By aryr
"Our Father, who art in Heaven. Shit, what am I saying? God, I know you are listening. I haven't spoken to you in many years. But if you could please listen; I could do with some help right now!"
Rachel searched the sky, hopefully expecting a sign or a voice in response. She raised her chin defiantly.
"I guess I haven't thanked you enough and all that stuff. I never stopped believing but I know I probably didn't believe enough. If you could see yourself forgiving me, I'll do better."
She looked around the dense forest that surrounded her. The blue sky and sunlight filtered thru the branches. A couple of steps to the left put her standing in the warmth of the ray.
"Thank you, God, for the warmth of the sun. I sure was a tad cold last night." Her teeth were still chattering. By rubbing her arms where the sun had actually made her coat feel warm she spread that warmth.
"If you could give me some sort of clue, even a little itzy bitsy one as to how to get back to civilization; I will owe you big time. But hey, I will understand if that's not possible. If it's not though, could you at least consider letting me die fast and without pain; you know the kind where I go to sleep and don't hear or feel a thing. I am sorry. Thank you for whatever you can do."
Again, she waited and pondered her foolishness for a few minutes before slumping to her knees, burying her face in her hands in despair.
"Rachel, you are really one stupid bitch. You knew better! Never ever, ever leave your vehicle. And better yet try to know where in the hell you are going."
Tears trickled down her cheeks, she sniffed rather non-lady like and wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. It was dirty but at least cleaner than her palms and she knew she was creating a new design in the dirt that smudged her face. She didn't care. She'd be bones when they found what was left of her, so it didn't matter.
A rustling of the leaves broke the silence. She started to push herself up from her knees when she was slammed sideways. Her hip and shoulder connected with the hard, cold earth. A scream of pain coursed from her lips and thoughts of an agonizing death flashed thru her mind.
"What the hell hit me?" she asked herself as she tried to rise up to look around, even though she didn't really want to see what had taken her down.
She stood 5' 7" and weighed around 135 lb. Regular exercise, running and working out now and then had given her a solid somewhat disciplined body. It was the surprised unseen force that had toppled her over. And what a force!
There was nothing for her to look at. Nada! Zippo! There had been no warning. No growl. No noise other than the crunch of leaves as what ever it was had drummed thru them.
"Thank you, God, thank you, thank you." She voiced in a scratchy whisper as she turned in a slow circle to scan the area. In anticipation of another attack she tensed slightly and made sure her stance was shoulder width apart for balance.
"Well, Rachel you fool! Now, whatcha going too do? Not that you have to many choices. Standing here like one of the tall beautiful trees or getting yourself in gear and move it?" Her family had often teased her about her habit of talking aloud to rationalize things. In fact, her co workers continued to tease her for talking to herself and to the numbers she worked with. Rachel recognized it as a way for her to focus.
She noticed a distinctive pattern of slight compression in the dry leaves. Her analytical mind decided it was the departing path of what ever had charged her. Although her first instinct was to turn and go in the opposite direction her rational one was to follow it. Animals always ended up at water and a new determination made her take the first step. Then it became a matter of one foot in front of another to get where she was going wherever that might be. She had decided she wasn't going to sit and wait to die. She was over feeling sorry for herself.
About an hour later she voiced thanks when she discovered some wild blueberries. After stuffing her mouth a few times, she disciplined herself to stop rather than make herself sick. Since she had a hood on her sweatshirt under her coat she felt safe enough in removing her toque to use to carry blueberries in. Although she was American she was familiar with the frustrations of Canadians to explain mostly to the southern Americans that the little stretch knitted hat was a toque not a toboggan which was really a type of snow sled used in the winter.
Living close to Canada had given her the best of both countries.
She had grown up in a small but growing community, but her career had taken her to New York City. When she needed a rest she usually drove the 500 miles home; but this time she wanted solitude, a time to think without the interference of the family. So, she had left the comforts of home about 60 hours ago to arrive at the ranch style bed and breakfast 'Hunters Village' at Algonquin Park in Ontario.
There were cabins as well, but the B&B sounded more appealing when she had called to reserve. The park itself was over seven thousand square kilometers or two thousand seven hundred square miles; a mighty big park of trees, lakes, rivers, hills, valleys and unknown wild life.
The first 24 hours had been used getting to the airport in New York, the flight, the landing in Toronto which was an amazing metropolitan hub of the airways. The transition to the road was fortunately hassle free.
The 4 X 4 Blazer ate the miles of beauty with ease. She was surprised at the comfort and easy handling of the vehicle. She had assumed that the SUV would be a challenge on the road compared to her easy maneuvering MG convertible. When she had purchased the midnight blue sports car two years ago she had somewhat shocked her parents. She had enjoyed the first time behind the wheel and continued to do so; although she routinely preferred the subway to get to work. Parking was next to impossible and even with a purchased monthly pass not always guaranteed. Riding instead of driving also gave her time to review her investment numbers.
Her family were very proud of her achievements as were her two brothers. When she was growing up she had secretly wished for a sister but now realized the benefits of having older brothers.
Philip had recently been inducted as a full partner in the legal firm he had diligently worked with for the past ten years, taking each step of the ladder of success. Rachel knew he was committed to his work and he was good, actually, very good at it. He had managed a wide range of cases which thus made him a valued partner and his opinion was widely respected. He was the corporate law specialist of the multi facetted firm.
Tim was a year younger than Philip, and while Philip had been the quiet book worm; he had been the adventurous one. Both boys had been scouts, Philip learned the guide lines while Tim created the trouble. But they were very supportive of each other whatever the case.
When Rachel was born three years after Tim, it was into a home of love, protection and probably more attention than one deserved. Her brothers were initially over protective always invading any suggestion of privacy. Her mother wisely changed that path by suggesting that rather than hovering why not teach her and show her how to take care of herself. She learned some survival skills that they knew from scouts. She learned how to take a tumble, how to tackle and she became a tom boy. Philip shared his interest in learning and helped her with her homework over the years. Tim taught her to love nature especially life saving skills in the water. Although they lived on the river; her parents had decided to have a pool. With Tim's supervision Rachel mastered her water skills in both place. Tim's love for the water and anything related to it had inspired serving time in the navy. He learned the water, its nature, its turmoil, its peace but mostly what made the boats and ships float. He had started years before with a small crew of three to build boats that were large enough and sturdy enough to use for cruising or for sea fishing. The years had been well and each year he added more to his growing crew size as well as his name and reputation.
Rachel knew deep in her heart that she would survive and that it was a matter of time. She had broken two major rules she had been taught. First, she left her vehicle; unfortunately, her distraction by a small fox scampering across the road and redirected her to a ditch that she simply couldn't get out of. She had been on a well traveled road and would have been found sooner or later; but she thought she could just scoot cross country to the inn and arrange for towing. Secondly, she had panicked when she realized that she didn't really know where she was going and then couldn't find either road or vehicle. She had called out until her voice gave out. She had listened intently for sounds of people.
When the sun had started to set she knew she needed shelter for the night especially from the cold air that felt like it was trying to seep into her bones. A large tree that had fallen years ago provided at least a dry sleeping place. By kicking out some of the softened brittle wood she had created a hollow space. Several armfuls of leaves became a lumpy mattress. When she had curled into the tree she pulled the remaining pile of leaves over her as a blanket and arranged the branches in front of her. She was dry and somewhat safe. She was hungry and tired, the tiredness won. She had fallen asleep to the sounds of the forest. She woke hungry and cold. Although she felt miserable she knew that she was far from dying and had then decided a few words of prayers might be beneficial.
With her toque filled with blueberries she took a few moments to gaze skyward. The trees were thinning so she was getting more warm sunshine. "Thank you." She whispered. September in Canada was unpredictable; it could be summer warm one day and autumn cool the next. When she had set out from the inn yesterday her plan was to travel the few miles to a tourist look out for the afternoon then return to what promised to be a delicious trout dinner. Until she had found the berries she was beginning to feel she could have eaten the trout raw.
Because she had rambled while picking the berries she once again had no clue which direction she should travel and where she had been able to follow the trampled leaves she didn't have that option. The slight breeze was gently teasing the branches and creating a whispering of nature's music. She picked a direction and began her walk. She was grateful that Tim's teaching had included the wisdom of proper hiking attire. She wore a tee shirt, a hooded sweat shirt, jeans, a wind proof jacket, comfortable thick socks and sturdy hiking boots. She had remembered to tuck her jeans inside her boots as a measure of protection. Her keys, ID and credit cards were zippered for security in an inner pocket. She had even mastered the art of out of doors toileting; when nature called it called.
Her thoughts were wandering from work to family to shopping; it was her way of not dwelling on being lost and not of food. She was so consumed in her scattered thoughts that it was several minutes before she realized there had been a lapse in the wind. Then she heard the rush of water. Where there was water there was a river which she could follow. She then remembered that she had heard the lonely cry of the loons the night before and she should have felt somewhat reassured; loons were water fowl.
Within minutes she found the source of water. It was clear, cold and she scooped handfuls to drink until her hand was too cold to do so any longer.
When she had her fill of water and berries, she decided to sit leaning against a rock formation to absorb some heat from the sun. The rocks had been heated and felt like a heating pad against her back. Minutes ticked by, but they felt like hours in the wilderness.
The leaves were stirred she looked to her left. About twenty feet away was the largest grey wolf ever imagined. Its eyes were focused on her and its teeth were bared. She could hear the snarling growl.
"Dear God, when I prayed that it would be fast I wasn't really thinking about being attacked by a wolf." She hunched over, wrapping her arms over her head. In that split second, she saw the shadow rise behind her and from the corner of her eye the wolf sprang into action. She remained huddled until a cool, wet nose nudged her hand.
Peeking through her fingers she saw the big grey sitting in front of her, its head was cocked to one side as if asking if she was okay. She took her hands away and gasped. About four feet to her right lay a very dead snake that had to be eight feet long, she certainly was not about to measure it. From the shape of its head she was at least able to determine it was poisonous. The wolf had saved her.
She glanced at the wolf, who in turn, seemed to glance at the rock shelf above her head. She should have known better. Always check rock formations for snakes, they needed the warmth just like people. All she could do was smile at the wolf and possibly await her death.
| Author Notes |
Thank you to omntch for the picture Hidden Words.
Sorry the first chapter is so long, I will make then shorter. |
By aryr
But now she faced a wolf, she was doomed to die.
Suddenly the sky became overcast and she sensed that rain was going to become a reality. She glanced around in search of a shelter. About a hundred feet from the rock formation she noticed two trees that seemed to cross each other. Not far from that were several downed branches. An idea began forming.
After checking that the rock ledge was safe, she placed her hat full of berries there and hurried to the branches. She quickly pulled them over and arranged them. By placing the heavy ends in the cross over, she was able to have several layers of leaves create a lean- to. She scooped up several armfuls of fallen leaves to provide a cushioned area to sit on. Then by using two more branches at the front she had a barrier which would at least keep a lot of the rain out.
It was getting darker as the clouds continued to gather. She remembered all that her brothers had taught her. The wolf just sat next to her berries, as if guarding them and watching her.
She approached the rock formation and after careful inspection removed about seven stones, which she placed in her newly constructed shelter. She retrieved her berries and gathered several sticks and twigs. Her mind was racing with thoughts. She would need dry wood, so she gathered a couple more branches. These she broke into smaller pieces and stored inside the shelter in a back corner. She moved everything in her pockets to one bag, which meant she had three empty bags. She ran to the small creek and scooped up three zip bags of water.
The wolf just sat watching.
Back in her shelter, she arranged the stones, filled the circle with twigs and said a prayer that the matches would work. There was no sun at this point and she didn't really think her sunglasses would work to start a fire. She had success with the first match. So, at this point she had shelter, food in the form of berries, water and heat. She banked the fire with a little wood. She crawled to the tiny entrance and called to the wolf, hoping it would understand her and come in from the rain she expected.
"Come here, boy. Come on, it's okay I won't hurt you. I would rather have you in here dry than smelling like a wet dog. Come on, please." She couldn't believe she was begging the wild animal, but it had saved her, she was trying to return the favor.
The wolf cocked its head again as if it understood. With a yelp, it bounded away.
"Oh well, so much for saving it."
She scooted back to sit on the leaves and warm her hands over the tiny fire. Thunder rumbled in the distance. It wouldn't be long before the rain came. She sat contemplating the flames and what she needed to do when the rain stopped.
Another yelp and the wolf poked its head in through the entrance. She crawled over to look out and burst into laughter. The wolf had literally dug up a berry bush and dragged it to her. She crawled out and pulled the bush closer to the shelter. She grabbed a handful of berries to replenish her supply and crawled back in.
To her amazement the wolf crawled in behind her. This animal was definitely someone's pet. It lay across the entrance as if to protect her from harm. Within minutes the rain came, the sky opened and if she hadn't created shelter she would have been drenched.
For now, she was dry, she had food and water, and she had a new friend. She made sure the fire was going to be okay and she curled into a ball to sleep. When she woke, the fire was now embers and she was alone. The rain continued but not as forceful.
"Stupid wolf, He had to go out in the rain. Wasn't smart enough to stay where it was dry. Great, now I have to pee."
She was mumbling to herself again. Fortunately, there was enough cover that she could crawl out and scoot just behind the cross trees. Her bladder felt a lot better. She went back into her shelter, piled up some leaves that she could use as a cover, stoked her little fire and settled in, knowing it would soon be too dark to attempt travels of any kind.
By aryr
Meanwhile, the wolf, normally called 'Gray' was rapidly covering the miles to get back to the cave.
Rachel was right. He was tame, he had a home and a dear friend, not a master. In his mind he knew it was the right thing to get home and alert his friend. Rachel needed help and although she was surviving for now, it couldn't last too much longer. There was a chill in the air. The type of chill that was followed by snow. His friend could help her.
He stopped on the top of the hill that, in essence blocked anyone from finding the cave. He shuffled down the one side, knowing that his entrance was there. A flap had been attached, with tinkling bells to deter wild animals from trying to enter. The bells were also an alert to whom ever was in the cave. He was wet, tired but still restlessly alert to Rachel's dilemma.
Just beyond the flap the tunnel expanded in size to accommodate not only him walking but also an adult human. It was time for a quick shake to rid himself of the wetness of the rain. The tunnel itself was not all that long, perhaps by man's account, two hundred feet. At the inside end was another flap with bells.
Hunkered by the fire pit was his friend, his rescuer. The man who had saved him when he was a pup. His mother had died, as had his brother. He was alone in the world, but he was ready to defend himself and his family, even though they were dead.
Daniel and his Uncle George had found him. Daniel had placed a piece of rope around his neck and tied him to a tree. He was exhausted from hunger and did not have the strength to gnaw on the rope to get free. The two men dug a hole to bury the mother and pup. Then Daniel picked up the little wolf, who tried unsuccessfully to nip at him.
"You are a beautiful silver gray, even your eyes are gray, and I think you are old enough that they will not change. So, I shall call you Gray. What do you think, Uncle?
"That is a fine name for him. See how he has settled. He rolls into you for warmth and comfort. He no longer wants you for supper." Uncle George laughed.
"He shall have warm milk and tiny pieces of meat soon." Daniel answered as he gently stroked the fur.
This was how Gray had started his life with Daniel and George.
Daniel turned at the sound of the bells.
"Well, you finally made it home, old boy. Where have you been? Damn you are soaking wet. And you look tired. I bet you need something to eat." He stood to retrieve a chunk of meat.
Gray settled in his spot to chew on the meat.
By aryr
Daniel, which was his Christian name, was full blood Native American and a member of the local tribe. His true name was White Eagle. The cave where he came for peace of mind had belonged to his uncle. He had been named by the Christian as George, but was known by many as Eagle Feathers.
Native wisdom in naming was based on the fact that generally the father saw something of significance at the moment of birth. In Daniel's case, his Uncle George has seen an albino eagle or a white eagle. Daniel's father had died a couple of months before his birth. George's father had actually had three eagle feathers flutter to the ground at his feet, thus he became Eagle Feathers.
