Besides, it’s stealing. This trail is under federal protection. There’s a fine attached to taking markers—if not a stiffer penalty.”
“Then I’ll call Toby from town. He’ll pay the dumb old fine. So it won’t do you any good to run and squeal to my mom.”
“I’m not going to tell her, Mark. You are.” Camp’s voice remained calm as he stared coolly into Mark’s mutinous eyes.
The boy hunched his shoulders and kicked at a rock. “It’s Megan’s fault. She wanted one for her bedroom.”
“Did Megan take some of these?”
“No,” Mark admitted with a sniffle. “I can’t put ’em back. It’s a long way, and I’m just a kid.”
“You’re old enough to be responsible for your actions. I want you to go tell your mother and Maizie what you’ve done. If you do, I’ll help you return the markers. But I won’t cover for you.”
Mark scraped at a lank fall of hair. “Okay, but I don’t know why you’d help me.”
Camp arched a brow. “I recall getting into a few scrapes at your age.”
“You? But you’re a teacher.”
“I wasn’t born a teacher.” Camp’s lips quirked in a smile. Sobering quickly, he said, “We all make mistakes. The trick is to learn by them and try not to repeat any.”
“Toby says you shouldn’t ever admit to making a mistake.”
Camp shied from touching that statement. On the other hand, someone needed to. “It takes a big man to admit to being wrong. And it makes sleeping easier.”
“I guess I know what you mean. I didn’t sleep so good last night. I was scared my mom would see ’em.” He nudged the markers. “I wish I hadn’t done it.”
“That’s the spirit. I’m proud of you, Mark. Your mother will be, too. Say, can you ride a horse?”
“You bet,” the boy bragged. “I’ve ridden lots of times.”
Camp smiled in relief and the two went off in search of Emily.
“What?” she exclaimed after Mark had stumbled through his confession. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her temples. “Honey, whatever possessed you? How will we put them back where they belong?”
Mark jerked a thumb toward Camp. “He said he’d help.”
Emily acknowledged Camp for the first time. “How?” she asked, frowning. “We’ve traveled at least five miles.”
“If Maizie agrees, I thought Mark and I could saddle two horses and ride back. We can make it in half the time it took the wagons. Less if we push. I’ll ask Robert if he’ll allow Jared to drive my wagon until we catch up.”
“Yes. I suppose it’s the only way.”
Because she nibbled worriedly on her bottom lip, Camp cleared his throat. “I could go faster alone. It wouldn’t teach him as much. But it’s your call, Emily.”
Considering what Camp had said, Emily glanced up and caught Mark’s hopeful smile. “No,” she said decisively. “That’s the Benton way out. He did the fiddling—now he needs to pay the piper. I’ll go with you to talk to Maizie, son, after you thank Camp for doing this.”
After a few false starts, Mark managed a passable thank-you.
“If you leave now,” Emily asked Camp, “will you be back before dark?”
“Run that question by Maizie. She may know a shortcut. Otherwise, I guess we’ll have to take bedrolls and more in the way of food.”
An unexpected smile lit her face. “We know you won’t run into the Good Fairy who left you food at the Blue River ford.”
Camp grinned as she curled a hand over Mark’s shoulder and walked him toward Maizie’s wagon. His smile faded as soon as Megan parted the canvas and climbed onto the wagon seat, blowing on newly painted fingernails.
“My brother is such a dipstick.”
“Why do you say that?” Camp braced a hand on a wagon bow.
The girl smirked. “Because Toby would hire someone to put the markers back. Why should Mark get saddle sores?”
Camp tucked three fingers of each hand into his back pockets. “Guess you didn’t listen to your mom. Comes a time guys and girls need to stand on their own two
“Then I’ll call Toby from town. He’ll pay the dumb old fine. So it won’t do you any good to run and squeal to my mom.”
“I’m not going to tell her, Mark. You are.” Camp’s voice remained calm as he stared coolly into Mark’s mutinous eyes.
The boy hunched his shoulders and kicked at a rock. “It’s Megan’s fault. She wanted one for her bedroom.”
“Did Megan take some of these?”
“No,” Mark admitted with a sniffle. “I can’t put ’em back. It’s a long way, and I’m just a kid.”
“You’re old enough to be responsible for your actions. I want you to go tell your mother and Maizie what you’ve done. If you do, I’ll help you return the markers. But I won’t cover for you.”
Mark scraped at a lank fall of hair. “Okay, but I don’t know why you’d help me.”
Camp arched a brow. “I recall getting into a few scrapes at your age.”
“You? But you’re a teacher.”
“I wasn’t born a teacher.” Camp’s lips quirked in a smile. Sobering quickly, he said, “We all make mistakes. The trick is to learn by them and try not to repeat any.”
“Toby says you shouldn’t ever admit to making a mistake.”
Camp shied from touching that statement. On the other hand, someone needed to. “It takes a big man to admit to being wrong. And it makes sleeping easier.”
“I guess I know what you mean. I didn’t sleep so good last night. I was scared my mom would see ’em.” He nudged the markers. “I wish I hadn’t done it.”
“That’s the spirit. I’m proud of you, Mark. Your mother will be, too. Say, can you ride a horse?”
“You bet,” the boy bragged. “I’ve ridden lots of times.”
Camp smiled in relief and the two went off in search of Emily.
“What?” she exclaimed after Mark had stumbled through his confession. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her temples. “Honey, whatever possessed you? How will we put them back where they belong?”
Mark jerked a thumb toward Camp. “He said he’d help.”
Emily acknowledged Camp for the first time. “How?” she asked, frowning. “We’ve traveled at least five miles.”
“If Maizie agrees, I thought Mark and I could saddle two horses and ride back. We can make it in half the time it took the wagons. Less if we push. I’ll ask Robert if he’ll allow Jared to drive my wagon until we catch up.”
“Yes. I suppose it’s the only way.”
Because she nibbled worriedly on her bottom lip, Camp cleared his throat. “I could go faster alone. It wouldn’t teach him as much. But it’s your call, Emily.”
Considering what Camp had said, Emily glanced up and caught Mark’s hopeful smile. “No,” she said decisively. “That’s the Benton way out. He did the fiddling—now he needs to pay the piper. I’ll go with you to talk to Maizie, son, after you thank Camp for doing this.”
After a few false starts, Mark managed a passable thank-you.
“If you leave now,” Emily asked Camp, “will you be back before dark?”
“Run that question by Maizie. She may know a shortcut. Otherwise, I guess we’ll have to take bedrolls and more in the way of food.”
An unexpected smile lit her face. “We know you won’t run into the Good Fairy who left you food at the Blue River ford.”
Camp grinned as she curled a hand over Mark’s shoulder and walked him toward Maizie’s wagon. His smile faded as soon as Megan parted the canvas and climbed onto the wagon seat, blowing on newly painted fingernails.
“My brother is such a dipstick.”
“Why do you say that?” Camp braced a hand on a wagon bow.
The girl smirked. “Because Toby would hire someone to put the markers back. Why should Mark get saddle sores?”
Camp tucked three fingers of each hand into his back pockets. “Guess you didn’t listen to your mom. Comes a time guys and girls need to stand on their own two
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