I’d never known such cold could exist. The breath was sucked from my lungs, and every muscle in my body went rigid as icy pain overwhelmed my system. Waves tossed me head-over-heels until somehow I righted myself and broke through the surface gasping for air. Cold water pelted me; colder water surrounded me, pulled at me. Unbearable tons of pressure compressed my chest as I fought to inhale some much needed air. I breathed in as much rain water as air, and a fit of coughing convulsed my body just before a large wave crashed into my face. Panic seized me. I was going to die.
I struggled to the surface again and carefully turned away from the oncoming waves before I allowed myself another gasp for air. The incoming oxygen felt so good; I breathed quickly to take in as much as I could. My heart raced and my teeth chattered uncontrollably, but I forced myself to calm down. I was a good swimmer. I needed to kick to stay above the surface, but my wet shoes were so heavy I could barely move my legs. After taking a deep breath, I bent my right knee and reached down with my hands to untie my shoe, sinking below the surface as I did so. My fingers wouldn’t work. They numbly fumbled with the laces, this normally menial task requiring monumental effort. Exhaustion overtook me by the time I finally managed to untie the knot, so I paused to rest before I attempted to remove the shoe.
I looked around for one of the boats, but I couldn’t see anything through the rain and spray that kept hitting and stinging my eyes. I shoved at the heel of my untied shoe with the toe of my left, eventually freeing my heel. One more nudge had the shoe drifting away into the depths of the lake. I scissor kicked my right leg with all my strength, yelled for help hoping desperately someone could hear me, then reached to untie my left shoe. The freezing water had turned my fingers into huge, numb sausages at the ends of my hands. I couldn’t even identify the laces, much less untie them. It felt too weird to even try. I gave up and focused instead on moving my increasingly heavy limbs through the cold water enough to barely keep my head above the surface. I called out again and again. My teeth chattered like crazy and my shaky voice seemed to weaken with each passing moment. I lost all track of time. The rain gradually became a thin mist blown almost horizontal by the gusting wind. I was so very tired and heavy. If only I had on a life jacket, I could float, nap, and allow the waves to rock me gently up and down, I thought drowsily. My eyes drifted closed.
“Jessie!” I heard my name and wondered if it was already time to get up for school . . . but that wasn’t my mom’s voice. Why couldn’t they go away and leave me alone.
I gave a kick and irritably tried to yell back. “What?” Forcing my heavy eyelids open, I saw the dim outline of a boat. “Here,” I shouted weakly. I could hear voices, but they didn’t make much sense. It felt as if lead weights were strapped to each arm and leg. I only wanted to sleep.
“She’s in the water!” a female voice shouted. I’d just rest and nap for a second. That would be ok. At least, I didn’t feel as cold as I had before.
“Noooo!” I heard him bellow as I sank below the surface. Caleb. Through sheer determination, I willed my lifeless legs into one last kick.
When my head bobbed above the water, I heard their urgent shouts. “We can’t get to her in time,” yelled a silky-smooth, female voice.
“Stop, Sasha! Don’t! I’m doing it!” Jolie’s familiar voice ordered. Strength abandoned me. My heavy eyelids closed, and my exhausted limbs, no longer obeying my will, relaxed as I floated into peaceful sleep. Sinking . . . sinking . . . sinking .
Deep underneath the waters of Yellowstone Lake, my eyes flew open. My brain cleared. I would not drown. My legs kicked and my arms slashed through the water with a powerful stroke I’d never possessed on my best day at the pool. I shot to the surface like a cork popping from a champagne bottle. Easily, I swam across the churning lake and latched onto the ladder at the side of the boat. Strong arms pulled me aboard. I stood feeling as if I had stepped from a refreshing shower, though only for a second, before a violent shivering racked my bones, and the world tilted sideways then darkened like the coming of night.
His voice came to me distant and low and soothing, entering through the shadows of my unconscious, its deep, captivating maleness lured me away from my dreams and back to his reality. “Jessie, come on baby, wake up. Please, wake up. I’m not going to lose you, too.” The pain of returning circulation was intense as I felt his fingers enclose my wrist checking my pulse. His voice broke as he pleaded, “Don’t leave me, Jessie. Please, come back.” He gently enfolded my cold hands in his warm ones. “Wake up,” he prodded, his urgency undeniable.
