There went her heart again, ignoring any and all logic. “What’s that?”
“Would you accompany me to my dad and Hillary’s wedding Saturday night?” He looked suddenly relieved. As though he’d been dying to ask the question but was too afraid.
She knew she should say no. She hadn’t had a date in forever, mostly because she avoided them like the plague. But the thought of spending another evening with Daniel was too hard to resist. “I would like that very much.”
Chapter Eleven
Daniel tried not to think about the wildfire as he drifted off to sleep that night. Instead, he focused on the fact that Blythe had agreed to be his date for the wedding. Coming clean with her, telling her how he really felt, had been the right thing to do. After all, he couldn’t help it if he was drawn to her. Now, with everything out in the open, they were free to spend time together without worrying about motives.
A smoky haze dimmed what should have been a brilliant sun as he emerged from his sleeping quarters the next morning. Fortunately, he had a plan. Because his goal was to make sure these kids had fun, no matter what.
Only a few staff members were in the chow hall when he entered. They waved in greeting as Daniel made his way to the kitchen where the aromas of bacon and sausage awakened his appetite.
“Juanita, my favorite chef in the whole wide world.”
The woman appeared skeptical as she looked up from the griddle. “Mr. Daniel, you cannot sweet-talk me.” She wielded her turner like a weapon.
“Now why would you think I’m trying to sweet talk you?” He paused beside her.
“Because you look hungry. And we are not serving breakfast until the children are here.”
“Oh, so you think I’m in here looking for handouts?” He glanced at the golden disks atop the griddle.
“Aren’t you?” Dark eyes narrowed on him.
“Well, while I am starving and would be more than happy to accept any offer of food—” crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned against the stainless-steel work table “—I’m actually here to make sure you’re cool with the plan for today.” A plan that would allow the kids to partake in adventures until the smoke forced them inside. Once that happened, the staff was all set to go with games, movies, even karaoke and a dance party.
“Oh, yes.” She smiled then, moving the pancakes to the warming tray. “We will have sandwiches, chips and fruit for lunch. Things we can easily package and bring to the children while they play.” She spooned more pancake batter onto the griddle. It sizzled, sending a waft of sweetness into the air. “Then we have party food—popcorn, nachos, ice cream—when they come inside, and I already make enchilada casserole for dinner.”
“Wow! You planned all that, and you’ve already made the casserole? Were you here all night?”
Juanita chuckled. “I plan it all in my head when I drive home last night. Then I make the casserole this morning.” She lifted a shoulder. “It’s good to have helpers.”
“Oh, yeah.” Sometimes he forgot that Juanita had staff assisting her in the kitchen. “I appreciate you being so accommodating. Especially since I didn’t give you much notice.”
“Things happen. That wildfire is not good. But we make the most of a bad situation.”
Slipping an arm around her shoulders, he said, “Thank you, Juanita.” The volume in the dining room seemed to be increasing. “Guess I’d better let you get back to work. Sounds like the natives are getting restless.”
When he returned to the dining hall, his gaze was promptly drawn to the cowboy on the other side of the room. While kids scurried to find their seats, Daniel continued toward his eldest brother, Noah.
“What’s up, big brother? You don’t usually join us for breakfast.”
A smile formed creases around his brother’s dark eyes. “Figured if your plan was to let these kids play as much as possible, I’d best be here to get the horses on the trail early.”
Daniel was still amazed by the amount of support his family had given him, especially when Noah had his own business to run. “Thanks, man. Now why don’t you pull up a chair and let me buy you some breakfast?”
Noah removed his straw cowboy hat. “Have you ever known me to turn down Juanita’s cooking?”
“No, I have...” His words trailed off as Blythe entered with her two campers. The smile she sent him moved across the room and straight to his heart. Man, she was pretty.
“So that’s the young lady Dad told us about.”
Daniel’s smile evaporated. He jerked his head to see Noah staring at Blythe. “What did he say?”
His brother shrugged. “You know how the old man is.”
That was precisely what had Daniel concerned. Clint Stephens was becoming quite adept at matchmaking, having honed his skills with Andrew and his wife, Carly, before moving on to Matt and Lacie, Noah and Lily and, finally, Jude and Kayla. Now he no doubt had his sights set on Daniel and Blythe. And while Daniel was definitely interested in Blythe, he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about his father’s meddling.
Good thing they were here at the camp where the odds of running into Dad were slim to none.
“Which reminds me,” Noah said. “He’s coming up here to help me today.”
“What?”
“He’s bringing a few more horses, too. Figured it would allow us to get more kids on the trail with two of us working.”
Note to self: keep Blythe as far away from Dad as possible.
Just then, his father swung open the door to the chow hall and moved inside. Unfortunately, the group of kids crowded between Daniel and the entrance made it impossible for him to intercept the man.
Peering over the heads of the kids, Daniel cringed when he saw Blythe approach his father. They smiled and chatted. Blythe laughed at something the old man said, ratcheting Daniel’s unease. Finally, she pointed in Daniel and Noah’s direction. Dad smiled and nodded as she walked away.
