6

By the time Saturday came, Bethany was dead set against going. “I don’t see why I have to go to Brad’s dumb Scout camp.”

Nixie gave her daughter a look that warned her not to start an argument in front of company.

Boone picked up Brad’s sleeping bag to take it to his car. “Look on the bright side,” he told her. “You might meet some cute older Scouts.” He tugged her ponytail and went out the door, Brad close on his heels.

Nixie reached into the refrigerator for the last juice box that had been pushed to the back, then dumped ice into the cooler. “We’re just going to be there for the day. It’s a family thing.”

“Well, I don’t see why we couldn’t ask Uncle Jay and Aunt Lauren to come,” she retorted.

“Uncle Jay and Aunt Lauren are in town shopping for a new living room set. Now, stop arguing and be a good sport.”

Nixie and Bethany carried the cooler to the front door, and Nixie noticed that Boone and Brad had returned and were standing in front of the bird cage.

“Nice bird,” Boone said as Nixie approached. He turned to the green-and-red feathered chatterbox and said, “I’ve heard your Tarzan yodel and your giggle. Not to mention some rude comments. Say something else,” he urged.

The bird tilted his head and stared mutely at him.

“Come on, I know you can do it. Can you talk?”

The children looked at each other. Nixie could tell they were thrilled Boone had set himself up for the smart-alecky reply that was sure to come. Brad had taught it to the bird for just such an occasion. She smiled as she anticipated Boone’s surprise.

Tarzan cocked his head and peered up at Boone. “I can talk,” the bird quipped in its croaky voice. “Can you fly?”

The children burst into hysterical laughter. Boone stepped back from the cage and stared openmouthed at the green joker. The wing flapping and the long-winded laugh that Tarzan graced him with made it seem as if he, too, were amused.

“What’s the matter?” Nixie goaded. “Haven’t you ever had a conversation with a bird before?” She loved dishing out the teasing for a change.

Boone caught her eye, and it was clear he planned to get even. No matter. The shocked expression on his face was worth whatever mischievous deed he had planned for her.

His face a mask of pure innocence, Boone turned to Brad and asked, “How long does it take him to learn something new?”

"About a week or two,” Brad said proudly. “Sometimes quicker if he thinks what you’re teaching him sounds interesting.”

Nixie reminded them of the time, and each picked up something to carry to the car. All but Boone. He was still standing in front of the cage, muttering something to the bird. When he caught Nixie watching him, he joined the rest of them in the foyer and picked up the cooler. “I was just telling him goodbye.”

“Have a birdiful day!” Tarzan sang out.

Boone gave her a puzzled glance. “How does he do that?”

“Do what?”

“Know when to say things.”

Pleased to have witnessed his being caught off guard for the second time that morning, Nixie just smiled and said, “Sometimes I think he’s the smartest one in the family.”

The camporee was being held at a nearby state park. Nixie and Bethany set up the picnic while Boone and the other Scout leaders taught the young charges how to erect their tents. As they waited for the boys to finish, she and Bethany explored the area.

Nixie was glad to see the park wasn’t as “uncivilized” as she’d anticipated. The picnic tables where they would have lunch were protected by a shelter, and although it was too cool for swimming, the small man-made lake would provide good fishing for the Scouts.

A nearby bathhouse offered running water. A clearing in the woods sported rough, split-log benches placed in a semicircle around a large backdrop of plyboard painted white. Here the boys could gather for movies tonight and for chapel in the morning.

Nixie was also pleased to note that the ranger’s shack was less than a mile away. She’d have to remember to tell Brad that, in case of an emergency and he was unable to get a cell signal, he could call her from there.

After the Scouts came back from setting up their tents and ate lunch, there wasn’t time for anyone to get bored. Boone’s den and interested family members went horseback riding while others separated to go fishing or hiking. An avid horse lover, Bethany ceased griping for the duration of the trail ride.

On their return to the barn, one of Nixie’s fears came true. Alonzo, a boy whose father had not been able to attend and who would also be sharing a tent with Boone, got stung by a horsefly. While Nixie examined the red, swollen area on the boy’s wrist, Brad ran to get his knapsack.

