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Tumbling into Love

By Gail Gaymer Martin

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Chapter 1

Claire Howard clipped her last wet tee-shirt onto the makeshift clothesline and stepped back, hoping the tops would dry fast in the bright sunshine. She didn’t want anyone to become snared by the rope stretched between two of the closest trees to their spot in the campground. She carried the clothes pins back toward the storage box, noticing her friend Melina still in the too-small tent.
When Claire dropped the pins in the container and pulled her head from the mini-van, she froze in place, spotting at least six large buffalo hurtling across an open field into the Custer State Park. She eyed the flimsy tent and speculated that sleeping in the back of the van might be safer.
As the buffalo picked up speed, she tried to catch her friend’s attention. “Pssst. Melina.” When Melina finally looked at her, she motioned toward the large animals bounding toward the camp grounds. Melina arched her neck, and her eyes widened when she noticed the bulky animals heading their way. She scrambled from the tent and pointed toward the van. “Should we?”
Claire shook her head, hoping that if they stayed quiet and used the van as their shield, they would be out of the way. Melina nestled beside her as they watched the buffalo slow and lumber closer, nosing their way across the grass. “I read that buffalo can’t see straight ahead but only to the sides since that’s where their eyes are.”
Melina peeked through the window as they continued across the grass and then crouched against the back of the van. “He’s going to see us here. I’m going back to the tent. I know he can’t see through fabric.” She crouched down and waddled back to the tent before they reached the camp ground.
When Claire saw them head closer, her knees weakened, and she pressed her body against the tailgate, guessing Melina had the best idea. Her heart lodged in her throat when a buffalo veered toward the van and caught his horn on the clothes line. He jerked his head and pulled the rope from the tree as her tee-shirts dangled behind him like the tail on a kite. She let out a yell and wished she hadn’t. “Drat.” She pressed her palm against her forehead, willing her brain to think of a solution.
“What happened?”
She jumped at the voice from behind her and turned to face a hunk of a man, staring at her as if she were the tromping buffalo. “He’s dragging my clean tee-shirts away.” She pointed to the buffalo that was shaking his head as if wanting to dislodge the kite tails.
The stranger eyed the situation, and then grinned. “They won’t fit him so he’ll—”
“Thanks, I wasn’t worried about that.” She arched her brow, yet didn’t have the heart to say something snide. “I need those shirts. I only brought a few and—”
He lifted his hand and pointed. “Your problem is solved.”
She peered over the back of the van and saw her tee shirts lying on the grass minus the buffalo. “Those huge beasts scare me as it is. I’ve never run into a buffalo before and I—”
“And you still haven’t.” His grin returned.
She gazed at him as her mind lurched. “I don’t get it. Those things weren’t rabbits or deer.”
“No, they were bison.”
“Bison. Are you telling me—”
“Not telling. I’m correcting you. Most people don’t realize that what they call buffalo are actually American bison.”
She tried to prop up her drooping jaw while holding back her comment. La-dee-da didn’t seem a proper insult to a man and nothing else came to mind. “I didn’t know that.”
His grin opened to a hearty guffaw. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have laughed. You’re not alone with the misnomer, and I just learned it myself.” He shrugged. “I picked up a brochure at the ranger station.”
His somewhat humble expression softened her irritation. “I should go there again and get a copy for myself. Hopefully, they’ll help me find where I want to go.”
“And where is that, Miss…?” He eyed her before extending his hand. “I’m Trevor Brielle and, by the way, friends call me Trev. My brother, Dillard—we call him Dill—is on a hike.”
She stared at his hand and then slipped her palm against his. “I’m Claire Howard. Everyone calls me Claire.” She grinned. “And my friend cowering in the tent is Melina Dorset. Her friends call her Mel.”
Mel’s head popped through the tent door, eyed the terrain, and scuffled out. “What happened to the clothes line.” She shifted and grinned. “Never mind.” She took a step toward it and stopped. “Are the buffa—”
“Bison, you mean.” Claire grinned at her new acquaintance. “Mr. Brielle let me know these beasts are not buffalo.”
“Really?” Melina lifted her eyes to his. “Hi, I’m Mel—”
“Melina. Your friend told me who you are.”