With great effort, I opened my eyes to stare into two spellbinding, tempestuous seas of blue. I felt solid ground underneath me and noticed trees looming overhead as he slid one arm under my shoulders and pulled me against the warmth of his kneeling body. In the protection of his strong arms, he rocked me back and forth crooning over and over again, “You’re alive. Thank God, you’re alive. You’ll be ok. I promise. You’ll be ok. I thought I’d lost you.” He kissed my forehead. “I thought I’d lost you, but you’re ok.”
I tried to lift my arm to return the embrace, but it was no use. When I tried to speak, my breath clogged my throat. Only a hoarse squeak emerged. “Shhh,” he soothed, stroking my cheek. “You don’t need to say anything. Just rest. I’ll get you warm.”
He looked away and I followed his gaze. Austin, his dad, and Sasha were approaching with the detective detained between two oddly-dressed men I’d never seen before. Caleb’s dad, Austin and Sasha came to stand directly in front of us, but the others turned and walked into the forest before they reached us. “She ok?” Caleb’s dad questioned, nodding in my direction.
“She will be,” Caleb answered. “Her pulse is strong and steady, and she’s starting to warm up.”
His dad’s gaze shifted past Caleb to Jolie, who I now noticed was quietly seated near us. “My dear friend, what have you done?” he asked, shaking his head.
“It was the right thing, Zeke, the only way.”
“Damn.” He pinched his forehead between his thumb and two, work-worn fingers. “We might could have . . .”
“No, Zeke, stop. It’s done. There’s no need to waste this bit of time rehashing it. Let it go.” She took a deep breath. “I need this time to confess to you and to Caleb, something you’re not going to want to hear, but I can’t . . . go . . . with this lie left between us. I won’t do it,” she said. Her eyes turned to Caleb. “It was I who tipped off the authorities about your parents. I was responsible for your mom’s death. I sent the Enforcers after her. I told them everything I knew, and then I followed them. I knew she was planning to marry your father, but I didn’t know where she was. I didn’t know there was a child. I promise I didn’t know about you, Caleb. She never told even me about you. I’m so sorry.” Her voice cracked as she reached for his hands. “I didn’t intend for her to die. I just wanted my friend back. I missed her, and I didn’t want her to get into trouble. I was young and foolish. I don’t know if you’ll ever be able to even begin to forgive me, either of you.” She glanced at Zeke then back to Caleb. “Sweet boy,” she continued, reaching to touch Caleb’s cheek. “I have loved you as though you were my own. Please, try to forgive me. I took your mother away from you, but today I’ve given you back Jessie.”
I looked to Caleb, still slightly unsure of Jolie’s meaning. He answered my unspoken question. “She transferred to you, Jessie. Jolie transferred to you so that you could get out of the water. She saved your life.”
“But now she’s . . .?” I couldn’t finish.
He nodded solemnly. “She’s dying.”
Tears flowed unchecked down my cheeks.
Caleb’s dad stepped forward and took Jolie’s hands in his own. “It’s ok, my precious friend. I’ve suspected for years. We were so careful--no one else knew--only you, and yeah, I was angry for quite a while. But lady, you don’t have a malicious bone in your body. We were all young and unknowing, unrealistic. I’m convinced your intentions were honorable.” He raised their clasped hands and affectionately pressed his lips to her folded fingers in an almost reverent kiss before continuing. “With all the times over the years that you’ve put yourself at risk to protect and defend my son, it’ll be a cold day in Hell before I stand for anyone saying a bad word against you. You’ve stood between Caleb and harm’s way more times than I can count, and you have my undying, eternal gratitude.”
Tears filled both of their eyes. “Zeke, you’re a good man--the best. I’ve always known why she believed you were worth risking everything for. You’re being too generous with me, though. I’m not sure my intentions were purely honorable--I was so jealous--but I did love her. You have to know I did.” She looked at him beseechingly.
“I know . . . and so did she.”
“Thank you for that. Take care of our boy. I’m sorry I can’t be here to help anymore, but I know I’m leaving him in good hands,” she professed, looking to me then to Sasha. “He’s well loved.”
Jolie’s command I’d heard from the water replayed in my head. “Stop, Sasha! Don’t! I’m doing it!” The impossibility of the meaning slammed into me. Had Sasha been going to transfer to me? My eyes darted to her, catching hers briefly before she looked away.