“I’ll take care of it,” Brad announced. He seemed eager to prove that he was able to handle this minor crisis, just as he and Nixie had rehearsed at home.

Nixie stepped back and watched as her son retrieved a small tube containing a greenish solution and dabbed the sponge tip to Alonzo’s skin.

Boone sidled up to her. “You should be proud of Brad. He’s good Scout material.” He absentmindedly rubbed his arm, and Nixie noted the strength in it. “He’s a mechanical whiz, too. He put that tent up before I finished explaining how to do it.”

His compliment warmed her, probably more than if it had come from someone else. She was, indeed, proud of her son … and he didn’t have to erect a pup tent or tend a bee sting to inspire that feeling. He was a great kid purely on his own merits. She still didn’t feel comfortable leaving him this weekend, and Alonzo’s run-in with the horsefly made her even more nervous.

“Looks like Alonzo was bee bait,” she said a bit more harshly than she intended. “I just hope Brad won’t be bear bait.”

Boone put an arm around her shoulders. If not for her reaction to it, it might have seemed like a brotherly gesture. That, and the tender look he cast her way, made her feel safe and secure, as if his strong arms could protect her from any danger.

“Brad’s a smart kid who can watch out for himself,” he said. “And even if he doesn’t, I will.”

His assurance helped some but not enough.

“I forgot to tell him what to do if he comes across a rabid raccoon.”

Boone squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t worry.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” she muttered.

“Tell you what,” he said. “How do you feel about giving a short first aid lesson to the boys? You could help some of them earn a badge,” he urged.

Nixie knew he was trying to divert her attention away from the potential dangers that existed for her son. She let him. It was too frustrating to keep imagining the worst.

After the impromptu first aid class, she left her son, knowing he would be safe with Boone … even if her heart was not.

The Scouts had settled down around the campfire to toast their marshmallows, and one of the boys started the age-old tradition of telling scary stories. It wasn’t long before little Alonzo was frightened out of his wits.

To Boone’s gratitude, Brad distracted his friend by telling funny anecdotes about his Uncle Jay’s pranks. Jay’s antics were funny, but the kid’s storytelling ability was even funnier. Before long, Alonzo’s fears were quieted, and he was trying to top the others with his own wacky tales.

Boone’s eyes were drawn back to Brad. In the flickering firelight, the boy’s small features and infectious smile reminded him of Nixie.

Unlike his mother, however, Brad had a dimple in his right cheek and wispy blond hair. A small, vertical scar from an earlier mishap was evident on the left side of his chin. The boy was sure to be a ladies’ man in a few years.

Boone only hoped Brad wouldn’t be as shy and awkward around girls as Boone had been around Nixie.

He hadn’t had the benefit of his own father’s experience and advice because his parents had divorced shortly before his mother brought them to Bliss to live.

His father hadn’t visited or even kept up support payments. Boone had to hand it to his mother for never once calling the guy a bum. Which he was.

And now Brad didn’t have benefit of a father’s advice. Boone chuckled as he recalled the day the two youngsters had come into his office and informed him they wanted to place an ad for a daddy.

If it had been his choice, he would have been their daddy from the start. He’d planned to graduate from college, get his career established, and go back to Bliss to pursue Nixie in earnest.

But, as he’d prepared to enter his third year of college, his sister had written in one of her regular letters that the girl who’d stolen his heart had already married someone else.

He couldn’t blame Nixie. He’d teased her so ruthlessly she’d probably been glad to see him go.

He’d been so distraught, he went to a college hangout, met Cheryl, and proposed within six months. The marriage had lasted less than two years.

Maybe if he didn’t screw things up this time, he could have another chance with Nixie. He smiled. Maybe, someday, he’d offer fatherly advice to the kid at his elbow and spare him the same grief he’d known.

He playfully grabbed Brad by the back of the neck, gave a light squeeze, and whispered in his ear, “Better get in the tent before the vampire bats come out.”

Unfazed, the boy rolled his eyes at the imaginary threat but did as he was asked.

