Making New Memories (16 page)

I jerk my head around, my heart pounding
excitedly, and see a bearded Dylan walking toward us. He looks so
good my mouth waters. My heart pounding I survey him from head to
toe as he walks toward me. His hair is longer and he has the full
beard. He looks like he has lost some weight but he looks so good.
My heart is soaring, Dylan is finally home!

Dylan's heart is pounding with excitement.
Skye is so beautiful. Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail and her
long legs are encased in a pair of tight fitting jeans. The
lightweight sweater is clinging to her breasts and he aches to pull
her into his arms. As he approaches them he sees Damian run to her
and throw his arms around her. His heart expands with love for this
beautiful woman and his son.

At the sound of his voice, Damian bolts
toward his father jumping up into his arms. As Dylan gets to me
still carrying Damian in his arms, he sees tears in my eyes and he
puts his arm around me pulling me close as he leans down and places
a warm kiss on my lips.

Goose slaps him on the back and says, "It's
about time you lazy jokers got back. You missed all the fun."

Dylan turns toward Goose and sees that he has
his arm firmly around his sister's waist and she has a huge smile
playing about her lips. Grinning Dylan says, "I'm thinking it might
be just as well that I missed some of the fun." He pulls Evelyn
into a warm embrace and adds, "You better treat her right or I may
have to teach you a lesson."

Blushing Goose says, "That's not a problem,
Evelyn and I are getting married now that you're back. I wasn't
referring to us when I said you missed all the fun. We had a little
trouble in LA while you were gone."

Frowning Dylan asks, "What kind of
trouble?"

Goose says, "Meet us at Evelyn's and I'll
tell you all about it."

Since Stump and Pinky dropped him at the ball
field on their way back to the ranch, Dylan rides to Evelyn's with
Damian and me. When we get in the car he clasps my hand in his,
places a warm kiss on my palm, and says, "I've missed you."

Smiling I say, "I've missed you too."

Damian interrupts asking his dad all types of
questions and telling him all about the ballgame and school. When
we get to Evelyn's Damian bolts from the car and heads for the
door. Dylan pulls on my hand and leans over the console to tenderly
kiss me. "Oh God, I've missed you so much."

We exit the car and walk hand in hand to the
door. We sit together on the couch where he clasps my hand in his
and listens as Goose fills him in on what happened in LA. As the
story unfolds the tension in Dylan unwinds. He is relieved to know
that everyone survived such an ordeal when it could have ended so
badly. When Goose tells him about me killing Jonas he glances at me
and sees my blush. Squeezing my hand he whispers, "I'm proud of
you." I turn an even darker shade of red.

I interrupt, "Don't forget to tell him you
got shot."

Blushing Goose says, "Actually I'm ashamed he
got the jump on me. I should have known he would pull something
when he stopped the car. I'm just glad he wasn't a better
shot."

Evelyn interrupts, "Better shot! The first
one would have killed you if not for the Kevlar vest!" elbowing him
in his side.

Dylan asks, "So when is the wedding? I'm
happy for both of you."

Evelyn says, "Tomorrow, we already have our
license. We were waiting for you to get back. We don't want
anything big or fancy."

Standing, Dylan says, "I don't mean to be
unsociable but I haven't even been to the ranch yet and I'm bushed.
I'll talk to you tomorrow Goose. Evelyn, I'm happy for you. I love
you Sis." He hugs his sister and shakes Goose's hand then Dylan and
I head out the door.

We load Damian in the car and head for the
ranch. He asks, "When did you get brave enough to venture off the
ranch? Aren't the Paparazzi still giving you a hard time?"

Smiling I reply, "Not so much anymore. I
think they're afraid of me now. At least they leave me alone most
of the time." Pausing I ask, "Dylan, the rape trial is next week in
LA. Will you be able to go with me?"

Smiling reassuringly he says, "Of
course."

When we get to the ranch Dylan nervously
tells Skye, "Sweetheart, I'm sorry but I really am whipped. I
haven't had more than three hours of sleep in the last thirty six
hours. I'll see you tomorrow, all right?"