The cave had been George's retreat. Over the years, it had been made habitable. When Daniel inherited it, he had hired an architect and construction crew to finish it off. Now he had a functioning home within the cave.
A main door had been added, complete with lock. The lighting system was powered by solar panels, which generated enough power for the freezer, his computer, the radio, the ham radio, television and the heater. His small appliances ran off the same power source. He had all the comforts of home. The furniture was constructed from fallen trees to give it a rustic touch. It was in essence a complete one bed room or studio type apartment.
At the base of the hill, was a small air strip. At present, it held a twin-engine Cessna, his means of transportation to and from the cave. The air strip looked like it went nowhere. Several times a year, he came here for peace and quiet. Gray was his travel companion.
George had left him fifty acres that bordered the park land.
Daniel had gone to the University of Toronto and studied law. He had risen through the ranks and now owned his own business, with fourteen lawyers working under him. He could well afford his luxuries.
In fact, his office building also housed his home. His private apartment was the top level of the four stories. His office and those of the other lawyers took up the third floor. The daycare, after school area and the meeting rooms made up the second floor and the agency cafeteria and secretarial pool were housed on the first floor. The finished basement was a storage area. The back side of the building which faced the wooded area was fenced in for Gray to have a running area. One end provided ample parking for staff and clients, and the other end was fenced in and equipped as a playground for the children.
He had used his scholarships frugally and wisely. His inheritance from George had gone a long way, so that at thirty he owned the building and surrounding seventy-five acres. Some of which he had rented out allowing the companies to build, with the understanding that if they left, the buildings stayed.
Gray was now done with his meat and was pacing restlessly. He yipped at Daniel several times. He ran to the door, as if wanting to go out, but didn't bother going to his flap door. Daniel recognized that Gray wanted to show him something, wanted him to follow, and from the sense of urgency, he knew it was important.
By aryr
Daniel pulled on his moccasin boots, grabbed his flashlight, rifle and hunting knife. He was putting his arms in the sleeves as he went through the doorway, pulling the door shut behind him.
The wolf matched his run to that of Daniel, remaining just a few feet ahead, to lead the way.
Rachel had woken shivering, her small fire offered little heat when compared to the chill which came with the night. She had snuggled into the leaves for warmth, but at this point nothing seemed to help. She grabbed a small handful of berries and reached for her water supply. It was not surprising that there was a thin layer of ice forming on the water.
Her brain was always active, it had been since she was a child. Questioning every action and trying to think of why things happened, how she could change them, what she could do to halt things. It really was no wonder that she had swayed towards the sciences, then one day in her final year of high school, she decided on medicine. She wanted to make a difference in people's lives. She had less than six months before graduation when she was offered a scholarship for two more years of education and a job in New York City with an excellent salary for a rookie. She jumped in with both feet. And her family supported her decision.
Right now, her brain was remembering about hypothermia. At what body temperature did the body succumb to sleep? What could she do to create more body heat?
"Think, Rachel. Don't give in to the cold. You know what to do, make your brain remember and do it. Think, damn it, think."
She was instinctively doing the arm flaps, wiggling in her spot, moving her legs as much as possible. She tried to make the fire bigger. She could only do so much within the space of the lean to, but at least she now had a little roaring fire. She placed the bags of water close to the rock ring of the fire, hoping to warm them. Warm water was better for her than ice cold. She thought of her mother's delicious beef barley soup, how she wished she had a bowl right now.
"Well, at least I will just go to sleep and not wake up. It really is a gentle way to go. Hey, I won't even feel the animals gnawing at me. They might find me before too much is missing." She laughed with a hint of hysteria.
"Great, now I have to pee again. Wait a minute, I have one empty bag and another close to it. I'll dump it and pee in the bags. Internal body heat, brilliant thinking old girl." She completed her task and she was correct, they were like little hot water bottles.
She snuggled as close to the fire as she could get, piled the leaves around her and pulled her hat close so she could munch on the berries. Before long she was sleeping once again.
Perhaps she would wake and perhaps she would not.
Daniel continued to race behind Gray. He had no clue what he was racing to, but if Gray felt it was important, then it was.
By aryr
He spotted the lean-to and the chill of the night air clenched around his heart. No animal constructed that. If he was a gambler his bet would be on the fact that there was a person inside. A small amount of smoke filtered through the leaves. Gray was already there and pulling the berry bush away. He whined as his friend approached.
Daniel crawled in and found Rachel. She was covered with leaves except for her face. She was pale and extremely cold to touch. He brushed the leaves away smiling at her ingenuity to use her urine for warmth. Her little fire was reduced to embers.
He pulled her to the outside and lifted her to his arms. She was a tiny little thing and she fit nicely inside his coat, which he did up in order to provide not only his body heat but protection from the cold. He was grateful that his rifle had the shoulder strap, which he slung over his shoulder.
He called out to Gray and started his run back to his home, his cave. His pace altered between a jog and a shallow run. Time was of the essence. He smiled as he turned his head to see that Gray matched his run with her hat and the few berries grasped tightly in his jaw. He knew that the run had taken him a little over an hour and hoped that his slower run would still get him home in two hours.
He also knew that Gray had lead him over hill and dale, he could make it back on mostly flat ground. There would be just a few small dips and then he would skirt around the base of his hill rather than over it.
As he ran he could feel Rachel stir slightly, she no longer felt like an ice pack against his chest. She did however snuggle closer for his body heat. He ran on. She was really a tiny thing compared to some women. She was in shape and did not have an ounce of extra fat that he could see. He was determined to get her to his home and get her warm and fed.
Rachel, in her mind, felt like she was weightless, she was flying. She had finally died, and she had gone to heaven, she was an angel. She was surprised that heaven felt so comfortable. She thought it would be more of a benign temperature, neither here nor there.
Her thoughts drifted to work. Who would take over the practice? Randy was the other forensic coroner, having been there only a couple of months. Poor Betty, she had joined the service when Rachel came on board and it was opened. Initially it had been just her and Betty, work was steady but manageable. That had been four years ago. They had expanded, adding two more technicians and a secretary two years ago, then Randy. She would miss everyone but Betty the most.
She enjoyed being a medical examiner, a coroner, but mostly she liked the fact that she dealt with forensics. She put the pieces of the puzzles together, she solved the mysteries. In doing this she was helping others. She had found her niche.
She decided that being an angel was not so bad, but since she was new to it, she was tired. Sleep came peacefully to her.
By aryr
His estimation of time was relatively accurate. He raced inside, followed by Gray who nudged the door shut.
His first act was to get this young woman warm. He gently laid her on the bed and started to disrobe her. He wasn't a prude and had seen naked women before, but he needed to get her warm. He stripped her down to her undies, slid her between the flannel sheets, covered her with the blanket and comforter and then added another blanket. He didn't even bother washing the grime off her face and hands. Warmth was a priority.
When he was sure she was settled, he went to the fire pit and using his oven mitts retrieved two of the warming bricks. Sometimes he liked to heat up the bed a little. These were wrapped in towels and then placed near her feet under the sheets. Another wonderful source of heat. After this was completed he opened a can of broth and a can of soup. He poured a little milk in a measuring cup and popped it in the microwave, Gray deserved a treat and that wolf did like his warm milk.
He sat in the chair watching Rachel sleep as he ate his soup. He had no clue as to who she was. He knew she was smart enough to take the necessary actions to survive as long as she did with the circumstances. He then wondered if she had any identification in her pockets. His found several things actually. Her driver's license, an emergency contact number, a set of keys for a rental vehicle and a room key for the park's B & B.
First things first, even though it was the middle of the night, he called the B & B and spoke with Todd. Todd and Phyllis had been friends with George and Daniel for a long time. It was confirmed that she was a vacationing client and that her vehicle had been found in a ditch about fifteen miles out. The ranger had organized a search party and they were out looking. Todd was glad she was safe and agreed to call the ranger to call off the search.
Daniel's next call was to the emergency contact who happened to be her brother, Tim.
He apologized for the hour of his call and explained the circumstances to the best of his knowledge, that he had found her, she was safe and had suffered slight hypothermia and was at present snuggled in to a warm bed and once she woke, he would fly her home to her parents. Tim was fine with this plan and told Daniel that he would call his parents but also that he should expect calls from them. She was the baby.
After the call, he sat looking at her driver's license. According to the information, she was one year younger than he was, and she was a physician. He wondered if she had specialized in any area. He could wait. He made a pot of tea and sat back watching her as she slept. After the first cup of tea, he remembered that her clothing was dirty, so he threw them into the compact
washer.
By aryr
Rachel slept for a solid eight hours. She felt sure she had heard gentle music from time to time. And frequently she felt water to her lips. Initially she questioned the concept, but came to the conclusion that because she had drifted away so peacefully; her body was transitioning and adjusting. So, what she thought was water, wasn't really there. Heaven was beautiful.
Daniel had put the music on and settled with a book. The chair was cushioned, and he could rest his legs on the ottoman. If needed to he could sleep comfortably. Gray stretched out beside him on the scatter rug, watching Rachel.
It was mid-afternoon when she stirred and finally woke up. She was amazed that she was in a cozy bed in what appeared to be an apartment. Never had she ever considered that heaven would be this modern and so complete.
Suddenly the bed literally bounced. There standing beside her was the beautiful wolf who had found her, who had saved her from the snake.
"Awww, you poor thing, you should have stayed with me in the lean-to, then you wouldn't have gotten so wet and so cold. You would have been alive. But I am glad you are here, I didn't know they allowed animals in heaven. I thought you would go to an animal heaven." She said with a croaky voice.
"Good God, I have to pee! Do they have toilets here in heaven?" She asked the wolf.
"Good, you are awake. Here let me help you to the restroom. I'm Daniel and this big cuddly wolf is Gray."
Rachel whipped her head to the other side of the bed to see the most gorgeous man standing there, at least as far as she was concerned, he was gorgeous. She frowned immediately.
"I am not dead? This is not heaven? Where am I? Oh, yes please, a restroom." She squeaked as she threw back the covers.
Daniel reached for her elbow to offer support and directed her around the end of the bed to the wooden panel that separated the bathroom from the bedroom.
"Take your time, yell out if you need me, I'll be waiting right here. Oh, I washed your clothes and they are folded and on the shelf. Have a shower and freshen up and if you wish you can throw your undies in the machine with your towel. I also put an oversize t-shirt on the shelf in case you wanted to wait until your undies were clean. Whatever you chose."
"I can't believe it is as late as it is. Were you the one giving me water to drink?" Did I have a temperature? I remember getting terribly warm at times. Oh, now this is heaven, an empty bladder." She smiled from the toilet.
"Yep, I gave you water, every time you stirred, and sometimes a little broth, I tried to get a little something into you. The times you probably felt warm, was when Gray decided he had to sleep next to you for warmth." He smiled as he recalled the sight of the wolf scooting to get as close as possible.
"I found your identification, so I called the B & B, they have your vehicle and the ranger had organized a search party, Todd was calling him to call it off. I also called your emergency person, your brother Tim and explained as much as I knew."
Rachel was silent as she sat on the toilet, but tears were running down her face. She slowly stood and went to wash her hands. It was then that she realized how dirty they were and looking into the mirror she saw that her face matched. She cried harder.
"Thank you for doing all those things. How did Tim take it? I just realized how awful I look, and you put me in your bed like this. Oh my God! I'm taking a quick shower. Thanks for the t-shirt. I'll be done in a minute."
"Take as long as you want, there is plenty of hot water. Tim was shocked but okay when I explained you were not injured. He is waiting for your call when you are done, then he will call your parents. He was going to call after I called, but not knowing how you were, decided to wait. Don't worry about the bed, I'll change it while you are in the shower."
She soaped up and rinsed, shampooed and rinsed and then just stood under the hot water. She was no longer cold, but it felt so good. After drying she put her towel and undies in the machine, added the soap and turned it on.
When she stepped around the wall, she found track pants and socks on the bed. Daniel was at the stove.
"It's just homemade soup and some French bread for now, I don't want anything heavy in your system to start. Two days of berries and sips of water was not much. Great you found the pants and socks." He smiled.
"Thank you so much, for everything you have done. Well, the pants and socks are a little big, but they are warm and comfy. Where is my buddy?" She looked around for the wolf.
"Once he saw that you were okay, he went out for a run, he only went out twice while you slept and that was out and back in, quick bathroom breaks. He'll be back. Come have your soup."
He placed her bowl on the table along with a basket of bread. In his place he had a small plate of cheese. He gave her a glass of water as well as a cup of steaming tea. He had a large mug of tea and the condiments in front of his place.
"I like my tea with a good spoonful of honey, but I have sugar, milk, lemon. I hope you don't mind tea, I usually only have coffee at breakfast. I could make you some."
She smiled, "No, tea is fine, it's actually my favorite hot drink and I love it with honey, thanks."
By aryr
Rachel made herself pause between each spoonful, she had no wish to wolf down the soup, no pun intended, she thought.
"This is absolutely delicious. You made this? I am impressed."
"I like simple meals while I am here. So, it is either something from the slow cooker, steak and potato, fish that I catch and salad. Breakfast is bacon and eggs. Although I can whip up a mean French toast."
"If this isn't home, then where is your home? You are Canadian, aren't you? I mean I know you are Native American Indian, but you're Canadian as well. What tribe?"
"You do know that you talk a mile a minute, you did mumble a lot in your sleep. Yes, I am Canadian and Native American. I am part of the Ojibwe tribe and I live and work in Toronto, but I try to spend three weeks a month up here. Gray and I love this area. Occasionally I have no choice but to stay in the city longer. This is home to us. Now that you are done with your soup, have some bread, just a little. What about you? Where, what, why; you know all the questions?"
She nibbled on a small piece of bread.
"I guess that is a fair question, considering all you have done. Let's see, I have two brothers. Phillip who is a partner in the lawyer business and is almost five years older. Tim who was in the navy but now builds boats is almost four years older. My parents live in a small community in upstate New York, Robert or Bob and Sue. I went to med school in New York City and I work there as a forensic coroner or medical examiner. I came here for some privacy, peace and quiet. I needed to think."
"More tea? Sounds like a great family. I might have talked to someone with Phillip, I am a lawyer and I have lots of contacts in NYC. Now, its time to call Tim." He commented as he poured more hot tea.
"Okay, thanks for the tea, Tim time." She fixed her tea and searched for her cell phone.
"It's charging, on the bed side table." He nodded to his right.
She took her tea with her, picked up her phone and called Tim's number. She spent several minutes reassuring him she was fine. She was well rested, had eaten and she would call her mother, father and Phil. After thirty minutes she had completed her call.
"Now, to call the folks, then Phil. Sorry it is taking so long."
"Hey, not a problem. Before you call can you let them know that I am able to fly you home, if needed. Todd was most willing about bringing your things over and returning your vehicle. We can leave tomorrow."
"Okay, I will let them know, but I need a few more days to think and ponder before I go home. Maybe Todd could come and get me?"
"Call your folks and then we can discuss what is going on. I have to go outside for a bit, so take your time." As he spoke he was pulling on his moccasin boots, he reached for his coat and headed to the door.
By aryr
All her calls were done, everyone had been reassured and were happy she was okay. She then pulled her jacket on and stepped outside to find Daniel. She was surprised to see that there was a light dusting of white on the ground. The door was recessed back from the entrance of the cave and Daniel had conveniently placed indoor/ outdoor carpeting which provided a sensible barrier between the ground and her sock covered feet.
Gray bounded up to her, bouncing around her and yipping, like an excited puppy. He was huge, much bigger than what she had initially thought. He probably weighed in at 125 pounds. Her mind scrambled to convert that to kilograms-about 55.
She spotted Daniel to her left, he was chopping wood and the tarp covered stack grew with each cut of the axe. He had not noticed her, so she turned without calling and went back inside. She poured herself more tea and sat next to the fire pit, thinking some rather deep thoughts. At this point she would be delighted to stay if Daniel asked her to. However, she didn't want to be a bother, perhaps it was best if she went to the B & B.
Gray had stretched out beside her and her hand ran through his fur, it was soft like a kitten's, not at all course as she had expected it to be.
