Ever Faithful

by Karen Barnett

  Red retied his bandana so it blocked some of the smoke from his face. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Val appeared at Nate’s side. “What are we doing, exactly?” The younger man’s face glowed in the firelight, fear hovering in his eyes. Several others gathered around Nate.

  He ignored the terror brewing in his own gut. These fellows were looking to him for courage. “Remember that ditch we dug last week? Easy.” He huffed out a breath. “Come on, boys. You want to make that dance on Saturday, don’t you?”

  Red smirked. “Think how we’ll impress the girls with this story. Our first month on the job, and we save the park from burning down.”

  Mutt braced a Pulaski across his broad shoulders. “What I wouldn’t give for a couple of hoses and a fireplug about now.”

  Nate started toward the firebreak where the men were working with the plow. “Keep each other in sight range. Don’t wander off. Stay close to the line and keep an eye on the man ahead and behind you.”

  “Yes sir, boss.” Mutt spit at the ground near Nate’s feet.

  Red prodded the man in the back with his ax handle. “You gonna keep yapping, or are you going to get to work? The sooner we bust this ground, the sooner we get back to camp.”

  Val lifted his canteen in the air. “Hotcakes for breakfast when we’re done, fellas!”

  Nate rubbed a blistered hand across the back of his stiff neck as he led the way. Lord, just get us all home.

  Elsie loosened her scarf and lifted her face to soak in the spring sunshine. She’d always loved the view from this part of the Bunsen Peak trail, but today it seemed even more breathtaking than usual. Other than a few patches of snow, the path remained clear, and the strenuous walk got her blood pumping.

  Graham’s enthusiasm to see everything had put him in the lead, with Rose puppy dogging at his heels. She didn’t seem to notice that he’d spent the day treating her like a sweet younger sister, doing everything short of pinching her cheek.

  Mary and Hal dragged far behind. The poor fellow was more suited to life behind the hotel desk than out in the rugged wilderness.

  And here she was stuck in between, like a spare tire.

  Elsie paused at one of the hairpin turns in the trail and looked over the panoramic vista. She could see the hot springs and the red roofs of Fort Yellowstone a couple of miles away and a thousand feet below—like glimpsing a friend in the distance. She’d miss Mammoth when they left. The open spaces and wide skies were so different from the dense lodgepole forest of the Canyon area. The places even smelled different. Mammoth was sage with the occasional whiff of sulfur; Canyon was pine. You could blindfold me, and I’d still recognize either place. Elsie closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath of the mountain air.

  Graham’s laugh carried back to her on the wind. Just like the unique smells, that sound transported her back to her childhood in Washington, DC. She shook off the thought, forcing her eyes open to secure herself in the here and now before memories took her down twisty, unwanted paths. Graham had asked her for forgiveness, and the request hung heavy on her heart. Forgiveness was letting go, right? Why was she so unwilling to release her clenched grip on the past?

  Mary came up beside her. “Has your father gotten back yet? Any word on the fire?”

  The word jarred her as usual. The forest fire. Elsie lowered her hand from picking at her collar, the unconscious habit grating at her. “They returned late last night. Since things were still wet, it stayed fairly small. My father thinks it was probably started by some roadwork just outside the park. They took some of the CCC boys to help.” In fact, he’d raved about the men’s gumption. Untrained, unconditioned, but eager to give it their all.

  “That’s why they’re here, isn’t it?” Mary wove her arm through Hal’s. “I wonder why you boys weren’t asked to help?”

  “I stay far away from fires.” Hal sounded almost indignant. “My goal is to make it to manager and then someday own my own motel in Cody or Cooke City. I’m not looking for hero status.”

  “Own a motel?” Mary’s eyes widened.

  He puffed out his chest. “Sure. That’s what Bernie and I decided this winter. Just think, if you and I get hitched someday, you could boss around all the pillow punchers.”

  Elsie watched Mary’s face as she processed this tidbit of information. She’d had more than her fill of hotel work the past few summers—Hal must know that. Mary extricated her arm and walked over to study the view. “I wonder what the boys thought of their first forest fire.”

