by Jade Taylor
“There are no fish here,” Joey complained. “It’s too shallow.”
“I think we’re higher up the creek than Dad usually takes us,” Tommy explained. “We can just follow the creek until it gets deeper, but first we need to water the horses and let them rest.”
“Yeah, Moonshot is tired. I can tell by the way she walks. Maybe I should have brought one of the older horses.”
“They’re not as fast as Moonshot.”
“She’s awfully tired.” A look of intense guilt swept over her face as Joey leaned forward to pat Moonshot’s neck.
Tommy hastened to console her. “So is Wizard. Aren’t you, boy?” He dismounted and let his horse crop the meager grass as he looked up at Joey. “We can rest here.”
Joey swiped a dirty hand across her forehead, pushing back her messy hair. “Then what do we do?”
Tommy Karl’s answer was sharpened by his own confusion. “How would I know? This was your idea!” At her crestfallen look, he backtracked. “As soon as we get to the deep part, we’ll try to catch some fish for lunch.”
Joey’s eyes widened. “I’m not eating raw fish!”
“I have some matches, dummy!” Tommy Karl retorted angrily. “We can cook them on a stick like Dad showed us.”
“How was I supposed to know that? You didn’t say anything about cooking the fish!” Joey tossed her head. She grasped the reins with one hand and pushed flyaway strands back with the other, peering sideways at Tommy Karl as Moonshot fidgeted and turned away.
Just like a girl. As if he wanted to eat raw fish! Tommy Karl knew his voice reflected his irritation, but for once, he didn’t care. “Never mind. Go ahead and get off Moonshot.”
“How will I get back on? I can’t reach the stirrups from the ground.”
She looked at him helplessly. It chased the gathering irritation to the back of his mind, to be replaced by worry. She was awfully little. He should have managed to keep her at the ranch until Dad came in from the fields. His father would remind him that he was older and should have known better. Too late, now. “Don’t worry. I can give you a hand up.”
“Won’t I be too heavy?”
“I’m really strong. You’ll see.”
Joey slid down the filly’s side. Moonshot stood quietly, too tired to sidle and prance as she usually did.
Tommy Karl watched Joey. She looked as tired as Moonshot. Dust coated her face and clothes. Sadness seemed to weigh her down. A peculiar feeling rose in him. He’d always liked Joey. They got along well and enjoyed the same things, like horses and Star Wars and computer games, but this was the first time he’d wanted to protect her, to take her pain and fatigue on to himself. It was a very grown-up feeling and he wasn’t at all sure how to handle it. He slipped Wizard’s reins over a tree branch and went over to Joey and took Moonshot’s reins from her. In a very kind voice, he said, “You go wash up in the creek. I’ll put halters on the horses and let them eat some grass. It’ll be okay, Joey. I’ll take care of you.”
CAT BECAME MORE UNEASY as she and Jackson made a luncheon of turkey sandwiches and a can of Campbell’s potato soup. Afterward, they went back to the living room and while Cat swept sawdust and shavings from the floor, Jackson toted debris outside. Finally, she could stand it no longer.
“I’m going to call Luke,” she announced with no prelude to her thoughts.
Jackson sat back on his heels and watched her. She dialed the number and waited, but the phone rang again and again with no answer on the other end. “They’re probably still gone,” she said, trying to reassure herself.
“Do they usually stay out this long?”
“Sometimes, but I’m with them or Luke is. I’m sure it’s okay. Luke will take good care of Joey.”
A tiny muscle in Jackson’s jaw began to twitch. “If you’re sure she’s okay, why is your face so pale?”
“I just have this feeling that something is wrong. I can’t explain it.” A knot formed in her stomach. “Don’t laugh at me, Jackson.” Saying the words, giving voice to her suspicion, made the possibility more likely.
Jackson said, “I wouldn’t dream of it. Mother’s intuition?”
She nodded. “I suppose. Or something I ate. Am I being silly?”
Jackson began picking up his tools. “I don’t know, but if you are, you’re entitled. Want me to drive over to Luke’s and see if I can find out anything?”