It was so peaceful here. She stood to wander around the cave. She was amazed that he was able to have so many gadgets that required power and that that power came from solar panels. She understood the concept but that was about it. Could the energy be stored and if so where?
She knelt to the floor which were fitted panels of wood planking, covered with various scatter rugs. The entire area of the cave was covered in these panels, except for about three inches of space around the fire pit. She noticed that the wood was elevated about five inches above the dirt floor and had been packed with insulation. This probably accounted for the comfortable temperature to walk on. The walls were covered with different animal skins and a couple of native designed blankets. The only thing left bare was the ceiling. He had power for his gadgets and the fire pit provided warmth.
The fire pit itself was a fantastic structure. It was circular with half of it being in what could be called the kitchen area and the other half in the living room area with two comfy chairs close by. The table was off to one side between the pit and the bed. What was fantastic was that there was a flue and chimney just above head level when standing, which directed the smoke outside.
The kitchen was equipped with a long counter that doubled as an eating space with two bar stools. A wall had been constructed behind this counter to facilitate the addition of cupboards and drawers. The fridge was small but adequate as was the freezer. Among the gadgets was a small ice machine if needed. The water system was plumbed into a natural spring in the hill. She did not know and would not know until she asked later, that there was a small adjoining cave that could be accessed via a door behind the bathroom paneling. This cave was not finished and because of its coldness even in the heat of the summer, provided a great storage place for anything hunted.
It was over an hour before Daniel came in. His arms were full of wood. He actually made about six trips, stacking it in the corner baskets yet making it handy for the pit.
He filled the kettle and placed it on the grill that covered the kitchen side of the pit. He rinsed the tea pot and restocked the honey jar. His last act before sitting to wait for the water to boil was to turn on the stereo and put in a CD. Soft music once again caressed the room.
"Okay, now that your calls are done, and I have more than enough wood, let's talk about what you want to do. I can call Todd and have him bring up your bags and we can fly out tomorrow to your parents, or Todd can come and pick you up and take you back to the B & B. Which would suit you best?"
"I guess, having Todd pick me up would be okay, I don't want to go home to the folks just yet."
The kettle was whistling, so he got up to make the tea. She waited while he did this.
"I know, I am being pushy, but could I stay here for a few days. I thought I wanted to be alone. I changed my mind and having you and Gray around would be nice. Todd could bring over the vehicle and my things, maybe have one of the workers take him back. Would that work? Or would it be inconvenient?" She held her breath while waiting for her answer.
"Wow, that was not the answer I was expecting. Hey, you are more than welcome to stay. I have enough food, Todd can certainly do that. The B & B is only about twenty-five miles away. If there is anything you need he can grab it from the general store. I usually get my bread from the little bakery. It's quite a little settlement there, lots of tourists stop for a few days. Oh, I have a fold up cot under the bed. So yes, stay."
Gray took that moment to offer his little woof.
"Great, thank you. I don't think we need the cot." She smiled and blushed.
By aryr
He called Todd, who was very willing to bring Rachel her things, which she had left packed on the suitcase stand. He did tell them it would be about an hour before he could get there, since he had to find someone to drive the second vehicle. That was not a problem.
Daniel decided on steak, baked potato and baked onion for supper, which they would eat around 9pm. He prepped the potato and onion rolling them in foil. He seasoned the steaks with salt and pepper and wrapped them for the fridge. He had taken out three extra steaks, which he wrapped for Todd and Phyllis and whoever drove him up. This was his treat, his thank you to them. Gray's was left out, so it would be room temperature.
They sat in the chairs with their feet up and talked about this and that for a while. They both sipped on a small glass of wine.
Gray raised his head and whined. Daniel got up and strode to the door. "Todd must be here, "
Before he reached the door, the wolf was there placing himself between Daniel and the door. A firm knock was heard. Daniel opened the door to Todd and Billy.
"Hey Todd, thanks for doing this, wow, Billy, long time no see, man you have grown. I think you have shot up a good four inches since I last saw you. How are you doing?"
Billy blushed and mumbled something in reply. Todd laughed.
"He is still shy around women, hopefully he will get over it. Hey Rachel, sure glad you are okay. By the way come by the office and I will give you a refund for the time you are not there."
"It's okay Todd, just keep the room for me and don't worry about the refund."
"Well, I can see why you would rather stay here, the view is spectacular, then of course, you have Gray as great company and I guess we should include Daniel." He laughed at that.
"Do you guys want a coffee or tea, it will only take a minute." Daniel offered.
"No, thanks. We had best be getting back, Phyllis is manning the desk with her itzy bitzy television, so she doesn't miss her programs. But thanks for the offer." Todd replied.
"In that case, just one moment." Daniel went to the fridge and took out the three steaks. "These are for you guys, my way of saying thanks. They are two inchers and of course they are venison."
"Wow, venison steaks are the best, thanks." Blurted Billy, then he blushed and clamped his mouth shut.
"You didn't have to do that, it was all in a days' work. But as Billy said, thanks, this is supper tomorrow. Billy, I'll grill them up, so you don't try to pan fry it." Todd shivered and then stuck out his hand to shake Daniel's.
"Just enjoy, safe trip back home."
"Rachel, you have to ask Daniel how he gets to the village or even how he gets around, that in itself is a great story. Night folks."
"I will, safe travels."
They watched as the two men walked down the path to their waiting vehicle.
They returned to their chairs to finish their wine and Rachel just had to ask. "So how do you get around?"
"Well, I guess I should start with the village. I have a motorcycle with a side car. If I go shopping I can put the groceries in the storage area of the side car and the bike. It's up to Gray if he wants to sit or run." Gray lifted his head as Daniel laughed.
"Now, I fly in and out of here, so that why I offered to fly you home. When I am in Toronto, the plane is in a storage hanger, and I drive my convertible. Next?"
"Oh my God, you have a convertible? What kind? What color? I have a convertible too. It's midnight blue with a black top, an MG." She squealed.
"Wow, mine is black with black and an MG as well, who would have thought we had similar tastes. Would you like a little more wine? I'm going to put the steaks on, I hope you like venison, I shot it about three months ago. There is a butcher shop in the village that does a fine job."
"Yes, to the wine and I have never had venison, but I have had bison, so I am up to an adventure."
Because of the thickness, it took a few minutes longer to grill. The potato and onion had been cooking for about an hour on the outskirts of the pit. They topped the potato with butter and seasoned everything with salt and pepper. Supper was ready. Rachel enjoyed the light gamey taste. They took 45 minutes to enjoy the meal, followed by cleaning the dishes and reclining to the chairs for a small glass of port. It was a wonderful evening.
By aryr
Daniel checked his watch and discovered that it was almost midnight.
"I know you had a great sleep, but I am tired, it has been a long day and a very short night for me, so I am going to go to bed. You are welcome to stay up, you can read, watch TV, whatever, I have ear plugs I can use."
"No, it's fine, I am ready for sleep. I hope you don't mind if I cuddle?" she asked with a hint of a blush.
"Absolutely not, I come from a long line of those who chose to cuddle or be cuddled. Gray, you stay by the door tonight, no hopping on the bed. Rachel will be fine as will I. Got it?" he smiled at Gray's quiet woof.
He cleaned the port glasses as she went to the bathroom, although she had her suitcase, she had decided to sleep in his t-shirt.
"Which side of the bed do you want? I am comfortable on either side. Or have you changed your mind about me sleeping on the cot?"
"No, I don't mind sharing your bed, most men want to sleep closest to the door. I think it has something to do with protecting the female, so you can do the door side." She smiled.
He pulled off his own t-shirt, his socks before folding back the cover and top sheet. He did like his flannel sheets. He jumped into bed, while Rachel sat on her side to remove the pair of socks he had given her. She swung her legs in, pulled the covers up and turned to face him.
There was a moment of silence, then she almost whispered, "I have an IUD, so I am safe, and I don't have any STDs either. God that sounds corny, sorry."
"Don't be sorry, I am glad you said something. I do have a few condoms in the drawer and I do so want to get to know you better. I want to make love to you. Not have sex but make love." he replied in a husky voice.
Her lips met his in a deeply passionate kiss. Her right hand caressed his muscular arm. The intensity of their need for each other spoke volumes with each breath. They explored each other with increasing desire. Her only flinch was when his fingers flickered over her left inner thigh, but it only lasted a second. Soon they were both naked.
She was wet and welcomed him and he was hard and ready. Their lovemaking lasted only a few minutes. They blushed and laughed and apologized to each other, but in reality, it was fantastic, they were both exhausted. She settled her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her. They both drifted to sleep within minutes.
It was several hours later that they both woke to enjoy their pleasures once again. They shared the shower.
Rachel made coffee, while Daniel prepared breakfast. He scrambled eggs, cooked venison sausage and made toast. Rachel poured the coffee and then the juice. Breakfast was ready. They settled to eat.
"Thank you for letting me stay. This breakfast is incredible. I love the taste of venison, my family would think they have died and gone to heaven. They all love bison, so this would blow them away."
"You are very welcome. I am glad you could stay and that you are enjoying the breakfast. I do have a question. Last night and this morning you flinched, just briefly when I was caressing your inner thigh, care to comment? There is a scar there? Is it new? Did I hurt you?" he asked before sipping his coffee.
"I didn't think you noticed. Can we talk after we finish eating and have the dishes done?" She paled slightly and held her forkful of sausage close to her mouth. She waited for his answer.
"Sure, no problem, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. After breakfast it is."
They finished eating in silence. She chose to wash the dishes as he made the bed. Gray had rejoined them and was enjoying his raw sausage, occasionally he liked cooked meat but for the better part wanted it raw.
With a fresh cup of coffee, they returned to the table. Rachel was not sure of where to start so she just plunged in after a slight pause.
"A few weeks ago, I had a surgical procedure to remove what I learned was a chimera not a cyst. I had suddenly developed a growth that concerned me because of its rapid expansion. I was concerned it was a cancerous tumor. So, my best friend and personal physician, removed the growth." She paused to sip.
"It was almost a week later that I learned that it was not a tumor, not cancerous, but was in fact my twin brother. I had fully developed, but I absorbed his tiny formation. It was this news that had caused me to seek solitude, so I could think. I know, I have to talk to the family eventually, just not yet. I don't think anyone was aware." Her eyes glistened with wetness.
By aryr
"What is a chimera? What do you mean your twin?" He asked partly from shock but mostly from curiosity.
"A chimera is according to Wikipedia, which I used for research is an organism containing a mixture of genetically different tissues, formed by processes such as fusion of early embryos, grafting, or mutation. I also found a mythology reference that said, according to Greek mythology, a monstrous fire-breathing hybrid creature of Lycia in Asia Minor, composed of the parts of more than one animal." She weakly smiled.
"Wow, who would have thought something like this could happen." He reached over to hold her hand in comfort.
"Well, I know of course that I am not a fire-breathing hybrid." She laughed. "But it does explain why a few times my blood values were crazy, it was hints of his dna."
"I can fully understand why you were stressed and needed to get away. What an awful experience for you." Daniel offered.
"This may sound silly, but I had the growth cremated and the ashes are in a tiny box in my suit case. I thought it was fitting to provide him with a name before the cremation, so I named him Daniel Robert. My two brothers have my dad's name as their middle name, and I have always liked the name Daniel. Even more so now that I have met you." She smiled and blushed.
"I am honored to share an important name. What can I do to help?" he asked before he continued, "When Gray led me to you, and I uncovered the leaves and saw you, something deep inside told me to save you. You were important to me. As I ran, carrying you back here, I just knew I had to save you. Call it destiny or fate but I strongly felt you were meant for me. I was thrilled beyond speech that you wanted to stay." He stated.
"Wow, I didn't realize that you had felt the same sort of draw that I did. So now what?"
"For now, let's just agree that you will stay as long as you would like. We can talk more about what has happened between us in a little bit. But for now, let's go for a walk, clear our minds and listen to our hearts." He answered as he stood and drew her close.
He held her for a few minutes, his chin resting on the top of her head. It was comfortable being entwined together.
When they drew apart, Gray began dancing around like an excited puppy who was happy to go out. They pulled on their boots, coats and hats and headed outside to enjoy both nature and the reality of them being together. As they walked, they held hands and smiled a lot.
"Can I ask if it was a large lump? Did it hurt? Was the surgery painful? I am just concerned."
"Sure, you can ask anything, you want to. Now, I on the other hand, can pick and chose what I want to answer." She smiled and laughed at his shocked look. "I am just teasing you, relax."
He smiled and shook his head in amazement.
"I had had an extra long day at work, it was a difficult case. When I finally got home, I had a quick shower and at first, I thought it was a blemish. The next morning, I had a shower to wake myself up and I noticed it was now the size of a walnut. I called my friend, who told me to come in at nine, so she could check it out. In the four hours between the time I called and the time I visited, it had doubled in size. Walking was now painful. I had called Betty, my assistant, that I would either be late or possibly take the day off. There were things she could do without me being there." She gazed over the landscape from the top of the hill before continuing.
"When Angie saw it, she simply said it had to come out and now. So, I was prepped and given a local anesthesia. Neither of us knew what we were facing. I was numbed up pretty good, so she draped my legs and tummy. Since I had really no feeling in my left leg, she positioned it to have clear access. After asking me if I was ready and my nod in return, she made her first incision. I felt nothing other than a little pressure. The next one which was a little deeper must have nicked a vessel because blood squirted everywhere. It hit the front of her, since she was on my right for easy access and upward on me, over my tummy and onto the gown that covered my chest. It was indeed a moment of panic. She quickly cauterized the area, then carried on. She was finally able to extract the growth that was the size of a small orange, much larger than both of us had anticipated. She packed the empty pocket with antibiotic treated gauze which was about three feet long and stitched up the site except for where the self-made drain hung out. She covered and taped it. My instructions were to go home, taking a taxi not the bus and rest. If I felt up to working the next day it was fine which I did, but I needed to come back in a week." She drew in a deep breath.
"Can we sit?" She asked, and he nodded.
"Another good friend, Peter who covers the pathology lab, recognized my name and called me the evening before I was to go back. Sort of a professional courtesy type thing. He verified that I had seen the doctor, had a growth removed, the date and then asked if I want to hear the results or would I rather wait until I saw her the next day. Since he had called, I most certainly did not want to spend the night worrying so I agreed to hear what he had to say."
"I would have done the same thing. Were you worried it was cancerous?" He asked.
"Initially yes, I thought about cancer and if we had gotten it all. Then he told me that it was basically my twin, it was formed enough that they could identify it as a male and had been ever so slowly forming over the years. It even had its own blood supply. I was shocked. He asked if I wanted him to come over and after a moment, I was able to decline. We ended the call, but I called him back about ten minute later to ask him not to destroy anything. He promised and told me I could arrange to pick it up whenever I wanted to. It gave me a lot to think about." She hung her head as she paused. He moved closer to provide a one-armed hug.
"I called Angie and told her that I knew the results. She was crying as I talked to her. She explained that Peter had called her just before calling me, and they both agreed that I should be given the option. She was trying to figure out how to tell me tomorrow, if I had declined. I told her that I wanted to collect him, give him a name, have him cremated and take his ashes home. But I needed some time to myself. She still wanted to see me the next day, not only because of the shocking news but for the dressing and packing." She shuddered, and he held her close.
"How about we head back, we will just walk and hold hands, no talking, okay?" He asked, and I nodded.
| Author Notes |
Sorry for the length, but it couldn't be chopped up.
Thanks to Wikipedia for the information, the definition of a chimera. |
By aryr
They walked back in silence, not a spoken word. The air was filled with sounds of nature and their responses which included laughter, a mixture of a giggle and breathing which produced a 'snork'. There were grunts of effort to climb the hill, but not a word or sound of dismay.
They reached the door and Gray provided a quiet woof before bounding off through the trees. After stepping inside and taking off their hiking boots and coats, Daniel asked about tea and Rachel agreed. Her phone buzzed to indicate she had a message. Tim was texting that he had talked to their parents and they wanted her to call.
