“I can’t believe Elsie’s over there teaching scrubs like you to read and write.”
The man was baiting him, and unfortunately, he was doing a great job. Nate set his jaw. “She’s a great teacher.”
“Too good for a bunch of bottom feeders.” Vaughn stepped forward, going toe to toe with Nate. “I don’t know what she sees in you.”
Was he talking about the crew—or him, personally? Nate curled his fingers into a fist, but he kept it locked at his side. “Frankly, I don’t understand it myself.” He started to turn away, but the heat and the tiring day had loosened his tongue. “But I’m starting to figure out why she was too good for you.”
Vaughn lunged, catching Nate square in the chest and barreling him to the ground, shoulder first. The heavier man landed on top of him.
Nate twisted, ducking Vaughn’s fist as it drove toward his face. The ranger crushed his knuckles into the dirt, giving Nate the chance to unseat him and scramble to his knees. Before he could restrain himself, he landed a blow of his own, busting the man’s lip.
The sight of blood sent regret swelling through Nate like one of Elsie’s geysers. He scooted back and clambered to his feet. “I don’t want to fight you.”
Vaughn sat up, swiping a palm across his mouth and spitting on the ground near Nate’s boots. “You’re not worth it, anyway.” He pushed to his feet and stomped off toward the trucks.
Nate rolled his shoulders to release some of the pent-up tension. He’d gotten a sudden flashback of ducking his father’s blows, and the memory made him sick to his stomach. He’d wanted nothing more than to grab Vaughn around the throat and make him eat his words. It was one thing to insult him, but his crew? He turned around to see where they’d all gotten off to.
Evidently a large group of them had circled behind him, waiting. Red slapped his hand onto Nate’s shoulder. “I knew I’d make a bare-knuckle boxer out of you, yet.”
Nate winced as he pried Red’s fingers from his raw skin. “I shouldn’t have let him get to me.”
Val grinned. “Miss Brookes would be proud.”
Probably not. “Come on; let’s head home. You’ve got a test on Othello to ace, am I right?” It was pretty clear that if any of them were ever going to join Elsie at university, it would be Val.
“C’mon, Nate.” Red socked his arm. “Sign up for some time in the ring at camp. I could make a fortune off that right hook.”
“I’m keeping my hands in my pockets where they belong. Mutt punched a ranger and got put on the first train back to Brooklyn.”
Red ran two fingers over his chin. “That’s why you don’t row with the bosses, Nate. Stick to brawling with us. Though with a little coaching, you could wipe the floor with Vaughn’s face right before we leave this fall—it might just be worth it.”
* * *
Elsie leaned against Nate’s shoulder as they sat by the stream, a pile of papers in her lap. The cottonwood tree overlooking the creek had become a favorite spot for them, safely away from the prying eyes of fellow savages and CCC men.
After they’d finished their lesson, Nate had spent the last hour telling her stories about Brooklyn. Her mind spun as she thought about all the shops, theaters, restaurants, and a brick library not far from his family’s apartment. As much as she loved Yellowstone, his descriptions of New York made her want to see the place for herself.
While he talked, she flipped through his sketchbook, admiring his work. She paused on one showing his family, the pictures of his sisters and brothers bringing a lump to her throat. “You must miss them.”
He didn’t answer, just tapped the drawing on the opposite page—a good-looking fellow wearing a police uniform. “My brother Sherm.”
“I wish I could have met him.”
“He’d have loved you.” There was a catch in Nate’s voice as he spoke. He cleared his throat and flipped through a couple of pages in rapid succession.
“Wait, what’s this?” Elsie stopped him, turning the page back and studying a drawing of Nate gripping the top of a spindly pine tree as it bent over precariously. The two raccoons clung to his coat tails.
“Val wanted a self-portrait for the next issue of the Camp Canyon Crier.”
“I should frame a copy of that one to take with me to college.” She couldn’t resist touching Nate’s pen-and-ink grin. The last August days were slipping away, signs of fall already taking hold at Yellowstone. “I counted my savings last night. I should have just enough for school—thanks to my second job.”
“Counted it?” He lifted a brow. “You keep it with you?”
“Just this season’s wages. I’ve got a big mason jar wedged in my bottom drawer. My parents have the rest in their bank.”
“But what if someone steals it?”
She laughed. “This is Yellowstone, not New York, Nate. No one is digging through my room looking for cash.”
“I suppose. It just seems like a lot of money to have hidden in your room. That’s your future.”
Your future. He said it so casually, as if it didn’t matter to him that they’d be apart for so long. Maybe forever. “I’m going to miss you, Nate.”
A smile spread across his features. “I’ll miss you, too, college girl. I’ll be slaving away God-knows-where, while you’re feeding that incredible brain of yours.”
She scooted closer, every inch of separation a reminder of the loneliness to come. “You’ll miss this?” She nuzzled his ear, brushing her lips against his cheek.
He groaned, softly. “You’re killing me, Elsie. You don’t want to know how much I’ll miss touching you, holding you. But I can’t take your dreams from you. I won’t.”
“I wish you were coming with me.”
