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Lost In Red Rock Country

By Gail Gaymer Martin

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Chapter 1

Willow sat on a rock and looked out across the amazing landscape. Red Rocks appeared in every direction, formed into shapes from the wind and rain. They depicted everything an imagination could find and many were named from those well-known images—bell, submarine, coffeepot, cockscomb, castle, cathedral, Madonna and Child, and the one everyone loves, Snoopy Rock.
She dug into her hiking bag and pulled out her camera. Though she’d taken pictures of the rocks often, the sunlight, clouds and shadows, created new images, depending on the weather and time of day. Today a golden light struck Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte as if coated in gold.
Living in Sedona had been a kind of gift from her dear aunt and sadly her mother, in a way, when she became too ill to handle her arts and crafts store. The memories circled in her mind, and thoughts of her life before the red rock country had grown pale in comparison.
After she returned her camera to the bag, she rose, having caught her breath from the arduous climb she’d managed. The rugged landscape beckoned to her and headed deeper onto the mesa. Wild Horse was that, a rugged tree and shrub grown rock rising on both sides with a saddle shape dipping in the middle.
While a few trails lead to Wild Horse Mesa, she’d learned from those who lived in the Canyon Mesa townhouses that it was fun to take Lookout Drive to an opening that led to the wide meadow where she could walk to the foot of Wild Horse. The way up challenged many hikers since they found no clear path and some slippery steep slopes that could cause a fall. She’d never fallen and didn’t worry about it.
Not certain where she was headed, she looked across the landscape to find a point of direction so she could head back that way to get down, but no matter, she feared getting confused. Despite the concern, she tossed her head and wandered deeper onto the Mesa. As she walked, a silhouette appeared from the side, and she slowed. He must have noticed her too, but she could see no details.
The man veered a bit and headed her way, and though she’d always felt safe in Sedona, and especially the part called the Village of Oak Creek. The smaller community offered the comfort of a small town—restaurants, stores, and hiking trails that kept her from driving into the traffic of Uptown or West Sedona where the major stores were.
A faint sense of concern prickled down her spine, but as he drew nearer, a smile brightened his face. He raised his hand in a greeting, and she responded back, admiring his good-looks as he neared. “Hi. I didn’t expect to find anyone here.”
He shrugged. “I didn’t either. I hadn’t noticed anyone on the trails.”
She motioned her hand toward her strange way of climbing to the top. “I took the non-trail route.”
“Non-trail?” His eyes narrowed as his brow crinkled. “What’s that?”
“I can show you if you want to see it.”
His brow smoothed and his lips curved into a grin. “I’m always curious. Show me if you will.”
She turned back, eyed her landmark, and made her way through the faint path to the spot. When they arrived, he gazed down the side of the rough mesa and shook his head. “You really climbed up that?”
“I did, and I’ve done it before. I live in Canyon Mesa, and this route is a sort of private way to get here and avoid the regular trails.”
He moved closer and looked down. “Do you see that loose gravel? I’m surprised you haven’t fallen. That looks dangerous to me.”
“I like a little danger, I guess.” Like danger? The comment was stupid. She feared anything she didn’t know, even the stranger before she got a good look at him. “Perhaps that’s a slight exaggeration.”
“I hope so.” He stood a while longer gazing out at the Canyon Mesa townhouses. “You should never climb alone especially when it’s that rough.” He turned and faced her. “You live in that community there?”
“I own a little casita.”
“Casita?” His head tilted as he gazed at her.
“It’s a smaller townhouse. Two bedrooms and baths but smaller rooms, and yet it’s great for one person or even two if they don’t mind spending time together.”
He eyed her again and grinned. “I suppose that depends on who the other person is.”
She grinned back while admiring his light brown eyes like a fawn with specks of gold.
“I’ve noticed Canyon Mesa before when going up Jack’s Canyon Road. It’s gated, right?”
“It is, which helps me feel safe. The house belonged to my aunt who’d never married, and she treated me like the daughter she’d never had. She left the casita to me when she died, and I was touched since I love this area and always visited her when I could. I was born in Indiana. Much different than the southwest.” She studied him a moment. “Do you live in Sedona or are you visiting?”
“I have a condo in West Sedona, but I enjoy some of the rock formations in this area so I come here to hike. It’s not as crowded as some of the popular areas closer to Uptown.”
“You have good taste.”
He tossed his head back with his laugh. “Thank you…I think.” His brow wrinkled again before he turned and extended his hand. “By the way, I’m Case Ashton.”
She grasped his hand “Willow Randolph.”
“Willow. That’s an interesting name.”
“Mom said I was a willowy baby, long and slim for a newborn. and I didn’t flap my limbs like a baby. She said I looked like tree branches shifting in the wind.” She shrugged having no idea where her mother had come up with all of that. “That’s what she said.”
“Then that’s who you were, and you’re still rather willowy. You’re slender and seem to have long legs.” He slapped his cheek with a grin. “Not that I’m ogling your figure. I noticed when you were further away. That was my impression.”
“Thank you…I think.”
They both laughed, and she liked their common sense of humor.
“Do you mind if I walk with you?”