"Of course, they want me to call, I am the baby of the family and a girl on top of that. I must check in, damn it, I really dislike their interference. Why can't I just have time for me. I'll call later." She fussed twisting the hem of her sweater.
"Hey, just remember, you almost died out there, being lost and in the cold. They are worried. Trust me you would miss that aspect if it wasn't there. Call them while I make tea just to let them know you are alright. You don't have to tell them where you are, why you are here or why you needed a break. Just let them know that you are okay. It's the best way to get them to back off."
She smiled and nodded, "You are absolutely right. I'll call now, I am just going to step outside for a minute." She threw her coat over her shoulder and went out the door.
About two minutes later she came inside, smiling. "You were right, they just wanted to make sure I was okay. I think my mom has this thing about checking up on her children, but mostly me because I am a girl. They are okay once again, that things are fine. Thanks."
"Tea is ready. I do understand, I have a large number of relatives, aunts, uncles and cousins as well as a business family, and they all seem to want to know if I am okay, if I need anything and so forth."
He pulled the two chairs together and indicted for her to sit, then handed her a mug. It was hot and provided a great warmth to her tingling fingers. He sat beside her and they sat in silence watching the fire in the pit.
"Does anyone have any idea why he chose now to grow and make his presence known, after he had been dormant all your life?" he asked.
"Nope, nobody has any ideas as to why. Our bodies are interesting that no one can predict. For example: you could fall outside and roll down the hill, pick yourself up and walk away without injury. Now I could fall and roll down and break a few bones. Did you know that each and every one of us has dormant cancer cells in our bodies, but not all of us will have cancer? When I asked why now, I got vague answers, like the cancer cell story. One of Peter's techs suggested Daniel was tired of sharing my body, Peter took it one step further and simply said it was his time to be born. Who knows? I certainly don't." She took a long sip of her tea.
"When you think about all of that, perhaps I would go with Peter's answer, rather than search and search."
"I agree, I don't plan to get hung up on the whys. Do you mind if I have a short nap? I think the fresh air got to me. Please wake me in an hour, or you can join me if you wish. I'd like to go to town when I wake if you don't mind driving."
"Sure, I'll join you for a nap as well as a trip to the village. Come on, let's rest." He reached for her hand and pulled her up. He took her mug from her and sat it on the small table. He led her to the bed, indicating for her to lay down and pulled the throw over her. He walked to the other side and stretched out beside her. She snuggled to his side and he pulled her, so her head rested on his shoulder. They slept for a little over an hour.
Feeling refreshed, they headed towards the village. Rachel laughed when they drove past the spot that she had driven into the ditch. Before long they were there. They had about three hours before the stores and shops started to close down.
Daniel suggested the small diner, reporting that the coffee was great and that they made their own pastries which were downright fantastic.
By aryr
They chose a window table and requested coffee and she ordered a cinnamon bun while he went with an apple strudel. They watched people passing by as they as they sipped and ate. When finished they wandered over to the general store. They left the vehicle parked. It was a short walk to everything.
Rachel enjoyed browsing at first, then decided on some purchases which would become gifts for her family. She found blown-glass paper weights for her two brothers, a whale for Tim and a Statue of Liberty for Phillip. Because her mother enjoyed Christmas tree decorations she found a metal and crystal snowflake. And for her father she chose a small totem pole, he loved anything native American. She briefly wondered if he would love Daniel. She shook her head, wondering why she would even think something like that. She also spotted a small silver wolf, that she decided was perfect for Daniel.
Daniel in the meantime picked up a few grocery items he would need and thus gave her the privacy to make her purchases.
They dropped their shopping at the suburban. Then headed over to the B & B, hoping to see Todd or Phyllis. As they climbed the stairs to the wrap-around porch, Billy came around the corner. He smiled and waved.
"Todd is at the desk and I think Phyllis is in the kitchen. Becky, the cook went home early. Her daughter went into labor this morning and when she left she muttered something about water breaking. Afternoon Ma-am."
"Thanks Billy, catch you later." Daniel responded, and Rachel waved.
The tiny bells tinkled as the door opened and Todd looked up.
"Hey guys, nice to see you again. Phyllis is cleaning up, Becky had supper available for a couple of the clients that had ordered, but she had to leave, so Phyllis is it. I think she wants to have things set up for the morning since she will be doing the breakfast for the eight people here. Fortunately, tomorrow is bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, juice and bran muffins for those who want them. So, what can I do for you?"
"Oh, we just stopped to say hi. Do you still get your muffins from the diner? Can we go back and say hi to Phyllis?" Daniel asked.
"Sure, not a problem, follow me. Yep, we still get them at the diner. Fred is the morning chef, so he comes in at 4 am to do the baking. He makes us two dozen every day. I guarantee that they keep Phyllis and I regular. Hey, sweetie, we have company."
Phyllis turned, she was just putting dishes out for breakfast. She already had the loaf of bread out next to the toaster, the juice glasses and the cups and saucers. The self-serving coffee and hot water urns were ready for the morning.
"Well, hey guys. How are you both doing? Rachel when are you coming back to us?" She laughed as she asked, as if she knew the answer already.
"In a bit, Phyllis, in a bit. I promise."
"Do you guys want some tea or coffee or something stronger?" Todd asked.
"Not for me, I am driving us home. Rachel?" Daniel answered and turned to Rachel, who shook her head 'no'.
"Hey Daniel, we were going to grill our steaks tomorrow night for our supper, do you both want to bring two more steaks into town and join us. I'd suggest bringing Gray but seeing a wolf might frighten some of our guests." Todd asked.
Daniel looked at Rachel and raised his eyebrows. She in return nodded and smiled.
"It's a date. Do you need us to bring anything else?"
"Would it be too much trouble to ask you to whip up a batch of rolls. I can never get enough of them." Phyllis smiled.
"I can do that. I'll mix them up tomorrow, let them rise, then punch them down just before we come over. That way they will be ready for the oven." Daniel smiled in return.
"You can bake? Wow, what other secrets am I going to find out about you?" Rachel questioned.
"Oh, my goodness, if he decided to stay and bake, he could outdo Fred without a doubt. He could have his own business that would be an immediate success." Phyllis gushed.
"On that note, we are going to head out. I want Rachel to see how to get home from town and what landmarks to watch for. See you guys tomorrow."
"Bye, see you tomorrow." Rachel echoed.
By aryr
The drive back was uneventful. Daniel pointed out various landmarks to Rachel. She had been watching on the trip into the village and was pleased with herself when she pointed to the cave entrance without prompting.
A stew had been brewing in the slow cooker all day, so with some leftover rolls supper was a simple yet delicious meal.
As they sat sipping tea Rachel commented, "Does Gray go away for such long periods? He disappeared before we had our nap. Are you worried about him?"
"He does go out and ramble and can stay away for hours but with you here he has been checking in more frequently. Now I know he does like his meat raw, but he has developed a taste for stew, so I will admit I am a little surprised he is not here begging for his share," Daniel replied.
"Should we go look for him? Is there any way to call out to him?" She asked.
"Come on, we'll go outside, and I will howl for him, it will carry for miles and he can respond and head home." They grabbed their boots and jackets. It was just turning to dusk, with the full moon rising over the horizon, there was still considerable light.
"It is so beautiful up here," Rachel said in a voice just above a whisper.
"That's one of the reasons I love it so much, that and the sense of oneness with nature. Okay, here goes." He raised his head and howled at the moon; a long drawn out howl and two short yips.
There was silence for a few minutes, after which he repeated himself. After about five minutes they were able to hear a weak reply.
"He's hurt, grab our hats and gloves while I get a couple of blankets, the first aide kit and a couple of flash lights. We have to find him."
He pushed her inside and they each went to retrieve the items. It only took them a few minutes and then they were on their way.
Daniel paused to yip and in response heard a howl in return. He was able to pinpoint the direction and started a slow jog in that direction.
"You can go as fast as you need to, I will keep up. I usually do at least five miles each morning, so I am good."
At that encouragement, Daniel sped up a bit. He stopped again after fifteen minutes to offer two more yips. And again, he heard a howl.
"I'd say we are about two miles from him. Are you okay to keep going that far? I can stop if you need or I can give you one of the blankets and let you rest here until I find him. He is not moving so I am guessing he is hurt."
"No, we are going on together, I am fine. Let's go get our boy."
It was another fifteen minutes before they spotted Gray. He was lying on his side. Daniel was the first to spot the bear trap which had closed on his hind leg. Blood had congealed on his leg and Daniel was grateful that Gray hadn't tried to gnaw off his trapped leg, as animals will sometime do.
Rachel shrieked, and Daniel turned to her. "Look a snake, it looks like the one he saved me from. Oh God, did he get trapped and attacked? Are they poisonous? God, I sure hope you are listening again. I have said my prayers every morning, so please, please save Gray."
"Yes, they are deadly, but I don't think he was bitten. He would be dead by now, the venom would have spread and killed him. I think he got it before it got him. The biggest concern is the trap. It is old and rusty. The bone doesn't look broken, but it did a nasty job on his leg."
Gray whimpered as the two humans knelt beside him, his deep gray eyes portraying the pain he felt.
"Rachel, I need you to go behind him and hug him. His first reaction will be to jump up when he is free. I don't want him doing that. Hold him so his head is on your lap, and your arms around his front legs. Talk to him. I'll get him free."
Rachel moved around to do as Daniel had instructed. Gray whimpered more and even licked her cheek as if to tell her it would be okay.
It was fortunate that Daniel kept himself fit, he was able to pry open the jaws of the trap and instinctively Gray pulled his leg away and as predicted try to twist and stand. Rachel held him tight as she murmured.
"No Gray, gentle, no don't move honey. Daddy is going to fix things, Mamma's got you, lie still, that's a good boy."
"Okay, don't let go, it might bite a bit when I clean it and dress it. Then I will make a travois for him. Will you be okay for that long?" Daniel asked.
"I'm fine, we are fine. Aren't we Gray? Daddy is taking care of everything. Go ahead, we've got this." She answered as she kept stroking the wolf.
There was a single yip as the water first hit the wound and then a louder yip and a slight growl as the stinging disinfectant washed the site. But the wolf didn't move. After all this time, he knew that Daniel was not hurting him. With the wound dressed, Daniel began making the travois.
After finding two long branches, he wrapped the blanket around them to create a doubled layer. The outdoor blankets had been made for just this purpose. The sides had rivetted holes which could be tied together. Each hole even had a short length of rope. When completed he, with Rachel's help gently moved Gray over to the travel bed. He retrieved a plastic bag from the first aid kit and filled it with a bottle of water. Rachel held this to allow the wolf to drink.
Meanwhile Daniel secured the second blanket over Gray to provide warmth. Gray was content to lay still, he felt safe. A long length of rope was tied to the top end of the two branches. It was long enough that it could serve as a harness to fit across Daniels shoulders and under his arms.
"I think we are ready, I'll pull him if you can walk beside him, so he can see you. He should be okay, and I don't suspect he is going to try to move. When we get back I am going to put him in the back seat of the plane. And we are going to fly him to the closest vet, he knows Gray and I am concerned about the rust. Are you okay with that? You can stay at the cave, if you want to."
"I'm okay, where you two go I go. I am going to sing as we walk to distract him a bit, its going to be bumpy." Rachel smiled.
It took them almost an hour to make the trip back, although they walked at a brisk pace it was slower going than the running to get to him. When they got to the plane, Daniel loaded Gray into the back seat that Rachel had flipped down, he was again covered with a blanket for warmth. Daniel clicked the key fob which was aimed at the door of the cave, modern mechanics were great to have in times of emergencies. He radioed the closest tower, explained that he had an emergency situation that required a flight and was given clearance.
He had made it a practice to always turn the plane, so it was ready for take-off. After building up the engine, he rolled down the airstrip and into the air. Rachel continued to talk to Gray, who remained still and whimpered now and then in pain.
Once they were airborne, Daniel called the vet and explained what had happened. In return the vet explained that there would be a van waiting to transport them to the animal hospital where he would be waiting for them. He also mentioned that it would be Harold driving the van, since he knew Gray as well. Having familiar people around was very important when dealing with injured animals.
It took twenty minutes in the air and then a few minutes to land and transfer Gray. The hospital was ten minutes away with the way Harold drove. The vet met them, and Gray was whisked into surgery. When he met them outside the hospital he gently gave Gray an injected sedative that put him in lala land. They were good to go.
By aryr
Daniel quickly updated the vet, Dr. Peters, with any information he could regarding what had happened to Gray. Two of the animal hospital nurses were pushing the stretcher down the hall at a brisk pace. The doctor, Daniel and Rachel matched the pace and were only about three feet from the stretcher. Harold had parked the vehicle and rushed past the three who were sharing information and grabbed the head of the stretcher to hurry it along even faster.
Within minutes, the doors to the surgical wing burst open and the vet advised Daniel and Rachel to wait, indicating chairs. Their last view of Gray was the tip of his tail slightly wagging. They sat and were silent for several minutes.
They both had their heads bowed and eyes closed. It was obvious that they were praying to their God. It had been a miracle that Gray had been found and delivered to Dr. Peters. His survival, his destiny was in God's hands.
Daniel grabbed Rachel's hand, "I appreciate all your help today. I couldn't have done some of those things without your assistance. I know Gray liked hearing your singing. You have, I hope noticed that his ears perk up when he hears you. And I was glad to hear you talking to him when I cleaned his wound. That was cute; all that stuff about Mama and Daddy, sure helped me keep focused."
Rachel smiled and placed her free hand on top of his, "He will be okay. I feel it in my bones. I know he is old, but in his mind and heart he is still a pup. Just listening to Dr. Peters with his questions and comments, I trust him and have a great deal of faith in him." She paused as if thinking before speaking.
"I said those things because that is how I felt through all this. I honestly feel that Gray sees you as his daddy. He trusts you, he loves you and he deeply cares for you. I do too."
His head jerked up so that his dark brown, almost black colored eyes looked into her hazel gaze.
"You do? I was afraid of pushing you too fast. I thought I was going too fast for myself. Are you sure?"
"I am most definitely sure. You feel so right for me. I know we have had sex but that just made it more right. That's why I wanted to stay, and I was so glad that you were okay with it. It was so sweet that you offered to sleep on the cot. I want you in my life. No, I need you in my life."
"Okay, for now we will hope for the best for Gray, then we will start to figure this out. Things will be fine, I promise. We are both intelligent people and we can do this. Wow it has almost been an hour. What is taking so long?" He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
"All good things take time and Dr. Peters is doing a great job, just be patient, Gray will be fine. That I can promise, remember I am the one with a medical background, granted not for animals but I just know these things. Let's get a coffee, I saw a machine just around the corner."
She tugged on his arm and they wandered around the corner to where the coffee urn sat. They smiled at each other when they noticed the hot water urn and a wide selection of teas, someone had even remembered a squeeze bottle of honey in the shape of a bear. They returned to their chairs to wait some more.
By aryr
It was an hour later when they saw the double doors open and Dr. Peters walked out. He was pulling off his face mask as he walked through the doors and a smile radiated his face. They both jumped up to race towards him.
"Gray will be fine. I cleaned the area up and sutured the tissues back together. That is one smart wolf, I can't imagine the pain and agony he was in, but he didn't pull against the grasp of the trap. Otherwise we would have been dealing with a mangled limb. Even though I knew he was up to date for his shots, I gave him a tetanus shot based on your description of the trap. Who ever put that thing out there should have been charged years ago."
Rachel could not help herself and moved swiftly to give him a hug as Daniel grabbed his hand and shook it several times.
"He will be out for a couple of hours, but once he is awake you can take him home. The sutures are the dissolving type and they will be gone in about a week, give or take. I'd like you to keep it dressed for the week. Animals do have a tendency to try to chew them out. The fur will grow back but his leg will look funny for a while." He laughed as he provided this information.
"You can both come back to see him, but I do have to warn you he is in a cage. We just never know about animals, anesthetic and sedatives. He has had something for pain as well. And you my dear have given me a wonderful hug but who are you?" He smiled as he turned to Rachel.
