“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.”
“I thought of that, too,” Megan admitted. “Do you think there might be a connection?”
“Who knows? Us running around the woods like a couple of idiots won’t help anybody, though. Especially not if the person we were warned about is involved. Wait here. I’m calling the sheriff. Then we’ll go search your cabin to see if your sister took anything with her.”
“But…it might be a false alarm. What if the kids have just gone off together?” She scowled toward Aaron and added, “Like the other night.”
“That’s almost as bad,” James said, visibly upset. “The reputation of my camp is already on shaky ground. If word gets out that we have a breakdown in discipline, it sure won’t help.”
“Well, you can’t blame me for everything. I didn’t have any part in the outside threat.”
“True. And we don’t know whether that’s the problem now. I’m just not willing to take the chance it might be. The sooner we get professional help, the sooner we’ll have both kids back, safe and sound, no matter what caused them to disappear.”
“I hope you’re right,” Megan said.
James noticed that she was trembling and took her hand, holding it gently, firmly, as he said, “Believe me, I hope so, too.”
For once, Megan didn’t try to pull away. She knew she needed to draw strength from his touch.
“Lord, help us,” she whispered.
Though James didn’t comment, she felt his grip tighten as if his hands were adding “Amen.”
Then he released her and headed for his office to phone the police.
The peace Camp Refuge normally enjoyed soon disappeared in a blaze of flashing lights atop police cruisers and rescue vehicles. Hordes of volunteer searchers gathered in groups to receive their assignments and check their survival gear before starting out.
“I thought you didn’t want to draw too much attention to this place. I’d hardly call this keeping a low profile,” Megan told James. “Where did all these people come from? I thought Camp Refuge was out in the sticks.”
“It is. Serenity is the closest town. It isn’t very big for a county seat, but word travels fast around here. Folks care. And they look out for their own. I imagine some of these men came from Hardy, Ash Flat, even Glencoe and Agnos—and those two places are barely pinpoints on the map.”
“Amazing. I’ve seen this level of group concern in my campus church group, of course. It’s just kind of surprising to see a whole community joining together this way.”
“Why? Did you think only church people cared enough?” He huffed. “Listen, my mom and dad were in church every time the doors opened. On the outside, you’d have thought they were the best parents on earth.”
Her voice was tender. “They weren’t.”
“Not hardly. My mother wasn’t so bad, if you didn’t mind the way she gossiped and complained about her friends and the pastor behind their backs. It was my dad who was the real prize. He bragged about the important contacts he’d made by belonging to that church, like it was a country club or something. He was real proud of the fact that only the highest class of people were fellow members.”
“That’s really sad. They missed out on a lot by acting so superior.”
“Then you can understand why I don’t want anything to do with organized religion.”
Megan slowly shook her head. “Sure. But if congregations weren’t made up of fallible people, who’d be eligible to go to church? Last time I looked, this earth was real short on genuine saints.”
“Except for my parents, you mean.”
That made her smile. She patted his arm. “Right. Except for them. Of course, if you choose to hold a grudge, that makes you as unforgiving as they were.”
“Let’s drop the subject, shall we?” James said flatly. “Right now, we need to be concentrating on locating Zac and your sister.”
“I haven’t forgotten. Talking about other things helps me unwind. At least it usually does.” Looking up at him she said, “I’m really getting scared.”
Expecting him to offer platitudes and calm reassurance, she was taken aback when he said, “Yeah. Me, too.”
Day turned to night. Frogs croaked and chirped along the slow-moving Spring River. Fireflies were back in abundance and crickets sang their cadence in unison. The moon was nearly full, enabling Megan and the other volunteers to see more details of the territory they were covering.
James had encouraged her to remain with him. While the organized search parties covered the hills in a grid pattern, she followed him to a few out-of-the-way places that the others weren’t checking yet. Sadly, there was no sign of the missing teens.
As long as she was busy picking her way through the underbrush and over the rocks with James, Megan’s mind was occupied. It was when they rested that she found herself fighting back tears.
“I hate to be such a ninny,” she said, swiping at her damp cheeks. “I don’t usually cry for no reason.”
“I’d hardly call this no reason,” he countered. “As soon as you pull yourself together we’ll head back. I think you should call your parents, even if the sheriff has already notified them. They deserve to know what’s been going on. It’ll be easier on them if the report comes from you—especially if it’s negative.”
“I wish I could oblige,” Megan said with a noisy sigh. “Dad’s away on his honeymoon with his new wife and her little boy. I don’t even know where they went. And Mom’s the one who talked me into bringing my sister along. All Roxy wanted was a temporary place to stay. Mom refused to be bothered.”
“She’d still want to know, wouldn’t she?”
Megan sniffled. “I’m not so sure. I hate to say it, but my parents aren’t exactly models of loving perfection, either.”
“No kidding?”
Megan raised her hand, palm out, as if taking a vow. “No kidding. See? We have more in common than you thought.”
