“Yes, sir.”
The warm sun and the ambience of the camp had been bathing Cody in Southern contentment all day. Compared to the cold wind off Lake Michigan at his dad’s place or the icy waters of the Tuolumne, this was sure a pleasant place to lounge around. He sighed and closed his eyes. His knee wasn’t throbbing ceaselessly, the way it had been. That, alone, was enough to make him glad he’d come.
“Afternoon,” Will said, startling him back to alertness. “You wanna see me?”
The weathered old man was clutching his dingy baseball cap in his hands and looking as if he expected to be chastised. Cody smiled and gestured to the porch. “Yes, I do. Join me?”
“I guess I can spare a few minutes. What did you want to talk about?”
Cody waited until Will was seated in the other pressed-metal chair. “Trudy Lynn’s prowler,” Cody said. “Have you ever gotten a good look him?”
“Nope. Comes sneakin’ around at night. I’ve seen shadows. That’s about all.”
“Where was he when you spotted him?”
“Down closer to the river.” Will peered past Cody. “Don’t think you can see that place from here.”
“That’s what I was afraid of. Okay. Tell me where you’d go if you were planning on sitting up all night.”
“I ain’t plannin’ to.”
“I am.” He lowered his stiff leg and rubbed his thigh through the khaki fabric of his slacks.
“That’s clear dumb if you ask me. Wanna borrow my twelve-gauge?”
Cody shook his head. “No. I don’t intend to try to capture anybody. I just want to get a good look at them so I can give the sheriff a description.”
The old man cackled. “Okay. It’s your funeral.”
“I certainly hope not,” Cody gibed. “What makes you say that?”
“I’m not laughin’ at you,” Will said. “I’m laughin’ because around here, our county sheriff is elected. Anybody can run. Most times, the fella what wins ain’t much of a lawman. We figure we’re lucky if he knows which end of a gun shoots and where to put the bullets.”
“How about the man who’s in office, now?”
“He’s kin to just about everybody so I can’t say.” Will continued to laugh softly. “We only got two police cars for this whole county. Last I heard, one of ’em was broke down. That tell ya what ya need to know?”
“Pretty much,” Cody answered, nodding thoughtfully. “Okay. Here’s what we’ll do. As soon as it starts to get dark, you come get me and help me find a place where I can hide and watch. Think you can do that?”
“Sure. But why ask me? Why not get Miss Trudy Lynn to help you? Be lots more fun.”
Cody ignored the other man’s knowing expression and conspiratorial wink. “Because I don’t want her to know what I’m doing. You’re not to tell her. Understand?”
“She’ll throw a hissy fit when she finds out.”
“Unless I spot a prowler, there’s no need for her to know anything about it. Ever.”
“There ain’t much about the Spring River Miz Brown don’t know. But I figure I owe you a favor after bustin’ in on you last night, so I’ll keep mum.”
“Thanks. See you at dusk.”
“Yeah. See ya.” Will started away, then paused and turned back to Cody. “That fella Ned I told you about? The one Miz Brown was figuring on marryin’ someday? He used to keep a lot of secrets. She didn’t like it.”
“This is for her own good,” Cody replied.
“Don’t matter. She still ain’t gonna like it. Not one little bit.”
Cody had let the old man help him to the river’s edge and settle him comfortably behind a fallen tree. Moonlight reflecting off his metal crutches had made them too noticeable in the dark so he’d sent them back to the cabin with his cohort. There would be no need to walk until Will returned for him in the morning, anyway.
Smoke from a distant campfire layered across the lowlands, bringing back childhood memories of his father showing him how to cook hot dogs and roast marshmallows over an open fire. He smiled. Dad’s love of the outdoors had certainly rubbed off on him, hadn’t it?
Suddenly, a twig snapped. Cody slowly turned his head in the direction of the noise. Instead of the vandal he’d expected, he saw Trudy Lynn. Judging by her direct course she knew exactly where he was hidden.
Her “Hi, there,” sounded far too cheerful for the circumstances.
