Author's Note: Dear readers, thanks to all of you who have made it this far on Mac's journey. There is MUCH more to come. Though my story will always be chronological, all the main recurring characters (except one) have been introduced, so you should be able to skip chapters you don't like and still enjoy Mac's adventures. As always, feedback is truly appreciated!
Spring Break: The Tourists
Early the next morning, MacGyver was relaxing in a living room chair flipping through a guide book for the area when he heard the soft squeak of Joanna's bedroom door opening. He watched as she padded sleepily down the hall towards him and the kitchen. She wore green and yellow plaid lounge pants and a white, oversized sweatshirt. He let out a wolf whistle to catch her attention. It worked. Her head jerked up and she glared at him.
"You look—"
"Shut up," she warned.
"Comfortable. I was gonna say 'comfortable'," he explained innocently.
She grumbled something he couldn't quite make out and he had a feeling he was glad he couldn't understand her reply.
"Not a morning person?" he asked.
"Only if morning starts at noon," she replied smartly.
"But you're always at work so early…"
"I do what I gotta do," she shrugged.
MacGyver watched as Joanna rambled around the kitchen preparing her breakfast. He thought back to their fireside conversation the night before. He admired how dedicated Jo was to her job and the kids, but he also believed she shouldered too many responsibilities. Responsibilities that weren't hers to carry. He longed to lift the misplaced burdens. Perhaps that was why, sometime in the wee hours of the morning, he became determined to show her a good time today. He longed to see her bright smile and hear her contagious laughter that she kept so fiercely locked away.
"So, what's on the agenda for today?" she asked, interrupting his thoughts.
"I thought we could play tourists," he replied, holding up the brochures he had picked up in the resort's office earlier.
"Sure," she replied. "We could check out some of the shops downtown and go from there."
"Sounds like a plan," Mac concurred, surprised she had agreed so easily.
An hour later, Joanna's car was parked in a public lot and they were strolling along the five city blocks that made up the downtown area of this tourist destination. MacGyver enjoyed checking out the souvenir shops, especially the wood carvings and paintings, while Joanna gravitated toward locally crafted jewelry and pottery. It didn't take long to figure out that most of the stores sold the same things at the same prices. What a racket! MacGyver was growing bored when his gaze fell upon a sign advertising an old time photo studio.
"Hey, let's check that out!" He eagerly headed towards the storefront, his long legs quickly eating up the short distance with Joanna in tow. Two large windows on either side of the door displayed black and white photos with modern families dressed in vintage clothes, posing in front of various tableaus ranging from the Wild West to Woodstock.
"We gotta do this!" MacGyver exclaimed with a child-like enthusiasm that made Joanna laugh.
Once inside the little studio, the photographer instructed the duo to choose their scene and costumes of the one-size-fits-all variety.
Joanna began examining their choices. "So, what should we be?" she asked him.
"I wanna be a cowboy," he answered without hesitation, not caring if he sounded like a five-year-old. Growing up in Minnesota, he dreamed of being a hockey player…or a cowboy. What little boy didn't? Now was his chance.
"OK, then I'll be the barmaid," Joanna decided as she held up a low-cut, long-skirted dress. She grinned saucily and Mac's pulse jumped.
Once properly outfitted, the photographer instructed them to begin striking poses and 'just have fun with it'. The camera began to click and old-time piano music blared from hidden speakers. A bit unsure at first, Joanna stood dutifully behind the bar pretending to hand Cowboy Mac a mug of beer. Before long, MacGyver hoisted Joanna up on the bar where she sat with her legs crossed and skirt pulled up to her knees enticingly. Warming to the role of cowboy, he grabbed a stiff length of rope and lassoed the barmaid who tried to appear chagrined despite her laughter at his antics.
After the impromptu photo session, Mac and Jo, both still in costume, stood by a table examining the many pictures of their western selves, carefully deciding which ones they wanted to buy.
After changing into their street clothes, Joanna and MacGyver walked out of the studio and into the bright spring sunshine. They shared a light lunch at a sidewalk café before heading back to the car.
"Having fun?" Mac asked from the passenger seat as Joanna slid behind the wheel.
"Yeah, I am," she responded thoughtfully. "I really am. What's next on the agenda?"
Mac's heart lightened at the easy way Joanna had slipped into 'tourist mode' and was looking forward to their next venture.
"I think I want to play cowboy again. Ever been horseback riding?"
"Yeah!" Joanna's face brightened, then instantly dimmed. "But it's been several years."
"No problem," MacGyver assured her. "As long as you know how to start, stop, steer, and sit properly, the rest is a piece of cake!"
"I can handle that," she promised. Mac showed her the brochure he had found advertising trail rides and she followed the directions to the given location.
