“Daniel? Beach bum guy?”
She still cringed when she thought about her initial reaction. “Yeah, I may have been a little harsh in my original assessment of him.”
“I don’t know. Judging from that picture you sent me, I’d say you were spot-on.”
“Let’s just say he cleans up well.” Quite well, actually.
“Good-looking, huh?”
“Yes, but more than that, he has a huge heart for these kids. He wants nothing more than for them to have fun and to forget that they have cancer.”
“Sounds like he’s won you over. But then, it is in his best interests.”
Blythe fingered the empty sweetener packet on the table. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you do hold the purse strings for his camp. To a point anyway. But without your approval, he likely won’t have a camp next year.”
Blythe’s insides tensed as she began to realize what her sister was insinuating. “You think he’s using me?”
“Not using you. Just putting on a good face.”
Indignation stiffened her spine. “For your information, that’s one of the reasons I wanted to be a counselor. So I’d be fully aware of everything that went on in the camp.”
“No need to get snippy.”
She sucked in a calming breath. “I’m not getting snippy. I just don’t appreciate you underestimating me.”
“I wasn’t underestimating you. I’m just...cautious.”
“Seriously? You’re trying to claim my label?”
“All right, I’m a realist.”
“That’s better.” Palming her cup, Blythe swirled its remaining contents. “And yes, you are. One of the things I’ve always appreciated about you. You never tried to keep things from me the way Mom did.”
“Only part of the reason she and I always butted heads where you were concerned.”
“She was just trying to protect me. But thanks for looking out for me.”
“Hey, I’m your big sister. Nobody’s going to tangle with you but me.”
“I know. But hey, I need to go, Jenna.” Blythe shoved her chair back and stood. “The next round of campers will be pulling in shortly, and I need to be ready. Teenagers this week.”
“Oh, I’ll definitely be praying for you, then.”
She ended the call and took her cup and plate to the kitchen before gathering her tablet and heading outside. The sun’s warmth beat down on her as she crossed the grassy area around the flagpole. At this rate, it would be downright hot by this afternoon.
Continuing onto the dirt path, she found herself annoyed by Jenna’s lack of faith in her. Did she really think Blythe would let Daniel take advantage of her like that? Or anybody else, for that matter. She supposed it was her fault, though. She should have kept her thoughts to herself that first day instead of running off at the mouth. Now Jenna had a negative impression of Daniel, one that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Just then, she saw the man in question moving in her direction.
“Just the person I wanted to see.” She slowed as he approached. “I forgot to ask you about the Welcome Roundup. Do you need some help getting things ready?”
“Actually, I think Allison has everything under control. But you’re welcome to ask her.” He moved past her. “Sorry, I gotta run.”
Why was Daniel acting so weird today? Not at all like the man who’d offered to drive her into Ouray and then showed her a positively wonderful evening.
Without your approval, he likely won’t have a camp next year. Jenna’s words returned to taunt her.
Suddenly, Blythe found herself questioning why Daniel had asked to join her when she went into town when he’d already given her directions. It wasn’t like Ouray or the store was difficult to find. She would have been fine on her own. He was the one who’d insisted on showing her around and stopping for dinner. And it had been a perfectly wonderful evening. Until today.
As much as she hated to admit it, perhaps Jenna was right. Maybe the handsome camp director had ulterior motives.
Chapter Ten
Daniel stumbled out of the camp office Tuesday morning, feeling more than a little ragged. But it had nothing to do with the kids. Sure, teenagers were different than the younger kids, moodier and such, but they all seemed excited to be here. Happy to hang out with others who were just like them, instead of being singled out as the kid with cancer. Here they were just another camper.
He rubbed the back of his neck. No, he couldn’t blame his lack of sleep on them. Instead, his annoyance rested on the fact that he hadn’t talked to Blythe since Sunday morning. That was, if you could call their brief back-and-forth talking.
Okay, so he’d been trying to steer clear of her, hoping to avoid any conflict of interest. He’d just never imagined it would be so difficult. Especially when she seemed to be avoiding him, too. Whenever he crossed her line of vision, she looked the other way. That stung.
Blowing out a frazzled breath, he peered up at a hazy blue sky. He couldn’t speak for Blythe, but he’d really enjoyed her company Saturday night. It was nice to see what she was like outside of work. That night, they’d been just two people having fun. Maybe even growing attracted to each other. At least he was. So unless he wanted to go out of his ever-lovin’ mind, he’d better find a way to remedy this situation now.
Before he could reach the chow hall, the sound of gravel crunching under tires had him turning to see a deputy sheriff’s vehicle moving slowly up the drive. A second glance verified the driver was, indeed, the third oldest Stephens brother, Matt.
Daniel did an about-face and greeted Matt as he stepped out of his Tahoe. “What’s up, bro?”
“Not too much.” Matt shook Daniel’s extended hand before reeling him in for a brotherly hug. “Kinda miss seein’ you around,” he said as they parted.
