The Western Dare (Harlequin Heartwarming) (28 page)

“He’s unconscious,” she shouted, ignoring the salty tears wetting her cheeks and lips. “But
he’s alive.
” Those two precious words exploded on a heartfelt sob of relief. “I’m going to try to determine how badly he’s hurt.”

The roar of approval raining down from above spurred her onward.

Working swiftly, Emily covered him with the light Mylar blanket from her first-aid kit. It would help retain his body heat and ward off shock. Even now, the sun was sliding out of sight over the ridge, and a cool breeze had risen up. She checked his arms and legs, not feeling any obvious breaks. The knees of his jeans were ripped, but so were hers. These rocks were jagged.

Carefully, Emily tore open medicated pads to wipe the blood from his face. As she touched the large goose egg on his temple that still oozed blood, Camp mumbled and stirred. He flopped from his stomach to his side.

She dabbed at the spot again with the cool sponge. He moaned, blinked twice, then stared at her with huge dark pupils that all but erased the liquid brown of his irises. “Go away, angel,” he ordered in a gravelly voice.

“Camp, it’s Emily. You lost your footing after you saved Megan. You have a huge knot on your head. Do you hurt anywhere else?”

He closed his eyes, and for a moment Emily thought he’d slipped into unconsciousness again. Her heart pounded as she stripped away the blanket and began a thorough inspection of his torso and stomach for internal injuries.

“Emily?” Her name sounded thick on his tongue. “For an angel you’re stomping all over my pride.”

“Oh, Camp.” She leaned forward, trailing her fingers across his lips. “You frightened us. Me!”

They both gave a start as a helicopter dipped into the canyon, and the loud whump-whump of its rotors stirred up dust. Like a giant, noisy bird, it hovered at eye level for several jolting heartbeats. Then, as swiftly as it’d swooped in, it rose and disappeared over the ridge.

Before they had time to comment to each other, Maizie’s voice warbled. “The rescue team has a fix on your position, Emily. Can you help Camp into a basket if they drop one? The spur you’re on isn’t wide enough for them to set down another man.”

Emily telegraphed Camp a questioning glance.

He said nothing. As she continued to study him, brows furrowed, he sighed and nodded. “I hate going out of here trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey. But I suppose there’s no other way.”

She shook her head.

“I’m awake,” he hollered. “If they toss out a double harness, they can pluck us both out.”

“Oh, Camp. Are you sure?” Emily demanded. “That’s a nasty head wound.”

“Not nearly as bad as the wound to my dignity. I intended to save Megan, and in so doing earn your undying love—and hers.” He grimaced in disgust.

“You did.”

“Did what?” Camp’s eyes rose to meet her steady gaze.

“Earned Megan’s and my undying love.”

The sound of the helicopter starting up drowned out his rebel yell. He squeezed her arm and shouted, determined to settle this before the chopper whisked them away. “Are you saying Megan no longer objects? Emily, will you marry me?”

For some reason, the helicopter shut down its engine just then, and the rotors quieted enough that Camp’s plea bounced off the cliff walls.

Emily’s face flamed red in the last vestiges of sun, and so did his.

“What did she say?” demanded a chorus from above.

“Mom,” came the thin voices of Megan and Mark. “It’s okay with us.”

“I...well, marriage is a big step,” Emily whispered. “There’re the problems with Mona and Toby. To say nothing of the huge debt I owe them.”

The helicopter roared to life again. This time it lifted off and moved out over the canyon.

Camp feared that if he didn’t demand a commitment
now,
while she was weakening, it’d be too easy to lose everything they’d gained once life got back to normal. He drew her lips to his and put all his dreams and promises into a single kiss.

They disregarded the downdraft from the rotors that whipped Emily’s curls from his hands. Yet he didn’t release her until the first cable and harness plopped into her lap. “Say yes,” he shouted in her ear. “After all of this, do you believe there’s any problem we can’t overcome?”

Hands shaking, Emily buckled his safety harness and reached for the second one tumbling from the copter’s belly. All through the process of shedding the original rope and connecting the cable straps to her harness, she made him wait. Then, as they wrapped each other in an embrace, ready for the scary upward jerk, she said, “I will marry you, Camp—as long as you publicly admit there’s not one thing wrong with modern women. I owe your sister that.”

