“No problem, but I would have had someone do that for you if you’d asked,” Molly said, joining Jordan at the table.
“I don’t mind, but maybe there is something you can help me with,” Jordan said, feeling desperate enough to confide in someone she barely knew. “Drew wants me to put together some food and stuff and I’m not really sure what I’m doing. I haven’t exactly been on many trail rides, but don’t tell Drew.”
Molly reached over and patted her hand. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me,” she said. “I’d be happy to help you.”
The next morning when they set out, Drew and Jordan on their horses, Alex on foot, she was feeling more confident than she had the day before. Molly spent several hours with her, giving her some quick lessons in cooking on an open fire and helping her put together the food they’d take with them. She still wasn’t sure she’d be able to trick Drew into believing that she knew what she was doing, but at least she wasn’t completely helpless.
She felt bad seeing Alex walking behind them up the trail, but from the stubborn look on both their faces, she knew it wouldn’t do any good to say anything. Drew had been true to his word, and they’d added a saddled horse to their little procession, a sweet little mare that would be perfect for Alex if he changed his mind, but she didn’t think that was going to happen any time soon.
Determined to enjoy the ride, she ignored the fact that the boys weren’t speaking and instead sending messages through her. Letting her eyes feast on the beauty around her, she watched as the forest changed, giving way to deeper woods as they got farther away from the camp. To her immense relief, as the morning passed, some of the tension between father and son began to fade, and although they still weren’t speaking, there were fewer dirty looks being exchanged.
Drew set a leisurely pace, so it wasn’t hard for Alex to keep up, but Jordan could see that he was tiring when they stopped for lunch. “How much farther do we have to go today?” she asked, slowly unpacking the lunch Molly had sent over that morning.
“At least another five miles,” Drew said, taking a drink from the canteen strapped to Gideon. “Have you changed your mind yet, Alex? Peony is all saddled up and ready for you.”
Alex looked at his father for a second. “I’m fine,” he said, taking the brown paper bag Jordan handed him and walking away.
Jordan looked over at Drew, who shrugged. “I tried,” he said, took his lunch, and walked off the other way.
The rest of the ride went much the same way, so it was a huge relief when Drew pulled his horse to a stop and said, “We’ll camp here for the night.”
Alex collapsed onto a fallen log and stretched out his legs. “Thank God,” he said.
Drew slid down off his horse. “Back on your feet; we still have to set up camp, take care of the horses, and get a fire going before it gets dark,” he said.
Jordan wanted to groan like Alex was as she slid out of the saddle, her legs buckling just a little bit when her weight settled on them. Giving herself a chance to recover, she slowly unbuckled her saddlebags before throwing them over her shoulder and following Drew to camp.
He’d chosen a beautiful spot just inside a huge meadow full of tall grass, and as she stumbled after him, she realized that she’d never seen anything quite so pretty. The grass swayed in the afternoon breeze, and the scent of pine filled the air. Behind her, the horses were pawing at the ground, anxious to rip into the tender grass until their hunger was satisfied.
“This is incredible,” she said, setting down her saddlebags next to a well-used fire pit.
“Looks like people are still using this trail,” he said, gesturing to the fire pit. “That’s good; the trail should still be in good shape.”
“I wouldn’t mind staying here for a week or two,” Jordan said, grinning at him.
Chapter Eleven
***Drew***
Drew hated it that just a smile from Jordan could affect him the way it did but standing there with her grinning at him like that, a thrill washed over him. Desire began to pound through his veins, and he wanted to grab her and pull her into his arms, but he didn’t dare. Instead, he walked around the fire pit, and set his bags down, then looked around for Alex, giving himself a few minutes to recover.
Alex came walking over, two saddlebags thrown over his shoulders and set them down next to his. He stood up and looked around. “This is pretty cool,” he said, the first words he’d spoken to him all day.
