“Nope. We still got a ways before we’re there.” Half a day’s journey at least, since the rocky terrain near the summit would slow them down.

The two men were like kids at Christmas in their zeal for finding treasure. They’d been consulting their map and checking off the locations they’d already searched. From what she’d been able to tell from the drawings of the Kenosha Range, they hadn’t yet visited the sprawling rock formations that surrounded Windy Peak and several other peaks nearby.

Hance had pulled out a separate map, one drawn by someone else that had more precise markings on it. When he’d caught her staring at it, he’d stuffed it back into his coat pocket. Although he’d been as polite as always, irritation marked his expression.

It had given her a moment’s pause and made her second-guess her decision to tell Wyatt he didn’t have anything to worry about in letting her tag along with Hance and Otis. Maybe she should have taken him up on his suggestion to have Judd or Astrid keep her company.

Ivy hadn’t even wanted to consider inviting Astrid, not after she’d blabbered the identity of Buster Bliss to the rest of the family.

Ivy had confronted Astrid about it that night after riding home from the dance. Of course, Astrid claimed she’d shared Ivy’s secret to prevent any mishaps. But Ivy guessed the real reason was because Astrid was jealous of her getting all the attention from Jericho.

Whatever the case, Ivy reckoned she’d have to patch things up sooner or later. She couldn’t stay mad at Astrid forever. Someone else would’ve figured out her duplicity eventually anyway. Ivy’d just hoped to hide her competing until after she’d saved up enough to beat Jericho in the bid for Steele’s land.

She settled her attention on the granite formations ahead, the light of day bringing them to life. Maybe she needed to pray for a miracle. But she hadn’t been in the business of praying in recent years. If she was honest with herself, she figured praying wouldn’t do much good.

Father Zieber talked about God loving them no matter what they did or where they wandered, like a patient father always loving his children. But the closest thing she’d ever had to a father was Flynn, and she was always disappointing him. She didn’t doubt she’d disappointed God too. He was probably sighing and throwing His arms up at her antics, especially lately.

She had to do better. And she would, once she had a place she could finally call home.