River's Escape (River's End Series, #2) (10 page)

She nodded, but kept her head down between her knees. Her hair hung limply to the ground. “They’re not always predictable. He just spooked. But you stayed on, and that’s half the battle. Not everyone can. Good job.”

Her face popped up. “That was good? He spooked? I thought I was going to die.”

“Nope. No death. Just a little hop up the hill.”

“There was nothing ‘little’ about that.”

“You’re going to get back on the horse, aren’t you?”
Crap. What if she decides not to?
It was going on five o’clock and they’d never make it to camp unless she rode the horse. The only thing to do was get there and set up their tent. Even he wasn’t for sleeping under the stars at this time of year. But she would surely have hated it.

“Yes. I’m just trying to breathe normally. Can I take a few minutes? That really scared me.”

He backed up. She always did better when he wasn’t so near her. She finally lifted her head and put her hand on the saddle before pulling herself up without another word. Nodding, as if to say,
let’s do this
, Ian couldn’t help the burst of satisfaction he felt at seeing her. This was a tough ride, especially for someone as inexperienced with riding and horses as she was. She did whatever was required of her, however, which was a lot more than many others could claim.

She pulled off to the side so Ian could lead and off they went. The next two miles were almost completely uphill and the trail became very narrow and turned a lot. The woods seemed thicker up there, and the tree trunks changed to the skinny, lodge-pole effect that was typical of Douglas Firs. Evening started to set in and the sky soon faded into sunset.

“Are we almost there?” her timid voice cut through the forest. They hadn’t spoken in awhile and the horses kept up a good pace. Nothing adverse happened in several miles, which allowed them to keep moving forward.

“Yup. Just another twenty minutes maybe.”

He figured the dark was making her worried. Luckily, after crossing an avalanche shoot, they finally arrived at the turnoff for the campsite. It was almost completely obscured in the undergrowth of the woods. If one didn’t know it was there, Ian felt quite sure it would have been very hard to find. The last creek they crossed was the cutoff that divided the South Fork of Hunter’s Creek from the North Fork. Most visitors went up to the north since there was a popular mountain-climbing peak at the end of it, and better still, flatter places for camping. In the South, there were no real flat spots, just their secret one. It would have been truly a shock to find anyone else up in this part of the mountains with them.

Weaving their way through the trees, they went down to Hunter’s Creek before they reached the clearing of the campsite. It was a small, rectangular area, hidden by thousands of trees that carpeted the mountains almost right up to the ridgelines. From camp, looking south, east, or west were towering, craggy peaks of mountaintops. Some still had glacial snow on them even as late as this time of year. Up north were more trees that faded into distant mountains of the valley that they’d just come through.

Ian breathed easier upon their arrival as the sun was fully set and the cool night temperatures were already plummeting. He grabbed his jacket, which he tied over his saddlebags, and put it on. Kailynn had long ago put hers on, but still looked cold. She started to dismount, but her legs buckled under her. They had not rested for several miles and she had to be exhausted. He stepped forward and caught her arm to steady her as she glanced up, somewhat startled. She grabbed onto her saddle for better leverage. “Sorry. I’m just a little stiff.”

“Your ass has to feel like it just came through a meat grinder. You’ve never ridden like that before.”

He mentally bitch-slapped himself. Who spoke like that, but him? He was trying to get closer to her, not send her running away in horror.

To his surprise, she laughed. “It does. Oh my God, it does feel like that. Is it possible I’ve never worked these muscles before? Ever?”

“I’ve never suffered from it, but it’s common complaint. Saddle soreness brings out muscles you never knew you had.”

“You’ve never suffered from it?”

“I grew up on a horse farm. The first time I rode this trip was when I was eight years old. No. I’ve never felt it. If it hadn’t been so close to dark, I would have stopped more times along the way and let you stretch. I’m sorry.”

Her legs seemed to adjust to their new position and she let go of the saddle. “No. Don’t be. Getting here before dark was very much appreciated.”

