* * *
TWO HOURS LATER, Gabby and the adults were saddled and ready to leave. One bitty problem. The children hadn't returned from their hayride.
"If we're going to have the wiener roast and get back before dark, we'll have to push off soon," Gabby complained. "Who's pulling that hay wagon, anyway? Josh? He knows better than to run late."
"Look," Cami said, pointing down the dirt road. "I see their dust. Why don't I saddle the children's horses and you all go ahead. We'll follow right behind."
Gabby scratched his jaw. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea, Tex. No point in taking unnecessary chances. We can wait for them. There should be enough time."
"But if you leave now," Cami argued, "you can get the fire started and we won't be so rushed. If you wait for the children, we'll have to tear out there, hurry and eat, and tear back. How much fun is that?"
He frowned. "I don't know what Holt would say about splittin' the group," he muttered. "I surely don't."
She offered her most confident and winning smile. "I can handle this. I'm positive. Besides, we'll catch up with you in no time."
That might help square things with Holt when he heard about this, she thought, suppressing a guilty twinge. More importantly, it would be the perfect opportunity to demonstrate her improved cowboy skills. Holt would be impressed. He'd be proud. Maybe he'd even come to love her, instead of just making love to her.
She could dream, couldn't she?
"Well... I guess it'd be okay," Gabby relented.
"Thanks!" Cami exclaimed, and threw her arms around the cowhand.
He thrust her away. "Hey, hey! Whatcha doin'?"
"Hugging you," she replied, bewildered. "Why?"
"Cowboys don't hug," he blustered. "Fact is, no matter what some movies might have you believe, cowboys don't even touch. Now keep yer distance." He stomped over to his horse. "Danged female. You have the supplies?"
"In my saddlebags," she assured him. "Wieners, beans, cocoa and marshmallows."
"And I've got the matches." He mounted up. "You'll be right behind?"
"Practically on your tail."
He nodded. "Let's go folks."
Cami hurried into the barn and saddled four horses for the children. By the time she finished, the wagon arrived and jerked to a stop. Three boys and a girl tumbled off the hay and ran to her side.
"Is it time for the wiener roast?"
"Can you show us some more yo-yo tricks?"
"Yes, it's time for the wiener roast. And, no, no tricks until we catch up with your parents. They've gone ahead. So, run inside and get a drink. Use the facilities if you have to, but move along."
Fifteen minutes later they were ready to leave. Cami made sure they had sweaters and sunscreen, and they'd filled their canteens and wore their hats. Satisfied that everyone appeared in fine fettle, she led the way into the mountains.
"Okay, kids, over the ridge to the rock with the moss mustache."
"Hey, Tex," Nathan called. "You bring extra yo-yos with you?"
"Does a horse swat flies with his tail?" she scoffed. "Of course I brought extra yo-yos. Why, by the time I'm done with you four, you'll amaze and delight your friends back home. I'll bet—"
"Is that the rock with the mustache?" asked Katie Sue, pointing.
Cami stared. "By golly, so it is. Hang a right everybody and head down into that gully. When you see a big, old stump that looks like a pincushion, give a holler. Now where was I? Oh, yeah. You'll amaze and delight your friends back home. Why, I'll bet—"
"There's the stump!" Aaron cried.
Cami stopped and studied it. It seemed smaller. But how many stumps could there be with a bejillion branches sticking out of it? Maybe the lack of rain over the past week had caused it to shrink a bit. "Terrific job, Aaron. Turn left. Now for the important part. Everybody has to sing a rousing chorus of 'The Worms Crawl In.' It's the only way I can tell how far before our last turn."
The children sang with gusto. "One more time!" Gary shouted.
Cami frowned. One more time? They should be at the final turn by now. Yet it was nowhere in sight. "I think we've gone too far," she said. "I'll tell you what. Let's go back the way we came. We can repeat the song and when we're done, we'll be at the porcupine stump again."
"The one like a pincushion?" Katie Sue asked.
"Yep. So keep an eye out for it, okay?"
They wended their way through that song, another about eating worms, and a third that involved rearranging various body parts in strange and uncomfortable positions.
They never did find the stump.
