THE STRANGER
by
Pioneer Woman
Disclaimer: This work of adult fiction includes adult language and experiences; you have been warned. No offense to any person – living or dead – is intended. © 01/2005 by Pioneer Woman
Author’s Note: This story was inspired by a photo of Russell Crowe. When I looked into the eyes of the man in the picture, this is the story that I saw.
It was a glorious spring day, of the variety only the Ozark Mountains have to offer. The redbud trees were still sprinkling the woods with splashes of lavender, and the dogwoods were just beginning to adorn themselves in their wedding dresses of the season. The birds were singing their finest songs. The squirrels rustled through the carpet of oak leaves on the woods’ floor, left there from the new buds forcing their way to the sun.
I let my buckskin gelding pick his way across the gurgling creek, a bit higher than usual from the recent rains. He’d been down this path as many times as I had, so there was no need to tell him where to go. After reaching the other side, he stopped and waited patiently. He knew I’d want to turn and look back up the mountain we had just descended.
Every time I looked at that magnificent view, I saw something new. I never grew tired of being in this place. As I looked back this time, something caught my eye. I squinted to focus on the splash of white that didn’t quite match the dogwood blooms. Then it moved.
I always carried binoculars with me when I rode, so I quickly lifted them to get a better look. I panned the area until my gaze found its quarry.
“Oh my,” I remarked to my horse, “there’s someone up there. Who in the world …?”
Just then the man turned so I could focus better. He seemed to be struggling down the mountain, completely off the path, and heading toward a bluff that was either going to stop him or send him plummeting to his death.
“Stop!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, causing the birds to go silent and the squirrels to disappear.
The man looked around, searching for the voice. I waved, but he didn’t see me. I raised my watch to catch the sunlight and he must have seen the reflection bounce off. He froze, looking my way
“Stay there!” I yelled, cupping my hands to amplify the sound. “You’re going the wrong way!”
He raised his arms in a questioning gesture, so I turned my horse and went back across the creek. When I urged my horse off the path, he didn’t hesitate but carefully chose his steps among the loose rocks, hidden by leaves. He was good in this terrain, surefooted and calm. I trusted him, and he trusted me
As we closed in on our destination, I was able to get a better look at the man. It had been his white T-shirt that had caught my eye, but now I could see that it was soiled with mud and what appeared to be blood. He was wearing a blue flannel shirt over it, but it was unbuttoned and untucked, and I could see that one elbow was completely torn out. His jeans were muddy, too, but I couldn’t keep from noticing how well they fit him.
He had thick chestnut hair that fell in long wavy locks over his forehead, and I could see blood above one brow. His face was grizzled with a scruffy beard, of not more than a few days growth, that ran down his thick neck. As I drew closer, he put his hands on his hips and let out a huge sigh.
“Am I ever glad to see you,” he announced in a pleasing baritone voice.
I caught a glimpse of his eyes and was shocked at the vivid blue-green combination. I suddenly found myself very glad to see him, as well.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he chuckled. “I guess I am.”
“What are you doing out here?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged.
“OK,” I replied slowly. “How did you get here?”
“I don’t know.” He shook his head, as if trying to think more clearly.
“You don’t know much, do you?” I remarked, getting down from my horse. “Well, who are you?”
He looked at me blankly. “I don’t know that either.”
“What do you know?” I quizzed, reaching up to look at the injury on his forehead. “Let me have a look at this.”
“I woke up on that ridge up there,” he pointed back and over our heads, “with a throbbing headache, and I had no idea how I got there. I couldn’t see any signs of people, so I thought I should head for the stream and follow it.”
“You must have knocked your head pretty good,” I observed, then looked at his pupils. “Your eyes are dilated evenly, so you probably don’t have a concussion. Any nausea?”
“I’m starving, does that count?” He grinned – a beautiful beaming grin that
seemed infectious.
“Well,” I smiled, “I can fix that. I’ll take you back to my cabin and feed you. Have you checked your wallet for ID?”
He reached for his back pocket, then his face fell. “My pockets are empty …I
have no wallet.”
