by Emily March
Whenever she got down, Jenna reminded herself that the nomadic lifestyle suited them. She and Reilly had spent the last four months touring parks. National parks. State parks. Even local parks. What began as flight had evolved to an enjoyable way of life. The solitude soothed them. The anonymity reassured them. For the first time in a very long time, Jenna didn’t schedule her life down to five-minute blocks. She provided for Reilly’s basic needs—shelter, sustenance, and safety. Living out of a trailer tended to whittle away the fluff.
She’d homeschooled her son and educationally he was thriving. He’d mastered third-grade curriculum and would begin fourth-grade work in September following their summer break. While she was pleased with his academic progress, she recognized that this lifestyle put obstructions in the path of his social development. Reilly could use a Scout troop. He needed friends. His social life was as barren as the moon.
So is yours.
True. Maybe that’s why a shirtless Devin Murphy sent her heart thumping in a completely different way from what had become her new normal.
Maybe? Hah! Don’t lie to yourself, Jenna. He’s been your fantasy man for the past year and a half.
Reilly interrupted her brooding by asking, “Can I unbuckle for just a minute?”
“No,” she responded automatically. A moment later, she asked, “Why do you want to unbuckle?”
“I have fish gunk on my hands and the wet wipes rolled under the seat. Can we have spaghetti for lunch, Mom?”
“Next time put the wipes back in the glove box where they belong. We’ll be at the campsite in a few minutes. You can put up with fish gunk a little longer. Besides, why are you thinking about lunch? It’s not even ten o’clock yet.”
“I got scared. Being scared always makes me hungry.”
Oh, Reilly. “I’d be happy to fix spaghetti for lunch, but I need to check the pantry. I’m not one hundred percent certain we have pasta. I’d intended to shop for groceries this afternoon at the Trading Post.”
“Oh,” her son replied, disappointment heavy in his tone. “You should keep more spaghetti in the trailer, Mom. Sauce, too.”
Jenna’s reply was a noncommittal “Hmm.” Reilly would eat spaghetti every day if she’d allow it. However, she had learned early on during this odyssey of theirs to shop carefully with space limitations in mind.
During their first week on the run, she’d bought a pickup with a pop-up trailer off Craigslist in South Carolina. During their second month on the road, once they’d decided the lifestyle suited them, she’d upsized to a twenty-one-foot travel trailer—another Craigslist score, in Indiana. The truck had been dependable, and both campers had been clean and serviceable, but small. Then two weeks ago the wealthy retired couple parked next to them at a campsite in Wyoming had decided on a whim that they’d tired of the vagabond life. They’d made her a deal on the King
Ranch pickup and a thirty-two-foot fifth wheel that she couldn’t pass up. This rig was a mansion compared to the others, but Jenna still tried to shop smartly.
She flicked her turn signal as she approached the entrance to Stardance Ranch RV Resort and bit back a sigh. She’d been looking forward to their stay in Eternity Springs. As much as she enjoyed life on the road and the fancy new rig, she could use her own summer break from towing a trailer.
Jenna drove slowly through the campground toward their slot, braking when a pretty golden retriever wandered into the road and stopped. Jenna rolled down her window and leaned her head out. “Move along, girl.”
The dog didn’t budge.
Jenna heard a loud whistle, and then the resort owner’s annoyed voice call, “Sugar! Move your tail!”
Jenna gave Brick Callahan a friendly wave as his dog leisurely vacated the road.
“Sorry about that,” Brick called. Sauntering toward the truck with a gas-powered weed-eater in hand, he added, “Sugar minds about as well as my wife does.”
Having exited the laundry room moments ago with a stack of folded towels in her arms, Lili Callahan gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes. Brick’s green eyes twinkled and his grin was unrepentant as he asked Jenna, “So, are you all settling in all right, Ms. Tarver? Everything to your liking here at Stardance Ranch?”
“It’s very nice. We’re settling in just fine, thank you.” Jenna felt the weight of Reilly’s questioning gaze, but these were not the circumstances to share their change in plans. Besides, she wanted to be sure she had a place to go before she gave up this campsite.