His thoughtfulness warmed her. “Oh, I’m sure that’s not necessary, and besides, you have to get back to the farm, don’t you?”
Jackson shook his head. “Pop will understand. I can’t leave you alone when you’re worried about Joey.”
There was no way to explain it, but his sharing her worry made her stronger. “Maybe we should wait a little longer. I don’t want to raise an alarm if nothing is wrong.”
Jackson stood up, decisively. “Dithering won’t help, either. Waiting won’t set your mind at ease. I’ll take the truck over to Luke’s and see what’s going on.”
“Are you sure? I like your father and I know he’s easygoing, but you came home to help him, not me.” She didn’t want him to change his mind. She wanted him to take charge. The realization was unsettling.
“Pop will be okay.” Jackson looked down at her and made a tentative move in her direction.
She thought he might kiss her, but he didn’t, though he’d been so close he could have. Probably her imagination. “Should I go with you?”
“No. You stick around here. If we both left, that would be the exact moment Joey would pick to come home. She’d be upset at finding you gone. You stay here and wait. I won’t be long.”
He touched a finger to her cheek, turned and left before she could react. She touched the spot he’d touched and quieted the tingle.
Time’s passage poked along so Jackson’s absence seemed like an eternity to Cat. She paced from room to room, making no pretense at all that she did anything more than wait. Finally, a bare twenty minutes later, she heard his truck pull up in the yard. She raced to the door and saw Luke’s new red pickup pulling in right behind Jackson. Only Luke. Neither of the children. A terrifying premonition of Joey’s danger raced over her. Cat had trouble breathing. The sense of foreboding took over her body, squeezing out all other sensation.
The two men were shoulder to shoulder as they hurried to the door where Cat stood frozen in fear. She didn’t give either of them a chance to say hello. “Luke, where are the kids?”
Luke’s worry flashed for a minute, before he hid it behind a calmer air. “Cat, they’ve just gone out riding. They’ll be back. Jackson says Joey claimed we were supposed to go fishing. That’s not true, of course. Tommy Karl’s horse is gone, so it’s obvious he went with her.”
“Where could they have gone? Just riding or fishing by themselves?”
Luke’s reassuringly familiar face tightened. “Maybe the real question is why. Tommy Karl doesn’t do this sort of thing on his own. He’s never left the ranch without permission.”
Jackson shouldered between Luke and Cat, a fierce look on his face. “The real question is not why. The only question is where! We’ve got to find those kids before either one of them is hurt. They’re way too young to be running around on their own. Think, Cat. Where would they have gone?”
Cat’s concern swelled. Ice in the pit of her stomach caused her to tremble. Chill bumps appeared on her arms. She crossed them in front of her and reached deep for control, but found none. “I don’t know why they left! How can I guess where they went?”
“Tommy Karl sure didn’t have a problem at breakfast this morning,” Luke interjected. “He talked about going into town and renting a video for tonight. I promised him he could get a movie as a reward for being so much help this week. He’s a good kid and doesn’t get into trouble. Was Joey upset about anything?”
“We don’t know it was Joey’s idea. Maybe Tommy put her up to it,” Jackson said, thrusting his words between Cat and Luke as he had moved to protect her earlier.
Cat hesitated. Remembering the quarrel she’d engaged in with Jackson, she had a good idea of what had upset Joey. Her daughter must have overheard their argument. What interpretation had her childish mind put upon their confrontation? She chose her words carefully. “Luke, you have a right to know, since your own child is caught up in this, too. She might have overheard an argument Jackson and I had last night.”
Luke leaned forward, blond head bent attentively toward Cat. “Last night? What about?”
For the third time, Jackson moved to intercept Luke’s words to Cat. “Cat, you don’t need to go into all that. It’s not any of your business, Luke,” Jackson said, addressing the tall rancher directly.
Cat shot an irritated glance at Jackson. “Yes, it is,” she contradicted, and decided there’d been enough lies in her life. If ever there was a time for truth, this was it. “Tommy Karl is with Joey, so Luke has a right to know.” She swung her nervous gaze to Luke. “Jackson just figured out that he’s Joey’s father. We were…discussing things.”