She gave a sideways look at Claire and smirked. “She thinks I’m silly, hiding in the tent, but it seemed safer than—”
“Standing behind the van. And am I right? This is an old VW van. I think they’re called a bus.”
“It is.” Claire sent him a coy smile. “It’s a 2011, I think, and used to belong to my uncle.”
“Interesting, but be careful. They’re a bit top-heavy.” He lifted his brows and then turned to Mel. “To answer your question. The tent is safe a long as the bison don’t get curious about it. You never know.”
She appeared to freeze in place until Trev laughed. “I’m only teasing. You can’t second guess the animals, but usually they’re just heading forward. Too bad your clothesline was in their straightaway.”
“Lucky me.” Claire rolled her eyes, wanting him to know he’d begun to irk her.
He turned his expression downcast. “Sorry. Sometimes my teasing gets out of hand. Ask my brother and he’ll tell you.”
His apology made her bite her cheek and wish she wouldn’t have sounded sarcastic. She was good at that…though not proud. “It’s just me, Trevor. I’m a bit…” His look let her know that he preferred to be called Trev. “I’m edgy. Somehow things haven’t gone well for us.”
“Is there anything I can do to help you?”
Her neck swiveled back and forth. “Not really, but thanks. It’s timing. We went to see Mt. Rushmore yesterday afternoon hoping that we could move on today, but we wanted to take photos and—”
“The sun was behind the presidents.” He lifted one brow, as if asking was he right. “We did that too. Funny we didn’t see you there.”
“I didn’t pay much attention to anything except snapping a few pictures. We wanted to document this trip.”
Mel rested her hand on Claire’s shoulder. “And I messed up our plans too. I got a call from home yesterday. It looks like I’m going to have to leave Claire on her own and fly back to Illinois.”
Trev’s brow lowered to a squint. “I’m sorry. That does put a damper on things, but then it must be serious if—”
“It’s my Mom.” Mel’s eyes grew misty, and she lowered her head. “She’s not been well for a long time, but she’d been doing okay, and I thought I could enjoy a vacation without worrying.” She lifted her head as she brushed away her tears. “But you know about plans. People say they’re made to be broken.”
He nodded and looked toward Claire. “What are you planning to do then? If you’re going to Illinois that’s maybe three days from here unless you—”
“Mel’s going to fly back, and I’ll go on to Yellowstone. I’ll be alone but I’ve wanted to go there for years, and I decide to be brave and go anyway rather than miss it.”
“That’s where I’m going, and here’s what’s interesting. My brother’s leaving the trip at Keystone. He has a long-time friend who lives there and has been begging him to visit. But I’m going on to Yellowstone too, for the same reason.”
Claire’s heart skipped. “Alone?”
“Alone. But I’ve learned people are often extra friendly when they’re camping, and I’d hoped to connect with someone to have company, at least, during the sightseeing.”
“You’ll have one friend…or acquaintance.” Warmth rose up Claire’s neck.
“I will now.” He gave her a tender smile. “And who knows what other strangers we’ll meet in the campground.”
“Good plan. I feel better about the trip since I talked with you. I was tempted to head back home, but I’m so close and—”
“I begged her to keep going.” Melina slipped her arm around Claire’s shoulders and gave her a hug. “It’s not fun ruining someone’s long time plans.”
Though Trev nodded, he gave a shrug. “I started the trip knowing my situation, but I’ve traveled alone more than once so I knew I’d survive.”
“I hadn’t worried about surviving. Now you’ve scared me.” Claire chuckled, hoping he knew she was kidding.
He studied her face a moment and grinned. “Okay, now that we’ve settled that. Are you going back to Mt. Rushmore today?”
She gazed up at the sun. “Soon actually. Before we run into the same problem we did yesterday. I want to document this trip.”
“I sent a text to my brother to get back so we could head over there too.” He motioned in the highway direction. “What do you think of Needles Highway?”
“I know how it got its name.” Claire drew angular strokes in the air like needles. “All those thin rock formations and some with slit holes in them exactly like a needle’s eye.”
“And those tunnels are frightening.” Mel’s eyes grew wider as she talked. “I always wonder what we would do if we started through and someone was coming through the other direction.”
“Thankfully, you can see through before you enter.” Trev offered a practical solution to Mel’s dramatic description.
“I suppose that makes sense.” Mel’s excitement faded. “It is very interesting no matter.”