“All right,” I turned back toward my horse. “One thing at a time. Let’s go get you cleaned up and fed.”
“You live close by?” He followed me.
“Back up the mountain and then part way down the other side,” I informed him, getting on my horse. “Come on up. Buck can carry us both.”
He swung himself up behind me with confidence and ease. This man had ridden before. Maybe that’s how he got here.
“I didn’t see any houses from the ridge,” he repeated, wrapping his arms around my waist in a way that sent chills through me.
“You can’t see it from the ridge,” I explained. “It’s nestled back against the mountain to protect me from the north wind in the winter.”
“Where am I?” He rested his chin on my shoulder to avoid a low limb.
“Third planet from the sun,” I quipped.
He chuckled. “Can you be a little more specific?”
“Deep in the Ozark Mountains of northern Arkansas,” I answered. “Is that better?”
“Yes.” His chin was still on my shoulder as he continued. “Although I still don’t know how I got here. Looks like a pretty remote location.”
“Remote,” I nodded, “that’s a fairly accurate description. The only way you could have gotten to that ridge was on foot, horseback, or if you jumped from a helicopter.”
“Is this your land?”
“Yes,” I answered. “You’re trespassing. Do you think I should shoot you now or clean you up first?”
“I promise,” he laughed, “I clean up really nice.”
“How do you know?” I was letting Buck take his time, enjoying the company.
“You don’t even know who you are.”
“Well, I know I don’t want you to shoot me,” he reflected. “What about your
husband? Will he shoot me?”
“I don’t have a husband,” I confessed, “but I do have an Airedale waiting back
at the cabin, and if he doesn’t like you, he’ll go straight for your throat.”
“Great,” he moaned, “she’s going to throw me to the lions!”
“Um-hmm,” I could see the cabin now, so I pointed. “See the roof? Just to the side of it is where I bury all the bodies or at least what’s left of them.”
I could feel his chest shaking behind me as he laughed. “You don’t miss a beat, do you?”
“I’m a writer, so coming up with good lines is what I do,” I revealed.
“A writer? Is that why you live out here in the middle of nowhere?”
“Partly,” I answered.
Buck broke into his ‘I see the barn trot’ about then, and I felt the stranger tighten his grip around my waist. It had been far too long since a man had wrapped his arms around me like that. I had to remind myself that I didn’t know this man, and I shouldn’t be too trusting.
“Is that it?” he asked, as we approached a small log cabin with a tin roof. Next to it was a small corral and shelter for my horse and mule. Further back was a coop for the chickens. Levi, my Airedale, was waiting dutifully on the front porch where I had left him.
“This is it.” I pulled Buck to a halt, as Levi ran out barking at the man with me. “It’s OK, Levi. Let him get down.”
“Is he going to attack me?”
“Not unless I tell him to,” I assured. “You go on inside and wash up. I’ll take care of Buck.”
“Is that a mule over there?” He caught sight of her.
“Yes.” I smiled, “That’s Soovy.”
“Soovy?” He raised his brows. “That’s strange name
“I call her that, “I laughed, “because she’s my SUV …my version of 4-wheel drive around here. In case you haven’t noticed, there aren’t any roads back here.”
“I don’t see any power lines, either.” He looked up.
“Give that man a prize!” I got down and led Buck away. “Go make yourself at home. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
*
When I walked into the cabin, I found him leaning over the galvanized washtub I kept on the counter. His hair was dripping wet, and his arms rested on the edge of the tub. His flannel shirt had been cast across a chair, revealing his muscular arms and broad shoulders. He looked up at me with a gaze so intense I could feel it in my bones.
“I see you found the water,” I tried to remain composed. “I’ll go get you a towel.”
“I found one of those, too,” he straightened up, and I saw the towel on the counter next to the tub. “You really live like this? No running water? No electricity? No phone?”
“Yes, I do.” I walked over to inspect his injury now that the blood had been washed away. “You know, everyone used to live like this.”
“Doesn’t that make it hard to do your job?” he wondered. “I mean, you do have to talk to a publisher or something, don’t you?”
“I come here when I’m writing,” I explained, “and everyone leaves me alone, and I just have to look out my window for inspiration. When I’m not writing, I live in my other house.”
