Wagonload Of Trouble

by McDonough, Vickie;

  Evan went back to watching the sky. Suddenly he snapped his fingers and strode toward her, still carrying the bridles. “I have an idea.”

  She ran her hand over the gelding’s rump and met Evan in the middle of the corral. “What idea?”

  “What if we make the campers think that the horses gone missing was planned? We could pretend rustlers stole them and let the campers hike out in groups to find them. Maybe even offer some kind of reward to the winners.”

  She shook her head at the crazy suggestion, but even as she did, she saw the beauty of his plan. It could work. The three wagon drivers, Steve, Benny, and herself, could each head up a group and make sure none of the greenhorns got hurt. It could actually be fun. A smile worked its way to her lips, and she refrained from reaching out and hugging the man who’d just solved her dilemma. He was a pleasant surprise, and she enjoyed his quiet company. Now they were partners in crime—sort of. “I like it. Let’s do it.”

  ❧

  “I bet the horses are over this hill.” Taylor raced Alison, Misty, and Sarah James to the top of the hill.

  “Yeah, we’ll be the winners for sure.” Sarah heaved a breath, and her short, stubby legs pumped as she tried to keep up with the taller, leaner girls.

  Evan walked with several other chaperones and parents, following at a much more relaxed pace. He didn’t want to admit it, but the altitude must be getting to him. Though he jogged regularly, this morning’s walk had left him winded and feeling more tired than it should have. He scratched his arm and massaged his achy forehead.

  Knee-high grass swished as they plowed through it. Wildflowers in yellow, white, and purple dotted the area, and with the mountains ahead, it was a scene worthy of a painter’s canvas. He lifted his digital camera and snapped a picture. If only he could capture such a scene in his video games, but that was the job of the graphic artist, not the computer engineer.

  Mrs. James jogged up beside him, breathing hard, and Evan resisted rolling his eyes. It seemed like every time he stepped outside, she managed to worm her way up next to him. “This is quite an adventure, isn’t it, Mr. Parker? Just imagine. . .rustlers. Why it’s enough to make a woman faint.”

  He glanced sideways at the slightly overweight brunette, hoping that she wasn’t serious. He’d be more than winded if he had to help carry her back to camp. She wasn’t a bad-looking woman, but he wasn’t interested. A honey-blond with brown eyes so dark he could barely make out the pupils lingered in his mind. He’d hoped that he and Taylor could have been in the group Bethany Schaffer led, but at the last minute, Taylor decided she wanted to go with Alison’s group, and he couldn’t very well go in a different one than his niece.

  The balmy sunshine warmed him, and the high altitude made catching his breath more difficult after the vigorous walk. A nagging pain stabbed his head. He swiped at a trickle of sweat, rolled up his shirtsleeves, and scratched at a red spot on his arm. Must be a bug bite. The difference in the nighttime and daytime temperatures amazed him. Short-sleeve weather by day, but he needed a jacket after the sun set, taking the day’s heat with it.

  “What kind of work do you do, Mr. Parker?” Mrs. James fanned her face with her hand and blinked her gray eyes at him like a schoolgirl. Her cheeks were bright red, but he didn’t know if it was from exertion or a blush.

  “I’m a computer engineer. I’ve been an instructor at the University of Wyoming, but now—”

  High-pitched shrieks pulled his attention to the top of the hill. Ahead of them, four girls squealed and bounced up and down.

  “There they are!”

  “I see three of them.”

  Taylor looked over her shoulder and seemed to scan the group. Her eyes locked with his, and she actually smiled at him. Evan’s heart tightened. He smiled and waved back.

  Benny, the young man on horseback who was leading the group, rode up the hill and reined to a stop. The girls looked up at the handsome young man, as if seeking his approval.

  “Those girls sure do have an eye for that hot ranch hand,” Mrs. James said.

  Evan scowled. “Yeah, I noticed.” Benny may not be near Evan’s age, but he was far too mature for a fourteen-year-old. Still, he had to give the man credit. He’d never once encouraged the girls’ attention whenever Evan had seen him out among them.