Luke tipped his hat back and shot a scornful glance at Jackson. “You mean just yesterday? This week? Slow learner, isn’t he? What took him so long?”
Jackson looked at Cat unbelievingly. “You mean Luke knew? You told him, but you couldn’t be bothered to write me a letter? Who else knew while you were keeping it such a damn big secret from me? The whole freaking town or all of Traill County, too?”
“Did you think nobody would notice when I gained so much weight? Of course the whole town knows I had a baby, for pete’s sake! Luke is the only one who knows you’re Joey’s father. He’s been a good friend to me.” Cat’s voice rose as she reacted to the accusation.
“I’ll bet. I’ll just bet he’s been a very good friend.” Jackson turned his back on both of them and went over to the window. He lifted the curtain and looked out for a moment before dropping it and turning back to glare accusingly at Cat.
“Oh, I give up, Jackson! Think what you want to. I’m only interested in finding Joey and Tommy Karl. Where do you think they might’ve gone, Luke?”
“Toss a coin. Pick a direction. Kids like that roaming around this country could get in real trouble—gopher holes, snakes, the creek, even Goose River if they head south. Farms are too big and too far apart, though there aren’t any predators to worry about.”
Jackson rejoined Cat and Luke. “Joey mentioned fishing. Is it possible they went to wherever you two usually took them?” Jackson addressed his question to Cat, turning a cold shoulder to Luke.
Luke answered him, speaking to Jackson’s shoulder as if it weren’t deliberately turned away. “That’s the only thing we have to go on. I’m not sure they could find the place on horseback, though. We usually took the pickup and parked on the side of the road, then walked to the creek. It’s a lot longer by horseback.”
Jackson thought about it, then said, “Indian Creek gets pretty deep in some parts, though it’s mostly shallow. Do the kids know how to swim?”
“Tommy Karl does. We were going to teach Joey this summer,” Luke said.
If any color had been left in Cat’s face, it disappeared with stunning suddenness, leaving her barely able to stand. “Oh, no. Please don’t say that!”
“Calm down, Cat. Nobody mentioned what you’re thinking. With the drought we’re having, the creek will be pretty shallow, most places. They’re smart kids. They know how dangerous the creek can be and Tommy Karl won’t let anything happen to Joey. He’s a smart, very responsible kid.”
Jackson stepped away from them, paced angrily to the window, looked out, then again turned his attention to the rancher. “I wish I had your confidence, Luke. He’s just a kid, himself. What can he do?”
Cat gathered her strength. The light coming through the window emphasized the hard line of Jackson’s jaw. He was intensely concerned about his daughter and ready to take his anger out on her and Luke. Not that she blamed him one little bit. If she’d done the right thing years ago, her daughter wouldn’t be in danger today. The knot in her stomach curled tighter as she hurried to reassure him. “He’s right, Jackson. Tommy Karl is very sensible for his age. He’ll do what he can to protect Joey.”
Luke growled, “I’ll give him an A for effort, but right now I’m pretty damn mad at him for taking off with her. He’d better have a good story cooked up.”
Cat turned on him, her face warm with anger. “Luke, how can you talk about punishing your son when you don’t even know if he’s okay?”
“He’s just fine,” Luke retorted.
His words seemed more an effort to reassure himself than firm conviction, Cat thought. Her gaze turned to Jackson. Beneath his newly acquired tan, ashen skin made his grim eyes seem even harder. Had he just found his daughter to lose her so quickly? That mustn’t happen. Cat’s heart thudded dangerously. Joey had to be okay. “Let’s go look for them,” she said.
Both men nodded grimly.
JOEY AWOKE TO THE insistent call of Tommy Karl’s voice. “What’cha want, T.K.,” she muttered sleepily.
“You’ve been resting a long time, Joey. I think we should get going. It’s getting late and we should find some fish soon. I’m awfully hungry.”