“It’s a great spot, plenty of firewood, and you can’t see it from here, but there’s a little stream on the other side of the meadow that’s full of fish,” Drew said, smiling down at his son.
Alex looked up at him. “Fish?”
“Yeah, you know, those things that swim in the stream; they have fins and gills,” Drew said, grinning at Alex. “They taste pretty good fried in a pan.”
“You mean we’re going to catch them?” Alex asked, looking at him warily.
“If we want to eat dinner,” Drew said. “But first, we have to set up camp and get the horses tethered for the night.
“What else do we have for dinner?” Alex turned to Jordan and asked.
She shrugged. “Drew promised me we’d catch some fish, so only some potatoes and a can of green beans,” she said, lying just a little because she had some hotdogs too.
Alex turned back to Drew. “I’ll get the horses,” he said, then headed back for the trail.
Drew couldn’t stop the huge grin that spread across his face. “I think I finally did something right,” he said, turning to Jordan.
She was smiling too. “I think so, too, but you’d better take him. I can tell he doesn’t quite believe that you’re going to.”
Drew nodded. “Oh, don’t worry, we’re going to catch so many fish, it’s going to take you hours to cook them all,” he said.
Jordan got a strange look on her face. “You want me to cook them?” she asked.
“I think that’s only fair, don’t you? We catch them; you cook them. Unless you don’t know how,” he challenged, just to see if she’d take the bait.
“I’ll cook them,” she said, a determined look appearing on her face.
“Then you’d better get your fire started; it won’t take us long to get enough fish for dinner,” he said, almost laughing when her face paled a little.
“Fire,” she stammered, looking over at the pit.
“Unless you plan to serve them raw, a fire might be a good idea,” he said, a satisfied grin spreading across his face. “Do you need some help getting it started?”
Jordan looked up at him, and for a moment, he thought she was going to admit that she didn’t know how to start a fire. But then she said, “Nope, I’ll be fine. I just need to find some firewood.”
He watched her march into the forest, then shook his head, feeling a little admiration for her. She clearly didn’t know what she was doing but wasn’t going to admit it, so he’d play along. Eventually she’d do something, and he’d be able to call her out. But that thought didn’t bring him the satisfaction it used to, and he didn’t want to think about why that was.
Instead, he turned his back on Jordan and went to work setting up the three small tents he’d brought. It was a waste to set up three, but he didn’t think any of them wanted to share, so they each had their own tent. By the time he was shoving Jordan’s sleeping bag into her tent, Alex was back, a hopeful look on his face.
“The horses are all set,” he said. “Can we go fishing now?”
“I don’t see why not,” Drew said, giving Alex a playful pound on the back, then leaving his hand there. “But I think we’d better check on Jordan before we go.”
Alex looked a little disappointed until he saw Jordan coming out of the woods dragging a huge log behind her. “What’s she going to do with that?” he asked, looking up at Drew.
Drew laughed. “I’m not sure, but maybe you should go help her. She won’t like it if I do,” he said, winking at Alex.
Alex stared
at him a second, then grinned. “Oh, okay.”
Drew went to his saddlebag and took out the fishing poles and flies, sat down on the ground under a tree, and began cleaning his reel. It didn’t need to be done, but he needed to kill some time, and he’d be able to watch from where he was sitting. He had a feeling that it was going to be entertaining watching Jordan trying to start a fire, and he wanted a front-row seat for the event.
He was close enough to hear Alex when he asked, “Jordan, what are you going to do with this?”
“It’s for the fire,” she said, looking proud of herself.
“Did you get any kindling?” Alex asked after he’d stared at the log for a minute.
“Kindling?” she asked, her face filling with confusion.
Alex stole a quick glance over at his father and said, “Do you want some help?”
Jordan looked over at him, but he quickly looked down at the reel as if he wasn’t listening. “That might be a good idea,” she said, her voice quiet but still audible.