“And where is that?”
“New York.” I smiled. “A much harsher environment than anything this place has to offer.”
He broke into that beautiful smile again. “I’m sure that’s true. So, what’s your name?”
“Nicole. People call me Nicki.”
“Well,” he reached his hand out, “thank you for rescuing me, Nicki. What do we do now?”
“Pull up a chair,” I motioned toward the table. “I’ll fix you something to eat.”
*
He pushed his chair back from the table and sighed. “Well, I feel a lot better now. I suppose I should thank you for your hospitality and then leave you alone.”
“And go where?” I posed. “You don’t know where you live, who you are, or why you’re here.”
“Well, I can’t just expect you to take care of me now, can I?” He chuckled.
“You can spend the night here,” I offered. “I’ll take you into town tomorrow. Surely someone is looking for you.”
“A wife maybe, huh?” he thought aloud.
“No,” I shook my head, “no wedding ring.”
“Well,” he observed, “I don’t have a wallet either, but I’m sure I had one once upon a time.”
“No tan line on your finger.” I used it as an excuse to pick up his hand. He had big strong hands with thick wrists. Very nice hands, I thought. I slid my hand up to his wrist. “See, there’s a bit of a line here where you usually wear a watch.”
“Why are you doing this?” he asked in a soft tone that sent shivers through me. “I could be some psychopathic mass murderer for all you know.”
“So could I,” I reminded. “So I suppose we’re both taking a chance, aren’t we?”
He gave me a half smile then looked down at his bloodstained T-shirt and mud-caked jeans. “Don’t suppose you have a washing machine and dryer, huh?”
“Stand up,” I requested and then walked around him, studying him a bit. “Follow me.”
He obeyed, and I led him into the bedroom then dug through a chest at the foot of the bed. When I stood up, I was holding some black sweat pants and a red T-shirt.
“Try these.” I handed them to him.
“You always keep extra clothes around for the men you rescue?”
“You’re about the same size as my brother,” I explained. “He leaves clothes here, so when he visits he doesn’t have to haul them back and forth on a pack horse.”
“Oh,” he nodded, “of course. I should have known that.”
*
He watched intently, as I scrubbed his clothes clean on the washboard outside the cabin. I couldn’t tell if he was amazed or amused by the scenario. For someone who suddenly had no past, he seemed to be taking it in stride quite easily.
“Well,” he finally remarked, “I’ve figured out one thing about myself.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“I smoke,” he frowned. “Now that I’m not hungry, I’m dying for a cigarette.”
“Can’t help you there,” I shrugged. “Funny, you don’t have the teeth of a smoker.”
“You said you’d take me into town,” he changed the subject. “How do you propose to do that?”
“I keep my Jeep at the neighbor’s house. He lives across the stream and on the other side of that mountain. We’ll ride over there, get the Jeep, and I’ll take you into town. It’s just a small settlement really, but there’s a clinic there. We can have them check you over and make sure your memory’s the only problem. Someone may have stopped there looking for you, too.”
He sat down on the edge of the porch and watched me wring out the water, then hang the clothes to dry. His mood seemed to be changing. Maybe reality was setting in. Or maybe it was withdrawal from the cigarettes.
I walked over and sat down next to him. “What shall I call you, huh? We need to give you a name.”
“John Doe, I guess,” he shrugged. “Or JD, for short.”
“No,” I put my hand on his shoulder. “That’s a name they put on a toe-tag for a corpse - for someone with no past and no future. You have a past; you’ve just misplaced it for the moment, and you certainly have a future. No, you need a good strong masculine name. Something with one syllable …something like Jack or Mark or Russ or Mitch or …ah, I know.”
“What?” He was smiling again.
“Jim,” I announced. “Only we’ll spell it G-e-m, because I found you in the Arkansas Mountains where people search for diamonds. Because you are a gem.”
“Somehow,” he put his arm around me, “I think you’re the gem, and I was pretty lucky you found me.”
