“Remember to bring a jacket.”

  He flashed him a huge smile. “I will. I’ll be right back.”

  Carson kept his distance and lounged against the side of the Jeep to wait. Pretty soon they came out. Johnny carried both bags and handed them to Carson to put in the back. It warmed his heart to see the boy was a quick learner.

  “Can I ride in front, Mom?”

  “If it’s all right with Carson.”

  “Anything goes around here. Come on.” He opened both passenger doors for them, avoiding eye contact with her. So much for the talk they’d had last night. Considering he was more aware of her than ever, it had accomplished absolutely nothing. “We’ll drive to the barn and mount up.”

  “How come Rachel and Sam didn’t come to breakfast?”

  In the rearview mirror he noticed a pair of hazel eyes fastened on him.

  “They ate early and went on an activity with Buck. He’ll bring them to the camp later, but they won’t be riding up with us.”

  “Hooray!”

  “Johnny—” his mother scolded. “That wasn’t nice to say.”

  “I’m sorry, but their ponies always come right up to mine.”

  Carson glanced at him in surprise. “So you noticed.” He had natural horse sense. Everything the boy said and did pleased him.

  “Yeah. They get in the way.”

  “I know what you mean. When it happens again, I’ll teach you a simple trick so they’ll leave Goldie alone.”

  “Thanks! How come they do that?”

  “Have you ever heard of the three blind mice who hung around together?”

  Johnny giggled. “Yes.”

  “That’s what the ponies do, because they’re friends. When you’re on Goldie, you have to show them who’s the boss.”

  “But how?”

  “Have you ever heard the expression giddyup?”

  “Yup.”

  “Well, you’re going to practice saying that to Goldie today. And when you say it, you’re going to nudge her sides with your heels. That’ll make her go faster. Pretty soon she’ll start to go faster every time you say the word and you won’t need to use your heels. When she understands, then you wait until you’re riding with the other kids. If their ponies start to crowd in on you, just call out ‘giddyup’ and see what happens.”

  “But what if that makes the other ponies go faster, too?”

  Carson threw his head back and laughed, producing another cough. When it subsided, he could still hear Tracy’s laughter. “That’s a very astute question, partner. In all probability it will, so you’ll have to ride even harder and make a lot of noise. But you’ll also need to be prepared to pull on the reins so you don’t lose control.”

  “That’s going to be fun!”

  Johnny bounced up and down on the seat all the way to the barn where their horses and pony were saddled. Carson parked the Jeep outside before grabbing the bags, including his own. He fastened a set behind each saddle while Bert helped Tracy and Johnny to mount.

  Bert waved them off. “Have a good ride!”

  “Thanks. We will!” Johnny called back. “See ya tomorrow, Bert.”

  “Okay, young fella.”

  Add another fan to Johnny Baretta’s list. To charm old Bert wasn’t an easy feat. So far the waitresses and desk staff, not to mention Carson’s buddies, found him delightful.

  Carson hadn’t personally known Anthony Baretta, but he had a reputation in their division for being well liked and easy to get along with. Like father, like son.

  Carson led them along a track through the sage in a northeastly direction. Johnny followed, and Tracy brought up the rear. When they’d been going for a while, he fell back alongside Johnny and told him to start working on Goldie.

  The first few times the boy said giddyup, he didn’t use his heels fast enough and nothing happened. Johnny’s frustration started to build.

  “You have to be patient and listen to Carson, honey.”

  “But I am listening, Mom.”

  “Sure you are,” Carson encouraged him. “The trick is to use your heels at exactly the same time you call out. Try a louder voice the next time.”

  “What if it doesn’t work?”

  “Then you keep trying until it does. Did I ever tell you about the first time I learned to ride a bull?”

  “No. What happened?”

  “I was training for the junior bull-riding competition. It was awful. I got unseated so fast every time, I was ready to cry.”

  “Did you?” came the solemn question.

  “Almost. But then I looked at my grandpa. He was just standing there by the gate with a smile, telling me to try it again.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I got so mad, I walked back behind the barrier and climbed on another bull. When the gate opened, I concentrated on what I’d learned, and guess what? I stayed on long enough for the other cowboys watching to clap.”

  “I bet your grandpa was happy.”

  “Yup, but not as happy as I was.”

  “I think I’ll wait a little while before I try again,” he announced.

  Carson understood Johnny’s sentiments well enough. He’d been there and done that many times before. “That’s fine. We’re in no hurry.”

  Tracy drew up along the other side of her son. “I hope you don’t wait too long. We’re coming to the forest.”

  Carson could sense her desire for Johnny to conquer this moment. It managed to fire her son who got a determined look on his cute face. All of a sudden they heard a loud giddyup rend the air and Goldie took off trotting. Johnny let out a yelp.

  “Pull on the reins and she’ll stop.”

  To Carson’s delight, Johnny had the presence of mind to follow through and ended up doing everything right. He turned his pony toward them. “She minded me.”

  “Yup.” Carson couldn’t be more proud if Johnny were his own son. “Now she knows who’s boss.”

  “You were amazing, honey!”

  “Thanks.”

