White Water (12 page)

“Man, would I love to get my raft in the water,” said Colin. Kara's heart raced at the gleam of excitement in his eyes. “Brad said the water level is perfect right now. In another week or so, it'll be too high.” He glanced at Greg.

They're up to something
, Kara thought when she saw the look that passed between them.

Sure enough, Greg set down his juice glass and cleared his throat. “Uh, Dad?” Dad's fork paused halfway to his mouth at the tone of Greg's voice. Kara held back a giggle. Greg was so obvious!

“Remember when we were talking about adding white-water rafting to the activities at Eagle Lodge?” He went on before Dad could say anything. “Colin and I were thinking we might make a trial run this weekend, test out the raft and check out the rapids. Assuming, of course, all the repairs are done by Thursday night. We could leave Friday morning and be back by Saturday night in time to help close up the lodge.”

Everyone at the table was staring at Dad except for Anne, who bowed her head over her plate, Kara assumed to hide her smile. After a few seconds of silence, Dad said seriously, “What makes you think we'll get everything done by Friday? We haven't exactly had the best start.”

“I'm pretty sure we can handle it, Mr. Sheridan,” Colin said. “And white-water rafting or fishing excursions would sure bring in extra income. I took the Stewarts out in the old raft last season, and they loved it. The new one is bigger and will hold more people. But,” he went on, sounding even more eager than Greg, “there's no way we can take the public out without checking the course of the river first. Between the fire and the heavy snow, things could have changed a lot.”

“He's right, Mr. S.,” Tia piped up. “Wakara and I will help get stuff done. Four in the boat will make it like a real run.” She flashed Colin a brilliant smile.

Way to go, Tia!
Kara held her breath. Would Dad go along with this?
Oh, please, please, please!
She wanted to jump up and down and beg like a puppy, but that was definitely not the way to get around Dad. Besides, she could tell by the scowl on Greg's face that he really hadn't meant for her and Tia to go. But Colin just returned Tia's grin. He fiddled with his fork, and Kara could tell he was doing his best to act casual while waiting for Dad's answer.

She held her breath as Dad looked from her to Colin.
Trust me!
She tried to telegraph the plea with her eyes. It must have worked.

Dad folded his napkin and turned to Greg. “All right. I know you guys all gave up your spring vacation to help, and I'm grateful for that. You've got my permission to go.” He paused, then said, “If we can get a reasonable amount of work done, and if Anne can spare Wakara and Tia.”

Anne met his gaze with a quiet smile. “They are free to go.”

“Yippee,” Ryan yelled. “We get to go on a raft.”

The room went silent. Greg studied his fingernails, and Colin took a long swig from his water glass. Tia started to say something, but Kara flashed her a look, and she shut her mouth. No way would Dad let him go, but Kara wasn't sure how to handle it.

“What about your promise?” Anne spoke quietly and squeezed Ryan's hand.

“What promise?” Ryan scowled.

“You promised to help me catch fish. We must stock the freezer for summer guests.”

Ryan perked up. “You mean we're going to Otter Lake?”

Anne nodded. “It is the best place to find trout.”

But Ryan wasn't quite convinced. “On horses?”

“We'll work it out, Tiger,” Dad broke in, and Kara was glad. They'd have to use the horses to get to the landing where they were going to launch the raft. Dad or Anne would lead the string back, then meet them the next day at the landing closest to the lodge. With Lyman out of commission, they'd really be short of mounts.

The thrill of planning the trip had her mind spinning as she helped Anne clear the table. She had just picked up a stack of dirty plates and started for the kitchen, when her thoughts were shattered by the shrill, sharp barks of an excited dog.

“S
TAY BACK AND BE QUIET
,”
Kara warned Ryan as the little boy tried to squirm out of her hold. She looked at Colin and said, “They're right behind cabin four!”

Dad came up behind them, took Ryan from her, and passed him to Anne. The look on his face stopped the boy in midhowl. “You stay in the house with Anne. No argument!” Dad said. His gaze shifted to Kara, and for one horrible moment she thought he might order her into the house as well. But he didn't. Instead, they stood right where they were, trying to interpret the growls and yips coming from the bear and the dog.

Please don't let any of them get hurt
, Kara prayed. In a few minutes the sounds stopped, and the two other rangers came running from the front of the lodge, carrying a folded gurney much like a paramedic would use. Brad came out from behind the cabin and saw Kara and her dad standing there. He waved and called, “Want to see the monster up close?”

Ryan came charging out of the kitchen. Kara reached out to grab him, but Dad scooped him up and carried him toward the waiting rangers.

The bear lay quietly on the ground, and Kara bent to touch the soft, cinnamon-colored fur. “Whoa, he's smaller than I thought!” She stroked the animal's tan snout, then ruffled the white blaze on its chest. “He's like a big teddy bear.”

“A 300-pound teddy bear with claws.” Brad was grinning at her. “My guess is about three years old. That's young when you consider they can live to be twenty-five. Standing up he'd be about five feet tall, but he still has some growing to do.”

Ryan frowned and tugged on Brad's jacket. “You said he was a black bear. How come he's not black?”

Brad bent down to Ryan's level. “You know something about horses, don't you, Ryan?”

Ryan's eyes grew wide, and Kara knew Brad had his full attention. “Sure!”

“Okay,” Brad continued. “Is a quarter horse always brown?”

Ryan laughed. “No way. A quarter horse can be lots of colors.”

“Right,” Brad said, then pointed to the bear. “Black bears are the same. They can be brown or black, cinnamon like this one, or even pure white.”

As Ryan's face lit up with understanding, Brad stood and turned to the others. “If anyone else wants to touch him, it has to be quick. We've got to get the radio collar on him and get him to the chopper. If he's not on the ground again before this drug wears off, someone could get hurt.”