  Hal thrust his hands into his trouser pockets. “Dirty, hot work? Smoke-filled air? I imagine it wasn’t too different from a smelly New York factory. Probably reminded them of home.”

  Elsie had never heard Hal say a negative word about anyone. Mary’s constant chatter about the “new boys” must be getting on his nerves. She cleared her throat. “I imagine it was pretty fearsome.”

  Graham walked back toward them, Rose following a few steps after. “We didn’t mean to leave you behind.” He lifted his arms. “I can’t believe this place. It’s astounding.”

  “There’s so much more to see, Graham.” Rose took off her fuzzy beret and ran fingers through her curls. “How was your practice run with the bus? Did you drive very far?”

  He smiled at her. “All the way past Madison to the West Yellowstone train depot and then back around to Old Faithful.”

  Elsie thought through his route. “The fire burned over near the western boundary. You must have been close to it at one point.”

  “I suppose I was, but I didn’t see anything. Too busy grinding the gears.” He grimaced. “Those things are a bear.”

  Rose brushed fingers against his arm. “I wish we could have gone with you. I could have shown you the sights.”

  He hooked a thumb through his suspenders. “We’ve got all summer. I can pick you girls up and take you anywhere you want to go.”

  Elsie thought she could probably warm her hands on the excited glow radiating from Rose’s face.

  Mary winked at the other girls. “Our own personal driver. This is going to be the best summer yet. Right, Rose?”

  Hal folded his arms across his chest, scowling at Graham. “Those touring cars aren’t your personal plaything.”

  “Who put lemons in your coffee, Hal?” Mary laid her hands on her hips. “You’re not usually this much of a sourpuss.”

  The young man’s eyes flashed. “I’m not the one who planned a big shindig on your last night here at Mammoth and then invited every eligible man in the park. I’ve been waiting all winter to see you, but all you can talk about is parading each muscle-bound Gus through the ballroom like so many cattle at the stock show.”

  Mary gasped. “Hal—”

  “No.” His face was a storm. “Mary Prosser, I won’t be your chump or your fallback. If you’re more interested in some gangster off the streets of Brooklyn or a reckless bus driver than a steady man from Wyoming, then so be it.” He turned and trotted down the slope toward Mammoth.

  Mary stood agape. “Well, I never.”

  Elsie could hardly believe it herself. Hal Henderson had hardly strung five words together at a time, too busy working like a mule in a harness or staring at Mary like she was a diamond in the window of the finest jewelry store. “Should we go after him?”

  “Let him cool off,” Graham said. “I don’t know the fella well, but I’m guessing he might need a few minutes to put his heart back together before being expected to speak again.”

  Rose hurried over and slipped an arm around Mary’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, Mary. He’s just feeling blue because he’s stuck here managing the housekeeping cabins and you’re heading off to Canyon. He’ll calm down.”

  Elsie wrapped her arms around herself. Rose was the tender heart of their little threesome, and Mary was the laugh. So what did that make her? The br
ain? What would they do without Rose’s steady presence this summer? If only she’d decided to come to Canyon too.

  Mary blinked rapidly and blew out a quick puff of air. “That was quite a little spectacle. It’s not like we’re exclusive.” She tossed her head so that you could almost picture the blond curls bouncing even though she kept them firmly tucked under her pink cloche hat. “I hope he’s not going to be such a bore at the party.”

  Elsie watched as a ground squirrel popped its head out around a nearby sagebrush, possibly eyeing them as a source of a handout. “Hal seems pretty steamed. I wonder if he’ll even come?”

  Rose cocked her head. “Of course he’ll come. And Bernie too. They both agreed, and they’ve promised to bring their Victrola.” She squeezed Mary’s hand. “And then you two can kiss and forget this silliness.”

  Mary’s lips pursed. “We’ll see. He’s right, you know. There are plenty of other men to choose from. Ones who wouldn’t expect me to make beds and sweep floors for motel guests the rest of my life.”

  Graham grabbed the strap of his pack. “It’s getting late. Perhaps we should get moving. I’m not sure about you ladies, but I have to work in the morning.”

