Everlasting Love

by Valerie Hansen

  She only wished he hadn’t pushed her away before she’d had a proper chance to either return his surprising show of affection or slap his face. Or both.

  “Have I made my point?” he asked gruffly.

  Megan shook her head, still in awe of what had just occurred. “Point? What point? I don’t have a clue why you did that.”

  “Then you’re less discerning than that oak tree over there,” James said. “You may understand animals but you don’t have any idea what people are thinking, including your sister. I suggest you keep a close eye on her, Ms. White. That girl is trouble with a capital T.”

  “You’re wrong,” Megan argued.

  All James said as he turned to leave was, “I sincerely hope I am. For everybody’s sake.”

  The first inkling Megan had that there was another kind of trouble brewing was the arrival of a Fulton County sheriff’s car the following afternoon. She’d been letting the boys take turns riding Beethoven bareback while she led him around the yard. Seeing them freeze and stare silently at the black-and-white vehicle, she joined their observation.

  When it became clear that the uniformed officer had come alone, the youngest children relaxed. Only Zac remained alert, as if poised to face danger.

  Megan touched his arm, making him jump. “I didn’t mean to startle you,” she said.

  “No problem.” He was clearly feigning calm.

  “There’s no reason to be afraid of the police, you know. They protect us.”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “I’m sure you can. So can I. I don’t mind getting a little help now and then though.”

  “Don’t need that kinda help,” the youth said.

  “Not now, maybe. But you should keep an open mind. You may want police assistance someday.”

  “Not likely.”

  Having read Zac and Bobby Joe’s files, she could understand his point of view. He’d come from a family that had been fractured by crime and the ensuing punishments. No doubt he blamed the authorities for most of his problems, though the real guilt lay with the adult relatives who had tried to use the boys as a cover for their numerous thefts.

  Looking back on her own childhood, Megan was chagrined. “Sorry, Lord,” she whispered. “I can see I didn’t have it so bad. I’m sorry I questioned You.”

  Zac had been listening. “What?”

  “I was just talking to God,” she explained. “Thanking Him for the wonderful things in my life.”

  “Sounds pretty weird to me.”

  “Not to me. Aren’t you thankful for being here with your little brother instead of having to go to separate homes? I hear you two like to stay together.”

  “Taking care of the kid is my job,” Zac said. “I promised.”

  “Then you and I have something in common. I promised my mother I’d look after Roxy. Roxy’s been pretty unhappy lately. Confused, too. But that’s understandable. She still has a lot of growing up to do.”

  The boy grinned. “Looks pretty grown-up to me.”

  “On the outside, maybe. Inside, she’s still my little sister. She always will be, just like Bobby will always be your little brother.”

  “I guess.” Zac averted his gaze. “Do you think she likes me?”

  “As a friend? I’m sure she does.”

  “Yeah, well, I know I’m not all muscles like that Barnes guy but I’ll fill out soon. My uncle’s real strong. He can beat up anybody. I’m gonna be just like him.”

  “There’s more to success than having big muscles,” Megan told him. “Even strong men need to use their brains if they want to succeed. Look what happened to Sampson.”

  “Who’s he? A wrestler?”

  “No, he was even stronger.” She smiled and shook her head. “The Bible says he pulled a whole building down on top of himself to kill his enemies.”

  “He croaked, too? That was a pretty stupid move.”

  “Maybe. The point is, the bad choices he made in the past were why he was in such terrible trouble.”

  She gave that thought a chance to sink in before she added, “Life still works the same way today. If we don’t make a mess of things to start with, there’s a lot less to clean up later.”

  Zac glanced past her and chuckled. Beethoven had decided to relieve himself right in front of her porch. “Speaking of cleaning up,” the boy joked, “somebody’d better grab a shovel before that gets tracked into your cabin.”

  “An excellent idea,” she said pleasantly. “You’ll find a manure fork in the bed of my truck.”

  “A fork? I ain’t fixin’ to eat the stuff!”

