by Jade Taylor
Silence greeted their calls. Jackson stood helplessly by. “What now?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. Cat? Got any ideas?”
“I can’t think. Maybe they didn’t come here at all.”
Jackson looked around at the willow trees, the knee-high grass and the still water. A mosquito buzzed near his face. He swatted it away. “Maybe they headed for here and got lost.”
Luke grunted dubiously. “I don’t know about that. Tommy knows how to find his way around.”
Jackson nodded. “I’ve seen grown men get lost, let alone a little boy. Do you know if he had a compass with him?”
Luke shook his head. “I taught him how to find his way by looking at the sun or stars.”
“Did you leave him out in the woods by himself to see if he got lost?”
“Jackson, that’s not fair!”
“No, wait, Cat. He’s right. There’s a big difference between theory and practice. You’re right about that, Jackson. I didn’t leave him in the woods by himself. Not on purpose, anyway. However, two years ago, he and his dog got separated from me and Jae for several hours. He beat us home.”
“So who led the way? Tommy or the dog?”
Luke flushed. “He didn’t follow the dog. He told me he found the way by facing the setting sun, knowing that was west and therefore, the direction the farm lay in. I believed him. Honestly, Cat, I think they’re okay. They’re just too stubborn to come home.”
“I think it’s more likely that they’ve lost their way,” Cat said.
“Are you saying it’s my Tommy’s fault?”
Cat covered her face with her hands. The creek started to spin around her in a lazy circle. Frantically, she opened her eyes. The spinning stopped. She had no time for hysterics and fainting or for arguing with either of the two men. “No, Luke. Joey’s always been the leader when those two got together. Tommy Karl would do anything she asked him to do.”
Luke threw an arm over Cat’s shoulders and hugged her. “Don’t worry, Cat. We’ll find them.”
Jackson eyed the two with animosity. “I’m not much concerned about pride right now. I want to find my little girl. I say Davy Crockett got lost. If they found the creek at all, it wasn’t here. There’s no sign anybody’s been around here for days, maybe weeks. If you’re right, Luke, and Tommy knows what direction to go in, then he either got to the creek farther upstream, or downstream. What’s your best guess?”
The tall, blond rancher turned, hands to his eyes, shading them from the setting sun, as he scanned in all directions. He thought for a moment, then announced decisively, “Downstream.”
“Can we take the truck?”
“No, this is the only spot along the creek that the road is close to. We’ll have to walk. Cat, maybe you should wait here. It’s going to be rough plowing through that bramble, not to mention snakes and gopher holes.”
She shuddered, then resolutely stared at Luke. No one was going to make her stay behind. “I’m not waiting anywhere. I’m going with you.”
Luke nodded. Jackson turned away and started downstream, his silent figure ahead of Cat. He didn’t look back to see how she was doing. If anything happens to Joey, he’ll hate me forever, Cat thought. No problem there. I’ll hate me forever, too.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
EVEN THE LANDSCAPE SEEMED bent on adding to Cat’s misery. Briars grabbed her ankles. Scruffy, half-grown trees deliberately slapped her with low-hanging branches. Gopher holes tripped her up. Loose stones rolled under her shoes, but the bugs were the worst. She brushed away a mosquito from her neck too late to prevent his drinking her blood like a thirsty vampire. After the sun set, the voracious insects came out in droves.
It took forever to trudge several miles along the winding creek bed. There were spots where the creek channel narrowed so much they could step across. Other places, where the silent, dark water scared the hell out of her. It was too easy to picture Joey lying on the bottom, pale and lifeless.
When the sun set, full darkness descended rapidly. The moon and stars compensated very little for not having brought a flashlight, though it was easy to distinguish each figure against the horizon. Details were missing in the tangle of sometimes waist-high weeds growing in wild abandon on this uncultivated stretch of prairie. Cat began hanging onto Jackson’s belt with one hand, since he seemed to have the best night-sight. He rarely stumbled and didn’t seem to mind her holding on to him, though he never reached back to help her. There was seldom room enough for the three to walk abreast.