She extended her hand and replied, "Hi, I am Dr. Rachel Smyth. That's with a 'y' not an 'I'. Gray found me when I was lost in the park and got Daniel, so they both saved me. Nice to meet you."
"Ahaaa, Daniel you found yourself a doctor, good for you my boy. Good for you."
"Well, I guess I did find her, but only with Gray's help. We still have to see where this leads us or even if there is an us." Daniel chuckled.
Rachel interrupted, "Okay let's go see our boy."
Dr. Peters led the way through the doors and down to recovery. Each animal had its own technician to supervise the recovery process. All animals regardless of size and species were caged.
"Harold has offered to stay with Gray, it is always nice to have a familiar face and scent when they are coming around. Harold, you already know Daniel, but this is his friend, Rachel. She is a doctor as well but I'm not sure which field."
"Hi, Harold, I am a forensic medical examiner or coroner as most people call me. I actually have my surgical degree as well, so I can operate on the living and investigate the dead." She held her hand out which Harold shook.
"Those are some nasty looking scars on your lower arm and hand. Do you mind if I ask what caused them?"
"No, it's okay. The ones on the arm are from a canine, a dog that wasn't too happy when he woke up. And the hand scars are from a cat in a similar situation. After the cat we all decided it was better and safer to use cages." He rotated his arm and hand as he spoke.
"Wow, I never would have thought about that, but then again, I have seen some people come up having some weird reactions. Hey, if you ever decide you want them fixed, I have a friend who does fantastic plastic surgery. He owes me a few favors, so it would be no charge, just some time off. Just let me know, okay?"
Harold nodded.
Daniel scooted around Harold to get as close as possible to Gray, who was still out like a light. Rachel patted Harold's shoulder and went to stand with Daniel. They both just watched Gray sleep.
"Now why don't the two of you go and get something to eat? There is a little restaurant just a couple of blocks down that serves a great breakfast all day long. You can have your steak or pork chop now if you want. Here are your temporary IDs, so you can even have a beer at this hour. Gray will be fine while you are gone," Dr. Peters advised.
"Thanks Doc, we appreciate that. Something to eat sounds great to me. Come on, Rachel, chow time."
They walked away, hand in hand.
By aryr
The idea of a glass of wine was too appealing, so they ordered white with their
breakfast plate specials. They sipped as they waited.
"I like Smyth and the way you described the spelling. My last name is Whetung, I
don't think we got around to names yet."
"So where do we go from here? Oh, my parents are Robert, but he goes by Bob
and Suzette who is called Sue. There are partners at the ranch."
"What do you mean partners?" He asked.
"Well, years ago, he was a veterinarian with a great practice and she was in advertising and liked to volunteer. They got married and of course we all came along. They continued like this for several years, I think I was about nine when they wanted a change. After many family talks, because they liked to include us, they decided on farm that would help others. Oh great, breakfast is here."
Their plates included toast, scrambled eggs, hash browns and several stripes of bacon. They dug in, after the aromas made them realize just how hungry they were. When the plates were empty and had been removed they switched from the wine to hot tea.
"Anyway, Dad sold the business and the house, and we moved out of town to a farm. We stayed in the same area. It wasn't enormous, I think about twenty-five acres. There were two barns, three separate corrals and a chicken coup. The farmer was planning on retiring and he threw in the chickens and four cows. Now you have to remember we were all green horns." She laughed.
"Oh my God," he chuckled, "Talk about the blind leading the blind."
"My dad invested in four horses and two Shetland ponies, with the idea of horse rides for disabled and abused children. Of course, my mom had her own ideas which swayed towards a small petting zoo. They had worked for many years and saved, they had made a profit from the business and house sale and they had both inherited from the death of their parents. Financially they were set. So, the 'Smyth Ranch' was created. The business side of life was named 'Beautiful Attitudes'. Dad kept his vet license active, so he could provide health care for the animals and mom managed the advertising. It was surprising that in less than thirty days, things were flying, and it hasn't slowed down. Dad's older customers still preferred to have his services and even their children do the same." Rachel couldn't help but smile.
"I am surprised that you three kids were not roped in. Helping on the farm would have been a great opportunity, I would imagine."
"Oh, we were, trust me, we were. While living at home, before we went away for college and university, everyone was given both chores and duties. My chore, taking care of the chickens and the eggs, and when in season I was to manage the garden. My job on the weekends was to supervise the small children and the petting zoo. We had choices of goats, lambs, piglets which were really dwarf pigs, usually two of each. And we had some cuddle animals such as hamsters, kittens, bunnies and puppies. All the animals were neutered, so there was adequate population control." She smiled as she recalled the animals.
"Let's get back, he should be waking soon, if he is not already awake." He settled their bill as she waited by his side and then they walked hand in hand back to the animal hospital. The sun was rising, and the clear sky promised a beautiful day.
Harold greeted them, "He's awake, it has been about twenty minutes. He is not happy, but he is behaving. He has had some water and some dry kibble. I know that was probably an insult, being fed dog food, but it was better for his tummy. I'll drive you guys back to the airport, then its bed time for me for a few hours."
"Thanks. Yep that's him yipping. He must be ready for home. Is he able to walk?"
"He's walking fine, I took him out back, but he does have an occasional limp. Oh, here's Dr. Peters."
"Hey Daniel, Rachel. It looks like he is ready to go home. And about the limp that Harold mentioned, there were no breaks, but the bones were bruised so there is going to be tenderness. The limp tends to become prominent when there is a pretty lady around. So, Rachel, you can expect limping." He laughed after he explained.
By aryr
PREVIOUSLY: Rachel is a forensic medical examiner, who after receiving disturbing news, decides she needs some alone time to think. So, she goes to a B&B in a large park, but gets lost, Gray the wolf finds her incapacitated and goes home to Daniel to get him to help her. Daniel is a Native American and a successful lawyer. She decides to stay with him in his modern cave rather than the B&B. Her family is aware and that she is safe. She confesses her medical history, she carried within her body her twin brother as a chimera. Gray gets hurt and requires surgery and survives.
NOW TO CONTINUE................................................
They all approached the cage and Gray immediately stood up, then he suddenly remembered to favor his injured leg as he whined for sympathy. Everyone laughed.
Because of rules he was leashed as he limped out to the van. He chose to lie on the blanket beside Rachel's swivel seat, so he could rest his head on her lap. It was a leisure ride back to the plane where Gray once again stretched out on the temporary bed in the back seat.
"Don't forget what I said, Harold. Those scars can be minimized to almost invisibility, and the offer is there." Rachel hugged him.
"I'll think about it, Doc, I will keep in touch. See you, Daniel. You be good Gray." He secured the plane door and backed away.
The flight home was swift for them, it was nowhere near as stressful as the flight to the hospital. Gray slept most of the way home, creating slight snoring sounds.
Rachel and Daniel were quiet, nary a word was spoken between them. They landed and out of habit Daniel repositioned the plane for take-off. Gray sat up and provided a small woof. He was eager to be home. Daniel opened the back door and Gray jumped out.
"You go straight into the house, after you go busy. There is no running around free willy for a few days. No romping, just outside for business and then back in. Got it?" Daniel called to Gray who was attempting to run, but immediately stopped. He found a tree and lifted his hind leg and was actually standing on his bad leg. He spotted Rachel and came limping back to her side.
"Come on boy, let's go inside. Daddy just sounds gruff, because he cares so much." She laughed as Gray switched between limping and not.
Daniel did a walk around check on the plane before heading to the cave. He smiled as he went through the door. Rachel had Gray stretched on the bed and covered with a light blanket. He looked pathetic.
"Gray, what are you doing?" Daniel asked the wolf. He was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed. Gray just raised his head slightly and looked from Rachel and Daniel with sad eyes.
"You just leave him alone. The poor baby has been through a traumatic situation. Let him rest." She snickered.
"Okay, he can rest, but he needs to move over, so we can rest as well, it's been a long night and he did have some sleep." He couldn't stop his laugh as he shifted Gray.
The three of them settled on the bed, with Rachel of course sandwiched in the middle. They slept soundly for five hours. If an outsider had the opportunity to view them, it would have been a comical picture. Daniel spooned Rachel with an arm draped over her waist. She, in turn, was snuggled behind Gray with her hand buried in the fur of Gray's shoulder. He was out like a light.
Rachel was the first to stir and as she turned she accidently nudged Daniel awake. He smiled as their eyes met. She raised a finger to her lips as she looked over her shoulder at Gray. He was still peacefully sleeping, in fact he was snoring. The couple scooted to their side of the bed and got up.
A cup of tea was priority for them, and Daniel set the kettle to boil while she got the mugs, tea, pot and honey.
"Breakfast was so filling, if you don't mind, I can wait until supper time. But when I am done with my tea, I need a shower and some clean clothes." she commented.
"That sounds like a great plan. Do you want some company, or do you prefer privacy?"
"Company is fine." Her smiling and blushing was rather becoming.
By this time, Gray had raised his head and Daniel gave him a warning look. "You will go out just long enough and far enough to do your business and then back here. Got it? If you are not here when I get out of the shower, I will find you and you will be chained to the tree near the door."
Gray hung his head and meekly slide off the bed to go to his door. He looked back at Daniel before going through it and gave up a whispered 'woof'. Daniel knew that for a wolf to be chained was a fate worse than death. Of course, he was joking about the chaining, but depended on Gray not knowing his threat was not sincere.
Rachel was already in the shower humming a catchy tune, so Daniel joined her under the cascade of hot water. He took her sponge, liberally added body wash and proceeded to bathe her. When he was finished, he suggested that she wet her hair and after a considerable amount of shampoo started to massage her scalp. She moaned, it had been a long time since she had been treated to such a shampoo.
She rinsed and now it was her turn to wash him.
By aryr
PREVIOUSLY: Rachel is a forensic medical examiner, who after receiving disturbing news, decides she needs some alone time to think. So, she goes to a B&B in a large park, but gets lost, Gray the wolf finds her incapacitated and goes home to Daniel to get him to help her. Daniel is a Native American and a successful lawyer. She decides to stay with him in his modern cave rather than the B&B. Her family is aware and that she is safe. She confesses her medical history and of the discovery of a chimera-her twin brother that her body had absorbed. Gray gets hurt and requires surgery and survives. They are now back home at the cave.
NOW TO CONTINUE................................................
She reached for the body wash and blushed when she started washing his chest. She completed his front, using just soapy hands to cleanse his erection, which made him moan. She then directed him to turn around, so she could wash his back. When she was done with that, she reached around to find his shaft again. Her strokes were firm yet at the same time gentle. He was close to completion and with a combination of moans and grunts his sperm splashed the back wall of the shower.
"Lady, it is now your turn, that was just so not fair."
She giggled, "Life is not meant to be fair, now just admit, that it felt great."
He spread the body wash on the sponge and began washing her back, she arched into his touch. His hands circled her waist as he caressed her breasts briefly with soap. He allowed the sponge to drift lower over her tummy.
She was gasped and moaned leaning against him in anticipation. The soapy sponge literally drifted to her right hip and made a slow, teasing journey down her right leg. Every inch was caressed, leaving a trail of foamy suds. It was a journey of pleasure.
Now of course, Daniel had to squat to wash her leg, but as he did he found that he was face to face with her usually covered cheeks. He simply could not resist gently nipping both of them as he washed. When he finished the right leg, he switched to her left, starting at her foot. He proceeded upward towards the spot that was tingling, that was sensitive, that she really wanted him to get to.
He once again surprised her by coming up to her tummy, then her breasts. He was definitely teasing her. She even tried to redirect his hand to where she wanted it, but he was stronger and could resist her tugs on his arm and hand.
Finally, his hand drifted lower and lower. The sponge then caressed her swollen, engorged lips making her moan and jerk forward wanting and needing more contact.
He conveniently placed the sponge on the shelf that surrounded the shower and was used to house the body wash, shampoo and sponges. His hands went back to her, one hand finding her tiny nub of excitement and the other teasing her lips before inserting one, then two fingers. He could not resist nibbling on her ear and kissing the side of her neck. She was so wet and so close. Within seconds she exploded around his fingers. He could feel her tightening around his fingers in spasms of pleasure. She collapsed against him in contentment. She was spent, she was happy.
He once again reached for her soapy sponge and washed her juices away from her still tingling body. They quickly rinsed and stepped out of the shower to dry. He was kind enough to quickly dry her back and she in turn dried his. Before long they were ready to venture into the bedroom area to get dressed.
Gray was on the mat by the door, pretending of course, to be weak and disabled. The water was placed on the grill to boil and the two worked silently together to prepare supper. They each snuck looks, followed by a smile.
By aryr
PREVIOUSLY: Rachel is a forensic medical examiner, who after receiving disturbing news, decides she needs some alone time to think. So, she goes to a B&B in a large park, but gets lost, Gray the wolf finds her incapacitated and goes home to Daniel to get him to help her. Daniel is a Native American and a successful lawyer. She decides to stay with him in his modern cave rather than the B&B. Her family is aware and that she is safe. She confesses her medical history, and of the discovery of a chimera-her twin brother that her body had absorbed. Gray gets hurt and requires surgery and survives. They are now back home at the cave.
NOW TO CONTINUE................................................
While Rachel prepared the potatoes and carrots for cooking shish-kabob style on the grill, Daniel spiced the pheasant. The small steak for Gray was set aside so it could be quickly seared when supper was ready. The water had boiled, the tea made, so they sat at the table. Both sensed the need to talk. Things had indeed moved rather rapidly. The future lay ahead of them. They had to discuss that future.
They sat across from each other with their tea. The veggies were cooking on a low heat section, while the pheasant was grilling. They had a few minutes before the meal would be ready.
"So, where do we go from here?" She asked, almost afraid to look into his eyes.
"I think, I can only ask, where do you want us to go?" He reached forward to caress her fingers.
"I like you a lot, I like being here and I do so love that silly wolf. But we can't just pretend that we don't have lives to get back to, because we do. I would love to do just that, but we can't."
"Okay, I understand, but do you want us to continue being an us or do we simply acknowledge that we had a great time and when it is over, it becomes over."
"Is there any way we can make this work? We don't even live in the same country."
"We can find a way to make it work if we want it to. Let's eat and then talk some more. I have some ideas, but I would rather us eat first." He smiled.
Dinner was a quiet event. Poor Gray forgot all about his leg, which was tucked under him as he gnawed at the steak and the bone protruding from it. When he was finished he went towards his door and Daniel reminded him to go out for business and then back in. That reminder brought back his limp and they laughed at his antics.
They worked together at the task of cleaning up the dishes. Two glasses of wine were poured, and they settled in front of the firepit.
"Well, I have the freedom of living in either Canada or the United States, although I do have passports for both sides of the border. (This story takes place before the events and politics of 9-11. Dual citizenships were common.) And you, because of your profession can do the same. Is that a workable idea?"
"I never thought of that, but what about work? I don't want to leave my position and I can't asked you to leave yours. There may be too many obstacles for us."
"Well my business is established. There are enough people there to handle the cases, so I could check in frequently via phone and make visits as needed. My apartment on the top floor is cleaned weekly and I am sure someone could stock the basics if I call ahead. You could stay in your position or you could apply for your licensing in Ontario if you wanted to. Between your apartment and mine, as well as the cave we would have a home. What do you think?"
"I can see why you are a successful lawyer. You could think your way out of any challenge. But I do think that if you were planning on us being an us, then you have to look further into the future. What about children? I know I can be a worry wart, but I like having things figured out before they happen." She grinned.
"MMMM, I will admit that I didn't really think that far ahead. However, the cave is large enough that a wall can be erected across the end of the living area to provide two small bed rooms. We could even put bunk beds in both if needed. And we could put in a privacy panel for our bed. Now my apartment has three separate bedrooms, apart from the master bedroom. With your apartment we could just find something larger, we have the time and the money."
"Wow, now it is time for me to step back and think for a while. Can we do that? I have another week before I want to visit my parents and explain about my other Daniel. Would you be free to come meet them?" She held her breath in anticipation of his answer.
