Chapter 11: Dreams and Nightmares

Sleep was a long time coming for Scott that night. When he did fall off to sleep it was restless and filled with dreams. For Angie the night was even worse; since the first night that they had slept together she had found that she slept like she had before her Dad had been murdered. It was as though she drew comfort, love and security from Scott. Gone were the nightmares of her father's wreck and his lonely death. All that was replaced by the warm gentle strength of Scott. Tonight, though, Scott's tortured sleep seemed to only get worse, until somewhere around one in the morning. It was then that he suddenly became peaceful; it happened so suddenly, in fact, that Angie felt a panic come over her until she realized he was breathing normally.

In his dreams Scott relived the shooting over and over. Sometimes he was shot, sometimes Angie was, and in his dreams he would scream out his rage. The last of these dreams happened a little before one in the morning. Then suddenly he was plunged into a dream unlike any he had ever had.

Scott's Dream:

Scott walked into the summer kitchen, listening as his mother sang softly. The kitchen was rich with the smells of bacon and eggs. She urged him to sit and poured him a cup of tea, sat the teapot down and kissed him on the forehead as she had thousands of times before and said, "Morning my boy." It was as though she had never died. Everything seemed to be back like it was before that day, that horrible day. The outside door opened and Scott's dad walked in, put his hand on Scott's shoulder, patted it and said, "Morning son, did you sleep well?" His dad sat down as his other handed him a cup of coffee. As he stirred in some sugar he looked over at Scott and smiled, "You have done well Scott, the ranch looks great. I like the changes you have made. We knew when you met that girl that things were going to get better for you."

Scott looked up as Angie waddled into the summer kitchen rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Scott stared at her as she was big with pregnancy, seven or eight months at least. She walked over to Scott's mother and kissed her on the cheek. His mother interrupted her cooking to pull Angie into a hug, being ever mindful of the precious cargo she carried in her belly. Angie then walked over behind Scott's dad and draped her arms over his shoulders and around his neck leaning over to give him a kiss on his cheek. Scott was still in shock, 'How are my parents alive now? When did Angie get pregnant?' It was all so real but it couldn't be, could it? Angie whispered something into his dad's ear and they both broke out laughing, she walked over to Scott motioning him to scoot his chair back. He did and she sat in his lap taking his left hand she placed it on her swollen belly. "Your son and daughter are trying to kick their way out this morning. Here, feel." She placed Scott's hand on her belly and he felt the tiny hands and feet as they pushed and kicked at the inside of her womb. Angie kissed Scott on the lips, lightly at first but then with more and more passion until Scott's ad cleared his throat. Angie giggled, and said, "I need to set the table."

Angie got up and started setting dishes and silverware around the table. Scott looked at the table and saw that she had set six place settings. Looking up at Angie he asked, "Who else is here?"

"I'm not going to tell you, it's a surprise," she giggled, "You'll have to wait and see." She had no more finished saying that than in walked a tall man who he only knew from photos, it was Dan Bell. Holding his hand was a woman who almost looked like Angie, but she was different. "Mom!" Angie screamed, "You made it. Oh I'm so glad to see you again, it's been such a long time." Tears were streaming down her face, "I missed you so much." After they had hugged and cried Angie and her mother helped each other set the table. Angie's mom was beautiful and looked to be only a few years older than Angie herself, but then she had died shortly after Angie was born.

Scott watched with an open mouth as four people who were supposed to be dead talked and visited like old friends. They laughed and talked about the coming birth of the twins and how busy he and Angie would be after their arrival. The four parents told Scott and Angie to follow their faith, love each other, and help those that they could. They finished breakfast and then the six of them sat at the table and visited until the four parents said it was time for them to go. There were hugs, handshakes, kisses and tears as they said their goodbyes. Then, as though it happened everyday, they walked out the door and disappeared into the twilight with promises to always watch over them.

Just like that Scott was ripped from his dream and plunged back into the restless sleep he had been in when the dream started. He wanted to see his parents again, there was so much more he wanted to know, wanted to tell them; but they were gone.

His sudden return to troubled sleep woke Angie up. She watched as Scott tossed and turned mumbling the names of his parents. Then he said, "Dan ... Merilynn ... come back please."

Angie's heart almost stopped, she thought back, she had never told Scott her mother's name. Again he mumbled, "Merilynn ... Dan ... Mom ... Dad ... come back!" Scott rolled over on to his back. Angie moved over on top of Scott and started kissing him.

"Scott," Angie called softly, she kissed him softly on the lips. Angie continued kissing and rubbing her body against Scott until at least his body began to respond. Angie persisted in trying to gently wake Scott from his now distressing dream. Angie moved down his body and took his now hard manhood into her mouth. Once it was well lubricated she moved up, straddled his hips and impaled herself on his hardness.