She studied him a moment, and liking him from the start, she agreed. “Which way?”
He motioned deeper onto the mesa, and though she had no idea where it went, she followed him. Though they walked in silence, he flashed her an occasional grin and slowed so she didn’t have to struggle to keep up with him.
Though she enjoyed their silence, her curiosity won out. “What do you do here for a living? You’re too young to be retired.”
“I sure am, but I can do much of my work from home and I like the setup.”
“Computer work, I assume.”
He only nodded and pointed to the view. She stopped to admire the amazing view of the red rocks and pulled out her camera to capture a few pictures. While she did, she caught him in one, smiling at her, but she didn’t tell him. Sneaking a photo seemed silly, but she wanted to keep the memory of the day with a stranger.
“Thanks for showing me all of this, Case. It’s been fun, but I need to get back. I have a ton of things to do, and I’m working tonight of all things.”
“Working? I wasn’t thinking.” He added his great smile. “Where do you work?
“At an arts and craft store in Sedona. My mother owned one, but wasn’t a good business woman, and when she became very ill, I wanted to give her a hand so I worked the store and was there if she needed me.”
“How’s she doing now?”
“Mom died three years ago. I sold the building and stayed with my aunt, and then she died and left me the casita.” She pointed toward Canyon Mesa, assuming she had pointed in the right direction. Getting turned around on the mesa made her realize that she needed to be careful when hiking. “I also had an interest in designing handcrafted jewelry and so I took a couple of classes and found I have a talent. Now I also sell some of my own work at the store.”
“And on top of being determined and a hiker, I learn you’re creative as well.”
His look made her grin. “I guess so. I don’t think creativity was in my family, but I got it from somewhere. Now I have no one to ask since mom and my aunt are gone.”
“Then, you have no family here now?”
“None here or anywhere really, but I have a few friends in Sedona, and it’s become home to me. I love the area…just as you do, I assume.”
“You assume right.” He gazed across the landscape for a minute before turning. “We’d better get you back, but I want you to come my way and not down that treacherous trail you climbed.”
“But I don’t have a car and—”
He rested his hand on her shoulder. “I have a Jeep, and I’ll be glad to drop you off. It’s on the way back.”
“I guess that will work.” Though taking the trail back down caused her no concern, she liked the man and going with him gave her a few more minutes to enjoy his company.
He beckoned her to follow and as they walked, she admired his impressive build. He was maybe six feet tall, she guessed from her five foot seven frame, and his broad shoulders and chest tapered to a thin waist and long lean legs. Most of all, she loved his smile. Once she was on the trail, she couldn’t turn back. “This trail is much longer than mine. We’ve been walking for twenty minutes and I don’t see the parking lot yet.”
“Patience. It’s there. I suppose it is farther.”
“A lot farther.”
He patted her back and chuckled. “Think of the exercise and the new sights you’re seeing.”
“I can only think of two things. I’ve been duped and I’m really hungry.”
“I can help you with the hunger part, but not your duped comment.” He leaned over her with a winked. “I suggested we come this way, because I was thinking of your well-being. Someday you’ll thank me.”
“We’ll see.” She couldn’t help but smile.
“And speaking of seeing.” He pointed ahead of them. “See that speck in the distance. That’s my Jeep in the parking lot.”
♥
As he drove back toward Canyon Mesa, Case couldn’t stop his concern for Willow. She insisted she could hike alone, but her determination worried him, especially on uncharted trails. Willow. He said her name over in his mind. The name suited her. Willows had slender limbs, and yet sturdy wood, though it was pliant. Willows had roots that went deep, and they were aggressive, often clogging drains. As he looked at her, the truth reminded him that she had already clogged his mind with an interest he couldn’t control or, maybe, didn’t want to.
“We’re almost back. How about going to a restaurant. I could eat too. I’m getting hungry.”
“I have food at home, but thanks.” She turned and looked out the window in silence.
Unexpected disappointment struck him, but he let it go. He’d visit the store and see her one day, he hoped.
Though still looking out the window, she presented an offer. “Actually, Case, I have plenty if you’d like to join me.” Finally, she turned. “Anyway, you can see what a casita is. You sounded as if you didn’t know what they were.”
“I’d never heard the term.” His pulse skipped. “Are you sure I won’t be in the way?”
“In the way?” She chuckled. “It’s big enough for two people. I—”
“I didn’t mean your home. I meant your sharing your lunch.”
A smile curved her lips. “Oh, I thought… No, I have plenty, and you’d be very welcome to share.”
“Okay then. That sounds good.”
As he curved the road, he spotted the entrance to Canyon Mesa, and he turned through the gate and waited for directions.”
“Make a right, and at the fork continue right onto Copper Springs.”
He followed her directions and in moments, she had him pulling into a parking space. He turned off the engine and headed for the passenger door, but she beat him to it and beckoned him to follow. The beige stucco homes along the street were neat with an occasional flowering tree or shrub. “It’s well-kept. Very nice.”
