Guide Me Home (24 page)

Cal threw back his head and laughed. “You must be joshin' me! I heard tell you'd took up workin' for the estate, but I figured as a maid or a washerwoman. You're really guidin' folks in an' out?”

She glared at him, stung more than she wanted to admit by his condescension. “Yes, I am, and as well as any man, I might add.”

He held up his hands as if surrendering. “All right, all right, no need to get testy. Just hard for me to think o' my favorite gal doin' anything like a man, you bein' so sweet an' womanly.”

Hadn't she made it clear to Cal she wasn't his gal? And she never would be. Feelings didn't ignite when he came around. At least, not the kind she pined for. Her heart seemed to save those feelings for somebody she could never have. “Cal, you didn't answer me. What are you doing on the estate property this early in the day?”

“Word's out they're hirin' guards. I wanted to get in before anybody else, let the big boss know I'm available.”

“I thought you were putting in your own crop.” At least that's what he'd told her when he asked to court her. He claimed he'd be able to provide for her since his daddy'd given him a section of ground.

Cal made a face. “Aw, diggin' in the dirt ain't for me, Rebekah. I got higher ambitions.”

More than likely he thought guarding would be less laborious than farming. But she wouldn't offend him by saying so. They were childhood friends, after all, and their families were neighbors. She stopped and touched his coat sleeve. “I hate to tell you, but enough guards have already been hired. They'll start when the summer season begins.”

“Oh.” He scratched his chin, the scrape of his nails loud against his coarse whiskers. “Well, what about other jobs? Maybe I could do some guidin', huh?”

“No. Those positions are filled, too.”

For a moment he stared down at her, his forehead puckered and his lips pulled to the side in a strange grimace. “You thinkin' on quittin' anytime soon?”

She shook her head.

He snorted. “Maybe you oughta. Gal like you, gettin' up in years, prob'ly should be huntin' a husband 'stead o' spendin' her days dressed up like some ol' scarecrow an' traipsin' in an' out o' caves.”

Had she really wanted to spare his feelings? Anger rolled through her chest, and she opened her mouth to let it spill out.

“Who's out there?”

Apparently the guide watching from three to six had heard them talking. Rebekah called, “It's just me, Belvy, and a man from Good Spring.”

Belvy melted from the shadows, his gun drawn. “Next time holluh out, Reb. I near shot fuhst an' questioned latuh.”

Cal curled his upper lip. “You'd 've been in a heap o' trouble if you'd taken a shot at me.”

Rebekah aimed a scowl at Cal. Why was he being so difficult? Belvy was only doing his job. Cal was the trespasser.

Belvy barely glanced at Cal. “Reb, you ready to take ovuh?”

“Yes.” The pink spread higher, giving her a better look at Cal's glower and Belvy's relaxed grin. “Did you have a quiet night?”

“Been quiet as sleepin' doves since I got on. Not so much as a raccoon tried to sneak in.”

Cal bounced a frown over both of them. “I thought you said guards weren't goin' on duty until the summer season started.”

Rebekah sighed. “They're not. But until then, we guides are taking turns keeping trespassers from entering the cave. And it's my turn to guard, so good-bye, Cal.”

He didn't budge.

Belvy leaned closer to Rebekah. “Want me to stay 'round fo' a bit, Reb? I don' min'.”

Cal's scowl deepened.

She appreciated Belvy's concern, but it wasn't necessary. Cal talked big, but he'd never hurt anybody. Especially her. “I'll be fine, thank you. Go get some rest.”

“Hmm, well, all right, Reb. See you at dinnuhtime.” He sauntered up the road, occasionally sending frowns over his shoulder.

Cal scowled after him. “You're keepin' some strange company these days, Rebekah.”

She made her way to a large rock near the cave's yawning entrance and sat. She rested the shotgun across her knees. “Go home, Cal.”

“So you're really guarding this place every mornin' at six all by yourself?”

She patted the shotgun. “I'm not alone.”

He coughed out a laugh. “You're somethin' else, Rebekah. If you hear of any jobs at the estate, would you send word?”

“Sure, Cal. Bye now.”

He gazed at her for a few tense, silent seconds. Then finally he strode up the road, muttering.

Devlin

S
unlight, brighter than a hundred Edison light bulbs, attacked Devlin's eyes as he climbed the final slope to exit the cave. He grimaced and lifted his satchel to shield his face. Tolly and Lee blinked, too, their eyes squinted to slits. For a moment, Devlin gazed at the two men, puzzled. They'd been in and out of the cave hundreds of times, emerged from the darkness into the light hundreds of times, and still the light affected them. He didn't know why he'd expected them to be impervious to the sudden onslaught of light, but their response to the brightness startled him.

One of the other guides, Marshel, ambled over and offered to take the waywiser. “Stay there in the shadows fo' a little bit, Mistuh Bale, an' let yo' eyes adjust. It'll go easier on ya if you don' fo'ce it too quick.”