The place looked nothing like the picture. A large barn with peeling paint sat adjacent to an unkempt corral where still-saddled horses stood nibbling weeds and grass. A dilapidated lean-to on the far side did a poor job of providing shade to the tired horses resting there.
Joanna stopped the car and MacGyver could feel her looking at him.
"I don't like the looks of this place," she said softly, as if afraid of being overheard.
"Me neither," Mac replied as he continued to look out the window and assess the situation.
"Shouldn't the horses be unsaddled until they're ready to be ridden?"
"Not necessarily, but it is rather odd seeing we seem to be the only ones here. It's not as if they have a lot of people waiting to ride," MacGyver replied thoughtfully.
"The horses don't look very energetic, either," Joanna observed. "Maybe we should go." She reached to turn on the ignition, but Mac covered her smaller hand with his to stop her.
"I think it's best if we stay," he told her. Something was definitely wrong here and MacGyver wanted to investigate.
They slowly got out of the car and started walking towards the corral when a short, pudgy, middle-aged man wearing denim overalls and a worn cowboy hat appeared from the barn. Four lanky teenagers clad in Western garb also appeared and made their way towards the corral. Apparently they were the stable boys.
"Stay close and no matter what I say or do, follow my lead, okay?" Mac whispered to Jo who nodded her head in agreement.
"Howdy folks! Name's Earl. What can I do you for this fine afternoon?" the pudgy man asked with a smile as he headed their way.
MacGyver thought the answer was obvious, but responded anyway. "We'd like to go for a trail ride."
"Oh, what a shame," the Earl shook his head. "We're short-handed today and my only guide just left with the last party of the day."
Mac surreptitiously surveyed the small parking area and spied a beat up minivan.
"No problem," MacGyver said confidently. "We're both experienced riders and know the area well. If we could just have a couple of mounts we'll head out and catch up to them."
"Sorry. No can do. It's against policy, you see. How do I know you're not going to take off with my stock?"
"I'm willing to pay double."
The man's eyes bulged and he smiled widely. "Well, you two look like honest folk. Tommy!" he called to one of the boys. "Get a couple of horses for the lady and gentleman here!"
"Actually," MacGyver cut in, "we were hoping to pick out our own rides."
"Well, I don't know…"
"I'll pay triple."
"Well, then, go right ahead," Earl invited as he puffed out his chest.
"Convenient that you have all your horses saddled and ready to go," MacGyver commented casually before he caught Joanna's gaze and held it a bit longer than necessary. Giving her an imperceptible nod he hoped she'd pick up on what he wanted her to do.
"Well, like them Boy Scouts say, 'always be prepared'!" Earl chortled as Mac handed over his credit card.
Joanna had already slipped into the corral and was in the process of choosing her horse when MacGyver joined her. Together, they strolled amongst the large animals, patting their necks and smoothing their withers. Some startled at their touch. Others tried to avoid them altogether. The invading humans walked leisurely, visually inspecting the animals' coats, eyes, and what they could see of their mouths. Finally, Mac grabbed the lead rope of a large black quarter horse and headed toward the corral's gate. Joanna followed, leading a gentle bay mare to a mounting block. MacGyver effortlessly swung himself onto the back of his horse. Had the saddled slipped slightly? It was hard to say. Nudging the black with his heels, he met Joanna and her bay at the trailhead. Together they settled into a rhythmic walk and followed the well-worn path.
"What do you say we do a little off-roading?" Mac suggested.
"Lead the way," Jo encouraged.
MacGyver gently tugged right on the reigns, leading his horse into a field decorated with wildflowers and dotted with leafy trees. He heard a slight scuffle behind him as Joanna's bay momentarily resisted the change in direction.
"I think she's used to the trail," Joanna commented.
"Could be," Mac agreed. "Let's pick up the pace and see how they respond."
The couple and their horses trotted side-by-side before Mac suddenly pulled back on his reigns, causing Jo to do the same.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Not sure," he responded. "Thought I might have felt the saddle slip." Again. "Let's just walk them for a while."
He heard the mare skitter once more. Thinking Joanna must be holding the reigns too tight, he turned around to tell her to slacken her grip.
"My grip can't get any looser," Joanna told him as she held up the limp leads.
"You shouldn't give her that much slack," he instructed. "She could take the bit and run."
"I doubt that. She seems pretty listless." But MacGyver saw Jo tighten the reigns just a bit even as she was talking.
"Mac?" Jo called, an edge to her voice he hadn't heard before.
"What is it?"
"I'm not sure, but I think my saddle moved."
"Let's stop and check things out." This was getting weird. He watched the mare side-step as Joanna signaled for her to halt. Suddenly his own mount began tossing his large, dark head from side to side.