Cami tried her best to conceal her concern, not wanting to frighten the children. But the later it grew, the more nervous and alarmed she became, especially when the sun slid relentlessly behind the mountains. Soon she struggled to pick their way across the rocky terrain.
"I'm hungry," Nathan spoke up.
"Me, too," the others agreed.
"Aren't we there yet?" Katie Sue, the youngest, looked distinctly tearful.
Cami reined in Petunia. "No, I'm afraid we're not." She studied the surrounding landscape and came to a fast decision. "I've got an idea," she announced. "Let's have an adventure."
The boys glanced at each other, excited. Katie Sue didn't appear quite as thrilled. "What kind of adventure?" Aaron asked.
"A camping out kind of adventure. See that nice open spot over the next ridge?" She pointed to a level area at the top of a grassy knoll. "We'll park our horses there and build a roaring fire and eat our wieners and beans. After that we'll toast marshmallows and drink cocoa and sing more songs."
"All right!" Gary exclaimed. "Food."
"I'll sing," Katie Sue consented. "But no more worm songs."
"Fair enough. No more worm songs." Cami led the way to their chosen camping spot and dismounted. "Before we do anything else, there's something that comes first. Who knows what it is?"
Nathan scratched his nose. "Firewood."
"Phone Mommy and tell her what time I'll be home."
"Can’t. Cellphones don’t work,” Gary informed her. “I know! The wieners."
Aaron gave it great thought. "Take care of the horses," he finally said.
Cami grinned. "You got it, buster. Horses first, firewood second, wieners last."
"I want to phone Mommy, anyway" Katie Sue insisted.
"That might be a little more difficult." She decided to stall. "We'll discuss it over dinner."
After watering the horses at a nearby stream, stripping them of their saddles and allowing them to graze, Cami had the children collect a plentiful supply of firewood.
"What about matches?" Aaron asked.
For an instant, Cami panicked. Gabby had the matches. And without matches there'd be no fire. No fire. No food. No warmth. And no light to comfort the children through the long night. She fought for control. Take it easy! Think. What did they do before matches? Maybe she could rub two sticks together.
She folded her arms across her chest and shook her head pityingly. "You city slickers are all alike. You have to use a match to build a simple fire. That's truly pathetic."
Gary lifted his chin. "Says who? I'm a Boy Scout. We always come prepared." With that, he stuck a hand in his pocket and pulled out a flint. "Just watch."
He gathered a large supply of dry leaves and tiny twigs and arranged them in a loose mound. Aaron and Nathan quickly followed his example. So did Katie Sue, though with a bit more reluctance.
To Cami's amazement, Gary soon had a tiny flame flickering to life at the base of the mound. He fed the flame with more leaves and twigs and before long had a small fire going. It didn't take much to build it from a small fire to a large roaring one.
"If that don't beat all," she muttered. Working quickly, she formed a sizeable fire ring with stones. "Get sticks for the wieners. I'll open the cans of beans and warm them up. We'll be chowing down before you know it."
Dark had just settled in when they finished off the last hot dog and scooped u
p the last bean. Nathan and Gary started on the marshmallows. Katie Sue stole close to Cami for a cuddle. She gave herself an entire two minutes to regret missing out on a night spent in Holt’s arms. Maybe he was right. Maybe their relationship wasn’t meant for permanent, only temporary. No doubt he’d use this incident to prove his point…as well he should. She’d taken a foolish risk, one she’d spend the night regretting.
"Okay, kids, time to talk," Cami announced.
Aaron gazed at her from across the fire. "We're lost, aren't we?" he asked.
Katie Sue started in alarm. "I wouldn't call it lost, exactly," Cami hastened to correct, reassuring the little girl with a hug. "Let's just say we're temporarily mislaid."
"What does that mean?" Nathan questioned.
"It means," she confessed, "that tomorrow Holt will come and help us find our way back to the ranch. Until then, we get to stay up late and tell stories and sleep under the stars. How does that sound?"
"Decent!" Gary said.
Greatly encouraged, she expanded on the idea. "We'll use our saddles for pillows and sleep on our saddle blankets, like real cowboys."