Disappointed, I say, "I understand Dylan.
Sleep well." I gently kiss his lips and turn and walk into the
house. When I enter my bedroom and close the door I let the tears
fall. I am so relieved that Dylan is home safe. I really do
understand about being tired but I just feel bereft. I long to lie
in his arms, to feel his hands caress my body. I want to taste his
kisses and hear his moans when I touch him just right. I want him
to make love to me. I want to make another new memory with him.

Dylan knows Skye is disappointed and his
heart clenches at the thought but he is so tired he can't even
think straight. He needs some time to decompress and release the
stress of their mission. He needs one more day to heal before he
lets her get too close. He thought he was going to collapse
screaming in agony when Goose slapped him on the back. He spent six
weeks as a captive of one of the cruelest dictators in the world.
His back looked like ground hamburger meat when Stump and Pinky
rescued him a little over two weeks ago. It is better now, but
still very tender. The beard is to cover up the scar where he was
slashed with a knife across his cheek.

When he steps out of the shower Stump is
waiting. He says, "Here, let me put the salve on your back. You
know you're going to have to tell Skye. This is not going to heal
for another several weeks and you can't wear that beard for the
rest of your life either. You probably should have stayed in DC at
the medical center for a few more days."

Dylan shakes his head, "No, I wanted to get
back for Damian's game. I've missed too many of them in his life
already. I'm going to tell Skye, tomorrow. I would appreciate it if
you would fill Goose in though. He slapped me on the back tonight
and I nearly collapsed screaming in front of everybody from the
pain."

"I'll take care of it. Barry told us about
what happened in LA. They were lucky. It could have ended really
badly. He said if Goose hadn't been wearing the vest he would be
dead. The first shot hit him square in the heart. If Skye wasn't
the exceptional woman she is, she would be dead too. From what Bear
told Barry she really used her head pulling Jones off balance to
buy time and then she dropped him with one shot."

About that time Damian runs into the room.
His eyes as big as saucers when he sees the stripes across Dylan's
back, he says, "Dad, what happened?"

"Hey Sport, Dad had a little problem while he
was gone but I'm going to be just fine." answers Dylan.

He looks closer at where Stump is applying
salve he asks, "Doesn't it hurt? It looks like it hurts really
bad."

Smiling Dylan says, "It doesn't hurt so much
anymore. Come here I want to tell you something. I want you to
promise me that you won't tell Skye. I don't want her to worry
about me, all right? Can you keep Dad's secret?"

Damian says, "Sure Dad, but Skye is real
nice. She'll understand. She's brave too. Did you know she shot the
man that tried to hurt her, the same man that shot Goose? I like
Skye a lot. I wish she could be my Mom."

Tears in his eyes, Dylan replies, "I like
Skye too. What if we talk to her about being your Mom? Would you
like that?"

"Can we really? I would like that a lot!"
answers Damian. Thinking he asks, "Dad, is that a secret too?"

"Yes, keep it as a secret for a little while.
I'll let you know when we are going to ask her, all right?"

When Damian runs back down the stairs, Stump
says, "So, you're going to bite the bullet too, huh?"

"Yeah, I love her Stump. Lying in that prison
camp all those weeks not knowing if I would live or die, I promised
myself that if I made it out alive, I would ask her to be my wife.
My main obstacle was Damian, and he just removed that one for
me."

Stump asks, "What about the company? I don't
see you wanting to do anymore of this kind of mission."

Dylan hesitates then says, "You're right. I
think it's time to shift our focus to domestic security. Plenty of
companies need our expertise and with the recommendations the
Pentagon will give us, we should do fine. Are you okay with
that?"

Stump smiles and says, "Yeah, I'm okay with
that. Those foreign missions are for the younger guys. I don't mind
passing that torch and Pinky will be glad too."

******

The next morning is a beautiful spring
morning, brisk but not cold and promising lots of sunshine. Dylan
is up early and heads for the house just in time for breakfast.
When I walk into the kitchen he is sitting at the table drinking
coffee with Barry.

When I enter the room he smiles and says,
"Good morning, Beautiful."

A warm smile crosses my face as I amble
across the room to his chair, place my arm around his shoulders,
kiss him warmly and say, "Good morning. You look better this
morning."