“Good. That’s good. If you need anything be sure to let us know.”
“I’ll do that.”
“And don’t forget to check the bulletin board for changes to the weekly schedule. We posted an important one a little while ago. I’m afraid we’ve had to cancel pizza night this week.”
“Pizza night?” Jenna asked.
He nodded. “It’s our most popular event. You’ll want to get in line plenty early, believe me.” Ducking his head, he looked past Jenna to Reilly. “Saw you loading up your fishing gear earlier. Any luck?”
Reilly met his gaze quickly, and then nodded. “I caught one.”
“Excellent. You did better than I did, in that case. I fished this morning and got skunked.”
Reilly’s eyes widened with alarm and he reared back away from the open window. Jenna deduced the direction of his thoughts. “He wasn’t sprayed, RJ. That’s slang that means he didn’t catch anything.”
“Oh.”
She explained to their host. “When we were camping in Texas last month, the two dogs at the site next to ours had an unfortunate incident with a skunk. It made quite the impression.”
“Ah. Sorry for the confusion.” He winked at Reilly and added, “I had a similar situation with a dog of mine in the past. It’s not fun, is it?”
“No. Not at all,” Reilly agreed.
Since Brick had brought up fishing, Jenna took advantage of the opening. “RJ caught his fish on salmon eggs, but one of your neighbors has offered to give him a fly-fishing lesson this afternoon. Devin Murphy. Do you know him?”
“Devin? I do. He’s a good guy. Lives in Australia now. I knew he was coming home this summer for a visit, but Idid n’t know he’d already arrived. He’ll do a good job with the lesson. He’s a professional fishing guide. Earlier this year he helped a guy catch a five-hundred pound marlin.”
Reilly’s gaze flicked toward his mother, then back to Brick. “There aren’t fish that big in Hummingbird Lake, are there?”
“Oh no. Freshwater fish don’t grow that big. But trout are good fighters and a lot of fun to catch. The welcome packet you received when you checked into Stardance Ranch has a copy of my favorite fishing holes map. Once you get the hang of using a fly rod, you should give some of them a try.”
“We’ll do that,” Jenna replied. “Thanks for the tip.” She pulled into the parking spot beside their trailer. They exited the truck, and when Reilly started to run toward the camper, she said, “Slow down, hot rod. I need you to help me . . .”
Her voice trailed off as a motorcycle pulled to a stop at the foot of their lane. The driver wore silver and gold leathers and a sparkling gold helmet. Jenna thought, Uh-oh.
Reilly said, “Uh-oh.”
The motorcycle rider removed the helmet to reveal a bob of gray hair. She waved at Brick Callahan and he waved back. Then the Angel’s Rest innkeeper turned her attention toward Jenna and Reilly.
“What do we do, Mom?” Reilly asked, panic in his voice.
Jenna eyed the motorcycle and muttered, “Wing it.”
“What?”
Jenna rested a reassuring hand on her son’s shoulder as the newcomer approached carrying a package she’d removed from her saddlebags. “Hello,” she called, a wide smile wreathing her face. “Ms. Tarver? My name is Celeste Blessing and I’m the Welcome Gold Wing.”
“The what?” Reilly asked softly.
“That’s the name of her motorcycle,” Jenna murmured. “It’s a Honda Gold Wing.”
; Her blue eyes gleaming with friendly earnestness, Celeste continued, “Lili Callahan shared the news that you are new seasonal residents of Eternity Springs.”
Jenna hesitated, waiting for the expected moment of recognition. It didn’t immediately come. Okay, then. “Well, we rented the space for a month. I don’t know that it makes us residents.”
“Absolutely! Anyone who remains with us longer than two weeks counts. The city council made a proclamation. Anyway, I am here to officially welcome you and your boy and give you a little goody box from some of our local merchants. You’ll find discount coupons from shops in town including Whimsies and Heavenscents and Forever Christmas. The Yellow Kitchen restaurant has an offer for a free dessert with the purchase of an entree. Tarkington Automotive will balance and rotate your truck tires for free. Trust me, you won’t go wrong taking advantage of the specials at Angels’ Rest Spa. There’s a coupon for a free fishing lure from our outdoors shop, Refresh, and one for two free cinnamon rolls from Fresh bakery.”