“That Blythe sure is a sweet thing,” his father said when Daniel finally caught up to him. “Pretty, too.”
And so it begins. “Appreciate you coming to help out.” With the horses anyway.
“It’s the least I can do. ’Specially now that Mother Nature’s gone and thrown a monkey wrench into things.”
One of the helpers from the kitchen set a platter of pancakes and meat on their table. The young woman addressed Daniel. “Juanita said you guys should eat first so you can get to work.”
The three men glanced across the dining hall to see a smiling Juanita waving from the kitchen.
“Well, I’ll be.” Daniel’s father waved back.
Daniel pulled out his chair and sat down to eat. “Sometimes I think that woman can read my mind.” Because the faster Dad was out of the way, the less Daniel had to worry about him interacting with Blythe.
So, when his father and Noah polished off their breakfast almost before the kids had even started eating and headed outside to unload horses, Daniel was pleased.
While the kids ate, Daniel seized the opportunity to announce that campers would be allowed to participate in unlimited adventures that morning, which brought him a round of cheers.
He went on to tell them about the wildfires, assuring them they were in no danger. He informed them he had a brother who was a sheriff’s deputy and that he was keeping an eye on the situation. “However, the smoke may be an issue later. If it becomes a problem, we’ll simply move the fun in here.” He gestured around the chow hall. “If it’s not a problem, then you guys are free to have fun all day.”
Another round of cheers had him smiling, however his optimism waned an hour or so after lunch as the smell of smoke began to accompany the ever-increasing haze. Moving about Adventure Haven, he eyed the once-blue sky. The sun’s rays were now blocked by a layer of brown smoke.
“How’s it going?”
He turned at the
sweet sound of Blythe’s voice. “Not too bad, considering.” He pointed toward the sky. “The kids are still running around and enjoying themselves.”
“As they should be.” Her smile had him feeling as though all was right with the world.
Shifting his focus to the kids tackling the challenge course, he said, “What have you been up to?”
“Horseback riding with your father.”
He jerked to face her.
“He’s pretty funny, you know.”
Yeah, hilarious. “How so?”
“Just telling the kids stories.”
He shifted from one foot to the other. “What kind of stories?”
“Oh, just some historical things about the area. Of course, whether they’re true or not is debatable. And then he talked about you and your brothers.” One perfectly arched brow lifted then, along with the corners of her mouth. “I learned quite a bit about you.”
He couldn’t help wincing. “Such as...?”
“Daniel?”
He looked past Blythe to see Dr. Joel coming their way.
“Hey, doc. What’s going on?”
“I’m afraid it’s the air. We’ve got a lot of particles starting to filter down. This would be a good time to bring the kids inside.”
Even though he’d anticipated this, Daniel’s heart broke. Everyone was having so much fun. “If you think that’s best, then yes, of course we’ll bring them in.” He grabbed the radio clipped to the pocket of his cargo shorts, raised it to his lips and pressed the button. “Attention! All campers and faculty are to report to the chow hall immediately.” He repeated the directive as Blythe moved to retrieve her campers from the challenge course. “Thanks, doc.”
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news—” Dr. Joel scanned the horizon “—but some things just can’t be helped.”
“I understand.”
Daniel helped herd the kids back to the chow hall, only to find Matt’s vehicle parked outside of the camp office. Leaning toward Blythe, he whispered, “This doesn’t look good.”
Worry creased her brow, though her smile told him she was trying to remain positive. “I’ll get the kids to the chow hall. You go talk to your brother and find out what’s going on.”
Inside his office, he found not only Matt, but Dad and Noah gathered around his desk. “I don’t suppose this is just a family meeting, is it?”
“Sorry, Daniel.” Matt shook his head. “Fire’s still a good ways off, but the winds are increasing, blowing all that smoke right toward the camp. It’s time to evacuate.”
* * *
The look on Daniel’s face when he announced to the kids that they had to evacuate the camp nearly broke Blythe’s heart. And while the kids were, no doubt, disappointed, did they realize how badly Daniel ached for them? Having to tear them away from this place they had so looked forward to attending only days into their adventure must have been excruciatingly difficult for him.
How she wished she could be with him now, assisting him as he called parents to notify them of the evacuation. But that wasn’t her job. Instead, she was in her cabin, making sure the girls stayed on task, packing their belongings so everyone would be ready when the buses arrived.
She and Teri had already packed their things. Now they stood watch in one wing of the cabin, allowing the other companions to pack while the two of them did their best to make sure the campers left nothing behind.
Surprisingly, the girls were going about their tasks virtually in silence. The tension in the room was almost palpable, though. Or maybe it was just that it was growing warm. They’d closed all of the windows because of the smoke, and with everyone in there, things had grown stuffy fast.
In an effort to help alleviate things, Blythe swung open the door at the far end of the room, allowing a small amount of air to flow through the screen.
“I don’t get it.” Anger laced the fifteen-year-old girl’s words as she begrudgingly shoved a wad of clothing into her duffle bag. “If the fire’s not coming this way, then why do we have to leave?”
