Conleth ruffled her hair. “You’ve improved your skills immensely. I’m sure your mother will let you join the family trips from now on.”
“Yeah!” Nancy hitched up her backpack, beaming. “I’ll keep practicing hard at home. Maybe next summer, we can go all the way to the summit!”
Conleth’s smile turned rather fixed around the edges.
“We’ll see,” Paige said to Nancy. She gave the girl a gentle nudge toward the bus. “Go on, now. The driver’s waiting for you.”
Nancy skipped onto the bus, the doors hissing closed behind her. Paige kept waving until the vehicle had rumbled out of sight. Then she sagged against Conleth with a long, relieved sigh.
“That’s the last one,” she said. “Much as I love those kids, I’m looking forward to a little more privacy. And a nap.”
“So am I,” he replied. His gaze drifted past her shoulder. “Even so, I wish the campers weren’tallheading off.”
“Byeeeeeeeeee!” Archie hollered, still waving after the bus. He dropped his arms at last, shooting a disgruntled look at their mom. “I don’t see why we have to go, too. Paige and Conleth have loads of room at their house.Anda pool.”
“I think Paige and Conleth would like some time to themselves,” Mom replied. “Go get your bag, and check your cabin to make sure you haven’t left anything behind.”
“You really don’t have to leave,” Paige murmured to her mom as Archie trotted off. “I don’t like the thought of you being so far away, even if it’s not for too long. You sure you won’t reconsider?”
Mom smiled, but shook her head. “Archie and I need to be getting back. School will be starting soon.”
“We’ll come see you in a few weeks, after we’ve finished closing the camp.” Paige hesitated. “What about looking for Archie’s dad?”
Her mom’s smile slipped. “Paige…”
She knew that tone of voice, but tried anyway. “I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I still think he’s your true mate. And if he is, the two of you are meant to be together. Your bear’s never going to be truly content until you find him again.”
“I have a top-notch private investigator standing by ready to take the case,” Conleth put in. “Just say the word.”
“No,” her mom said firmly. “I appreciate the offer, truly. But there’s no point digging up the past. Whether we’re true mates or not, he’s not a shifter. He’s no doubt long since forgotten me.”
Paige doubted that, but she knew there was no point arguing with her mom about it now. “All right. But let us know if you change your mind, okay?”
“Don’t hold your breath waiting for that.” Her mom gave her a quick hug before stepping away. “I’ll double-check Archie’s packed all his things. Then we’d better be off.”
Conleth watched her mom head after Archie. “Do you think that with enough time, we’ll be able to persuade her?”
“I don’t know.” She leaned against him again, taking comfort from the steady warmth of the mate bond. “Probably not. You know how stubborn my family can be.”
“All too well,” he said wryly. “Did you get a chance to sound her out about moving here?”
“Not yet. I’m pretty sure I can convince her that Thunder Mountain would be a better place for both her and Archie. But I’m still trying to figure out how to get her to accept financial help from us. She’s too proud to take charity, even from family.”
He made a thoughtful noise. “What if she unexpectedly came into possession of a large amount of money? Hypothetically speaking.”
“That won’t work. I’d have to tell her it was from us.”
“Not ifyoudidn’t know it was from us.”
“Conleth, there is no way you could arrange for my mother to come into a small fortune without me knowing you were behind it.”
“Excellent. A challenge.”
“Conleth.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Just exploring potential options.”
Zephyr wandered over to join them. “And what options would those be?”