Finally, Jackson stopped. He grabbed Cat when she stumbled into him. “I’m not sure this is the right way,” he said. “Maybe we should go back and call the police. They have the equipment to conduct a night search. We don’t.”
Cat had an unreasoning urge to scream Joey’s name into the blackness. Calling the police meant it was no longer a childish prank, but deadly serious. She pushed down the panic. Instinctively, she turned to her dear friend and neighbor. “What do you think, Luke? Jackson might be right. If it means finding Joey and Tommy Karl faster, I’m willing, but I don’t want to call out a posse when we might find them any minute. Do you think we should go back?”
A match flared as Luke peered at his watch. In its short-lived light his face reflected her own anxiety. “I’m for going on ahead. It’s ten o’clock. It would take too long to go back to the car, then drive to a phone. We’d have to wait for the police to get here from town. I think we’d be better off searching on our own. If we don’t find them in another half hour or so, we head back and call the police.”
“How about splitting up?” Jackson asked. “You and Cat could go back to the truck and call for help. I’ll continue on.”
“No!” Luke and Cat said the word in unison, though Luke’s angry voice overrode hers.
In the night shadows, Jackson’s tall silhouette stood out against the starry sky. “Marching through these weeds is rough on all of us, Luke. I can keep this pace all night, but I still think splitting up might be best. It’s time to bring in the police.”
“Then, I’d suggest you take Cat back and I’ll keep going. Get the police involved, if you want to. I’m not leaving until we find them.”
Jackson’s voice lowered to a whispered plea. “Cat, don’t you think it would be better if you two went back? They might not even be out here. What if they returned home after we left?”
“That would be great,” Cat answered. “They might be a little scared, but they’re safe if they’re at home. Jackson, Luke is right. It’s not a good idea to split up. It’s especially not a good idea to leave you alone out here. You could fall, maybe break a leg, or trip and go head-first into the creek. Same goes for the one who heads back. Luke won’t quit as long as Tommy Karl is lost and I’m not going back, either, so this discussion is closed.”
Jackson slapped the side of his leg in obvious frustration. “Okay, then. Okay.” He looked around, then expelled a noisy sigh. “You win. We’ll keep going. Cat, hold on to me. I don’t want you falling in the damn creek!”
“I’ll be fine.” At least he cared that much. Little enough for a broken heart to hang on to. If only Joey and Tommy Karl were all right, nothing else mattered, not broken hearts or broken dreams.
“Finding the kids is most important now, not anything else,” Jackson echoed her thoughts.
“Hold still,” Luke said. “I think I hear something.”
All three held their breaths for a long moment.
“I guess it was an animal. Sorry.”
They skirted a narrow bend in the creek where a tree lay across their path. When they emerged on the other side, a half mile ahead of them they could see a small campfire and two indistinct figures huddled close to it. “It’s them,” Cat said and started a headlong flight toward her daughter.
Jackson grabbed her arm, pulling her back to his side.
“Turn me loose!” she hissed.
“Slow down, Cat. You can still fall. Do you want to be carried out of here o
n a stretcher?”
“We don’t want to scare them to death,” Luke added.
“Oh, no?” Jackson retorted. “Speak for yourself.”
“They’re just kids, Jackson. Don’t be too harsh.”
“Do you know how many mosquito bites I have?”
“Is that the Marine way?” Luke taunted.
“Nobody is going to do anything to those kids,” Cat declared. “If we let our relief at finding them turn into a way to vent our own frustration, we’ll all wind up hating ourselves tomorrow. They’ll be scared to death, tired and hungry. I think that’s punishment enough.”
“Hell, Cat, I’m scared to death, tired and hungry and I didn’t run away from home,” Jackson said.
A wash of euphoria spilled over Cat. She giggled. “Oh, no? You just didn’t get caught so quickly.”
“We ought to sneak up on those brats and give them a good scare,” Luke suggested.
Cat shook her head. “Not my baby,” she warned. “I’ll shoot the first one of you who speaks a harsh word to her. Or Tommy Karl.”