He let go of her and started quickly tying up the horses, now crowding into the small area. He looped each lead rope loosely to a tree trunk. Tomorrow, he intended to get them all set up better. Tonight, however, they’d have to settle for a tent, some rations, and a high line. He quickly started dismantling his horse, nearly throwing the heavy gear off the animal’s back. Years ago, Jack and he made a rough saddle rack out of logs which sat behind where the tent went. He carried the saddle and blanket there to dry. All the horses were covered in sweat.

Kailynn turned at his movement before approaching her horse. She was nearly walking bowlegged, but started unsaddling Tommy. Ian liked that about her. She always noticed what he was doing and took the initiative to follow suit without him having to nag her. She was proving herself ten times more helpful than her brothers, or even Shane, despite lacking the back strength they possessed. She made up for that in a hundred little ways.

“Can you brush our horses down so I can get the packs off Roxy and Samson?”

She was struggling to lug her saddle towards the saddle rack, so Ian stepped forward to take it from her, but she shook her head. “I got this. Get to the packs.”

He nodded, but it went against his gut. She was right. They needed to keep moving. Twenty minutes later, the packs were all off, the saddles set out to dry, and all four horses were brushed down. Ian returned to the horse area. There was already a makeshift fence around a small portion of camp. Then he reached up and began tying the straps around the tree trunks to hang a highline that he tied each horse to. It allowed them to walk underneath, while not tangling their lead ropes in it, or winding it accidentally around their necks. Kailynn watched him intently, her eyes big as she was fully intrigued. Ian had never so captured her attention before. Not even for a minute. It was odd she was so mesmerized by him after all these years. And yeah, it kind of did it for him. He liked attracting her attention. He liked seeing she finally seemed to get that he wasn’t a dimwitted idiot, or someone she could talk to with disdain and scorn. Today, for the first time he could remember, Kailynn actually showed some degree of respect towards him.

With the horses secured, he dug around the box of horse tack before handing her a collapsible bucket. He told her to get water and offer it to each horse. She nodded and went down to the creek for water. Meanwhile, Ian started going through all the packs and taking out what he needed for that night. The tent was located in a top pack that he quickly withdrew and started laying out. Finding the matches and lantern, he soon had some light going. There was an enclosure in front of the tent, a framework of logs that they covered with a tarp to use for shade, or when it rained. He hung the lights there as the darkness fell. Kailynn came back quickly and stayed off to the side, awaiting further instruction. He nodded at the pile of canvas. “The ridgepole here goes through the center. Once that’s up, it’s easy to pitch the tent.”

She stared at it, utterly confused. It probably looked like an unfolded painter’s tarp to her. He slid the log in for the ridgepole and lifted it up before sliding it on the front frame, and the back, which were sticking out of the ground. It hung like a deflated house frame. Grabbing the poles that were hidden off to the sides, he deftly inserted them, finishing off the entire setup in less than fifteen minutes.

“There, shelter at last.”

Kailynn stepped inside it and her head swiveled around the white canvas. “Oh, thank goodness. I wasn’t sure…”

He grinned. “You didn’t want to sleep under the stars?”

“No. I really didn’t need to experience that much wilderness for my first time.”

He could see the fatigue in her eyes. But she didn’t have a word of complaint. She followed him to the packs as he started searching for more supplies. He threw the tarp out that was used for the floor. Jogging across the small creek, he went up behind the camp where they stored extra gear. He first hauled down the camp stove, then the plastic horse packs with some of their previously stowed gear, supplementing whatever they couldn’t pack in. She eyed up the stove, now in pieces with its long pipe stowed in a plastic sleeve.

“What is that?”

“Camp stove. Goes inside the tent to keep you nice and warm.”

“Wait? Inside the tent? Won’t it burn up?”

“No. It’s canvas, and made for this. First time inside a tent, huh?”