“Get down before you blow my cover,” Cody ordered. “What are you doing here?”
“Bringing you hot chocolate. I made a whole thermosful. I brought an extra cup, too. Mind if I join you?”
“Yes, I mind. How did you find out where I was?”
“Don’t blame Will. I caught him putting your crutches back in the cabin. Even if he hadn’t told me what was going on, I’d have found you sooner or later. Will said I was better off sitting with you than poking through the bushes alone in the dark. Don’t you agree?”
“The only thing I agree about is how dangerous it is for you to be out here. Go home. Now.”
“You don’t have to yell.”
“I’m not yelling. I’m stating a firm opinion. There’s a difference.”
“Not in my book there isn’t.” She plopped down on the ground beside him and ducked her head below the level of the fallen oak. “This is my campground. I pretty much go where I want and do as I please.”
“Fine. Then catch your own vandal. I’m leaving.”
“Oh, yeah? How? If I remember right, your crutches are back in your cabin.”
“I’ll crawl.”
“Not on that sore knee, you won’t,” Trudy Lynn said.
Cody thought he saw a flash of sorrow in her eyes. When she immediately mellowed, he was certain of it.
“Look. I’ll go back soon if that’s what you want. Just have some hot chocolate with me first. Please?”
“If I do, you’ll go home?”
“Yes.”
“And stay there?”
“Cross my heart.”
Sighing in resignation, Cody said, “Okay. Pour. But no funny business. One cup and you’re on your way.”
“Absolutely.” She pulled a large thermos out of her pack and twisted off the lid. “I’ll leave the rest of this with you so you can warm up through the night. It gets pretty cold out here sometimes, depending on the season, of course. I see Will talked you into wearing a jacket. That’s good. I was afraid you’d be cold.”
Cody scowled. “Don’t you ever stop talking?”
“Not often.”
“Then I know why you never spotted your prowler. He could hear you long before he got close enough to see you.”
“Very funny.” Trudy Lynn made a silly face.
“And very true.” Cody waited till she’d poured herself a drink, then raised his cup to his lips. The liquid was scalding. “Ouch!”
“You don’t have to chug it down and burn yourself just to get rid of me faster.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Right.”
“You calling me a liar?”
“Of course not. I just think you have a skewed view of life, of what’s really important, that’s all.”
“For instance?” He took a more cautious sip.
Trudy Lynn blew on her hot chocolate and waited a few moments to answer. “Well, you might want to start by appreciating the good things. Didn’t it occur to you that you were spared for a reason when you were pitched into that river?”
“I was lucky, that’s all.”
“Okay. Let’s say you were lucky. Does that mean the man who drowned was unlucky?”
“I suppose so.” He saw her start to smile. “What’s so amusing now?”
“You are. Don’t you see? If it’s all a matter of luck, you just exonerated yourself. And if it isn’t, if God is in charge of life and death, the way I happen to believe, you still can’t take the blame.”
Cody huffed. “Fine. Does that mean I should blame God for my limp?”
“If
you want to. He can take criticism.” She paused for another sip. “Later on, when enough time has passed that you can look at the whole situation objectively, maybe you’ll see that what happened was for the best.”
“I doubt it.”
Trudy Lynn’s smile was sweet and sympathetic when she said, “That’s okay, too.”
They sat in companionable silence till each had finished a second serving of cocoa. Stretching, Trudy Lynn zipped her empty cup back inside her pack.
“Well, guess I’d better keep my promise. You sure you’ll be all right if I leave you here?”
“I have a bad knee, I’m not unconscious. Of course I’ll be all right. Why wouldn’t I be?”
She had to admit he had a valid point. “You win. I’m going. But don’t blame me if you’re freezing by morning and wishing you were back in your nice, cozy cabin.”
“I promise to hold you blameless.”