He agreed and took a step back. “Dill should be here soon so I think I’ll grab something to eat before we leave.” He pivoted and headed toward his tent a few yards from theirs.
Claire watched him leave, admiring his broad shoulders and solid build. She liked men who looked like they could have been lumberjacks back in the day. She pulled her attention back to Mel whose curious expression said more than words. “Mel, stop what you’re thinking. I don’t know this man at all, and yes, he seems nice but…”
“But what?”
“But he’s still a stranger. I don’t get involved with strangers, especially when I’m alone.”
“Ah.” Mel’s face said it all.
Claire knew trying to talk sense to her friend was useless. Mel had an amazing imagination, and she would probably have a wedding planned before she arrived in Illinois. “Let’s say instead of speculating, we eat lunch and be one our way. Good photos of Mt. Rushmore are waiting for us.”
Mel shrugged and tilted her head “We might as well, but we don’t want to take too long. Your friend—I mean your stranger—will be leaving soon. We don’t want to miss out on that, do we?”
With no point trying to sway her, Claire managed a noncommittal expression. “You’re right. We wouldn’t want to miss that.” She hurried away toward their cooler and didn’t look back.
♥
Trev glanced toward Claire’s tent and spotted her looking in their cooler. He tried to block the feeling he had since he’d met her. Though they’d only had a casual conversation, he liked her subtle sense of humor, and her looks weren’t bad either. No point in trying to fool himself, he found her very attractive. Her loose wavy hair hung down to her shoulders and those blue eyes were amazing. On top of that, she had a smile that riffled his stomach. It was either that or he was hungrier than he thought. A grin tugged at his mouth and when he pulled his gaze from Claire, Dill stood a few feet away with a questioning look.
“Okay, Trev, what’s funny? It can’t be that protein bar you just ate.”
“Nothing really.” His mind scurried to come up with something. “You should have been here. See that woman over there?” He pointed towards Claire. “She put up a clothes line to dry some clothes and a few bison charged through the camp and one caught the line on his horn.”
Dill’s expression hadn’t changed. “And that’s funny?”
“I guess you had to be there.” He turned away and grabbed a bottle of juice from their cooler. “Are you ready to go?”“To where?” Dill hadn’t moved.
“To Mt. Rushmore. What else? You want to see it right?”
“Sure. We’re here.” Dill took a step closer to the van and grasped the passenger door handle.
“Hang on a minute.” Trev’s pulse had jogged up a notch. “I want to check something.”
Dill remained by the door, his hand still grasping the handle.
Trev shrugged and walked away. As he approached Claire, the whole idea of asking her if she was ready to leave seemed ridiculous. She could leave when she wanted to. It wasn’t his business.
But Claire smiled as he drew closer. “Hi. I think we’re ready to go. Are you going now or later?”
“Now. We’re just leaving.”
Her eyes brightened. “Great. We’ll see you there, and you can meet my younger brother Dill.”
“I’d like that.”
His pulse ticking in his temple, he headed back to the car, feeling like a school boy. By the time he slipped into the driver’s seat, Dill’s stare made him squeamish. “What?”
“Who’s the Babe?”
“She’s not a babe. She’s a very nice woman, and the other lady is her friend. I saw the clothesline incident and spoke to them about the bison. She called them buffalo.”
Dill shook his head. “We wouldn’t want her to think that, would we.”
“There’s no need to be sarcastic. The topic just came up.”
“With your help, I’m sure.” Dill’s tone softened as Trev spotted his smile.
“Brother, while we’re gabbing, the ladies went on ahead. Get in the car and maybe we’ll catch up with them.”
Dill gave him a coy look as he plopped onto the seat and closed the door. “Better hurry. You don’t want them to get too far ahead of us. It’s hard passing cars on Needles Highway.”
“Very funny.” Dill’s comments irritated him for some reason.
Rolling with the punches was always one of his skills. Though wanting to apologize to Dill, he kept his mouth shut and looked ahead hoping to see Claire’s van. He didn’t and disappointment flooded his chest. Impossible. How could it? He barely knew the woman, yet he’d enjoyed their connection. Having a sort of friend while camping could make the time more enjoyable.
“Trev.”
He pulled himself out of the mental fog. “What?”