  Laughing, Megan handed him the burro’s lead rope. “Here. Hold this while I go get the fork. You’ll catch on once I show you how it works.”

  “I don’t know,” the teen drawled. “I may be smarter than that guy who knocked a house down on himself but I’m pretty slow when it comes to learning to use farm tools.”

  James waited until the boys and Aaron were back in their dorm, washing for supper, before he headed up the hill to speak with Megan. She was running fresh water into a big plastic tub in the horse pen when he arrived.

  “I’m glad everything went well,” he said. “No broken bones…yet.”

  “I assure you I’m very careful.” She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, trying to keep perspiration from stinging her eyes. “Those kids are a handful.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  Megan grinned. “I just did.”

  “Very funny.”

  “I thought so.” Studying his expression more closely she sobered. “Hey, what’s wrong? You look worried.”

  “I am. I want you to make sure your door is locked tonight when you go to sleep. And take the dog inside with you so he can warn you if there’s a prowler.”

  “I saw the police car today. Is there a burglar in the area?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Give me all the details. I don’t want to become a victim through ignorance. Wiggles can help us patrol the camp, too, if you think it’s necessary.”

  “It shouldn’t be. There may not even be a problem, at least not for anybody but Zac and Bobby Joe.”

  “Why just them?” Her brow furrowed.

  “The sheriff got word that their uncle, Ethan Ewing, is out on bail and may plan to come here to get them. All we’re supposed to do is keep an eye out and call the cops if we notice anybody strange hanging around.”

  “That could be too late.”

  “I know. Unfortunately, we have no choice. I’m not too worried. The man’s a known thief, but according to our files he’s never been violent.”

  Megan’s eyes widened. “Oh, yeah? How many uncles do the boys have?”

  “I don’t know. Why?”

  “Because Zac told me how much he admired an uncle who used to beat people up just for fun. If that’s his uncle Ethan, I think I’d rather skip meeting the guy.”

  “Can’t say I blame you. Just in case there is a connection, either Aaron or I will walk you and your sister to and from the dining hall. I don’t want you making the trip alone anymore, especially not after dark.”

  “And I thought all I had to worry about up here in the hills were ticks and chiggers and snakes.”

  “Hey! That’s a great excuse,” James said. “We’ll tell your sister and the boys that you saw a snake and you’re scared to go walking alone.”

  “It’s the snakes I don’t see that bother me,” she said wryly. “Especially the big, two-legged kind.”

  Supper was over and James was putting the boys to bed when Roxy decided she wanted to leave the dining hall and go back to their cabin immediately. Megan suggested they wait for James to return.

  “No way. I’m not a baby. And I’m not scared of any old snakes, either. You can hang around here if you want to. I’m going home.”

  “If you help me wipe down tables, time will pass before you know it.” The set of the girl’s jaw told Megan she was wasting her breath. “Okay.
I’ll go tell Aaron we’re ready to go.”

  “Aaron?” Roxy brightened. “Cool. I thought we had to wait for Mr. Harris.”

  “Yes and no. James said Aaron will walk us to our cabin any time he’s not available himself. But remember what I told you. Aaron is working here. He’s not hanging around in order to keep you entertained.”

  “You don’t want me to find somebody special and be happy, do you?”

  “Of course I do. Just not yet, okay? You’ll have plenty of time for that when you’re grown-up.”

  “Like you? Yeah, right. I’m not going to wait till I’m old and wrinkled to fall in love.”

  Wrinkled? Megan gave a soft chuckle. The absurd notion of being a has-been at twenty-three tickled her. Amused, she headed for the boys’ dorm to fetch Aaron.

  Before she got to the porch she could hear the boisterous boys. She knocked on the frame of the screen door. “Hello! Anybody home?”

  James appeared immediately. He was frowning. “What’re you doing out by yourself? Why isn’t Aaron with you?”

  “I thought he was over here with you,” Megan said. “Roxy’s ready to go back to our cabin. I came to fetch a bodyguard, like you wanted.”