"What if I get cold?" Katie Sue demanded fretfully.
"It's going to be pretty warm tonight, but we've got the fire in case it turns chilly. And you can always snuggle close to me." To Cami's relief, the little girl relaxed. "Okay, boys, look through the saddlebags and find my yo-yos. There's one for each of you. Who wants to learn Dunk the Doughnut?"
Nathan’s hand shot up. "I would, I would.”
"Forget Dunk the Doughnut,' Tex," a deep voice spoke from the darkness. At the same time Git burst through the circle of children, barking hysterically.
Cami shot to her feet. "Holt?" she gasped. "Is that you?"
He stepped into the firelight, the leaping flames casting a devilish glow across his hard, furious features. "Oh, yeah, Tex. It's me. And instead of Dunk the Doughnut, why don't you show them Hang the Wrangler. Better yet, why don't I show them?"
Chapter 10
CAMI CLEARED HER throat. "I don't believe I know that one. Fact is, I don't believe I want to know that one." As an afterthought, she buried her yo-yo deep in her pocket.
Holt glanced around. "You kids all right?"
"We're having an adventure," Gary announced.
"I want my mommy," Katie Sue said, and promptly burst into tears.
Cami rushed to comfort the child, but Holt beat her to it. He scooped the youngster into his arms and brushed her hair from her damp face. "Easy does it, buckaroo. Everything's going to be all right now. I promise."
The tears slowed. "Can we go home?"
"In the morning. It's not a good idea to travel at night. Would you like to tell your folks you're safe? Since the phones don’t work out here, it’s the next best thing to talking to them." She nodded, and he carried her to his horse. Opening a saddlebag, he pulled out a flare gun.
"We're going to talk to Mommy with a gun?" Katie Sue asked dubiously.
"Sure are. You watch." They crossed to a clearing and he aimed into the air. "Say when, and I'll pull the trigger. It'll make a loud boom and set the sky ablaze, like fireworks. Everyone at the ranch will see it and realize I've found you and you're all fine."
She covered her ears with her hands. "Okay. Shoot it."
He did. Instantly a bright flash whizzed skyward. All eyes remained riveted on the glowing red ball that burst across the night canopy. The instant the final twinkling ember drifted to earth, an answering flare streaked high overhead.
"See," he said, pointing. "There's your mother's answer. She knows you're safe and is saying goodnight."
Katie Sue sighed and snuggled against his shoulder. "G'night, Mommy."
Cami gazed at the ground, tears stinging her eyes. This was her fault. She'd done this. She'd never felt more ashamed in her life. All those worried parents. All that fear and anxiety. All because of her.
"Have you eaten?" he asked the group at large.
"We ate wieners and beans and marshmallows and hot chocolate." Aaron cataloged. "I'm stuffed."
"We've been having lots of fun," Nathan added earnestly. "Tex was going to show us some yo-yo tricks before we went to bed. Wanna watch?"
"Sounds good. Let me get Loco settled and I'll join you." He looked directly at Cami and she flinched beneath his hard gaze. "I have bedrolls for the kids. Come and get them."
She gulped. Why hadn't he just said, "Come and get them and die?" Dragging behind, she left the protective circle of firelight and allowed the menacing darkness to swallow her. She shivered, not from the chill of the night air but from the cold eyes and tense stance of the man in front of her.
"Holt—"
"Don't say a word." He kept his voice low, but his warning cracked like a whip. "First answer this. Is everyone safe?"
"Yes."
"Uninjured?"
"Yes."
"Not even a scratch? "
"Not even a scratch," she hastened to reassure.
He grabbed a fistful of shirt, tugging her close. "You scared the hell out of me, woman. You know that?"
"I'm sorry, I—"
"Shut up, Tex."
Without another word, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with a desperation she couldn't mistake. She forgot everything except how good it felt to be held by him, touched by him, to be with the one man who made her whole, made her complete. She loved this man. Lordy, how she loved him.
Minutes passed. Finally, she rested her forehead against his chest, listening to the rapid, powerful beat of his heart. "I'm sorry about what happened," she said. "I'd like to explain."
Instantly his muscles tautened and he thrust her away. "Don't."