  Rose moved closer to him. “We all do, I’m afraid. But the party will be here before you know it.” She lowered her eyes. “You’ll be there, won’t you?”

  He grinned at her. “I wouldn’t miss it, kid.”

  Her own smile faded as Graham walked away. Glancing back at Elsie, she sighed. “Are you coming?”

  “I’ll be along in a minute. You and Mary go ahead.” A few moments of peace and quiet without the drama of romance—or the lack thereof—sounded heavenly.

  As her friends trotted after Graham, Elsie drew in a deep breath and turned toward the sweeping view of the valley below. This had been one of the first places her father had brought her after they moved to the park. She’d been as jumpy as a field mouse back then—afraid of her own shadow and embarrassed by her scars.

  “Hello?” A male voice carried down the hill toward her, interrupting her thoughts.

  Ranger Vaughn rode toward her on a tall chestnut mare. He removed the Stetson from his head, revealing his close-cropped brown hair. “I just passed your friends on their way up.”

  The new ranger’s broad shoulders and winning smile never failed to turn Elsie’s legs into pudding. “It’s nice to see you again, Ranger Vaughn. How are you settling in?”

  He pressed the hat to his chest and grinned. “Please—call me Teddy. I hate the whole ‘Ranger’ thing, myself.”

  “But isn’t the title an honor?”

  His eyes widened. “Oh…I know…I mean, I just didn’t think you…” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “You shouldn’t have to call me that, considering who your father is and everything.”

  “I’m sorry, Teddy. I didn’t mean to be rude. And please, call me Elsie.”

  He dismounted, laying a hand on the horse’s neck. “And you’re right. It is an honor. I’m thrilled to be working at Yellowstone.”

  “Really? That’s nice.” She fiddled with the button on her sleeve. Mary always said to ask a man questions about himself, but she’d have to come up with something better than ‘really?’

  “I spent two years at Rocky Mountain National Park, near where I grew up, but I’ve always longed to work here. Ever since I first put on the badge.”

  She couldn’t resist darting a glance at his chest—just to see the badge, of course. “What made you want to be a ranger?”

  “Well, it was my mama’s dream, really. She was a supporter of Theodore Roosevelt. She got to shake his hand once.” He rubbed his chin. “That’s where I got my name, if you hadn’t guessed.”

  “I hadn’t.” It seemed fitting for this handsome ranger to bear the name of a president who’d established five of the national parks.

  “She suggested the profession to all four of us boys, but I was the only one who pursued it.” He smiled. “I think she’d pretty much given up hope.”

  “Why Yellowstone? I’ve never been to Colorado, but I’ve seen photographs and stereoscopes of Rocky Mountain. It’s beautiful.”

  “I figured at least some part of these ambitions should be my own.” His mouth quirked upward. “No one wants to completely follow his mother’s plans, does he? But it’s worked out. I wanted to be a fireman, and guess what I spent the past two days doing?” He straightened his shoulders. “It’s an honor to protect the park.”

  She steeled herself. Would fire haunt all her days? “You worked the fire last night, and you’re out here patrolling so soon?”

  “I’m low man on the pole, so they say. Plus, I’m happy to do it. I want to be familiar with all the corners of the park.”

  Rose, Mary, and Graham had been gone quite a while. Mary would tease her endlessly if she dallied too long with the ranger. “I should catch up to my friends. It was nice to talk with you.”

  He caught her arm as she passed him, and the gentle brush of his fingers made her pulse race. “I hear you’re leaving soon. Your father says you’re moving to Canyon?”

  “Yes, after the big party.” Had any of the rangers been invited? Her stomach quivered. “You’re welcome to join us, Ranger…um, Teddy.”

  His mare nickered softly, and Teddy moved to stroke the horse’s nose. “I wouldn’t want to intrude. I don’t really know many of the staff yet.”

  A breeze caught the end of Elsie’s scarf and fluttered it about her face. If only she had an ounce of Mary’s poise and confidence. “I could introduce you around, if you wanted.”