"Honey, you take all the time you need to think about this, about us. I can fly you to your parent's home. I can fly you back to work. I think we can make this work, if we want to. Let's stop talking and watch a movie."
She nodded and grabbed his hand as she pulled him close for a kiss.
They picked a hilarious comedy as a distraction for their thoughts. It was an easy movie to follow and bantered about the ending. Gray stretched out between their chairs so that both could pet him. He truly was a spoiled baby, even though he did portray a vicious animal. When he left to go for a brief outing, they moved their chairs, so they could sit side by side. This left no room for Gray when he returned so he dragged himself off to sulk by the end of the bed.
The movie ended in her favor as she jumped up and down as a young child would with excitement. Daniel's attempts to hold her forced him to jump along with her. Laughter filled the room.
It was bed time and of course, Gray had to climb in front of her, so she wouldn't fall out of bed. They all settled in the same positions from their earlier nap.
By aryr
My Brothers' Keeper
PREVIOUSLY: Rachel is a forensic medical examiner, who after receiving disturbing news, decides she needs some alone time to think. So, she goes to a B&B in a large park, but gets lost, Gray the wolf finds her incapacitated and goes home to Daniel to get him to help her. Daniel is a Native American and a successful lawyer. She decides to stay with him in his modern cave rather than the B&B. Her family is aware and that she is safe. She confesses her medical history, and of the discovery of a chimera-her twin brother that her body had absorbed. Gray gets hurt and requires surgery and survives. They are now back home at the cave. Decisions have to be talked about and made........
NOW TO CONTINUE................................................
The next day, they decided on a trip to the village. Rachel wanted to see if she could find a few more gifts, Daniel planned on talking to Todd, and Gray just planned on intimidating the tourists.
Everyone in town knew Gray, but it was interesting to watch the new people. The bandage did prove to be an attention collector from the regulars. Everyone wanted to know what had happened, they turned to Daniel, who explained. They then offered Gray condolences and treats. As soon as the visitors saw how approachable he was, they all wanted several pictures. He was the king of his world.
Rachel wandered off to the general store on her own, where she did find several gift items. Then to the bakery, which held its own delights. Pastries were purchased as well as a few loaves of bread. Then she discovered the jams, jellies and preserves. More gifts. She was having a great time. She had placed her multiple purchases in the back of her vehicle, then headed towards the B&B.
Gray spotted her and decided it was time for him to follow. He was running full speed until Rachel turned, then he pretended to trip before continuing with a limp. Several regulars laughed at his antics. He was that well known, but they did love him. His presence reduced other wolves, cougars, in fact any animal that may have attacked.
Rachel found Daniel talking with Todd, who smiled at her when she entered.
He held up one finger, turned his head away and hollered "Phyllis, Rachel is here, I'm sending her back." He pointed the way. "She's making bread or rolls, I am never sure, other than it sure does taste good."
"Rachel, honey just follow my voice, I'll keep talking." It was easy to find her. "There's both tea and coffee, help yourself. It is so great to see you, it feels like forever, but I know its only been a couple of days. Oh, and there's my boy. Did that nasty old trap hurt you. Bad trap."
Gray just lapped up the attention like a bowl of fresh milk. And of course, he had to limp over to her side.
"The vet and his assistant made an amusing observation. When he is around women he limps, but around the men, there is no limp. He is just a big baby. Aren't you our baby?" He whimpered as she scratched his chin. Before long both women were talking baby talk to him and he loved it.
"So how are things going with Daniel? Is he taking good care of you? Sometimes he can be as forgetful as Todd. Now Billy is just plain old shy, but Todd, he is forgetful."
"I would like to see something develop between Daniel and I, we talked and then decided to take a break from decisions for right now. He did offer some sound suggestions. He even agreed to meet my parents, actually fly me home. So, who knows where it will go."
"Well I would love to see him settle down. He is a good man and a darn smart one too. I have to admit, that I think you are rather special and I do think you are meant for each other. Okay, enough mushy talk. Gray, you want a cookie, only one, well one from me and one from Rachel."
Both women washed their hands after the cookie round and started kneading the dough. Phyllis usually made her bread, rolls and biscuits. She enjoyed her kitchen time since Todd stayed out of her way. He didn't mind the outdoor work or managing the desk, but he truly disliked anything to do with the kitchen and food. The two girls they had hired, managed the cleaning and laundry.
On days they both needed to be gone, Phyllis made the meals ahead, Billy stepped in to oversee the desk and reheat the meals. He also helped Todd with the maintenance work. There was a little cabin on the back part of the property, that had been updated, which he lived in. Phyllis and Todd had sort of adopted Billy. Because they both felt like they were on a permanent vacation, they rarely took extended times off.
"You and Daniel will stay for lunch, won't you? Its just soup and rolls today. I never have guests wanting lunch. Everyone wants breakfast and most appreciate supper. It's the same group that were here when you arrived. I think two new couples are coming in soon."
"That sounds great and I will accept for both Daniel and myself," she laughed, "my first official decision."
It was homemade tomato soup with a sprinkle of cheese and fresh rolls. Billy, Todd and Daniel all had second helpings. Phyllis was definitely a great cook.
By aryr
PREVIOUSLY: Rachel is a forensic medical examiner, who after receiving disturbing news, decides she needs some alone time to think. So, she goes to a B&B in a large park, but gets lost, Gray the wolf finds her incapacitated and goes home to Daniel to get him to help her. Daniel is a Native American and a successful lawyer. She decides to stay with him in his modern cave rather than the B&B. Her family is aware and that she is safe. She confesses her medical history, and of the discovery of a chimera-her twin brother that her body had absorbed. Gray gets hurt and requires surgery and survives. They are now back home at the cave. Decisions have to be talked about and made........
NOW TO CONTINUE................................................
On the drive home to his cave, Rachel turned to Daniel, "I think if you are still willing to fly me to my parents, I accept. It would be great for everyone to meet. I think it is best if I call and we plan on just meeting the folks first. Then a couple of days later we can have Tim and Phillip visit. I want to talk to my parents first about my medical discovery."
"Okay, you call them, and I will take care of the flight. Do you have any idea where the closest airport is?"
"Sure, its about an hour from the ranch. Dad likes to fly once in a while, and his old friend Howard has a private strip. All the locals use it. He has three small planes like yours and one that is a ten-seater. The hanger is also a storage unit for the planes that the locals own. He really does a great business. I will tell Dad we need to land there, and I will be sure to mention Gray. He could be considered a surprise to the community." She smiled.
"When I call to register the flight plan, I can also make car and hotel arrangements. Gray is comfortable, by the way, acting as my service dog. Most people just think he is a big dog. And the vet provided his papers to make travel easier for both of us. Yes, I know it is wrong, but one does what they have to when the chips are against them." Daniel offered a sheepish smile.
"Howard has a spare Jeep we can use, while we visit. That saves on arranging a rental. Oh, and he absolutely loves dogs, so he will be amazed by a wolf. And my dad would be insulted if you didn't stay at the house, there's lots of room."
They arrived home in a few minutes and took the time to store Rachel's purchases in one of the planes storage compartments.
When they got inside, she called her parents. After several minutes of catch up chatting, she asked if it was okay for her and Daniel to visit and that they would be bringing his dog. They were ecstatic and wanted to know when. She further asked if they could hold off calling her brothers to allow her a couple of days for a private visit. Once again, they agreed. They were just so happy she was coming. She was polite when she asked about the Bed & Breakfast for Daniel and Gray. As predicted her parents insisted he stay at the ranch. Her father provided Howard's number, so Daniel could call and reconfirmed that there was a vehicle available.
Rachel explained to him that she had decided to surprise her parents regarding Gray, and that they would not be upset with her little white lie. He in turn told her that he would have to tell Howard but that he would swear him to secrecy, and they both laughed.
Daniel called Howard in a few minutes and provided all his information and received what he needed to register the flight path coordinates. They were set to fly out in two days.
"Well, I suggest we hit the sack. Tomorrow I want to call work and see how things are going, as well as letting them know about my side trip. I don't plan on telling anyone about you just yet, but I do like to let them know basically where I am. And then we can pack." He said through a yawn.
"Good idea, I'll call the car rental and extend my time. I am tired, its been a long day. Gray, outside for a quick time, but then right back in, no running." She laughed when he dropped his head and limped to the door.
| Author Notes | Hope you are enjoying this adventure. |
By aryr
My Brothers' Keeper
PREVIOUSLY: Rachel is a forensic medical examiner, who after receiving disturbing news, decides she needs some alone time to think. So, she goes to a B&B in a large park, but gets lost, Gray the wolf finds her incapacitated and goes home to Daniel to get him to help her. Daniel is a Native American and a successful lawyer. She decides to stay with him in his modern cave rather than the B&B. Her family is aware and that she is safe. She confesses her medical history, and of the discovery of a chimera-her twin brother that her body had absorbed. Gray gets hurt but survives. They are now visiting her parents.........
NOW TO CONTINUE................................................
It was a quiet night for them, Gray chose to sleep at her feet. After their breakfast they both made the necessary calls, Rachel called her parents, Howard and even work for an update. Betty advised her of a few rather important changes. The biggest one was regarding funding and the forensic lab.
Apparently, there was a huge cut in the funding and as well, the city had decided to demolish the building and construct a parking tower. Parking had become a big problem and they only used two of the nine floors. They each had six months to rearrange their lives. The hospital had space available for a forensic laboratory, and the newbie and the other assistant had nabbed the positions available. Betty had thought about moving from the city, since she had no ties there other than work, but would decide later.
"I plan a side trip to my parents for a week before I return," said Rachel. We still have time you know. we can decide when I get back. How's that?"
Daniel's call went much better. Things were going well, business was steady. His administrative assistant, who was ironically named Bettie, managed everything beautifully. She was very organized, ran a tight ship and called him only if she had to. When he did call her, she had all reports available and advised him of concerns that she had handled. There was always an update on what each of the lawyers were involved with. The call ended with her reminder that he needed to return soon, because the children in the day care were missing Gray. He promised to be there in a little over a week.
They decided on a simple lunch of a toasted tomato sandwichs before packing for their trip. Daniel had some stew ingredients, so supper was all set.
Rachel decided not to burden him with what Betty had told her. Right now, her goal was enjoying the day, getting to talk to her parents, then her brothers a couple of days later.
The day passed swiftly and because the plan was to leave just after sunrise, they both agreed on an early night. Even after an hour of passionate fondling and love making, it was still an early night for sleeping.
They rose before dawn, showered and threw their toiletries into the bags, enjoyed a sound breakfast, cleaned up and secured the door, then walked to the plane. The bags were stored, and Gray was assisted to the backseat bench. He almost jumped in but then remembered his limp. The dressing was a fresh one and was therefore spotless. Daniel radioed his coordinates and flight plan. They had an hour and a half before touchdown at Howard's. Then they were up, up and away.
Lady Luck was with them because they were flying west, and the sunrise was behind them in the east. Rachel had made two thermoses of hot tea. She had grabbed a bag of cookies that Phyllis had given her and a bottle of water for Gray. It was a short trip, so sandwiches and fruit were not required.
She enjoyed the view and pointed out places of interest. Before long she spotted Howard's. It was rather easy because he had painted in large letters on both sides of the roof, 'HOWARD'S LANDING STRIP.' Daniel radioed in and circled for a landing. By the time they had landed and rolled toward the building, Howard was outside directing them.
When they stopped Rachel was the first to jump out to hug him. Daniel departed and was introduced. Gray had been well trained not to depart the plane until he was called. On command he jumped out and slowly walked to Howard.
"Well, I'll be damned, he is a big one, isn't he? Hi fella, I'm Howard and I am mighty proud to meet you." After a sniff at the extended hand, Gray rubbed his head and then his body against Howard.
"Bob is going to be mighty surprised when he sees Gray, I didn't say a word," he laughed, "Anytime you need a sitter, bring him out, we will get along just fine."
"Thank you for the offer, we do that at least once, so you'll have him as a conversation piece." Daniel laughed in return.
"Okay folks. Let's get you the loaner, I'll bring it to the plane, so you can unload, if I know Rachel, she's been shopping."
It only took minutes before the Jeep arrived and the unloading was accomplished. With Gray settled in the back seat, the couple climbed in.
"Say hi to Bob and Sue for me, enjoy your visit, and you come back to see me Gray." Gray offered up his version of a woof and a paw. They left with Howard waving them off.
"You turn right out of the airport, follow the road for about 45 minutes, you see the signs on the right, and just pull into the drive, it's a long one." Rachel smiled.
As they drove along the road, she pointed out different houses and explained who lived in each one. Apparently, she was kept in the loop when someone moved or sold for whatever reason. The first sign was at the corner of the white fence and announced 'Beautiful Attitudes' 2 miles up the road. The drive had a metal arch that read 'Smyth Ranch -- Beautiful Attitudes' and Daniel could see about three miles of white fencing past the drive. They drove through the white fenced corrals, which housed horses of various size on the left and large animals such as camels, bison and cows in smaller fenced areas.
By the time they reached the house, her parents were outside waiting. Once again, she was out of the vehicle before it stopped and drew them in for a group hug. Daniel stepped out and closed the door, waiting.
Rachel was finally done hugging and called for Daniel. He ambled around the front of the car with his hand extended. Suzette pulled him into a hug, while Robert patted his shoulder. Daniel turned slightly and whistled. Gray immediately jumped into the front seat and then bounded out Rachel's open door.
"Oh my, is that a wolf? It's not a big dog. Howard will surely get a piece of my mind." Bob exclaimed.
"Oh Dad, it was our fault, we told him not to tell you, just so we could see your face. You are priceless. And Mom, you can close your mouth. This was so worth it." Rachel giggled.
By aryr
PREVIOUSLY: Rachel is a forensic medical examiner, who after receiving disturbing news, decides she needs some alone time to think. So, she goes to a B&B in a large park, but gets lost, Gray the wolf finds her incapacitated and goes home to Daniel to get him to help her. Daniel is a Native American and a successful lawyer. She decides to stay with him in his modern cave rather than the B&B. Her family is aware and that she is safe. She confesses her medical history, and of the discovery of a chimera-her twin brother that her body had absorbed. Gray gets hurt but survives. They are now visiting her parents.........
NOW TO CONTINUE................................................
Of course, Bob and Sue had to ohhh and aww over Gray. Bob was keenly interested in the fact that they had a wolf in front of them, one that was obviously well trained. He noticed the dressing on his leg, asking what had happened. Gray had forgotten, but once reminded, he developed his limp.
"Let's get the bags and we can go inside. Mother has made a lunch, just something simple, a meat and cheese tray with crackers or fresh bread. And we have a wide range of drinks," Robert suggested.
Daniel and Robert grabbed the bags, which left the two women to walk side by side. Gray, of course, limped beside the women. Rachel quickly whispered to her mother the story of the observation the vet had made; she could hear Daniel explaining the story to Robert.
The bags were taken upstairs and placed in Rachel's room, "Sleeping can be sorted out later, right now, it is lunch and catch up time," Robert commented. "Oh and call me Bob or even Dad if you are comfortable."
The cheese tray was a great idea, they could all nibble and talk. Rachel quickly brought her parents up to date regarding work. She chose to say nothing about the pending closure of the lab. Daniel quickly relayed the abbreviated yet detailed story of his life. And Bob and Sue explained the ranch and its progress.
After this was all said, Rachel excused herself for a couple of minutes. She slowly went upstairs and retrieved the small box, which was wrapped in brightly colored tissue paper. She knew in her mind that it was best to get this over with.
When she returned, her parents eyes naturally focused on the tissue wrapped box.
"Mom, Dad. I wanted to share this with both of you before Tim and Phillip showed up. It certainly was for me and will be for you and them, a shocking surprise." She reached over and grabbed Daniel's hand. This action did not go unnoticed by either parent.
"A few weeks ago, I developed a lump, which grew substantially and very fast. I had Angie, remember she came up for a visit, anyway, I had her check and we decided to remove it. It was sent to pathology, in case it was cancerous. It wasn't, thank God. It was however, emotionally mind boggling. In this box I have the ashes of Daniel Robert Smyth." She paused to watch the faces of her parents.
