"But he still would have died." Zach watched him pace, his expression holding a deep sorrow Cam wasn't sure he could bear. "It's the truth, Cam. You couldn't have stopped what happened."
"I can this time. I can protect her." Or he'd die trying.
Haley sat on the split-rail fence, next to where Nellie leaned on it, and bit back her laughter. Hard to believe she could feel like laughing, but that was exactly what she wanted to do.
Nellie, unable to hold anything back, held her stomach and roared.
In the pen, the three Reeves brothers-rough-and-tough cowboys-struggled to corral the largest pig for his shots. The pig wanted nothing to do with it.
The guys, covered in mud and dirt, took a break and huddled, discussing strategy. The pig stood his ground, staring at them defiantly. The brothers straightened, looked at each other, then nodded in unison. Zach went left, Jason veered right, and Cam handled the center as they stalked the pig.
"Does it always take the three of them?" Haley asked, giggling helplessly as both Zach and Jason dived for the pig, and missed. They collided in the mud. Cam still stood, shaking his head in obvious disgust.
Nellie swiped at the tears of mirth that rolled down her face. "Oh, this is good. Better than 'Oprah.'" She sniffed and sighed. "Usually Jason handles the animals' inoculations. But this pig-Cam calls him King-is pretty stubborn."
King continued to reign. Cam approached slowly. "Now, King, buddy… this isn't going to hurt but just a bit." He smiled the charming smile that never failed to turn Haley's heart on end.
King wasn't moved in the least.
"Come on, King," he cajoled. "You've got to have some gratitude, here. You could be bacon."
Nellie howled with laughter, clutching her stomach. "Empty threats, Cam, and he knows it!" she called.
Jason picked himself out of the mud and spared a frown for his wife, even as concentration banded his face. "Nel, honey, you keep laughing like that and you'll drop that baby right there in the dirt. Go inside."
"You just catch that pig, cowboy. I'll worry about this baby. Besides," she yelled, a mischievous smile on her face, "watching you is so much fun!"
Zach muttered something obscene under his breath as he brushed himself off and turned toward the pig again. Slowly, carefully, he made his approach. "Now, Cam."
Cam dived for the pig, landing directly on top of him. With King thrashing beneath him, he pushed down in the dirt and lifted his head. "For God's sake, Jas, hurry up, would ya?"
As both Jason and Zach hurried to help, King squirmed and squealed, splattering each of them with mud. When they finally managed to stick the pig with the needle, Nellie cheered.
"My heroes!" She laughed. "My dirty, stinky heroes."
All three brothers scowled at her. Despite the weak sun and cool air, Jason whipped off his shirt. Unsnapping his jeans as he went, he walked toward the house. Zach followed suit Cam pushed up from the mud, dirt and sweat streaked over him. He spared a half-hearted disgusted look for the women who'd been no help at all, who were in fact still laughing hysterically, and turned away. With his back to them, he, too, pulled off his filthy shirt and started after his brothers.
"Goodness," Nellie whispered beneath her breath, her eyes riveted to the men walking away from them. Muscles rippled and glistened in the sun. Three sets of wide shoulders tapered to lean waists that disappeared into jeans. "That's certainly a sight."
Haley, whose mouth had gone dry, had to agree.
And that was the image she kept with her for the rest of the day and long into the night.
When she lay in bed, writing in her journal, she remembered Cam telling her he wasn't hero material. Well, as she saw it, he'd been wrong, for he was indeed the stuff heroes were made of.
Chapter 8
Haley attacked her chores with a vengeance that did nothing to ease her tension or her troubles. Dusting, mopping, vacuuming-all of it failed to soothe her the way it had for the past couple of weeks.
Both Cam and Zach had tried to get her to stop working so hard, but it was all she had. She stood in the downstairs hallway, wrapping the cord to the vacuum when she heard a scuffle. Her head whipped up.
It was Nellie.
"You startled me," Haley said with a nervous smile. "You're amazingly quiet for such a pregnant thing."
Nellie didn't smile back. Her eyes, full of worry, tipped Haley off, and a dread spread through her. "What is it? You in pain? Having a contraction? You've got to sit more, dammit."
"I'm fine, Haley."
Regardless, she took Nellie's arm, fretting over the unusual paleness of her face. "Come on, let's go to the kitchen. I'll get you something to drink. You can keep me company while I put the breakfast dishes away."
Nellie went with her, and sat at the table. "I just came from the barn. The guys are out there." She put her feet up on another chair with a sigh. "They didn't see me, of course, or I never would have heard them talking about you."
Haley's hands fumbled on the pitcher of tea, nearly dropping it. They were talking about her.
With her back to Nellie, Haley stared out the window over the sink. The day, as per Colorado usual, was glorious. Long silver clouds streaked across the brilliant blue sky. Rain clouds, she could almost hear Cam tell her. A nostalgic pain hit her with the force of a gloved list.
She was a wanted woman, hunted by the law.
Would Cam ever again want to dance with her in the middle of a thunderstorm, with only the rain and lightning for their music? Would he ever again kiss her with the aching tenderness he had in his truck? Or with the barely restrained furious passion he had the morning she'd burst into his house after hearing the plane?
She doubted it. Just as she doubted Nellie could possibly understand the predicament she now found herself in.
"I thought we were friends, Haley."
Friends, she thought, wincing at the hurt tone of Nellie's voice. Oh, how she'd wanted that. More than anything, she'd wanted that. She forced herself to turn and face Nellie. "We are."
"You're in trouble. A friend would have come to another friend for help."
"You already helped me. Gave me a job. A home."
"You know what I mean," Nellie said in the harshest voice Haley had ever heard from her. "Dammit, you know what I mean."
Haley found that by concentrating on carrying the tray to the table, she could almost steady her hands. Almost believe things were normal. "I couldn't involve you. I don't want to see you hurt."
Nellie took her hand and pulled Haley into the chair next to her. "Do you really think Jason, Zach or Cam is going to let me get hurt? It's you I'm worried about. I heard them say what serious trouble you're in. They're trying to figure out a way to help you. Cam was talking about going to South America."
"He's been doing his homework," Haley said grimly. She jumped up, unable to contain herself. Dammit, dammit. The welling panic shook her. How could she stop him?
Nellie watched Haley pace. "Don't be mad at me for listening."
Haley halted abruptly, letting her shoulders droop. "I'm not mad. How could I be?" She felt Nellie come up beside her. "You're the first friend I've ever had, Nellie. Did you know that?"
"You're a geologist. You must know lots of people."
Haley sighed heavily. "No. Not really."
Nellie touched her shoulder, her eyes bright with emotion. "You never talk about yourself. I know- I mean, I could tell you're not used to people. Not really."
"I'm not used to people like you. Nice, loving, caring people. I didn't grow up like this." Haley turned away from the compassion, the understanding, feeling as if she could simply shatter from the pressure. "I tried to explain that to Cam, but he didn't want to understand."