Page 20 of Wagon Train Honor
Her eyes lit. “Look at you, smelling color. Does that seem like something a big, strong Mountie should be doing?”
“Look at you, calling me big and strong.” He puffed out his chest and sat up tall.
“What? You weren’t aware of it? Have you never looked in a mirror or seen your reflection in a lake?”
“I’ve seen my reflection many times, mostly in rivers, and I’m all wavy-like.” He jiggled his chin back and forth to indicate what he meant.
Laughter rolled from her mouth and bounced back from the trees. Her eyes sparked reflections of the sky.
He braced on an elbow, enjoying the view—not of the landscape but of the gal. Too bad their time together was so limited. Any day, the horses would arrive, and he’d have to leave. Indeed, the wagon train might resume travel before he did.
Perhaps that was a good thing. His plans meant settling down with deep roots. Hers meant going to Banff and joining a group intent on exploration. So, he’d enjoy her company for the few hours they had, and then they’d part ways. He’d cherish these hours making his delay so enjoyable.
When wasthe last time she’d enjoyed someone else’s company like this? Yes, she liked being with her family, and often, they laughed together over something. But normally, she enjoyed her solitude. And she would again when they parted ways. In the meantime, why not appreciate having him show her around?
He pushed onto his feet and offered his hand. “Let’s go look at the ruins.”
Her hand was small in his much larger one. His warm, firm grasp reached deep inside and made her?—
Nope. She was not about to detour down a path that had them spending more time together. And no, she was not thinking of seeing him in the future. That simply wasn’t part of her plans. Nor of his.
The path led downward. She clung to him as they kept up a steady pace. Knowing he would hold her up, she didn’t pay attention to where her feet trod, being far too interested in the things around her.
“I should draw the cliff.” She tugged at him.
“Yes, you should.” They stopped, and he stood aside as she withdrew her sketchbook, chose the position with the view she wanted, and sat to capture the scene.
Robert sat cross-legged beside her. “I remember something else the scientist said. He called the cliffs conglomerate. When I asked what that meant, he reeled off a long, complicated explanation.”
Strange how just yesterday, seeing his feet as she drew, bothered her, and now it didn’t. She didn’t even mind him talking, which was a good thing as he continued.
“The only other thing I remember about it was something about the Romans building cobble roads.”
She sensed rather than saw his shrug.
“Guess I don’t remember that too well either.”
Drawing round rocks in such mass proved challenging. She chewed the corner of her mouth in concentration.
Robert pushed to his feet and wandered to the edge of the hill.
Her gaze followed him until he stopped. Then, her attention returned to the task. When her fingers cramped, she flexed them to relieve the tension. “There. I believe I’ve got it. What do you think?”
The page fluttered as she held the book aloft.
Robert strode back to her side and bent over. “That’s amazing. Thank you for showing it to me.”
Slowly, she closed the book and pressed it to her chest. “You’re welcome, and thank you for bringing me here.” The words sounded stilted in her ears, and her heartbeat seemed to jitter. Wow. She’d not only allowed him to watch her drawing but also invited him to look at it. Apart from those earlier sketches she’d shown Mr. Elliot, she’d never done that before.
And yet, it felt right perhaps because he was only here a short time and would soon be gone. Or perhaps because they laughed at the same things. Or because he said a scent was green.
“Come and see what I found.” His invitation pulled her from her wandering thoughts.
Her sketchbook tucked safely in her pocket and her silly thoughts shelved safely in the back of her mind, she followed him.
“Flowers.” He pointed.
“Oh!” At the base of the rocky cliff, a smattering of yellow flowers interspersed with others in sapphire blue. A hue she had not seen before. “If only I had color.”
