“You can keep it.” Now that she understood what she might accidentally see while sweeping the flashlight beam over the landscape, she wasn’t so eager to do that. “Are you sure it was a black bear and not a grizz?”
“A grizzly bear? No. A grizzly would have been more aggressive.”
She shuddered to think what that would have been like. “Well, anyway, when you tell this story to your grandchildren, you should suggest that it might have been a grizz. That will keep their attention better than if you just call it a bear and they’re thinking teddy bear. But everyone knows a grizz is a fearsome creature to watch out for. You’ll look like a hero for calmly strolling past it.”
“In order to have grandchildren, I have to have children. I don’t even have a wife, let alone kids.”
“But you will, Alex. I saw how you looked when Josie announced she was pregnant. You want kids.” And that was part of her dilemma. She hadn’t thought she cared much about starting a family, but when she looked at Alex…her priorities shifted. He’d make a great dad. She wasn’t ready for those thoughts, though, if she intended to be a cruise director by next year.
“When Crystal and I were married I wasn’t thinking in terms of kids, maybe because she was so into partying. But now, I admit I think about it. Josie’s already said that I’m considered part of the family, which means I could build on the ranch if I wanted.”
“Would you do that?” Tyler was intrigued with the idea that the Last Chance could become a community of extended-family members. A few times during her childhood her parents had become part of communes, but her restless father had never been able to stay for long.
“I don’t know. I’d have to…” He paused and tugged on her hand. “Do you hear a truck coming?”
“Yes, I do! I’ve been so busy talking that I missed the sound. Who would be driving down the road at this hour?”
“Somebody looking for us.”
“Oh.” She thought about being discovered in a bedraggled condition yet again. At least this time her green hoodie and his denim jacket disguised most of the damage to their clothes. “I feel like a teenager caught out after curfew.”
“Yeah, well, I’m the dummy who didn’t check the gas gauge, so I’ll handle the explanation.”
“What are you going to tell them?”
“Depends on who it is.”
The sound of the engine grew louder as headlights appeared around a curve in the road. The beams bobbed up and down as the truck drove slowly over the deep ruts.
Tyler peered into the darkness, but all she could see were the headlights coming closer.
Alex shaded his eyes. “That’s Gabe’s truck. I recognize the front grille. And he’s driving like an old lady, which tells me Morgan’s in the truck and he’s worried about jostling her too much. We might as well walk to meet them.”
“Listen, before we see them, I have a thought. How about we agree to tell them everything?”
“Everything? Don’t you think that’s TMI?”
“Not everything, as in everything. But I want them to know that we spent the night in the hayloft last August and we’re renewing that…acquaintance.”
“But won’t that give them the wrong idea? Like we might be getting serious?”
“Not if we explain it as a…”
“As a what, Tyler?”
The truck drew closer. “I’ll figure it out.” In the light from the approaching truck she could see the doubt in his expression. “I just want to make sure you’re okay with me giving them a little bit of background. I don’t want Morgan to think I’m…well, that we’re…”
“Wild? Promiscuous?”
“Something like that, yeah. I mean, she is my big sister, and I’ve always looked up to her.”
Alex chuckled. “I’ll have to find out if Josie’s always looked up to me. Dollars to doughnuts she’d deny doing that.”
“She might deny it, but I’ll bet she does. I idolized Morgan when we were younger, but I also wanted to make sure I did my own thing, which is why I got into the cruise business. She would never have considered the lifestyle I’ve chosen.”
“You went into that field just to be different from her?”
“Well, not just that.” Tyler realized how her statement must have sounded, but she hadn’t taken up the cruise business as a reaction to Morgan’s dream of becoming a real estate agent in Shoshone. She’d had plenty of other reasons.
“It’s also a great life,” she said. “I love ships, and water, and the travel opportunities.” Though she had to admit that she was so busy during a cruise that she didn’t have much chance to actually see the ports where the ship docked. She had enough time to grab a quick souvenir from a nearby shop and that was about it.
“They’re almost here,” Alex said. “I’ll leave the explanation to you, then.”
“Thanks.”
The truck stopped and the dome light came on as Gabe opened the driver’s-side door. Sure enough, Morgan was sitting in the passenger seat. She gave a little wave.
Gabe left the truck running and the headlights on as he jumped down and came toward them. “Since you’re hoofing it, I’m guessing you ran out of gas.”
Alex walked toward him and shook his hand. “Good guess.”
“We brought a can. After Jack realized which truck you two had taken out here, he mentioned that it was low on gas, so Morgan and I volunteered to ride to the rescue.”
“That was really sweet,” Tyler said. “Thanks.”
