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No one volunteered, so he waved Gunner over. “This is my brother Gunner,” he said to Wynona. “He knows everything that I know about this. He’ll run a tight ship.”
She looked surprised. “Have you already split them into teams?”
“Yes.” Tucker turned and started up the trail again, trusting Gunner to set up shop.
The trail got steeper, and they wound their way up a few switchbacks before the trail widened out again. He stopped and turned to see that most of the crowd had lagged behind, but not Wynona. She was walking so close to him that she almost ran into him.
“Spot number two?” he asked.
She nodded without saying anything. Was she out of breath? And if so, why was she pushing so hard? Why was she working so hard to keep up with him? Was she afraid that if he went first someone might think he was in charge?
“Holden, do you want this spot?” Tucker asked.
Holden said yes by unshouldering his pack. He’d been carrying one of the lights, so he was probably ready for a break. Holden had brought three Bannon ranch hands and Blade. That was his team, and they busied themselves getting set up.
Tucker swept his arm uphill. “Would you like to lead?” he asked Wynona.
She frowned. “I’ll follow you.”
He started up again and broke the next team off with Colton in charge. And the next team off with the Ryker in charge. He introduced each of them as he did so, and after they started walking again, Wynona said, “Good grief, how many brothers do you have?”
“I have five brothers. Those are the good ones, though.”
She laughed, which was encouraging. Maybe she was calming down a bit. A good brisk climb could do that for person. “Where are the bad ones?”
“I guess they’re not bad,” he admitted. “My youngest brother was invited, but he said it would be too much work, and then my last brother lives in New Mexico.”
“I love New Mexico.”
“Yeah, I hear that from a lot from people.”
“You’ve never been?”
“No.” He kept climbing. Why were they all of a sudden trying to have a conversation when his heart was pounding as fast as it was? And why was his heart pounding so fast? He climbed mountains all the time. “Have you ever heard of Zion Denver?”
She thought about it before saying no.
“How about Jack Black?”
“You mean the guy fromCheyenne?”
“Yeah, that guy.”
“What about him?”
“The guy who plays him, Zion Denver. His real name is Denver Bridge. He’s my brother.” Sort of.
“What?” she cried. “You have a famous brother?”
Her wonderment refreshed his annoyance, and he didn’t answer her. He focused on the climb. They were almost to the final spot.
“How much longer?” Tucker recognized Craig’s whiny voice without turning around.
“We probably should have left him with the first group,” Tucker muttered.
Wynona laughed quietly. “Would you really do that to your brother?”
“Gunner runs a goat rescue. He’s used to working with prima donnas.”