Jolie’s strength was visibly waning now. She’d shifted to lean against the trunk of a tree, her pale skin becoming more chalklike by the second. Her eyes warmly held Caleb’s as she spoke once more, her voice slow and weak, barely above a whisper. “She’s the one, Caleb. You need her. Make it happen. You can’t always be the protector. I believe she’s here to save you. This time you’re the underdog.” She breathed deeply. “You know, they tell us that we shouldn’t be able to fully understand, much less feel, love, but we do.” She glanced toward Sasha then back to Caleb. “And your mother certainly did. They say emotions are supposed to be weaknesses, character flaws, but they’re wrong. Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Love can’t be overcome or forgotten; it’s eternal. Allow yourself to love, Caleb.” She gave him a misty, bittersweet smile then her eyes drifted closed.
“Jolie, no!” Caleb wailed. “No . . .” His primitive, tortured cry ripped at my soul.
Zeke knelt before her and gently lifted her wrist to check for a pulse. He bent over her, his fingers placed against her throat, his ear close enough to hear the faintest of breath. “She’s gone,” he confirmed, looking first to Caleb then glancing to Sasha with a slight nod. Sasha turned and strode slowly into the forest, but returned almost immediately with one of the oddly-dressed men.
“Wait,” Caleb ordered and pushed away from me to go to Jolie. He leaned over her still form and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. His words were spoken almost too low to hear. “I did love . . . you.” He backed away, and the strangely-dressed man lifted Jolie into his arms and disappeared into the trees.
Caleb’s dad, who I was informed was a trained EMT, checked me over. According to him, my body temperature was acceptable, and there was no indication that a hospital visit would be needed most likely due to Jolie’s transfer. “It wouldn’t hurt to have you examined, but, on the other hand, it might be difficult to explain how you’ve recovered so quickly,” he said. “It would probably be better not to attract that sort of attention.” He provided some heating packs from an emergency kit on one of the boats, spoke with Caleb for a few minutes, and sent us on our way. He and Austin stayed behind.
The boat ride back to the marina and the transfer to Caleb’s truck passed in a slumberous haze. Caleb carried me into his RV, carefully lowered my feet to the floor, and then reached to adjust the thermostat for the heater. “There, that should get it warmed up in here in no time. You awake good?” he asked, adjusting the edges of the wool blanket he’d wrapped around me. “What you need is a warm shower.” He guided me toward the bathroom and practically leaned me against the doorjamb before letting go. “Can you stand here while I get you some dry clothes?”
I nodded.
He stepped into his room, and I heard the sound of the closet door opening. In no time, he returned with a pair of sweatpants, an oversized chamois cloth shirt, and some white athletic socks. “Best I could do.” He shrugged with a slightly embarrassed grin. “Come on,” he directed. He started the water, testing it until steam wafted from the shower floor, and then stepped back. “Ok, well, uhm . . . you can take it from here, right?” he asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets and glancing toward my feet. He looked as if he was ready to bolt at any second.
I tried not to laugh. “Of course,” I assured him.
The water stung my chilled skin at first, but gradually the painful sensation faded to be replaced by luxurious warmth. I lingered until the hot water ran out then wrapped myself snuggly in a towel while still surrounded by steam within the tiny shower enclosure. Once I was dry I lifted the sweatpants holding them up to check the length. They were ridiculously long, but I stepped into them, tightened the drawstring waist, and rolled the legs numerous times at their elastic ankles. I picked up the chamois shirt, unbuttoned the top two buttons, and pulled it over my head; the scent of Caleb enveloped me as I did so, reminded me of that early morning I’d ridden between him and Austin in his truck on the way to our first hike together. The shirt was, also, comically large reaching to my knees over the baggy sweats. The sleeves flopped loosely well beyond my hands, so I rolled each cuff to reveal the tips of my fingers not wanting to forfeit too much of the warmth the long sleeves afforded my hands. I towel dried my hair a bit more then wiped some steam from the mirror before hanging the towel on the rack. After I finger combed my hair, I styled it as best I could, grabbed the socks and headed out of the bathroom.
Caleb had just removed a large mug from the microwave and was carefully adding miniature marshmallows to its contents. He glanced up. “Thought maybe you could use some hot chocolate.”
“That sounds great. Thanks.” I moved to the sofa and sat to slide the athletic socks onto my feet. Caleb placed the mug on the end table then eased onto the sofa beside me.