Scott's confusion was mounting, first a visit by four people long dead then, while he was trying to call back his parents and in-laws, he was getting aroused. His mind turned to Angie, was it true he wondered? Would Angie have twins? Was she pregnant now? He realized how careless he had been, he hadn't asked her about protection. Scott thought about how he felt about Angie, the Hummingbird that had flown into his life. Now his life seemed full. The more he thought of her the more powerful the feeling of belonging became. He wanted to kiss her and that want began to overpower the sense of loss left from the dream.

Angie knew at once when Scott began to come out of the tortured dream state of the last half hour. He turned his head and pursed his lips as though he were going to give a kiss. Angie took his head in her hands and turned it towards her lips. She kissed him hard using her tongue to pry apart his lips.

Suddenly Scott was awake. Angie was kissing him in a way that absolutely set him on fire. Slowly his dream fogged brain discovered that Angie was astraddle his hips and he was buried in her wetness. With the kiss, Scott's passion was suddenly way past the point of gentle love making. He wanted Angie; he wanted her now, tomorrow, always. He pulled her petite body against his and rolled until he was on top.

Their passion exploded, and the world collapsed until all that mattered was the two of them. Together they made each other whole, together they could face anything or anyone. Even in the early morning hours their passion did not go unnoticed.

At the end of the hall next to the library Maria turned to Red, "Have you ever seen two people more in love than those two?"

Red turned to face Maria, putting his arm around her and pulling her even closer, "Yes I know another couple who are that much in love." He kissed Maria gently, "I love you that much."

Maria smiled then returned Red's kiss with interest, interest compounded to the point of usury. Now a second couple's passion was added to the night. The house that had been home to so much loneliness now threatened to burst with love and passion.

Their passion was peaking. Scott and Angie's sweat covered bodies reflected the moonlight pouring through the French doors. Angie was urging Scott on, pushing for that last bit of pleasure. She felt him tense then push hard and deep into her and that was all it took for her to join him in the little death.

They lay together enjoying the afterglow of their love making. Once their breathing had returned to normal the other sounds of the house became apparent. Angie giggled, "I guess we started something." Angie moved so that she was half resting on Scott's chest, the still hard nipple of her left breast drilling into his chest. "Scott, what were you dreaming about? You were calling out my Mom and Dad's names and I don't remember ever telling you my mother's name."

"They were here. In the dream I mean, they introduced themselves to me. My Mom and Dad were here as well and they know each other and are very happy that we are together." Scott paused for a minute, the look on his face was one Angie had not seen and she could not stand it.

"What is it? There's something else, something you're not telling me?" Angie's face was only inches from Scott's, "Tell me, is there something wrong?"

Scott rolled Angie over on her back, rising up where he could see her in the moonlit room. Then he took and ran his hand over Angie's flat tummy, "Are you pregnant?"

The question was not what she was expecting, "I'm on the pill, you know that, but it's not foolproof. The only reason I was even taking it was because I was having trouble with my period. But why are you asking? What's wrong?"

Scott's hand was moving in circles on her tummy, "In the dream you were pregnant, big pregnant," Scott was nodding his head, "with twins, you said it was my son and daughter."

For the next few minutes silence ruled. Angie lay basking in the love she had found in Scott. Scott felt that he was on top of the world, he had found the love of his life and if she was pregnant then he would have something he had long given up on; children. Down the hall the sounds of passion from Red and Maria's room had died out, but that thought caused a stir in Scott. He leaned down to kiss Angie and she knew exactly what he wanted. In minutes the sounds of passion filled the room once again as this time Angie straddled her lover for an early morning ride. Angie was moving at an urgent pace. Scott held each of her small breasts, rolling the rock hard nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. Angie's moans were steadily increasing as her pace quickened. She leaned forward over Scott's body, her mouth right at his ear, "Give me a baby."

Her words hit Scott like a lightning bolt, "Angeee!" he groaned as he came. His climax was all that was needed to push Angie to hers, her body rigid as her inner muscles milked the last of Scott's sperm into her body. Angie collapsed on top of Scott as both of them struggled to regain their breath.

It was over a half hour later before Scott glanced at the clock on the bedside table; it was a quarter to five, "Let's go take a shower." They walked hand in hand into the bathroom; today would be a long and difficult day.

Scott and Angie went to the summer kitchen and started making breakfast, but this morning it would be a little more than breakfast for two. When Maria, Red and Tina walked into the summer kitchen Tina was still trying to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"Good morning," Scott said to the trio as they walked through the door.

Red called Tina over to him and whispered something into her ear. Tina left the summer kitchen at a dead run and returned a few minutes later at the same speed. She handed Red a shoe box and then returned to the table and the book she had left there.

Red was grinning from ear to ear, "Here Scott." Red began to pull four bottles out of the box, "these are some vitamins that I really do think you need to start taking."

Red and Maria were both laughing now but Red couldn't resist adding, "That and you really are going to have to learn to pace yourself. You're not as young as you once were, you know."

After the laughter had died down, Maria looked around the kitchen wondering how they were going to feed all the girls. "Well, Scott, have you ever fixed breakfast for seventeen people?" Maria was smiling as she said it, but she was a little worried.