Later, after they’d settled into their sleeping bags, Brad and Alonzo started telling him about school, their pets, and the latest stock car race Brad had watched on television. Boone made a mental note to take the Scouts to the races on one of their future outings.

“What was that noise?” Alonzo whispered.

Boone listened. At first, all he could hear was crickets chirping and the murmuring from fathers and sons in nearby tents. Then he heard the distinctive sound of dried leaves and twigs crackling.

“Maybe it’s a raccoon,” Brad suggested.

It was bigger than a raccoon, Boone was certain, but he didn’t want to scare the boys. “Maybe.” He got up and opened the tent flap. “I’m going to take a look.”

He’d forgotten the flashlight, but the moon was full so he could make out the dim shadows of rounded pup tents and nearby trees.

Leaves rustled again, and he turned to the source of the noise. The shape lurking behind a tree was definitely not animal. Boone’s first thought was that one of the campers had answered nature’s call, but the figure seemed too small for a father and too large for a Scout.

He moved closer, wishing he’d thought to bring his knife. For all he knew, it could be someone trying to harm the unwary campers. When he realized he couldn’t get any closer without the intruder hearing or spotting him, he made a tackle that would have been the envy of any semi-pro football player.

The high-pitched scream that followed nearly deafened him.

“Boone, what is it?” Brad called out. “Are you all right?”

At first Boone thought he imagined the soft curves beneath him, but when he caught scent of the floral perfume that was her trademark, Boone knew it could be no one other than Nixie.

Flashlight beams danced around them as a couple of fathers came to see what all the commotion was about.

“It’s okay,” Boone told them. “It’s just a hiker who got lost. Everything’s under control.”

He only wished everything was under control. His body was betraying him badly, and Nixie’s squirming was making it worse.

Thankfully, the men went back to their respective tents, and Brad had apparently accepted his explanation of what was happening. Boone turned his attention back to Nixie. He didn’t move off of her but just raised up on his hands and hovered over her.

“Don’t you think it’s late for a hike?”

The sound that came out of her was close to a growl. Boone couldn’t help thinking he’d like to try to elicit a moan. But Nixie quickly let him know he could forget that notion.

“Are you going to get off of me, or do I have to use what I learned in self-defense class?”

Boone laughed. From her position, she could do little more than wiggle and squirm, and those were not good self-defense measures. He got up and helped her to her feet. He let his hand linger at her waist and was pleased when she didn’t step away.

“Let me guess,” he persisted. “You were thinking about the daddy candidates and decided to come ask me to apply for the position.”

She lowered her head. “Boone, quit teasing. I already feel silly enough as it is for getting caught lurking in the bushes.”

With the back of his knuckle, he gently stroked her chin until she looked up at him. “What makes you think I’m teasing?”

She grew silent for a long moment, long enough for Boone to think she might take him up on his offer to apply for the job of daddy to her children. For a brief instant, he dared to hope.

“I—I was worried about Brad,” she said softly. “I wanted to make sure he’s all right.”

His hopes dashed, Boone let out his breath in a puff of disappointment.

Apparently reading the sound as a snort of disgust, Nixie stepped out of his grasp and turned away from him.

“I figured you wouldn’t understand. But that’s okay. I’m used to your kind of attitude.” She stepped past him and moved toward the tent. “I’ll just take a peek at Brad, tell him good night, and leave.”

Boone reached out for her, his fingers closing around her tiny wrist. “No.”

Nixie hesitated, then tried to pull her arm away from him. When he didn’t relax his grip, she must have realized the futility of struggling with him and stood still. Even in the darkness, Boone could see her straighten her shoulders the way she used to do whenever she was on the losing end of an argument.

“No?”

He lowered his voice. “You show your face in that camp tonight, and your son won’t be able to show his face in school next week.” Still gripping her wrist, he pulled her to him and gently patted her arm. “I know you don’t want to make him the laughingstock of all his friends, but that’s exactly what would happen if anyone finds out you were here tonight.”

She turned and looked toward the camp, needing to be assured that her little boy was safe and happy.

“Come on,” he said. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

Someone unzipped the tent flap and stepped outside. “Whatcha doing, Boone?”

Nixie instinctively made a step toward her son, then stopped.

