Jake didn’t have a chance to find out. The sky opened with relentless rain. They clung to the boat for what seemed like twenty minutes.
Once the storm let up, Jake went below deck to find dry clothes, and when he returned…the man was gone.
* * * *
“Rance Maxmillian Clarke.” Rance stated his name when the matronly Indian woman asked, but his mind kept zipping from one thought to another, keeping him unhinged. He’d experienced numerous dreams and bizarre visions since receiving Sarah O’Reilly’s corneas, but now that he was with the deceased woman’s mother. It was frightening, the possibility that Sarah’s memories and his own consciousness danced without touching.
Am I losing my mind? Is any of this real?
First the man on the dock outside had looked familiar—then when Rance had met Sarah’s mother there had been another instant flash of recognition. Impossible!
Mahala O’Reilly—or Haley, as Sarah’s mother instructed Rance to call her—sat across from him, looking into his eyes.
“Not what I expected,” Haley said. “When Summer met you and said we needed to meet, somehow, I figured you’d be Native. I didn’t expect…you.” Then as if to cover a mistake, Haley seemed to force a smile. “They have Indians in Nevada, right?”
Rance nodded, fighting the visions that assaulted him—visions of Sarah and her mother, through Sarah’s eyes. The scenes disturbed him, even though they shouldn’t. He’d read prior to going to Oklahoma about what plagued him…cellular memory, the transference, improbable as it seemed, of his donor’s memories via her cells to his body and mind.
He concentrated on steadying his voice so as not to alarm the older woman. “Th-the waiting list doesn’t have information for things like that, though. Recipients just apply and are given a position on the list, depending upon how badly they’re in need.”
Rance felt uncomfortable discussing organ donation with Sarah’s mother, but Haley seemed more than a little interested.
Haley’s hands were on the laminated oak tabletop, and she twisted the numerous turquoise and coral-stoned silver rings on her fingers as she spoke. “I didn’t even know my daughter was an organ donor until…” Her voice trailed. “She was on a business trip, and Colin—that’s her husband—went with her while we kept the kids.” She peered intently at Rance. “Are you okay?”
Rance nodded, but he wasn’t fine. He was disturbed, as if he’d done something wrong. He couldn’t look at Sarah’s mother without wanting to get up and hug her, comfort her, tell her how much Sarah had loved her. What was more, Rance wanted to tell her things that would certainly have Sarah’s family calling the police and having them lock him up.
How could he, who’d rarely been out of Nevada, tell these people that he knew things about them, about their home, their culture, about Oklahoma, plus personal things that only Sarah would know?
He jumped as Haley’s hands covered his own. “I know why Summer sent you.”
Rance waited for enlightenment. He’d taken the initiative and had walked up to Summer Knife Chief as if they were friends. Haley had asked Summer to meet with Rance after Rance had written, claiming to be the recipient of Sarah’s corneas. Granted, Rance had made the moves to contact the family, but he still didn’t understand any of it. He’d almost trashed any idea he had of meeting the O’Reilly’s and simply gone back to Nevada. If not for getting lost the night before and meeting the stranger in the rain, he’d have done just that.
Haley continued. “There’s something I need to show you. Can you stay for a few minutes?”
Rance nodded, grateful for the prospect of being alone with his erratic thoughts and getting the chance to sort through the memories that weren’t his.
He looked up as the tall Native man from the dock entered the restaurant. He wore faded jeans and a black T-shirt, sneakers and a ball cap. He was lithe, like a runner, with a flat stomach and nice arms. Not too big, definitely not small. The other men Rance had been with were too brusque for Rance’s tastes. This one was the perfect build and size, and his long, hip-length, black hair flowed beneath the cap, giving him a wild, sexy demeanor.
Rance gulped, remembering their coupling from the night before. Never in his life had he felt such freedom, like a cat clawing at an invisible cage, finally able to burst through to the other side. All because of this man Rance had envisioned in his dreams for weeks, unable to get him out of his mind.
Rance had seen him outside, watching him from beneath the brim of his ball cap until someone had stepped out of a car and walked up to him. Filaments of information Rance had gleaned from Sarah’s memories had told him that the man who’d driven up was Colin Adair, Sarah’s husband. It had been obvious that he and Sarah’s brother were at odds over something. Rance’s mind stumbled over the thought that the Indian was Sarah’s brother, because he kept getting flashes of inconsistencies from what was left of Sarah’s memories.
Rance knew Haley had seen the two men as well, because she’d positioned herself so that she could watch their conversation. Then Haley had caught the attention of the two Indian men at the wrap-around bar and had motioned with only a nod and slight wave of her hand for them to go outside. Good thing. The larger man she’d sent had latched onto the jean-clad man’s fist, keeping him from punching Colin, who was much brawnier and taller.
As the man from the boat drew closer, their eyes met, and once again, Rance felt reality slipping. He saw Sarah and the Native man exchanging hugs then angry words, as a montage of scenes raced across his mind’s eye. As children, teenagers, adults—the memories chased one another. Blood rushed to Rance’s head, and he felt faint. He fought the impulse to flee when he opened his mouth.
“I saw you talking with my mother.” He scooted onto the bench across from Rance, where Haley had been sitting. “We didn’t get the chance to get acquainted last night. I’m—”
“Jake.” The whoosh of Sarah’s memories flooded Rance’s brain, running through his veins with freight train velocity.
No-no-no
, they kept telling him.
Not blood brother and sister
.
Jake looked puzzled. “Have we met before last night?” Then he took off his ball cap and craned his neck toward Rance. His voice was eerily soft, as if he was in disbelief. “This isn’t possible. It can’t be you.”
