Flying Home (12 page)

Merry wanted to talk, to put whatever was going on into words, but there was no one to talk to. Just the stranger in the seat next to her. A man who had, over a few days, touched her on some soul-deep level she hadn’t even known existed before. At some point, she’d thought they might have died together. But they weren’t going to die. They would live. They would both go home. Gage would do his work, and she’d do hers, and their lives would follow separate paths.

Jack startled her when he touched her arm, abruptly jerking her out of her thoughts. She turned to look at him.

He was smiling, showing that Carson dimple. “Are you doing okay?” he asked her.

“Oh, sure, just...” She didn’t know how to put how she felt into words right then.
Sad, relieved, scared, worried, happy?
Nothing fit exactly. “I’m just glad Gage is doing better.”

“We weren’t sure what we’d find, but then those flares went off last night. The pilot was low on fuel, or we would have tried to make contact then.” Running a hand roughly over his face, he shook his head. “After what you two went through, it’s incredible that nothing too serious happened to either of you, beyond a demolished plane that’s insured.

What an understatement that “nothing serious had happened,” Merry thought. All she had to do was look at Gage and she knew that her life had shifted in some way she couldn’t begin to understand. She didn’t know if it was for the good or the bad, but it would never be the same again.

She sat back, hugging herself when the pilot called over the speakers, “We’re almost there. Get ready.”

Merry looked past Jack out the windows, seeing the whole sprawling desert floor sweep into sight. She could make out the ragged pattern of the Rez nestled into the mountainous high country, old and secure in its place with snow dusting the rough terrain around it. The town spanned the low country in the distance, a nucleolus of houses and buildings in the middle of the land, with ranches spreading out from there.

Home.

Jack touched her arm again and motioned to something the helicopter was sweeping toward. An ordered pattern of endless pastures and empty crop fields below were dotted by majestic buttes and mesas, draped with thin snow. “The ranch,” he said. “Moses called ahead to have everything ready.”

“Good,” she said, thinking that Gage might need some extra care for his ribs. “I just want to get home.”

“You’ll have to talk to Moses about that,” Jack said.

The doctor must have half heard their conversation, because he cut in then. “We’ll see when we get there, after I check you completely.” Moses smiled at her. “I know you’re anxious to see the kids, but they can wait a bit longer.”

“That’s why Merry got on the plane with me to begin with. Her kids,” Gage stated. “She was worried to death that they wouldn’t understand she’d been delayed, especially the little girl, Erin.”

Merry heard Gage’s words, and she couldn’t believe that after those first catastrophic hours in the plane, the kids had slipped farther and farther down her list of concerns. Her first reason for being with Gage had shifted to her world revolving around the man, not the waiting children.

“They have no idea about any of this, since we didn’t even know Merry was with you, but they’ll be thrilled when Merry’s with them again,” Moses said.

As they flew lower, approaching the back of a sprawling multi-storied adobe house, Merry looked over at Gage. By virtue of her nomadic upbringing, moving all over and saying goodbye to friends before they could almost become friends, she had left so many people behind. But she knew that walking away from Gage would be harder after these few days than it would have been after two years.

The helicopter started to hover, and Merry looked out and down, seeing Gage’s mother and father, holding on to each other, their eyes riveted on the huge machine landing by a massive barn ringed with stalls and snow spotted pastures. She was surprised to see a tall woman behind the Camerons, then she recognized Mallory Sanchez, Willie G.’s niece and the owner of the old inn in town. She was waving wildly at them, her long dark hair swirling from the blowing air currents.

“We made it,” Moses exclaimed as the helicopter landed easily on the packed earth. The motors were switched off and were gradually winding down. There was an almost strange silence for a second before Herbert Carson, a large, gray haired man in denims, was opening the door. He was up in the chopper before anyone inside had time to move. He rushed over to his son and hugged him with unabashed relief.

“Hey, Dad. Watch the ribs,” Gage warned, but not with much conviction. His father drew back a bit, then said, “Welcome home, son,” and turned to call out to his wife, “Your boy looks good, sweetheart!” His eyes fell on Merry with obvious shock as he turned back from the open door. “Miss Brenner? What—?”

Moses cut in. “We’ll explain later,” he said to the older man.

Merry stayed where she was as Gage eased up and out of his seat with Moses offering him support by taking him by the arm. Gage stopped and looked down at her, then held out a hand that she could see was slightly unsteady. “We’re home,” he told her, his ragged voice betraying his emotions.

She reached for him, holding his hand in both hers, then nodded. “Yes, home.”

