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Chapter Ten

"There sure is nothing as nice as a sunrise. Unless, of course, it's a sunset," Zeke commented the next morning as Lucas was helping pack their things for the day's journey.

Lucas glanced at Zeke to make sure he wasn't looking at Gail while he said that. He relaxed when he realized Zeke was focused on shaving. Lucas would be glad when this venture was over. Then Zeke could find some other lady to compare to sunsets.

Lucas finished securing his things in his bedroll. It had been a long night. He thought he'd had trouble sleeping that night at the hotel, but last night was worse. There were far too many noises out here. When he did manage to drift off to sleep, he dreamt of coyotes and rattlesnakes coming after him and Gail. And, as if those dreams weren't bad enough, the hard ground made it impossible to get comfortable. How he missed his bed back home. But none of that could be compared to how scared his poor sister must be.

"Are you sure the eggs are done?" Zeke called out to Gail.

Lucas' gaze went to her, and he saw her setting the skillet on a rock.

"I cooked them for three minutes," she said. When he frowned, she added, "You told me they'd be done in three minutes."

"But are the white parts set? You know, are they curling up at the corners?"

Not hiding her exasperation, she said, "Yes."

He paused for a moment then went over to the skillet. He peered down at it. "Alright, those look fine."

"I can follow directions."

Surprised at her curt tone, Lucas' gaze returned to her. Zeke was irritating her. He had grown up with Gail. She didn't irritate easily. One of the most commendable things he could say about Gail was that she held herself with poise and grace. She might not be the most engaging lady to talk to, nor was she the most attractive in a room full of ladies, but she knew how to conduct herself. So to see her snap at Zeke was new.

"I don't know what you fancy types are used to doing," Zeke told her, obviously baffled that she took offense to his words. "I assume you are used to giving instructions instead of receiving them."

She took a deep breath then slowly exhaled. Once again, she was the Gail Lucas was familiar with. "While I am used to a house full of servants to assist me, I am able to follow instructions when I need to. All I had to do was crack the eggs and let them sit in the skillet over the fire. There wasn't much to it."

He thought for a moment then nodded. "I suppose you're right. Even a child can do it."

Lucas was certain that Zeke didn't mean those words in the degrading way they came across, but Gail took offense to them. Perhaps Lucas should smooth things over. It would be the right thing to do.

On the other hand, the less Gail approved of Zeke, the less Lucas had to worry about Zeke winning her over. Maybe it was wrong to push for Gail not to like Zeke. But then, maybe not. Zeke shouldn't have compared her to sunsets. A husband had the right to ensure other men left his wife alone. Feeling much better about keeping quiet, Lucas walked passed them and placed his bedroll next to his saddle.

"I'm relieved you approve of the eggs," Gail said then strode over to her bedroll to get her things packed.

Alright, Lucas felt a little guilty. Gail's feelings had been hurt by Zeke's words, and Lucas hadn't stepped in to stop that. He went over to Gail.

"Don't pay him any mind," Lucas whispered to her as he helped her. "If he bathed more, it'd be easier to take him seriously." He meant it as a joke, and he was happy to hear her laugh. He smiled. "You impress me."

"Because I can cook eggs?"

"No, not because you can cook eggs. You're joining me in looking for my sister. There are animals to worry about in this territory, but you're not letting that stop you. Other ladies wouldn't have risked the danger." And there was something appealing about that. She returned his smile, and something about it made him think she might resemble something like a sunset.

"I want to find her as much as you do," Gail commented. "She was always nice to me."

Curious she said that, he asked, "Weren't others nice to you in Pennsylvania?"

She shrugged as she shoved her grooming supplies into the bedroll. "No one said anything directly to me, but some were nicer than others. You and your sister were the nicer ones."

He resisted the urge to wince. She wouldn't think he was so nice if she knew the real reason he married her.

"Eat up, or the eggs will get cold," Zeke called out.

"The sooner we get going, the sooner we can rescue your sister," she whispered to Lucas. "Then we can be rid of Zeke once and for all." She rolled up her bedroll.

"I'll take that to your saddle," he offered once she was done securing the bedroll. He might not be able to do anything about the past, but he could do something about the future. And it was time he started appreciating her for more than the money she brought to the marriage.

***

Gail's mind wandered as the morning passed. Though they were traveling on even land, there was a mountain to the east and one to the northwest. The one to the northwest wasn't as large as the one to the east. Other than that, all she could see were trees. She really hadn't expected this many trees in Arizona. She couldn't believe how misleading those books had been. She was tempted to voice the thought to Lucas but worried Zeke would interject. Given how stupid he thought she was, he would only throw in some snide comment. If Lucas wasn't here, she didn't know what she would do. Thankfully, Lucas continued to ride between her and Zeke.

"You're lucky that your sister's kidnappers took her this way," Zeke told Lucas. "The days aren't hot in this part of Arizona."

"You don't think this is hot?" Lucas asked, his tone not hiding his surprise.

She agreed with Lucas. She was already sweating under the layers of her clothes, and they weren't even in the hottest part of the day. Lucas, she noted, had wiped sweat from his brow.

"Oh, no, this isn't hot at all," Zeke said. "It's very comfortable."

Lucas glanced at her, and she shrugged. What could she say? Maybe they felt hot because it didn't get this warm in Pennsylvania this early in the day.

