“Are you coming?” Chance demanded impatiently, his horse dancing nervously in place. “You know the way back better than I do.”
“Let’s go,” she said, kicking her horse into a gallop.
With the wind rushing in her face, the ride could have been exhilarating. Instead, Jenny kept feeling as if she was trying to outrun her destiny. Glancing over her shoulder into Chance’s anxious face, she realized it was too late. For better or worse, it had already caught up with her.
9
Chance was cursing himself six ways from Sunday all the way back to Wilkie’s place. He should have known Petey would pull a stunt like this. The kid was developing a mile-wide rebellious streak. Chance should have stuck around himself to enforce Petey’s grounding, rather than deliberately fueling the boy’s unhappiness by hiring a sitter.
Not that he was about to excuse what his son had done now. He’d never struck his kid, but he was very much tempted to tan his hide for sneaking off and scaring them half to death.
The babysitter must be beside herself. She was Wilkie’s niece and she’d been hanging around the ranch ever since Chance had been hired to run the place. He suspected from some things Wilkie had said that Leesa had a crush on him. He knew very little about teenage girls, but he did know that, aside from worrying about Petey, Leesa would be distraught over having failed him.
He hit the accelerator and pushed the truck past seventy. A glance in his rearview mirror told him Jenny was right behind him. She’d insisted on bringing her own car in case they needed to expand their search and spread out in different directions. Chance hadn’t wasted time arguing with her, even though he couldn’t imagine how a boy on foot could get too far. Then, again, he’d never envisioned Petey slipping out of the house undetected in the first place.
Chance made the turn into Wilkie’s driveway on two wheels, spewing dirt and gravel every which way. At his first glimpse of Leesa, he pulled to a stop in front of the main house. The girl was sobbing her heart out and muttering that it was all her fault. Wilkie was making a futile attempt to comfort her and assure her that nothing she could have done would have stopped Petey from sneaking out if he was of a mind to.
Chance was out of the truck before the engine stopped rumbling and heard most of the exchange. He suspected it had become repetitive by now. Wilkie stared at him helplessly over the girl’s head.
“What happened?” Chance demanded. His sharp tone brought on more tears, plus a glare from Wilkie. Chance apologized. “I’m sorry, darlin’. Just try to fill me in, okay?”
“I... I don’t know,” Leesa finally said between sobs. “One minute he was there and the next—” she held up her hands “—he was gone. I thought for sure he was still in his room, but when I went up with a snack for him, he just wasn’t there.”
“How long had it been since you’d seen him?”
“A half hour at the most, I swear it. I was on the phone with one of my friends and he came down and asked for the snack. You’d told me he wasn’t to be out of his room, so I said I’d bring it up to him. I got off the phone right away.”
Which obviously meant nearly thirty minutes later, Chance guessed.
“And you didn’t see him slip past you or hear anything that could have been him climbing out the window in his room?”
Leesa shook her head. “No. And the window wasn’t open. I checked.”
“Well, how the hell—” Chance stopped when Jenny shot him a warning glance.
Chance waited impatiently as Jenny took the girl in her arms and soothed her, while Wilkie looked on uncomfortably. Obviously he was no more at ease around a crying woman than Chance was. Leesa’s sobs finally began to abate. Jenny glanced at him over her head and nodded.
“You searched the house?” Chance asked, forcing himself to remain calm.
“High and low,” Wilkie said, appearing relieved that they’d finally gotten to a question he could answer. “The minute Leesa called me I went right over. Thought maybe the boy was playing some sort of game with her. You know how kids his age do. I’ve gone through every building on the property since I put out that call to you, but there’s not a trace of him.”
Wilkie’s worried expression suggested there was more. “What else?” Chance asked.
“I think he took Golden Boy,” the old man said. “The horse is missing from his stall, and no one recalls seeing him in the pasture, either.”
“Well, isn’t that just dandy!” Chance exploded. When Leesa burst into a fresh bout of tears, he reined in his temper. “Sorry, darlin’, none of this is your fault. It’s mine. I shouldn’t have gone off today. I knew he resented being left with a babysitter and I did it, anyway, to make a point. I guess he’s making one, too.”
He drew a deep breath and tried to think. If Petey was on horseback, where would he head? He didn’t know Los Piños all that well yet. How far could he venture before he became lost and confused?
“Chance?”
Jenny’s soft voice snapped him back to reality. “What? Do you have an idea?” he asked.
“Does he know the way to White Pines?”
“Of course he does,” he said as the obvious answer dawned on him. “And you’re right. That’s more than likely exactly where he’d head, because I’ve forbidden him to go over there.”
“Then it’s even more likely he’d go if he knew that’s where you’d intended to go today,” she suggested. “He wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to see the ranch he’d heard so much about from his grandfather.”
Chance wasn’t sure if Petey had guessed his destination or not. He hadn’t told him. In fact, if Petey had figured it out, then he might go anywhere except the family ranch. Chance preferred to count on the likelihood that Petey was intent on defying him. In that case, the forbidden White Pines would be the first place he’d go.
