about. “Thank you for another wonderful day, Carson.”
He flicked her a shuttered glance. “It’s only half over.”
She knew that, yet the fact that he’d mentioned it filled her with fresh excitement. With an arm around Johnny, Tracy walked him to her tent, but stopped by his to get him a change of clothes. Once he was dressed, he lay down on top of her roomy sleeping bag. After she got dressed, she joined him. In two seconds, he was asleep.
Tracy lay there wondering if Carson’s calls were all business. Since he’d come home from war, surely he’d been with women he’d met in Jackson or through his business contacts, even if it hadn’t been an official date. That would go for his friends, too. Any woman lucky enough to capture his interest would be wondering why he hadn’t been as available lately.
When she realized where her thoughts had wandered, she sat up, impatient with herself for caring what he did in his off time. She was supposed to be thinking of him as a friend, but her feelings weren’t remotely like anything she felt for her brothers-in-law.
He would have been a charmer during the years he was competing in the rodeo. He had to be driving a lot of women crazy, these days, too. Carson was driving one woman crazy right here on the ranch and she didn’t know what to do about it. Tracy had to admit those blue eyes and the half smile he sometimes flashed were playing havoc with her emotions.
After she’d met Tony, nothing had kept her from responding to him in an open, free way. Now, she had a son who came first in her life and the situation with Carson was so different it was almost painful. If he had feelings for her—sometimes, when he looked at her, she felt that he did—he hadn’t acted on them. But then again, he was naturally kind and generous. She didn’t dare read more into a smile or an intense look than was meant. He’d told her that she and Johnny were their guinea pigs.
The daunting thought occurred to her that Carson’s emotions weren’t invested, which explained why he never did anything overtly personal. Next month, another family devastated by the war would be arriving. He and his friends would welcome them and be as kind and attentive as they’d been to Johnny and her.
Maybe he’d meet a widow this summer who would be so desirable to him, he’d reach out to her because he couldn’t help himself. Tracy groaned. What kind of woman might she be?
Tomorrow was Tuesday, and they only had four more days here. With her attraction to Carson growing, she’d found herself dreading the march of time, just like Johnny. But it suddenly dawned on her that without some signal from him, those days would seem like a lifetime.
Another worse thought intruded when she heard voices in the distance. Johnny heard them, too, and sat up, rubbing his eyes. She reached for her watch, which she’d taken off to go swimming. It was four-thirty. Buck appeared to have arrived with the others.
What if Carson had picked up on certain vibes from Tracy and had been including the Harris family in all their activities to keep everything on an even keel?
Was it true?
Maybe she was wrong, since she didn’t know Carson’s mind, but she cringed to think it could be a possibility.
“Hey, Johnny!” Sam was right outside her tent. “What are you doing? We’re going swimming!”
“I’m coming, but I’ve got to get my suit back on!”
“Okay. Hurry!”
Off came his clothes. Soon he was ready. “Aren’t you coming, Mom?”
“In a minute. You go on.”
In case Carson was up for more play time in the lake, she decided against going swimming again. Grabbing her hairbrush and Johnny’s beach towel, she left the tent and walked toward the others. Monica and Ralph waved to her. They were already in the water with the inner tube. “Come on in!”
“I just barely got out! How was the balloon ride?”
“Fantastic! You should try it before you leave the Tetons.”
“Maybe I will!”
The children were clustered around Carson and Buck, who were handing out life jackets. She sat down in a camp chair, ostensibly to keep an eye on the children. But it was hard to focus when there were two tall, well-built ex-marines ready to enter the water. She finally closed her eyes and gave her damp hair a good brushing while she soaked in the heat.
* * *
THE COLOR OF Tracy’s hair shimmering in the sun was indescribable. The fine strands could be real silver and gold intertwined. While the kids played with the Harrises, Carson kept his eyes above the waterline to take in the curves of her exquisitely proportioned body.
Buck emerged from the depths next to him, coughing up a storm. “I agree she’s quite a sight,” he whispered when he’d caught a breath. “When are you going to do something about it?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Not to anyone but me and Ross.”
“We didn’t invite her family to the ranch for me to make a pass.”
Buck scowled. “Hey, it’s me you’re talking to. I damn well know that. Tell me the truth. You haven’t gotten any signals from her that she’d like you to?”
“I don’t know. It’s hard to read her. She’s warm and friendly enough when she’s with Johnny, which is most of the time.”
“Maybe we need to arrange something this evening so she isn’t with him. Time is fleeting. Saturday will be here before you know it.”
Carson threw back his head. “Thanks for making my day, Buck.”
“Just trying to help things along for a buddy.”
“Sorry for snapping.”
“Forget it. There’s only one cure for your problem. I’ll tell ghost stories in the kids’ tent after everyone goes to bed. No adults allowed. While the Harrises retire to their tent, you and Tracy can sit around and talk. That ought to give you plenty of time to get creative.”
“She’ll probably go to her tent.”
After a pause Buck said, “Like I said, get creative and follow her.”
“That’s been my idea since the moment we set up camp.”
“Then I don’t see a problem.”
“I wish I didn’t.”
“Don’t let me down, buddy. You take first watch tonight and see where it leads. Wake me up when it’s my turn.” Buck did a backflip away from him and swam underwater to surprise the kids.
That was easy enough for his friend to say, but Carson intended to follow through, all the same. The hourglass was emptying every second. He needed to mind his grandfather’s advice when he’d been teaching Carson how to wrestle steers. “Put your fear away and seize the moment without hesitation, otherwise the opportunity is lost.”
Tonight might be one of the few opportunities left to find out