"Let's dismount, but try not to put extra weight on your stirrup in case the saddle is loose," he instructed. Unlike the traditional method, MacGyver gracefully swung his right leg forward over the horse's head, kicked his left foot out of the stirrup and lowered himself to the ground. He watched as Joanna impressively executed the same maneuver.
"OK, let's see what's going on," he muttered, looking around to make sure they were alone.
Joanna led her bay over to him, a concerned look on her face. "Her bit is wedged in her mouth," she told Mac. "See how irritated the skin is?"
MacGyver examined the mare's mouth, a grim look on his face.
"I didn't think I pulled that hard on the reins," Joanna said softly.
"You didn't. The chafing on her mouth happened over a period of time."
Mac then went to examine his own horse's mouth. "He's OK," he informed Jo who had been watching anxiously. "Let's check out these saddles."
As MacGyver unclipped straps and unbuckled cinches, his muscle memory took over from his time spent riding as a boy and he was soon tossing the black's saddle and blanket on the ground. He approached to examine the horse's back, bile rising in his throat at the site of several large, angry welts. Anger burned in his chest.
"Take his reins," he instructed Joanna as he quickly unsaddle the little mare. She had the same sores though not as bad. Probably because she was smaller and carried less weight.
"Are they saddle sores?" Joanna asked, her voice husky.
"Yeah," Mac replied, fighting to quell the rage building within him. "Most likely from the saddles being too loose and worn the whole day. From the look of things, they've been this way for a while." How could anyone treat defenseless animals this way? It was unconscionable!
"What about her mouth?"
MacGyver sighed. This wasn't going to be easy, but he had to get that bit out. He slowly moved from the mare's side to her head, keeping a hand on her at all times so she knew where he was and wouldn't spook when she saw him.
"C'mon baby, take it easy, let me help you," he crooned as he slowly reached up to undo the buckles and straps of the bridle. With an economy of movement, Mac pulled the bridle down over the horse's ears, gently coaxing the bit from her mouth. "That's it, just a little more…" he murmured. The bit came out and MacGyver stepped back in case the bay decided to protest. When she didn't strike out, Mac once again approached her and began to stroke her long nose with one hand while holding the bridle with the other.
"Joanna, come here and take the lead rope off the bridle and snap it on her halter."
Joanna quietly did as he asked and joined him in soothingly stroking the mare with one hand as she held the reins of his horse in her other.
"What are we going to do now?" she asked, keeping her voice low so she wouldn't spook the horses.
"We're going to take them back and call in the proper authorities. My guess is these aren't the only horses that have been mistreated."
MacGyver stacked Joanna's smaller saddle on top of his bigger one along with the saddle blankets.
"You lead the horses and take the bridle, I'll carry these," he told her as he lifted the saddles into his arms.
They walked side-by-side, the horses following behind them. MacGyver chuckled when his horse reached out and began to gently nibble his hair.
Returning to the trailhead they saw a number of police cars and an ambulance pulled up to the barn, a group of people gathered around it. Earl broke away from the group and headed directly towards them.
"What have you done to my horses?!" he bellowed, his face so red MacGyver half expected the man to have a heart attack and drop dead at his feet.
"I was going to ask you the same thing," Mac shot back, not caring that his voice sounded harsh as he dropped the saddles at Earl's feet.
"What's going on over there?" Joanna interrupted, raising her chin toward the barn.
"Oh…um…nothing!" Earl stuttered. "Just a little misunderstanding is all."
"Is that so?" Mac asked, heading toward the crowd before Earl could answer. Joanna followed with the horses plodding behind her.
"Excuse me, what's going on over here?" MacGyver asked one of the police officers.
"Who are you?"
"Name's MacGyver. My friend and I just got back from a ride. Is everything okay?"
Mac had been surreptitiously surveying the scene as he spoke to the officer. A little boy no older than seven or eight sat on the ground flanked by EMT's while a couple, presumably the boy's parents, spoke animatedly to another police officer.
The guide and stable hands were also being interviewed.
"Horse got spooked and threw the kid. Looks like he has a broken arm," the officer stated matter-of-factly.
"Could've been a lot worse," MacGyver observed before Earl blustered into their conversation.
"Dang kid messed with my horse!" the older man exclaimed. "They're gonna get one of them big city lawyers and sue me! You just watch! And it's all that little brat's fault!"
MacGyver pinned Earl with a steely glare, fighting to control the anger that roiled within him. "Where's the horse now?" he asked. His teeth clenched, his voice barely audible.
"He was pretty riled up when we got here so we shot him with a tranquilizer and put him in his stall," the officer supplied.