Drew smiled as they walked away, a warm feeling spreading through him. He didn’t bother to trace the source of the feeling, just let it wash over him. It felt like he was being wrapped up in a warm blanket, and he’d never felt anything quite like it before. But he wasn’t going to fight it; he was just going to enjoy the feeling and hope that it would last.
***Jordan***
As soon as she knew that they were out of earshot, Jordan stopped and looked back at Alex, who’d been following her. “I know this is going to sound stupid, but I have no idea what I’m doing. I’ve never started a fire before.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” Alex asked, narrowing his eyes at her.
“Because I’m stupid and my pride got the better of me,” Jordan answered honestly. “I know I should have told your dad, but...”
Alex grinned at her. “He’s already kind of suspicious, but maybe I can make it like you started the fire,” he said.
Jordan shook her head. “No, I won’t let you do that. We’ll just go back, and I’ll tell him the truth. I’m supposed to be a role model.”
Alex shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not that big of a deal,” he said.
She could tell that he liked the idea of tricking Drew. “Okay,” she said, giving in.
While they gathered firewood, Alex gave her a lesson on starting fires, and to her surprise, she did manage to get it started all by herself. “Good job,” Alex said when the flames leaped to life and the fire began to pop and crackle.
Jordan grinned at him. “Now all we need are some fish to cook on it.”
Drew ambled over, a fishing pole in each hand. “I think this is where I come in,” he said. “Nice fire. I didn’t think you could do it.”
“Gee, thanks for that vote of confidence,” Jordan said, sticking her tongue out at him, but immensely proud of herself.
“Hope you do as well with the fish,” Drew said, handing Alex a pole.
Jordan felt her self-confidence take a hit, but raised her chin and said, “First you have to catch them.”
Alex laughed, then covered his mouth. “She’s right, Dad,” he said, trying not to smile.
As soon as Drew and Alex were out of sight, Jordan ran over to her saddlebag and rummaged around in the bottom. With a sigh of relief, she pulled out the notes she’d taken when she’d been with Molly. Finding the right page, she started assembling what she’d need, her hands shaking as she worked.
She was just stuffing her notes back into her pack when she spotted Drew and Alex coming across the meadow, a stringer of fish held between them. Taking a deep breath, she reviewed the instructions Molly had given her, crossed her fingers, and hoped that she didn’t burn their dinner to a crisp.
Drew watched her every move as she breaded the fish and slipped them into the frying pan, the heat from the fire making her cheeks burn. She ignored him, concentrating on the task at hand, pleased when she had a plate of steaming fish, cooked perfectly brown. Grinning, she walked over to Drew and handed him the plate, then grinned down at him.
“Your dinner is served, and I think you owe me an apology,” she said, putting her hands on her hips.
A strange look appeared on Drew’s face, then his eyes filled with desire and a thrill rushed through him. “You’ve proven me wrong again. I don’t know if I should be pleased or annoyed,” he said, taking the plate from her.
Jordan hated to admit it, but his praise felt good. Still, she wasn’t going to let him know that. “You should be sorry that you ever doubted me.”
It was a bold statement, but she didn’t care; the entire day had been one triumph after another, and she was riding high. The fish disappeared quickly, and when she brought out the bag of cookies she’d stashed at the last minute, Alex called her a hero. But they were all tired, and it wasn’t long before silence descended over the camp, the fire and full bellies making them all sleepy.
“We need to get an early start in the morning; it’s a long way to the upper campground, and I want to make it there before dark,” he said.
Alex and Jordan both groaned, then laughed, but the laughter died quickly when Drew asked, “Alex, have you changed your mind about riding? The terrain gets tougher after this, and it might be hard for you to keep up.”
Jordan winced, trying to think of something to say so the night wasn’t spoiled. “We can talk about that in the morning; we’re all tired. Maybe we should go to bed,” she said.
Alex was looking at his father with a mixture of disappointment and anger, but Drew couldn’t seem to stop himself. “I’m just trying to make it easier on you,” he said.