Devlin decided to take the man's advice. He released the handle on the instrument and inched to the deeply shadowed area just inside the cave's opening. He kept his gaze low, his eyelids barely open, and slowly lengthened the time between blinks until he could bear to hold his eyes open without cringing.

Marshel stood not far away, grinning at him. “Bettuh?”

Devlin managed a small smile. “Better. Thank you. What time is it?”

Belvy pulled his timepiece from his pocket and held it out to Devlin. The dial showed fifteen minutes past four. Late afternoon. For reasons beyond his understanding, he felt as if he'd lost days in the cave.

“Want I should put yo' machine in the wagon? Tolly an' Lee got ever'thing else packed up an' ready while you was restin' yo' eyes.”

Devlin gave a start. How helpless he must appear to the other men. He'd tossed and turned with worry during their sleeping time, and now he cowered in the shadows instead of helping load the wagon. He strode from the shade and took hold of the waywiser, determined not to give them further reason to question his manliness.

“I'm fine now, Marshel.” He forced a smile, pretending the sun wasn't stabbing his eyes. “Thank you.”

“I'll mosey on ovuh to the wagon wit' you anyway. Wanna talk some to Tolly.”

The two of them crossed the uneven ground to the waiting wagon. Lee waited in the back amid the packs and rumpled bedding. Devlin loaded the waywiser and then climbed in with Lee, listening to Tolly and Marshel's conversation.

Tolly stuck his hand out to Marshel. “Ever'thing go all right while I was deep inside?”

“Jus' fine, although some o' the men been complainin' about the extra duty. I kep' tellin' 'em, only a couple mo' days an' summuh season'll be here.” Marshel chuckled. “Sometimes they's worse'n little chillun.”

Tolly didn't laugh. “They di'n't shirk their duties though?”

“Oh, nossuh. All came an' guarded jus' like you set up. An' di'n't nobody sneak in. Although you might wanna talk to Belvy 'bout some fella who was botherin' Miss Reb fuhst thing this mo'nin'.”

Protectiveness washed through Devlin. He leaned toward the two men, determined to hear the rest.

“She say she all right, but Belvy, he wanted you to know 'bout it any-ways.”

“Thanks, Marshel. I'll ask 'im.” Tolly pulled himself onto the wagon seat, released the brake, and sent a smile into the back. “You ready to go, Devlin? Reckon you's wantin' a hot bath an' a good dinnuh.”

He'd take a bath before bedtime, and he'd enjoy a sit-down dinner in the dining room, but first he wanted to get a few lines drawn on his map while the memory of the cave was still fresh in his mind. And of course, since his drawing materials were in Rebekah's cabin, he'd get to see her, too. His chest went tight with the thought. He'd missed her. More than he'd expected.

Tolly drove the wagon to Devlin's cottage first. Devlin braced himself before leaping out. “I'd like to put my waywiser inside, but then could you take me to Reb's cabin?”

Tolly's lips formed a firm line. “How come?”

“My map-making tools are there.”

“Yep, they is. An' so's…”

Devlin grabbed the waywiser and rolled it to the cottage. With it secure he heaved himself into the wagon bed and barked, “I'm ready.”

The rumble of the wagon's wheels buried Tolly's mutters. Minutes later the wagon rattled to a stop in front of the row of staff cabins. Tolly turned backward. “Lee, put the beddin' an' packs in yo' cabin fo' now. I'll fetch 'em latuh. Aftuh you've rested up a bit, go to the kitchen an' tell Coopuh we's back an' we's gonna need mo' victuals come Monday. Tell 'im I sure did like them oatmeal cookies if he'd be inclined to bake up a goodly batch.”

Devlin, half in and half out of the wagon, shot Tolly a startled frown. “Did you say Monday?”

“Yessuh.”

“How long will we stay in this time?”

“Mebbe…Monday 'til Thu'sday.” Tolly fiddled with the buttons on his jacket. “Then you can be drawin' Fridays an' Satuhdays, rest up good on Sundays, an' we'll head back in fo' anothuh deep trek the nex' Monday mo'nin' 'til we gets the whole cave covuhed. 'Less you's thinkin' you wanna do all the explorin' at once an' all the drawin' at the end.”

He'd never admit that his first thought about being under the ground four days of the week was it didn't allow nearly enough time with Rebekah. It also cut short his exploration of the area aboveground, something else he shouldn't mention. “No, your plan sounds fine, Tolly. I…I'll get busy transferring these measurements to the page.”

“Fine, fine. Now hop on outta there so's I can git my work done.”

Devlin slid to the ground, groaning a bit as a muscle in his back complained. He didn't look forward to more nights on the hard cave floor. He held his satchel flat against his ribs and stepped up to Rebekah's door, which stood open, telling him very clearly she was inside. He gave the doorjamb a series of taps with his knuckles.

“Come on in, Tolly.” Her cheerful voice carried from somewhere in the cabin.

Devlin cleared his throat. “Um, it's not Tolly, Reb. It's me.” He paused. “Devlin.”

Then there she was, thick braid falling sweetly over her left shoulder, smile lighting her face. “Devlin!” Instead of ushering him in, she joined him on the stoop. “How was the exploration? Did you cover as many miles as you'd hoped?”

