Between Two Worlds (13 page)

Delaney pulled the phone out of her purse and flipped it open to
see if there were any bars. The battery was nearly dead. She punched the
numbers on the keypad, but nothing happened. She tossed the phone back in her
purse, knowing it was a lost cause.

“My friends won’t try to contact me. I’m sure Meredith has told
everyone that Mr. Pendergrass forced me to take some time off, and I hinted to
her that I’d probably head out of town. They’ll all think I’m on some beach in
the Bahamas, soaking up the sun and getting re-energized. No one will miss me
for two or three weeks. Crap!”

She lay back in the grass and listened to the lull of the water
knowing there was no use in getting upset.
I’m
probably going to be
stuck here for a while, so I should just
make the best of it until I can
figure out how to get across
this river.

“Crap?” inquired a deep voice nearby. “What that mean?”

Startled, she sprang up and shaded her eyes with a hand. A
handsome smooth-faced Native American stepped toward her, dropped a bow and a
quiver of arrows on the ground, and sat cross-legged next to her. In his hand
dangled several dead rabbits, strung together. A fat gray donkey stood
obediently a few feet away. Fear slithered down Delaney’s spine.  She was so
shocked, she couldn’t speak.

“What crap mean?” he repeated. When he angled his head, she
exhaled the breath she’d been holding and perused the man. His hair was long
and free flowing, the shade of ebony, hanging loosely on his shoulders. He wore
no shirt, so she could see his chest was hairless, and his abdomen was rippled.
His lower half was barely covered in a cotton loincloth which allowed her to admire
his thick, muscular legs. On his feet were what looked like sheepskin sandals.
The donkey was short and stocky, with curly hair, ornery black eyes, and
giant-sized ears.

Strangely, her fear dissipated like rain on a hot tin roof.  All
she felt was surprise, since she hadn’t heard them approach. The two of them
had snuck up on her without making a sound. If he’d been in a scalping mood,
she figured he’d be holding her blonde hair in his other fist right now.

The man stabbed a finger into his chest and introduced himself.
“He Who Fights Bravely.”

Delaney tentatively offered her hand and said, “My name is
Delaney.” He didn’t appear to notice her hand, because he didn’t grasp it, so
she let it fall back into her lap. “I’m pleased to meet you.” She smiled,
deciding he was a friendly Indian. “I didn’t hear you approach.”

“He Who Fights Bravely is quiet hunter.”

“You can say that again. What are you hunting?”

“Rabbit.” He nodded toward his bounty. “Bighorn sheep. Mule deer.”

“I didn’t know you could find all that wildlife around Phoenix. Is
this little guy your pack animal?” She peered into the donkey’s coal-black
eyes.

The animal opened its mouth, threw back its head and brayed, “
Hee!
Haw!”

Delaney jumped. “Jeez! That creature’s loud.”

“Donkey no like white man. Or woman. White man beat donkey.”

“Oh.” She frowned. “That’s terrible. I don’t like to see any
animals suffer. Or humans, either.” History books had documented some, but
probably not all of the suffering Native Americans had endured throughout time.

The Indian scrutinized her carefully through long thick lashes.
His gaze was so intense and direct it caused her to squirm. “Donkey is friend,”
he finally said. “Donkey like Pima. Pima no beat donkey.”

“Pima? Is that the tribe you belong to?”

“My tribe. What’s crap?” he repeated, for the third time.

She chuckled. “Crap is the state I currently find myself in.”

He Who Fights Bravely shook his head and then picked up his bow
and arrows, slung the cache of rabbits over his shoulder, and stood up. “Come,”
he said, tapping the donkey on its furry rear end. The pair started to leave
without fanfare.

“Where are you going?” she asked. It was disappointing he wasn’t
going to stay longer and chat. He was a real life historical figure, straight
out of the books she’d studied in school. It would be interesting to learn more
about him and his way of life. There were several tribes scattered around
modern-day Phoenix, but unfortunately they no longer lived off the land. Forced
to live by the white man’s economic standards or starve, most Native American
tribes had taken to building casinos, gaming centers and resorts years ago in
order to stay solvent. She was curious about this Indian, who was hunting to
feed his family.