"There is not a Daniel, only Tim and Phillip," her father said as her mother nodded.
"Apparently, I was one of two. Mom, you were actually carrying twins when I was conceived. But for some reason, I absorbed him. It was a boy. And I carried him around within me until just a few weeks ago and then he decided it was time he went his own path." She had tears in her eyes.
Her parents were dumbfounded. They both had tears and her mother had her hand over her mouth.
"When I found out, I just felt I had to name him, I sort of liked the name Daniel and it was before I met this wonderful man. I also knew that the other two boys had your middle name Dad, just like I have Mom's. So, I had him blessed and cremated. That's why I needed a break before I came."
"Oh, you poor thing, having to go through all this without us. You should have called sooner. You make us feel like such bad parents. My God! How could this have happened?" Her mother cried as she spoke.
"Well for one thing, it sure explained why from time to time, my lab work was crazy. He was a living part of me that we didn't know about. He was what modern medicine calls -a chimera. Otherwise I am fine, completely healed. But I wanted to bring him home, here is where he needs to be. Okay?"
This time it was her father who drew in a deep breath and let it out, nodding as he spoke. "It is our honor that you thought so much of us, of the family and of him to do so. I have the perfect spot, on the corner of the fireplace mantel, if that's okay with you?"
Both she and her mother nodded, as he unwrapped the tissue and looked at the neat scripture name on the box.
"Let's go put this where he belongs and say a prayer," her father said as he pushed the chair back. They all rose and followed to the living room. A prayer was voiced, before they returned to the kitchen.
"Son, we just found and lost a Daniel in our lives, but I sure hope we have found another Daniel." He reached across and grabbed his hand.
"Yes Sir, I hope so too. I guess we should finish the rest of the story." He looked at Rachel, who nodded. "Rachel decided to take a short break before visiting you, so she ended up in Algonquin Park and then got lost, Gray found her and came to get me to get her, so I rescued her and called Tim who was listed as her emergency contact. She wanted to stay with me, after sharing her story, we discovered that we enjoyed each other's company. It was sort of love at first sight. Now we are here."
"Well, I am glad of that, all of it. I am sure both of us will have more questions, but I think for now a little distraction is due, giving us time to absorb what we have heard. Let's go look at the ranch. Come on Gray, you are such a good boy."
"Did you all notice what he did during the prayer?" her mother asked, "He laid down and crossed his paws over his nose, as if he knew the significance of the moment."
They rose again and went out the back door to explore the ranch and petting zoo.
By aryr
My Brothers' Keeper
PREVIOUSLY: Rachel is a forensic medical examiner, who after receiving disturbing news, decides she needs some alone time to think. So, she goes to a B&B in a large park, but gets lost, Gray the wolf finds her incapacitated and goes home to Daniel to get him to help her. Daniel is a Native American and a successful lawyer. She decides to stay with him in his modern cave rather than the B&B. Her family is aware and that she is safe. She confesses her medical history, and of the discovery of a chimera-her twin brother that her body had absorbed. Gray gets hurt but survives. They are now visiting her parents and her brothers and their families have joined ........
NOW TO CONTINUE................................................
Over the next two days, they talked more about what had happened and prepared for the arrival of the two boys and their families. It was agreed that the young children should not be exposed to the tale, they would be provided with a video in the family room with the door closed. Two of the three young'uns were old enough to understand when their parents and grandparents needed adult time.
Daniel learned a lot regarding the ranch, the neighbors, and the community. It was surprising to discover that a crime could occur in such a peaceful place. Someone, or rather a group of someones, were rustling cattle from the neighboring farmers. Just two or three at a time but over a period of six months close to sixty. Of course, he offered his assistance.
The families of the two boys showed up within minutes of each other. Daniel was introduced to Phillip, his wife Tanya and their children, Samantha (Sam) and Peter (Pete) who were the first twins in the family. (Until Rachel had arrived with her surprise.) Tim then arrived with Claire and the newest granddaughter Sylvia.
The grandparents, Rachel and Daniel, had previously decided to discuss the unexpected brother the next morning. This was to allow Grandpa and Grandma time with the three little ones. The rest of the day was filled with laughter, hugs and of course for the children, seeing the puppies and kittens.
After dinner, Bob advised the two boys and their wives that there was some important family business to discuss in the morning. He explained that the twins would watch television and the baby, who was only a couple of months old would be comfortable in her car seat in the kitchen arm chair. When questions started, he simply raised his hand, to indicate nothing more would be said until the morning. Both boys had had long drives, so it was an early night for all.
Breakfast was simple, scrambled eggs, toast with jam, coffee and milk for the twins. When clean up was completed, the twins were whisked off to the family room, where they were advised that the door was not to be opened and they were expected to behave. Grandpa further challenged them to report on the events of the video, with a reward for the best report. The adults then sat around the table with fresh coffee.
Robert started the conversation, "Rachel has something important to share with you. Your mother and I already know. I would strongly suggest that you hold all questions or comments until she is done." He nodded to Rachel.
Once again, she reached for Daniel's hand, and he offered a nod, a smile and a slight squeeze to her hand.
"Okay, I am glad that Dad has provided some guidelines and I promise to answer any questions, and I can guarantee there will be. Let's see, a few weeks ago I discovered a lump...." she shared the story of what had happened and of Daniel Robert Smyth, who discreetly remained safe on the mantle.
The four sat in silence, mouths open and a look of shock for several minutes. Bob broke the ice, by suggesting that they all go to the living room. Silence followed them.
As Bob took the tiny box off the mantle, he announced, "This is your brother Daniel, the boy none of us knew about. Phillip would you hold him and then pass him to Tim."
Phillip, with shaking hands, held the box, his head was bowed, and his lips were silently moving. After a few minutes he turned to Tim, who did the same. Tanya and Clair held the box jointly briefly before returning it to Bob.
"We offered a prayer, before placing him on the mantle, can we do that again?"
All heads nodded and dropped as he prayed.
They all returned to the kitchen and after fresh coffee, Rachel fielded questions. It was almost an hour later that they heard a tiny voice from the family room, calling for grandpa.
"We can't leave the kids waiting. They have been good, so any further questions will have to wait until later this evening. Come on out kids, let's hear your reports."
Both Phillip and Tim, briefly commented that they were fine and felt everything had been answered.
"Grandpa, you will never guess what Nemo did..." The reports had started and everyone smiled.
By aryr
My Brothers' Keeper
PREVIOUSLY: Rachel is a forensic medical examiner, who after receiving disturbing news, decides she needs some alone time to think. So, she goes to a B&B in a large park, but gets lost, Gray the wolf finds her incapacitated and goes home to Daniel to get him to help her. Daniel is a Native American and a successful lawyer. She decides to stay with him in his modern cave rather than the B&B. Her family is aware and that she is safe. She confesses her medical history, and of the discovery of a chimera-her twin brother that her body had absorbed. Gray gets hurt but survives. Now they talk about the rustlers..........
NOW TO CONTINUE................................................
Grandpa did very well listening to the reports and making great effort to decide who would win the prize. After several minutes he announced that it was a tie, and both would win the prize. Of course, then the twins wanted to know what they had won. Both hollered with delight and glee when ice cream cones were introduced, followed by pony rides. They all went outside after cautioning the children not to feed ice cream to any of the animals.
The ranch had hired hands, but Bob still liked getting his hands dirty. He was prepared to do anything the workers did. And he liked to check in several times a day with the crew about any problems. Once a veterinarian, always a veterinarian and the family members relentlessly joined in.
Tanya quietly commented, "It is so amazing that those two listen to grandma and grandpa, but if Phil or I had said no ice cream for the animals, then every animal here would have had a lick. I was surprised that they sat on one bench after another until the cones were done, then they washed their hands. So amazing."
Rachel laughed as she answered, "That's because coming here is a treat for them and they don't want to do anything wrong."
Daniel nodded, "It is the same idea with Gray, if he doesn't behave he loses privileges. I'm going to help your father, so I suspect he will follow. See y'all later."
The four women wandered over to a bench, as Claire sat with Sylvia and watched the twins who had become interested in the dwarf pigs.
"So, Rachel," her mother asked, "what are your plans with Daniel? He certainly seems like a rather nice man. You gonna marry him?"
The two sisters-in-law broke out in laughter as Rachel developed a shocked look on her face.
"Mother, that is truly none of your business. What I feel or do not feel for him is off limits."
"Well, if I am expected to pay for a wedding, I sort of need to know there is going to be one, don't I? Besides, it is about time. You are not getting younger and you can't tie your life to your job."
More laughter erupted.
"About the job, now no one and I mean no one knows about this. When I talked to Betty just before we came here, she told me that the lab was being closed in six months. We would both basically be without jobs. So, when I leave here, I will be going home with Daniel for a couple of days, and then back to work, to figure things out. Promise none of you will say anything, promise."
Serious faces looked back at her and they nodded. Suddenly her mother smiled.
"First, you didn't answer my question and second, I may have a solution or at least a suggestion. Old Doc Nelson is hoping to retire. Now his job is two-fold. He is the town's primary physician. There is a hospitalist here who oversees the hospital, the interns and admitted patients. Doc Nelson is also the areas medical examiner or coroner. Now since you are great at forensics and you also have your MD, even though you are probably over educated, you would have a great chance for the job. And I am sure there would be a position for Betty, if she was interested. Of course that would put you close to home but also away from Daniel. Just think on it, okay. Mum is the word about all this. Now about that wedding."
Meanwhile, the four men had wandered to the barn. The horses had not been let out yet, so it gave Bob a chance to do a quick check. Since he had last talked to family, he had increased his horse numbers. He had five Shetland ponies for the wee kids to ride. The handicap group that came out three times a week seemed to love them and were not intimidated by their size. The regular size horses now numbered twelve and although they were all coral trained for those who wanted that level of security, they also did trail rides with a guide.
"How about we all take a short ride? A chance to get away from the woman folk," Bob asked. And in a blink of an eye all four were busy saddling the horses. Daniel was right at home with horses.
Gray proved to be non-threatening to any of the animals. He was indeed perceived as a large dog rather than a wolf. He had been around Daniel so long the wild wolf scent was gone. He now smelled of adults, children and other animals. It didn't take long before they were ready to go.
"We'll head out to the back fifty. Ned Pearson has land that abuts ours, so the cattle and horses share space. He is one of the ones that has suffered loss. In fact, I think he is close to twenty cows. It's a damn shame that there are no clues and we can't catch those rustlers."
It took them about half an hour, before they spotted some of Ned's cattle, the horses whinnied in recognition. Gray ironically found an old dirt road that ran through the field.
"I'm just going to have a look around, Bob, something has grabbed Gray's attention," Daniel said.
By aryr
PREVIOUSLY: Rachel is a forensic medical examiner, who after receiving disturbing news, decides she needs some alone time to think. So, she goes to a B&B in a large park, but gets lost, Gray, the wolf, finds her incapacitated and goes home to Daniel to get him to help her. Daniel is a Native American and a successful lawyer. She decides to stay with him in his modern cave rather than the B&B. Her family is aware and that she is safe. She confesses her medical history, and of the discovery of a chimera-her twin brother that her body had absorbed. Gray gets hurt but survives. They visited with family and explained the chimera. Now they talked about the rustlers that they would catch..........
NOW TO CONTINUE................................................
Daniel dismounted, gave the reins to Tim and walked the short distance to the road. As he squatted down, Bob dismounted and walked over.
"What did you find? This is nothing but an old dirt trail that hasn't been used in a long time. That end, (pointing to the right) has a cattle guard and emptied onto the highway about fifteen miles or so, the other end goes to Ned's place which is about ten miles."
"Well for a road that hasn't been used in a long time, someone has used it regularly and recently. Look at all those tire marks, I can pick out at least nine different runs, and those foot prints up there show at least three people."
Walking up the road towards Ned's house about a quarter of a mile, Daniel bent down again.
"These scuff marks across the road, show where a tail gate had been laid down, and those hooves are definitely made by cows. Bob, I think we have discovered how the rustlers are stealing the cattle."
"Well I'll be damned, I am going to call Ned right now, he needs to get out here now."
He spoke into his cell phone, "Ned, it's Bob, we're on that old dirt road behind your house. We need you out here now. Okay, see you in a few."
It was only about fifteen minutes before they saw a trail of dust preceded by a beat up green pickup truck.
"What's up?" Ned asked as he climbed out.
"Ned, this here is Daniel, you already know Phil and Tim. Oh and that there is Gray, he's a wolf but thinks he's a dog. He actually found the tracks and Daniel investigated. Look here!"
"Hey, I heard about this wolf, the whole town has, which is good because now no one will shoot him. You don't always see one so big and so gray."
Ned turned his attention away from Gray and focused on the problem at hand, "What tracks?"
Bob and Daniel had gone up the road several feet from the marks and the small turn around area.
"These tire tracks and trailer tail gate along with cattle hooves look mighty suspicious to me, there is even an area where they have turned the truck around. This is how they are stealing the cows."
"Well, I'll be damned. You know about a year ago, old Pete asked me if his cattle could graze with mine and I said it was alright. He's lost some." Ned offered.
"Bob, I guess you are glad the two cows, you have just stay in the coral behind the barn. Hey, do the kids still like the milk and having the chance to milk them?"
"Everyday those kids are here, it's like a special holiday treat. They have to milk Bessie and Tulip. Bob answered.
"So, what do you think, Daniel? Do we have some evidence?" He asked.
Ned nodded, and Daniel spoke up. "We can get some molds of the tire prints, the truck is slightly wider than the trailer, which is deeper. I think we need to come up with a plan, and this area needs to be watched. Those trees over there would be a great cover area, since they seem to use these trees to prevent anyone seeing them in the act. I also have an idea for a camera, if no one objects."
"Son, knock yourself out. Hey, boys can you give Daniel a hand with what ever he comes up with?"
The two boys nodded, they had both decided that they liked Daniel and now with him being so willing to help, it was a done deal. Rachel had chosen well.
Daniel rejoined the two older men, "What I would like the two of you to do is to sit down and figure out when the cattle disappeared. Bob, if you can check with any of the others with missing cattle as to dates and if they have unused roads. Phil, Tim and I have some shopping and I have some calls to make."
Bob and Ned were on the phones calling the other farmers and setting up a meeting in an hour and advising them to keep everything mum.
Daniel phoned his friend, who was a camera and video expert.
"I'd like to call in a favor, but it is for a good cause."
Daniel had been an expert witness for several cases Bill had been involved with. Because of the circumstances, Daniel was told there was no charge and no favor calling. Apparently, Bill's grandfather had been a rancher and Bill knew the value of both hard work and cattle. The camera and equipment would be there in twenty-four hours.
Bob made it back to the ranch before the three boys and explained to the women what they had found and what was going on. The ladies were excited and offered to help in any way needed. He explained that the priority was to keep the ladies safe, so if any tasks were assigned, it would be in the house.
By the time the boys made it back, there were a few of the farmers. The ladies had been asked to field calls and generally keep an eye on this happening around the ranch. The men were going to meet inside in the family room. Bob took the floor and quickly introduced Daniel as Rachel's boyfriend and of course, Gray.
He reviewed what they had found on the old dirt road and what he suspected. He explained that he needed details from each farmer and then provided information regarding his plan.
It took them about an hour and a half before the three boys were able to sit down with the gathered information. An hour later, they had discovered that there were actually three old roads being used. A pattern was established. Daniel quickly called Bill to ask if he could get three sets. It was not a problem, twenty-four hours tops. By their calculations, there would be a hit in three days. Just enough time to get things organized.
By aryr
My Brothers' Keeper
PREVIOUSLY: Rachel is a forensic medical examiner, who after receiving disturbing news, decides she needs some alone time to think. So, she goes to a B&B in a large park, but gets lost, Gray, the wolf, finds her incapacitated and goes home to Daniel to get him to help her. Daniel is a Native American and a successful lawyer. She decides to stay with him in his modern cave rather than the B&B. Her family is aware and that she is safe. She confesses her medical history, and of the discovery of a chimera-her twin brother that her body had absorbed. Gray gets hurt but survives. They visited with family and explained the chimera. The rustlers are caught, Rachel is hurt..........
