And we see Caleb, with his dirt-smudged face and scratched up legs, barreling for us, running as fast as he can.
Landon races ahead and catches his brother around the middle, scooping him up and hugging him tightly.
Caleb sobs against Landon, desperately relieved.
Landon pulls him back. “What were you thinking?” he all but yells.
Without waiting for an answer, Landon pulls Caleb back into a hug. Between telling him how happy we are to find him, he scolds him for taking off. The whole time, Caleb blubbers “I’m sorry” over and over.
I stand back, not even realizing I’m crying until the tears start dripping off my chin.
When the three of us finally get control of ourselves, Landon demands, “What were you doing?”
Caleb glances at me. “I was looking for the spot Gideon Bonavit crashed.”
Landon flashes me a look and then turns back to his brother. “Why would you go alone? And in the dark?”
“We’re leaving!” Caleb yells, his eyes welling up with tears again. “You said you’d take me next weekend, but we’re not going to be here!”
Landon points at him, still overcome with conflicting emotions. Relief wars with anger and residual fear. “That doesn’t make it okay to take off on your own, and you know it!”
Caleb sags and nods his head.
“Why didn’t you come back when it started getting dark?” I ask. “Wasn’t it scary out here all by yourself?”
The little boy puffs up, pretending to be brave though I can tell it was the worst night of his young life. “I was going to come back, but that dumb dog wouldn’t budge after it got dark.” He points at George like he’s the dark villain of a melodrama.
Landon closes his eyes and rubs a hand over his face. Gaining control, he looks back at Caleb. “Why didn’t you leave his fool self here?”
Caleb gulps, not able to look his older brother in the eye. “I didn’t want to go back by myself. Plus, the road was a lot easier to come down than go up.”
The thought of riding a bike up that winding, rocky road sounds awful.
“Are you hungry?” I ask, remembering the supplies I brought with me. “Hurt? Thirsty?”
“I brought water and granola bars, but I finished them last night.” He points to his tent, which he’s set up so it’s hidden in a nook in the rock wall. “But I was safe enough in the tent. I even brought a few blankets so I didn’t get too cold.”
“Come on,” I say, motioning for him to follow me. “I have food and water.”
“I’m going to pack up his stuff,” Landon says.
I nod and take Caleb to the Jeep. After I have him set up in the back, I leave him for a few minutes so I can help Landon.
I find him sitting on a rock next to Caleb’s tent, bent over, head in his hands.
“Hey,” I say, kneeling next to him.
He looks up. His eyes are dry, but his expression is one of pure anguish. Maybe for the first time, he’s let himself think of all the things that could have happened to his brother while he was out here alone.
“He’s okay,” I say quietly.
Landon nods.
I take his hands in mine and wrap my fingers through his. “Areyouokay?”
He lets out a long, controlled breath. “Yeah, I’m just…I don’t know. Exhausted, I guess.”
“Do you have service? Have you called your parents?”