“I want you to know I was only joking. You have every right to—”
“I’m not angry at you or anyone, Dill. I started thinking about what it would be like camping alone, and—”
“You knew that was the plan from the beginning. You said it was fine…that you enjoyed time alone with nature.”
“I know what I said. Words and reality don’t always mesh. But I’m not upset. I made the plans knowing you’d leave.” As he soothed his brother’s worry, his eyes searched ahead and his heart lifted when he spotted Claire’s VW.” He motioned ahead. “They’re only one car up ahead. No big deal.”
“Good. Now can we enjoy the ride?” Dill grinned, and Trev added a chuckle.
♥
Claire breathed deeply as she passed through one of the tunnels on Needles Highway. As Trev had said she could see the light through the tunnel and knew no one was coming her way. Yet the narrow tunnel reminded her of a trap. She glanced at the road’s edge and pulled her eyes away from the sight. “The drop off is making me nervous.”
“Thanks for pointing it out.” Mel shook her head. “I’ve been trying to ignore it. Look at the embankment on your left. It’s safer and prettier. I’ve seen some wildflowers there.”
Instead of fearing the drop-off, she gave the left side a quick look and saw the flowers. Mel was right. Why focus on danger?
“You’ve been quiet, and I suspect you’re thinking of that Trevor guy. He is good-looking. He has one of those rugged looks. Good kind of rugged, I mean.”
Claire grinned at the description. “Interesting description, but I’ve been thinking about this road and nothing else.”
“Come on, Claire. You’re going camping with the guy. How can you not think about him?”
“Mel, I’m not going camping with him. We’ll be camping at Yellowstone at the same time, but no one said I was with him. You know me better than that.”
“It sounded like plans to me, but you can call it what you want.”
“Mel, you’re making me angry. Why are you insinuating we’ll be together? I have a van and he has a van. That’s it.”
“Sorry. He seemed interested in you and I just thought—”
“Stop thinking.”
Mel let out a huff and stared out the window without a word.
Claire wished she’d controlled her frustration. She hadn’t needed to let Mel’s comments upset her. She knew the plans, and they were innocent—two people alone hoping to see each other there to pass the time occasionally.
The image of Trev spending time with her centered in her mind. His smiling eyes and lips that curved into a teasing grin brightened her thoughts. Mel hadn’t been insinuating anything other than they could be together. She and Trev had separate cars and separate tents. They were adults, and she suspected he was as careful as she was about what their friendship looked like. She’d hung on to morals and had no plans to change them now.
“Mel, I’m sorry. My reaction was rash and uncalled for. You meant we could enjoy each other’s company while sightseeing, and that could be true. We’ll see how it goes. I twisted your comment to mean—”
“I understand.” Mel looked her way again. “I was teasing in a way, and it didn’t come across as I wanted.” Mel reached over and squeezed her shoulder. “Maybe I’m envious that you can stay on the trip and see Yellowstone, but my mother comes first and I really need to—”
“I would do the same. Please know that I’m sorry you have to return home, but I’m not upset. I could join you and head home too, but I’m so close and now meeting Trev is comforting. Hopefully we’ll find each other and enjoy sharing our sightseeing experiences.”
“I hope so.” Mel quieted again but this time her gaze was on the embankment dotted with colorful flowers. “Did you notice that along some of these inclines there are no guard railings. At least they have them on the drop-offs.”
Claire’s shoulders tensed, again not wanting to hear about the steep inclines on their right. She didn’t respond. Instead she looked straight ahead amazed at the towering slender rocks jutting into the sky. The road curved often and her fingers tensed as she clasped the steering wheel. “I’ll be glad to get to Mt. Rushmore. This is amazing scenery but…” She pressed her lips together unwilling to make any more comments about the danger and grateful she had always been a careful driver.
When they rounded another bend, Mel’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Look up there, Claire. It’s beautiful. There’s a whole area of wonderful red flowers.”
She pulled her gaze from the road and followed Mel’s pointing finger, seeing the brilliant splash of bright red covering the embankment. “Beautiful.” The van dipped to the right, and as she lowered her eyes to the road, she realized she’d veered to the edge and the wheel had slipped off the highway to the narrow shoulder. Before she could right herself, the soft shoulder crumbled, and the van tilted sideways and tumbled over the edge.
Mel’s screamed as something flew past her head. The windshield shattered as they tumbled downward.
 

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