NOW TO CONTINUE................................................
***PLEASE NOTE SLIGHT LANGUAGE CONCERN***
The elderly men talked about the use of cameras, expected to arrive the next day. They were all greenhorns, especially when it came to the high technology involved. Daniel had reassured them, that he would take care of everything. The camera installation was set up for remote recording. The main station would be placed in the ranch. The women could monitor it, but that unfortunately meant someone would also be required to be awake.
The other farmers or as they liked to be called- ranchers, called their families for female volunteers and within an hour had several lined up. It was decided that there would be two ladies or young ladies per four-hour shifts. Rachel and her mother would manage the bulk of the day shift and early evening.
It was extremely important that no one, but those involved knew anything about anything.
Tanya and Claire became responsible for the everyday running of the ranch. Tim and Phil helped both Daniel and their father, as needed.
The equipment arrived early in the morning. Bob was amazed at the setup, it was so simple it astonished him.
The men had gone out the day before, after the meeting, to check the other roads and for potential camera locations. Installation took about thirty minutes for each camera, and then back to the ranch to fine tune the master viewing screen. By noon it was done. Now it became a case of waiting and watching.
It had been decided that each of the three established teams had either a deputy or the local sheriff on board. Bob, Daniel, Tim and Phil would be available regardless of which camera created the first alert. The three ranchers had split their teams so that both ends of the roads would be covered and blocked any planned escape. All men were armed, and all were instructed to do air shots, unless they were threatened. Everyone was ready and on high alert. Antsy for action.
The first night was uneventful. Action from the cameras was being recorded on a chip. It was just before supper on the second day that camera three alarmed. Rachel called her dad as her mother continued to watch. There was definite action.
Her dad alerted the sheriff, who in turn alerted his deputies. Daniel and the boys were at the barn within minutes, the barn crew had the horses saddled, waiting for the riders. Going cross country on the horses would save valuable time.
Now, of course, Rachel never listened, so she was headed to the barn as well. She had her filly saddled in recorded time and was heading out the barn within minutes of the men.
The concept of using teams proved to be a fruitful one in the catch.
There were five men involved in the rustling. One stayed in the pickup truck while the other four herded and loaded the cattle into the trailer. Depending on the size of the beast, they were able to get anywhere from four to seven on board. Not a bad haul for the small operation.
By the time the ranchers and sheriff arrived they had just loaded cow number three, with two more lined up. The four rustlers scattered. It became a case of every man for himself. The poor pickup driver was left high and dry.
Two of the four who were running were lassoed or rather roped like a spring calf. The third just gave himself up after about half a mile. The fourth who was covering a fair piece of ground was brought down when Rachel showed up and performed a flying leap from her horse. The guy was winded and dirty, whereas she was just dirty. She straddled his chest to hold him down. She had seen her dad, Daniel, the sheriff and a couple of others in her peripheral vision just before she leaped.
Just before they arrived, the scoundrel shouted, "Bitch." Before slamming a rock into the side of her head. He didn't even have time to roll her off him before the men were there.
Daniel ran to her, pulling her slumped body off the man. Her father was three steps behind him. The sheriff was hauling the man away from her and cuffing him at the same time.
"Oh, Rachel, we would have gotten him, why did you have to do something stupid? Am I always going to be saving your ass?" Daniel lamented.
Bob had his phone out and was calling Sue. "Rachel has been hurt, call Doc Nelson, we'll meet him at the house."
Daniel stood up with her in his arms, she was unconscious. If they had not seen what had happened, he would not have willingly moved her. She was passed to Bob as Daniel mounted his horse, then he retrieved her from her father's arms and turned towards the ranch.
The trip seemed to take forever. By the time he got to the back door, the Doc was there. One of the workers held her as Daniel dismounted, to carry her inside. His shirt was covered with her blood. One of his thoughts were why head wounds had to bleed so much.
"I didn't even know she had left, until you called me to get the Doc. Damn foolish girl, she has always been a hellion, more problem than either of the boys. But damn I am proud of her. God, let her be okay." Sue cried.
Daniel placed her on the sunroom couch which had been covered with a blanket.
"That sonofabitch just slammed her head with the rock. We were just far enough away that we couldn't prevent it. I would love to go back and pummel him, but I need to be here with her. Doc can you fix her?"
"I'd like you all to leave, please, except for Sue. Head wounds always bleed a lot, so I need to clean her up and see what's going on. When I am done, I will let you all back in and tell you my findings. You too, Daniel. Bob, take him with you and both of you have a stiff drink, doctor's orders."
Bob, Daniel, Phil and Tim were soon joined by the other ranchers in the family room. Several of the workers hovered outside, waiting to hear the Doc's words. Time ticked by ever so slowly. Daniel and Bob had belted back two drinks each before the others showed up, now everyone was sipping whiskey, even old Pete who was a teetotaler. Bob had even treated those outside to a bottle.
At the hour point, Daniel was fit to be tied. He was ready to burst into the sun room, Bob rested his hand on his arm and shook his head 'no'.
"It's hard, just sitting here, Bob. I love that woman and I plan to marry her. Oh, is that okay with you. I am kinda doing things backwards here."
Bob nodded and with a huge smile said, "Welcome to the family, son."
Everyone whopped, glasses were raised.
"Shhhhhh, she doesn't really know yet and if she hasn't woken up by now, that noise will surely do it. Thanks guys." Daniel said with a smile.
By aryr
My Brothers' Keeper
PREVIOUSLY: Rachel is a forensic medical examiner, who after receiving disturbing news, decides she needs some alone time to think. So, she goes to a B&B in a large park, but gets lost, Gray, the wolf, finds her incapacitated and goes home to Daniel to get him to help her. Daniel is a Native American and a successful lawyer. She decides to stay with him in his modern cave rather than the B&B. Her family is aware and that she is safe. She confesses her medical history, and of the discovery of a chimera-her twin brother that her body had absorbed. Gray gets hurt but survives. They visited with family and explained the chimera. Rachel recovers ..........
NOW TO CONTINUE................................................
Rachel had in fact been awake for about twenty minutes. Her head hurt, she was a little nauseous and in general felt like she had been run over by a train.
Sue had stopped the doctor when he went towards the door.
"Doc, there is something we would like to talk to you about. Although, it was brought about by horrible circumstances, I do believe God has given us an opportunity. I told Rachel here about your retiring and the need for you to find a replacement. Go on dear, you take it from here." She looked at Rachel.
Rachel could not believe her mother had even said anything.
"Well, sir, I recently found out that the lab where I work is closing in six months, actually the building is being destroyed. Mother mentioned that you were retiring and that I should think about applying for your position. You know that although I prefer forensic medicine I am a MD and a surgeon. What do you think?"
"First, I delivered you. Second, you can stop with the 'sir' stuff, you have always called me Doc, so no need to change. Now, I do know your history, your qualifications and I must tell you this whole community is damn proud of you for all your accomplishments. That Jack in a Box doctor at the hospital, really, he is good, but I know it bothers him when I call him that. Well, he was meant to ease up the pressure of my work load, and he has tremendously. He is just sort of stuck in his ways and he wouldn't even think of doing a house call. Your father and I are men of the old times, I guess. Anyway, if you are serious, the job is yours. I get to pick and choose. Oh, and as long as I am alive, it will be me doing the hiring and the firing, I hope you are okay with that." He extended his hand to Rachel.
"What happens if you become senile?" She laughed.
"Well, in that case, I pass the torch to you. The town's yours to run and I know you will do well. So, do we have a new doc and her crew to compliment what we already have?"
"I guess so, I will have to call Betty and Walt, I can't rightfully speak for them, but I will sure try to convince them. You know that Betty is almost done her RN certification and Walt is a great aide. Thanks Doc, thanks Mom. Guess we should call the guys in. But let's not tell them just yet, okay? Oh, Daniel cannot know of this, any of this. I need to talk to him alone."
Both of them nodded their heads and Sue headed into the house to get the men. She stood in the doorway expecting a quiet, somber bunch, but was surprised to see them smiling and laughing. She cleared her throat.
"She is awake, Doc says she will have a mild headache for a few hours, head wounds do bleed a lot, but she doesn't need stitches. She hurts all over but otherwise she is fine and wants to see you all. You know the bunch that had been so worried about her, not the intoxicated group."
"Now, Sue, don't get your panties in a knot. Daniel has just declared his love for her and has asked my permission to marry her. We were all worried until about five minutes ago. Are we forgiven?"
"Oh, my goodness, yes, of course. Welcome to the family Daniel. Come on, let's go see your girl." After hugging Daniel and Bob, she led them through the house to the sunroom. She smiled, thinking they were all truly blessed, and she would share the good news with Bob later.
Bob held back as Daniel rushed to her side and gently pulled her towards his chest. Everyone in the room was smiling. Phil quickly opened the door and yelled to everyone.
"She is awake, she is going to be fine. Thanks to all your prayers, now everyone can have another shot to rejoice." He quickly looked over his shoulder at his father, "that's okay, isn't it dad?"
Bob laughed and nodded as he drew Sue to his side.
"Dad says its okay." Phil added as everyone laughed.
Sue pulled at his sleeve and indicated with her head, the direction of their room. He followed, thinking that he would follow this woman anywhere. Once they were in their room, Sue closed the door.
"I think you need to sit down, dear. I have a story to tell you." It was several minutes later that she had finished telling her tale. How Rachel was losing her job, how Daniel didn't know, how she had mentioned Doc's position, how she had cornered both Doc and Rachel into talking and how Rachel had accepted the position. She smiled as she kissed him.
They had just returned to the sunroom when the Sheriff showed up, "Well, folks we have the entire gang. Rachel, honey, I am so sorry you had to get hurt. I sure didn't know you were part of the team and would be showing up."
Bob interrupted, "Don't feel bad, none of us did, did we Rachel?"
She hung her head and sheepishly whispered, "No, Dad. Daniel, I am so sorry."
Daniel simply held a finger against her lips, "Sheriff, continue please."
The sheriff nodded, "As I was saying, we have the whole gang. From my research they have been using this scheme for over five years all over the country. Rachel apparently the man you tackled was the ringleader. Now all the other farmers, pardon me, the ranchers have decided that there should be a reward and it should go to you. So, it's not much but I am mighty proud to give you a city check for five thousand dollars." He extended the check to her.
"Oh, my goodness. This is a shock. To think I took down the big bad guy, wow. Can I donate it to the local wish fund? Hey, wait a minute, Daniel, Dad, why are you both covered in blood? Are you hurt? What happened? Doc, help them."
Everyone burst out laughing at her delayed reaction.
"You sure can, darling. It's all your blood, head wounds do bleed a lot. We are fine." Daniel said as he drew her close.
By aryr
My Brothers' Keeper
PREVIOUSLY: Rachel is a forensic medical examiner, who after receiving disturbing news, decides she needs some alone time to think. So, she goes to a B&B in a large park, but gets lost, Gray, the wolf, finds her incapacitated and goes home to Daniel to get him to help her. Daniel is a Native American and a successful lawyer. She decides to stay with him in his modern cave rather than the B&B. Her family is aware and that she is safe. She confesses her medical history, and of the discovery of a chimera-her twin brother that her body had absorbed. Gray gets hurt but survives. They visited with family and explained the chimera. They even caught some rustlers ..........
NOW TO CONTINUE................................................
Sheriff Bishop echoed Daniel's reply. He was proud of what she had done, there was still some country in her, and he chuckled to himself.
Rachel excused herself, so she could tidy up and her mother insisted on helping her.
"Mom, what should I say to Daniel, I really like him, and I think he likes me. How do I tell him that I am going to resettle here? What if he asks me to go home to Toronto with him? Maybe, I was too hasty in accepting Doc. Nelson's offer. God, what a mess I have made, and I am not talking about the blood."
"Honey, I think he will do everything he can to make sure you are happy. Just be honest with him."
She washed, changed with her mothers help, and was ready to rejoin the group.
"If Bob will help me, I'll make sandwiches for everyone." Sue commented as she smiled and held her hand out to Bob.
The excitement of the catch, the arrest, the check still fluttered through the house. The workers outside had been instructed to wait for lunch before returning to work. Cold tea and lemonade were provided.
"Daniel, after lunch I would like to talk to you, can we walk around a bit?"
"Sure, I think it would do both of us good to have a few minutes to ourselves. Just show me the way, okay?"
Lunch was very much appreciated and quickly devoured, everyone had worked up an appetite by anxiety alone.
Both Rachel and Daniel offered to help with the cleanup, but Bob and Sue reassured them that things were covered and to go have some quiet time. They headed down a path that would take them to the tree line. They would be far enough away to talk in private, yet still in view of the house.
"Rachel, I love you. You scared the shit out of me when you showed up and tackled that guy. Then, when he hit you, my heart stopped. While the Doc took care of you, I talked to your dad, hell I just said my piece in front of everyone. I asked his permission to marry you and he said yes." Daniel dropped to one knee, "Rachel, will you marry me?" At this time Gray who had been a short distance away, ran to his master's side and sat, holding one paw up. Rachel laughed and ruffled the fur on his head.
"Will you please get up, both of you. I am sure there are people watching from the house, from everywhere. I have something to say and if you still want to get married after, then my answer is yes, most definitely yes. Now get up!"
"Nothing you say can change my mind. Before I get up, this ring belonged to my Uncle George's mother. He gave it to his wife but when she died he retrieved it and since they never had children, he gave it to me. So, I give it to you, my love." He placed the ring on her finger, then stood.
"Wow, oh my goodness! Daniel, I love you so much. It is beautiful." She threw her arms around his neck and drew him in for a deep kiss. After a few seconds, they stepped apart and she swept her hand in the direction of several stumps, "Shall we sit? This is going to take a while."
They chose stumps that faced each other, and they were able to hold hands while she talked. She told him about the call with Betty, of her anger, frustration and feelings of betrayal. Then she spoke about her talk with her mother, which lead to the talk with Doc. Nelson and the job offer, which she took based on her talk with him and her two co-workers. Silence prevailed for a few moments. Even Gray who lay by her side did not make a sound, in fact, he didn't even move.
Just at the point that she thought her heart would break into a thousand pieces, Daniel did two things. He stood and grabbed her to pull her close, and he laughed.
"Honey, I love you. It doesn't matter where we live, we will work things out. We are together, we are a family, you, me, Gray and any children we are blessed with."
Rachel slumped into him, relief washed over her as she wrapped her arms around him.
"I still want to go to the cave on a regular basis, it was our first home. Besides Gray needs the great outdoors." She muttered into his chest.
Meanwhile, there were several people back at the house, whooping and jumping for joy as they witnessed the couple in the distance hugging and the silver-gray wolf prancing around them.
The End
Characters: (better late than never)
Gray- Daniel's wolf, raised from a pup.
Daniel Whetung-White Eagle, native Canadian Indian, lawyer.
Daniel's Uncle George-Eagle Feathers-now dead.
Daniel's Administrative Assistant-Bettie
Todd, Phyllis and Billy- B&B locals in village close to Daniel.
Dr. Peters- Gray's surgeon, Harold-vet tech/assistant.
Rachel Smyth- forensic MD in New York City, chimera victim-Daniel Robert
Smyth.
Robert & Suzette Smyth (Bob & Sue) Rachels parents own the Smyth Ranch-
Beautiful Attitudes- a petting zoo and therapeutic animals.
Phillip /lawyer -Rachels brother & his wife- Tanya, twins Samantha, Peter.
Timothy /ex Navy/boat builder-Rachel's brother & his wife- Claire, baby Sylvia.
Rachel's co workers -Betty studying to be a RN, Walt an excellent aide.
Doc Nelson-community doctor and Rachel's new boss.
Sheriff Bishop -prominent figure in the community.
| Author Notes | Thank you to all who have enjoyed this adventure. |
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