“Come here,” he said, snuggling me against his side. He’d changed clothes, too, I noticed. I inhaled the freshly laundered scent of his flannel shirt where my head rested against his chest. “Warmer?”
“Ummhmm,” I mumbled contentedly.
“I like you in my clothes,” he said, tugging the loose fabric of my shirt sleeve.
“Yeah, it’s a real fashion statement,” I chuckled.
He lifted my chin with his fingers, lowered his lips to mine kissing me slowly and gently, then leaned back to look into my eyes. “I like it,” he insisted. “Now, drink some hot chocolate. It’ll be good for you.”
I reached for the mug. “We need to talk. I have so many questions; I don’t even know where to start.”
“I have a few questions of my own now that you mention it. Why were you out on that boat with Drew?”
“Drew . . . where is Drew? I didn’t see him after we were back on land”
“Dead.”
“Dead? How? What happened? Oh my gosh, Caleb, did Austin kill him? Is that why he and your dad stayed behind?”
“No, Austin didn’t kill him. Drew met with a tragic accident due to no one’s fault but his own. He broke through thin crust and fell into a thermal feature on the shore while trying to flee on foot.”
“Caleb . . . no, he boiled to death?”
“Jessie . . . he tried to kill you! I think a lake of burning sulfur seems a very apropos end for a guy like him.”
“He didn’t exactly try to kill me. I attacked him and ended up falling overboard.”
“He left you to die! What do you think they intended to do with you? Take you for a picnic? They wanted you dead.”
“I know,” I sighed. “And you, too. They wanted you dead, too, Caleb.”
He nodded. “Why did you go out on the boat with Drew?”
“I thought I was going to save you. Drew lied to me, said he’d seen you go out on a boat with some men . . . under duress . . . that was the term he used. He lured me out to the boat the detective was on.”
“That detective, Cyrus is his real name, is a member of the Meliorem . . . one of the extremists. They aren’t all like him. The Enforcers have him now.”
“And Drew?”
“He was just a regular guy from an elitist family greatly influenced by and in cooperation with the extremist Meliorem.”
“I think that’s the same type guy who murdered the homeless man in Fort Collins. Oh, gosh, I didn’t tell you yet! I remembered who the killer is! I think that’s why Drew lured me away today. He was with me when I remembered. He was watching me for the detective--who, by the way, was on the murder case in Fort Collins-- and I must have mumbled enough to let him know that I had remembered.”
“You know the guy, the killer?”
“Not really, but I’ve met him. His dad is a client of my mom’s. She’s a tax attorney. He’s ultra rich, and I’ve met him and his son in her office before. But, that’s what threw me off. He’s definitely not a gang member. He was dressed completely differently that night. My guess is they wanted a double whammy . . . you know to get rid of the homeless guy while implicating the gangs.”
“And you just happened to be the one in the right place at the right time to witness it . . . that’s how it works, Jessie, being a seer. Better be ready to hold on for the ride, little one,” he warned, trailing his fingers through my still damp hair.
“How did you know to come looking for us, or where to find us?”
“Brittany brought your note to Austin. He got worried, said there was going to be a storm, and brought the note to me. Jolie, Sasha, and my dad were with me. Jolie had started to suspect that there was more to Drew than met the eye. Once Austin caught wind of our not fully trusting Drew, there was no leaving him behind. The boat Drew took out had GPS tracking on it; guess he didn’t think of that. So, that was that, and you know the rest of it.”
“I can’t believe Austin left his tournament behind so easily. It was really important to him.”
“Obviously not as important as you.”
“Poor Austin.”
“Yeah, he’s having quite an eye opening day. He’s been kind of running around clueless most of the time. Dad’s gonna’ fill him in . . . looks like he has to at this point. I was hoping we could hold off a while.”
“I think it’s time, Caleb. He needs to know about you, about himself, everything. It’ll be good for him.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“So, where are they now?”
“They had to stay behind to handle the details of Drew’s death with the authorities.”
“Won’t there be questions?”
“Yeah, but there are enough otherworlders involved to get it smoothed over. Drew’s family will know what happened through their Meliorem connections. They won’t cause any problems. It’ll just go away. You’ll see.”
“Were those Enforcers tonight with the detective and . . . Jolie?” I hated to even mention her name. I could see the pain in Caleb’s eyes.