“It’s not about the fire, Jessica.” Blythe understood their frustration. “It’s because of the smoke. We can’t risk anyone getting sick.”
“This stinks,” mumbled a sixteen-year-old wearing a scarf over her bald head. “And I’m not talking about the smoke.”
Evidently it had only taken one person opening her mouth to get the ball rolling. Then again, Blythe supposed they just needed to vent.
“I know it does.” Teri did her best to empathize with the girl. Not that she had to try very hard, because she was just as frustrated as everyone else. Something the girls couldn’t seem to understand.
“They said we were going to have fun.” Another young lady scowled, rolling up her sleeping bag.
“Yeah, we didn’t even get to have our party,” added a discontented fourteen-year-old, slamming the lid on the wooden chest at the foot of her bed for emphasis.
Unfortunately, the move only made Blythe’s blood boil. These girls had no idea the lengths Daniel had gone to for them. Every worker at this camp, for that matter.
It’s simply their disappointment talking.
Yes, but they were blaming Daniel when the circumstances were completely out of his control.
“I can’t believe they’re making us leave,” the first girl flopped onto her bare mattress.
Blythe’s body tensed, her pulse pounding in her ears. She couldn’t believe they were going on like this. It was one thing to voice your disappointment, but it was just plain mean to cast blame as though someone was purposely doing this to them.
They’re just kids.
No, they were teenagers. Old enough to know better. And after what she’d gone through, she was not about to let this trash talk continue.
“Daniel’s just afraid he’s going to get into trouble,” blabbed another, clueless as to what she was talking about.
“That’s enough!”
The girls looked at Blythe, wide-eyed.
“Do you have any idea how hard this is on Daniel?” Her glare moved from one girl to the next. “How deeply he wants you to have fun?” And the next. “He’s worked for years to put this camp together. Do you know why?”
All of them slowly shook their heads, obviously stunned by her outburst.
“Because he wanted you guys to have a place to escape. A place to have fun and feel normal, instead of being treated like sick kids all the time.”
The girl with the scarf crossed her arms over her chest. “Like you’d know what that’s like.” Her comment flew all over Blythe like white on rice.
“Actually, I do.” After leveling her gaze on that particular young lady, she paced the length of the room like a drill sergeant. “I was thirteen when I was diagnosed with cancer. My parents sheltered me, wanting to protect me.” Hands clasped behind her back, she turned on her heel and continued across the wooden floor in the other direction. “Then I finally got to go to a camp where they promised me all kinds of fun. Except they didn’t deliver, because they didn’t care.” She faced them again. “Daniel cares about each and every one of you kids. The last thing he wants is for you to be disappointed. This evacuation wasn’t his choice, and it’s breaking his heart for us to have to leave. So, I suggest you try to be a little more understanding.”
“Everything okay in there?” The sound of Daniel’s voice stopped her in her tracks.
She whirled to find him standing just outside the cabin door.
Her heart thudded. Mostly because she had yet to calm down from her tirade.
“I don’t know.” She glanced back at the girls. “Is everything all right, ladies?”
“Yes, ma’am.” The first girl jumped to her feet.
“Yes.” The second nodded.
“Blythe, could I see you out here, please?”
Her insides cr
inged. Daniel had obviously heard her rant. Served her right for opening the door. No telling what he was going to say.
She marched outside, closing the door behind her so the girls couldn’t eavesdrop. After all, if she was in trouble, she certainly didn’t want them to hear.
As soon as Daniel saw her, he began walking, obviously moving them away from prying eyes. “That was quite a performance in there.”
She fell in beside him. “Not very professional, I know.”
Hands shoved in his pockets, he said, “Actually, I thought you handled them quite well.”
She stopped beside a towering pine. “Really? How much did you hear?”
“Enough to know you were defending me.” He faced her then, his expression unreadable. “Which was totally unnecessary.”
“You didn’t hear all the stuff they were saying in there. This evacuation isn’t your fault. They have no right to take it out on you.”
“They’re teenagers. They complain about everything.”
Crossing her arms, she puffed out a laugh. “That doesn’t make it right. Not after all you’ve done for them.”
He smiled then, touching a hand to her cheek. “Knowing you believe in my efforts is enough for me.”
Her anxiety eased as she leaned into his touch. “You have been tested, and your heart is pure.”
Without the slightest hesitation, he tugged her closer and kissed her. Softly, gently... Talk about a pleasant surprise. One that ended way too quickly.
Taking a step back, he said, “I came by to tell you the buses will be here in about an hour. I’d like everyone to meet at the flagpole in thirty minutes so I can go over a few things.”
“I’ll make sure everyone is ready.”
“I know you will.” He moved to leave, then paused. “And then maybe, once all of this is over, we can try that kissing thing again.” His eyebrows waggled before he turned and continued on to the next cabin.
Blythe’s insides fluttered as she made her way back inside. Had that really just happened? Had Daniel actually kissed her, or had she dreamed it?
Her Rocky Mountain Hope Page 11