Wagonload Of Trouble

by McDonough, Vickie;

  ❧

  Evan very gently rubbed—not scratched—an itch through his T-shirt. As soon as he quit rubbing, the sore started itching again. Now that the spots had scabbed over, they itched even more. He grabbed the bottle of calamine, put a glob on his finger, and lifted his to shirt to paint the offending area. He looked as if he’d been the loser in a paintball battle against a bunch of girls using pink paint.

  Taylor had gone downstairs to chat with a new friend she’d made. Lucky her. There were so many other things he’d rather do besides laying in bed that even chatting sounded fun. Being laid up was kind of like going on a fast. Food he’d rarely eaten, like hot dogs and fish, sounded good. Now, just about anything would be fun. Even the wagon train ride didn’t seem so bad. Had Bethany returned there? He hadn’t seen her since the day he came back to the lodge.

  But hadn’t Taylor mentioned something about helping her put together a new computer? The days swam into one, and he couldn’t remember much about the past few, but now that his head was clearing, he needed to try to get some work done.

  He glanced at the bird clock on the wall. The incessant chirping every hour on the hour had driven him crazy until he’d finally crawled out of bed and removed the batteries. Sure, it looked great with the room’s decor, but it was annoying.

  His stomach growled, reminding him that dinnertime was just an hour away. A woman named Polly had delivered meals to him the past few days, but Taylor had met Polly’s daughter, Cheryl, and decided to eat downstairs with her.

  He glanced at his pink-splotched belly. With his sores healing, he was no longer contagious, and fortunately, none had formed on his face. Maybe he could clean up and eat downstairs this evening and then get some work done on his project tonight. He stood and made his way to the bathroom. If he hurried, he just might surprise Taylor and Miss Schaffer.

  An hour later Evan sat back in his chair in the dining hall. “You have no idea how good it feels to leave that room.”

  “I know I sure got tired of it until I met Cheryl. She’s a lot of fun.” Taylor took a sip of her pop and followed it with the final bite of apple pie. “Mmm, that was really good. I’m going to the barn and see if Cheryl’s there. She said I could help her brush down the horses this evening. Then we’re going swimming.”

  Evan leaned forward. “I know it’s summer, but isn’t it a bit too cool for swimming after the sun sets?”

  Taylor grinned and stood. “The pool is heated.”

  “Be careful around those horses. They’re—big.” He shivered at the thought of his niece anywhere close to those big teeth and hooves, but she’d occupied most of her time down at the barn while he recuperated. Now he understood better what Erin went through watching her oldest child grow up and away from her.

  Taylor put her tray on the conveyor belt, and it rolled into the kitchen. She dashed out a side door. Evan knew she’d been surprised to see him downstairs and even a bit relieved. Silverware clinked at the few tables with guests, and the soft buzz of conversation floated around the room. A wide two-story window offered a magnificent view of the mountains. If he had to be stuck somewhere recovering, this place was much better than most.

  “Well, look who decided to rejoin the living.” Bethany stood beside him holding a tray of food.

  His heart did a little flip-flop. “Yeah, I’m AAK.”

  “What?”

  “AAK—Alive and kicking.”

  “Oh, I get it. Geek speak. Mind if I join you?”

  He waved his hand toward a chair. “Not at all.”

  She set down her tray, took a seat, and stared at him. “You’re not contagious anymore, are you?”

  “The doc said I could be in public once all the sores had scabbed over, and they have.”

  She wrinkled her nose and grabbed the salt shaker. “Such lovely dinner talk.”

  He sat with one arm over the back of his chair and watched her eat. Her hair was pulled back in one of those stretchy bands, but rebellious wisps hung enticingly around her tanned cheeks. She glanced down to cut her steak, and her long lashes fanned across her cheeks. Evan sighed. Too bad he wouldn’t be here much longer.

  She peered up at him, an ornery smile making her eyes glisten. “You look like you had a wreck with a Pepto-Bismol truck.”

  “It’s not that pink, is it?” He held out his hand. Several healing sores were covered with pink lotion, and he knew the ones on his neck also showed. “If I was smart, I’d invest in calamine lotion stock.”

  She giggled and forked another bite into her mouth. After chewing and taking a drink of her tea, she glanced up. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “I’ve been trying to figure out ways to better market Moose Valley and come up with more activities to draw people here. We’ve had some cancellations lately, but I have no clue why. I thought maybe if we had more to offer. . .”

  “Well, let me think for a minute.” He focused on activities since he knew little about marketing. After a few minutes, he leaned forward. “At the county fair, they had a hot air balloon that people paid to ride in.”

  She scowled and wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen.”

  “Not really. It was tethered. People just rode up, had about a fifteen-minute look around, and came back down.”

  “What about on windy days?”

  “You leave it tied down on the ground.”

  “Hmm. . .it might work. What did they charge?”

  “Fifteen dollars for fifteen minutes—per person.” Evan took a sip of his pop and crushed the empty can. “You could even get a balloon made with the ranch’s logo on it.”

  Her eyes sparkled. “I love that idea. Wonder how much something like that would cost.”

  He shrugged. “No clue.”