Jenna watched Celeste closely, but saw only friendliness in her blue-eyed gaze. “We’ve heard the bakery is fabulous.”
“You’ve heard correctly. You must try the cinnamon rolls. They are divine. Now, do you have any questions about Eternity Springs or the area? I am a veritable font of information. For example, do you enjoy hiking?”
“We do.”
“Has anyone mentioned the Double-Dog Dare Trail up on Murphy Mountain?”
“No. I’m sure I’d have remembered that name.”
“It’s a public trail that recently opened.”
Their visitor went on to talk at length about the trail that came about as a result from a football bet between Michael’s dad Cam and another local landowner, Jack Davenport. It was an amusing story and Celeste told it with flair. Soon even Reilly was laughing.
The sound was more rare than Jenna liked and always music to her ears. She wanted to reach over and hug the twinkling-eyed innkeeper for the gift. That, and the fact that she showed no sign of recognition. None whatsoever. Jenna and Reilly had spent almost as much time with Celeste at Christmas as they had with the Murphys. Maybe . . .
Her welcome complete, Celeste told them goodbye and returned to her motorcycle. As she donned her helmet and fastened her chinstrap, Reilly spoke with wonder. “She didn’t realize it’s us.”
“It appears not.”
“Huh.”
They both stood watching as she started the motor. Once she pulled away, Reilly said, “Ms. Celeste is really smart. I guess that means we have really good disguises.”
“I guess so.” As the sound of the motorcycle faded, Jenna looked at her son. “Reilly, we spent of lot of time with Ms. Celeste last Christmas, didn’t we?”
“Yes. A bunch.”
“If we fooled her, I’ll bet we can fool most anyone.”
Her son, however, wasn’t easily fooled. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Not Michael.”
Jenna shrugged nonchalantly. “No, probably not Michael. But what if we did a little investigating? What if we met Devin Murphy for his fishing lesson and subtly pumped him for information about his brother’s schedule? If we can find out where Michael is spending his time this summer, we can avoid those places. If we’re careful to stay away from Michael, we should be able to remain at Stardance Ranch. This resort is a perfect home base for us as we explore Mesa Verde, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and the Florissant Fossil Beds. When you think about it, we won’t be in Eternity Springs itself all that often. Since Celeste didn’t recognize us, I think it’s safe to assume that nobody else will either. Except for maybe Michael.”
Reilly shoved his fish gunk smelling hands into the back pocket of his jeans. “What if Devin brings Michael with him to the lesson?”
“Well, we could stay in our truck until he arrives. If Devin is alone we go meet him and if he’s not, we don’t. Maybe we could use that opportunity to go into town and see about getting that certain late birthday present I promised you.”
Michel’s entire face lit up. “A dog? Mom, you’re finally going to let me get my dog?”
“I told you we’d get one when we settled. If we stay here for a month, that’s as settled as we’ll be for the foreseeable future.”
“That sounds like a bribe, Mom. You’re making me choose between a dog and Michael being safe?”
“Nope.” Jenna shook her head. “Not at all. I wouldn’t put Michael Murphy at risk any more than you would. This is the same deal we’ve had since your birthday in March. I want you to have your puppy, but training is vital in order to have a well-behaved dog that will protect us both. Constantly changing campsites is not conducive to establishing an effective training schedule. However, if we decide to leave Eternity Springs, I intend to find somewhere else where we are able to camp for a month. I want to get you that dog, plus I need a break from windshield time with a trailer in tow. It’s stressful now that the roads are crowded with tourists.”
Reilly rolled back and forth on his heels. “I don’t know, Mom.”
“Well, we still have time to decide. Let’s go inside and you can wash up, and I’ll inventory the pantry. If the cupboard is bare, I believe I saw a grocery section in the office. They might have spaghetti supplies.”
“I hope so.”
She unlocked the camper’s door and as was her habit, verified that their home had remained undisturbed in their absence. “All clear,” she called.