The kids saw them when they drew a little closer. Manfully, Tommy Karl stood up to face them. Joey huddled under a horse blanket, looking frightened and unwilling to raise her gaze from the fire. Cat couldn’t keep from running the last few yards. Slowly, Joey stood up to meet her. Cat choked back a sob and breathed a silent prayer of thanks as she swept Joey’s thin, tense figure into her arms.
Luke’s rough growl made Tommy stand up straighter, a look of fear in his eyes. “Boy, what the hell are you doing out here? Do you know what time it is?”
Tommy Karl quickly glanced at Joey and stuttered, “I—I think it’s about nine o’clock.”
Luke roared, “I don’t care what time it is! What are you doing out here after dark? Are you out of your mind?”
Cat reached out a hand to Luke. “Let’s wait until we get back to the house, Luke. Please?”
Luke grumbled something, swore under his breath, then nodded. When he spoke again, his voice no longer resonated his anger though his words were clipped short. “Where are the horses? Never mind, I see them over there. Come on, son. Help me saddle them.”
Cat saw Luke put an arm across Tommy Karl’s shoulders and pull him closer. He might roar a little bit, but he never could stay mad at Tommy Karl for long. They returned in a few minutes leading the two horses. Joey refused to look at anyone. She kept her face buried in Cat’s side.
Luke touched her on the shoulder. “You kids get on the horses. We’ll have to lead you out. It’s too dark to see much, even with the moonlight.”
Jackson said, “Cat, you ride Joey’s horse. I’ll carry my daughter.”
“I don’t want you to,” Joey yelled suddenly. “You’re not my father! I hate you!”
Jackson gave her a cool, impersonal look. “Hate me tomorrow, kid. You’ve caused enough trouble for one night.”
“I can walk,” Cat protested.
“There’s no reason for you to walk when we’ve got the horses. You can lead both horses, can’t you, Luke?”
“Sure, and I agree with you. It’s been a long trek.”
Joey pleaded, “Mommy, I don’t want him to carry me. You carry me. Please, Mommy? Please?”
Jackson’s firm voice interrupted. “Joey, I know you’re mad at me, but you’re not the one making decisions around here. I’ll carry you and your mother will ride the horse. Get used to the idea.”
Cat groaned. Joey’s sullen, tear-stained face grabbed her right square in the heart. “Take it easy, Jackson. She’s not a Marine, you know. She’s just a little girl who’s very tired, very hungry and very upset. Don’t make it worse.”
Jackson threw his hands up. “I know, I know! Have you got a better plan?”
Cat bit her lip. Jackson might be justified in being firm. Certainly he had the right. “Okay, then, but remember she’s a child, not a Marine on a forced march.”
Jackson shot an angry glance in her direction. “I’m not a drill sergeant, either, Cat, so quit worrying. It’s not going to hurt her to know she’s not in control right now.”
He took Joey from Cat. Joey pushed away from him, her body stiff, screaming at the top of her lungs, “I don’t want to! I don’t want to, Mommy. Make him put me down!”
For hours, Cat had pushed her body and her emotions. Like a spring that suddenly snapped, Cat reached the limits of her tolerance. “Joey, if you say one more word, you’re going to be grounded for a month and that means no riding, too! You’re acting like a spoiled brat! You’ve got some explaining to do when we get home. For right now, if you’re smart, young lady, you’ll keep quiet and do as you’re told.”
No riding. The threat hung heavy in the air. Joey closed her mouth quickly. Obviously, she preferred dire corporal punishment to the loss of her riding privileges. She whimpered and snuffled in Jackson’s arms, but it had been a long day for her, too. Within a few minutes, she relaxed against his shoulder. Shortly thereafter, her eyes drooped shut and she fell asleep.
Cat watched her daughter from her comfortable perch aboard Moonshot. The high moon glowed softly, showing her daughter’s relaxed face. The bittersweet pleasure of seeing Joey in her father’s arms surged through her. Her eyes filled with tears. Jackson looked so strong and caring, with his child tucked up high against his neck. Why couldn’t things be like this forever? Was that so much to ask?
