Mountain Moonlight - By Jane Toombs Page 0,52

before the trip ends," she conceded, needing that promise for herself.

Chapter 12

In each night camp as they came down out of the mountains, Vala expected Davis to decide to sleep outside under the stars with Bram. Instead, her son sought the tent shortly after dark each night and didn't emerge until morning.

Which left her alone with Bram for some time before she retired to the tent. She both looked forward to those times as well as being apprehensive about them. But Bram's will power was apparently equal to hers and all they did was talk. No more good night kisses.

Then, on the morning of the third day of the return journey, Bram announced, "Tonight'll be our last camp out. Tomorrow morning we'll be heading for home."

"Bummer," Davis muttered.

Vala felt the same. She didn't want the trip to be over, wasn't ready for an ending.

Tonight, she vowed, I'll risk sleeping outside next to Bram. We're adults, we can control ourselves so that we're just two companions sharing the last night together under the stars. I want that last night with him.

To distract herself from thinking about how she'd feel when she was on the jet lifting away from Phoenix, Val deliberately concentrated on the growth along the trail. Catclaw, creosote bush, jojoba, prickly pear cactus, staghorn cholla. Until this trip into the Superstitions she'd never realized there was such a variety of cacti and shrubs in this arid area.

The most spectacular was the saguaro cactus that grew all around Phoenix, looking like a giant man with his arms raised. With her eyes now accustomed to the lush greenery of the East Coast, though, what did grow here seemed exotic enough to have come from another planet.

When they stopped to rest the horses, Davis said, "Look, there's a chuckwalla. He doesn't seem scared of us at all."

"As lizards go," Bram said, "chuckwallas are among the slowest and most phlegmatic."

"And the drabbest," Vala added. "Sort of a nothing color."

"Maybe 'cause he's slow he needs to sort of blend into the rocks and the ground so predators won't see him." Davis pointed at the sky. "Like that big hawk up there. I bet he eats lizards."

"Anything he can catch," Bram affirmed.

"All that makes me glad we're at the top of the food chain," Vala said.

"That's what you think," Davis put in. "Humans aren't at the top."

"Okay, I'll bite," Bram said. "What is?"

"Bite, that's a good one," Davis whooped, going into gales of laughter. When he was able to speak, he said, "What's at the top of the food chain? Vampires!"

Bram struck his forehead with the heel of his hand in mock horror while Vala rolled her eyes, chuckling.

By the time they remounted and continued on, though, her light-heartedness faded and vanished, replaced by a gloomy feeling of impending loss.

Davis, ahead of her in the single file chain, glanced back at her, but she couldn't muster up a smile.

Moments later he called to her. "Hey, Mom, we could sing like we did on the way up. You start."

What a turn of events, she thought. We arrived in Arizona with me trying to cheer Davis up and now that we're about to leave, he's trying to make me feel better.

She began with the old tried and true "Comin' Round The Mountain."

Davis chose one of his camp songs she and Bram had learned from him on the upward journey. Then Bram picked "Home On The Range."

The singing carried her along until their throats got too dry to continue. In one way it was a good thing the trip was near the end because they were almost out of water. And food, as well. Bram had packed for extra days but, as he'd said, he hadn't expected the trip to take so long.

Neither had she. And now she wished it had taken even longer.

Bram was well aware they could make it to Brenden's by dark, but he knew neither Vala nor Davis realized that. So, okay, he was cheating, so what? He needed this one last night with Vala. He'd long ago decided not to accept any fee at all from her, so one more night didn't make any difference. She and Davis would still have time to catch their flight the day after tomorrow.

He wished Vala and he could spend this last night alone together but he was willing to take what he could get.

Which, with Davis around, would be her company and maybe a good night kiss. He liked the kid--was going to miss him. Still,