Always (28 page)

      "Sure, Ryan," Dr. Bowen said. "Like the ones at my house?"

      Ryan's face felt like it was on fire. "Uh..." He gave a shrug and handed Gordon his track-maker. "But these are real."

      "Have you heard the story of the boy who cried wolf, Ryan?" Gordon asked in a stern voice. "You've cried bear one time too many."

      Ryan couldn't stand for Gordon to be mad at him. "I...I..."

      "Why, Ryan?" Dr. Bowen came closer and stood in front of Ryan. "What did I ever do to make you want to frighten me?"

      Ryan clenched his teeth and lifted his chin a notch. He'd talk to Gordon, but not to
her
.

      "Go ahead and be stubborn." Gordon shrugged and handed the track-maker back to Ryan. "Retire this thing and try being honest for a change."

      Anger flared in Ryan's belly and he wanted to strike out or cry or say those words his mother didn't like him to use. But he didn't. It hurt too much to have the man he wanted as his father look at him that way.

      "I'm sorry," he muttered.

      Dr. Bowen put her hand on Ryan's shoulder and kissed his cheek. He scrubbed it viciously as she stepped away. Laughing.

      "Why'd you go and do a fool thing like that for?"
 

      Gordon chuckled and said, "Someday, you'll appreciate it when a beautiful woman kisses you, pal."

      "I doubt it." Ryan kept rubbing his cheek. "Girls got cooties."

      Dr. Bowen and Gordon both laughed, then Gordon said, "We'd better see if the phone's working yet so we can call your mom and let her know you're okay."

      "I left her a note."

      "Yeah, and I'm sure finding a note saying you went up the mountain alone after a mud slide gives her a warm fuzzy." Gordon arched a brow. "Hmm?"

      "Yeah, we better call her." Ryan hadn't meant to worry his mom or make Gordon mad or anything. He'd only wanted to...to... He looked at Dr. Bowen again while Gordon fumbled in his pocket for his keys. Why'd she have to be so doggone nice? He sighed and leaned on the track-maker. "I really am sorry."

      "You're forgiven," she said.

      "Well, looks like I lost my keys." Gordon kept digging through both pockets. "Mom and Sue have the spares."

      "They must've fallen out of your pocket when you took off–uh, back in Silas Canyon." Dr. Bowen's face turned fire engine red.

      "Hmm." Gordon glanced up. "And it's going to rain again. Too bad Max can't unlock the door. Guess I'll have to break a win–"

      A low and un-canine-like growl rumbled from the side of the cabin. Patches bolted for the source of the growl. Ryan ran after his dog, but Dr. Bowen grabbed Ryan.

      Gordon threw open the door to his old Jeep. "Get in."
 

      "Patches," Ryan called as Dr. Bowen and Gordon both hauled him toward the Jeep. The dumb dog disappeared around the corner. "
Patches
!"

      Another growl and a high-pitched yelp preceded the dog's speedy return. They all piled into the Jeep together–Gordon and Taylor in front, Patches and Ryan in back.

      Breathing hard, they watched the bear lumber around to the front porch, sniffing the ground and making low, rumbling sounds. The bear paused at Ryan's bike and nudged it with its nose, then turned toward Henrietta.

      Taylor squeaked, and Gordon put his arm around her shoulders. Disgusted, Ryan closed his eyes and released a heavy sigh.

      "We're safe in here," Gordon said quietly, rubbing her neck and shoulders. "Don't worry."

      Ryan folded his arms across his rumbling belly. "Got anything to eat?"

      Gordon chuckled. "Cheese and wine in my backpack."

      "Wine?" Ryan's hopes soared. He'd tasted wine once when Mrs. Lane wasn't watching her evening glass too closely.

      "Not for you, squirt," Gordon said, pointing toward the front porch. "Besides, my backpack's over there."

      The Jeep moved, and Ryan saw the bear's head appear over the hood as it stared through the windshield at them. Dr. Bowen buried her face against Gordon's shoulder.

      "Man, this sucks."

      "Watch your language, young man," Gordon said and honked the horn. The bear dropped down to all fours and returned to the porch.

      "Well, so much for the cheese and wine," Dr. Bowen said as she looked up. "Maybe he'll get drunk and pass out."

      "I'll bet he's a
she
," Ryan said, narrowing his gaze on the back of Dr. Bowen's head.

      "Doesn't matter." Gordon pointed. "Well, there goes a perfectly good backpack."

      Ryan saw that the bear had clawed open the whole side of the backpack and was pulling things out with its teeth. It paused to chew. "Must've found the cheese."

      "I didn't know bears ate cheese," Dr. Bowen said, sounding calmer now that the bear was away from the Jeep.

      "Bears eat just about anything." Gordon shrugged. "There goes the wine." The bottle rolled off the porch and broke, spilling red liquid across the bare ground. "Now maybe it'll finish up and get out of here."

      Patches growled and barked at the closed window. "Hush," Ryan said.

      The bear lumbered past the Jeep again, pausing to stare at the occupants, then headed toward the creek. "It's about time. I'll get us inside the cabin in no time." Gordon opened the door. "You two stay here until I get the front door open. Just in case."

      "Not a problem," Dr. Bowen said.

      Ryan didn't say a word. He'd much rather risk the bear than stay in here with Dr. Bowen. If she hadn't come here, Gordon might be ready to marry Mom. Resentment oozed through Ryan and he clenched his teeth.

      "Look." Dr. Bowen pointed toward the woods across the clearing.

