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climbed out of the car.
    “Do we get to ride them?” Ivy ducked as the dog leaped over the back of the seat in a scramble toward freedom. She ran to the fence. “Look at the donkeys. Aren’t they cute?”
    “Actually, they’re mules.” A young man with dark blond hair, glasses and an engaging smile approached, his hand outstretched to shake Rachel’s. “I’m Jason, and you must be the Carpenters. Welcome to Granite Lake Retreat. I’ll be your guide for the hike up to the actual camp.”
    Rachel introduced the girls as he made short work of unloading their gear.
    “Is that it?” He pointed at the pile of suitcases, sleeping bags and guitar case at his feet.
    “Maybe we over-packed.” Rachel frowned. “It looks like an awful lot to carry.”
    “This is nothing. You should see the stuff some people bring.”
    She glanced down at her dog, who sat nearby keeping an eye on the horses. “Oh, where’s Daisy’s food?”
    “It’s right here.” Ivy pushed a heavy burlap sack off the backseat floor. “Jade moved it up here so Daisy wouldn’t eat it while we were driving.”
    Rachel smiled at her daughters. “That was smart thinking.”
    “I didn’t want her to throw up on me.”
    Jason laughed. “That would motivate me. If we have everything, I’ll load your gear onto a couple of the mules.”
    Ivy climbed out of the backseat, clutching a dark-haired doll to her chest. “I can’t believe I almost forgot Samantha.”
    “Mom, she’s not taking a doll with her, is she?” Lark rolled her eyes. “How embarrassing is that?”
    Rachel rested a hand on her youngest daughter’s head. “I don’t mind as long as she carries her.”
    “Geez, Lark, she’s nowhere near as big as your guitar.”
    “I can’t leave it. I have to practice.”
    Their guide smiled at her. “Sometimes at night we sing around the campfire. Maybe you could play for us one evening.”
    Lark responded with a shy smile of her own. “I’d like to, but I’m not a professional or anything.”
    “Don’t worry. We aren’t picky. Jed plays the fiddle, and you can accompany him. Jed’s the owner of Granite Lake Retreat. He’s a great guy, but be careful.” His grin was teasing. “Most of the single girls fall crazy in love with him before they leave.”
    “He must look like his brother.” Rachel grabbed two suitcases and followed Jason toward the corral.
    “Do you know Kane?” He turned to look at her.
    Her face heated. She hadn’t meant for him to hear her comment. “I met him once.”
    “Kane’s great, too. He’s been terrific about helping out. Right now it’s just me, Jed, Hillary and Ozzie, but we have more staff coming before the holiday.”
    They made a return trip for the last of the bags, and Rachel locked the car. “Does everyone have their day pack and water bottle?”
    The girls nodded.
    Jason secured their gear to the mules. “Who wants to lead the second one?”
    Jade volunteered. “What’s his name?”
    “Dozer. This one’s Mandy.”
    “Cool. Are the horses coming with us?”
    “No, a man down the road owns them. He boards them in our stable and feeds the mules for us in exchange.”
    “Too bad.” Ivy sighed. “I’d love to ride one.”
    “I’m afraid we don’t offer trail rides, but don’t worry. There’re plenty of other activities to keep you occupied.”
    They followed a beaten dirt path through a thicket of trees out onto an open hillside and walked for a half hour before Jason stopped his mule.
    “Check out the view.”
    An open vista stretched before them with towering granite peeks and dense conifer forests reaching to the horizon. A crystal clear lake rested at the bottom of the bowl.
    “Wow, it’s really pretty,” Ivy called. “Come look at the lake, Jade.”
    She handed the lead rope to Rachel and ran over to stand next to her sister. “This is so awesome. Are we on top of a mountain?”
    Their guide shook his head. “Not really. We’re on a ridge above the camp. The trail