“Nate Webber on a college campus? They’d run me out with torches and pitchforks.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit. You’re every bit as smart as me; it just takes you longer to put words on paper.”
“Nobody has ever believed in me the way you do. But I’d say that words are pretty important, overall.”
“Not when it comes to caring for trees.”
“Trees aren’t hard to figure out.” Nate lowered his eyes. “Besides, I’m the one with everything to lose.”
“Why is that?”
“You’re going to be surrounded by smart men with bright futures. You’re going to look back on your time with me and wonder what you were thinking.”
“Never.”
His face turned plaintive. “Don’t say that. You deserve the best. I won’t have you feeling obligated to me.”
A hole opened inside her. “It’s not like I’m biding my time with you until something better comes along. I…I think God has matched us together, Nate.”
“I’d like to believe that.” A stitch formed between his eyes. “But why would He put us together?”
“My parents say God brings people together to serve one another. To look to each other’s needs more than their own.”
“Like you teaching me to read.”
“And you giving me the courage to follow my dreams.”
He smiled and shook his head. “I can’t take credit for that. You were set on this course before I showed up.”
“Nate, I knew what I wanted, but I was terrified.” She leaned against his shoulder. “Working with you helped me see exactly how God might use me. That I could make a real difference in people’s lives.”
“You certainly have in mine.” He fell silent, his arm warm around her.
The gurgle of the water rushing past made her drowsy. She closed her eyes, allowing the gentle sound to carry away her thoughts of the future. She wanted to stay in this moment forever.
Nate’s breath stirred her hair as he lowered his cheek against her head. “I wish I had more to offer.”
She squeezed his hand. “You have
more than you realize.”
On Saturday, Nate strode toward Canyon Hotel, hoping to catch Elsie during her lunch break. It would be nice if she had weekends off like he did, but it made sense that the pillow punchers worked their hardest on days when more tourists crowded into the park.
Small groups of hotel guests wandered the grounds, and children were running and playing in the bright sunshine. Nate unfastened the top button on his shirt, wishing for a breath of cool air. The days had been getting warmer and warmer. It was still cool by New York standards, but he must have gotten acclimated to living in the mountains. You could almost smell the sap cooking as the trees dried out, needle by needle.
A couple stood on the front steps of the savage dormitory, tight and cozy as if they hadn’t even noticed the heat. Nate veered left toward the hotel. The last thing he wanted to do was get in the way of someone else’s romantic moment. After all, he was hoping to steal a kiss or two from his own girl. That seemed unlikely with so many onlookers, not that this particular couple seemed to care.
Nate did a double take as he recognized Graham and Rose. Had she decided to overlook Graham’s little smooching games? He couldn’t imagine a girl putting up with that sort of carrying on. At least not from a man she wanted to be serious about.
Nate slowed his steps, trying not to watch as Rose treated the bus driver to a goodbye kiss—a long one. Nate jammed his hands in his pockets and averted his eyes.
By the time he glanced back, Graham was alone, sliding a cigarette from a cellophane pack. A smile crossed his face as he stepped off the porch and headed down the walkway. The gear jammer raised a hand in greeting. “Hey, Webber, you got a light?” He dug through his own pockets.
“No, sorry.” Nate was thankful he’d never picked up the stupid habit. Red and plenty of the other men wasted a lot of their spending money on cigarettes.
“Oh, wait, I found it.” Graham pulled out a box of matches from his back pocket. He stopped and lit the cigarette, pulling in a long drag. “Man, I needed that.”
“Your girl doesn’t like you to smoke?”
“Most of ’em don’t.” He shrugged, glancing over his shoulder. “So you saw that, did you?”
“I think the whole community saw it.” Nate kept his voice steady. “Seems like you two have been off and on all summer.”
“I thought staying away from Rose would keep my cousin happy.” A crooked smile crossed his face. “But Rose is pretty persistent. She’s a great girl.”
Nate fell into step beside him, even though Brookes was heading away from the hotel. “I know Elsie is fond of her.”
“Speaking of Elsie…” Graham tapped off ashes, crushing them under his shoe. “I’m actually sort of curious—and please don’t take any offense at this—but I was surprised she broke things off with that ranger for you.”
“That’s not exactly what happened.”
“Nah, I don’t suppose it was.” He shrugged. “That Vaughn fellow is an odd duck. I’m rather glad she gave him the heave-ho. I couldn’t imagine having him as part of the family.”
Family? Nate hadn’t even let his mind wander that far ahead. Would his family approve of Elsie? They’d probably love her more than me. “She’d been helping me study. And over time, we became friends.”
“And more, it seems.” As Graham fiddled with the lit cigarette, Nate studied the puckered skin on the man’s palms. Usually he wore driving gloves, but at the moment they were tucked into his breast pocket. Nate couldn’t help thinking about the similar scars on Elsie’s arms.
“I heard about your success with the tourney.”
Graham shot him a wary glance. “News gets around.”
“I think we’d all hate to see Rose get hurt.”
“It’s just a game, Nate. Simple summer fun.” The gear jammer sighed. “Frankly, she’s better than I deserve, but I’m not looking to settle down. What’s a fellow to do?”
