Alex leaned on the shovel and watched as Sam rode up the hill toward them. She was about the best equestrian he had ever seen. She moved with the horse as if it were an extension of her body. He turned to Carmen.
"Here comes Sam."
"Carmen glanced up from the rock she had placed and nodded.
"I'm sure going to miss her when she goes back to school."
"Are you going to hire someone while she's gone?"
Carmen sighed. "I think I'm going to need someone all year long. In the summer months, it would be nice to have her here as well, but I have to face the fact that eventually she'll be getting a job and moving away."
Alex straightened and set the shovel aside. "We're going to need another doctor at the clinic before long. I thought she'd be a great addition."
Carmen didn't respond. It was hard to tell how she felt about it. As she pointed out, Sam would eventually be leaving for a better job anyway. He hadn't said anything to Sam about it yet.
Sam halted Red and dismounted gracefully. She went straight to Carmen. One thing about Sam, she never forgot who she was working for.
"I finished everything a little early. Would you like me to help you up here?"
Carmen nodded. "We're building a fire pit here for a campsite. You could get the wheelbarrow and go with Alex to get some more rocks." Her gaze shifted to Alex. "Is that alright?"
He shrugged and grinned. "You're the boss."
Carmen met his gaze, a twinkle in hers, but said nothing.
Sam silently followed him with the wheelbarrow. There was no shortage of rocks on the mountain. He stopped at a pile where they had picked them out of the trail. Alex picked up a large flat rock and put it in the wheelbarrow. Sam started to grab one and Alex stopped her.
"Be sure to wear your gloves, and be careful about snakes. Lift the far side of the rock toward you. If there is a snake under it, that puts a rock between you and the snake."
Sam pulled gloves from her waistline and put them on. Then she carefully pulled the rock toward her as he had instructed. She lifted it and carried it to the wheelbarrow while he picked up another one. They worked quietly for a few minutes until they heard a sound in the brush. Something big was headed their way.
Alex exclaimed in surprise. He'd left his riffle in the boot with his horse, back where Carmen was. Hopefully it wasn't a bear. He hadn't seen any bear sign in a long time. He stepped between Sam and the animal.