Clearly, he was teasing—and enjoying every word. Well, so what? If their back-and-forth banter amused him, she’d pretend he was winning their contest of wits. She knew she could give as good as she got. Truth to tell, she was enjoying Cody’s wry sense of humor and the way his eyes twinkled when he was expecting a weird reaction to something he’d said or done.
If Cody wanted weird, she thought, he’d certainly come to the right person. More than one man had told her she was crazy, including her former fiancé. Thinking back on it, she was surprised to find the memory of Ned’s censure no longer made her sad. Her spirit soared. What a wonderful, unexpected gift!
“You look awfully happy. What’re you up to?” Cody asked.
“Just counting my blessings, like I told you to,” she said. “I—”
A crash behind them made Trudy Lynn jump. Her eyes widened. “What was that?”
“I don’t know. Hush.” Cody pushed her head down. “Stay out of sight.”
“Where did the sound come from?” she asked in a stage whisper.
“Down by the dock, I think.”
Holding her breath and listening, she winced when a second blow echoed. The crunching, brittle sound was all too familiar. “That’s one of my canoes!”
Cody hoisted himself up to peer over the top of the log. “Are you sure? I can’t see anything.”
“Positive. Fiberglass hulls always sound like that when they smash against a rock. Somebody’s breaking up a canoe.”
“Okay. Take a quick look. Can you make out who’s there? Maybe give the cops an idea of what to look for?”
On her knees, Trudy Lynn eased higher so she could peer over the horizontal trunk. Rough bark flaked off on her palms. It was no use. Even with the help of moonlight it was too dark to see details that far away. “No.”
She felt Cody’s hand on her arm as he said, “Then get back down here before they spot you.”
“If I can’t see them, they can’t see me,” she argued. “We have to get closer.”
“Absolutely not. We’re staying right here.”
“In a pig’s eye.” Without giving Cody a chance to talk her out of it, she vaulted over the fallen tree and started creeping, bent low, toward the sound of chaos.
“Wait!”
Trudy Lynn knew he was being sensible, but someone was tearing her life apart with every blow. She couldn’t merely stand by and let them. No, sir. Not when she had a chance to intervene before too much more damage was done.
Near the rack of inverted canoes stood a bin filled with extra paddles. Trudy Lynn grabbed one in passing, hefted it like a batter stepping up to the plate, straightened and charged.
Cody heard her yell. His pulse had already been racing. When Trudy Lynn screeched as if she was either demented or under attack or both, he thought his heart would pound out of his chest. He’d never felt so helpless in his entire life.
Using his arm and chest muscles, he levered himself into a standing position. Deadwood littered the ground. Choosing a stout limb to use as a walking stick, he leaned on it and began to hobble toward the echoes of demolition and mayhem.
The energy Cody had to put into his efforts was tremendous. Sweat beaded on his forehead and trickled into his eyes, making them sting. Although the brace kept his knee from buckling, he still had to keep as much weight off it as possible, meaning his balance was poor.
He staggered. Tripped. Recovered. Pressed on. There she was! He could see her, silhouetted by moonlight. It looked as though she was alone. “Trudy!”
“Over here,” she called back.
By the time Cody hobbled up to her she was sitting on the bare ground trying to catch her breath. “You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah. That was scary.”
“Tell me about it.”
She glanced up. “Hey! You walked.”
“Correction. I hobbled.” He gritted his teeth. “What the…What did you think you were doing?”
“Chasing off the bad guys.” She rolled onto her knees and got up cautiously, wearily. “I could ask you the same thing. How come you followed me? Isn’t that hard on you?”
“Not nearly as hard as sitting back there and listening to you scream,” Cody said. He saw her start to sway and put out a steadying hand.
“I’m okay. Really,” Trudy Lynn insisted. “The guy took off running the minute he saw me.”
“What was he using on the canoes?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t had time to look.” Taking a few steps closer to the dock she hesitated, then bent and picked up a metal object. “Probably this. I don’t think it’s one of Will’s.”
Cody stared, first at her, then at the crowbar in her hand. He blanched. “What if he’d turned it on you?”