  “I just sent him back to the dining hall. Didn’t you pass him?”

  “I don’t know. I may have.” She scanned the forest through the deepening twilight. “I wasn’t expecting to see him. I guess I didn’t notice.”

  “Then I’m doubly glad I insisted you be escorted. The way you wander around with your head in the clouds is asking for trouble.”

  Megan laughed. “Hey, considering the fact my sister thinks I’m so old I’m already over the hill, I think I’m doing quite well.” She started to turn away.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Back to the kitchen.”

  “Alone?”

  Hands on her hips, she gave him a look of derision. “Well, duh. Of course alone. You have the boys to look after. You certainly can’t go off and leave them, can you?”

  “No,” James said soberly. “Okay. Go. I’ll wait right here where I can watch you most of the way. When you get safely back to Inez, flash the porch light on and off a couple of times so I’ll know you’re okay.”

  Megan gave in to the urge to tease him. She stood at attention and gave a snappy salute, followed by “Yes, sir!”

  The look of incredulity on his handsome face made her laugh aloud. That he obviously didn’t share her good humor added to her amusement.

  She didn’t mean to belittle his concern, she simply thought he took everything far too seriously. Especially himself.

  Chapter Eight

  Inez was the only person left in the dining hall when Megan arrived and asked, “Where is everybody?”

  “Roxy left. I think Aaron took her for a ride on the ATV. You know, that noisy, four-wheel-drive scooter thing they all like to take to the backcountry? I heard the motor start up a second ago.”

  “Oh, dear.”

  “I wouldn’t worry,” the older woman said. “Aaron didn’t seem to mind. He looked pretty happy to be goin’ off with your sister. I was a tad surprised. I didn’t think they were gettin’ along all that well.”

  “I wish they weren’t,” Megan said. She grabbed Inez’s arm and tugged her out the door. “Come with me. If Aaron’s not back in the dorm when we get there, you may have to stay and watch the little kids for a few minutes while James and I go looking for the bigger ones.”

  “Aaron’s a good boy,” Inez insisted. “I know his family. He’ll look after your sister fine.”

  “I don’t doubt that for a minute,” Megan said. “But it’s dark out there, Roxy’s got him all to herself and they’re probably riding double on that all-terrain thingie. I’m not worried about her safety. I’m worried about who’s going to protect him.”

  They hit the dorm porch just as James was coming out the door.

  He scowled at Megan. “You didn’t flash the light.”

  “That’s because everything isn’t fine,” she replied. “I brought Inez along to watch the boys while we’re gone.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Hunting. Grab a flashlight and come on. Roxy and Aaron are out in the woods on your ATV, all by their lonesomes. I don’t think that’s very wise, do you?”

  “No.” James matched her strides off the porch and across the dirt road. “How did it happen?”

  “All I know is, they were gone when I got back to the kitchen. Inez said they went for a ride.”

  “Maybe that’s all there is to it?”

  Megan shot him a look of doubt that was evident even in the sparse light filtering through the trees from the rising moon. “Are we talking about the same two kids we know and love? Get real, Harris.”

  James had to call Aaron’s name twice before there was an answering shout. He pointed his flashlight in that general direction and saw the pair coming toward him. In seconds they’d become a foursome.

  Roxy was hanging on to Aaron’s arm as if she’d laid claim and was defending her personal property. “We ran out of gas,” the girl said with a telling giggle.

  James was furious. “What were you doing out there in the first place?”

  “Taking Roxy home, just like you told me to,” the young man answered. “Miss Megan wasn’t in the dining room when we left. Inez said she was with you.”

  “That’s beside the point,” James countered.

  Aaron shrugged. “What was I supposed to do? I was just following your orders.”

  “And I wanted to go home,” Roxy crooned. “Aaron and I weren’t doing anything wrong. Honest.”

  The beam of James’s flashlight illuminated the college student’s flushed face, making him blink and shade his eyes. Bright pink smudges marked his cheeks and mouth.