  He lifted his gaze to meet hers, his brown eyes intense. “I’d be honored, Elsie. Truly. Should I come by for you about eight?”

  “I’ll be going over early to help set up.” She nodded toward the trail where her friends had disappeared. “We all are. I could meet you there.”

  He took a step closer, his long shadow falling over her. “Perfect. I’d love to help, and then I can get to know some of your friends before festivities begin. That will free us to focus on dancing.”

  Weakness spread through her limbs. How would she ever coordinate them enough to keep from trampling on the poor man’s feet? “Six o’clock, then?”

  He grinned. “I can’t wait.”

  * * *

  Nate squirted the last dropper of milk into the raccoon kit’s mouth, not that the hungry little pig seemed the least bit grateful, its little handlike paws clutching the glass tube. This one and its sibling had scarfed down a tin cup of the stuff. How much could two raccoons eat, anyway?

  The smaller of the two had already nestled into a corner of Nate’s footlocker, cuddling with a rolled pair of socks.

  In the next cot Moretti scowled. “Next time you go off somewhere, you better hire a babysitter. Those things mewled all night long. We finally put them back in the showers hoping their mama would come and claim them.”

  “I already tried that.”

  “Well, at least we got a few hours of shut-eye.”

  “You could have been out digging firebreaks with us, you know.”

  When Nate discovered the abandoned kits, the captain told him to walk them into the brush and leave them. Nate ran a finger over the little guy’s ringed tail. Might as well hang a dinner bell around its neck while they were at it. He and Val had managed to take turns on feeding duty. Even Red had gotten in on the act after Mutt threatened to toss the scamps out to the bears.

  Nate held the kit at eye level. “Looks like you and your brother might be our unofficial mascots. Question is—will you go with us to Canyon?”

  “We’re not keeping the fleabags here,” Moretti said. “And don’t expect me to watch ’em while you’re making pretty at that dance. Not unless there’s cash in it for me.” Moretti leaned on his elbow.

  “How about a canteen credit?”

&n
bsp; The fellow lifted his eyebrows. “Hmm. I’ll think about it. Or if you don’t want that invite—”

  “Captain said they weren’t transferrable.”

  Moretti fell back on his bunk. “Only a loon would turn it down, anyway.”

  Get dressed up and hobnob with local girls? Most of the boys were beyond excited, but to Nate, it sounded like a recipe for trouble. He didn’t want to spend the evening chaperoning a bunch of overexcited young men. Or chance running into that college girl again.

  His folks could hardly afford to feed their whole brood, so sending them to college had never been a consideration. Only Charlie had the brains for it, and he seemed more determined to get himself sent up the river than off to university. How much must something like that cost, anyway? More than Nate would see in a lifetime, that was sure.

  How could he, Red, and the others hold their heads up around these privileged girls? And likely as not, there’d be plenty of college men there too. Red already had the scoop—horse wranglers, desk clerks, dishwashers, porters, bus drivers—the place would be filled with respectable fellows with their polished wing-tip shoes. Why are they inviting us? Are we the comedy act?

  The folded invitation rustled in his pocket. He hadn’t needed to attempt reading it. All of the men who’d volunteered for the fire brigade had received one. It was clear from the excited talk what the typed words meant.

  The kit had drifted off, so Nate placed it beside the other. The smaller of the two had grabbed hold of the sock ball and was chewing on it in his sleep. Nate worked it free of the raccoon’s teeth and sighed. One more thing to mend before Saturday night.

  Mary unwound the curlers from Elsie’s hair and smiled. “Perfect. Ranger Vaughn is going to fall over with glee. You’ve never looked so pretty.”

  Elsie pressed a hand against her trembling stomach. “I’m not sure what I was thinking, inviting him like I did.”

  “You were thinking he’s a good-looking fellow who’d make a great dance partner.” Her friend swept a perfume bottle into her hand and squeezed the bulb, dousing Elsie with thousands of fragrant droplets. “Give him a chance, Elsie. He’s perfect for you. Rugged, strong, capable—he’s basically a younger version of your father.”