Tia took two steps backwards, nearly hiding behind Dad, but everyone else petted the bear before the rangers quickly clipped a radio collar around the animal's neck and took him to the chopper. Kara watched as the engine roared to life and the rotor blades lifted the three rangers, the dog, and the bear off the ground. The chopper sped out of sight over the ridge.

While Dad and the guys went to work repainting the water holding tank, Kara and Tia spent the rest of the day scrubbing down cabin five. Heat from last summer's fire had actually scorched the logs on one outside wall, and a thick, white ash covered everything inside. Anne took the bed linens, rugs, and towels into the house to wash.

Ryan was given the job of cleaning the lantern and polishing the small table and dresser they had set outside on the grass. Twice he conned Kara into taking him down to check on Lyman. The horse was restless, but otherwise okay. The wound was still clean and looked like it was healing nicely. Kara gave him another dose of Banamine to help keep him quiet. If he jigged around too much, he might break open the wound. “One more day, boy,” she told the fidgety horse, “then we'll turn you into the corral.”

The rest of the week went by in a blur of hard work and sore muscles. Kara and Tia talked about Great-grandfather Irish's journal, but no matter how hard they tried to stay awake and read it, they never made it past the first couple of pages. So far all they had learned was how Irish and his partner, a man named Clemens, were making plans to go to California and search for gold.

In an entry dated
June eleventh, year of our Lord 1907
, Irish wrote:

Clemens is a rough character, uneducated, but he knows the country and insists that gold in the hills east of Sacramento is by no means panned out. He is a trapper besides. He tells me he lived in the wilderness for a year and not only sustained himself, but came out with enough gold nuggets and animal hides to keep him for two years more. I believe him,, though I'm certain he supplements his income by gambling
.

It is easy to talk myself into going. After Kathleen's death, there is nothing for me here. I can only think it will be more productive to embark on adventure than to stay here and grieve. Youth and strength are on my side, even if God has chosen to abandon me
.

“How awful!” Tia cried.

“Whoa!” Kara agreed. “Who was Kathleen? It sounds like Irish was married before, or at least engaged.” But Tia's eyes were already closed. Kara yawned and set the journal aside. She was so tired, the mystery would have to wait.

By Thursday evening most of the heavy work was done, and they all gathered around the fireplace with mugs of cocoa and a huge bowl of popcorn. “We'll get that door on the shed tomorrow morning,” Dad said, stretching his feet out toward the hearth. “Everything else is pretty much ready for the normal routine in June.”

Kara groaned aloud, and everyone laughed. “The normal routine means cleaning all the rest of the cabins and hauling in enough supplies to feed a small country,” she exclaimed.

Ryan scooted closer to Anne. “After tomorrow we'll already have lots of fish.”

“We will see,” Anne said softly, but her attention was on Greg. “For now, I will go make tea, I think.”

Greg stumbled to his feet, clutched his stomach, and bolted from the room. Dad jumped up and followed him out the back door.

Kara's stomach churned in sympathy. “Poor Greg. I hope it's not the flu!”

A few minutes later, Dad came back into the room. “Vomiting and low fever. Anybody else sick?” Dad's shoulders drooped, but he studied each of their faces.

“I'm fine.” Kara reached over and felt Ryan's forehead. “He's cool.” She turned to Tia, who nodded. “Me too.”

“I'm okay,” Colin said, “but maybe he should sleep in here tonight. I'll bunk on the sofa in the rec room.” Dad agreed and went off to get Greg.

Kara and Tia cleaned up the kitchen and set the table for breakfast, while Anne brewed one of her special herb concoctions, set the steaming mug on a tray with a bottle of aspirin, and carried it off toward the bedrooms. When she returned, she reported Greg's stomach had settled a little, and he was asleep.

“What a bummer,” Tia moaned as she gathered a handful of silverware to take into the dining room. “With Greg sick, that makes just three of us on the rafting trip.” She turned to Kara, “Think Colin will still take us?”

Kara tried to hide her disappointment. “He would, but don't hold your breath; Dad will never go for it.”

“Why?” Tia squealed.

“Because Dad's got this thing about me and Colin. He'll never let us go alone.”

“What? Wakara, you can't be serious,” Tia howled. “I'll be there! Like, you and Colin won't exactly be alone.”

Kara's chest felt tight. “Try and tell him that. You're my best friend, Tia. If Dad doesn't trust me, you think he would let the three of us stay alone overnight?”

Anne slid a pan of muffin batter into the refrigerator, then turned to the girls. “It's a father's job to guard his daughter.” She put an arm around Kara's shoulders and squeezed. “Better to bow to wisdom and not look temptation in the eye.”

Oh, great
, Kara thought,
now Anne's on Dad's side
. She turned away.
Coward
, she told herself,
you should have had that talk with Dad a long time ago
.

The lights went out. Dad had turned the generator off. Anne lit the lantern, then set a plate of chocolate cookies on the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down. Kara knew Anne expected her and Tia to stay. All she really wanted was to escape to her room, but that would be rude, and none of this was Anne's fault.

Kara sat down and took a cookie to be polite. Tia grabbed two cookies and downed them with a glass of milk as Anne spoke.

“To the wolf,” Anne began, “Creator granted wisdom, unity, and strength. The pack eats, sleeps, plays, and hunts as one. When Alpha Mother gives birth, Alpha Father brings meat to make her rich milk flow. When the pups are weaned, they leave the den to play and learn from others in the pack.”

Kara frowned and glanced at Tia. What was Anne getting at? They had learned this stuff in fifth grade. Tia shrugged and grabbed another cookie. If Anne noticed their impatience, it didn't seem to bother her.