Boone motioned for Nixie to stay where she was while he went to the tent to retrieve his forgotten flashlight. “Go back inside and stay there,” he told Brad. “I’m going to take the hiker back to the parking area.”

The boy went back into the tent as directed and let out a big laugh. “Hey, Alonzo, can you believe some dork is out hiking at this time of night!”

Boone smiled as he rezipped the tent flap. With the flashlight beam to illuminate their path, he started walking with Nixie at his side. After that comment, he doubted Nixie would ever let on that she’d been here tonight.

“He’s going to be all right, you know.”

She walked beside him in silence.

“Where’s Bethany?” he asked.

Nixie took his hand as they stepped over a root. “She’s spending the night at my aunt and uncle’s.” They walked a little farther before they reached the asphalt. “My car is parked over there, near yours.”

He held his hand out for her keys and unlocked the vehicle for her. It was small, like its owner, the lines sleek and slightly rounded. He wondered if she’d chosen the rich cream color because it complemented the hint of flame in her brown hair.

He shone the flashlight’s beam over the back seat and floorboards, then started to move aside for her to get in. At the last moment, he impulsively blocked her path.

“Brad’s having a good time. Don’t worry about him.”

She let out a small breath that sounded like an attempt at a laugh. “That’s easier said than done.”

Boone reached up and touched the dark strand of hair that caressed her cheek. He pushed the hair back and took the honor himself, trailing his fingers over the soft, fair skin. “What can I do to reassure you?”

It was hard to tell what happened next. Did he pull her to him, or did she move toward him first and lay her head on his chest? It didn’t matter. What mattered was that she was finally where she belonged … in his arms.

He held her, but not so tight she’d pull away. His touch was gentle, even lighter than he’d used when rescuing the kitten. He didn’t want to scare her away, not when she’d finally allowed him to be strong for her.

Years ago, he’d wanted to be her protector. He’d wanted to take care of her the way she tried to take care of others. Nixie had so much love to give, and he wanted her to share it with him. But she’d been so busy trying to be the strong one—the one who visited the elderly at the retirement home, who tutored the slower learners, and who organized fundraisers for the less fortunate.

Now, fifteen years later, she was still trying to be the strong one—for her children, in her business, and for her rescue victims. He wanted to show her she didn’t have to be strong all the time. She could be vulnerable … and soft … and feminine. Boone’s hands moved over the baggy windbreaker that covered her slight frame.

She lifted her face to look at him.

In the warm glow that shone from the car’s interior light, he saw the fear in her eyes. He suspected the fear came not so much from concern over her son’s well-being, but from the knowledge that she could not protect those she loved from the dangers of everyday life. She was afraid of not being in control.

He lowered his head and touched his mouth to the sweet lips that had taunted him since his youth. The lips that had grown fuller, redder, and more inviting with time. His hand coursed down to the small of her waist and pulled her closer to him, as if that small action could somehow bring him the satisfaction he needed.

Nixie pressed closer, her body pushing back against his torso in welcome invitation. They shifted, and she was against the car.

He explored the sweetness of her mouth with his tongue. It was as if they couldn’t get close enough to one another. But if they got any closer, there’d be no turning back. Boone raised his head and looked down at the woman who seemed to need him as much as he needed her.

Her eyes were heavy-lidded with desire, and her breath echoed in the stillness of the night. Only a moment ago her hands had clutched his shoulders; now they relaxed and rested in a loop behind his neck.

“Wow,” she said. “You sure do know how to reassure a person.”

He laughed, tightened his arms around her until her feet no longer touched the ground, and turned them both around in a carefree spin. He planted a light kiss on her swollen lips. “If you don’t go home now,” he warned, “we’re going to end up spending the whole night out here. And I don’t think Brad or Alonzo would be happy about that.”

Nixie moved to get in her car, then hesitated. “Boone?”

He looked at her, knowing that if she didn’t leave soon, he’d be tempted to take her in the back seat. And he wanted their first time together to be more special than that. “Yes?”

“Thanks.”

He grinned. “Anytime.”

“For taking good care of Brad, I mean.”

“Sure. That, too.”