had final y slowed to a drizzle. “She sounded cold. And she

—” He strode to the end of the aisle when he saw the car

crest the knol and watched it turn a circle into the parking

lot and stop.

Peg got out and bent down to thank the driver, then

closed the door and started toward the barn as the car

drove off, shoving her hands in her jacket pockets as she

hunched her shoulders. Christ, her pants were muddied al

the way to her knees, and if he wasn’t mistaken she was

limping slightly. She suddenly stopped halfway to the barn

when she spotted him just as Alec and Robbie came up to

flank his sides.

“She’s been walking a muddy road for several miles,”

Robbie also observed quietly. “And she looks soaked

through and chil ed to the bone.”

She started running toward them, which apparently hurt

enough that she slowed back to a hurried walk. “Are the

kids in the barn?” she asked as she approached, not

making eye contact as she tried to veer past them.

Duncan stepped into her path, making her stop—

although she didn’t lift her gaze to his. “Where’s your van?”

“I sold it to a junk dealer.” She tried to move past him.

“Charlie, are you in there?”

He stepped in front of her again. “Who brought ye here?”

She final y looked up, and it was al he could do to hold

his ground against the desperation in her eyes. “Somebody

heading in the same direction I was. Charlie?” she cal ed.

“Get out here, please. Could you go see if Olivia can give

us a ride home?” she asked when al four children came

running out of the barn.

“Never mind, Charlotte,” Duncan said, giving Peg a look

that dared her to argue. “I’l take ye home.”

“Mom, we’ve been brushing the horses,” Pete said,

rushing to her. “You gotta come see them. They’re huge!”

“Tomorrow, Peter.” She reached out to take Jacob’s

hand. “Come on, guys, we need to go home.”

“I’l get our book bags,” Charlotte said, heading back into

the barn at the same time Peg turned away and headed

toward Duncan’s truck.

“Where’s our van?” he heard Peter ask as he and Isabel

ran to catch up to her.

“I sold it. We’l get a new one next week,” Peg said, her

voice trailing off as she rounded the front of his truck and

opened the back door to let the kids in.

Isabel suddenly ran back with something in her hand.

“Mom said to tel you thank you for letting her use your cel

phone,” the girl said, handing it to Robbie and then rushing

away just as Charlotte ran by with their book bags.

“Any idea what’s going on?” Duncan asked, watching

Peg climb in the passenger’s seat as Charlotte got in the

back. He heard the engine start and saw Peg fiddling with

the buttons on the dash—he assumed to start the heater.

He looked first at Alec, then Robbie. “Because I agree with

that hunted look.”

“She told us her van was parked at the other end of

town,” Robbie said, “but that it was running fine.” He

shrugged. “It’s possible she did sel it.”

“Before she had a replacement?” Duncan whispered so

he wouldn’t roar. Dammit to hel , what was she hiding? He

shook his head. “I’m guessing she ditched it on some old

tote road for some reason, and that’s why she’s soaked

and covered in mud.” He looked at Robbie. “I need to go

back to Pine Creek tonight, so could you look into the

missing van for me tomorrow … doing whatever in your

power it takes to find it?”

Robbie nodded. “I’l find it.”

Duncan turned to Alec. “I’m going to drive the wheeler

back and leave my pickup for Peg.” He smiled tightly. “But

I’l let you wait until tomorrow to tel her, because I doubt

she’s open to hearing it from me right now. You keep an

eye on her while I’m gone, and see if ye can find out in town

what may have happened.”

“People have a tendency to shut up when someone from

away walks in,” Alec said. “Why don’t we just ask Mac to

help?”

Duncan snorted. “Because the bastard’s too busy not

interfering in people’s lives.” He started toward his truck,

but stopped and looked back. “Oh, and Alec, while you’re in

town tomorrow, see if ye can’t find us a camp cook. The

one I had lined up cal ed me this morning and said he

couldn’t make it for family reasons.”

His nephew nodded. “I’l do what I can on both counts.”

Duncan jogged to the truck and climbed in to dead

silence but for the blast of the heater fan. He looked in back

to see the twins sharing a seat belt in the middle between

the girls, then silently put the truck in gear and headed out

of the parking lot. The ride to Peg’s house was just as

silent, making him wonder what she’d said to the children.

Christ, she was visibly shivering.

He pul ed in to her empty driveway, and Peg had her

door open before he even shut off the truck. “Thank you for

the ride,” she said before softly closing the door. She

opened the back door. “I’l start supper once I get out of the

shower, and you al wash up at the kitchen sink. Charlie,

help the boys put on their pajamas.”

“No bath tonight?” Peter asked as he slid out.

“Not tonight. But take a washcloth to your face and

hands, because you’ve been handling horses. Go,” she

said, giving Jacob a nudge when he tried to say something.

Duncan got out, watching the kids troop onto the deck

and into the house like good little soldiers as he fol owed

Peg up the stairs and pul ed her to a stop. “You need to tel

me what’s going on.”

“No, I don’t.”

“I can help you.”

“Yes, I’m sure you can. But I can’t get in the habit of letting

someone else solve my problems.” She made a valiant

effort to smile past her chattering teeth. “No matter how

broad … wel , because I can’t,” she finished on a growl,

spinning away.

He caught her sleeve and turned her back around,

wrapping her up in his arms—partly to keep her warm but

mostly just to piss her off. “I’l find that van if I have to drive

down every tote road between here and Turtleback

Station.”

“No, actual y, you won’t, because despite some people’s

opinions, I’m a lot tougher and smarter than I look.” She

patted his chest. “Just worry about guarding your

equipment, Duncan, because honestly, I real y don’t feel up

to the task toni—”

He kissed her just to shut her up, and he didn’t stop until

he felt her start to tremble—and not from the cold, either.

He lifted his head and smiled at her glare.

“Stop doing that,” she whispered in a shaky growl.

“I feel I should warn ye that I’m also a lot tougher and

smarter than I look. And, I’ve just recently been told, a quick

study when it comes to anticipating a person’s next move.”

He lowered his head until his nose was nearly touching

hers. “By the same bastard who also pointed out that I’m

real y quite contrary.”

He kissed her again when she tried to protest, partly to

piss her off but mostly to let her know he wasn’t ever going

to stop. He did cut this particular kiss short, however, when

he felt her trembling again and realized she was nearing

the end of her control.

“It’s okay, Peg,” he whispered against her wet hair when

she hid her face in his jacket. “I’l eventual y find out what

happened today, because whether ye like it or not, I have

no intention of letting you deal with whatever’s going on al

by yourself.”

“You need to leave me alone,” she said into his jacket,

“because this isn’t going anywhere, Duncan.” She looked