  Benny spoke something into his satellite phone and turned his horse toward the adults. “Looks like we’re the first ones to locate any of the horses.”

  Cheers rang out among the group, and the adults quickened their pace and soon joined the girls at the top of the hill.

  “The boys in Miss Schaffer’s group will be so jealous that a bunch of girls beat them.” A red-haired girl whose name Evan didn’t know rubbed her hands together and grinned.

  Benny dismounted and looked at Evan. “Could you hold my horse for me? Those horses down there know me, so I’d best approach them on foot alone. You guys stay here so you won’t scare them away.”

  Evan looked at the reins and then the horse. He reached out and took the reins in spite of his nervousness at being so close to an animal with such big teeth. Taylor smiled and walked over. She petted the horse, but an ornery sparkle gleamed in her eye. “You’re not afraid of him, are you?”

  “No.” Okay, so maybe that was a half-truth. A man’s got his pride, after all. He steeled himself and touched the horse’s nose, amazed at its softness. The black horse sniffed his hand, blowing its warm breath across his palm.

  “Isn’t it cool how God made such big animals, and yet they can be so gentle?” Taylor combed her fingers through the horse’s black mane. “I love riding. Can we go again?”

  “Yeah, if you want.”

  Taylor clapped her hands.

  The horse jerked his head, and Evan nearly dropped the reins. He shot a warning glance to Taylor, and she giggled. Evan shook his head and patted the horse’s neck. He had tolerated the trail ride but had never felt completely comfortable. Still, if it made Taylor happy, he could endure another hour on the back of a horse.

  Benny strode down the hill, carrying three lead ropes. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out some feed, and the nearest horse lifted its head and walked toward him. Benny allowed the horse to eat, then snapped on the lead rope and led the gray horse up the hill toward them. The other horses followed at a good distance.

  “Is it true what everybody is saying?” Taylor flicked a strand of her dark hair away from her mouth and gazed up at Evan with clear blue eyes. The wind picked up, blowing her shoulder-length hair in all directions. She grabbed it and held it in place behind her head with one hand.

  Evan frowned. “What are they saying?”

  “That you saved Miss Schaffer from. . .well, you know.”

  He should have realized word would have gotten around about him coming to Miss Schaffer’s rescue. Evan shrugged. “I was just in the right place at the right time.”

  Taylor blinked and looked up, something like awe on her face. “God put you there, didn’t He?”

  “That’s what I believe.”

  The widest grin he’d seen in months brightened Taylor’s face. “You’re a hero.”

  She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his chest. “Thank you for bringing me here, Uncle Evan. I know you have important work to do, but I really appreciate it.”

  Before he could respond, she darted toward Benny. Warmth flooded through him as he realized that his sacrifice of time had been worth it.

  The horse beside him whinnied as loudly as if someone had blown a trumpet in Evan’s ear. He lunged backward three feet and nearly dropped the reins. Chuckles mounted around him.

  Evan had never been so out of his comfort zone before, but seeing Taylor so happy and relaxed made all the hassles of this trip well worth it. He just had to keep reminding himself of that.

  Seven

  Bethany set the heated syrup on the serving counter and uncovered the massive pile of pancakes that Jenny had cooked. Teens in hoodies and jackets
huddled together at the front of the serving line, chatting and gently shoving one another. Bethany lifted the lid off the sausage and eggs then waved to the leader. The savory scent of grilled sausage filled the air, as well as the odor of fresh coffee. “Come and get it.”

  She stretched her back to rid it of the kinks and took another sip of her coffee. The screen door screeched as Big Jim strode in and made a beeline for the coffeepot. He swigged down a whole steaming cup and poured another, then turned to face her. He leaned back against the counter, making sure to stay out of Jenny’s way.

  “Got fresh hotcakes. Want some?” Jenny swiveled her spatula in the air.

  Jim smiled. “Sounds good.” He pulled out a chair and sat at the table, then heaved a big sigh and looked up.

  Bethany’s heart jolted. What now? “I looked everything over early this morning, right after Ed woke me with his crowing. Everything seemed fine. I know that look. What’s wrong?”