“You are not; if you were trying to make it easy on me, you would have let me stay home. You just want me to do what you say. I don’t know why I should; you haven’t been around for twelve years, and now you think you know what’s best for me. You have no idea what I need or what I want,” Alex screamed at him. “I hate riding, I hate being up here, and I hate you.”
Jordan watched as Alex ran into the woods, her heart breaking for him. When she looked up at Drew, who’d gotten to his feet, she saw confusion and hurt in his eyes. “I don’t understand why he doesn’t want to ride,” he said, looking down at her.
“Maybe you should ask him,” Jordan said.
Drew shook his head. “I’d just mess it up,” he said.
“Just listen to him,” she said, “and be honest.”
Drew took a deep breath, then said, “I don’t know if this is a good idea, but I’ll try.”
Chapter Twelve
***Drew***
It didn’t take him long to find Alex; he hadn’t gone far and wasn’t trying to hide. He was sitting on a big rock breaking pieces off a branch and throwing them into the meadow, his knees drawn up to his chest. Drew approached him slowly, trying to think of something to say, searching his mind for the right words, then realized he had no idea.
Remembering Jordan’s advice, he said, “I have no idea what to say to you. I’m brand new to this parenting thing, and I’m not very good at it.”
Alex snorted, broke another piece off the branch, and sent it flying into the meadow. Drew wasn’t sure he was going to say anything, but then he asked, “Did you get my mom’s letters?”
Drew shook his head. “I promise I didn’t know,” he said, then explained to Alex about his time in the army.
When he was finished, Alex was silent for a long time. “What would you have done if you had known?” he asked.
It took Drew a second to answer; he’d never really thought about it before. “I would have tried to be the best father I could have been. I’ve lived a pretty great life so far, but I think I would have given it all up if I’d known,” he said, realizing that the words were true.
Alex let the stick drop out of his hand and onto the ground, then he scooted over on the rock, making room for Drew. Drew’s heart leaped with joy, and he carefully sat down on the rock next to his son, hope filling his chest almost to the point of bursting
.
“I thought about you a lot growing up. I wondered what you were like, and what you were doing that was so much more important than me. I imagined that someday you’d be done with whatever it was and come back for us, and we’d be a happy family,” Alex said, staring out into the meadow.
“I’m sorry, son,” Drew said, wishing he could touch him, but too scared he’d shrug him off to reach out. “But I’m here now, and I’m not planning on going anywhere for a long time.”
Alex looked over at him then. “Do you really mean that or are you going to be like mom’s boyfriends?” he asked. “They all said that, then one day they were gone; that was okay with the ones I didn’t like, but sometimes it hurt if I liked them.”
Drew was silent for a long time, at a total loss for words. “Alex, why don’t you want to ride? Did something happen?” he finally asked.
Alex looked away. “I promised myself after the last time one of Mom’s boyfriends took me on a trail ride that I’d never do it again,” he said, his voice so low Drew could barely hear it.
A flash of anger rocketed through him when he realized that someone had done something terrible to his son. “Tell me what happened,” he ground out through clenched teeth.
Alex looked over at him surprised. “He didn’t hurt me or anything, but he got drunk and made us ride at night. I was only eight, so it terrified me; since then, I haven’t been able to get on a horse.”
“You should have told me,” Drew said, then held up his hand. “Never mind, I didn’t give you the chance, and I probably should have asked.”
“It’s embarrassing,” Alex said, hiding his face in his knees.
“We all have things that scare us,” Drew said. “I’ve been scared lots of times.”
Alex looked over at him. “You’ve been scared?” he asked, his face full of disbelief. “That’s not what all that stuff on the internet says.”
“You can’t believe everything you read on the internet; there’s been plenty of times I was scared,” Drew said. “But I worked through the fear, and if it didn’t go completely away, I could at least get through it.”
Mountain Wolf Playboy (Daddy Wolves 0f The Wild Series Book 3) Page 7