“Do you want to get some lunch first?”
“No, I’ll change my mind.” I roll my head, stretching my neck. “Let’s get this over with. Forty-five minutes, right?”
“That’s what the brochure says.”
I softly close the door, on the edge of chickening out. As I’m giving myself yet another pep talk, Landon comes around the front of the vehicle, sets his hands on my shoulders, and presses me against the side of the Jeep. “Thank you for being brave,” he murmurs.
Startled, I laugh. Or I try to laugh…I was hyperventilating before, and now my air’s gone.
His mouth meets mine, the pressure of his lips just firm enough to make my knees tremble, and then he lets me go.
“You can’t just sneak up on a girl and kiss her,” I say lightly, holding his sides to catch my balance while pretending my entire world didn’t just tilt on its axis.
He raises an eyebrow, giving me a wicked look. “I can when the girl does it to me the night before.”
Well, there you go.
***
Twenty-five minutes later, we’re in the caverns, and I’m breathing just fine. You know…mostly.
“You okay?” Landon asks, gently setting his hand on the small of my back.
I nod, focusing on the rock formations and colors, and ignoring the fact that the mountain is surrounding me.
“Just pretend you’re a dwarf, mining away in your mountain home,” Landon teases quietly so the other people on the tour won’t overhear him.
“Did you really just say that?” I whisper back.
I’m rewarded with a swift grin, and we hurry to catch up with the tour.
Even I can admit the caves are spectacular. They’ve added lighting, so it’s not too dark, and it makes the different minerals easier to see. Parts of the cave are extremely moist, and we pass a pool of water. Just above it hangs dripping stalactites made of calcite.
Occasionally, when the passages grow narrow, I have to remind myself to breathe. Landon, however, is fascinated. He spoke ahead of time with the tour company, and they’ve allowed him to take footage of the cave for his family’s channel.
We stop several times, and our guide tells us about specific minerals and rock formations. Every time, Landon finds a way to connect with me. Sometimes he pulls me next to him. Other times it’s just a hand resting on my back or an arm around my shoulder.
It’s so natural with Landon, so comfortable.
Before we go home, I’m going to tell him how I feel. That I’m ready to label this—us. I want to be his girlfriend. I want to hear him say it out loud.
And I know the Tillmans are going to leave at the end of the summer, but we’ll deal with it then. At least we have now.
We reach the very last cave, and our guide thanks us for joining him for the tour. Before we rejoin the rest of the world, a few people ask questions, Landon included.
I stand here, feeling pretty proud of myself. The caves were interesting enough; I’m almost sad to reach the end.
Almost.
Just as we’re stepping into the glorious Colorado sunshine, both Landon and I receive texts.
“No service in there,” Landon says, nodding toward the mountain we just exited.
I glance at my phone. Paige wants to know if I was stolen away by Gollum.
Still alive, I write. Call you later.
When I look up, I see Landon’s still staring at his phone. His expression is different. I can’t place it because I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
A ball of ice forms in my belly, and it spreads through my veins, chilling me despite the hot day.
Landon pockets his phone. “It was my dad.”
“Okay,” I say, waiting for him to elaborate.
He stares at the mountains across the Colorado River, looking at the red hillside and deep-green pine trees that grow on it. “There’s a big meet up and RV convention in California. This morning, someone invited us to speak at it.”
I wrap my arms around myself. “When’s the convention?”
But I already know it’s soon from the look on his face.
Slowly, Landon drags his gaze from the mountains and meets my eyes. “It starts next weekend.”
“Next weekend?” I ask, feeling like the air has been knocked out of me. “Like seven days from today next weekend?”
Landon nods. “The first of August.”
“And your parents want to go?”
Again, he nods.
I knew he’d leave—I never denied it, not even to myself. But I didn’t think it would be now.
“When do you leave?”
“Wednesday.”
“Are you going to come back when it’s over?”