Rance blinked, thrown off balance. He was the one with a second sight or extra sense of memories. Right?
“You recognize me?”
Jake’s handsome face darkened, and his eyes flashed threateningly. “I didn’t last night, but I do now. Who put you up to this?” He looked about furtively. “Where’s Mom? Is she all right?”
Jake reached across the table to hold Rance in place while grilling him. His voice was like velvet sandpaper, soft yet irritating. “What is the meaning of this?”
An electrical current of recognition ground Rance to his seat. Jake’s fingers on his wrists made him flush with a mixture of sudden familiarity, which he was sure was from Sarah’s memories, and an inexplicable desire, which disturbed him. This was Sarah’s brother, so there was no way he should feel drawn to him sexually, not if he was channeling Sarah.
“Let go.” Rance struggled to remain calm.
“Is this a sick joke?” Jake demanded.
“Who are you? Where is my mother?”
“I’m right here, son—goodness!” Haley frowned as she rejoined Rance. “This man has no idea what you’re talking about, Jake.”
Haley smacked Jake’s hands, telling him to release Rance. Then she placed a framed drawing in front of Rance. “Sarah was a good artist, even had a few showings in the area, and some of her work hangs in various museums throughout the state. She drew this when she was about sixteen. Sarah was our only daughter and had brothers, but she used to say this was a portrait of her brother by a different mother.”
Rance recognized himself instantly, and for the first time since he’d received Sarah’s corneas, he was sure of something. Himself.
“I never met Sarah.” The words sounded lame, but he had to be honest. “I-I don’t understand what’s going on, but…I had to come here, to see you.”
“Of course, dear.” Haley patted his shoulder.
“No, you don’t understand.” Rance swallowed hard, gathering courage. “Things have been strange for me ever since the operations. I’ve had visions.” He glanced up to meet Jake’s steely gaze. “I don’t expect you to believe me, but this was
all
meant to be.”
Regret filled him. “I don’t mean that it was Sarah’s lot in life to die like that—I read about it in
The Las Vegas Sun
, weeks after I began healing. It was horrible. Three people killed, including your daughter. Tragic, her getting gunned down like that and the police unable to catch those responsible. But I was meant to…” Rance groaned and buried his face in his hands, searching for the words.
Benefit
sounded so cold, so mercenary, but what other word sufficed?
Haley pulled Rance’s hands away and looked him in the eye. Her gaze was kind, understanding, and her pain and sorrow alone would have done Rance in, but the compassion Haley offered nearly brought him to tears. “Sarah knew this would happen, I think. Look.” Haley indicated the portrait. “It’s a perfect likeness of you as you are today, and she drew it nearly fifteen years ago.”
Rance could only stare. It
was
perfect. In the picture, he actually looked radiant and happy. Far from how he felt at the moment. But the thought that a young girl from hundreds of miles away, one who’d never meet him, could capture him so uncannily, was a miracle in itself. Just like the gift of sight Sarah had given him.
Haley bent and hugged Rance. The act was the panacea Rance needed to heal his troubled heart, even if temporarily. The guilt he’d felt for receiving another’s eyes unnerved him.
Jake cleared his throat, interrupting Rance’s brief respite from guilt. He could tell by Jake’s tone that he wasn’t convinced Rance wasn’t up to something that would harm his family. “How is it that Summer found you? Why are you here?”
“Jake!” Haley sounded shocked. She slammed her palms onto the table before him, glaring at him. “I signed the forms agreeing to meet Sarah’s recipients. Sometimes, these people just want to say thank you—did you think of that?” She turned to Rance. “I apologize for my son’s rudeness, but he still has issues he’s working on since Sarah’s death. They didn’t part well.”
Rance moved forward.
The hell with what he thinks. He wants to be an asshole, let him. I got what I came for, the chance to meet Sarah’s family and say thanks.
“That last day, when you and your sister fought? She saw your point—she just disagreed. She felt that gambling wouldn’t affect your father the way that you thought it would. What’s between you and your dad has nothing to do with gambling. The alcoholism is
his
problem—you aren’t to blame. Neither are your brothers and your mother.” Rance drew a deep breath, watching the shocked expressions on both Haley’s and Jake’s faces. “I’m sorry, but Sarah would want you to know that she doesn’t blame you for the argument. In the words I feel are coming through me from her,
It is what it is. Time to get over it.”
Jake suddenly caught his mother as her legs buckled. He helped her into the booth where he’d been sitting then slid in beside her, staring at Rance. “My sister used to say exactly that. How…? There’s no way you could have known…”
“Exactly.” Rance was beyond mortified that he’d ratted himself out like that and invited the O’Reilly family to make fun of him. Or worse, to become frightened of him. Bad enough that he scared the hell out of himself.
Haley cried softly and brought a napkin from the table to her face, wiping her eyes and nose, sniffling. When Jake tried comforting her, she shook her head. “I’m okay. Just surprised—that’s all.” She finished wiping her face and looked at Rance again, her eyes imploring. “What else has Sarah told you? Did she say why she died?”
Jake lifted his hands to his face, running white-knuckled fingers through his hair. “Mom, you aren’t buying this? It’s a scam! I must have said something to Colin, and maybe Colin told him while he was in Las Vegas, preparing to bring the bodies of his brother and his wife home. Did you think of that?”
“Colin left Las Vegas when Sarah’s body was released,” Haley said.
“Then he said something to this man while he was in the hospital. I mean, he was right there, in the same damned hospital, for the transplant to occur. No?”