  “If you were behaving yourself, then you put your lipstick on crooked,” James chided. “Or is there some other excuse for that stuff smeared all over you?”

  Aaron began to rub his lips with the back of his hand while Roxanne laughed lightly. “I was just thanking him for being so nice.”

  “Well, from now on, he won’t be available to escort you anywhere,” James told her. “If you want to go home early, too bad. You’ll have to wait till I’m free to take you.”

  The teenager whined, “That’s so not fair.”

  “I think Mr. Harris is being very fair,” Megan countered. “He could have ordered us both out of camp and ended my project. And he’d have had perfect grounds for taking that action, thanks to you. I can’t believe you didn’t consider those consequences.”

  “What do I care about you and your old project?” the angry girl shot back. “You never cared about me. You wouldn’t have even brought me along if Mom hadn’t made you. Why shouldn’t I kiss Aaron? At least he thinks about my feelings.”

  “That’s enough,” James said. “This discussion is over. Aaron, you go back to the dorm and relieve Inez so she can go home. I’ll take these ladies the rest of the way to their cabin.”

  “Yes, sir.” The young man had to twist his arm to extricate himself from Roxy’s grip. Giving her a small, embarrassed smile, he quickly headed down the hill.

  “And you, Ms. White,” James said, staring at Roxy, “will not bother my assistant again. He’s off-limits to you from now on. If he was a couple of months older, he could be in serious trouble already. Is that clear?”

  She sniffed, her chin jutting stubbornly. “Perfectly.”

  “Good.” James turned to Megan. “I know this wasn’t directly your fault, but what you told her just now was true. I could end your work here if I wanted to. Tonight.”

  “I know.” Subdued, Megan hoped and prayed he wasn’t going to reconsider and send her away after all. “Please don’t. I’ll keep Roxy with me every minute if I have to. Just give us another chance.”

  “Agreed. And you remember what I told you about locking your door.”

  “I will.”

  “Then let’s get you home. It’s
been a long day.”

  Megan glanced over at her pouting sister. The girl gave her a look of disdain, whirled and flounced away, headed toward their cabin.

  Following, Megan spoke quietly to James as she gestured toward the retreating girl. “Judging by that, I’m afraid it’s going to be an even longer night. At least for me.” She pulled a face. “Guess that’s what I get for praying for more patience.”

  His voice was soft, questioning. “You pray for little things like that?”

  “Little?” Megan laughed. “Believe me, James, developing the kind of patience I’m going to need to deal with my sister is no small thing.”

  To Megan’s delight and surprise, Roxy didn’t pitch another fit before going to bed. Moreover, by morning the girl was actually acting calm and agreeable. Although Megan was relieved, she kept waiting for the catch. Such an abrupt change of heart for the better was almost too good to be true.

  Still, Megan was glad the Lord had answered her prayers for her sister’s peace of mind so she could stop worrying and get on with her work. Today, she planned to put Mr. and Mrs. Bunny into an expandable wire enclosure where she could release them on the ground and let several of the boys interact with them while the animals hopped around loose.

  Chores had been assigned by capability, meaning Zac had drawn the first cleanup duty in Buckets’s and Beethoven’s pen. He showed up, accompanied by his brother and Mark, though he didn’t seem nearly as eager to be there as the younger ones were.

  Megan greeted James as he delivered the boys into her care. “Hello.”

  “Morning,” he said. “Everything okay here?”

  “Fine. Better than I’d expected, considering. Did you get your ATV running again?”

  “Yes. Funny thing, too. Turned out there was plenty of gas in it.”

  “What a surprise.”

  “Yes, isn’t it? Well, take care. I’ll be back before lunch to pick up these three.”

  “Okay. Thanks.” She turned her attention to the boys and smiled broadly. “Hi, guys. Glad you could come. Are you ready to have some fun?”

  Bobby Joe and Mark nodded vigorously. Zac snorted. “You call this fun?”