Well, miracles truly did happen. He did his best not to let on how good it felt to finally hear her ask for his opinion instead of arguing each step of the way. “I think we should camp in that flat spot I mentioned. We have enough food we can eat cold so we don’t have to build a fire and alert them of our presence. Then in the morning, we’ll wait until enough mist wears off that they can see us coming. That way they won’t think we’re aiming to surprise them.”
Miss Collins took her time thinking through his recommendation, then nodded. “All right.” She turned and started walking down the slope. “Let’s go clear the rocks, girls. And keep quiet. No giggling, Faith. And whatever it takes,Lorelei, keep hold of that pup. The last thing we need is another cross-country chase.”
The two younger girls led their horses after her, and Juniper waited to fall into step behind them. He caught her gaze as she stood there. She had her lower lip tucked between her teeth, the sparkle in her eyes showing she was trying not to smile. Did she realize how challenging her sister could be? She must.
He moved in closer to walk beside her, then spoke in a voice only loud enough for her to hear over the horses’ hooves. “She would have made an excellent cavalry officer.”
A smile spread across her face, lighting every pretty feature. “Only if they made her general.”
Now he was the one who couldn’t hold back a grin. He liked this woman, no doubt about it.
Riley knew everything about setting up camp on the side of the mountain. Juniper should have expected it—he lived in this wild land, after all. As far as she could tell, he didn’t have a house and just moved from one camp to another, residing in lodges. But he made quick work of settling the horses, his movements sure and effortless.
Then, from one of his packs, he pulled out an oilskin large enough to be a tent. “This will go easier if I have a couple pairs of extra hands.”
He looked Juniper’s way as he said the words, and her heart did a little flip. She would gladly assist with this task or any other.
“I’ll help.” Faith jumped in.
Lorelei stepped toward him. “What do we do?”
Disappointment sank through Juniper. He’d said a couple people to help. That usually meant two, so if she offered as well, she would look overeager. She turned back to the food pack she was unfastening.
“Lorelei, come help me set out food.” Rosemary was working on the other tie.
Juniper looked up at her. Was RosieallowingJuniper time with Riley? She hoped she hadn’t shown her disappointment on her face. And even if she had, they’d made a pact that none of them would form an attachment with a man on this journey. Rosie would hold her accountable to that commitment.
For that matter, she should hold herself accountable. It shouldn’t count that he seemed so different from the other men. That he’d set aside his own work to help them, had taken on their protection as if they were his responsibility.
It shouldn’t matter that her entire body came alive when he looked her way, that she sneaked glances at him every chance she could get.
She had to stop.
Lorelei knelt between her and Rosie, and their older sister began giving her instructions about splitting open biscuits and layering in meat. Rosie stopped midsentence and lifted her head. “Aren’t you going to help Riley?” She glanced behind them, and Juniper followed her look.
Riley was on one end of the long oilskin, with Faith on the other. He was using his foot to hold a corner down while stretching to place the end of a branch under the center of the cover.
She stood and moved to them. Perhaps Rosie didn’t want Lorelei near him. That seemed the more likely reason thanthat their overprotective sister would be offering Juniper the chance to assist him. Perhaps she thought Lor was developing a preference for him.
One more reason she’d better get herself under control.
“How can I help?” She stood before the oilskin.
“Can you hold this end over the branch while I tie a strap around it?”
She took the pieces from Riley and held them tight. As he lashed a cord around the end of the branch, their hands brushed. She tried not to react as tingles slid up her arm.
He was standing so close, his masculine hand wrapped around hers. No odor of pomade on him.
What must she smell like after a long day in the saddle? She’d washed up in the river when they did their laundry that morning, but that had been so many hours ago.
He finally pulled the knot tight and stepped away from her. Maybe now she could breathe again. Just as she took in a deep gulp of air, he slid a half-grin her way, then knelt to attach the bottom corner to his rope.
That grin washed heat all the way down to her toes and back up again.Stop it, Juniper.She turned her focus to the branch in front of her and kept it there.
“Keep holding that one upright while I get the other side secured, then it will stand on its own.” Riley’s words tried to pull her attention to him, but she didn’t let them. Just kept her eyes honed on a chunk of bark that looked loose enough to scrape off.
Finally, they finished setting up the tent. Riley stepped back to examine their work. “It’ll keep the dew off you. If you ladies want to gather some pine boughs from those trees down the slope, they make for a softer bed.”