“Thanks. We have maintenance people who keep it looking that way.” She motioned for him to follow as she climbed the few steps. “Here we go.” She unlocked the door and pushed it back for him to enter. He walked inside to an open floor plan with a small kitchen with an island that divided the area from the dining table and then the living room that stretched to a large window in front. He could see a broad green landscape. “Very nice.”
“The view out the front window is part of the golf course—the second tee.”
He looked again and notice the flag. “That’s handy.”
Willow motioned toward a doorway off the dining area. “To the right is a hall that leads to the bedrooms and bathrooms.”
Though it was roomy enough, he couldn’t help compare his home in West Sedona and wondered what she would think. He didn’t like his answer. “You are right. There’s plenty of room for two people here.”
She nodded but appeared preoccupied as she dug into her refrigerator. “I hope you like salad.”
Salad? He ate salads that accompanied dinners, but what could he say. No wonder she had such a trim figure. “I enjoy a good salad.” Too late to bite his tongue. Why did he add good to the salad comment?
“I’m glad you do. That’s what I planned.” She pulled out a stool beside the island. “You can sit here, or in there if you like.”
Though she’d pointed to the living room, he pulled out a stool and sat. As she worked, his surprise grew. This wasn’t an ordinary salad. She’d added meat and cheese and finally he realized it was more like an antipasto salad than a plain dinner salad. “It looks delicious, Willow.”
“Thanks.” She didn’t look up but continued to add olives and small light green peppers.
Once she’d tossed the salad, she plated it in colorful pasta-type bowls and pulled out bread sticks from a cabinet. “What would you like to drink?
“Water’s fine.”
She nodded and pointed to a nearby cabinet. “Glasses are in there. Water’s in a pitcher in the fridge.”
He followed her instructions, and instead of eating on the island, she motioned him toward the dining room table. He carried the water glasses and settled across from her at the table that already had placemats arranged for four. He wondered who she might have entertained.
The delicious salad won his award for the best antipasto salad he’d eaten, even in some of the restaurants. The flavors melded together heightened by the dressing she’d used. She seemed in thought, and he would have loved to listen to those ideas rattling in her head. “Are you thinking about work?”
She glanced his way, her head shaking. “I started a bracelet using cat’s eye, and now I’m thinking to highlight it with a few amber beads to bring out the flecks of yellow.”
When she lifted her head and searched his eyes, he longed to know why. “I like the idea. How did that idea come into your mind today?”
Willow squirmed in her chair as if uncomfortable, but that made no sense. It wasn’t a personal question.
She remained silent as a pink glow enhanced her fair skin. Finally, she tilted her head and looked at him. “Your eyes.”
His eyes? His mind shot back to his question. “I don’t understand.”
“Your eyes are a soft brown flecked with yellow highlights. The color is intriguing.”
He didn’t get that either, but he was glad his eyes offered her a creative idea. “I suppose I should look at them.” He grinned, but she didn’t grin back.
“They’re different...beautiful to me. I think the sunlight brings out the yellow, but I noticed when something interests you, that amber color is more noticeable.” Finally, she grinned. “You could give yourself away, you know.” She leaned closer and nodded. “Right now, there’s no sun, but the color is amazing.”
Her warning sounded in his head. Give himself away. Is that what he was doing now. Did his interest in Willow act like a neon sign on his forehead? And he had no recourse other than to wear sunglasses or not look at her.
“Did I embarrass you? If I did, I’m sorry. You asked and I—”
“Not embarrass. You surprised me. I’ve really never paid attention to my eye color. They’re just my eyes. Now yours are very pretty too. I noticed when I saw you on the mesa.”
“Plain old blue. Nothing fancy.”
“Not so. They’re blue but they have a touch of violet in them. Like the flowers.”
She touched her eyebrow as she gazed at him. “Not like the flowers. Like the old movie star Elizabeth Taylor. I’ve seen photos of her with eyes that color. She was one of my mom’s favorite movie stars.”
“I’ve heard that too.” He shook his head. “Not about your mother but about Taylor’s eye color.”
She laughed, and the sound surprised him. Today she’d seemed more serious at times, although she did make him laugh when they were on the mesa. Her manner fascinated him though he wasn’t certain why. He set his fork in the bowl and moved it to the side. “I should be on my way, and I know you need to work. I’m interested in seeing some of your handcrafted jewelry, so don’t be surprised if I stop by one day. I have a gift to buy, and one of your pieces might be perfect.”
“I’ll give you a business card for the store.” She rose and headed into the living room, and when she returned, she handed him the information.
“Thanks.” He slipped it into his pocket, grasped his bowl and headed for the kitchen.
“Don’t bother, Case. It’ll only take me a minute to clean up, and I don’t mind at all. It was nice having you join me for lunch.”
“My pleasure, Willow. You’re a good chef.”
She grinned and color rose up her cheeks again.
He backed toward the doorway. “I’ll see you soon, and meanwhile, be careful where you’re hiking. If you want company, give me a call.” He paused a moment to dig for his card. “It’s my private number so call anytime.” He gave a quick wave and opened the door. As he stepped outside, he looked back over his shoulder. “Thanks again.”
He hurried down the steps, almost hating to leave her behind. She’d made a difference in his day, and it’s a day he would remember.

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