Everlasting Love (8 page)

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.

I
nez 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?”

“I certainly do. The one who cleans the horse pen and brushes Buckets gets to ride her, you know.”

“Oh, yeah?” He looked thoughtful. “Okay. I guess I can do that. Just so I don't have to let her lick me.”

“You won't. I promise. Let me get the others set up in the rabbit enclosure and then I'll show you what to do.”

“Show me? How hard can it be to follow a horse around with a shovel?”

Chuckling, she said, “It won't be necessary to do that, honey. I'm going to put both animals into one pen while you clean the other, then we'll switch them back to the clean one and you can do the second one.”

“Two? Hey, nobody said nothin' about doin' two.”

“Nobody said
anything,
” Megan corrected.

“That's what I just said.”

“Okay. Forget it. You'll find a wheelbarrow around back. Bring it to Buckets's pen. I'll meet you there.”

Zac lifted his eyebrows. “Where's foxy Roxy this mornin'? I heard the old man was real fussed at her. What'd you do, lock her up and throw away the key?”

“No. I just reasoned with her,” Megan said pleasantly. “On second thought, I'm not sure exactly where she is at the moment, so why don't you wait here with me? I'll hurry. I know you're anxious to start building more muscles.”

“Muscles?”

“Sure. Shoveling is great for the biceps and triceps. And if you lift with your legs, too, it'll help your quads.”

“Oh, yeah? All right.”

And maybe, after you've been with me and my animals a little longer,
she mused,
you won't always think of using those muscles to beat up other people.

It had been hours since her thoughts had returned to the boy's uncle. Chances were nothing would come of the threat he was rumored to pose. Still, it would be foolhardy to ignore the sheriff's sensible warning. If she didn't have Wiggles's judgment and alertness to rely upon, she'd be a lot edgier. That dog had more sense than most humans when it came to telling the good guys from the bad. If danger lurked, Wiggles would tell her.

And speaking of that dog, where had he gone? Glancing up from the youngsters she'd just introduced to the pair of dwarf rabbits, Megan noticed that Zac was no longer in sight, either. Maybe he'd taken Wiggles and gone looking for Roxy. That notion didn't sit too well, considering James's forewarning. If Zac really did have a crush on Roxy, keeping those two apart could be as important as keeping the girl away from Aaron.

Megan instructed her bunny watchers to stay
put inside the pen, then started around the cabin. She was muttering, “Mama, what have you done to me this time?” when she came into full view of the rear yard.

Expecting trouble, she was taken aback by the peaceful scene. Wiggles was lying next to the empty wheelbarrow, his chin on his paws, as if waiting for Zac. Neither Buckets nor Beethoven seemed agitated. On the contrary. The place was
too
quiet. Where was everybody?

“Roxy?” she called. “Zac?”

No answer.

Megan stuck her head in the cabin door. “Roxanne? Where are you?” She was getting concerned. “Roxy?”

Wiggles yipped. He was on his feet now, staring into the thick forest and wagging his nonexistent tail.

“Where'd they go?” Megan asked him. “Out there? Are you sure?”

He barked louder, deeper.

“Oh, brother.” She raised her voice and shouted, “Roxanne! You get back here.”

No one replied. A chill crept over Megan and skittered up her spine. If Zac was gone, too, maybe Roxy was up to her old tricks, looking for affection anywhere she could find it. Then again,
maybe Zac's nefarious uncle had abducted him and taken her sister, too!

“Don't be silly. They're just being dumb kids,” Megan told herself.

She scanned the forest. In the past few days the oaks and sycamores had leafed out more fully, almost obliterating the blossoming dogwoods in their midst. If she couldn't spot the bright white flowers that grew so thick among the larger trees, how could she hope to see Roxy or Zac in their muted-blue shorts and camp shirts?

Megan's initial reaction was to forget everything else and plunge into the woods. She couldn't leave the other two boys, of course. She knew that. But, sensible or not, the pull of sibling responsibility and the undercurrent of apprehension were strong.

There was only one rational thing to do. Find James ASAP, tell him what had happened and let him decide what steps to take next. Her mind made up, Megan dashed back around the cabin to end the rabbit encounter.

“Sorry, guys. We have to go. I'll let you and the bunnies play together again later, I promise.”

“But…” Bobby Joe started to sniffle and looked ready to cry.

“I need you to do exactly as I say,” she ordered. Catching her rabbits, she returned them to the
safety of their hutch, then held out a hand to each of the children. “Come on. We're going to go find Mr. Harris. No arguments, okay?”

Flanked by the boys, she hurried down the hill. In the back of her mind, niggling doubt was doing its best to explode into full-blown panic.

 

Megan hit the porch of the main building at a jog and jerked open the door. Breathing hard, she faced James.

“What happened?” He peered around her at Bobby Joe and Mark. “Where's Zac?”

“Good question.”

Grasping her by the shoulders, the camp director held her still to look directly into her eyes. “Explain.”

“Simmer down. You're scaring the kids,” she rasped, short of breath. “It's not that bad. At least I don't think it is. I just can't seem to find him. Or Roxy.”

“What? When did you see them last?”

“Just a few minutes ago. Zac was talking to me while I set up the rabbit enclosure. He sounded like he was looking forward to learning about horses. I can't imagine him just taking off.”

“What about your sister? How was she acting?”

“Just fine this morning.” She twisted free and
took a step back. “Come on. If we hurry we may be able to find them before they get themselves into too much trouble.”

“Unless there's more to it than childish disobedience.”

“Like what?”

“You know exactly what I mean.” He cast a wary glance at the boys, then looked back at her. “I don't intend to spell it out for you and get everybody all riled up if I don't have to.”