“Must hunt. Need more food.” He trod off just as quickly and
quietly as he’d arrived.

“Okay then. See ya.” She raised a hand to wave. She didn’t think
he’d heard her, because he and the donkey had already trotted across the grass
about fifty feet. She was pleased when he stopped, turned and nodded.

“See ya,” he repeated. With that, he and the animal vanished into
the pink horizon.

~ * ~

The brown lace up boots lay in the grass with her stockings
stuffed inside. The full skirt and tailored shirt were folded neatly next to
them, and her purse was tucked underneath. Delaney sidestepped her way down the
bank of the Salt River wearing only her corset and cotton drawers. Standing at
the edge of the rushing river, she dipped a toe in, and then a whole foot.
Before she could change her mind, she took the plunge and splashed all the way
in, gasping from the shock of cold. She wasn’t just taking a swim for fun.
There was a mission in her madness.

As she waded further toward the center, the water came up to her
knees. It churned around her calves and ankles.  The current was stronger than
she’d imagined it would be. With her toes curled down and gripping the slippery
rocks in the riverbed, she moved one tenuous step at a time. As she reached the
middle she thought,
It’s just a little farther now.
I’m halfway
across.

She took another step and…
Whoosh!
The frigid water caught
her in its grip and swept her down. Although she knew how to swim, the current
was swift and forceful. Delaney flailed while trying to keep her head above
water. Sputtering and spitting water from her mouth, she reached out, grasping
at nothing but air. Her face slipped under the water
.
When she bobbed up,
she coughed and gasped for air. Panic set in. She smacked her flattened palms
against the water and tried to scream, but was unable to catch her breath
before her head went under again. After surfacing a second time, she pushed at
the wet tendrils of hair covering her face. Water rolled off her ears, and she
heard the shouts of a deep voice coming from the vicinity of the bank.

“Look up! Grab the branch! Now!” the voice called.

Without thinking—just reacting—Delaney did as the voice commanded.
She opened one blurry eye and caught sight of a long pole, so she grabbed for
it. Blinking back rivulets of water, she could see the fuzzy outline of a man
standing in the river close to the bank. Holding tight to the branch, she felt
herself being hauled to shore. Exhausted and soaked to the skin, she shut her
eyes and went limp as the strong, masculine arms pulled her up the hill. When
they reached the top, the life saving hands rolled her over on her back. She
was enveloped in sweet green grass, warm from the sun. When the hands began pushing
on her chest, she opened her mouth, coughed, and turned her head to the side
when water spilled out. Her eyes slid open, and she stared into Gabriel’s
panic-stricken face.

Still coughing, she choked out, “I’m okay” and seized his hand so
he’d stop doing CPR. He collapsed on the grass beside her and inhaled and
exhaled deeply. Delaney pushed wet strands of hair out of her face. Her head
pivoted. Behind him, ground reined, stood a dark, compact horse with heavily
muscled quarters. Its head was bent nibbling grass.

“What were you trying to do? Drown yourself?” Gabriel croaked.
Water dripped off his face, and his hazel eyes flashed with a combination of
fright and downright irritation.

She ran her gaze over his sopping wet frame. His clothes were
matted to his hard body, giving the impression of a second skin.

“No,” she rasped, biting back a smile.

“Then explain yourself. What on earth possessed you to charge into
the river like that? Don’t you know how dangerous that was?” His tone was
gruff.

She peeled a spike of grass off her chest where it had stuck and
caught her breath. “First of all, I didn’t go
charging
into the river.
You weren’t here. You didn’t see. Second, I know how to swim. I wasn’t going to
drown.” She was flattered that he cared, but also a bit peeved that he was
taking an attitude with her. She was a grown woman. She could drown herself if
she wanted!