  When Tracy beamed like that, her beauty took Carson’s breath. She stared at him through glistening eyes. “You’ve worked magic with him.”

  “He’s your son, don’t forget.”

  “I can’t take any credit for this. His confidence level is through the roof. How do I thank you?”

  “With that smile, you already have.”

  “Hey, you guys—aren’t you coming?”

  Johnny’s question broke the odd stillness that had suddenly enveloped them. Both their shoulders shook with laughter at the same time. “What’s the hurry?” Carson called out when he could find his voice.

  “I want to keep riding.”

  “You mean you’re not tired yet?”

  “Tired? No way! Come on! Goldie wants to keep going.”

  “We’re coming. Since you’re in the lead, we’ll continue to follow you.”

  “What if I get lost?”

  “Hey, partner—we can’t get lost. This is my back yard.”

  “Back yard!” Johnny laughed hysterically. “You’re so funny, Carson.”

  He blinked. “No one in the world has ever said that to me before.”

  “Sometimes you really are,” Tracy concurred. “As my son has found out, it’s a very appealing side of you.”

  Carson felt an adrenalin rush. Is that what you think too, Tracy?

  “Mom? How come you guys keep talking?”

  He heard her clear her throat. “Because we’re waiting for you to get going.” She darted Carson an amused glance.

  “Oh.”

  With less trouble than he’d demonstrated earlier, Johnny turned the palomino around and headed into the forest. The three of them were on the move once more, this time with Tracy at Carson’s side. But after they got into the thick of the pines, the trail became less discernible in spots. Carson pulled alongside Johnny. His mother stayed right behind them.

  “Seen any bad guys yet?”

  “No, but I’m keeping a lookout.”

  “Got your mustang handy?”

  “It’s in my pocket. How far is the lake?”

  “We wind up the slope for two more miles.”

  “What’s it called?”

  “I call it Secret Lake.”

  “Who else knows about it?”

  “Only my best friends.”

  “You mean Ross and Buck?”

  “That’s right. And a few others. It’s my favorite place. I can’t let just anybody come up here. Otherwise it wouldn’t be a secret.”

  Johnny looked over at him with those serious dark eyes. “Thanks for bringing me. I’m having the funnest time of my whole life.”

  Chapter Six

  It was the second time Tracy’s son had expressed the very sentiment she felt. She had to admit she was enjoying this trip a lot more than she’d anticipated. But along with this newfound excitement, her guilt was increasing.

  Strictly speaking, it wasn’t the guilt some war widows experienced, making them cling to the memory of their husbands. The love she and Tony shared would always be in her heart. They’d talked about the possibility of his dying, and she’d promised him she would move on if—heaven forbid—something happened to him. Since that horrible day, she’d been doing her best to make a full life for herself and Johnny.

  This was a different kind of guilt, because she didn’t feel guilty about enjoying Carson’s company. To be honest, she was attracted to him. Very attracted.

  Her biggest fear was that he’d already sensed it. Last night he’d sounded relieved after they’d had their talk. As he’d explained, when he and his friends had put their plan into action, they’d done it purely to brighten up the lives of a few families affected by the war.

  Neither Carson nor his friends wanted or expected some love-starved woman with a child to come on to them because she’d lost her husband. The thought had to have crossed his mind when they’d first met at the airport.

  According to Carson, the three men had been bachelors when they’d joined the Marines. And they were still living that lifestyle outside of this special project that was bringing so much joy to Johnny’s life. Since Tracy couldn’t help what they were thinking, there was no point in being embarrassed. What she needed to do was be friends with all of them, the way she was with Tony’s brothers. That was going to be especially hard when she was around Carson, but she could do it. And she would!

  “Mom—there’s the lake!”

  Johnny’s exultant cry jolted her back to the moment. They’d moved on ahead of her. “Good for you for finding it! Does it look like Lake Erie with lots of barges and a lighthouse?” she teased.

  “Heck, no. It’s little, with pine trees all around it.”

  She smiled. “Can you see any fish?”

  “Can you?” she heard him ask Carson. Oh, Johnny. Her son was so predictable.

  “See all those dark things moving around?”

  “Yeah.”

  “The lake is full of rainbow trout.”

  “I don’t see their rainbows.”

  “You will when you catch one.” Carson was ever the patient teacher. “We’ll cook it for your dinner tonight.”

  “Won’t there be anything else to eat?” was her son’s forlorn reply.

  Carson’s laughter warmed new places inside her. “We’ve got lots of stuff.”

  “That’s good.”

  Tracy drew closer to them.

  “Hey—I can see some tents and a table! Someone else is camping here.” He didn’t sound happy about that.

  Carson laughed again. “Yup. That someone is you, partner. Those tents have already been set up for us.”

  “Whoa!”

  “Maybe you’d like to sleep in that three-man tent with Sam and Rachel.”

  “Oh, yeah. I forgot they were coming. Where will you sleep?”

  “Right next to you guys in my tent.”

  “What about my mom?”

  “There’s a tent for her and one for the Harrises. The one on the end is for Buck.”

  “But there are six tents.”