If she noticed him tense at her touch she
didn't indicate it in any way but Barry notices. He says, "Dylan, I
need to show you something in the study, Skye will you excuse us
for a few minutes?"

Dylan follows Barry to the study where he
closes the door and says, "Okay, Scoot, let's have it. What really
happened on your last mission? Stump and Pinky didn't say anything
last night. I saw you tense when Skye placed her arm around you, so
what's up?"

Dylan sits down in the chair next to the
desk. Staring at his hands he says, "It was bad man. I spent six
weeks in captivity. I didn't think I was going to make it."

A worried look crosses his face and Barry
says, "You were tortured?" Staring at his face he sees the scar
under the beard. "I see you have a new scar under that beard."

"Yeah, I'm still healing from the beatings.
My face is healed but I wanted to tell her before she sees the
scar. It's really ugly." answers Dylan.

Barry says, "Go tell her, now. Don't wait. Is
there anything else?"

Dylan says, "Yeah, I'm having some dreams,
the doctors in DC said it's mild PTSD. I'm going to go down to
Phoenix for a while but I promised Skye I would go to LA with her
Monday."

Barry says, "Skye can handle LA without you.
I'll be with her and Goose and Bear are coming too. Tell her today
and leave tomorrow for Phoenix. Don't wait, it only gets
worse."

"I'll tell her and discuss it with her, all
right?" responds Dylan.

"Fine, it's a beautiful day. Pack a lunch and
have a picnic. Just don't come back until you've told her," says
Barry. Pausing he adds, "Don't forget about the wedding
tonight."

******

An hour later, Dylan and I are riding side by
side toward the far reaches of the Rock Springs Ranch. Dylan knows
exactly where he wants to go. In the high pasture he knows about a
spring that cascades down a rock face splashing into a crystal
clear pool. He plans to build their house by the spring in the near
future. Smiling we chat companionably as we ride across the pasture
just happy to be together. The sun is shining brightly now and
warming the air nicely.

My heart is soaring. Finally I am going to
get to spend some time alone with Dylan. I wonder where he is
taking me.

When we get to the spring I exclaim, "Oh
Dylan, this is lovely!" I get down from my horse and walk to the
edge of the pool, "I wish it was warm enough to swim. I would love
to go skinny dipping."

Dylan smiles in response wishing they could
skinny dip too. He unsaddles the horses and hobbles them to keep
them from straying. He spreads the blanket across the tall grass
and sets the picnic basket on the corner then lowers himself to the
ground. His heart is overflowing with love for Skye but he just
doesn't know how to tell her his secret.

When I look toward him, he extends his hand
to me and I move to the blanket and sit beside him. Raising his
hand to my cheek he turns my face toward him and gently kisses my
lips. Gazing into my eyes, he says, "Oh Skye, you are the reason I
live."

I smile then drop my eyes to my hands and
say, "I missed you so much Dylan. I am so relieved you are home
safe. Once while you were gone I had a horrible dream." I look off
in the distance. "I dreamed you were lying in a pool of blood with
life slowly seeping out of you. I woke up screaming and then I
cried for hours because I couldn't get the image out of my mind."
When I look back at him I see the stricken look on his face,
"Dylan, what's wrong?"

Dylan raises troubled eyes to mine, "Skye,
that wasn't a dream, it was a vision. It really happened to
me."

My heart stops at his words before slowly
starting back at a slow pounding pace. Looking into his eyes, I
implore, "Tell me about it please."

"We were in the jungle, it was hot and I
needed to relieve myself. I stepped away from where Stump and Pinky
were hidden and I was ambushed by six men. They dragged me away
deep into the interior of the jungle to a prison camp. They beat me
and whipped me every day. I almost died. I remember lying in the
dirt barely conscious and you appeared before me and begged me to
fight, to not give up, and I did. I fought to live ... for you.
They kept me imprisoned for six weeks beating me every day before
Stump and Pinky were able to get me out. I'm still not healed," he
adds.

I look into his troubled eyes, and say, "Show
me."

Pulling his shirt from his pants he slowly
starts to release the buttons. After removing his top shirt, he
reaches for the hem of his undershirt and says, "Are you sure Skye?
It's bad."