  Jim took another sip of coffee and stared at her over his cup. “That computer geek you like is sick.”

  She sucked in a breath. Evan? He’d been fine the day before. “What’s wrong with him? And I never said I liked him.”

  Jim lifted his fuzzy brows and gave her a knowing stare.

  “Okay, I like him. He’s a nice guy, even if he’s a bit weird. How bad is he?” She glanced at the power strip, and her heart stumbled. Evan hadn’t recharged his laptop batteries.

  “Fever. Headache.”

  She rested her forehead on her palms and gripped her hair. What could he have? She peeked over her shoulder at the line of guests filling their plates. Was it contagious? “Is anyone else sick?”

  Jim shrugged. “Not that I know of. His roommate, Mr. Perry, I think, came and got me. Wanted to know if we had any medicine.”

  Bethany stood. “There’s some acetaminophen in the medicine chest. I can take it to him.”

  Jim smirked and lifted one brow.

  She straightened and stared him in the eye. “I’m the boss’s daughter, so it’s only right that I check on him.”

  “Uh-huh.” Jim sipped his coffee.

  Jenny smacked down a plate of food in front of him. “You leave her alone, you big ox.”

  Jim chuckled and cut his pancakes with his fork. He got up and helped himself to the syrup then sat down again. “You know someone will have to take him back, so that means we can’t move the wagons again.”

  Bethany shook her head and looked at Jenny. “We’re okay on food, right?”

  The cook nodded. “I think so. I’ll check the inventory after breakfast and call you if I need anything; then you can bring it when you come back.”

  “All right, I’ll go check out our patient. Jim, can you come up with something different for the guests to do today? They all seemed to enjoy hunting for the horses yesterday.”

  “Yeah, I’ll set up the volleyball nets and get out the ball equipment. Maybe see if I can get an adults versus kids game going. That always stirs up interest, but if that doesn’t work, we’ll have a fishing tournament.”

  Bethany got the pills from the medicine kit and grabbed a can of pop. Outside of Evan Parker’s tent, she halted. She’d cleaned the tents plenty of times but had never gone in when one of the guests was present. Through the netting of the door, she could see a shadowy bundle on the back cot. Nobody else was around. She cleared her throat. “Mr. Parker, it’s Bethany Schaffer. May I come in? I have some medicine for you.”

  He groaned, threw back the blanket, sat up, and dropped the cover over his lap. “Yeah.”

  His voice sounded croaky. She slipped inside and pulled a chair close to his bed. His head hung down, resting in his hands, and he looked cute in his University of Wyoming sweatshirt with his hair all messed up. He scratched his chest and looked up.

  Bethany’s heart melted. At first she’d thought maybe he was just sunburned from spending the day outside without a hat, but his eyes held pain. She reached out and touched his forehead. “You’ve got a fever.”

  “That stinks.”

  Her lips tilted up. “I brought you something that might help.” She opened the bottle of acetaminophen and handed two of them to him. His hand felt hot as her fingers touched his palm. She popped the lid of a can of 7UP and gave it to him. He stuck the pills in his mouth and took a drink, then passed the can back to her.

  “Thanks.”

  “Do you think you could eat anything?”

  He swayed then scooted under the covers and lay down. “No.”

  “Besides a fever, are you sick to your stomach? Do you hurt anywhere else?”

  He stuck an arm under his pillow. “My head and back ache.”

  Maybe he had a virus, but it could be something more serious. She remembered the boy who had been here the year she turned sixteen. He’d had a low-grade fever and a stomachache. Nothing major, but after a few days, his mother insisted they go to town to see a doctor. The boy had appendicitis, and the doctor told his mother that he could have died if his appendix had ruptured. Since then they’d taken no chances. If someone got sick, he or she returned to the ranch.

  Bethany stared at the man. Even with a day’s growth of his dark beard and his eyes shut, something about him tugged at her. But it was his sky blue eyes that took her breath away—them and his kindness. Evan scratched his chest.

  “Why do you keep scratching?”

  “I itch.” His mouth cocked up in a weak grin.

