’s all.”

“Sweet? Is that all, really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Oh, okay. I’m a little disappointed. I thought maybe you met your cowboy.  Well, have you decided what you want to do with the property yet?”

Had she met “her” cowboy? Terri gazed outside at the huge mess that now was her lawn.

“I’m not sure what to do with the property yet. First, there's a huge mess outside to get cleaned up.  How are things in the office?”

“The usual.  Nothing that can't wait.  Take as much time off as you need! I think you need this time now for many reasons.”

Martin had been the only person at work that she confided in about her breakup with Tom.

“Thank you, Martin. You’ve been very supportive and patient. I'm so confused about so many things right now. 
So many things
.”

“Well, you’re one of the smartest women I know, Terri. If anybody can figure it out, I know you can. I’ll talk to you later,” Martin said.

“Okay, bye,” Terri said, pressing the “end call” button on her phone.

Could she figure things out? Martin had so much confidence in her.  Her trip to Montana was supposed to clear her mind. But her thoughts drifted back to Jake and the feelings he stirred within her.  Part of her wished she could push them away, reject those feelings just as Tom had rejected her.  But worse than any tornado, she feared the storm brewing in her heart for Sheriff Jake Collins.

Chapter 7

Later that night, after accidents in which, thankfully, no one was hurt were cleared, Jake went home, took a quick shower, and then drove out to Bud's ranch wearing jeans, his favorite boots and his cowboy hat.  The sudden occurrence of the tornado today and the accidents on the highway reminded Jake how precious, and sometimes chaotic, life could be.  Ever since Sherilynn passed away, he'd kept everyone at bay especially the advances of any women.  His constant pangs of guilt for letting her drive that evening prevented him from opening up to anyone. He told himself he just couldn't feel that kind of pain again, the kind that he was convinced had to be worse than dying. Survivor guilt. But ever since pulling Terri over on the highway, he felt a spark inside that had been long dormant.  Maybe this was a sign.  He decided he knew what he had to do, and maybe Terri would be the perfect woman for it since she wasn't planning on staying in town very long.

            He pulled his Jeep up to the driveway, leaving work and the patrol car at home. He stepped over the storm debris and strode to the door.  He wanted to appear calm, causal, and confident, but inside he felt anything but.  He felt like a high school boy again and asking Sherilynn out for the first time.

Jake knocked on the door a couple of times, and Terri quickly answered.  He thought she looked breathtaking in a light blue sundress, her hair pulled back loosely behind her head showing off her delicate neckline.

“Hey there,” he said, leaning against the doorway.  He quickly decided that that posture looked a little
too
casual, and he stood back up straight.  What was it about this woman that made him a bundle of raw, loose nerves?

“Hey there,” she said back.  “Thanks for checking on me.  I've managed to calm down quite a bit.  Would you like to come in?”

God, would he ever!  But he didn't trust himself.  He feared if he took one foot inside that door he would sweep her up into his arms, carry her off to the bedroom, and make urgent passionate love to her that would allow both of them to forget all their troubles from the day.  But, Jake was nothing, if not a gentleman.

“Thank you, but I can’t stay. I told Sally I'd stop by the diner and help her move some debris. ”

“Oh, sure,” Terri said.  She immediately hoped she didn't sound too disappointed.

She noticed that even though he wouldn't come inside he appeared to be hesitating.