He hesitated before letting his brother and the doctor get him out of the helicopter. Merry watched his mother hug and kiss him. Then Mallory was there, hugging Gage, before stepping aside to embrace the doctor. She beamed up at Moses. The two men took either side of Gage, and Mallory fell in behind, following them to the house.

Merry stopped and closed her eyes, wanting to take in everything that was happening. They were home. Home.

A hand touched her shoulder, and she expected it to be one of the EMTs, Luther or Patrick. But Lark Carson was less than a foot from her.

The woman had a timeless beauty, with tiny stature and midnight dark hair that was starting to streak with gray. Her jeans and shirt were denim, but both had significant applications, hand done, that displayed her Native heritage. “Miss Brenner?” she said. “We had no idea you were with our son, but I think we should be thankful that you were.”

“I’m thankful he got us down in that storm,” Merry responded.

“If he had been up there on the mountain alone... I don’t know what would have happened.”

Merry remembered that horrible moment when she’d seen the blood, and then Gage lying there unconscious. “Your son knew just what to do, and we made it.”

Lark slipped an arm around Merry’s waist and urged her to continue following the men. She and Lark fell in step, and the older woman never let go of Merry. “We have a guest room that is yours as long as you need it,” she was saying.

Merry stopped at the edge of a huge stone terrace that fronted multiple glass doors set into the adobe on one side of the house. Gage and the others were already going through the open space, but Merry looked down at Lark hesitantly. “Oh, no, I’m not staying. I need to get back to my place.”

Lark motioned to the house. “Let’s get in where it’s warm and we can talk about this.”

There was nothing to talk about. When either Jack or the doctor headed back to town, she was going too. “I really appreciate the offer—” she began, but Lark cut her off.

“Good, you’ll love the west guest room. With three boys, I never got to decorate any room in a feminine way, but this guest room became my pet project just a few months ago,” she spoke, not giving Merry a chance to argue.

But when they passed through a great room with the fireplace Gage had spoken of in the middle and came to a wide staircase framed with an intricate iron rail, Lark finally paused for breath before asking, “Can you make it up the stairs?”

“Yes, of course, but I thought we would go right to the hospital.”

“I’m sure if either one of you needed emergency care when you were found, Moses would have made sure you went directly there.” She patted Merry’s hand and offered a kind smile. “Thank goodness he feels it’s safe for you and Gage to be here. Also, if you knew Gage, you’d realize he wouldn’t go to a hospital unless there was no other choice. He’s always been like that, all the boys are.”

Lark peered up at Merry. “Now, I have a smaller room down here, but it’s not nearly as nice and it doesn’t have its own bathroom.” When she smiled this time, Merry was taken aback to see a very small version of the “Carson dimple” appear by the older woman’s lips. “I know you’re looking forward to a hot shower or long bath or both.”

Merry was desperate for either one of them at that moment. She heard voices from upstairs, male voices, and then a door was closed and the sound was cut off. “When will Dr. Blackstar be leaving?”

“Not for a while. Moses is going to check the both of you thoroughly, and then make a decision about further treatment. That’s going to take him a few hours at least.”

“I’d like a hot bath,” she admitted, then realized she had nothing with her. Her luggage was still back at the wreck. “But I left my things on the plane.”

“Your bags are here. They got them before you all took off. I’ll have your luggage brought in, and taken up to your room.”

Merry hesitated, wondering if she was just being weak and foolish, her better judgment to leave quickly, being distorted by the lure of a hot bath. “I really need to get back to town,” she said. “I work with these kids and they—”

“Oh, yes, I know all about that. I’ve heard from people at the hospital and the center about your program there. They say you’re making a difference with those young lives that are so challenged, and bless you for your work there.”

“They need to see me, and I really want to see them and show them I’m okay.”

“Oh, I don’t believe that Moses would have told them about the airplane crash, because he didn’t even know you were on the plane until they found both of you in the wreck.” Lark patted her arm again. “They certainly need to see you, but they need to see a rested, healthy you. And they will, just as soon as possible. But right now, you need to freshen up and get some food in your stomach.”

Merry couldn’t deny that she just wanted to strip off the clothes she’d been wearing far too long and soak in warmth. And she was starving too. “Okay,” Merry agreed, for now, and started up the stairs with Lark by her side.

At the top, they turned away from the source of the muffled voices, and to a room at the other end of a hallway that was lined with photos and paintings—a lot of them were portraits, some distinctively Natives, some not. She almost wished she had the time to look at each one, but she kept going. A moment later, she stepped into a spacious room, with a wall of windows that let plenty of light inside. A four poster bed was decidedly feminine with lavender linens and a bank of pastel pillows arranged against a white wooden headboard.

