Outsiders. Part 5

By the time she heard the bathroom door open, Yazhi had dinner on the table, wine poured, and dessert cooling on the counter.

"It smells wonderful in here," Renee said, "and the table looks beautiful." She was standing at the threshold where the kitchen met the dining area.

"Thank you. Please, have a seat. I hope you like red wine?"

"I do. Thanks. And you're right-I'm a carnivore through and through." Renee sat down in the chair facing the kitchen.

Yazhi's spine tingled. Renee was watching her. She took another deep breath through her nose and released it through her mouth. "Did you have a good trip?"

"Fine. I got some great shots at sunset on my way here. The lighting in this area has a quality I haven't found anywhere else."

"I'm glad. As you know, I'm a fan of your work. I'm confident that you'll do justice to our lands."

"I hope so."

Something in Renee's tone made Yazhi stop fussing over the salad she was fixing and look. "You seem different, somehow." The combativeness, Yazhi realized, was gone. It wasn't that Renee had mellowed, per se...just that the fight seemed to have gone out of her.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Yazhi simply raised an eyebrow and placed the salad bowl on the table. "Please, eat."

For a time, the only sound was the sc.r.a.ping of utensils on ceramic as the two women enjoyed the meal.

"I've never had fry bread before."

"It's a staple of our people."

"Tasty."

"Mmm." Yazhi sighed as she cleared the table. Great Spirit, please help us to get past this awkwardness. I know I must be patient, but small talk is not natural for either one of us. "Do you like apple pie?"

"Love it."

Yazhi removed the pie from the cooling rack, cut two slices, and brought them to the table.

"Did you make this?" Renee asked a few minutes later, scooping up the last bit of apple from her plate.

"Mmm-hmm. My mother's recipe."

"It's fantastic."

"There's more."

"I couldn't. As it is, I'll be sleeping on a full stomach. Speaking of which," Renee said, "I'm going to need a recommendation. I don't have a reservation, and I'm not really sure where your place is in relation to the hotels in the area-"

"That's easy. You stand up and go left about thirty feet, then turn right." Yazhi said, biting her lip as she watched Renee grasp her meaning.

"No. That's-"

"I insist. My guest room is all ready, it's too late to find someplace else, and I've got a special spot I want to share with you in the morning. At sun up, it is the most magical place on earth, and if you go to a hotel, you'll miss capturing it on film."

Yazhi knew it was fighting dirty to dangle an unparalleled photographic opportunity before Renee. But she couldn't seem to shake the unsettled feeling that had been with her since shortly after her morning meditation, and the stilted dinner conversation hadn't helped ease her concern. Her instincts told her she needed to keep Renee close, and Yazhi always followed her instincts. Please,she pleaded silently, I don't know why yet, but I know it is important that you stay here tonight.

"If you're sure-"

"Good. That's settled," Yazhi said, as some of the tension drained out of her shoulders. "If you want to get your things, I'll show you the way."

"Mama? Why is that man standing by the window?"

"What man, sweetheart?"

Renee looked from her mother, who was kneading dough on the kitchen counter, to the young man staring out the living room window.

"There." Renee pointed. Her mother swiped the back of her hand across her sweaty brow as she glanced in the direction indicated by her daughter.

"Honestly, Renee, I don't have time for your nonsense. Your father will be home any second now, and I've got to get this bread in the oven. Why don't you go read one of your books, or sit at the table here and draw."

"But Mama, he looks so sad."

"Renee Elizabeth, there is no one by that window. I swear, child, you wear me out. These fantastic stories about phantom people and the mysterious conversations you have with them in your head have got to stop. Do you hear me? Right now. Skedaddle!"

The hallway was dark and Renee struggled to see. She heard the murmur of voices and knew that her parents were awake. She inched along the wall until she was right outside their room. The door was open a crack and she could just make out her father standing at the foot of the bed, his silhouette illuminated by the glow of the nightlight from the master bathroom.

"She's just a young girl with a vivid imagination, Harriet. Nothing to worry about. She'll grow out of it."

"Today it was a man by the window. Wednesday it was a baby crying in Elaine's room-you know, the room we had converted into a nursery before..."

Her mother let out a choked cry, and Renee's heart dropped.

"There, there, dear. No need to think about that. We never told Renee she had an older brother who died as an infant. He never even came home from the hospital. It's just a coincidence."

"She is Satan's sp.a.w.n. I'm telling you."

Renee's knees buckled, although she remained rooted to the spot.

"You're overreacting, dear. She's just a child."

"You just go ahead and ask her about it, Donald. Then tell me she's an innocent."

"I'll talk to her in the morning. Let's get some sleep."

Renee ran back to her room and dove under the covers. She cried until she had no more tears to give.

"Renee, your mother tells me you've got some imaginary friends."

Renee stared at her cereal bowl and said nothing.

"I'm talking to you, young lady. You could at least look at me."

Reluctantly, Renee dragged her red, swollen eyes away from the Froot Loops and peeked at her father. "They're not imaginary," she mumbled.

"What? I didn't hear you."

"I said, they're real." Renee glanced over toward the living room. The man was standing there again.

"Honey, I know you think that-"

"He's right over there." Renee jumped up from the table and pointed.

"Sweetheart, what have I told you about lying? You know that's wrong."

Renee felt the sting of tears. She blurted out, "He says his name is Steven and he used to live here. You bought the house from him. He says he didn't want to sell the house, but he had to because he got sick. He signed the papers from his hospital bed and died the next day. He's so sad, Daddy."

"Oh my G.o.d, Donald. Now do you see what I mean? She's a freak."