JACKSON DIDN’T GET HOME until after midnight. He lay in bed, wide-awake, thinking about what had happened. Joey had slept through the long walk back to the truck, and her warm weight in Jackson’s arms stirred conflicting feelings. He cherished the burden, and didn’t know why. By all rights, he shouldn’t have any feelings for her. He’d heard comments from other guys about fathering a baby and never seeing or supporting the child. They’d had no regrets. At least, none they admitted. Most seemed to be of the opinion that if they weren’t married to the mother, then the kid meant nothing to them.
Yet, from the moment he’d seen Joey, he’d felt a connection. At first, he’d thought it was because of the fascination Cat Darnell held for him. Later, he realized that he just plain liked the little girl. He enjoyed the way she came running every time he appeared at the ranch. It wasn’t just her obvious hero worship, either. She was a sweet, giggling little tease. He should have known he was her father when she reminded him of Cassidy at the same age.
One night of lovemaking had resulted in a child. It shouldn’t have happened and yet he couldn’t find it in himself to regret Joey. She’d become too precious to him, too quickly. Did it mean, though, that he had to give up his dreams? Did he have to live in this damn hick town forever, because one moment of carelessness resulted in a lifetime of responsibility? No matter how much he loved Joey, he felt the tight jaws of a trap snap shut.
At last, total exhaustion resulted in sleep. He awakened late, but Pop hadn’t left the house. Jackson could hear him rattling around in the kitchen. Time to get up and face the music. He didn’t look forward to telling his father he’d left a baby behind when he ran off to join the Marines. Pop would be sure to throw a fit. If there was one thing Will Gray despised, it was a man who neglected his responsibilities.
The jaws of the trap tightened. Jackson struggled against the inevitable conclusion. There had to be a way out. Some way he could go to Seattle and still take care of Joey. And Cat. He made a decision. Later, he’d tell Pop about Joey. He needed to straighten things out with Cat first.
His father sat at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee and a plate of buttered toast in front of him. His face was still too pale from his long recovery, but beginning to get more color now that he spent most of his day outdoors. Did the skin around his eyes have more lines or was it just the harshness of the morning sun shining through the kitchen window? His red hair had so much gray mixed in. It gave Jackson an uneasy feeling. His father seemed frail this morning.
“You got in awful late last night.”
Jackson hurried to conceal his concern with
annoyance. “I didn’t know you had a curfew here.”
His father’s cold gaze raked him from head to foot. “Common respect ought to tell you that I need to know when you’re going to be home. I thought maybe there’d been an accident. Must I remind you that you’re still my son? I worry about you now, the same as I did when you were a kid.”
Jackson remembered his own whirlwind of worry, anger, grief when he realized Joey had run away from him. Now he knew with unrelenting certainty what his own absence must have done to his father. His voice softened. “I’m sorry, Pop. There was trouble at Cat’s. Joey and Tommy Karl took off on their horses without telling anybody. When they didn’t come home, I helped Luke and Cat look for them. I should have called.”
Pop’s face paled with frightening suddenness. “Is everything okay? They weren’t hurt, were they?”
“Everything’s fine. I have a feeling Luke is going to ground Tommy Karl for the rest of his life and I know Cat is going to give Joey a stern lecture. She’s not into the spanking thing and, anyway, Joey is too little to spank. I don’t think they’ll be running off like that again.”
“Good.” Pop straightened in the chair, shook his head for no apparent reason and appeared to dismiss the matter. “I expected you to spray that field yesterday. When you didn’t come back, I had Buddy do it. Big job for one man, son. Never mind that now. He’s going to check the cows over this morning. He’ll need some help. I’m concerned they may not be getting enough grass. It’s been too dry for good growth lately. We might need to feed them some hay. There’s not that much left in the barn, so somebody’s going to have to call around and see who’s got some they don’t need.”
Jackson got himself a mug of coffee and snagged a piece of the untouched toast from his father’s plate. He looked out the window, towards the barn. Buddy came out, carrying a red, five-gallon gas can. The weight of the can pulled the short man a bit sideways. Jackson hesitated, then said, “I planned on going back to Cat’s place this morning. I still have a lot to do on her living room.”