In the Heart of the Canyon by Elisabeth Hyde Read Free Book Online Page B

boat, then waded into the water and submerged himself. Dripping wet, he hoisted himself up onto his boat, pulled up the drag bag, and got out a cold beer.
    Abo and Dixie joined him. One by one the guests dispersed, except Mitchell.
    “Give us a moment, okay, Mitchell?” JT said.
    Mitchell turned and retreated.
    Abo crumpled dramatically into the well of JT’s boat. “Well, this kind of puts a wrinkle in things, don’t you think?”
    “You’re not kidding,” Dixie said. “Good thing he’s healthy.”
    “Are you nuts, woman?” Abo demanded.
    “Healthy enough so we don’t have to feel too sorry for him, is what I mean.”
    “Ice queen,” JT told Abo.
    “I’m not an ice queen,” said Dixie. “I’m just being pragmatic. Where’s he going to sleep tonight, for instance?”
    “He can sleep on my boat,” said Abo.
    “Or maybe with Mitchell,” murmured JT. They glanced toward the beach, where Mitchell had spread out a large map and appeared to becross-checking locations with information in his guidebook. The dog approached warily. Mitchell glanced at the dog, and the dog backed away.
    “You think he’s a cattle dog?” asked Abo.
    “Could be,” said JT. “Though he doesn’t look like one.”
    “Maybe he came down in someone’s boat,” said Abo.
    JT shook his head. “I can’t imagine anyone getting a dog past the ranger. My guess is some hiker snuck him down one of the trails, then lost him.”
    Abo leaned over the edge of the boat, pulled up the drag bag, and tossed another beer to each of them. JT set his aside.
    “Let’s not get sidetracked, though,” said Dixie. “This could be a huge pain in the ass.”
    Abo cupped his hands over his mouth. “Houston, we have a problem!”
    “You better call Park Service,” said Dixie.
    “You think this qualifies as an emergency?” JT said.
    “You don’t?”
    “And what’s Park Service going to do?” JT went on. “Stop everything and send down a boat? Then what? Hike him out? With an injured paw?”
    “I hate to say this, Boss, but he doesn’t look so injured anymore,” said Abo, and they all looked back at the beach, where the dog was chasing sticks as quickly as Sam and Matthew could throw them. Every time the dog changed direction, he sent up a spray of sand. JT suspected that as far as the boys were concerned, this was completely normal—why, every time you went down the Colorado River you picked up a stray dog on the first night.
    He checked his watch; it was almost seven, and they hadn’t even started dinner. “Let’s get people fed. We’ll deal with the dog later. I sure am not going to worry about it right now.”
    “What’s the menu?” Dixie asked.
    “Salmon.”
    “Oh my god, I LOVE salmon!” Abo shouted.
    “Good. Because you’re cooking it.”
    “And I love COOKING salmon too!”
    “Tone it down, Abo,” said Dixie, “or I am not going to survive two weeks on the river with you.”
    Abo narrowed his eyes. “Sleep with me tonight, babe.”
    “Been there, done that,” Dixie murmured.
    JT tossed his empty beer can onto a tarp near the kitchen area. “Abo, start the grill. Dixie, teach those boys how to bust up the cans.” He opened the meat cooler, which was three-quarters solid ice and one-quarter frozen protein. He took out the slabs of salmon, then closed the cooler and looked up to see Mitchell standing at the bow.
    “Need something, Mitchell?”
    “Just wondering if you knew what you were going to do with the dog yet.”
    “Nope.”
    Mitchell set his hands on his hips—not belligerently. “Because some of us are concerned about trouble,” he began. “Lena’s got allergies. And if the dogs been exposed to rabies or something …”
    “Well take care of it, Mitchell,” JT assured him.
    “I’ve been waiting years for this trip,” Mitchell said.
    “I read you, Mitchell,” said JT, feeling a certain level of professional tolerance dropping. “But don’t worry. The dog’s not going to spoil