Chapter 17
Dallas
“Look at this.” Dallas looked over his shoulder to where Camilla stood. She had a camera in front of her face and snapped a picture of him. He rolled his eyes with a chuckle and waved her over.
She grinned at him and wandered closer. They’d passed her property line to go for a walk and follow some of the signs of the wolves in the area. While he hadn’t seen another sign of the wolves at her ranch, they were still present.
He had more than enough evidence to bring to his supervisors to recommend a more intense watch of the animals. The numbers might not be growing, and the attack on livestock wasn’t significant enough to demand that the pack be relocated, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t change.
Pointing to the print he’d found in the mud, he glanced up at Camilla again. Her eyes widened and she hunched down with her camera ready. “Is that a wolf print?”
Nodding, Dallas waved a finger over the print.
“While you occasionally get coyotes out here, these prints are too big. They’re twice the size of a coyote and more symmetrical.
See here? Even the toes are symmetrical, and you can see the evidence of their claws.
If this was a coyote print, it would have been about this big.
” He used his finger and thumb to indicate the size.
“The toes would have been more spread out, too. Dog prints are bigger than a coyote’s but smaller than a wolf’s.
And I don’t think there would be many domesticated dogs out this far. ”
“You’re probably right.” Camilla nodded thoughtfully.
“And the only dogs out here would be ours. They’re trained too well to go wandering by the time they get that big.
” She was still staring at the print for a moment, lost in thought.
Before he could ask her what she was thinking, she let him know.
“Do you think we’ll be okay out this far? ”
“Of course.” He slipped his hand onto her knee and squeezed. “I have my shotgun and rifle. Besides, wolves usually hunt early in the morning or just before dusk. They’re not out here looking for much right now. Wolves are generally skittish unless pushed to a breaking point for their own survival.”
Dallas continued to watch her, loving this curious side of the woman he’d grown to love all those years ago. In another life, he might have asked her to come with him when he’d left. It would have been easy to make the request, and he had little doubt that Camilla would have followed him.
But that was the point of his leaving, wasn’t it? He’d wanted her to carve her own path in this life and make decisions that she could be proud of. He would never have forgiven himself if Camilla had come with him and grown to resent him for it.
“Why are we out here again?” she asked, standing to her full height.
He rose, too, taking the opportunity to put his hands on her shoulders before kissing her deeply. Here with her in his arms, he felt whole. If today was his last day on earth, he would die happy knowing she was here beside him, kissing him. Loving him?
She let out a soft laugh and pushed him away playfully. “Why are we hiking out here looking for clues?”
Dallas smirked as he picked up the notebook he’d left abandoned on the ground.
He dusted it off before pulling his satchel open and placing it inside.
“I’m tracking the movements, trying to gauge where they’re headed and how many there are.
They were introduced to this area as a way to conserve their species, but it doesn’t look like that was the best idea. ”
“Because they’re moving in on civilization and killing livestock.” It wasn’t a question.
Dallas nodded. “That’s right. So, for now, I’m just gathering data. If my supervisors take a look at what I’ve found and they think it’s in the wolves’ best interest, they may relocate them altogether.” He slung an arm around her shoulders. “Come on. We’re almost there.”
“Almost there?”
He grinned. “You didn’t think I dragged you all the way out here just so you could take pictures of paw prints and interesting plants, did you?”
“Well, I’ve taken pictures of you,” she offered.
Chuckling, he dropped his hand to his side only to slip his fingers between hers and bring her hand to his lips for a kiss. “I have you to myself for the next several hours. I’m definitely going to take advantage of it.”
Dallas hadn’t been back in Copper Creek long, and if he were honest with Camilla, he would have told her that he’d asked Mateo about the best place to take her for the picnic.
Specifically, he wanted a place that was close enough to hike to but not on their property—somewhere Camilla might not have visited.
He’d driven them to the edge of the property with the ATV, and they’d crossed past the property line before they’d wandered farther into a wooded area.
Unfortunately, Mateo hadn’t been much help, and it had taken Dallas three days of wandering around to find the place he planned on taking Camilla.
There were little red tags tied to tree branches—a way to help guide him back to the tranquil place he’d discovered only yesterday.
Their outing today had been last-minute, and he’d barely managed to get supplies out to the spot he’d discovered.
He hadn’t expected to take her there so quickly.
Simply put, he was thrilled that Camilla was willing to drop everything to go for a picnic.
She walked beside him quietly, their boots crunching on fallen twigs and bits of crusted dirt. In the shade of the trees, the summer heat wasn’t nearly as bad as it was in the pastures. It was like they’d entered a different world.
“Are you sure we’re going to have enough to eat? Your satchel isn’t exactly the size of a picnic basket,” Camilla teased.