"Holt?" she whispered, bewildered by the abrupt change in him.
"I'm warning you. Let it drop."
"But, I thought..."
He rounded on her. "You thought what? That a kiss lets you off the hook? That because we made love—that we’d planned to make love again tonight—that there wouldn’t be consequences for your actions? Think again." The harshness in his tone made her cringe. "Now listen up, and listen good. You aren't to offer one word of excuse about this...this adventure in front of the children. You keep it light and friendly. Tomorrow—" He leaned closer, emphasizing each word. "Tomorrow we will discuss it. Long and hard."
"Yessir, boss," she murmured. "Long and hard." He tossed the bedrolls at her and she clutched them to her chest. Tears clogged her throat and burned her eyes. She forced herself to speak, shocked at how ragged her voice sounded. "For what it's worth, I've learned my lesson."
"No, I don't think you have," he replied coolly, stripping the saddle off Loco. "But come morning, you will."
She stumbled back into camp and gave each child a bedroll, helping them arrange their sleeping spots. Then she passed out the yo-yos and quietly set about teaching them some of her simpler tricks. Eventually Holt joined in. Before long Katie Sue sought her bed, battling yawns. The three boys weren't far behind.
Holt shifted closer to the fire, banking it for the night. Cami settled onto her saddle blanket and watched. A breeze caught at the upper reaches of the trees, rustling the leaves. In the distance a great horned owl hooted, the bass sound echoing across the hills. The fire snapped and sparks shot into the air. Holt lifted his head, his gaze meeting hers.
"I know you don't want to hear this, but I'm sorry," she said softly. "Truly sorry."
He shoved back his hat and nodded. "I know you are, Tex. But you disobeyed my direct order just to prove a point about your worth as a cowboy. Well, you did that, all right." He tossed a stick at the fire. "But the sad fact is, you proved just the opposite of what you'd hoped. And you put these kids in jeopardy to do it."
She didn't say another word. Instead she hunkered down on top of the blanket, battling guilt and grief. Honesty compelled her to admit the truth. She had been trying to prove a point, one aimed directly at Holt in the hopes of convincing him to keep her after summer’s end. And she had u
sed the children in order to do it. And in so doing, she had put them at risk.
She wasn't worthy of being a cowboy.
"Good night, Holt," she whispered.
"Night, Tex." He hesitated, then added gently, "Sweet dreams."
She squeezed her eyes shut. Not likely. Seemed she was plumb out of dreams, sweet or otherwise.
* * *
A WAKEUP LICK from Git rousted Cami at the crack of dawn. She busied herself heating water in the rinsed bean cans and preparing hot chocolate and trail mix for breakfast. Then she watered and saddled the horses. The children took more effort. Still, she managed to deal with their morning grumpies and get them fed, spit polished and ready to go, hoping her hard work would help atone for her poor judgment.
Holt crossed to her side and handed her a tin cup. "I know you don't drink coffee. Thought you might like to make an exception this morning. It's instant."
"Thanks," she said gruffly and took a quick swallow. It tasted even worse than she remembered, but she forced herself to drink it. Before this day ended, she'd need the caffeine.
"Roll up your beds," Holt told the children, "and douse the fire with dirt. Gary, you make sure it's done right." He turned cool, stern eyes in Cami's direction. "Tex and I are going for a quick stroll. You kids don't budge from this spot. Understand?"
As one, the children nodded solemnly. Cami could tell from their expressions they'd obey his order to the letter. He snagged her arm and led the way out of camp.
"Where are we going?" she asked anxiously.
"You'll know when we get there." They walked about a hundred feet. "What do you see?"
She stopped and glanced around, bewildered. "Woods to both sides. A clearing up ahead."
"Take another look at that clearing." He tugged her a step closer.
Cami gasped, scrambling back. A yard in front of her the ground abruptly ended, plunging to a very deep, very narrow, and practically invisible chasm. "Oh, Lordy," she gulped.
"Which way were you traveling yesterday?"
She paled. "This way."
"I thought as much," he said with a nod. "You wouldn't have seen the drop coming until it opened beneath you. You realize that, don't you?"
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