He looks away again, and his eyes are troubled. I’ve never seen him like this, not even when Evie showed up out of the blue. I don’t like it.
“I don’t know,” he finally answers.
After that, we walk back to my Jeep, neither of us speaking. Landon doesn’t start the engine right away. We both sit in our seats, staring forward, trapped in our own heads.
What a strange life he leads—always leaving, always saying goodbye. Maybe it’s not so bad being stuck in Gray Jay.
But I’m lying to myself. If I could go with Landon, I would. I would love nothing more than to see the things he’s seen, do the things he’s done.
And though we just met, the idea of doing those things together is incredibly appealing.
But I still have a year of school, and Landon’s leaving now. Not to mention the fact that I can’t abandon Mom and Uncle Mark. They need me. I know they tease me, but I do so much for the campground. Maybe they don’t realize how hard it would be without me, but I know.
Landon finally turns the key, and we head back on the highway, toward home. It’s earlier than we planned, and we still haven’t eaten dinner, but Landon must feel as out of sorts as I do.
“Where are you going?” I ask when he takes a random exit.
He follows a few signs, and we end up parked in front of a hiking trail in National Forest.
“I could use some fresh air. What about you?” he asks.
I study him for a minute, memorizing the flecks in his pale green eyes and the way his dark blond hair just brushes the tips of his ears. He already needs another haircut. “Yeah.”
As a last-minute thought, Landon grabs a water bottle and leads us onto the trail. Though it’s now evening, there’s still plenty of light left. With Daylight Savings, the sun doesn’t set until nearly nine this time of year.
We take our time, talking little, until Landon spots a tall outcropping of granite. We veer off the path, making our way to the top, and dangle our legs over to watch the sun sink lower in the sky. It’s a picture-perfect view of the mountains in the distance, but Landon doesn’t take out his camera or his phone.
Eventually, he turns to me. “I’m not sorry I met you, even if we didn’t have a lot of time together.”
My heart shatters.
“Me too.” I blink quickly.
Landon tugs me next to him, and together we watch the sunset. We have a long drive ahead of us, but I don’t mind putting it off.
He doesn’t try to kiss me. I don’t try to kiss him. We just sit together, coexisting, soaking the moment in.
It’s well after dusk by the time we finally make it back to the Jeep. Just as I’m unlocking the doors, Landon’s cell phone rings.
“Hey, we’re on our way back,” Landon answers. “I know it’s getting late—” Landon frowns. “What do you mean he’s missing?”
I stand by the hood, growing worried because of the look on Landon’s face.
“How long has he been gone?”
From the sound of it, George must have gotten out.
Landon rubs a hand over his face. “We’re still about three hours away, but we’re on our way. We’ll hurry.” Before he hangs up, he assures the caller on the other line, “Yes, I promise I’ll drive the s
peed limit—we’ll be careful.”
“Who was it?” I ask. Though a dozen questions are on the tip of my tongue, I catch myself before I bombard him with all of them at once.
“My dad.” Landon gets into the Jeep, and so do I. I don’t know what’s going on, but I know we need to get back. As I’m buckling up, Landon starts the engine and heads for the highway. “Caleb’s missing.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The drive back to Gray Jay feels like it takes all night. True to his word, Landon doesn’t speed, though I know it’s killing him. Only his promise to his dad is making him follow the restrictions on the white signs dotting the road.
Every green, reflective mile marker we pass brings us closer to home, and hopefully closer to Caleb. I keep telling myself that we’re going to pull in and they’ll have already found him, and everyone will laugh that he wasn’t actually lost, he was just digging through rocks somewhere in the campground and didn’t hear people looking for him.
But I know it’s not true because if they found him, Landon would receive another call. And his phone has been eerily silent.
What we do find when we pull in is chilling.
Landon’s hands tighten on the steering wheel, and he swallows, probably trying to choke down his fear. Flashlights bob around the campground, making it look like we have a whole mess of adult-sized Halloween tricker treaters wandering the property. From the looks of it, lots of people have come to help with the search.