“Yeah, well, I’ve been keeping pretty busy up here.”
“I can see that.” Matt eyed a group of teenagers headed to breakfast.
Daniel watched his brother. “Did you come up here on business or out of curiosity?”
“Maybe a little bit of both. Thought it would be nice to see the place the way it’s meant to be.”
Two teen girls ran past, giggling.
“Looks like everyone’s having fun,” said Matt.
“I think so.” Daniel settled his hands on his hips. “How’s my newest niece doing?” His family had grown by leaps and bounds in the past two years. All four of his older brothers had married, and in addition to his other nieces and nephews, they’d welcomed three babies in less than a year. The latest, Matt’s second daughter, Riley, had been born only three weeks ago.
Matt beamed like the proud father he was. “Good. Lacie’s finally getting her bearings, too.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his cargo pants. “I gotta tell you, since I missed out on this part of Kenzie’s life, I really enjoyed getting to be home with them those first two weeks.”
Matt hadn’t learned about his daughter Kenzie until she was five, but she’d been the light of his life from the moment he found out about her.
“Ah, you were just glad you didn’t have to go in to work.”
“Yeah, whatever. Speaking of work, I thought I’d let you know there’s a wildfire that’s cropped up about thirty-five miles west of here.”
Daniel’s gaze drifted to the sky. “Guess that explains the haze.”
Matt nodded. “Weather service is calling for some high winds tomorrow. Lord willing, they’ll get it under control by then. Figured I’d give you a heads-up, though. Just in case.”
“Is it headed this way?”
“Not at the moment, but you know that can change on a dime. If those winds start coming out of the west, you’re going to be inundated with smoke. And when you’re dealing with cancer patients—”
“Yeah, I hear ya.�
�� Daniel scrubbed a hand over his face. “We have our evacuation plan. I just pray we don’t have to use it.”
“Emergency management is already on it,” Matt added. “They’re prepping the school, just in case.”
Ouray only had one school, which served preschool through twelfth grade students. Still, it had a gymnasium, kitchen, bathrooms...
“That’s good.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Blythe moving across the grass with another companion and their campers. When she saw him, her brow furrowed. She said something to her fellow companion, then started his way, her ponytail swaying with each determined step while the others continued on to the chow hall.
Man, did she look good. Though he still preferred her hair down.
“What’s going on?” Her pretty eyes moved between Daniel and his brother.
Then he realized Matt was in uniform and his vehicle was visible for all to see.
“Blythe, this is my brother Matt.”
One optimistic brow lifted. “Does this mean you’re not here in an official capacity?”
Matt looked from Blythe to Daniel, seemingly not knowing what to say.
“It’s okay. I keep Blythe informed of everything that happens here at the camp.” Even when he didn’t want to.
“I was just telling Daniel about a wildfire to the west of here.”
“How far away?”
“About thirty-five miles.”
Like Daniel, she glanced toward the sky. “I thought things were looking kind of strange today. Is there anything we need to do?”
“Not at the moment. I’ll keep Daniel updated on the situation, though.”
“Yes, please do.” Again, she lifted her gaze. “We don’t want these kids breathing a bunch of smoke that has who knows what in it. Their immune systems are already compromised.”
“I understand.” Matt turned his attention to Daniel. “I’ll be in touch.”
“All right.” He waved as his brother opened the door of his vehicle. “Take care.”
As Matt pulled away, Daniel could feel Blythe watching him.
“What do we do now?” she finally asked.
He lifted a shoulder. “We’re at the mercy of nature, so there’s not much we can do but wait and see.”
“You know that’s not my favorite option.”
The remark made him grin. “Mine, either. Worst case scenario, we have an evacuation plan in place.”
“I remember going over it. Though I never expected we’d have to use it.”
“Hopefully, we won’t. But like I said, we have to be prepared for anything out here.”
She nodded, concern evident in her expression.
Feeling as excited as he was nervous to have her beside him once again, he said, “How are things going? We haven’t talked in a while. Are you and your girls doing all right?”
She smiled, her features relaxing. “They’re great. Typical teenagers. Lots of giggles and talk about boys.”
“I’ve missed you.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. Unable to take them back, he figured he might as well go for it. “If you find yourself in need of some chamomile tea to help you sleep, I’m happy to help.” He’d come to enjoy those late-night talks in his office.
She looked away then, but not before he glimpsed the pink in her cheeks. “With so much activity, I’m pretty much asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow these days.”
Disappointment wove its way through him.
Until she peered up at him through long lashes that only made him want to be with her more. “I’ll be sure and keep that in mind, though.”
* * *
What was wrong with her?
Blythe had had no problem sleeping for the past week and a half. Yet tonight, she couldn’t seem to keep her eyes closed. Probably because every time she did, she saw Daniel looking at her, saying he missed her. Why did he have to sound so sincere?
Maybe because he was.
Rolling onto her side, she punched her pillow. Truth be told, she missed spending time with him, too. So, what was the problem?