  Evan pushed his tray to the center of the table and leaned his arms where it had been. “Do you ever open the place up for guests in the winter?”

  She shook her head. “No. It’s too hard for tourists to get here when the snow is deep.”

  “Well, maybe you should rethink that. You could offer sleigh rides and maybe some winter sports.”

  She smiled at a couple who walked past their table. “I’ll have to think on that for a while. I’m not sure we want people here in the winter, not that I plan to be here.”

  “Where would you be?”

  She fiddled with her cup of tea then finally looked up. “I have a job in Denver that I’m supposed to start in another week.”

  Evan felt his brows tug upward. “You’re leaving the ranch?”

  She was silent so long that he didn’t think she’d answer. “It’s been a dream of mine for a long time.”

  “Wow.” He looked around the large dining hall and out at the mountains, their snowy tops glistening in the sun. “I can’t imagine living in a place like this and just walking away from it. It’s like being five thousand feet closer to God.”

  She pursed her lips and heaved a breath through her nose. Then she stood. “Yeah, well, just imagine how lonely this place is when there’s nobody around for months on end. And try making new friends, only to watch them leave every few weeks.”

  She snatched up her tray and stormed away.

  “Wow. Did I ever hit a sore spot.” He’d never thought about it before, but even with so many people around, Bethany Schaffer was lonely. How could she not be when everyone she met stayed only a few days to a few weeks and then was gone from her life like snow under the summer sun?

  Nine

  Bethany pursed her lips. Setting up the new computer was proving to be more complicated than she’d expected. Once she and Taylor had unloaded everything from the boxes, there had been a plethora of wires to connect, not to mention making room on the counter for the monitor and keyboard. She tapped a pencil against the granite counter and waited for the professional accounting software to install. The printer that her college roommate had given her had saved some money, but it didn’t match the res
t of the equipment. Oh well, who would even notice?

  “Hey, you got a computer.”

  Bethany peered up into Evan’s eager blue eyes, and her limbs felt as boneless as spaghetti. The pencil flipped out of her fingers and rolled across the counter. She owed him an apology for storming out after dinner last night. He was just being friendly, but he’d hit too close to home.

  “So, are you working the registration desk and the gift shop?” He glanced at the store. “I need a caffeine fix.”

  “There’s free coffee in there.” She nudged her chin toward the open doors of the dining hall.

  Evan scrunched up his lips in a cute way and waved a hand in the air. “I’ve never had a cup of coffee. Can’t stand the taste.”

  “If you’ve never had any, how do you know you don’t like it?” Bethany eased off the stool she’d been sitting on.

  He grinned wide, revealing even, white teeth. Her stomach felt as if a flock of butterflies were trying to escape. “Okay, so I tried it in college. Once.” He grimaced and shuddered. “I just prefer my caffeine cold.”

  She chuckled at his performance, grabbed the key to the gift shop, then opened the door. She needed a break anyway. “A cold drink sounds good.”

  Inside the store, Evan opened the small refrigerator’s door and grabbed a can. He looked back over his shoulder. “What’s your pleasure, ma’am? I’m buying.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  He lifted up a hand, silencing her. “What kind do you want? Or should I just pick?”

  She sighed. “Root beer, please.”

  He snagged a brown can and meandered along the row of candy bars.

  “Are you one of those junk food addicts?”

  His head was lowered as he studied the selection. His hair looked more orderly than normal. “Guilty as charged.” He chose two bars and plunked them on the counter with the pop cans. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a five-dollar bill.

  Bethany rang up his purchase and handed him his change.

  “Care to join me on the porch for a few minutes?” he asked.

  She had plenty of work to do, but until the computer was finished doing its thing, she was at a standstill. “Just let me check the progress of the software I’m installing, and I’ll take a short break.”

  With the program at just forty-seven percent loaded, she figured she might have five minutes to spend with Evan. She dashed into the office, grabbed a brush from the top drawer, and ran it through her hair. She wasn’t primping for him, she fibbed to herself.

  Outside, Evan had pulled two of the wooden rockers close together. Her root beer lay on the seat of the empty chair. She snatched it up and sat down, popping the top of the can. It hissed and sizzled, sending a sweet scent into the air. The snowcapped mountains rose up before them. She’d grown so accustomed to seeing them that she pretty much took the view for granted. She needed to take time to appreciate the beauty around her—and the heritage that would one day belong to her.

  “Choose one.” Evan held out the two candy bars.

  “Oh, no thanks. This drink is plenty.”

  He tossed one at her then tore the paper off the other and started eating. Bethany grabbed at the bar as it slid down her leg. “You don’t take no for an answer, do you?”

  He shrugged, giving her a charming look. Maybe he wasn’t as unaware of his appeal as she’d first thought. She tore back the paper and bit into the sweet confection.

  “Are you planning on putting your registration system on your computer now that you have one?”

  She took a drink of her pop and peered at him. “We’ve had a computer for a while, but it’s an older one. We keep it in our private quarters. But yes, I do hope to get the registration on the new computer soon, although I plan to install the bookkeeping program first.”

  “That should make things much easier for you and will save time.”

  “That’s what I’m hoping.” She bit off a small piece of her chocolate bar.