Renee started. She hadn't heard her mother come in. She stumbled backward. "N-no, Mama. I'm not. I'm really not. I promise." She crumbled to the floor and curled up in a little ball. "I'm normal, I'm normal, I'm normal..."

Chapter Six.

"Renee. Hey, Renee. Wake up. It's okay. Hey, wake up. You're safe here. I promise." Yazhi bent over the bed and gently shook her guest's arm.

Renee was curled up in the fetal position, whimpering. Yazhi fought for a moment against the waves of distress emanating from Renee. What she had seen in the vision through their connection was inconceivable. That parents could treat a child in such a manner-that her gift could be seen as a curse-Yazhi simply couldn't have imagined it if she hadn't seen it through Renee's eyes. You have so much pain. I'm so sorry for what happened to you.

Yazhi took a deep breath and centered herself, then gave in to the overwhelming desire to comfort and console. Cautiously, she climbed onto the queen-sized bed and slid up until she was sitting against the headboard.

"Renee, honey. You're all right. Come here." Yazhi reached over and enveloped Renee in her arms, maneuvering until she cradled her completely. Still, Renee didn't wake. Yazhi stroked her hair and whispered words of comfort that were as much for the little girl as for the grown woman. "Shh, no one will doubt you or hurt you here. It's okay."

"No. Please, I'll never do it again."

The words were mumbled, almost swallowed up by Yazhi's T-s.h.i.+rt, against which Renee's head was pillowed. The naked vulnerability was almost too much for Yazhi to bear. She leaned down and kissed Renee's tousled locks, rocking their bodies in a slow rhythm. Almost immediately, Renee settled down. Unconsciously, she snuggled into Yazhi's embrace.

Yazhi closed her eyes as her body responded to the feel of Renee against her. Great Spirit, give me the strength to put aside my desires and the wisdom to know how to help her. With great effort, Yazhi regulated her breathing and waited for her heartbeat to follow suit.

Eventually, she began to relax completely, and then to nod off. When Yazhi awoke, she and Renee were breathing in unison, their limbs entangled, Renee's forehead resting against the side of Yazhi's neck. Her heart thudded once, hard.

It was close to dawn. If she tried to extricate herself now, Renee surely would awaken. If she didn't slip away...If you don't get out of here, how will you explain your presence? How will she react? Yazhi frowned. As volatile as Renee already had proven herself to be, Yazhi didn't want to think about how the morning would unfold in that instance.

Renee began to stir, and Yazhi had no more time to contemplate her options. Instead, she relied on her instincts. With as much care and stealth as she could muster, Yazhi disentangled herself.

No sooner had she stood up, than Renee's eyes fluttered open. "Um, I just came in to wake you."

"It must be the middle of the night."

"No, actually, it's almost dawn. If you want to see one of the most beautiful sights in the world, you'll have to get up now."

Yazhi watched Renee's eyes come alive with light. "I'll be ready in ten minutes."

Renee brushed her teeth and ran a comb through her hair. The remnants of the previous night's dream hung over her like a shroud. But there was something else, something she couldn't quite remember, playing at the edges of her mind. She wrinkled her forehead in thought. Whatever it was, she felt more at peace than at any other time in her life. Which seemed...odd...given the circ.u.mstances.

Renee glanced at her watch. No time to ruminate now, dummy. She yanked the T-s.h.i.+rt over her head, and as she did so, caught a whiff of a light scent that wasn't her own. "Huh." She held it to her nose and sniffed. Not perfume, exactly. Shampoo? No. Lavender. Like the candles. She narrowed her eyes. "I know d.a.m.n well I didn't get close enough to any of those candles-"

"Are you ready?" Yazhi called through the closed door.

"Will be in a minute." Renee hurriedly changed into a turtleneck and jeans and threw her camera gear together. When she emerged from the bedroom, she could smell freshly brewed coffee. Unable to resist, she followed her nose to the kitchen.

"I thought you could use some of this."

"Thank you," Renee said. She slung the camera bag over her shoulder and gratefully accepted the proffered thermos.

"You might want a jacket. It's pretty cool out there this time of day."

"It's in the car."

"Okay, then, let's go. We'll take my Jeep."

Renee followed Yazhi out the door, stopped and grabbed her leather bomber jacket out of the backseat of the rental vehicle, and slid into the pa.s.senger seat of Yazhi's Jeep. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see." Yazhi put the Jeep in gear and headed east.

Renee noted that Yazhi had yet to look her in the eye. "Everything all right this morning?"

"Yes. As you can see, the weather is cooperating. The sunrise will be magnificent."

Renee looked at Yazhi appraisingly. It wasn't that she was nervous, exactly, and yet...

A few minutes later, Yazhi said, "Here we go."

As far as Renee could tell, they were in the middle of nowhere. "Where are we?"

"Private Navajo lands. Outsiders are forbidden unless accompanied by one of us. Come."

Yazhi scrambled out of the Jeep and started up a rise. It was all Renee could do to keep up with her. The air was crisp and clear, and she could see her breath. In moments they crested the incline.

"Holy..." It was all Renee could manage as she looked out over an expanse as beautiful as anything she'd ever seen. Clouds streaked the horizon, and the sun was about to make its debut for the day. Without taking her eyes off the view, she dropped the camera bag, unzipped it, and removed the camera body and a lens.

She snapped off several establis.h.i.+ng shots, repositioned herself, and got to work in earnest. "This is unbelievable." The noise of the shutter clicking and her own exclamations were the only sounds to break the stillness of the dawn.