Ah, yes. Daniel had been acting weird Sunday morning. Yet rather than discussing it with him, she’d let Jenna sway her with her assumptions.
And to think, Daniel had talked about making another trip to Ouray. Together. Now Blythe doubted that would ever happen.
You could ask him.
And sound desperate? No way. She shouldn’t even care. After all, she usually steered clear of romantic entanglements, saving her heart the pain of a breakup later when whoever she fell in love with decided he didn’t want to be with a woman who might not be able to give him children. True, she’d only had radiation treatments and not chemo, leaving her with a fifty-fifty chance of conceiving. But better to anticipate being in the fifty percent that couldn’t conceive than find herself in a shambles later when the man she loved decided she was less than a woman.
Been there, done that. A hard lesson, but one that had taught her well.
Not all guys are like that.
So she’d been told. But she’d managed to find one that was, leaving her skeptical of all the others.
Except Daniel was different. Maybe that was part of the problem. Daniel made her want to throw caution to the wind. Dared her to dream of happily-ever-afters and actually believe they were possible.
Talk about an adventure.
Noticing once again that Teri was still staring at her phone, the way she had every other night, Blythe finally gave in to the strong desire for a cup of tea. She told Teri she was stepping out for a while, donned a sweatshirt, grabbed a tea bag and headed outside. Who knew? Daniel might not even be awake. Which would be fine. Although, for her own sanity, some tea would really hit the spot.
Making her way up the dirt path illuminated only by a single uber bright light between the chow hall and Daniel’s office, she tried to determine if Daniel was still up. There was a light on in the office portion of the building, but it was rather dim.
Her steps slowed. Maybe she should just go back.
Eyeing the chow hall, she recalled the bears that had been there the previous week. Her heart thumped against her ribs. She was out here all alone.
Just then she heard a twig snap somewhere in the darkness. Her body tensed, her pulse skyrocketing. What if—?
“Blythe?”
Fists balled, she choked back a scream as Daniel came into view. Air whooshed out of her lungs as she whispered, “What are you doing out here?”
“Making my nightly rounds. I have to make sure everything and everyone is secure. What are you doing?”
“Um.” She huffed and puffed as though she’d just run a marathon.
“Are you okay? Were you jogging or something?”
Straightening, she blew out a final breath and tried to compose herself. This was such a bad idea.
“No. I was—” tucking her hair behind her ear, she peered up at him “—just having a difficult time sleeping, that’s all.”
The corners of his mouth lifted in a knowing manner. “Come on. Let’s head to my office.”
She followed quietly, her insides tangled like the heap of wires behind her TV.
Once they were inside, Daniel filled a cup with water and put it in the microwave to heat without even asking if that was what she wanted, which gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling. It had been a long time since anyone had anticipated her needs.
When he turned her way, he had an almost shy look about him. “I didn’t think you’d come.” His smile bordered on nervousness. “But I’m glad you did.”
“Oh?” Her heart stuttered as she inched toward the long counter where he stood.
“I’m sorry I’ve been acting like a jerk lately.”
Okay, she wasn’t expecting that. “What? No, you’re not jerk. You
’re just busy, that’s all.”
The timer beeped.
He retrieved the cup and handed it to her. “No, I’m a jerk. I’ve been avoiding you on purpose.”
So, she hadn’t been the only one. Dropping her tea bag into the hot water, she said, “Why would you do that?”
“Because we had such a great time Saturday night.”
Wrapping her fingers around the warm cup, she arched a brow.
“I was afraid you might think it was all an act,” he added.
“What do mean, an act?”
“You’re the overseer for the foundation funding my camp. I’m the camp director.”
“I see.” Daniel and Jenna must think along the same wavelength. Still holding the cup, she bobbed the tea bag. “Did you think you could, somehow, sway my opinion?”
He shook his head. “Not at all. Never even blipped on my radar. Until Sunday morning.”
“What happened then?” She blew into the steaming liquid.
Raking a hand through his short blond hair, he started toward his desk and away from her. “You’ve been such an asset to me here at the camp. And watching you emerge from your protected cocoon and seeing the beautiful butterfly you truly are has been one of the greatest thrills of my life. I find myself longing to being with you, Blythe.” He faced her then. “Then, Saturday, we connected on a different level, which made me wonder if us spending time alone together could be a conflict of interest—not that I don’t trust you to be professional.”
While one part of her relaxed, the other was practically giddy. Not only did he like her, she’d given the adventurer one of the greatest thrills of his life.
“For the record, I had fun, too.” She watched him over the top of her cup. “Just in case you couldn’t tell.” She took a tiny sip, the drink hot on her tongue. “If there is any conflict of interest, I’m as much to blame as anyone. But I think we’re fine.”
Fine? In case you’ve forgotten, there’s a reason you avoid relationships.
“Good.” Daniel smiled in earnest. “Because there’s something I’d like to ask you.”
Her Rocky Mountain Hope Page 10