*
I lay there in the darkness and listened to his breathing. He had insisted on using the cot I kept for my brother’s visits. Levi was at the side of my bed, faithfully guarding me. I was wide awake, my mind turning over all the possibilities of who this man was and where he had come from. I even vaguely entertained the notion that he was a figment of my own vivid imagination. I dismissed that thought by reminding myself that my fantasies wouldn’t have placed him on the cot.
I must have finally drifted off to sleep because I awoke to the sound of rain pelting the tin roof. Rain didn’t usually wake me, so perhaps it was him getting up that really brought me to consciousness. I heard him stumble into something in the dark, mutter a curse under his breath, and then heard Levi emit a low growl.
“Is everything all right?” I called quietly, sitting up.
“Yes,” he answered from the main room. “Sorry. I was trying not to wake you.”
“It’s OK,” I got up and went to the sound of his voice. My eyes were accustomed to the dark, so I had no problem finding him. I reached for a match and lit a lantern in the main room. “There, is that better?”
“Thanks.” The light bounced off his profile as he gazed out the window. He was wearing the sweatpants I had given him but no shirt. I could see the muscles in his broad back and chest clearly as he moved.
“Did the rain wake you?” I put my hand on his bare shoulder, and he jumped a bit.
“I guess,” he sighed. “It’s coming down pretty hard. Won’t be much fun riding out tomorrow, if it’s doing this.”
“If it’s still doing this, we won’t be riding out. The creek will be too high to cross safely, not to mention how slippery the mountain will be.”
“So maybe I’m stuck here?” He turned and looked me up and down. “Or should I say, you’re stuck with me?”
“Is that such a bad thing?” I took a step closer.
“Not for me,” he gently took hold of my shoulders then bent to kiss me.
It had been ages since I’d been kissed at all, let alone like that. My hands went to his shoulders, and he pulled me closer. It was one of those kisses that makes your toes curl. I felt his hands slide down to the small of my back and pull me closer. I melted against him, and he lifted me, letting me wrap my legs around him. He walked back into the bedroom and gently placed me on the bed.
He held himself over me and looked down into my eyes. “If you don’t want this, you’d better say so now.”
I reached up and touched his bristly face. “I do want it…more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.”
*
It rained all night …it rained all the next day …it rained all the next night …it was still raining the next day. We stayed in the cabin and found a way to pass the time. I wanted it to keep raining.
The sun came out late that day, and the birds began to sing again. I put on boots and went out to survey the area. The mud was deep. The creek would be rising. It wouldn’t crest for at least another day.
“Well?” he asked, as I came up the steps, pulling off my boots.
“We can’t leave for a while,” I reported. “I’ll ride out in a couple of days and see what it’s like then. For now, you’re still stranded with me.”
“I’m not complaining.” He put his arms around me and kissed me.
I’d grown quite fond of those kisses over the past couple of days. I’d also grown fond of falling asleep with my head on his shoulder and waking up with him tucked up behind me.
“I’m not complaining either,” I confessed, looking into those beautiful eyes. “I’ve taken in a lot of strays over the years, but you’re definitely the best yet.”
He raised his brows in a question.
“You know what I mean,” I winked, “and I’m going to miss you something fierce when you leave.”
“I know I have to go back.” He stepped away and walked over to the edge of the porch, looking back up the mountain at the trail leading out. “I keep having this nagging thought, though. What if I go back and do find out who I am and where I belong …and what if it’s not as good as what I’ve found here?”
I drew a deep breath and walked over to put my hand on his shoulder. “Gem, I
don’t want you to leave but keeping you here is selfish. If you have a family
out there, they must be going insane looking for you …I know I would be.”
*
Two days later, I decided to take Soovy out to have a look at the mountain and the creek; I’d postponed it as long as I could. I left Gem behind, but this time, I took Levi with me.
Soovy had no trouble negotiating her way up the mountain or back down the other side, but I was glad to be on her rather than Buck. As we approached the creek, I could see that it was still raging like a river, and I had no intention of trying to cross.
I was about to turn back, when Levi started barking. He’d spotted my neighbor riding along the creek on the other side. I waved and rode up to be opposite him.
“Hello, Roy,” I greeted. “You out looking things over, too?”