Merry could have fallen face first onto the bed and not moved for a week, but a bath was her priority. Lark took her into the adjoining bath with a vanity that looked like an antique chest, and a large, claw-footed bathtub. After setting out towels and toiletries on the vanity for Merry, Lark surprised her by reaching out to draw her into a hug. “We are grateful you are both back safely.”

Merry had been taken off guard by the show of affection, but she found she actually liked it. Then Lark stood back, swiped at her eyes and said, “Get in the tub and I’ll tell Alma to bring up your things. Are you allergic to any foods?”

“Oh, you don’t have to—”

“Of course I don’t, but I will,” Lark said firmly.

“Thank you. No, I don’t have any allergies.”

“Oh, one last thing. Your parents. They need to know you’re okay.” She pointed toward the nightstand. “The phone by the bed works, and call anywhere you need to, to let them know you’re okay and where you are.”

“Thanks, but my folks never even knew I was on the plane, either. I’ll call them from my house when I get there.”

Lark nodded. “I’m glad they didn’t have to go through that worry,” the woman said softly, before leaving.

Finally alone, Merry quickly stripped off her clothes, grimacing at the thermals and the still wet boots scattered on the floor. Minutes later, she was in the tub, with luxurious, warm water up to her chin. The tears came then. She wasn’t sure why she cried, whether out of relief or just plain nervous tension seeping out of her, but she didn’t fight them.

CHAPTER TWELVE

M
ERRY
FELT
RELAXED
and safe and closed her eyes. A soft knock caught her attention and she yawned before calling out, “Yes?”

“Ma’am, your things are on the bed,” a woman said through the bathroom door. “Can I get you anything else?”

“No, thank you,” she responded and waited until she heard the soft click of the outer door closing before slipping lower into the water. Shutting her eyes again, she just soaked in the sweet scent of the water and exhaled deeply. She would have fallen asleep if she hadn’t slipped a bit more and got bathwater in her mouth. Coughing, she got out of the tub and dried herself on a huge white towel that was obscenely soft. She towel dried her hair, then tossed the towel on the vanity and reached for a second towel to wrap around herself as she headed out into the bedroom.

Her purse and small suitcase were all resting on the bed that had been turned down to expose silky lavender sheets. The bank of decorative pillows had been neatly stacked on the floor to one side, leaving two thick sleeping pillows against the white headboard.

A covered tray sat on the nightstand, and Merry caught a hint of something savory. Her stomach growled with hunger as she crossed to lift the cover. There was a ceramic bowl of rich, creamy looking soup, accompanied by a carved turkey sandwich on a thick French roll. A cup of steaming coffee topped it all off.

After quickly dressing and pulling her hair back into a ponytail, she climbed into bed, reached for the tray and began to eat a meal that was as delicious as it smelled. Warm both outside and in, she laid the tray of empty dishes on the nightstand before sinking back against the pillows.

* * *

G
AGE
WASN
’
T
IN
BED
.
Despite Moses warning him about staying still, letting his bruises and ribs heal, Gage was on the phone with his head office. He downplayed the crash, said he’d be up and running in a day or so. Then, he added with emphasis, that he didn’t want them talking to anyone about what had happened, no matter what news media outlet approached them. “No comment,” was the phrase of the day. Period.

He hung up and turned to find Moses coming into the room. “Work?” the doctor asked.

“Always. How’s Merry?”

“Taking a hot bath and eating something, I was told. I’m giving her time to settle before going in to check her out.”

Gage went to the window and looked out onto the front of the house and to the winding driveway. The gates weren’t visible from the house, but he knew what was there. The media had heard about the crash, specifically, his involvement, and that he’d had a mysterious woman passenger he’d picked up in Pueblo. “Are they still set up there?”

“Yes. After Mallory left and got a ways down the road, she called and said that there were three crews and that another was joining them. A couple of reporters stopped her as she was going out, and yelled questions at her. Asked her name and wanted to know if she was the last-minute passenger added to the flight.” Gage winced. Part of his reason for not heading to the hospital had been the reporters camped out there. “They’re like vultures,” he groused, turning back to Moses.

“I’ll give them what they want, and get rid of them. There’s no story beyond the survival angle. It’s a human interest piece at most.” He grimaced when he flexed his shoulders under the navy flannel shirt he was wearing with his fresh boots and jeans.

“You’re not going to throw Merry to the sharks or vultures, are you?”