MacGyver suddenly became aware of Joanna standing by his side. She kept their two mounts behind her as if protecting them. Her mere presence caused MacGyver to relax just a bit.
"Officer," he said calmly, "if you take a look at that horse in there I bet you'll find the same kind of sores on his back and possibly around his mouth as we did."
Without prompting, Jo led the horses up to the officer for inspection.
"The accident wasn't the boy's fault," Mac continued. "And it wasn't the horse's fault either. I believe that Earl here has been mistreating these animals for some time now. The horse was in pain, that's why he threw the boy."
"Hey, Chief!" the officer called. "Come over here and take a look at this!"
Joanna was quickly relieved of the animals as she and Mac were separated to give their statements to still more officers. By the time the police released them, MacGyver's head was pounding and he was way past hungry. Joanna rejoined him looking tired and pale.
"What's going to happen now?" she asked, concern showing in her weary eyes.
"The local police will get the proper authorities involved. The horses will get the medical treatment they need and Earl will be shut down."
"Good," she replied, her shoulders slumping with relief.
"You hungry?" Mac asked.
Joanna simply nodded as she dug in her pocket and held out her car keys to him.
MacGyver's eyebrows shot up and he pointed a finger at himself as if to ask, "me?"
Joanna nodded again and headed toward the car.
They stopped at a small diner on the way back to town and ate in companionable silence. Back at the resort, Kat was once again waiting for Joanna to arrive and swiftly herded her friend into the office to get the scoop on the day's events. MacGyver headed to the house and strode purposely to his bedroom, grabbed the duffle bag he had stowed under the bed, and pulled out his cell phone, punching in the numbers he had memorized almost a decade ago. He strolled back to the living room and gazed out the patio doors as he waited for his call to be answered. After several rings, a familiar voice greeted him.
"Hey, Pete. It's Mac."
"It's so good to hear from you!" MacGyver couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm in his friend's voice.
"Are you having a good time? Is everything OK? Did you get the water samples?" Pete peppered him with questions.
Mac assured him that the water samples had been properly obtained and stored. He then took a deep breath and launched into an account of the last several hours.
"And what do you want Phoenix to do about it?" Pete asked.
"I don't know! Something!" Mac pleaded as he jammed his fingers through his hair. "They're good animals, Pete! They need to be taken care of. Given good homes."
"OK, I'll see what I can do," Pete said in surrender. "Other than that, how are things going?"
MacGyver continued to gaze out into the now-dark night.
"This whole episode today made me realize how much I miss being in the field, taking down the bad guys, protecting the innocent. I need that back, Pete."
"You're starting to sound like a superhero."
Mac ignored the statement. "I'm going to schedule another MRI for the day after school lets out for the summer. With any luck I'll get a clean bill of health and be celebrating the Fourth of July in the wilds of Africa or someplace."
Joanna's reflection suddenly appeared in the glass door. He hadn't heard her come in. He turned to look at her, her face blank and unreadable. How much of the conversation had she overheard? Had his talk of leaving upset her? Was she having trouble dealing with what she experienced today?
"Pete, I gotta go," Mac said and clicked off the call before his friend could say good-bye. "Jo, listen—"
Joanna cut him off. "It's been a long day. I'm going to bed," she informed him flatly and headed to her room, closing the door behind her.
MacGyver stared at the closed door for several minutes before flopping down on the sofa to find an old Western movie to watch on TV. Unfortunately, even the classic show wasn't enough to hold his attention which kept wandering back to Joanna. He soon shut off the television and started down the dark hallway. He was about to enter his bedroom when he thought he heard a noise coming from Joanna's room. He stepped close to her door, putting his ear against it. Sobbing. She was crying. Mac's heart squeezed at the sound, an overwhelming urge to comfort her clawed at him. He tapped his knuckles lightly on the door. No response. He tried the doorknob. It was unlocked.
"Joanna, I'm coming in," he announced before turning the knob completely and entering the room. Moonlight streaming through the window fell across the king-size bed. MacGyver could see Joanna's form curled up on the far side of the mattress, her back to him and her shoulders quaking as more sobs escaped. He slowly made his way around the bed and sat next to her on the edge of the mattress. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly.
She shook her head against the pillow.
"Do you want me to leave?"
Again she shook her head without lifting it from her pillow.
MacGyver moved his hand from her shoulder and began tenderly massaging her back in small, circular motions. Her sobs turned to hiccups and eventually the silence of the room was disturbed only by her rhythmic breathing and gentle snores. Mac continued rubbing her back long after she had fallen asleep. His eyes caressed her face, now relaxed and peaceful. How he wished he could provide her lasting solace so her eyes would never hold pain, anger, or fear again.