Her mouth tilted up. “Kind of. Yeah.”

He nodded. “I need to feed the horses; do you think you can start unloading those? They hold the cots and sleeping gear.”

Nodding eagerly, she went to where he pointed. The tarp floor was laid out flat and she swiftly began working. Meanwhile, Ian was heating water on a small propone camp stove to add to the barley pellets he brought in. There was little groundcover there for the horses to eat after the long ride they just endured. Measuring and mixing, he had four large helpings ready in only ten minutes. He adjusted the lead ropes so the horses’ heads could reach the ground to eat out of the food bowls.

“That’s a dog bowl.”

Ian turned from adjusting Roxy’s rope. Kailynn was standing over the bowls, frowning. “No, actually they’re horse bowls.”

“The horses eat out of bowls?”

“Yes.” He grabbed two bowls and started for his and her mounts. She grabbed the last bowl and followed suit. Standing back, she watched Samson bending his head as he started chomping down on the pellets.

“I never knew they could do that.”

Ian looked up from watching them eat. “You never come to the barns, so why should you? And why did you stop coming to the barns? You used to ride as a little girl.”

She tilted her head and seemed to consider his question. The light was long gone, and it seemed like the black sky was closing in on them. Only the halo of lanterns illuminated a circle around them. “You remember that?”

“I remember a lot about you. Your dad bringing you down. Yeah. Sure. You played around the barns and rode the smaller horses. What made you stop?”

She shrugged and crossed her arms over her stomach. “I don’t know. Things went bad. Dad got hurt. Mom left. Your dad died. Mine was different. I just didn’t feel comfortable going there again.”

“Yeah, but now? You work there. You can come for a visit anytime.”

She chewed on her lip. “Maybe I will now. This,” she waved her hand around, “has been interesting. Fun. So yeah, maybe I will. If it’s okay with you.”

He lifted his head and stared right into her eyes. She shifted her feet, as if uncomfortable with his almost heated perusal of her. “Your company is always okay with me.”

She kicked at the rocky soil, her gaze now falling straight down. “I didn’t think you liked anyone’s company. Except, maybe, Jack’s.”

His gaze was still right on her. She really didn’t listen to the not-so-subtle overtures he directed her way. “I always liked yours.”

She stepped back into the lantern light. “Well, sure, of course you do. I’m like the little sister you’ve always known, right? I mean you don’t have to pretend or be polite, after all, it’s me.”

He finished adjusting the last horse’s ropes, moving right inside her personal space. “No, Lynnie, I really don’t consider you a little sister. Anything
but
that.”

Her eyes grew weary with confusion. He made her uncomfortable as she shifted around. She was also shivering, and no doubt hungry and tired. He stepped around her, backing off to give her some more space. He hoped she would start thinking about what he was saying, and not dismiss his words as if they meant nothing. He quickly lit a fire in the fire pit. It sparked as he blew on it to get the flames licking the few branches he set atop it. There was fresh firewood off to the side of the tent under a tarp.

Jack and Ian could do the ride in three or four hours usually. They would leave at ten or noon and arrive no later than two or three. They’d have all afternoon to set up camp. But with anyone else, especially new riders, or a larger group, it could easily turn into a seven-hour ride, like today’s was.

He dug out the cast iron pot and hung it from the tripod over the fire before throwing some water and hot dogs inside it. She stared at it, slightly entranced.

“I know it’s crap food. But it’s quick and easy. I hope that’s okay.”

Her eyes met his in the odd glow of firelight. “It looks like a meal fit for a king. I’m starving.”

He smiled. The fresh air, the long ride, the heavy gear, took it out of anyone, but especially someone not used to it, like her. He quickly assembled the stove inside the tent. She came to the doorway and watched him. Propping the small, black box up on its stubby legs, he hooked the stove pipe swiftly through the hole in the tent roof. He started a fire that sparked and snapped as the dry wood began to burn.