That stopped him dead.

“No, he’s not,” a female voice replied. His mother had just come into the room and she crossed to him, flicking a glance at Moses. “No one is being thrown to the sharks, least of all that girl in the guest room. Can you imagine if they found out you two were there together? They’d be insatiable.” She came closer to Gage. “What do you think would happen then? Your lives would probably become nightmares with all that attention from the press.”

None of that was going to happen on his watch, especially to Merry and her kids. The sooner he dealt with the reporters, the faster he could get on with his life, and Merry with hers, and the kids would be spared any disruption of their routines. The notion of those innocent children being harassed as part of this story turned his stomach.

Merry was so protective of the kids that she had boarded a plane she was terrified of flying in, and spent days struggling to survive on a mountain in freezing weather. And all because she’d been desperate to get back to the center.

He looked at his friend. “You’re on their radar, too, Moses. They’re already at the hospital. They’ll be rabidly following any connection to the crash, so you’d better keep your guard up, unless you want your fifteen minutes of fame?”

“I don’t have the time,” he muttered.

“I just told Merry that Moses hadn’t told the kids about the crash, because he hadn’t known Merry was on that plane. No one around here knew it or knows it, except the men on the helicopter.”

It made sense to Gage. Whoever had tipped off the press about him having a female passenger wouldn’t have known it was Merry and wouldn’t have known her name, either. What was on record on the original flight plan was that he’d been on board alone. He hadn’t the time to change it, although it might help them out now. If they played their cards right, Merry wouldn’t have to be any more involved publicly for the moment.

“All we’ll have to do is keep Merry’s identity to ourselves, at least until this blows over,” Moses chimed in.

“Exactly,” Gage said, happy they were all on the same page.

Lark started for the door. “That’s settled then. I’ll go down and talk to your dad. He’s out with Lester and Patrick. He can tell them about our plan.” She looked back at Moses. “You talk to Mallory right away and let her know?”

Moses nodded and his mother walked out of the room. Gage saw the frown on Moses’ face.

“Oh, shoot,” Moses said. “I was supposed to call her anyway.” He pulled out his cell and punched in numbers fast, then exhaled as he put the phone to his ear. “Hey, Mal, it’s me. Where are you?”

He visibly relaxed as he told Gage, “Just getting to town now.” Then he went back to Mallory, quickly explaining what they were doing. “Thanks, love, I—” He glanced at Gage, and Gage couldn’t help stop chuckling. “Call me, and I’ll come and get you for the Carsons’ steak dinner.” Moses hung up. “She’s in complete agreement,” he said.

“
Love?
Is that what I heard?” Gage repeated, unable to resist teasing his friend about how close he and Mallory had become. Willie G.’s niece had been Moses’ first love in high school, then Mallory had found Henry Sanchez, setting off a whirlwind courtship and eventual marriage. Moses had licked his wounds and gone on, never marrying, only dating occasionally, but two years ago, Henry had died suddenly. After another two years of allowing Mallory some space, Moses had decided that he wouldn’t lose her again. It seemed his plan was working.

“So?” Moses countered.

“So, nothing. I just commented. I think you’re very lucky to get a second chance,” he said and meant it.

Moses’ face turned somber. “I do too,” he said, then asked, “Do you want me to tell Merry what’s going on?”

Gage shook his head. “No, I’ll do it. I owe her that much.” He started for the door. “And I should do it before handling the reporters at the gates.”

“Are you sure about doing that interview? You’re up to it?”

“It’ll be much better to give them what they want, and then they’ll fold up their tents and slip off into the night. It’ll be worse trying to wait them out.”

Moses conceded, “It sounds like a plan, I guess.
My
plan is to go into town, check on my patients and get back before you’ve eaten all those steaks.” He studied Gage. “You know, on second thought, I could take Merry with me now and get it over with.”

“And if they follow you? They already have to know you’re my doctor. That’s pretty much known anywhere in town.”

“Well, it’s your call, or, more accurately, Merry’s.”

Moses was right—he had no right to make decisions for her. But he wanted to be the one to speak to her about all this. They’d discuss the situation, he’d say what he needed to say and she could decide what she wanted to do. “I’ll tell her what we think, and see how she wants to play it out.”

“I’ll be with your parents and Jack downstairs for fifteen minutes. Let me know by then if I’m going to have a passenger on the way back.”

Gage nodded and Moses headed to the door to leave. When his hand touched the handle, Gage stopped him. “And Moses?” The man he’d been friends with since what seemed like forever, turned to him. “Thank you,” Gage said simply.