“Dysfunctional families? That’s hardly a plus.” James shook his head. “However, it does help to explain why we argue so much.”
“We do not argue,” she insisted, immediately realizing that was precisely what she was doing and seeing the latent humor in it. “Okay, maybe we do argue a little. But it’s not like we disagree on everything. I think you’re right once in a while.”
“Thanks a heap.” With a lopsided grin he added, “That’s real Christian of you, Ms. White.”
“Hey, I give it my best. I’d be much worse if I wasn’t a believer…believe me.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“Gladly. Take this situation, for instance. If I didn’t trust God to bring us through, I’d probably be totally hysterical by now.” Her crooked smile mirrored his. “As things stand, I’m saving my screaming and sobbing for later, when I get my hands on my darling sister.”
“We’ll find them,” James promised. “No matter what it takes. I won’t give up.”
“Me, either.”
Growing pensive, Megan studied his compassionate expression, the kindness dwelling deep in his dark eyes. “I happen to believe you and I are sharing this predicament for a reason, James. God knew I’d need a friend like you at a time like this, and here you are.”
“That’s a pretty complicated interpretation of a simple working relationship,” James said. “I doubt I can live up to such lofty ideals.”
“By yourself, you can’t,” she said with a sweet smile. “But whether you like it or not, I think the good Lord is using you. And He never fails.”
Weary and dirty, James and Megan returned to the searchers’ base camp just before dawn.
James approached the officer on duty at the portable command post. “Any word yet?”
Megan held her breath, dreading the answer. She’d already decided, from the men’s overburdened expressions, that no one had found a trace of the missing teens.
“Not yet.”
“How much longer will you be here?” James asked him.
“Hard to say. If we don’t find any signs of foul play we’ll probably pull back pretty soon. No sense using all these expensive resources if there’s been no crime.”
Megan was appalled. “You can’t be serious! What about my sister?”
The man shrugged. “She’s a teenage girl. They run away all the time. Usually come home when they cool off, though. Chances are this one will, too, even if she didn’t stop to pack her bags when she left. You’ll see.”
“I can’t believe…!”
James took Megan’s arm and led her away before she could blurt out more. “Calm down,” he cautioned. “Getting mad and yelling at the cops won’t help your cause. They’re just following normal procedures.”
“What procedures? Giving up?”
“No, being rational. You and I are personally involved with the kids. We’re naturally uptight. That makes us the worst possible people to boss the job. Let’s leave it to the experts, at least as much as we can stand.”
Megan’s knees felt suddenly wobbly. She sagged against him, glad when his arm slipped around her waist and he pulled her closer.
Resting one hand on his chest she looked up at him. “Oh, James. I feel so inadequate. I want to go right back out and start looking again but I don’t think I can stay on my feet much longer.”
“You’re exhausted. We both are. A few hours’ sleep will do wonders. Why don’t I walk you back to your cabin and help you feed your menagerie? Then we’ll grab a nap.”
Megan’s eyes widened. She saw his cheeks redden.
“I wasn’t suggesting we nap together,” he add
ed quickly.
“I never thought you were. I would like some company while I see to my animals, though. I’m really not ready to be alone.”
“I understand.”
“You do, don’t you?”
Megan put her hand in his as they climbed the hill to her cabin. Funny, she mused. In the past she’d always thought of her four-legged, furry friends as perfect companions, yet she’d just told this man that she’d feel alone if he weren’t beside her.
That shift in thinking had caught her off guard. Relying solely on animals for earthly solace had been her answer to adversity for as long as she could remember. So why was she now feeling as if she wanted—no, needed—to be with James Harris?
The tension of their current dilemma wasn’t enough to explain such a radical change of heart. Neither was the temporary rapport they seemed to have developed while pursuing their mutual goal.
It was more than that. They were beginning to rely upon each other, growing empathetic to the point where they shared their ups and downs without having to always voice specific needs.
Was that what he’d been trying to explain when he’d kissed her so abruptly? Was she just now acknowledging a soul-deep awareness that had been evident to him all along? Perhaps.
Then again, perhaps her imagination was running amok. Stress could do that to a person. Normally levelheaded individuals sometimes did or said absurd things under the pressure of life’s trials. Just because she was a Christian didn’t mean she’d always recognize the right path when she stumbled across it.
Her human side would see to that.
Rounding the cabin, Megan gasped. Wiggles was panting hard and lying atop the scattered remains of a forty-pound sack of dry dog food. If he’d eaten all the food that was apparently missing, it would swell inside him and he’d soon be in terrible physical distress. It might even prove fatal.
She crouched beside him and commanded, “Roll over.”
James joined her. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know if anything is, yet,” she said.
Probing the dog’s abdomen she looked for the large, hard mass that overeating dry food would produce. Thankfully, her pet’s stomach seemed normal-sized and not tender to the touch.
Everlasting Love Page 9