Joey rubbed her eyes. Her clothes were stained with the grass she’d slept on and her hair had tangled badly. She’d never be able to get a brush through it. Then she remembered she hadn’t brought a brush. All her things were at home. She sat up, her empty stomach choosing that moment to rumble loudly. “I’m hungry, too. Didn’t you bring anything to eat?”
“No. I didn’t think about that. You were in such a hurry.”
His words accused. Joey hastened to defend herself. “Me? You were afraid your father would come in from the field.”
“No, I wasn’t! I wish he had.”
Joey’s eyes welled with tears. Nobody loved her. Nobody. Not her Mommy and not Jackson, for sure. Not even Tommy Karl. Her chin trembled. “I thought you wanted to go with me.”
Tommy Karl backtracked with desperate swiftness. “Aw, Joey, don’t cry. I wanted to come, but I’m not sure we should have.”
“I’m not going back,” Joey announced stubbornly. Tears spilled over and streaked her cheeks through the layers of dust.
“We don’t hafta, Joey. Don’t cry. Please don’t cry. Come on, let’s see if we can find the deep part of the creek. You’ll see, the fish will taste really good. Betcha I can catch a dozen sunnies. They’re easy.”
“Will we cook them over the campfire like we did with Mom and your dad last time? We don’t have a pan.”
“Dad showed me how to wrap the fish in leaves. Or we can put them on a stick. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.”
She felt a lot better and Tommy Karl must like her or he wouldn’t have offered to take care of things. It made up a little bit for the way her mommy had lied. And for Jackson, although Joey wasn’t at all sure why she had this hollow ache in her stomach when she thought about him. She didn’t care about Jackson. Really. That was good, because from now on, she’d be alone, except for Tommy Karl. She took a deep breath and let it out in a troubled sigh. “I like you, Tommy Karl. You’re my best friend.”
“Yeah, I know. Come on, now. Get up.”
Joey scrambled to her feet and looked around for the horses. They were standing in the shade of a nearby tree, head to tail, casually flicking flies from their hides.
Tommy tightened the saddle girths and replaced the halters with bridles. True to his word, he cupped Joey’s foot in his hand and with hardly any effort, shoved her up far enough so she could scramble into the saddle.
Joey looked around. She couldn’t see any houses and this place didn’t look like where they had gone fishing. It looked like a long ways from nowhere. Fear rippled through her. She wished her mommy was here, but when she ran away from h
ome, she’d left her mom and Jackson behind. Doubt entered her mind. Mommy was going to be really mad at her when she found them.
A cold, uneasy shiver went through her, like taking a shower in winter. No matter how far she and Tommy Karl ran, it wouldn’t be far enough. There was no doubt in Joey’s mind that her mother would find them and when she did, Joey knew her mother was going to be very angry with her. A part of her feared her mother’s anger. A larger part cheered at the thought of her mother kissing her cheek and telling her it would be all right.
GETTING TO THE FISHING HOLE took only a few minutes. Luke cut the engine after he threw the gear into park. Cat sat between him and Jackson. All in all, it seemed the wisest choice. The two men acted like a couple of strange wolves who’d just met. They kept circling each other, heads high, tails stiff, looking for an opening to strike. Men, she thought. Always acting like testosterone-poisoned teenagers when you needed them to be adults. Wisely, she decided not to mention her observation. Time enough for that after they found the kids.
Both men stood beside their open door and motioned for her to get out. Scowling at Luke, she shuffled across the seat to slide out the passenger door Jackson held for her. The slightly smug look he threw at Luke came close to changing her mind. Worried, irritated and scared, she set off down the narrow path to the creek and left the men to sort out who would follow close behind her, and who would have to come second.
The path ended at a grassy bank next to two huge willow trees. Below the trees, a wide bend in the creek formed a small pond. The kids were nowhere in sight. Despair blossomed in Cat’s chest. Hopelessly, she raised her hands to her mouth and called out, “Joey, Joey! It’s Mom, honey. Joey!”
Beside her, Luke’s deep bellow joined hers. “Tommy Karl! Tommy! Are you here?”