  “You know, that printer you have isn’t going to work with your new operating system.”

  Bethany nearly choked on a peanut and leaned forward, coughing. Evan patted her back and looked concerned. She washed the bite down with a drink of root beer, thinking about the money she’d saved by not buying a printer. “Why not?”

  “Those new operating systems don’t have drivers for printers as old as yours.”

  “That’s just great.”

  “The dealer should have explained it when you bought your computer. Basically, the manufacturers wanted people to have to buy more printers, so they didn’t write a printer driver that would allow older printers to work on the new system.”

  “The clerk asked if I needed one, but I told him I already had one.” She leaned back, allowing the view to comfort her.

  He fiddled with his can then looked at her. “I saw your Web site. It’s a nice, basic one. I, uh. . .wouldn’t mind designing a fancier one for you—as a way of saying thanks for allowing me to stay here and for caring for me while I was sick.”

  Bethany waved her hand in the air. “Thanks, but that’s not necessary.”

  He lifted up his rocker and jiggled it around to face her. “No, seriously. I’m a computer engineer. Designing a Web site would be simple. I like doing it, and maybe a fancier one would help draw more business to your place.”

  Their Web site was plain but functional. She’d designed it using a basic template that the Web host offered. If they redid it, they could add pictures and all kinds of features. Hope building, she reconsidered. “Could you maybe add one of those animations? Like a moving wagon train or a galloping horse?”

  His wide grin warmed her insides, and she was glad that the chicken pox hadn’t marred his fine features. “You bet. Or we could videotape a real wagon and show the mountains behind it. Maybe even with the sun setting.”

  Excitement growing, she jumped up. “Let me get some paper and make notes.”

  Evan stood and followed her inside the lodge and behind the registration desk. “I could take some pictures with my digital camera to show the awesome countryside and the main lodge. Might even take a photo of that old tree trunk with the mother and baby bear carving, with the stairs to the lodge in the background.”

  Bethany checked the monitor. “My accounting software’s done loading, but let’s work on the Web site idea. I’d love to have a site that lists our prices and shows everything we have to offer.”

  She pulled a pad of paper from a drawer and grabbed a pencil. She wrote down several items then tapped her pencil against the paper as she considered what else to add. Since Evan was more than willing to build a new Web site, she wanted the best one possible.

  ❧

  Evan couldn’t help smiling. Once she’d decided to proceed with the new Web site, Bethany jumped in with both feet. Standing beside him, her chin rested in one hand with her elbow on the counter, her other shoulder pressed against his. She’d leaned in at one point and never moved away.

  He liked her nearness and the feel of her arm touching his. Wisps of blond hair flittered around her tanned cheeks. She was organized, reliable, cute, and lively—when she wasn’t worrying about everything. And she’d been very kind and nurturing when he’d first become sick. He knew then that he wanted to get to know her better. To have a relationship with her.

  But as an unbeliever, she was off-limits. He sidestepped and put some distance between them, not that four inches was all that much. At least she was no longer touching him.

  He zeroed in on the notepad and refocused on the job at hand. If he could get the basics of what she wanted, he could hide himself back in his room and get to work. This job should only take a few hours.

  He cleared his throat. “I can add a counter if you like. That way you will know how many hits you’re getting and where the visitors live.”

  She turned those doelike eyes on him. “You can do that? Tell where people live?”

  He nodded and forced himself t
o look away. His heart pounded, and he watched myriad dust motes floating along on a beam of sunlight. Picking up his pop can, he moistened his dry mouth.

  “That’s about all I can come up with,” Bethany said. “What do you think?”

  Evan forced his gaze back to the notepad. “Looks good. What would you like for your dominant colors?”

  Her gaze roved the lodge. “I guess we should stick with woodland colors: brown and dark green mainly.”

  “Great.” He tore off the top sheet with all her notes. “I’ll get started on this right away and have a prototype for you to view by dinnertime.”

  “That’s wonderful. I never dreamed when I got up this morning that we might have a whole new Web site by evening. I don’t know how to thank you.” She stared into his eyes.

  Warning bells went off as he longed to embrace her. He cleared his throat. “I, um. . .can’t work on my project until I hear back from my boss and he approves of the section I just completed, so I might as well get started on this now.”

  She smiled shyly up at him. “All right. I’m anxious to see it.”

  His gaze lowered to her lips, and he felt as if a mainframe computer rested on top of his chest. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

  Okay, so Bethany wasn’t the devil, but she was a temptation. She licked her lips, and his heart stumbled. He may be a geek, but he was still a man—a man who’d spent little time with a member of the opposite sex, especially one who intrigued him so much.

  Using every ounce of strength left in his body after nearly a week’s illness, Evan stepped back. “If I get done before dinner, I’ll come down and show you what I’ve worked up.”

  She nodded, looking confused. Maybe she’d felt a similar attraction to him. Thinking that did not help. Not one bit.

  He strode toward the elevator, grateful when the thick metal doors closed and blocked his view of Bethany Schaffer. If not for Taylor wanting to stay the full two weeks, he would pack up and be gone as soon as he finished the Web site. But he owed his niece that much.