“He wasn’t on the road,” Chance said thoughtfully. “We’d have spotted him.”
“Maybe I can help with that. He’s been asking about where the White Pines property butts up against this ranch,” Wilkie explained. “He seemed to know they connected somewhere. I didn’t think much about it at the time, but I’ll bet he was storing the information away for an occasion just like this. He probably decided that with you out of the house it would be a good time to sneak off and go exploring on the land his granddaddy had been telling him about.”
“I’m sorry,” Leesa whispered again. “I should have been paying closer attention.”
“Don’t you worry about it, princess,” Wilkie said. “A boy intent on mischief will always find some way of getting into it. Isn’t that right, Chance?”
“You bet.” He glanced at Jenny. “You willing to ride with me to look for him?”
“Of course.”
“Wilkie, can we borrow a couple of horses?”
“You bet. I’ll come, too. I can show you the direction he’s likely to have gone in.”
“Can I help?” Leesa asked. “Please? I have to do something.”
“No, you stay here in case he calls or turns up,” her uncle said. “I’ll stick the cell phone in my pocket so you can reach us if something happens here. You might want to call your mama and tell her what’s going on so she won’t worry if you’re late getting back home. Tell her I’ll bring you as soon as we find the boy.”
The teenager looked disappointed at not being included in the search party, but she nodded. “Should I wait in his house or yours, Uncle Wilkie?”
Wilkie glanced at Chance, who nodded. “You go on back to Chance’s and stay there until you hear from us.”
“I’ll call White Pines,” Jenny said. “Daddy and Cody can round up a few men to start searching.”
“Thanks,” Chance said, surprised once more by the realization that his uncle probably wouldn’t hesitate to offer assistance, despite their strained relationship.
“We�
��ve only got a couple of hours before dark,” Wilkie said when they’d all saddled up and mounted. “We’re going to have to spread out so we can cover more ground in a hurry.”
They rode over Wilkie’s land toward the White Pines property line in silence. Chance was lost in thought, trying to imagine what his son had been thinking. It wasn’t all that difficult to figure out really. Petey had been wanting to see White Pines. Chance had forbidden it. So, angry at his father already, he’d taken the first chance he had and gone exploring.
Chance doubted Petey would care all that much about the land or even the herds of cattle. He’d be far more interested in the house.
“Wilkie, did you specifically point the way toward the house from here?” Chance asked when they reached the fence dividing the property.
“Sure did,” he said, then grinned. “I reckon the boy had a million questions about it, too. He asked if I’d ever been inside. Then he wanted to know what every single room looked like and how many outbuildings there were. Wouldn’t be at all surprised if he didn’t go home and map it out for himself, he was that fascinated by it.”
Exactly what Chance had suspected. “Jenny, let your father know that Petey is probably peeking in his windows about now or trying to slip in the back door.”
She looked over at him, then chuckled. “I’ll bet you’re right. That sounds exactly like what he’d do.” She borrowed Wilkie’s cell phone and made the call.
While they waited for word back from White Pines, they rode at a gallop over the flat pastures. When they came to a rain-swollen stream, Jenny led them to its narrowest point and took them across. On the other side Chance reined in his horse and glanced upstream and down at the churning water.
“Stop it,” Jenny said, obviously guessing the dire direction of his thoughts. “Petey’s a smart kid. He would have looked for a safe place to cross. Besides, we would have spotted some sign of him if he’d tried to cross sooner than this and run into any trouble.”
Chance’s hand shook as he reached for a bandanna and wiped his brow. “I want to believe that.”
“Then believe it. We’re going to find him safe and sound at White Pines.”
“Why haven’t we heard something, then? Surely your father’s had a chance to look around.”
“There are a lot of good hiding places,” Jenny said. “Especially for a kid who doesn’t want to get caught.”
“I agree with Jenny,” Wilkie said. “You two ride on. Keep the phone with you. Just to make certain we haven’t missed something, though, I’ll ride along the stream for a ways.”
Chance darted a worried look at the old man. “Maybe that’s what I should be doing.”
“No,” Wilkie said firmly. “You go where it’s most likely he’ll be. This is just a precaution. I’ll catch up with you at White Pines.”
“Thanks, Wilkie,” Chance said sincerely. “This means a lot to me.”
“No need to thank me. Let’s just find the boy safe and sound. I’m getting right fond of that rascal myself. Never realized how much I missed having kids and grandkids of my own until I started spending a little time with your boy. Leesa and her sisters are sweet girls. Their mama sees that they’re real attentive to me, but it’s not the same as having a child that’s your own flesh and blood. And it’s sure not the same as having a boy who’s up to something every second.”
“That’s for sure,” Chance said. “Petey’s definitely up to something all the time.”
As Wilkie headed upstream, Chance and Jenny continued on in silence.
“It’s going to be okay,” she said eventually.
“I know,” Chance said grimly, wishing he felt more conviction.
“We’ll all laugh about it someday,” she promised.
“By the time I finish with him, Petey may not feel like laughing for a very long time.” He slanted a look at Jenny and saw she was smiling. “I mean it,” he insisted.