Neither man had to define what that “thank you” was for. Moses smiled and shrugged. “You’d do the same for me,” he said, then left the room.

Gage raked his fingers through his still shower dampened hair as he headed from his bedroom to Merry’s room. Outside her door, he listened for a minute, trying to hear movement, or maybe the sound of the shower still going. But it was silent. He rapped on the closed door with his knuckles and waited, but nothing happened. He knocked again. Nothing.

He started to leave when he heard a soft thud, then Merry called out, “Yes?”

“It’s me, Gage.”

There was the sound of movement, then soft footsteps coming to the door. The barrier swung back and Merry stood in front of him. His breath caught in his chest at the sight of her. Her hair was back in a ponytail, with tendrils already being freed to brush her forehead and cheeks. A simple chambray shirt and jeans, looked great on her. And the green eyes were sleep heavy, their long lashes shading any expression in them.

She yawned, covering her mouth with one hand. “I’m sorry. I sat down and just fell asleep. I didn’t mean to.”

He knew then that it might have been smarter to let Moses explain things to her. No, not just smart, but wise. But it was too late to back out now, since he was already standing at her door.

What was he doing? She survived an ordeal with him. They were friends. He hoped they always would be, and he’d see her again whenever he visited Wolf Lake. He’d want to see her, and who knew? Maybe, just maybe, they could be close. Why not?

“We need to talk,” he said.

She moved back to let him in, then he watched her sit on the edge of the bed. She yawned again, her fingertips pressed to her parted lips as she looked up at him. “Please, sit down,” she said, patting the spot next to her on the bed. “Tell me what you want.”

He hesitated, thinking that what he wanted right then, could never be said between them, at least nothing as blunt as, “Don’t leave.” Slowly he sank down beside her, but kept some distance between them.

* * *

M
ERRY
SAT
BY
G
AGE
, wondering why he looked so good to her in a navy flannel shirt, jeans and boots. Not the Western boots he’d ruined in the snow, but another pair with silver toe tips and some tooling on the side. She couldn’t make it out, but she thought it might be the initials of his business. A new dressing on his wound was starkly white against his dark skin, and his hair was combed straight back, showing the strong angles of his handsome face.

Fine lines at the corners of his eyes gathered when he narrowed them to look at her. “So, how are you doing?” he finally asked.

“Fine. I’m just anxious to head back to my house.”

He was silent for so long, she started to feel uneasy, but then he said, “I need to explain something. And get your decision, then let Moses know.” He glanced at his wristwatch. We’ve got fifteen minutes to talk it over.”

She was confused. “What is it?”

“There’s a contingent from the press outside, waiting to find out what happened on the plane.”

She’d never thought of that, but Gage was a highly successful businessman and the Carsons were well known in the state. “They want your story?”

He nodded, ran a hand over his face, flinching when he nudged at the bandage. “It seems that way.” There was a pause that didn’t feel right to her, then she understood. “Your story too, if they discover you were on that mountaintop with me.”

Her jaw nearly hit the floor. “Me? Oh, no, no, just forget all about that,” she replied in a hurry. “Besides, your mom said that no one knew I was there until we were found.”

“That is true. No one else knows you were there except a handful of people we trust to keep quiet. But there’s a chance reporters will stumble on something, and Moses and I both agree that you shouldn’t be dragged into whatever problems that could cause.” He was so serious, studying her with dark as night eyes. “I can deal with it, and Moses could if he had to. But what about you...and the kids?”

“I could take the heat, but I sure don’t want to,” she said. “I mean, that’s the last thing I want. I want to get back to the kids.”

“And what about those kids of yours?”

She felt her heart sink. The kids. She had one horrific moment when she thought of microphones pushed in their faces, questions shouted at them. She said they wouldn’t understand her disappearing and not keeping her promise, but she knew that they also wouldn’t understand adults going after them relentlessly to get their “angle” on some stupid story. “Oh, no,” she breathed. “That can’t happen. It can’t.”

She hadn’t been aware that she was shaking, until she felt Gage put his hand on her shoulder. “Hey, they never have to be involved. We just have to get past it without anyone being the wiser. Then there’s no reason for them to go anywhere near the center, or you.” He cleared his throat. “The worse that’s going to happen is Moses might get some of the fallout because of our friendship and him being my doctor. But he can handle it, and he won’t let them get into the hospital, where they could cause any problems.”

She knew that was true, but how would she get back to her kids? As if Gage had read her mind, he spoke up. “Moses says he can smuggle you out of here when he leaves.”