He tossed her a grin. “You know me. I’m more prepared than that.”
“I told you I could handle putting stuff in my backpack. I don’t really consider granola bars and bottled water the makings of a good pic—”
Right at that moment, he’d rounded the bend in the makeshift trail he’d been leading her through.
There was a blanket spread out before them, half beneath the sun and half beneath the overhanging branches of an evergreen.
Wildflowers grew in bunches throughout the small clearing.
It still smelled like fresh rain even though it had been days since they’d had any moisture.
A picnic basket waited on the blanket. He’d been wary of leaving anything out—around here, anything with a nose would find it. Even the closed basket wasn’t safe if it sat too long. So he’d timed the whole thing to make sure it was still there and intact when they arrived.
Based on the surprise and light that filled Camilla’s eyes, he’d done well.
Her hand was still in his and he brought it to his lips before he murmured, “I hope you’re hungry.”
Camilla let out a little laugh. That was all she seemed capable of doing as he tugged her toward the blanket. With little beams of light breaking through the shade, it almost looked like the space glowed. It couldn’t have turned out more perfect.
She settled onto her knees at the edge of the blanket, and he released her in order to open the picnic basket. Her eyes remained trained on it until he pulled out the wrapped burgers from Sal’s. Camilla gasped, her eyes darting to his. “You didn’t.”
He grinned. “Double cheeseburger with extra pickles. And…” He reached into the basket and retrieved an entire pie. “Cherry.”
When he glanced up at her, tears were lining her lashes. Immediately, he frowned and put the pie down before rushing to her side. “Don’t you like this anymore? It’s what you ordered—”
“On our first date,” she said, her voice cracking. “I can’t believe you remembered.”
He took both of her hands in his. “I remember everything about you, Camilla.”
She bit back a sob, and he felt helpless.
All he could do was pull her into his lap and hold her.
He couldn’t help but think he’d done something wrong.
This was supposed to be a rekindling of what they’d had before he moved away.
The night he’d taken her to Sal’s for their first date had been one of his happiest memories. He’d known he loved her even then.
“I’m sorry—”
Camilla jerked in his arms. “What are you sorry for?”
“You’re crying,” he said hoarsely. “I didn’t mean—”
She let out a teary laugh. “This is perfect, Dallas.”
“But—”
Her hand palmed his cheek, and she shook her head.
“I’m sorry I’m so emotional. It’s been a long day.
” Before he could ask her if there was anything he could do, she continued.
“This is perfect,” she repeated. “I love it.” Camilla made a move to get out of his lap, but he tightened his arms around her.
“Not yet.” He buried his face in her neck.
“Just let me hold you.” His body thrummed with nervous energy.
They already knew each other well enough that they were past the small talk stage.
The only things he didn’t know about her were little details about what she’d been up to for the last seven years.
Right now, all he wanted was to hold her close and revel in his second chance.
Camilla relaxed against him. For a moment all that mattered was the two of them. Nothing could make this moment, or others, better than it already was.
“I love you, Dallas,” Camilla whispered.
He stiffened. She hadn’t said those words to him since right before he’d abandoned her. Was he dreaming? He had to be.
She pulled back enough that she could look him in the eye. “I don’t think I ever stopped loving you,” she murmured, her palm to his cheek again.
“I love you, too. So much, Camilla. You don’t even know—”
Her smile cut him off. Or maybe it was the look in her eyes. Either way, there was something he saw in her expression that had him wanting to just drink her in. She was everything, and maybe she already knew it.
“Good news, kid,” the voice on the other end of the call said. Dallas glanced over at Camilla as she unloaded the things they’d brought with them on the ATV. She glanced back at him and smiled as he turned his attention back to the phone call.
“And what’s that?”
Mack had been his supervisor for the last two years on their research team. “After you’re done with this assignment, I’m sending you to Canada.”
“Canada?” The word scratched his throat, burned his insides. “What? Why?”
“Don’t sound so excited, kid. This is what you wanted. What we all wanted. We’re collaborating with a team in Alberta, and they requested us.”
Under normal circumstances, Dallas might have been over the moon.
But one look in Camilla’s direction had his stomach twisted.
They were finally getting back to a good place.
How was he supposed to tell her that he already had a new assignment in the works?
He’d been planning on contacting Mack about the possibility of taking on a job that wouldn’t require as much travel, but apparently, he’d waited too long.
Dallas shoved down the feeling of trepidation that came with this new revelation. Maybe it wouldn’t be all bad. Maybe Camilla would consider coming with him to his next assignment.
He still had the summer to figure out how he wanted to deal with this situation. Until then, he wouldn’t bother stressing Camilla with the news. For now, they’d enjoy every second they had together.