“I’m sure you do,” she said, “now.”
Chance ignored her skepticism. “Is there anywhere between here and the house he could hide?”
“No,” she said with certainty. “Cody’s place is in the other direction. There’s not a line shack for miles. I’ll lay odds he’s already somewhere around the main house. If he is, Daddy or Cody will find him.”
Right on cue, the cell phone rang. “Yes,” Chance said tersely.
“Son, your boy’s here,” Harlan Adams said. “Found him poking around outside the stable trying to find a place to hide that horse of Wilkie’s. He’s fine. Good little cowboy, too. He saw to it his horse was fed and watered.”
“Don’t let him out of your sight,” Chance muttered.
His uncle chuckled. “Not much chance of that. He’s been pestering me with questions since he walked in the door. Soon as I get off the phone, the boy wants a top-to-bottom tour of the house.”
Chance laughed, despite himself. “Watch the silverware. I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
“Don’t you worry. I’ve got my eye on him.”
Chance clicked the phone off and uttered a heartfelt sigh of relief.
“He’s there?” Jenny asked.
“Oh, yes, and taking over, from what I gather.”
“He’s in good hands. Daddy’s had a lot of experience with out-of-control kids.”
“All those sons of his, huh?”
“Actually I was thinking about me,” she admitted. “Remind me to tell you sometime about how we met.”
“Tell me now,” he said.
She shook her head. “Not now,” she said, spurring her horse to a gallop. “I want to get to White Pines and see who’s in charge.”
A few months ago, even a few days ago, Chance would have said there’d be no doubt. His power-hungry uncle would never cede control to another living soul. Today’s events had shaken his beliefs more than a little. For the second time since morning, he was wondering just how far his daddy had stretched the truth about what had happened all those years ago.
* * *
Jenny had seen the genuine worry etched in Chance’s face while they’d searched for Petey. From the moment Wilkie had told them of Petey’s questions about White Pines, she’d been less concerned, even though she knew there was a lot of room for mishaps along the route Petey had most likely taken.
Now, knowing that the boy was safely ensconced in her home with her father, she couldn’t help thinking about Chance’s earlier proposal. If she accepted, in no time at all Petey would be her full-time responsibility, too. Could she cope with him? Her experience with trying to control him in a classroom wasn’t especially reassuring.
Far more important, though, could she deal with his father?
Riding hard after tossing that taunt at Chance, she could almost believe that the future would take care of itself. The rush of air washed the cobwebs out of her head and left her thinking more clearly. She would be able to talk Chance out of this insanity. He just needed some time to see how ridiculous a marriage between them would be.
In fact, his first clue was likely to appear any minute. She doubted Petey was going to react favorably to her arrival at White Pines. Surely one look at the two of them together would convince Chance that she was not mother material. He already had plenty of evidence of her inabilities in the classroom. All together, it ought to be enough to doom a relationship that had no business getting off the ground in the first place.
Feeling more confident, she slowed her horse as they approached the house. One of the stablehands was waiting. “I’ll take care of the horses, miss. We’ll trailer ’em back over to Wilkie’s once he turns up.”
“Thanks, Roddy. He shouldn’t be too far behind us. He was going to ride downstream for a bit, then head this way.”
Without a word Chance handed over the reins to his horse and bolted past her to the house. He didn’t bother knocking. He j
ust opened the front door and dashed inside. She followed at a more leisurely pace. She could hear the bursts of childish laughter even before she crossed the threshold. Obviously Petey was totally unaware or unconcerned that he was about to be at the center of a big-time fuss.
She found Chance standing at the doorway into the kitchen, mouth gaping. She slipped up beside him and peered inside.
Petey and her father were seated at the kitchen table, huge sundaes in front of them. They’d been topped with hot fudge, nuts and a mountain of whipped cream. Obviously neither Maritza nor her mother were at home, or her father would never have attempted sneaking such a high-cholesterol snack.
“Enjoying yourselves?” she asked wryly, drawing a guilty look from her father and a disgusted one from Petey.
“I thought you weren’t home,” the boy said accusingly as if she’d deliberately arrived just to spoil his fun. Before she could respond to that, he caught sight of his father and the color washed out of his face. “Uh-oh,” he murmured.
Chance scowled. “I hope you have a whole lot more to say than uh-oh.”
Petey glanced up at his great-uncle. “He’s gonna kill me.”
Harlan nodded, his expression bland. “That would be my guess.”
“Aren’t you gonna stop him?”
“I never interfere in matters between a father and his son,” he claimed piously.
Jenny gave a snort of disbelief at that. Her father interfered in whatever struck his fancy. He shot her a warning look, however, that suggested she consider keeping her big mouth shut.
“Let’s go, son,” Chance said. “Now.”
“But I haven’t finished my sundae,” Petey protested.
“I said now,” Chance repeated emphatically. He glanced at Jenny. “Can we get somebody to drive us all back to my place so you can get your car?”
“Roddy will take us when he takes the horses,” Jenny said. “As soon as Wilkie turns up.”
White Pines Summer Page 12