“Yep,” he called back. “You have any damage up your way, Nicki?”
“No,” I shook my head. “Just rain, how about you?”
“Nope,” he reported. “You doing OK?”
“Sure.” I inquired about his wife. “How’s Lois?”
“She’s fine,” he answered. “Don’t want to leave her alone too long, though.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well,” he explained, “probably ain’t nothin’ to it, but a couple of lawmen stopped by our place the other day and kind of got her scared a bit.”
“Lawmen?” I felt my heart jump. “What did they want?”
“Looking for some man,” he revealed. “Said they didn’t think he could have made
it this far without some help but to keep an eye open.”
My protection of Gem was instinctive. “Why were they looking for him? Who is he?”
“Some guy that’s wanted for armed robbery and killing a bank guard.” His news
made my head spin. “They think he might try to hide out here in the hills or
something. I told them he’d never survive out here, ‘less someone helped him.”
“That’s for sure,” was all I could say.
“Well,” he waved, “ain’t no one crossing this creek for a day or two, so I’d say you’re safe.”
“Yeah,” I tried to laugh. “Take care, Roy, and tell Lois I said hi.”
Soovy picked her way back up the mountain, and I let Roy’s words sink in. I should’ve asked if he’d gotten a description of the man, but I hadn’t thought that fast. I’d been reeling from the thought that Gem might have been lying to me all along, just playing on my sympathy. I kept telling myself that I shouldn’t jump to conclusions. He might not be the same man; or even if he was, he might truly be suffering from amnesia.
When we got back to the cabin, Levi ran ahead to greet Gem. He was sitting on the porch waiting for us. He had a broad smile on his face as he petted Levi, then looked toward me. I could see his face as I approached.
“Nicki, what’s wrong?” he asked, taking the reins as I got off Soovy.
“Let me put Soovy away.” I took her reins from his hand. “Go wait in the cabin. I’ll be there in a minute.”
He started to follow me. “Nick …”
“Do as I said,” I ordered in a harsh tone.
When I went back into the cabin, I tried to maintain my composure. I didn’t want to fall apart over this. If there was the slightest chance it had all been a ploy, then I couldn’t risk him seeing how devastated I was.
“What happened, Nicki?” He asked in a sweet, sincere tone. “Please, tell me what’s wrong.”
“Gem,” I looked straight at him, “I ran into my neighbor down at the creek. He told me some things. I need for you to be honest with me, Gem. I need for you to look me in the eye and tell me the truth. I need to hear this from you.”
He swallowed hard, then closed his eyes. “Will you believe me if I tell you?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, “but it’s worth a shot.”
“When you found me,” he explained, “I was telling you the truth. I must have slipped on the ridge and hit my head pretty good. I really didn’t know who I was or how I got there.”
“But now you do, don’t you?” I asked calmly.
“Yes,” he nodded. “Remember when I said maybe what I had to go back to wasn’t as good as this? Well, that’s about when it started coming back to me. At first it was just an edgy feeling. Then, that night, I woke up from a dream, and it was all right there.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
“Because I care about you now, Nicki,” he came over to me, “and telling you would have made you an accessory. As long as you didn’t know the truth, then you were just doing a good deed.”
I felt tears coming, and I couldn’t push them back this time. “So it’s true? You really are a fugitive?”
“Yes,” he confessed, with sadness in his eyes I hadn’t seen before, “and I’ll go now. My staying here will put you in danger. I won’t do that.”
“No.” I took hold of his arms. “Please, I want you to tell me your side of it. I only know what my neighbor said. He said some ‘lawmen’, as he called them, were looking for you. I want to know why.”
He turned and walked to look out the window. “I lost my job. Doesn’t matter how or why, I just did. No one wanted to hire me. I met a guy who robbed liquor stores, and I helped him a couple of times. It wasn’t all that hard, and we got away with it. I decided to rob a bank and get enough to last, so I wouldn’t have to keep doing it. It was stupid. I should’ve known better.
“Everything went fine until the guard decided to be a hero and started shooting at me,” he explained. “I shot back as a reflex, you know. He went down, and everyone was freaking out. I don’t know if I killed him or just hurt him. I ran, though. I run pretty fast, and I got out of sight before the cops made it there.