He stood for a moment and simply enjoyed her presence, her welcome, her enthusiasm. She'd greeted him the way Mother greeted Father when he returned at the end of a day's work, with smiles and questions about his day, interest glowing in her eyes. Even though they stood on a humble stoop instead of in a decorated vestibule, even though he wore a wrinkled, dust-smudged jacket and trousers instead of a crisp suit and her frame was hidden beneath men's overalls and a plaid shirt instead of enhanced by a lacy day dress, the image of his parents' greeting at the close of a day tangled with his current situation, and he automatically did what he'd seen his father do hundreds of times. He leaned down and deposited a kiss on her pink-flushed cheek.

She immediately clapped her hand over the spot and stared at him with wide brown eyes.

He jolted upright, more stunned than she appeared. “Reb, I…I…” He swallowed. Would she stop staring at him as if he'd impaled her with a sword? “P-please forgive me. I didn't mean to offend you.”

Her rosy lips parted. A soft gurgle left her throat. She closed her mouth, swallowed, then slowly lowered her hand. “Devlin, I—”

“I hate you!”

Both Devlin and Rebekah jerked their attention to the grass. The girl Devlin had encountered near the stream in the woods and then again beside the barn threw a woven basket on the ground and glared at them, red faced, her hands balled into fists.

Rebekah gave a lithe leap from the stoop and hurried over to the girl, reaching for her. “Cissy…”

Cissy—hadn't Rebekah said she had a sister named Cissy?—darted back a step. “What're you doin' kissin' him?”

“I didn't kiss him,” Rebekah said.

“She didn't kiss me,” Devlin said at the same time.

Cissy shot her glare from Rebekah to Devlin. “I saw you two kissin'.”

He crossed quickly to the pair. The fury pulsating from the younger girl was enough to melt steel. “We weren't kissing. Yes, I gave Rebekah a little peck on the cheek. A hello after having been away for several days.” He wished he'd chosen a better time for such a personal greeting. Rebekah's face still hadn't faded from its bold pink, and her sister seemed ready to combust. “It hardly warrants such an adverse reaction.”

Her blue-green eyes widened. “But I— You— Oh!” She snatched up the basket and whirled away.

Rebekah started after her. “Cissy!”

Devlin caught her elbow and pulled her back. “Let her go, Reb.”

She begged him with her eyes. “But she's hurting. I hurt her somehow.”

“You didn't do anything wrong. You have no reason to apologize.” Would she believe him?

Suddenly her gaze narrowed. “Do you know my sister?”

He would never have guessed the two were related. Cissy held no resemblance to the other Hardin girls, and her changeable behavior also set her apart. “She and I have met.”

Rebekah aimed her puzzled gaze after her sister's retreating form. “I wonder why she never said anything.”

“Our meetings were never formal, Reb. I doubt she even knows my name.” He led her back to the stoop. “I'm sure once the shock of what she saw dissipates, her anger will fade and she'll be fine. As for what she saw…” He gazed into her velvety-brown eyes and couldn't resist giving the end of her braid a little tug. “I'm sorry if I frightened you with that hello kiss. It simply seemed like the natural thing to do.”

She lifted her hand and touched her fingertips to the spot on her cheek where his lips descended. “It seemed very unnatural to me. You've never greeted me that way before.”

If he had his way, he'd greet her in that manner every time they'd been apart whether for days or minutes. But he'd aim better next time. Her full, rose-tinted lips seemed a much more delightful place to connect. He pushed aside the whimsical—or was it whimsical?—thought and forced a serious bearing. “I hadn't faced the prospect of never seeing you again before now. Have you been into the depths of Mammoth Cave? It's like entering the belly of a bear. No, a whale. No, a monstrous mythical beast that breathes fire.” He shuddered. “I feel fortunate to have emerged unscathed.”

Her lips curved upward. “You're teasing. It couldn't have been that bad.”

“If it were, would I be forgiven for kissing you?”

“Yes. I suppose.”

“Then believe me when I say it was that bad.”

Her smile faded. “Have you changed your mind then about completing a map of the cave?”

During his three days in the darkness, he'd questioned his intentions, pondered whether he wanted to witness the cave in its entirety. But quitting meant failing his senior project. It meant disappointing his father. And it meant never seeing Miss Rebekah Hardin again.

He shook his head. “No. I'll finish.”

She smiled. “Good.”

But in order to complete the map and hopefully have some time during the days aboveground to do some more exploring for other openings, he'd need to put his hands to work instead of standing in the late-afternoon sunshine with Reb. Such a pity.

He slid his hands into his pockets. “I honestly didn't come to give you a kiss of greeting. I came to add some tunnels to the map. May I take over the table in your cabin?”

A pretty blush stole over her cheeks. “I was folding my laundry before you knocked. Will you give me a moment or two to put everything away? Then I'll leave you to your work.”

“Of course.”

She scurried inside, and he waited, pacing back and forth, for her return. Only a few minutes later she emerged and said, “You can go in now.”