      "Mom?" Ryan saw his mom and that nasty Dr. Dweeb emerging from the woods on horseback.
 

      "She must've been very worried." Dr. Bowen looked back at Ryan, then waved to the newcomers.

      Ryan watched his mom's horse rear. She fell and the horse bolted. "Mom!"

      Dr. Cole's horse pawed the earth and snorted as he dismounted, then Ryan saw the reason for the horses' fear.

      That stupid bear again.

      Dr. Bowen opened the window. "Hurry, this way."

      The yuppie-dweeb scooped Mom up as if she didn't weigh a thing and ran to the Jeep. He opened the back door and slid in beside Ryan and Patches.

      The dog growled.

      "Sue, are you all right?" Dr. Cole pushed her hair back from her face.

      His mom was smiling. "I am now."

      And she was sitting in that dumb doctor's lap. Ryan scooted closer to the door, almost ready to take his chances with the bear, who was now busy with Gordon's backpack again.

      "Ryan Paul Wheeler," his mom said in that voice Ryan hated more than anything. "What possessed you to do something so...so...?" She slid off Dr. Cole's lap and grabbed Ryan and Patches both in a bear hug.

      
Bear hug. Yeah, right
. Ryan let his mom smother him with kisses, knowing in another minute she'd be yelling at him again. But at least she was off Dr. Dweeb's lap.

      "Where's Gordon?" Dr. Bowen asked.

      At least that distracted his mom for a minute. "What happened? Is he in the cabin?"

      Dr. Bowen shook her head. "He lost his keys and we couldn't get in. Good thing Henrietta wasn't locked."

      "I'll say," Dr. Dweeb said, pressing his forehead against the window to watch the bear. "The only bears I've ever seen were in the zoo."

      "Unfortunately, I've seen too many," Dr. Bowen said in a weak voice. "I wish Gordon would come back."

      "Where is he?" Ryan's mom asked again.

      "Trying to break into the cabin."

      "Huh." Mom shook her head. "I remember when he built that thing. He said he wanted it to stand a thousand years. I don't think he
can
break in."

      A moment later, Gordon appeared at the side of the cabin, peering at the bear. While it busied itself chewing something else from the destroyed backpack, Gordon made a dash for the Jeep and didn't stop until he was sitting in the driver's seat, huffing and puffing.

      "Remind me never to build my own house a–"
 
He jerked his head around to stare at the new arrivals. "How'd you two get here?"

      "Horseback," Dr. Dweeb said, offering Gordon his hand. "We meet again."

      "Dr. Cole." Gordon lifted both brows and shook Dr. Dweeb's hand.

      "Jeremy, please."

      "Fine, call me Gordon. Sue, I don't suppose you have my spare key with you?"

      She shook her head and shrugged. "Sorry, but all I could think of was finding this juvenile delinquent here."

      "Sheesh," Ryan said.

      "I'm still waiting for an explanation about why you decided to scare me half to death by running off, Ryan," Mom said, reaching out to grab his track-maker and holding it up in front of her. "And I suppose you have a very good reason for this contraption."

      Gordon and Dr. Bowen both stared at him expectantly.

      He was in deep shit.

Chapter 14

      Taylor's heart ached for Ryan. She knew darned well why he was trying to run her out of Digby. The reason was obvious. She met Gordon's gaze and he took her hand discreetly.

      "Well, Ryan?" Sue prodded.

      Ryan's face reddened and he doubled up his fist to smack his jeans-clad thigh. Then he mumbled something completely unintelligible.

      "What was that?" Sue cupped her hand to her ear. "I
 
didn't hear you."

      "'Cuz I want
you
to marry Gordon." Ryan turned to stare out the window. "That's all."

      Patches put his front paws on the seat and licked the boy's ear. Ryan buried his face against the mutt and fell silent.

      As did all the adults in the Jeep. Taylor looked from Sue to Gordon, then at a stunned Jeremy. What could they say? They'd asked Ryan for an explanation and he'd given it succinctly.

      "Ryan," Sue said, touching her son's shoulder. "Gordon and I are friends. More like brother and sister after all these years."

      Ryan remained silent with his face hidden in all that black and white fur.

      "Your mom's right, Ryan," Gordon said, turning completely around in his seat. "Did you know I even asked her to marry me once, but she said no?"

      Ryan lifted his face and sniffled, looking at Gordon. "You did?"

      "Yep, she told me that'd be like marrying her own brother."

      "Yuck," Sue said.

      Ryan nodded. Apparently, that made sense to a ten-year-old's perception of the world. "Yeah, I get it," he said, then turned to stare out the window. "I told Dr. Bowen I was sorry about trying to scare her."

      "Yes, he did," Taylor said. "And I forgave him."

      More strained silence spanned between them, and Taylor wished someone would say
something
.
 

      "Well, now that
that's
settled," Jeremy said jovially, I have a little announcement to make.

      Taylor met Sue's curious gaze, but the other woman shook her head. Whatever Jeremy's announcement was, Sue obviously didn't know about it yet.

      "Taylor, your brother told me while I was in Denver that he's found a research grant for you at Children's Hospital." He smiled. "In immunology."

      A dull roar began in her ears. "What?" Her mouth turned dry and she tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She felt Gordon stiffen beside her, even though he'd dropped her hand when he turned around to speak to Ryan. "But I'm sure they won't wait three years for–"

      "Ah, but that's where I come in," Jeremy said, still smiling. "I called the mayor and asked him if he'd take me in your stead."