“Ha! Ha!” he laughed sarcastically, throwing back his wet head.
“You know how to swim, do you? Then why were you sputtering and coughing and
going under like a rock? Huh? Answer me that.”

She sat up. “Why are you so upset? I could have gotten myself back
to the bank. I was starting to swim over when I heard you call out.” She tossed
her head and water zinged off her hair like fleas flying off a shaking dog. “I’m
not a child, or one of your patients, Gabriel. I don’t need looking after.”

He scrambled to his feet, sighed, and wrung water out of the tail
of his shirt. After what seemed an eternity of them staring each other down, he
acquiesced. “You’re right. I apologize.” He slicked his wet hair back and bent
to pick up the cowboy hat that lay on the grass a couple of feet away and jammed
it onto his head.

The hat definitely suited him. Delaney smiled. Gabriel looked even
more macho wet than dry.

“You’re lucky I got here when I did. That’s all I’ve got to say,”
he added firmly, to make a point. “Now tell me why you were in the river.” He
crossed his arms over his chest and glared.

Feeling like a child being interrogated by the school  principal,
she softly answered, “I wanted to see how deep it was.”

“Why? So you could try to cross it and go back home?”

She sighed. “Yes. But I guess it’s not going to work without that
dumb bridge. Can you help me up? I’m cold, and these wet clothes are weighing me
down.” She stretched out her hand, and he planted his feet apart and hoisted
her up from the ground.

“That’s the second time I’ve saved your life, Miss Marshall. You
definitely owe me now.” He finally grinned, and his eyes roamed casually over
her shivering body. They lingered at the top of the corset where her cleavage
formed an upside down V.

Delaney followed his gaze and was mortified to realize he was
staring at her breasts, which were close to falling out of the old fashioned
lingerie. The cotton underwear was also stuck to her legs like glue, leaving
nothing to the imagination. She resembled one of the soiled doves that hung
over the saloon balcony! Quickly crossing one arm over her chest, she bent and
grabbed her blouse from off the ground and shrugged it over her head.

Gabriel averted his eyes, cleared his throat, and sauntered over
to the grazing animal and gave its head a rub.

While wiggling into the long skirt, Delaney asked, “Is that your
horse?”

“Yes.”

“What’s his name?”

“
Her
nam
e
is Lady Godiva.”

“Interesting moniker. Did you give her that name?”

“No. I can’t take credit for it.”

“She’s beautiful. What breed is she?” Delaney knelt and shoved her
wet, puckered feet into the boots and laced them as they talked.

“She’s a Morgan. Ever heard of them? They’re a reliable breed.
Very versatile, strong and tireless. When I travel long distances, she pulls me
in a two-seater buggy.”

Delaney straightened her back, walked over and stroked the mare’s
upright, graceful neck. “She has such expressive eyes. Where do you keep her?”

“Ike’s livery.”

“How old is she?”

“I don’t know. Probably ten years or so, based on her teeth. Ike
sold her to me when I came to town. I pleasure ride her as often as I can.
She’s a gentle animal.” He scratched Lady Godiva’s nose, and the Morgan closed
her eyes.

“Oh! Tell me, how’s your patient, Frank?” Delaney asked suddenly,
as she buttoned her blouse and tucked it into her skirt.

“Alma and the kids are still sitting with him. He was awake and
talking when I left. I think he’s going to survive, thank God.”

Fully dressed now, she smiled and nuzzled the horse. “God won’t
take all the credit. You had a little something to do with it, you know.”

“I did what I could, given our primitive circumstances here in
1888.” Gabriel gave her a sideways glance.

She found his humbleness endearing. She petted the horse and gave
her tiny kisses on her nose. “I like this horse.”

“She likes you, too. Lady doesn’t take to just anybody, so you
should feel privileged. My horse is very particular about who she lets get
close. She’s a lot like me.”

Delaney felt that familiar flutter in her stomach. “Is that so?”

“Uh-huh. That’s why we get along so well.” He watched her run her
hand down the mare’s withers and pat her rump. “Did you get to talk to Donovan
before you decided to take a swim in the river?”