Several sheriffs’ cars sit in the registration parking area, and a bunch of people are talking to Paige’s dad, my mom included. Relief washes over her face when she spots the Jeep, and she holds up her hand in a somber greeting as Landon pulls around the back.
“We’re back,” he says into his phone, already talking to his parents, who are thankfully in cell range somewhere. “Where do you need me?”
I’m ripping off my buckle before we’re even stopped, ready to join the search.
Landon hangs up the phone and turns to me. “Dad wants me to talk to the officers, find out where’s the best place to go.”
We hurry to join the group with my mom. As soon as she sees me, she pulls me into a tight hug. The porch lights cast harsh shadows. Her sweet, pixie-esque face looks almost haggard in her worry.
“How long has he been gone?” I ask as Landon talks to the officers.
Mom shakes her head. “We’re not sure. Hunter was watching him, but he disappeared a few hours ago.”
“He took George?” I overhear Landon say, his tone incredulous.
Paige’s dad nods.
Even though the dog is lazy and scared of the dark, it makes me feel a tiny bit better that Caleb isn’t completely alone out there.
“Where do you need us?” I ask Officer Hilden.
“Paige is with the other kids right now in the family’s camper,” he says to me. “They’re awfully upset. They know you pretty well—why don’t you give her a hand?”
I nod. Though disappointed I won’t be joining the search, I’ll go wherever I’m needed.
Then Paige’s dad says to Landon, “We have another group of volunteers going out in a minute. We don’t want anyone taking off alone, but you are welcome to join them.”
Landon nods. He then reaches for me, pulls me into a tight hug, and follows Officer Hilden to several more officers, a few men I recognize from town, and Paige’s brother Trenton.
Now that Landon’s out of earshot, I turn to mom before I join Paige in the Tillman’s camper. Lowering my voice, I ask, “They don’t think he was kidnapped, do they?”
Her face crumples, but she quickly schools the sharp stab of fear. “We don’t know for certain, but they don’t think so at this time. He took his bike, backpack, that small tent they set up in front of their camper, and the dog. Right now, they’re treating him like a runaway.”
“Caleb wouldn’t run away,” I argue.
“No, but you and I both know there’s a good chance he wandered.”
And then it hits me where he’s at, where he’s gone off to, and my legs almost give out. I grab hold of my mother. “When did you say he left?”
“Probably about five hours now.”
Right after the Tillmans got the news that they were leaving.
“He’s looking for gold,” I whisper, horrified. Gone off to find those circles on his map that we promised we’d take him to next weekend. But they won’t be here next weekend—they’ll be in California.
“Landon!” I yell across the parking lot, racing away from Mom without any explanation.
The group he’s with turns toward me.
“Caleb took his tent and backpack—he’s gone exploring. He’s looking for gold.”
And thank goodness I know Paige’s dad well because he doesn’t look at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“We have rangers searching the nearby trails,” Officer Hilden assures me.
“Can you radio them? Tell them to check out Gideon’s shanty and a few of the local mines? We were supposed to take him back, but he just found out his family’s leaving in a few days.”
Officer Hilden steps to the side, pulling his radio off his belt. Immediately, he relays the information. I feel sick with worry and guilt. I promised I’d take Caleb next weekend…and then he found out there wouldn’t be a next weekend. He looked so crushed yesterday, but he should know better than to take off by himself.
Satisfied I’ve given them all I can, I turn back to Landon. “I’m going to go keep McKenna and Hunter company.”
“Thank you,” he says, squeezing my hand.
“Be careful, okay?”
He nods.
“We’ll find him,” Paige’s brother assures me.
Reluctant to leave, wishing I could search, I walk down the campground road, using my phone as a flashlight.