He endeavored to land a happy kiss on her mouth, but they were spinning too fast and her eyes were closed tight. Giving up, he growled, “Tell me you know I would have done that anyway.”

He felt the rumbling of her laughter.
She did know.
For the first time in longer than Camp cared to remember, in spite of his injuries, all felt right with his world.

On their landing, the chaos he’d predicted set in. Hands of family, friends and strangers wrenched them apart the instant their feet touched the ground. The paramedics who’d flown in examined Camp in one wagon and Megan and Emily in another.

Emily protested, insisting she was fine. And she was. Megan’s minor cuts and bruises were treated, and they were both allowed to go.

In the other wagon, Camp didn’t fare as well. The blow he’d taken to the head continued to leak blood. But the paramedics were more concerned with the infected cut on his leg.

“We should transport him to Santa Fe,” the medics’ leader told Maizie. “The stubborn man says he won’t desert the wagon train. He needs vigorous antibiotic therapy or that wound on his head may end up infected, too.”

Maizie unwrapped a stick of gum and folded it into her mouth. “I can hear what he thinks of your idea.” She grinned. “The whole world can hear.” She winced, listening as Camp’s vocal objections burst through the wagon canvas.

“I understand what you’re saying, sonny,” she commiserated with the medic. “But I got a policy in this outfit. The customer is always right. Now, we have clearance to scale the pass at daylight, lookin’ at maybe an eight-hour trek into Santa Fe. We started this trip together and we’d sure like to finish the same way. Any chance you can give him a shot to tide him over till we reach a doctor? We’ve got another casualty who’ll be goin’ to have a cast removed.” For Maizie, that was a long-winded speech. She stuffed two more sticks of gum in her mouth, waiting for the medic’s reply.

The others crowded close. First the teachers put in a good word for Camp, then Robert.

“Campbell did me a good turn,” Philly added gruffly. “It’s beyond me why he’d insist on sticking this out. It’s the most uncomfortable vacation I’ve ever taken. However, he wants to stay, so he ought to be allowed.”

Emily almost didn’t believe her ears. “We’ll take care of him,” she vowed. “Isn’t that right, Sherry? That’s what our pioneer sisters would have done.”

Lyle Roberts threw up his hands. “You’d let the man die to prove a point. I give up. You win. You’re all as tough as shoe leather. And you’re also nuts. I intend to tell our department chairman that you all belong in the loony bin.”

Almost before the words left his lips, Lyle struggled against an angry press of bodies. “Who knows this pip-squeak is here?” muttered Gina.

“Yeah. We could sort of nudge him over the ledge,” Brittany proposed gleefully. “Students would cheer. From what I hear, his classes are totally boring.”

Lyle shrank back. “Jeff. Do something.”

“Um.” Jeff pretended to ponder. “What if Lyle promises to keep his trap shut?”

“He’d better.” Mark puffed up like a rooster. “Camp’s gonna be me and Megan’s new dad.” As if that in itself said everything.

“Then the poor sap’s getting what he deserves,” Lyle said. “Let him write his paper. Nobody who’s studied history will believe him.” He shoved past Robert and Jared Boone.

The paramedic shut his case and checked around for his coworkers.

Emily pulled him aside. “Don’t listen to Lyle. First of all, he’s wrong—women’s history is a huge new field. And this trip is a history study. Camp’s study. He’s gone to considerable trouble and expense. How would it look if he didn’t finish?”

“Sure you’re not in sales?” The medic laughed. “All right. Fine. I’ll give Campbell a whopping-big shot.”

“Thanks. I’ll watch him tonight, and re-dress both wounds if they need it.” Emily sought out Sherry with her eyes, daring her to object.

Sherry nodded. It looked as if, no matter what, she was gaining a sister. So why did it feel more like she’d lost a best friend and a brother?

Maizie whistled between her teeth. “We haven’t reached Santa Fe yet, folks. Don’t think because of all this excitement you can slough off chores.”

While the medic dispensed Camp’s shot, the others picketed horses and readied a makeshift resting place for the night. After the strain of the day, people mostly kept to their own wagons.

Emily cooked for herself, Megan and Camp. She didn’t know who fed Lyle, Jeff and the reporter. Maybe Sherry had. Emily noticed the young college reporter had been following Brittany with his tongue hanging out.

Camp drifted off to sleep before he finished eating. Emily quietly removed his plate and cup. She blew out the lantern. “I’m going to throw my sleeping bag under his wagon, in case he needs me during the night,” she told Megan.