  “Let me see your chest.”

  His lids lifted halfway, and his brows arched.

  “Mr. Parker. . .”

  “Evan.”

  Bethany sighed but secretly smiled. “Evan, there are things out here that you don’t encounter in the city, and some people are highly allergic to them.”

  He shoved the blanket away and lifted his sweatshirt. Bethany resisted gasping out loud. Angry red spots dotted his flat stomach and mixed with the brown hair on his chest. What in the world? I’ve got to get him back home.

  She indicated for him to pull down his shirt. “You rest, and I’m going to make arrangements to take you back to the ranch. You need to have a doctor check you over.”

  “I can’t go. This trip means too much to Taylor.” He shook his head. “I’ll be better tomorrow.”

  She rested her hand on his arm. “Maybe, but we can’t take a chance that what you have could be contagious. You need to be isolated.”

  “I’ll stay here, in this tent.”

  She shook her head. “You would still have to use the bathroom facilities, and besides, you seem too weak to even walk that far.”

  “I’ll manage,” he growled.

  Bethany stood, distancing herself from him. “I’m sorry, but for your own well-being, we can’t let you stay.”

  He ran his hand through his hair. “Taylor will be so disappointed.”

  “Let me see what I can do.” It was normally against ranch policy for a child to be there without a parent or guardian, but maybe Taylor could stay with another family. Bethany strode across the campground, half angry with herself. Why was she willing to bend the rules for Evan Parker’s niece when she wouldn’t do it for someone else?

  Taylor hurried toward her, carrying a plate of food. Her brows lifted when she saw Bethany leaving the tent. “I thought I’d see if Uncle Evan could eat something.”

  “Good luck with that.” Bethany smiled. “I don’t think he feels up to eating, especially something like sausage.”

  Taylor glanced down. “Oh, I didn’t think of that. Maybe he could eat a little of the eggs.”

  “Yeah, that might help him. I left a can of pop in the tent and gave him something for his headache and fever.” She looked down, steeling herself for the girl’s response. “I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to take him back to the ranch. We need to get him checked by a doctor. I have no clue what’s wrong with him.”

  Taylor pressed her lips together and stared off toward the mountains. “Yeah, I was afraid of that.”

  Bethany laid
her hand on the girl’s arm. “I’m going to see if another parent would be willing to take responsibility for you so you can stay with the tour.”

  Taylor’s eyes sparked for a moment then dulled. “Thanks, but I should stay with my uncle in case he needs me.”

  “You sure?”

  She nodded. “I’ll see if I can get him to eat and then start packing our stuff. I guess I just wasn’t meant to go on this trip.”

  “All right, if you’re positive. I’m going to call my dad and see if he can get the doctor from town to come and check your uncle.”

  They parted, and Bethany strode back to the cookhouse. She couldn’t help being worried about Evan. Nobody had ever had a rash like that, as far as she could remember. It seemed isolated to his chest, which was odd, since she’d never seen him go anywhere without a shirt. That probably ruled out an allergic reaction.

  She thought about her first few meetings with him. Why had she considered him such a geek, just because he lugged his computer around? She smiled. Because he was.

  A large crowd of guests sat at the picnic tables, laughing, talking, and devouring their breakfast. Good, keep things as normal as possible. Maybe if she hurried, they could get Evan and Taylor away without too many people asking questions. She hoped the Perrys would not get sick since they shared a tent.

  Back inside the kitchen, Jenny and Jim stared at her with curiosity. Bethany grabbed the phone. “I’m taking Mr. Parker and his niece back to the ranch.”

  Jim lifted a brow. “You’re taking them?”

  “Yes. Why don’t you see about getting the net up?”

  Jim’s thick lips twisted into a humorous smirk. “Yes, ma’am. You’re the boss.”

  Bethany stuck out her tongue at him and grinned.

  An hour later, she drove the Jeep toward the ranch, taking it slowly so as not to jar Evan too much. He sat beside her, hunched against the door, eyes closed. Every so often her gaze would meet Taylor’s concerned one in the rearview mirror.