Cameron's Quest (17 page)

Lynne and Abby came in and started breakfast
cooking before they even had their morning coffee.

“I heard the laughing from clear upstairs. What’s
so funny?” Lynne asked.

Rena told her, but it didn’t seem nearly as
funny the second time around. “Well, I guess you just had to be here.”

Once they’d eaten and had the food put away,
they dressed in their warmest gear and headed outside. The tractor had been by
and cleared the driveway, so they shoveled the steps and the walkway and piled
into
Cam
’s truck for the trip to the ranch
proper.

****

Lacey loved the feel of power beneath her as
they drove the machines through the woods. She was surprised that they each had
one to themselves. She’d assumed they’d have to double up, but
Cam
had explained that they used them to haul feed out to
the stock in bad weather, which the wranglers had done earlier that morning.

Cam
had snowshoes strapped to the back of his, just
in case. Lacey found it cold but bearable with the trees providing protection
from the biting wind. They were crossing a clearing now, and she felt the
difference. She’d packed a thermos of hot chocolate and sandwiches as
Cam
said they’d stop at one of the line shacks to warm up
before heading back.

If only they didn’t have the murder
investigation hanging over their heads, casting a pall over everything. She
hoped Michael found the killer and soon. She hated seeing
Cam
so sad and distraught. He was such a vibrant, loving man. She couldn’t
understand why this was happening to him.

Cam
pulled to a stop next to a stand of trees, so
she slowed down, ready to park beside him and the girls. Only then did she see
the cabin nestled among the trees, the front drifted halfway to the eaves with
snow.

Cam
fastened the snowshoes on and trudged to the
door to retrieve a shovel. It wasn’t long before he had a path cleared for them,
and they scurried inside.

“Cozy,” said Lynne.

“Small,” Rena added.

“I like it,” Abby remarked as they stood looking
around.

“I’ll get a fire going. It doesn’t take long to
heat the place.”

“Thanks,
Cam
.
Anything I can do?” Lacey asked.

“Nope, everything’s under control. We always
keep dry wood and kindling stocked in. Won’t take but a minute. Have a seat.”

There were two bunks against the far wall, a
sofa in front of the window, a rocking chair near the wood stove, and a table
and four chairs in the middle of the room. Lacey opted for the rocking chair.
Cupboards lined the opposite wall from the bunks. “This is compact, but it does
have a cozy feel to it. Have you ever been stranded out here?”

“A few times. As you have seen, sudden storms
can be fierce and take you unawares.” He stood and shrugged his shoulders. “It
helps to have a place where you can find shelter. We have several line shacks
on the property.”

“Just how big is your ranch?” Lacey asked.

Cam
checked his watch and smiled. “We’ve been
traveling at a good speed for almost two hours, and we haven’t left the Thunder
Creek ranchlands yet.”

“Have we passed other line shacks, Daddy? I don’t
remember seeing any.”

“No, Rena. This is the eastern shack, closest to
the homestead.”

“Will we see the other ones today?” Lynne asked.

“Not today, but we’ll be out again.”

“Are they spaced far apart?” Abby asked.

“Yes, it would take another two to three hours
to get to the next one.”

“Oh.”

“What do you say we break out the hot chocolate?”

“Great, Mama. Didn’t you bring sandwiches too? I’m
starved.”

“Rena, you’re always starving. And yes, they’re
in my backpack.” Lacey rose, grabbed the pack, and set everything out on the
table.

“There should be paper cups and napkins in one
of the cupboards,” said
Cam
. “I’ll get them.”

They were short one chair, but
Cam
solved that by pulling the rocking chair over to the table. By the time they’d
finished eating, the cabin was warm enough to remove their jackets.

“These places must be well insulated,” said
Lacey.

“The original ones weren’t, and although they
did provide shelter in a pinch, you had to keep the fire going. We redid all
the line shacks a few years back with R12 insulation and thermal windows. A man
doesn’t mind getting stuck out here now.”

“What about water? Do you just melt snow?” asked
Abby.

“You could, but each cabin has its own spring.
There’s a well house out back, and a privy in the woodshed, if anyone needs it.”

Lynne raised her hand. “Point me in the right
direction. I’ll find it.”

Cam
laughed, stood, and crossed the room to open a
door. “Right this way, my dear. Walk straight back. You can’t miss it. Paper’s
in the round tin.”

“It’s indoors,” she exclaimed. “Well, sort of.”

Lacey saw the wood piled high along both sides
of the wall, leaving a narrow path in between. “Why do you keep the paper in a
tin? Mice?”

“Mainly, yes, but it also keeps it drier.”

“How soon do we need to head back?” she asked.

“Fairly soon. The wranglers will want to check
the herd again before dark.”

“Okay. Maybe we should all take advantage of the
facilities while we’re here. Girls?”

“Yes, Mama,” said Abby. Then she looked at Rena,
and they giggled like schoolgirls.

Lacey caught the joke. It had been a long time
since she’d had to remind them to go potty. She saw
Cam
’s
puzzled glance toward the girls and said, “It’s a girl thing.”

He nodded and cleared the table, throwing their
used cups and napkins into the fire.

When everyone was ready, they headed out, taking
a different trail back to the ranch. This one bypassed a ravine of sorts and
Lacey thought they were traveling much too close to the edge, but she followed
behind, trusting
Cam
not to lead them into
danger. It proved to be a direct route to the ranch and much shorter, for which
Lacey was thankful. The wind had turned cold again, and her cheeks were
freezing, despite the full-faced helmet she wore.

They pulled to a stop in front of the garage
where the snowmobiles were housed when not in use. Someone must have heard them
coming, for the door opened almost immediately and they drove inside.