“Yes.”
“They didn’t look like I expected. Caleb, I’m so sorry about Jolie.”
“Yeah, me too,” he sighed. “Let’s not talk about that now, ok?”
“Ok,” I agreed. We sat silently staring at the blank TV screen.
Finally, he spoke, “What did you expect the Enforcers to look like?”
“I don’t know . . . not so normal, ordinary. They looked pretty much like anyone else, only their clothes were out of place. Except for their expressions, their eyes . . . no emotion . . . blank. That was kind of eerie.”
“Yeah, I know.”
I shivered. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“Yeah,” he agreed.
I snuggled closer and rested my head on his chest again. His hand soothingly stroked my arm. After a few minutes, he cleared his throat before speaking. “Jessie, I don’t know if this is the right time to talk about this, but I’m really sorry about what happened the last time you were here, you know, in my room. There’s no excuse for my behavior.”
Never was the right time to talk about this, screamed in my head. I covered my face with my hands. “Caleb, I was stupid. I don’t know what I was thinking that night,” I admitted. “But, I need you to know that I wasn’t going to . . . I mean, I wasn’t offering to . . .” I stopped too embarrassed to continue.
“To sleep with me?” he finished for me. I nodded without looking up. He tilted my chin, forced my eyes to meet his own. “I know that, Jessie. That wasn’t what I thought you were doing. I handled the whole situation badly . . . I lost control.” He chuckled self-derisively. “I seem to do that a lot when it comes to you. I’m really sorry.”
“No, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have come in your room like that. I put you on the spot. I was the one who . . . anyway, you had every right to throw me out.”
“Throw you out? Jessie, it wasn’t like that. No, you shouldn’t have come in there or into any guy’s room for that matter. It was a foolish thing to do, but that being said . . . I wanted you there. I wanted you to be there too much.”
Headlights shone through the blinds on the camper window as a vehicle pulled into the drive. “That’s probably my dad and Austin,” he said, adjusting the slats to peek out. The truck doors slammed, and I heard the crunching of gravel under heavy footsteps as the two of them approached.
Austin looked a little taken aback to find me cuddled up with his brother but recovered quickly and pulled me off the sofa into a big hug. “Damn, you had me worried girl. Sure glad you’re ok. Seems there’s been all sorts of stuff going on that I’ve had no clue about,” he admonished, glancing warily at Caleb. “Dad has been filling me in. Geez, I think my head is about to explode.” He released me and sat down at the dinette.
“Takes a while to get your head around it, doesn’t it?” I grinned.
“You can say that again,” he agreed.
Caleb’s dad moved to sit sideways on the bench across from Austin. In the light of the RV, I noticed that his eyes, unlike Caleb’s, were a rich, chocolate brown, more similar to Austin’s. His features were sharp and angular like Caleb’s, but perhaps Austin’s would be with age, also. He was still a strikingly handsome man, most likely in his late forties, I guessed, with a tall, lanky build like Caleb’s. He looked tired, the crow’s feet surrounding his eyes more pronounced as he squinted, adjusting to the light.
“So Austin,” Caleb spoke up. “I was wondering. How did you know there was going to be a storm this afternoon? I’d checked the weather report, and there were no storms predicted.”
“Yeah, they get it wrong a lot. I don’t know. I always just know. That’s why I knew it was ok for Jessie and me to take the row boat so far out that day. I knew it was going to be clear with no wind or anything. I just know.”.
A look passed between Caleb and his dad. “He just knows,” Caleb repeated, shaking his head. “Guess that answers another question, huh? It’s a day for revelations.”
“I don’t even want to know,” Austin proclaimed and wearily rested his head on the table. “I’m ready for bed.”
“I should get home before Gran gets worried. Don’t know how I’m going to explain these clothes, but I’ll think of something. At least she had to work during the tournament, so I won’t have to explain my whereabouts.”
“I’ll drive you.” Caleb stood then pulled me to my feet. “You staying down here tonight, Dad?”
“Yeah, I’ll give Ellie a call, and let her know there was an accident with a park employee that kept me out late. I’ll be here when you get back. Good to finally meet you, Jessie, even if it could have been under better circumstances. You’ve made quite an impression on my boys. Take care of yourself.”
“Yes, sir. You too,” I replied awkwardly.