Mountain Moonlight - By Jane Toombs Page 0,28

circle back to his past. No doubt because it was so easy to talk to Vala that he forgot to be careful what he said.

"Oh, look!" she cried, pointing. "That must be the landmark."

Bram looked, then turned to grin at her. "You spotted the guide bear, all right."

"I can't wait to tell Davis, but I hope he won't be too disappointed he wasn't the first to see the bear."

"Look at it this way. If he hadn't gotten lost and blundered into that cactus, we wouldn't have come to Pauline's and we wouldn't be where we are now. So Davis can take part of the credit."

"Wounded but justified," she said, smiling at him. "Interesting old Mokesh's map has been accurate so far," Bram said. "The bear isn't as well known a landmark as the lizard. I knew roughly where it was, but not exactly. We'll have to change direction some when we hit the trail again."

"Do you actually think we might find something when we reach the map's end?"

"If you mean treasure, I doubt we'll find gold."

She sighed. "There has to be something. Davis will be heartbroken otherwise. You see, he trusted Mokesh, so he believes in that map."

"Mokesh was a medicine man; Davis won't be disappointed." Bram wasn't sure how he knew this, but, as though Mokesh himself was whispering into his ear, he had no doubt he was right.

"Davis trusts you, too," she said.

Bram was well aware of the boy's hero worship. He hadn't earned it. All he'd done was try to help a kid like he'd once been, feel better about himself. Considering he was a man who avoided entanglements of any kind, it was strange how involved he'd managed to get with both Vala and her son. He ought to put an end to it. He could, couldn't he? Yeah, he told himself. Sure. And I suppose you think inviting Vala to spend the night with you under the stars is your first step to disentanglement.

His momentary uneasiness about involvement was erased by a rush of anticipation about what the night might bring, anticipation so intense it filled his mind--and body.

Vala, glancing at Bram, caught his dreamy smile--at nothing--and wondered what he was thinking. Why had he mentioned sleeping under the stars? Now all her thoughts were irrevocably focused on that. She should have said no, but the idea intrigued her.

Or was it the man who intrigued her?

Foolish question. She'd been caught up in something beyond her power to resist every since he'd walked into that cafe in Apache Junction and looked into her eyes. Though it may have been a mistake to bring Bram back into her life, she was glad she'd ignored that crossed-off name and called him. Never mind that she hadn't expected to feel so drawn to him, he'd made her feel young again, made her feel attractive even in her jeans and long-sleeved shirt trail clothes.

Much as she loved her son, Bram had made her realize there was more to life than being a mother. Not that she'd ever neglect Davis, but she'd been reminded she had a right to a life of her own. A right she just might seize and explore tonight under the stars.

Chapter 7

When Vala and Bram arrived at the spot Pauline had sent them to, they found some of the plants she'd mentioned and began clipping off the parts she'd told them she needed, dropping them into the basket. When it was full, they searched in vain for the other plants she'd described, ones whose roots she'd asked them to dig for her.

"I guess we'll just have to take her what we've got," Vala said.

Bram nodded. "What she wants isn't here. Makes no sense to go on looking when we don't know where else they might grow. Odd that she told us they grew here. As well as she knows the Superstitions, it isn't like Pauline to make such a mistake."

They remounted and soon were threading their way back through a narrow passage between two peaked rock formations. When they came into the open, Vala asked, "Don't you know anything about Pauline other than that she's a medicine woman and a hermit?"

Bram shook his head.

"She acted as though she knew who Davis was talking about when he mentioned Mokesh. That's surely not a common name."

Bram was fairly sure Pauline had Ndee blood, but didn't say so. If Pauline wanted people to know, she could tell them herself. If she didn't, he wasn't going to be the one