  “Yup. The extra one is where we keep the food and all the supplies we’ll need. After we take care of the horses, we’ll fix ourselves some lunch.”

  “Goody.”

  Their entertaining conversation was music to Tracy’s ears. She finally broke through the heavy cover of pines to discover a small body of deep green water bathed by the sun. “This place looks enchanted.”

  While Carson put out some hay and water for the horses, he slanted her a hooded look. “It is.”

  She felt a shiver run through her. They’d already dismounted and he’d removed the saddles and bags.

  “Come over here, Mom. I’ll tie your reins to this tree the way Carson showed me.”

  “Such wonderful service deserves a kiss.” She got down off her horse and planted one on her son’s cheek.

  “The latrine is around the other side in the trees, away from the camping area,” he informed her.

  Latrine. Since their arrival in Jackson, Johnny’s vocabulary must have increased by a couple of hundred words at least. He was becoming a veritable fount of knowledge.

  “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” Without being asked, Tracy picked up their bags. “I’ll take these.”

  “Put mine in the big tent.”

  “Didn’t you forget to say something?”

  “Oh, yeah. Please. I forgot.”

  “I know, but it’s so much nicer when you remember.”

  Carson’s eyes smiled at her before she started walking along the tree-lined shore toward the tents pitched some distance away. She undid the tie on the screen and entered the big one where three sleeping bags and extra blankets were rolled out. It was getting hot out, but the temperature inside was still pleasant.

  She emptied his saddlebag and put his things in little stacks against the side of his sleeping bag. Then she left and picked out one of the other tents for herself. It didn’t take her long to unpack.

  When she emerged, she discovered Carson putting out picnic food on the camp table beneath some pine boughs to give them shade. Johnny had the duty of setting up the camp chairs.

  Tracy approached them and looked all around. “With the smell of the pines so strong, this is what I call heaven on earth.” She eyed her son. “Do you know how lucky we are, Johnny? Can you believe Carson and his friends have gone to all this trouble for us? We’re going to have to think of something really special to do for them.”

  “I know.”

  They settled down to eat.

  “Guess what?” Carson said after swallowing his second roast beef sandwich. “You’ve already done something special.”

  Johnny stopped chewing on his sandwich. “No, we haven’t.”

  “Want to bet? You accepted our invitation to come. We hoped you and your mom would like the idea.” He darted her a penetrating glance. “That’s all the payment we needed.”

  Carson.

  “At first I didn’t want to.” Her son was nothing if not honest.

  “I don’t blame you. I’d have been scared to go someplace where I’d never been before. I think you were very brave to come.”

  “I’m not brave, but my mom is.”

  “She sure is.” In an unexpected gesture, Carson pulled out his phone and clicked on the photo gallery. “Now take a look at this.” He handed it to Johnny.

  “That’s me riding Goldie!”

  “Yup. How many kids do you know your age who can go on a trail ride in the mountains on their own pony?” Tracy hadn’t seen him take a picture. She was amazed. Had he taken one of her, too?

  Johnny’s brown gaze switched from the photo to study Carson. “I don’t know any.”

  “Neither do I. So don’t ever tell me Tony Baretta’s son isn’t brave.” Carson’s expression grew serious. “You’re just like your dad and I’m proud to know you.”

  The conviction in his tone shook Tracy to the core and affected Johnny to the point of tears. They didn’t fall, but they shimmered on the tips of his lashes with every heartbeat. “I’m proud of you, too. You’re sick all the time and still do everything.”

  If Tracy wasn’t mistaken, Carson’s eyes had a suspicious sheen. As for herself, a huge lump had lodged in her throat.

  “If everyone’s finished eating, what do you say we put the rest of the food in the bear locker and go for a swim? Remember we have to fasten it tight. Occasionally a black bear or a grizzly forages through this area, but unlikely you’ll ever see one.”

  Johnny looked at Tracy. “Don’t worry, Mom. Carson brought bear spray. He’ll keep us safe.”

  She lifted her gaze to a pair of blue eyes that blinded her with their intensity. “I have no doubt of it.”

  The three of them made short work of cleaning up and went to their respective tents to change into their bathing suits. When Johnny was dressed, he came running with his beach sandals and towel to her tent. She’d put a beach cover-up over her one-piece blue floral suit.

  Before leaving Sandusky, she’d searched half a dozen shops to find something modest. Other women didn’t mind being scantily clad, but she wasn’t comfortable walking around like that.

  Once she’d covered them in sunscreen, she grabbed her towel and they both left the tent in search of Carson. He’d beaten them to the shore and was blowing up a huge inner tube with a pump. Johnny squealed in delight.

  The only thing more eye-catching than the sight of this pristine mountain lake was Carson Lundgren dressed in nothing more than his swimming trunks. Tracy had trouble not staring at such an amazing, hard-packed specimen of male beauty.

  She felt his keen gaze play over her before he said, “Johnny? I want you to wear the life jacket I left on the table. Even if you’re a good swimmer, I’ll feel much better if you wear it while we’re out here. Don’t be fooled by this lake. You can only wade in a few feet, then it drops off fast to thirty feet.”