The first thing I notice when I near Site Twenty-nine is Caleb and McKenna’s toys scattered on the rug in front of the door. It looks like Caleb tossed everything out of their play tent and just left it all lying there. I knock at the door, sending Candy into a frazzled, yapping rage.
“Who is it?” Paige hollers, not about to unlock it for just anyone.
“It’s me.”
With a click of a lock, the door flies open. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
Candy darts out of the camper, barking like a mad thing. Once she realizes it’s me, the racket ceases, and she follows me inside.
McKenna’s sitting on the couch, knees drawn up to her chest, eyes puffy, and face red from her tears.
Hunter’s next to her, looking pale. He sits with a throw pillow clutched to his stomach. He’s holding it so tightly, he looks like a toddler with a security blanket. My heart breaks for him.
I kneel in front of them, not quite sure how to handle the situation. “Hey, guys.”
“Is Landon out there?” Hunter asks.
I nod, and Hunter clutches the pillow tighter, looking angry. “Dad won’t let me join a team.”
“It’s all right. There are so many people out there—someone’s bound to find him soon.”
Hunter meets my gaze. His eyes glisten with unshed tears. “Did they tell you it’s my fault? It is. I was supposed to be watching him.”
“It’s going to be okay.”
He finally breaks down. Several tears escape his eyes, but he scrubs them away with the back of his wrist.
“He was right there,” he says, choking back a sob.
As nice as it is to see Hunter acting like a human, I wish I could take away his worry and guilt. Paige lingers behind me, unsure how to help.
We end up putting on a bright and happy movie that no one watches. Thirty minutes later, we turn it off. No one’s in the mood for chipper right now.
Finally, we urge the kids to go to bed.
Unnaturally obedient, they go into the bunkhouse without argument and crawl into their beds without bothering to change into pajamas.
“Can you bring me Goldie?” McKenna asks in a small voi
ce.
I look around for a doll or stuffed toy.
“The cat.” She holds out her arms, waiting for her.
Sensing she’s being summoned, the yellow tabby hops off the table bench and leaps onto McKenna’s lower bunk. The girl lies back, stroking the cat’s fur as the uppity feline walks around her and tries to find a comfortable spot. Eventually, the cat curls up by the pillow, and McKenna’s eyes flutter closed.
After another hour or so without news, Paige ends up pulling out the jackknife couch that lowers into a bed, and we lie on it, side by side. I set my phone between it, and we both stare at it, waiting for updates. It’s the worst sleepover ever.
Somehow, we all manage to find sleep, and I don’t wake until I hear a key in the front door.
I jerk awake as the remaining three Tillmans walk inside. Behind them, the light of early dawn tints the sky periwinkle. Caleb’s conspicuous absence makes it hard to breathe.
Paige and I sit up, immediately awake. I meet Landon’s eyes, but he only shakes his head.
“Thank you for watching the kids, girls,” Mrs. Tillman says. Her face is gaunt, and her usually stylish hair is pulled back in a clip. Half of it hangs around her face, looking lifeless and flat.
All three sport dark smudges under their eyes from a sleepless night spent searching.
“More volunteers have arrived,” Mr. Tillman says, giving us an explanation I didn’t dare ask for. “Officer Hilden told us to try to get some sleep while they have other people out looking.”
“I don’t want to sleep,” Mrs. Tillman suddenly snaps. “Not when Caleb’s still out there.”
Paige and I excuse ourselves, knowing the family needs some alone time. We murmur our goodbyes, telling them to call us the moment they need us again.
Landon follows us out and closes the door softly behind him. His parents’ raised voices reach us, but they’re not arguing. They’re frantic.
“I’m going to see if Dad or Trenton is still here,” Paige tells us. “Maybe I can catch a ride home with one of them.”
She walks down the campground road.
Birds are already chirping from the trees, and though the morning air is frigid, it looks like it will be a pleasant day. It all seems too surreal. How is Caleb just gone? He was here yesterday morning—everything was normal yesterday morning.
If the Summer Lasted Forever Page 15