August just shook his head. “Don’t you remember in my book?”
Shari thought for a moment, then her jaw dropped. “Oh, God...the one called The McHenry Curse’?”
“Yes, but there’s nothing to worry about,” August said. “If anything really happened to those other treasure hunters it’s because of bad planning and not any curse. I’ve hired the best guide in the country, and he’s got the situation well in hand.” August nodded to Gabe. “And on that note, I think I’ll turn the floor—er, ground—back over to him.”
Great, Gabe thought, highly aware of the accusing stares of the two women, now focused on him. “Thanks, boss. There are, um, just the four of us—well, five, counting Miss Priss, here.” Gabe managed a grin for Anna Kate, who promptly stuck out her tongue at him and lightened the moment for everyone. “Obviously we’re each going to have to be Jacks-and Jills-of-all-trades. Besides guiding, I’ll be in charge of maintaining supplies, keeping the vehicles fueled, and first aid, plus whatever else needs to be done to keep August free to do his thing. Jessi is in charge of cooking. Shari, I understand you’re going to act as August’s secretary...?” Somehow he couldn’t picture her at a keyboard, typing up her husband’s notes.
“B.A. in Business, UCLA,” she replied, as if on cue. She grinned, clearly enjoying the shock that must be as evident on his face as it was on Jessi’s. “I was discovered—” she drew quotation marks in the air with the first two fingers of both hands “—in a beauty pageant, my last year there.”
“Really?” Jessi murmured.
“Really,” Shari confirmed, adding, “And I’m going to do more than just type August’s notes. I intend to help Jessi around camp.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Jessi hastily interjected.
“Oh, I don’t mind. It’ll be fun-probably because I never get to do much at home. We have a live-in housekeeper.” She shot an accusing glance at her husband, who looked away.
Gabe wondered if they did not always agree on her role in the marriage.
Gabe noted Jessi’s thoughtful expression and wondered if she were thinking what he was thinking—clearly all was not well between Shari and August, exactly as Gabe and Jessi had already decided. But he wasn’t being paid to wonder about his boss’s personal life, just to do his bidding.
“What about me?” Anna Kate piped up just then. “What’s my job?”
“To keep us smiling,” Gabe told her, reaching over to tweak her uptilted nose.
Anna Kate pushed his hand away and pouted. “But I wanna really help.”
“You can be in charge of gathering wood for the campfire,” August told her.
The child’s eyes rounded with delight. “We’re gonna have a campfire?”
“Bingo! If you do your job.”
“Oh, I will. I will.” She hopped off her perch. “I’ll find the biggest, bestest wood ever...starting now!”
“Whoa!” Gabe exclaimed, capturing her by the suspenders. “There’s a rule you have to memorize before you start wandering. A rule everyone has to memorize.” He looked at each of the females in turn, ascertaining that he had their undivided attention. “Never go out of sight of the trailers unless I’m along. Never. We’re going to be camping in some pretty wild country. I don’t want to end up hunting for you instead of the treasure.” He focused his gaze on Anna Kate. “Now raise your left hand—no, honey, the other one—and repeat after me—I will never, ever leave camp without telling someone...”
Anna Kate rocked back on her heels and recited the words, solemn as he’d ever seen her or probably ever would again. “‘I will never, ever leave camp without telling someone...’”
Gabe nodded approval. “And I’ll never go so far that I can’t see the trailers.”
“‘And I’ll never’...‘I’ll never’...I forgot...”
“Go so far that I can’t see the trailers.”
“Go so I can’t see the trailers.”
“That’ll do.” He ruffled her curls, which felt silky soft to his work-roughened hand. “As for daily routine, I really can’t predict that beyond saying three meals a day would be nice, but may not always be necessary as August and I will most likely be away from camp during the day.” He scanned the faces of his audience. “Any questions?” Everyone shook their heads. “Well, that’s it I guess.” He turned to Anna Kate. “Why don’t I go with you to collect wood this first time so you’ll know what kind bums best?”
“I can do it myself.”
“Yeah, well there’s a cliff to the east and I don’t want you falling off it.”
Anna Kate rolled her eyes and sighed. “Okay, Daddy G,” she murmured, holding out her hand to him. Together, they walked into the trees immediately surrounding the clearing, where they began to search the leaf-strewn forest floor for fallen limbs.
“Cute kid,” Shari murmured to Jessi. “Wish I had one.”
“That should be easy enough to arrange,” Jessi teased, glancing at August, who ambled back to his motor home.
“Not as easy as you’d think.” Shari gave her a wan smile. “He thinks he’s too old.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“So I’ve told him. He doesn’t believe me. That’s the reason I pressed him to let your daughter come along, of course. I thought she’d be good for him. I hope you don’t mind the ulterior motive.”
“I’m just glad he agreed.”
There was a moment’s silence, then Shari stood. “Guess we’d better get started unloading those boxes. It’ll be dark soon.”
“I really don’t expect you to help,” Jessi said, standing. “I’m sure you have more important things to do.”
“Like what? Do my nails?” Shari shook her head. “I realize you’re being paid to cook and baby-sit me—” she smiled, clearly picking up on Jessi’s surprise at that blunt interpretation of their situation “—but I was really hoping we could be friends.”
“I’d like that a lot,” Jessi said, and meant it.
“Then let me do what any friend would do—help you. And in return, you can help me.”
“I’m afraid I’m not much of a typist.”
Shari laughed. “Oh, I didn’t mean that. I want to learn to cook something besides scrambled eggs and toast, which is my one and only specialty. Would you teach me?”
“Gladly,” Jessi told her, impulsively adding a hug to seal the bargain. When she released the slender beauty, she discovered that Shari’s eyes brimmed with tears. Dismayed, Jessi blurted, “What’s wrong?”
“Everything, but it’s going to get better. I just know it” She glanced off into the woods, where Gabe and Anna Kate still walked, arms now loaded with logs. “You’re so lucky, Jessi.”
Jessi followed her gaze and noted how very natural Anna Kate and Gabe looked together. She realized with a start that she must indeed seem lucky. Handsome husband. Darling daughter. From all appearances, she had it all.
But appearances could be deceiving, the reason her gut knotted with something very akin to regret. No handsome husband...at least not in the forever sense. She closed her eyes, for just a second letting her mind wander at will. Not surprisingly, visions of Gabe filled her head. She saw the twinkle in his eyes, those dashing dimples, that sexy smile. And there was more to her fantasy, more of him