Reilly dashed inside and disappeared into the bathroom.
Jenna checked her pantry cabinet, confirmed the paucity of foodstuffs, and then broke the news to a disappointed Reilly. “Here.” She pulled a ten-dollar bill from her purse. “Run over to the office and buy something I can fix for lunch.”
“Can I buy anything they have?”
Jenna was smarter than that. “You can buy anything that is something that is ordinarily on our lunch menu. So no sugary cereal.”
“Okay.” Reilly darted off to the Stardance Ranch RV Resort office, and Jenna grabbed her laptop and a notepad and pen. She took a seat at the table, booted up her computer, and logged into a VPN service, which allowed her to surf the Internet anonymously.
In the days following the Tallahassee SWAT raid, Jenna had spent her time studying up on how to go off the grid. Within a week she’d had bitcoins in the bank, a serious stash of cash, and a part-time job doing technical writing for a former colleague who’d left medicine for the nonprofit world and agreed to pay her in Visa gift cards. They’d hit the road and done their best to disappear.
She didn’t fool herself that she was all the way off the grid, but she had moved significantly off center. Opening her browser, she searched for campgrounds within a hundred mile radius of Eternity Springs, made a list in order of preference, and then began placing calls. Soon she’d expanded her search to two hundred miles and then to five hundred.
By the time Reilly returned with hotdogs, buns, and a can of beans, she had two less-than-ideal options to present to him. She did so when they sat down to their early lunch.
“I don’t guess the desert would be too terrible,” he said as he squirted ketchup on his third hotdog. “It was hot in Florida.”
“It was warm and humid in Florida. This will be hot and dry.” Jenna shook her head in wonder as her son polished off the hotdog and spooned another serving of beans onto his plate. The kid’s growth spurt was beginning to look like a growth geyser.
“Do dogs like the desert?” he asked.
“Dogs are adaptable. Giving them a loving home is the most important thing. That said, some breeds do better in extreme heat than others and vice versa.”
“So we probably wouldn’t want a great big hairy dog if we’re going to camp in the desert?”
I don’t want a great big hairy dog at all. “We’ll have to see what dogs are available at the shelter and make the best choice possible for our particular circumstances.”
Reilly licked ketchup from his fingers. “The mountains sound a lot bet
ter.”
Jenna sipped her water and gave him a little more time to think before asking, “So, do you want to meet Devin Murphy for the fishing lesson and see what we can find out about Michael’s summer plans? It’s up to you.”
“Can I have a cookie?”
“May I.”
“May I have a cookie?”
“Yes.”
In seconds, Reilly had his hand in the cookie jar. “I think we can meet Michael’s brother, Mom. As long as we can hide first and make certain he comes by himself.”
“We absolutely can do that.”
With his mouth full of chocolate chips and cookies, the boy added, “I hope we’re able to stay in Eternity Springs.”
“From your mouth to God’s ears.”
Reilly’s expression brimmed with eight-year-old disgust. “I don’t know that He would like having ears full of cookie crumbs.”
Seven
Devin eyed the strawberry pinwheels in the bakery case and debated whether or not he should swipe one more. He had gone on a run this morning—but he’d reloaded what he had exercised off in the first half hour behind the counter at Fresh. If he had known then that he’d be filling in for his mom in Temptation Central, he would have run a second lap around the lake.
The jangle of the doorbell provided a distraction, and he gave a wink and a wolf whistle when two of Eternity Springs’ downtown merchants walked into the bakery. Shannon Garrett owned and operated Murphy’s Pub. Glass artist Gabi Brogan’s Whimsies gift shop sold her art along with other handmade items. Both women smiled with delight upon seeing him.
“Well . . . well . . . well,” Gabi said. “And here I thought Sarah’s cinnamon rolls were the prettiest thing in Fresh. Boy was I wrong.”
“Pretty!” Devin protested. “I don’t think that’s the proper term, do you?”
“He’s right.” Shannon flipped her sunglasses onto the top of her head. “Sarah’s cinnamon rolls are downright beautiful.”