Scott grinned, "It will be just like it is at shearing with a few extras thrown in. It won't be like the ordinary breakfast but everyone should end up with a belly full of hot food. Maria, I mixed up some masa trigo dough last night, do you think you could roll out some tortillas?" Scott went over to the cabinet top across from the old wood stove. "Red, could you give me a hand with this counter top?" Scott opened the doors to the front of the cabinet and released the latches that held the top on. "Grab that end Red and we'll just take it right outside and stand it up for now."

Red wasn't all that sure what this was in aid of but he grabbed his end and grunted. The top came off revealing an eight foot long flat metal surface. Once Red spotted the drain holes on the backside of it he knew it was a restaurant style grill. Scott threw Red a wet soapy rag and he started cleaning the top while Scott made sure the drip pans were in place.

Angie had just given Tina a glass of juice when Zara Rodrigues came in. Tina was the first to see her as she stepped through the door and with her normal bubbly voice she said, "Bom dia.(Good Morning) " What followed was a very normal early morning conversation that only half of those present understood, that being Maria, Tina and Zara. The rest of them looked back and forth from one person to the next; it was the verbal equivalent of a tennis match. Somewhere in the conversation, the subject of Tina's ability to speak Portuguese was brought up, which caused Zara to exclaim in her very best English, "You are a very smart little girl Tina. You will have to help me teach the other girls to speak English. Yes?" Zara gave Tina a hug and a kiss on the cheek then asked, "What can I do to help?"

Scott grabbed a pan and a potato peeler, "Would you mind peeling some potatoes?"

Zara smiled, reached for the peeler and said, "Claro, bonitão." She then turned to the giggling Tina and winked as she began to peel the pile of potatoes in front of her.

Maria walked over to Scott and whispered the translation into his ear and so Angie could hear. When he found out she had simply said, "Sure, good looking," Scott's face went bright red. Angie stood on her tip toes and kissed him, "She's right you know." Angie started back to what she had been doing but not before swatting Scott on the butt and saying, "You have a nice butt too."

Scott's face took on another two or three shades of red. Zara leaned out of her chair as though she was trying to get a better look, "Yes, very nice," she gave an exaggerated sigh, "very nice indeed." Everyone in the kitchen except Scott was laughing, he was simply glowing red and shaking his head.

Scott and Red added all of the leaves that he had to the dining room table and got the extra chairs from the closets they had been stored in. He showed Tina where the dishes were and she and Magda, another of the early rising girls, set the table. When they had finished setting the table Angie sent Tina down to the bunkhouse where the girls had slept to get the other girls for breakfast.

They had used all of the bacon, sausage and milk Scott and Angie had on hand as well nearly all the potatoes. About the only thing left in any quantity were pinto beans and masa trigo for tortillas. So it was looking like a trip to town would have to be made after the girls left. Scott hoped the immigration people would treat the girls' right but he didn't have a lot of faith in bureaucrats, state or federal.

Jack Rimes was getting tired of the Sanderson Motel. He jokingly thought he was going to sit Scott down and have a talk with him. Ever since he had met Angie there had been trouble, but he had never seen Scott this happy. He stopped and thought for a minute, wouldn't it be great if he could meet someone like Angie. Then Jack looked around the bare motel room voicing his thoughts, "It would make this place feel a lot better if I had someone to come home to."

Jack had been on the phone already this morning and he was sure that Scott was going to be very surprised to find out those twelve girls he rescued were going to be his problem. The INS, Immigration and Naturalization Service's policy on "OTM's"- other than Mexicans - was to issue them a summons to appear before a federal judge and hope they showed. If they didn't show their attitude was a shrug of the shoulder and go on about their business. So Jack was back on the phone now, as was Dallas as the two of them tried put together enough food and clothes for the girls. Jack had also arranged with Doc Eller to contact Red to see if there were any medical supplies that were needed.

Seven a.m. came and went as did eight and nine. The Fed's were late and getting later. At ten that morning Dallas sent Jason out to the Miles Ranch with the food and clothes that they had gathered. Jack decided to go along and take care of the crime scene. He would take the Justice of the Peace with him and let Jason bring him back.

The turn off for the Miles Ranch was ten miles east of Sanderson, from the highway it was twenty six long dusty miles to the ranch house. It was not a trip you can make in a hurry. Between the rough road, push gates and cattle guards the trip to the ranch could take an hour and a half, that's if the weather was good. If the weather was bad you just didn't go. Rainfall on the rocky ground quickly ran off and flash floods were always a real threat. It had been clear all morning but a dry line was predicted to move through later that afternoon. A dry line often brought thunderstorms, sometimes nasty ones, and that was what the weather service was predicting for the area this time. Jack knew that he wanted to get to the ranch and get back before it got dark. Waiting for the Fed's to show had already put that in danger. So Jack left thirty minutes after Jason, at least that way some of the dust would be settled by the time he got there.