Having so much fun with her, Cash laughed. “Oh comeon, we can spare a toe or two. Stick your feet back in the water. But don’t splash or you’ll scare the fish away.”
With a laugh, Tracy eased her feet into the pond. Cash helped her bait a hook and showed her how to toss the line into the water. They laughed and fished and talked. As often as Cash had camped here, he couldn’t remember having a better time at this pond. All because of Tracy. The wind caught her hair and tossed it around her face. It occurred to him that might be how her hair would look after a tumble in his bed. Cash caught a six-pound bass and said he’d caught his dinner and hoped she didn’t starve. When he caught about an eight-pound bass, he said maybe he could share a bite or two with her. Tracy frowned in determination and caught a fish about half the size of his first fish. Cash was more excited for her than he’d ever been for himself. Tracy jumped up with the fish dangling on her line. As she raised her fishing pole out of the water like Cash had done, her belly button peeked out from under the knot of her shirt.
“This is the ugliest fish I’ve ever seen!” Tracy squealed as it flipped back and forth.
“Catfish are ugly,” Cash agreed with a laugh as he stood. She did a curtsy at the end of the dock to acknowledge the hoots, hollers, and applause from folks around the pond. Damn, this woman was one sexy spitfire. “But they taste good.”
“Thank you, Cash,” Tracy said as he took the fish off the hook for her. “I’ve never fished. This was a fun experience.”
“You’re welcome.” In Cash’s opinion the whole day had been…fun. Yeah, fun and perfect. They soon gathered up their fish and gear. Slipping on their boots, they walked along the dock, both smiling. “Let’s take the fish over to Kellie’s kitchen.”
Where Kellie had set up her outdoor kitchen, Cash demonstrated to Tracy, Natasha, Michaela, LeAnn, and Jacob how to clean and gut a fish in preparation for cooking it. Jacob had caught a fish and gave it a try. The ladies watched and then Tracy volunteered to try her hand at it. When sheclosed one eye and squinted with the other, Cash said she had to watch what she was doing with both eyes wide open or risk losing a finger which might hurt more than a toe. She opened her eyes, he helped her, and four fish were ready to cook. Other people began showing up with fish and Cash knew no one would go to bed hungry.
After supper, he left Tracy talking to Jacob. In front of the large horseshoe circle of tents, individual campfires crackled, burning brightly. Cash made his rounds as host, visiting with the guests and his wranglers. All were chatting, chuckling, and having a grand time. He noted Tracy’s so-called assistant was far more interested in Ed and Larry than touching base with Tracy and Jacob. But as long as Ed and Larry did their jobs, which they were currently doing by seeing to the horses, it wasn’t his call if Donna wasn’t doing hers.
Cash walked to his tent and took a seat in one of the camping chairs. He gazed down the gently sloping hill to the pond and watched Tracy. As people gathered in groups of two or three, she made a point to speak with everyone. Her tinkling laugh floated to him on a breeze. Even as she and Jacob helped Joyce and then Diane up from where they sat on the dock, Tracy moved with grace. As the sun lowered behind the ponderosa pines, people began drifting to their own tents. Cash wished Tracy was sharing his tent tonight. Hell, more than tonight. She glanced his way, and he lifted his right hand from the armrest of the chair.
Hips swaying as she walked up the slight grade she asked, “Are you tired?”
“No ma’am,” he replied as she reached him. He cocked a brow, looked her in the eye, and with meaning said, “Just enjoying the scenery.” A turkey gobbled in the nearby trees and Tracy jumped. “Turkey.” Cash chuckled and swung a hand to the empty chair. “Sit a spell.”
Tracy sat and they talked, easily drifting from one topic to another, finding an occasional similarity among the differences in their lives and backgrounds. Everything about Tracymesmerized Cash. He definitely wanted to take her to bed. But he was enjoying getting to know her outside of the bedroom too.
“It’s late, I should head to my own tent,” Tracy said.
“You won’t be able to sleep,” Cash said and nodded.
Most of the guests had turned in for the night. Outside of the tent Tracy was to share with Donna, the moonlight showed the woman standing and holding onto the forearms of Larry and Ed as if trying to prevent them from going to their own tent. Voices drifted to them and then when the men sat back down, Donna did as well.
“I’m sorry about Donna,” Tracy said softly, looking in the direction where Donna was tipping a bottle to her mouth. “Jacob is fed up with her. I can honestly say I wouldn’t want her on another assignment with us.”
“I saw her slide a bottle of vodka in her saddlebag,” Cash told her. “I think she’s had too much to drink.”
Tracy sat forward in her chair, preparing to stand. “I’ll go over and try to intervene on behalf of Ed and Larry.”
“No, stay where you are,” Cash said, and waved her back into her chair. “Ed and Larry can handle her. Not their first rodeo in a case like this.” He kept an eye on the situation as Tracy also watched with obvious concern. “Before she passes out, one of them will help her to her cot,” he added from experience. “Ed and Larry will go to their tent and no one will be the wiser if you spend the night in mine.”
Tracy’s head swiveled in his direction and her lips parted in surprise. “Your tent?”
“Two cots to a tent,” he said with a shrug.
“Actually…that would be great, Cash,” Tracy said quietly but with relief in her voice. “Donna snores like a grizzly bear.” Finally, something about Donna was unexpected music to Cash’s ears. “I don’t mean to sound unkind, but sharing a cabin with her has been torture. I’ve tossed and turned and slept in spurts with a pillow over my head since we got to the ranch.”
Sam gave them a wave and disappeared into his tentwith Kellie. Jacob looked at Tracy and raised both hands, palms up, regarding Donna. Tracy splayed her hands as well and then Jacob waved before heading into the tent he was to share with Jeff.
“I don’t know how comfortable you’ll be on our camp cots. They’re the bare minimum and lightweight so that Eloise and Mavis can manage them. But at least they’re up off the ground.” With a grin, he said, “You can tell me in the morning if I snore.” Tracy nodded. “Why don’t you get settled in first while I make a final round of the campsite?” Cash suggested and stood. He offered a hand to Tracy and when she took it, he tugged her out of the chair. Entering the tent, he lit the lantern, exited, and said, “If you need to use one of the outhouses during the night, watch out for grizzly bears lurking in the trees.”
Tracy’s turquoise eyes grew wide. “Are there grizzly bears in these woods?”
“No,” he said. She was so cute to tease. “But there are turkeys and snakes.”
“I’ll be on my cot,” Tracy said and darted into the tent.
Cash grinned. He’d sleep on his cot too. But he hoped it would be the first and last time he slept alone in Tracy’s presence.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“What am I doing?” Tracy whispered to herself.
