Everlasting Love by Valerie Hansen Page A

kind.”
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    Supper was over and James was putting the boys to bed when Roxy decided she wanted to leave the dining hall and go back to their cabin immediately. Megan suggested they wait for James to return.
    â€œNo way. I’m not a baby. And I’m not scared of any old snakes, either. You can hang around here if you want to. I’m going home.”
    â€œIf you help me wipe down tables, time willpass before you know it.” The set of the girl’s jaw told Megan she was wasting her breath. “Okay. I’ll go tell Aaron we’re ready to go.”
    â€œAaron?” Roxy brightened. “Cool. I thought we had to wait for Mr. Harris.”
    â€œYes and no. James said Aaron will walk us to our cabin any time he’s not available himself. But remember what I told you. Aaron is working here. He’s not hanging around in order to keep you entertained.”
    â€œYou don’t want me to find somebody special and be happy, do you?”
    â€œOf course I do. Just not yet, okay? You’ll have plenty of time for that when you’re grown-up.”
    â€œLike you? Yeah, right. I’m not going to wait till I’m old and wrinkled to fall in love.”
    Wrinkled? Megan gave a soft chuckle. The absurd notion of being a has-been at twenty-three tickled her. Amused, she headed for the boys’ dorm to fetch Aaron.
    Before she got to the porch she could hear the boisterous boys. She knocked on the frame of the screen door. “Hello! Anybody home?”
    James appeared immediately. He was frowning. “What’re you doing out by yourself? Why isn’t Aaron with you?”
    â€œI thought he was over here with you,” Megansaid. “Roxy’s ready to go back to our cabin. I came to fetch a bodyguard, like you wanted.”
    â€œI just sent him back to the dining hall. Didn’t you pass him?”
    â€œI don’t know. I may have.” She scanned the forest through the deepening twilight. “I wasn’t expecting to see him. I guess I didn’t notice.”
    â€œThen I’m doubly glad I insisted you be escorted. The way you wander around with your head in the clouds is asking for trouble.”
    Megan laughed. “Hey, considering the fact my sister thinks I’m so old I’m already over the hill, I think I’m doing quite well.” She started to turn away.
    â€œWhere are you going?”
    â€œBack to the kitchen.”
    â€œAlone?”
    Hands on her hips, she gave him a look of derision. “Well, duh. Of course alone. You have the boys to look after. You certainly can’t go off and leave them, can you?”
    â€œNo,” James said soberly. “Okay. Go. I’ll wait right here where I can watch you most of the way. When you get safely back to Inez, flash the porch light on and off a couple of times so I’ll know you’re okay.”
    Megan gave in to the urge to tease him. Shestood at attention and gave a snappy salute, followed by “Yes, sir!”
    The look of incredulity on his handsome face made her laugh aloud. That he obviously didn’t share her good humor added to her amusement.
    She didn’t mean to belittle his concern, she simply thought he took everything far too seriously. Especially himself.

Chapter Eight
    I nez was the only person left in the dining hall when Megan arrived and asked, “Where is everybody?”
    â€œRoxy left. I think Aaron took her for a ride on the ATV. You know, that noisy, four-wheel-drive scooter thing they all like to take to the backcountry? I heard the motor start up a second ago.”
    â€œOh, dear.”
    â€œI wouldn’t worry,” the older woman said. “Aaron didn’t seem to mind. He looked pretty happy to be goin’ off with your sister. I was a tad surprised. I didn’t think they were gettin’ along all that well.”
    â€œI wish they weren’t,” Megan said. She grabbed Inez’s arm and