“This all happened in Little Rock,” he went on, “and I saw a truck that was being loaded. I hopped in the trailer when no one was looking, and I hid in there. That’s how I got out of town. I got out when he stopped to make a delivery. I just started travelling from there on foot. I didn’t even know where I was, but these mountains looked like a good place to disappear for a while.”
“What about the gun and money?” I asked.
“I tossed them along the way,” he chuckled, “so I did it all for nothing.”
“What’s your name?” I walked over and put my hand on his shoulder.
“That’s the irony,” he gave me a half smile. “It really is Jim. I think when you started calling me that, it started triggering my memory. Nicki, I’m sorry I got you involved in this.”
“Gem,” I slipped my arm around his waist, and he pulled me close, “the guard died. You’re wanted for murder and armed robbery.”
I heard his breath catch. I couldn’t hate him; I couldn’t even dislike him. My mind raced to come up with a solution.
“I have to go, Nicki,” he stepped away. “I’m putting you in danger by staying here. You’ve been nothing but good to me. I can’t let you get hurt over this.”
“Too late,” I confessed. “I’m already hurt. The creek’s still too high. You can’t get out of here yet. Don’t worry. They can’t get in, either. You’re safe here for the moment. I didn’t tell my neighbor about you.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “But now I’m glad I didn’t. Gem, where will you go?”
“I don’t know,” he confided. “But if I did know, I wouldn’t tell you. You have to be able to honestly tell them you don’t know where I am.”
“If they come here, I’ll tell them I never saw you.”
“Don’t lie, Nicki,” he advised. “I’m not worth it.”
“It won’t be a lie,” I assured, “because the man I know is not the man they’re looking for. I’ll help you ride out of here in the morning. I’ll take you to a good crossing place and let you take Soovy. She can make it out. Once you get out, you can turn her loose, and she’ll come back home on her own.”
*
It was different that night. We both knew we’d probably never see each other again. There was a very real danger that Gem would be killed on the run, and I think we both felt that looming around us. I also knew I would never care this deeply about another man.
We lay there in the dark after making the most passionate love I’d ever experienced and talked softly. I soaked up the comfort of having his arms around me, and I’m sure he soaked up the comfort of honest and open company.
“I have some cash,” I told him. “I keep quite a bit in that little tin can on the mantle. I’ll give you all I’ve got before you leave. You’re going to need cash to survive.”
“No,” he refused. “I don’t want to take anything from you, Sweetheart. Nothing but these precious memories.”
I felt the tears returning. “Gem, you could just stay here. No one knows you’re here. It’s a good place to hide.”
“What about when your brother visits? Or when your neighbor rides up? Or when you go to New York? Then what? No, I can’t stay here. I can’t risk you getting caught in the crossfire if they show up looking for me.”
“If they find you,” I asked, “will you turn yourself in?”
“No,” he admitted. “They’d lock me away for good. I might as well be dead.”
I held onto him tightly and let my tears flow freely. He tried to comfort me and soothe my fears. I finally drifted off to sleep, tucked safely in his arms ….
*
Levi was nudging me to wake me up. Alertness flooded me, and I reached for Gem …he was gone. Panic shot through me as I jumped from the bed and ran out to the main room.
“Gem?” I called, but there was only silence.
As I glanced around, I saw a note on the mantle, propped up by the can where I kept my money. I grabbed it and flipped it open.
I almost couldn’t read it through my tears. I opened the can to see if he had at least taken some of the money. The cash was all still there. He hadn’t taken a cent. I clasped the note close to my heart and cried.
*
I hardly ever leave the mountain these days. As the years go by, I find myself more comfortable here than in a big city with lots of people. I only leave when I absolutely must for supplies or to meet with my publisher. Everything else can be handled by mail.
I still find myself talking to Gem sometimes, as if he were standing right here with that lop-sided grin on his face. Maybe sometimes he is. Every spring when the dogwoods bloom, I’m reminded of that white T-shirt dancing across the mountain, and I look again …a little closer …just in case.
The End
