CHAPTER 9

As the Bolt brothers are just finishing breakfast, they hear, "Jason! Jason!" followed by banging on the door.

Jason opens the door and finds Biddie all in a panic. "What's wrong?" Jason asks.

"It's Candy! She didn't come home last night! She must be with Jeremy, right?"

"Biddie!" Jeremy shouts. "Why do you say she didn't come home last night?"

Biddie seeing Jeremy, panics even more. "Jeremy? Where's Candy? What did you do with Candy?"

"Biddie, you need to calm down. Jeremy hasn't done anything with Candy. He hasn't seen her since yesterday afternoon," Jason tells her. "Answer Jeremy's question. Why do you say she didn't come home last night?"

"Well, I waited up for her until it got late, then I went to bed. When I woke up this morning, her bed hadn't been slept in. Oh, Jason, what do we do?"

"The first thing we're going to do is to not jump to conclusions. I'm sure Candy is fine, wherever she is. Could you tell Aaron and Ben to meet us at Lottie's? Then tell Corky to get the camp going, but to send about four men down here to join the search. We'll be back as soon as we locate Candy."

"Yes, indeedy, I'm on my way," Biddie says as she runs out of the cabin.

"I knew I should have gone to the dormitory last night!" Jeremy shouts. "It's all my fault!"

"Jeremy, stop blaming yourself. Candy is probably just laying low somewhere. She did say she wanted to be left alone," Josh says. "Heck, she might have fallen asleep at the boulder."

"I hope you're right, Josh. If anything has happened to her, I'll never forgive myself," Jeremy says.

"Come on, Josh, we need to get to Lottie's," Jason states, grabbing his rifle as he heads for the door.

"Wait! I'm coming, too," Jeremy starts rolling himself to the door.

"Jeremy, how do you propose to go out hunting for Candy?" Josh asks.

"I don't, but I can wait at Lottie's for her to return. I can't stay here not knowing what's going on!"

"I'll meet you all at Lottie's. I'm going back to the boulder to see if she's still there," Josh says.

"All right, Jeremy. Let's move!" Jason commands.

"Where's Aaron?" Jason shouts as he enters the saloon.

"He left this morning for Tacoma. Said he had some banking business to take care of," Lottie says.

"Jason, do you really think all this is necessary? I mean, Candy can take care of herself."

"Lottie, do you expect us to just sit here until she walks in that door? What if she's hurt and needs help?" Jason asks. Seeing the look on Jeremy's face, he regrets what he just asked. "I'm sure she's all right, Jeremy."

"Sure," Jeremy wipes his eyes.

"Ken, I'll be upstairs if you need me," Lottie says. When Lottie gets to room 5, she knocks on the door. "It's me."

"Come in," a small voice says as the door opens. "What's going on downstairs? I heard a lot of shouting." The door closes.

"The men are getting up search parties. I don't know what to tell them."

"Search parties? Who are they looking for?"

"You, Candy. You didn't come home last night and they're worried something may have happened to you," Lottie explains.

"Oh no. I didn't mean for this to happen. I better go down and straighten this out. I don't want them to waste their time looking for me, when I'm right here."

"Jeremy is down there, Candy. He's worried sick," Lottie says.

"Well, I guess I have to see him sometime. Might as well, be now," Candy sighs. "How do you think he'll take my news?"

"He may be so relived that you're safe, he might agree to it. But if I were you, I wouldn't hold my breath," Lottie laughs.

Getting to the top of the stairs, she hears the men say they're ready to go. She shouts, "Wait! I'm here!" as she descends the staircase midway.

Everyone stops what they're doing and stares at Candy as Josh runs in and announces, " Candy wasn't at the boulder!"

Jason answers, "Yes, we know. She's here." He points to the staircase.

Candy says, "I'm sorry. I didn't think my staying here last night would cause all this."

Biddie asks, "Candy, why didn't you come home last night?"

"I just needed time alone to think some things over. I'm sorry, Biddie," Candy replies.

"Oh, that's all right, but next time could you please leave a note or something?" Biddie giggles.

Candy nods her head. "I will."

Jason says, "All right everybody. The missing waif is found. You men go on back to camp. Josh and I will be there shortly. Thanks for coming."

Josh goes over to Candy and takes her hand. "Are you all right? You know you had us all worried."

"I know and I'm sorry. But as you can see, I'm fine."

"Listen here, young lady. Don't you pull another stunt like this. I don't think we could take another scare again. Glad you're all right. Do you need anything?" Jason states.

Candy looks at Jeremy who has been listening and watching everything. "No, I just need some time alone," she says as tears fill her eyes. "Excuse me." She turns to go back upstairs when she hears Jeremy's voice.

"Candy, please can we talk?" She slowly turns towards him and he is sitting at the bottom of the staircase with his hand held out to her. "Please, Candy? I can't come up there, so you'll have to come down here."

She slowly descends the staircase and takes his hand. "Lottie, is it all right if we use your back room?" he asks.

"Go right ahead," she answers.

When the door shuts, Jeremy kisses Candy's hand. "I'm sorry, Candy. I've been so worried about you. I wanted to go to you last night when Josh said he found you, but he talked me out of it. He said you wanted to be alone. I wish now that I had gone."

"Why? There's nothing you could have said that would have changed anything. Unless, of course, you've decided not to go to San Francisco. Are you still going?"

"I have to, Candy. I have to be able to take care of myself. I'm not going to be a burden to you and my brothers any longer. Can't you understand that?"

"I do understand, but Jeremy, you're not a burden." She takes a deep breath and says, "Now, I want you to understand something. Jeremy, I've made my mind up about us. You and me. You may not want me any longer, but I'm not ready to give up on us, not yet, not ever."

"Candy, it's not that I don't want you. I love you, you know that."

"I know you love me. You say that's the reason you're leaving. I love you, too and that's why I'm doing this. You won't like it but... I've decided to go to San Francisco with you. I'll get a room close by to your group home so we can see each other as often as possible. I'll. . ."

"Candy, no! You can't do that! I won't let you throw your life away!"

"How do you plan on stopping me? It's a free country and I can go wherever I want to. If you're worried about losing your precious mountain, don't be. I've talked to Aaron and explained it all to him. He has agreed to let me go and not take the mountain from you."

"I'm not thinking of the mountain. I'm thinking of you. Wait, how did you pull that off? I would think Aaron would be salivating at the thought of getting the mountain."

"I can be very persuasive when I need to be. Except with you, it seems."

Jeremy smirks at that jab at him. "And how do you know Aaron will keep his word?"

"I have it in writing. He won't try anything."

Jeremy rolls his eyes. "How do you plan on supporting yourself, Candy? San Francisco is expensive and you have no money."

"I have a little bit saved up and I'll get a job."

"Yeah, doing what? San Francisco isn't like Seattle or New Bedford."

"I don't know what, not yet anyways. I can work in a store, or an office, or a saloon."

"Like hell you will! There's no way you're working in a saloon. Candy, San Francisco can be a dangerous place for a woman all alone. Please don't do this. I can't concentrate on helping myself if you're going to make me worry about you every minute of the day. Please, reconsider and stay here."

"I could ask you to do the same. Would you reconsider and stay here?"

Jeremy sighs and heads out the door. Candy watches him leave the saloon without speaking to anyone. "I guess that's a no," she whispers with tears rolling down her face.