“It was Morgan’s idea,” Gabe said. “You know Morgan, like a mother hen, especially these days. Where’s the truck?”
“Back at the site,” Alex said. “It’s late, so you can just give me the can and take Tyler back home, if you wouldn’t mind.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Gabe said. “We can drive you both there. We can squeeze Tyler up front with us and you can ride in the back. Even if I’m going slow because of Morgan’s condition, it’ll still be a lot faster than you walking.”
“We accept.” Tyler glanced over at Alex. “We both have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. We need our sleep.”
“That’s what I’m thinking,” Gabe said. “So hop on in the back, Alex. Tyler, let me get the door for you.”
“I’ll help her in.” Alex moved quickly around to the passenger side.
Tyler almost laughed at the possessive note in Alex’s voice. If Gabe hadn’t known the situation before, he could certainly guess it from Alex’s overly gallant behavior. Well, it didn’t matter what Gabe suspected. She’d fill in her sister and brother-in-law on the short drive back to the sacred site.
“Hey, there, little sis,” Morgan said as Alex handed her up into the cab.
“Hi, Morgan.” Tyler gave Alex’s hand a squeeze before releasing it. “Thanks, Alex.”
“Make sure your foot’s out of the way before I close the door,” he said.
Tyler tucked in next to her very pregnant sister, and it was a tight fit. “Morgan, if I’m crowding you too much, I can ride in back with Alex.”
“Nope, this is just ducky,” Morgan said. Then she lowered her voice. “And I want to talk to you, so don’t ride in back.”
“All righty, then! I’m in, Alex, so go ahead and close the door.”
Once all three of them were in the front seat, Gabe rolled down his window. “Holler when you’re aboard, Keller!”
“I’m in!” Alex called back.
Gabe glanced over at Morgan and Tyler. “You two okay?”
“We’re perfect,” Morgan said. “You have no idea how many times we had to ride squished together when we were kids. The folks would load up on groceries and maybe buy more camping equipment, which meant we had to pack in like sardines. This is nothing.”
Gabe released the emergency brake. “I just want to make sure all’s well with my two ladies and the little…one.”
Morgan blew out a breath. “You’re going to let it slip yet, Gabriel.”
“Even if you did,” Tyler said, “I can keep a secret. And besides, I’m leaving.”
“Uh-huh.” Morgan held on to the dash as the truck bounced over a rut. “That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. Please tell me you’re not going to break that poor boy’s heart.”
“Hearts aren’t involved,” Tyler said. “It’s a physical attraction, plain and simple.”
“I’ve never known a physical attraction to be simple. Have you, Gabe?”
“I need to concentrate on my driving.”
Morgan sighed. “It’s a country road, not a twelve-lane freeway. Give us the male perspective. Do you think there’s any such thing as a purely physical relationship between a man and a woman?”
“I suppose there can be,” Gabe said cautiously.
“Really?” Morgan turned to him. “Have you experienced that yourself, then?”
“Uh…well, I…wow, this road is really tricky. I need to be on my toes. Sorry. Can’t let myself get distracted or we might end up in a ditch.”
Morgan sighed again. “I can see that you don’t want to talk about it, and I’m not sure I’d believe you, anyway. People, especially guys, like to say they’ve had relationships that were only about the sex, but I wonder if that’s ever true, unless you’re paying for it.”
“And we’re definitely not talking about that,” Gabe said. “In fact, I don’t think we should talk about any of this. Let Tyler and Alex work this out however they want. They don’t need us to be interfering in their private business.”
“Thank you, Gabe,” Tyler said. “I appreciate that sentiment.”
“It’s easy for him to say.” Morgan clutched the dash again. “He’s not your sister.”
Gabe laughed. “Hell, I hope not. That would make me a transvestite and you a lesbian and both of us incestuous. We could get on any talk show in the country.”
Tyler couldn’t help giggling. She’d forgotten how funny her brother-in-law could be.
“Look, you two can yuk it up all you want, but I’m worried about Alex, and I’m worried about you, too, Tyler. I know you, and I don’t think you’re any more capable of having a no-strings-attached affair than Alex is. At least one person’s going to get hurt, and maybe both of you will.”
“So what are we supposed to do about it?” Tyler had thought all those things and would love some answers. “Sarah put us across the hall from each other, and even if she hadn’t, after what happened last August we probably would have found some way to be together.”
“Last August?” Gabe and Morgan said in unison.
Tyler had meant to lead up to the subject, but the discussion hadn’t gone quite the way she’d anticipated. “After the reception, Alex and I took a bottle of champagne and had a private party up in the hayloft.”