“I never thought of that.” Leaning slightly toward Cody, she dropped the crowbar. “Pretty dumb, huh?”
“Yeah.” There was a catch in his voice that betrayed his emotional involvement. He didn’t try to hide it. All he wanted to do at that moment was take this foolish, brave, outspoken woman in his arms and hold her tight, as much for his own consoling as for hers. Only his sense of propriety held him back.
When she put her hand to her forehead and began to act woozy, however, he set aside his reservations, gave in to the urge and reached for her.
Trudy Lynn stepped into his waiting embrace as if she expected it. Needed it. She slipped her arms around his waist, laid her cheek on his chest and shivered. “I won’t be stupid like that again, I promise.”
His hold tightened briefly. “Good. I don’t think my heart can take much more excitement.”
“Mine, either.”
He heard a stifled sob and began to soothe her the way he would a frightened child. “It’s okay. Nothing bad happened. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
She leaned back slightly to look at him through teary eyes and said simply, “I know.”
SIX
The taller man clenched his fists and glared at his companion. “I don’t believe it!”
“She surprised me, that’s all.”
“And you turned tail like a cur.”
“What was I supposed to do? She came out of nowhere, yellin’ and swingin’ that paddle. She could have killed me.”
“You had the crowbar, you idiot. Why didn’t you stand your ground?”
“I told you. I wasn’t expectin’ anybody to get down there till I was long gone. She must have been waitin’ for me. How do you suppose she knew I was comin’?”
“I’ve been wondering the same thing. Who did you tell?”
“Nobody. I never said a word about what we were up to.”
“Not we. You,” the first man said flatly. “I’m in the clear and I plan to keep it that way. Don’t make me change my mind or get somebody else to take your place.”
“I told you I’d handle Trudy Lynn, and I will.”
“Like you did this time?” He spat into the dirt at their feet. “I should have known better than to include you in my plans. You’re the one weak link.”
“No, I’m not. I just had a little trouble, that’s all.
Next time, I’ll finish the job, even if a whole posse comes chargin’ after me.”
His eyes narrowed menacingly. “Suppose you’re arrested? What then?”
“They can’t prove I was doing anything wrong.”
“What if she chases you again? What will you do?”
“Do?”
“Yes, do. If she comes after you, I expect you to defend yourself. Understand? I want you to hit her. Hard. Got that?”
“But…what if I hurt her bad or…kill her?”
The taller man snorted cynically before he answered, “Then I’ll go to her funeral and shed a few tears before I buy the place at auction and close it down.” He smiled. “The more I think about it, the better that plan sounds.”
“No way!”
“I was afraid you’d chicken out,” he said with a thoughtful nod. “Okay. I’ll give you one more week.”
“Then what?”
Turning away he said, “You don’t want to know.”
The beam from a flashlight was bouncing down the hill, signaling the arrival of help from the main camp. Trudy Lynn stepped away from Cody, feeling like a teenager caught kissing her boyfriend good-night on her parents’ front porch.
“I hope that’s Will,” Cody said. “I’m not looking forward to heading back to my cabin without my crutches.”
“You did okay just now.”
“Only because I was afraid for you,” he said. “I imagine I’ll pay for it later.”
“I’m so sorry. I only brought you the hot chocolate to be neighborly.”
“I know.” He pointed to the place where she’d dropped the vandal’s weapon. “Better not touch that again. We’ll let the sheriff handle it. There may be fingerprints.”
“Uh-oh. I never thought of that when I picked it up.”
“That’s because you’re an upstanding citizen, not a crook.” He cleared his throat noisily. “Speaking of your sterling reputation, I’m sorry about what just happened.”
“What?”
“You know.”
She certainly did. And a wonderful hug it was, too. Good thing it was dark enough that Cody couldn’t see her face very well because there was an unusual warmth to her cheeks.
“Oh, that,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant. “Don’t worry. Around here, everybody hugs everybody. It’s practically a given, especially among friends. No one thinks a thing about it.”
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