“Phew! What a rush,” exclaimed Rena. “When can
we do it again, Daddy?”

Cam
laughed at her exuberance and hugged her to his
side. “Whenever you want to, my girl. But tomorrow I thought maybe we’d go
cross-country skiing. What do you think?”

“I think that’s a great idea, but why not
downhill?” Rena asked.

“Have you ever been on skis before?”

“Well, no, but how hard can it be?”

“Not hard, but it can be tricky. Instead of
shoes or boots, you have long, slippery sticks strapped to your feet. It takes
a bit of adjustment.”

“Oh, okay. Do you have the skis here?”

“We do. They strap to your boots, and we should
be able to adjust the skis and poles to fit.”

“Poles?” Rena asked. “What are they for?”

“Mostly for balance or to help you push off. You’ll
get the hang of it soon enough, I reckon. Now, do you girls want to head home
or visit with Luke and Zakia for a bit?”

All three girls turned toward her.

“I’d enjoy a visit, if we’re not interrupting,”
said Lacey.

“Nonsense. Zakia will probably enjoy having a
few other females around. Come on.”
Cam
took
her arm as they walked to the back door, the girls chattering non-stop about the
day’s adventure as they followed behind.

****

Zakia met them at the door. “I was hoping you’d
stop in. How was your ride?”

“Exhilarating. You have some beautiful country
here on the ranch.” Lacey toed off her boots, removed her snowsuit, and hung it
on a hook inside the door.
Cam
and the girls
did the same.

“Wait until you see it in the summer. It’s
absolutely gorgeous. Nothing but green fields for miles on end. Have a seat. Can
you stay for dinner?”

“We wouldn’t want to impose,” Lacey hedged as
they trooped toward the table.

“We’re all family here. You’re more than
welcome.” Zakia smiled at them and moved to fill the coffee pot.

“It looks like you’re due to burst any day now,”
Lacey said.

Zakia chuckled wryly and rubbed her belly. “I
wish.”

“Do you know if it’s a boy or girl?” Abby asked.

“No, the ultrasound didn’t show us. I’m hoping
for a girl, but as long as the babe arrives healthy, we’re good.”

“Yes, that’s the most important part.”

“That and hoping I’m only having one this time.”

“Speaking of which, where are those grandnephews
of mine?”
Cam
asked.

“Are you a glutton for punishment or what? You
know they’ll want to wrestle with you.” Zakia smiled as she passed him his
coffee.

“Those little imps are so full of mischief. I
have to tire them out somehow.”

“Well, they’re in the office with Luke. If you’re
going in, take him a coffee.”

“Will do.”
Cam
stood and grabbed both cups. “See you later, ladies.”

When
Cam
left,
the kitchen became quiet, and Lacey struggled to come up with a topic of
conversation that didn’t have to do with the weather or murder.

“How are you liking the ranch so far? You sure
didn’t pick the best time to visit. It can be pretty harsh and barren here
during the winter months.”

“We’re enjoying the snow,” said Abby. “It makes
everything so clean and pretty.”

“There’s nothing like this at home, mostly rain,
even in the winter.” Lynne picked up her cup and sipped the hot beverage. “Excellent
coffee.”

“Thank you. It’s a special decaf blend I
discovered.”

“It’s very good,” Lacey said.

“So what’s next on your agenda? Skating, skiing,
snowshoeing?”

Lacey laughed. “All of the above.
Cam
said there were cross-country skis here. He wants us
to familiarize ourselves with those before we go downhill skiing.”

“Good idea. Skis can be awkward at first.” Zakia
stood and ambled over to the cupboard to return with a glass jar filled with an
assortment of cookies. “Sorry, I forgot these.”

Lynne reached for the jar, unscrewed the lid,
and took a deep whiff. “Mmmm, divine!”

They chuckled at her antics as she selected a
cookie and passed the jar around.

“You must enjoy baking,” Lacey said around a
mouthful of cookie.

“Yes, I do. I catered for a living before Luke
and I got back together.”

“That’s ambitious. How did you do it with twins?”

“About the same as you running a bistro with
triplets.” Zakia chuckled. “Life can sure throw some hefty wrenches by times.”

“Yes, it can.” Lacey smiled back. “The girls
were in school when I started the bistro, and my family helped out a lot. Not
the same as having preschoolers running amok.”

“I have a good friend, Samantha, who stayed with
them in the evenings. She’s coming over tomorrow if you’d like to meet her.”

“That would be nice. Thank you.”

“Sam and Blake, her boyfriend, are getting
married here on the ranch this spring.”

“Oh, I hope we’re here to see it. I love
weddings,” said Abby.

“What about you, Lacey? Are you and
Cam
finally going to tie the knot?” Zakia asked.

Lacey sputtered her coffee and Lynne quickly
clapped her on the back.

“You okay, Mama?” she asked.

“I’m fine.” She grabbed a napkin and mopped up
the mess she’d made, feeling foolish and gauche, but she’d been surprised by
Zakia’s question.

“Sorry if I spoke out of turn. It’s just that we’ve
all been wondering.”

“I know, Zakia. And the answer to your question
is I don’t know.”

“Aw, Mama. Anyone can see you’re still crazy
about each other,” said Abby. “So why wait?”

“Well, for starters, he has this murder
investigation hanging over his head.”

“Does Michael think
Cam
was responsible?” asked Zakia.

Lacey shook her head. “No, but the evidence is
all pointing to him. It doesn’t look good.”

“There’s not a kinder man on the face of this earth
than Uncle Cam. Michael will keep digging until he finds the truth.”