“Withdraw from the competition. Or cut her loose. At least be honest with her.”
He turned and gestured back at the dormitory. “What you just saw there? That was me being honest. I explained to her about the tournament. To her credit, she says she’s willing to fight for my attention.” Graham shrugged. “And after a kiss like that, I’m inclined to let her try. I mean, I’ve kissed a few girls in the park, but—”
“You’d play that sweet girl off against someone else? She doesn’t deserve that. She’s still hurting from her last relationship.”
“I’m not looking to hurt her. I’ve told her I’m not the man she thinks I am.” Graham lifted his hands in surrender. “The problem is, she can’t really win. There’s a girl over at Madison with fewer inhibitions, if you know what I mean.”
For the second time in a week, Red’s offer of bare-knuckle boxing lessons sounded appealing. Or his father’s false bravado. “Graham, I think the problem is, you’re afraid to be the sort of man she needs.”
The gear jammer took a final drag on his smoke, the burning embers glowing. “Well, we’re all afraid of something, aren’t we?” He dropped the cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his heel.
* * *
Elsie stifled a sneeze in the dormitory’s dank basement, but the large open room was perfect for rehearsals. Spending part of her day off helping the girls get ready for the show was a small price to pay for not acting or singing in it herself. Mary had her Marie Antoinette wig pinned in place, just to give her a sense of the height and weight as she walked. Thankfully, she’d saved the face powder for another day.
Right now, a line of girls were gathered around the piano, belting out the Canyon Camp anthem. One of the best things about the end-of-season show was hearing each of the groups perform their camp song. The savages would all line up and compete against each other for the best—and loudest—rendition. Typically, no one could beat the group from Old Faithful, but the competition for second place was fierce. Canyon had a good chance of besting Mammoth this year since the hotel had stayed closed, but it still depended on each group’s talent.
Mary kept one hand on her towering wig as Elsie pinned the sides of Mary’s gown. She was such a slim thing; it was hard to make the flowing gown fit her tiny hips.
“You need to hold still, or I’m going to accidentally jab you,” Elsie murmured around the pins clamped in her teeth.
“I bet Jean Harlow never has this problem.” Mary sniffed. “I read in a magazine that I should drink a milkshake every day to help me develop more curves. Isn’t that ridiculous? I’m not sure those are the sort of curves I’m looking for.”
“Man on the floor.” A booming voice rang out, accompanied by squeals and giggles.
“Lucky you’re decent.” Elsie stood, patting the back of the dress. “I think that will hold, but I don’t recommend sitting or you might find a pin in your derriere.”
Mary turned in front of the long mirror. “It’s perfect. You’re a godsend, Elsie.”
“We’ve always thought so.” Elsie’s father’s voice carried from the doorway.
“Papa!” Elsie turned, her breath catching. “What are you doing here? Is Mama all right?”
He chuckled, coming up to give Elsie a kiss on her cheek. “Can’t a father come visit his daughter without there being an emergency?”
“Of course you can.” She threw her arms around him, breathing in his usual smell of peppermint and pine trees. “I’m so glad to see you.”
“Your mother sends her love. And her brownies. She’s been baking. I’ve got them out in the truck.”
“Baking?” Mary spun around, her wig slipping sideways. “She must be feeling better.”
“You know my girls. They thrive in the summer sun.” He tweaked Elsie’s cheek. “It’s good to see you both doing so well.” He eyed Mary. “Even if your fashion choices are a little unusual.”
“It’s for the follie
s.” Elsie picked up her sewing basket. “Mary and some of the other girls are acting out a skit based on French history.”
His brow creased. “No guillotines, I hope.”
Mary gave a coy smile. “You’ll have to come to find out.”
“Well, right now I’m headed up to visit the CCC crew on Washburn. I thought I’d ask my girl if she would like to take a ride.” He winked at Elsie. “You can be my assistant, like old times.”
Elsie’s heart lifted. “I’d love to. But I promised to help—”
“Oh, go ahead.” Mary waved a hand. “We’ll finish the costumes tonight. We need to focus on the song and dance bits anyway. I wish I could come with you. I’d love to see Red and the boys at work.”
Elsie closed her sewing box. “Then I guess I’m free after all.” It had been ages since she’d been anywhere with her father, and seeing her students—and Nate, of course—at work would be a thrill. “Are you sure they won’t mind my intrusion?”
“Mind? I’d say they’d probably welcome it. There’s nothing like having a pretty gal to show off for. We’ll probably get twice as much work out of them.”
“Well, I don’t know about that, but I’m happy to go along. I’ve heard so much about what they’re doing; it will be nice to see their progress in person.”
Elsie hurried upstairs to change into sturdy walking boots and grab a canteen, then met her father in front of the dormitory. Minutes later they were in the truck headed north on the Grand Loop Road.
She leaned against the door so she could study her father’s profile. He looked younger and happier than he had in years. Mother’s recovery must have taken a weight off his shoulders. “I’m so glad you came. Don’t let me forget, before you leave tonight, I’d like to give you my savings. Could you put it in the bank for me?”
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