“Me, too. In case
you
need me,” Megan said. “I apologized to him for everything, Mom.”

Emily hugged her child and kissed her on the forehead. It was the first time in over a year that Megan didn’t pull away. Emily stayed awake long after Megan’s breathing evened out in sleep. So much had happened in such a short time. But she felt good about it. Better than she’d felt about anything in years. Her first marriage had begun with an elopement to Atlantic City. After a quickie wedding, Dave spent what should have been their honeymoon meeting with casino developers.

Yawning, Emily wondered if Camp would mind having a proper wedding with all the trappings. A winter wedding. Sherry’d look wonderful in dark-red velvet—provided she’d be maid of honor. Megan and Mark could give her away. Emily fell asleep dreaming of red roses and white carnations.

* * *

I
N
THE
MORNING
, Camp claimed he felt as good as new. Well enough to drive his own wagon.

“I thought you’d ride with me,” Emily said. “I told Jared he could drive yours. There’s some young lady he met in Santa Fe on his last trip. Imagine what it’ll do for his image to drive a wagon in.” Nervous today, she talked in spurts. “Besides, we only have these last few hours to be together. We have a lot to discuss.”

Camp threaded his hands through her curls. “We have the rest of our lives, Emily.”

“Yes, I know. Oh, Camp. Do what you want, of course. We can talk about a date for our wedding later.”

“You’re ready to set a date? In that case, Jared, my man—you’re welcome to my wagon.”

Emily gave a self-conscious laugh. Nevertheless, they whiled away the remaining miles in chatter. In the end they chose Thanksgiving break for the wedding. Both agreed, along with Megan, that it was important to spend Christmas as a family.

“I want you to move to Columbia right away, Emily. I’ll take a room with my folks and let you and the kids have the house. After we furnish it fully, that is.”

“Kick you out of your house?” Emily shook her head vigorously. “Why can’t we all live there?”

“We’re doing everything by the book, Em. So your in-laws haven’t a chance of charging you with misconduct. And the first thing we’re going to do is pay them off.”

She gasped. “But how?”

“My grandfather left me money in trust. His only stipulation was to use it for something that would make me happy. That’s you and the kids, Emily.”

Her eyes filled with tears. He was offering her love and freedom. No one had ever given her so much. For the remainder of the drive, they hammered out the intricate details. Emily didn’t want to go back to the town where her in-laws wielded so much power. Camp agreed. If an opening came up at his college, she could apply or not. As far as he was concerned, it was Emily’s choice.

They were surprised to top a rise and see the first of the wagons pull into the outskirts of Santa Fe. A crowd had gathered to greet them. Bands played. Dogs barked, and children stared at the dusty wagons in awe.

Camp spotted the reporters who’d talked to them after the tornado; they were converging on the front wagons with cameramen in tow. “Come on, Em. Let Megan watch the team for a minute. We need to be sure those fools get things straight. It took all of us working as a team to reach Santa Fe. Even Philly came around. That’s the story I want told.”

“Good luck. You’ll have to muzzle Lyle. And isn’t that Sherry’s friend Yvette? Sherry asked her to bring a staff reporter from the Women’s Hub.”

They watched Yvette greet Sherry. Camp and Emily were still too far away to hear what the two friends said.

“You actually completed this whole smelly trip,” Yvette exclaimed. “You’ve never looked better, Sherry—outside of those abominably dirty jeans. You’ve lost weight.”

“Maybe five pounds.” Sherry wrinkled her nose. “I
feel
good, but you won’t
believe
everything that’s happened.”

Yvette grasped her arm. “Neither will you. Your boss announced his retirement, just as you suspected. I’m glad you filled out that application and left it for me to drop off. You’d have missed the filing deadline by hours.”

Sherry clapped her hands. She’d thought her dean might retire. Now that he had and her hat was in the ring, it changed things. Her heart skittered. So Nolan wasn’t the only one with good news. Only...what if she didn’t reach the interview stage? Guys like Lyle would rub it in forever.

“Yvette, you haven’t told anyone I’m applying for the dean’s slot, have you?”

“No. But why wouldn’t you broadcast such great news?”

“Because.” She half turned and saw her brother and Emily coming toward them. “I can’t explain now. Please, Yvette, don’t spill the beans. Listen to what Nolan has to say. Then you’ll understand.”