"It's hot when you don't need a fire to fry up an egg," Zeke went on. "You go south to the desert, and you can put your skillet on a rock at midday and let the sun do the cooking for you."

Gail shot Lucas a skeptical look. She found it hard to believe someone could cook an egg like that. Judging by the expression on Lucas' face, he felt the same way she did. She bet Zeke made a lot of things up. Maybe that snake he saw yesterday wasn't really a rattlesnake. Maybe it was a little garden one, and he didn't want to seem incompetent at his job by admitting that something small and harmless had scared him. He had, after all, taken on the task of finding Bernadette to prove to the people in Flagstaff that he was a hero. No one would think he was heroic if he didn't encounter dangerous things like a rattlesnake.

"Back when I was young, I went to Phoenix," Zeke rambled. "I was all by myself. Well, except for Brock here." He patted his steed's neck.

"You don't look any older than us," Lucas interrupted. "I'm twenty, and Gail is nineteen."

"I'm twenty-three," Zeke replied. "I have three more years of experience over you and four more years of experience over Gail. Believe me, you learn a lot in those extra years. Especially when you are stuck in the desert all by yourself."

Lucas' gaze went to Gail, and he rolled his eyes. She chuckled under her breath.

"One night while I was sleeping by the campfire, a scorpion crawled on my chest," Zeke began with what Gail was certain was a tall tale. "I had to remain still so I wouldn't scare it. You scare one of those things, and they'll hurt you. Have you ever seen a scorpion?"

"No, I can't say I have," Lucas said.

"Most are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but they can get a little bigger. They can be a yellowish or brown color. That's why it can be hard to find them. They blend into the sand and rocks. I got a keen eye, so I can spot them when I'm awake. The only reason I missed this one was because I was sleeping."

There Zeke went again with his vision of how heroic he was.

"If you do see something moving and if you wonder if it's a scorpion," Zeke continued, "I'll tell you what to look for. The first thing you do is look for the shape of the thing's body. A scorpion is slender, and its tail curves up in the back."

"It would look silly if its tail was in the front," Lucas chimed in.

Amused at his joke, Gail giggled.

Lucas glanced at her and winked to let her know he appreciated her laughter.

"Nothing has a tail in the front of its body," Zeke pointed out. "That's why it's called a tail."

"That's why I made the joke," Lucas replied.

Zeke frowned as if he didn't understand that Lucas had been joking.

Gail giggled again.

Zeke shook his head. "Anyway, they have eight legs like a spider, so make sure you count those little legs. Then they have these little claws that can pinch you. They use those claws to hold onto their food. They can't have a meal scurrying off on them when they're hungry."

The image in her mind made Gail inwardly shudder. It was possible Zeke was exaggerating how terrible this creature looked, but if he wasn't, then scorpions were hideous.

"That night when I found that scorpion on my chest, I remained real still," Zeke went on, excitement creeping into his voice. "You got to do that with them or they'll get startled, and let me tell you, you don't want a startled scorpion."

"I'm sure a scorpion wouldn't want a startled Zeke, either," Lucas quipped.

This time, Gail laughed harder at his joke. Who knew Lucas had such wit?

"Oh, I didn't get startled," Zeke said, once more oblivious to the jokes Lucas was making. "I know what to expect out here. I've been here all of my life. Heard all the stories. Been through a lot of things. I'm always prepared for danger."

Gail couldn't take all of this heroic talk anymore. She leaned forward so she could look past Lucas to see Zeke. "I doubt something that small can be dangerous."

Zeke's eyes grew wide. "Oh, but they can be. It's not the size of something that matters. It's the venom they have."

"Scorpions have venom?" Lucas asked, his face growing serious.

"They sure do. Right in their tails," Zeke replied. "They like to grab their prey with their claws while using that tail to sting it."

"Are they more dangerous than a rattlesnake?" Lucas pressed.

"Well," Zeke began, "a rattler coils up in areas where they're hard to see, and they will leap out at you before sinking their sharp fangs into your skin. When you compare them, I suppose a rattler is more dangerous."

After a moment, Lucas urged Zeke to continue. "How did you get rid of the scorpion?"

"I was real still, like I said before. It's important to be calm around those things. If you don't scare it, it won't use its tail on you. I slowly brought up my hand to right behind its tail. Then, taking deep, even breaths, I grabbed its tail to render it harmless. After that, I jumped up from my bedroll, slapped the thing on the ground, and smashed it with a rock. I moved so fast it didn't have time to react. That's the key. You got to be swift once you move. Any hesitation, and you lose."

Gail was certain events didn't transpire quite that way, but there was no denying he believed what he was telling them.

"You're both lucky I'm here," Zeke bragged. "I know this area like the back of my hand. Nothing will catch me by surprise out here. We'll have your sister safe with us soon."

Well, even if Gail doubted Zeke's version of events, he was willing to help them, and for that, she supposed he wasn't all bad. Still, it would be nice if he would at least admit she had a smidgen of intelligence.

Zeke's eyes lit up. "I should tell you about the time my canoe almost went off a waterfall. The river can offer just as many obstacles as the desert."

Gail could spend her time listening to more of Zeke's self-praising adventures, or she could think about things that made her happy. Nothing made her happier than thinking of the man she loved. While Zeke rambled, Gail decided to let her mind wander to her favorite memories of her courtship with Lucas.

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