“Spookier, too.” A bird shrieked in the distance, as if in answer to Nate’s observation.
A sly grin spread across Red’s face. “More places for bears to hide. Seen any yet, Val?”
The youth glanced around. “No. You?”
“Lots of times.”
“I imagine we all will before the summer’s out.” Nate buttoned his jacket against the evening’s chill. “Cookie said they come around to eat the garbage.”
Red laughed. “Garbage—and people out walking in the woods.”
Val halted. “You’re joshing me.”
“Red, leave him alone.” Nate elbowed his friend.
Red continued walking, not waiting as the other two fell a few steps behind.
Nate turned to the younger man. “Dahl seemed to doubt your age. What’s the true story?”
“What’s it matter? I do the work of a man, don’t I?”
“You did today, that’s for sure.”
“Thanks.” The kid shrugged. “I’m sixteen.”
The number tugged at Nate’s heart. Sixteen. He’s just a child.
“You going to rat on me?”
“ ’Course not.” But from now on, he’d think twice about inviting him along on an evening rendezvous with Red. Who knew what the other man had planned? If it was that girl from Mammoth, he was playing with dynamite.
It only took about fifteen minutes to walk to the hotel. The parking area filled with fancy automobiles made Nate hesitate. Red didn’t plan on going inside, did he?
He quickened his pace, catching his buddy. “What do you have in mind? We’ll stand out like sore thumbs in there.”
Red scanned the parking area. “I didn’t think it out this far. Said I’d meet her here, but I’m not sure she’ll show.”
“Said you’d—how’d you do that? When did you even see the girl?”
“Red?” A feminine voice called from a nearby grove of trees. A moment later, the slender woman stepped into the open, her blond hair shimmering in the evening light.
“There you are.” Red ducked forward, catching her hands in his. “I didn’t think you’d come, doll.”
A tentative smile spread across her face. “I wouldn’t miss it.” She glanced over his shoulder at Nate and Val. “You brought friends.”
Red turned to face them. “Ah, yeah. Fellas, you can go now.”
Nate shook his head. “Not a chance.”
Mary giggled, weaving her hand through Red’s arm. “It’s all right. I’m pretty sure my roommate’s just a few steps behind me. Want to walk to the dump?”
“The dump?” Red’s brow furrowed. “Why would you want to go there?”
“You’ll see.” She grabbed Red’s hand, tugging him after her. She lifted her voice. “Elsie, are you coming?”
Miss Brookes stepped from the shadows, her hands tucked into her sweater pockets. “Hello, everyone. Nice evening for a stroll.”
A stitch of tension eased from Nate’s muscles. “Sure is.” With another young woman along, he’d feel less like a police detail and more part of a social group.
Val straightened. “Hey, Miss Brookes. I enjoyed your class today.”
She smiled. “And I was impressed with your essay. Twain and Sinclair? Do you read a lot of novels?”
“Every chance I get. Though my father says novels are a waste of time.”
Elsie frowned. “Jesus taught using stories. I think God designed us to love a good story.”
A shadow passed over his face. “Yes ma’am. I think you’re right.”
Nate turned and followed Red and Mary, determined not to let the couple get too far ahead. Besides, he had little to offer in a conversation that revolved around reading.
Elsie fell in beside them. “I have some other books I can bring for you to read. Maybe you can pass them around—give the others a chance with them when you’re done, Mr. Kaminski.”
The kid blushed. “No one calls me by my last name.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t remember your given name.”
“It’s Valentine, but I don’t like getting ribbed about it. So Val is easier.”
Valentine? What else hadn’t Val told them? A sixteen-year-old Jewish boy who loved to read—he must be feeling pretty lonely in this pack. Nate rubbed his ear. “Val, how did you read so many books if your father doesn’t approve?”
“He goes to bed early.”
Elsie turned to Nate. “What do you like to read, Mr. Webber?”
“Please, call me Nate.” He jammed his hands deeper into his pockets. “So, Val, what do you want to do when you’re done here at Yellowstone? Go into a trade?”
The young woman frowned at the abrupt subject change, but it drew her attention back to their companion.
Val chattered the rest of the walk, talking about odd jobs he’d worked and his dreams of going to college and becoming a novelist. It figured the kid was smart. Nate hadn’t put that together before tonight, but the young man’s awkward ways had suggested he wasn’t suited to a life of hard labor. Maybe sitting in front of a typewriter would be more his speed.
Elsie smiled at the younger man. “I’m starting college in September. I’ve been working for years as a maid to afford it.”
“You haven’t started yet?” Nate asked. “I thought you said all of the savages were college students.”
Her expression faltered. “Most are. But I started working at the hotels while I was still in high school. And since my parents couldn’t afford university, I’m still here.”
“But you’re a teacher?”
Her lips drew into a line. “I help at the local school. I’ll be studying education.”
“You should take the men to see the geysers.” Now there was a classroom experience he could get behind. “You could teach them right there in the field.”
She hesitated. “Well, we have rangers for that. I could ask one of them—”
“But we like you, Miss Brookes.” Val frowned.
Looked like the kid had a crush on the teacher already, not that Nate could blame him. “Val is right. You’re building a rapport with the men.”
Elsie’s face brightened. “I suppose I could arrange something. We could read some papers about the geysers—study the science behind it. And then go and see them firsthand.”
“What better classroom is there?” Nate could barely keep his eyes away from the young woman’s face whenever she smiled. “I’m sure they’d enjoy that.”
“What about you?” She cocked her head. “You’d come along, wouldn’t you? Even if you already have a high school diploma, you could still learn something new.”
Val bumped Nate’s arm. “Nate will come. He’s been talking about the geysers ever since that day you saved Mutt from falling in.”
Only it hadn’t been Mutt’s close call that fascinated him. It was the way Elsie had lit up as she talked about the geysers and hot springs. As if the knowledge inside her couldn’t help but bubble to the surface, because she knew he’d love it too. And she was right. Is that what made a great teacher?
Noises up ahead drew Nate’s attention. The road had opened out into a large meadow, and a crowd of tourists sat on log benches watching something at the bottom of the hill. A tall metal fence separated them from the action. The guttural snarls in the distance sent shivers down his spine. “What is this place?”
Elsie sighed. “It’s the bear feeding ground. The rangers dump scraps from the restaurants and hotels out here so folks can see the bears close up.”
“No fooling?” Val hurried forward, moving through the crowd until he found a seat near the front. Mary and Red had already claimed a bench in the far back.
Elsie glanced at Nate. “Do you ever feel like the nanny?”
He chuckled. “For Val or the two lovebirds over there?”
“Both.”
“They’re adults, right? Well, Red and Mary are, anyway.” He led the way along the row of benches, choosing one at the midway point with a good view of the bears. A ranger near the front narrated the animals’ actions for the gathered visitors.
Over a dozen of the lumbering brutes were digging through a pile laid out on a platform in the middle of the field, while at least that many seagulls wheeled about overhead.
A massive bruin bellowed, charging at one of the smaller bears and running it off. The youngster splashed through a tiny brook that meandered through the meadow as the crowd responded with mingled sounds of shock and admiration. A second ranger on horseback sat nearby, a high-powered rifle balanced across his lap.
Nate shook his head. “I can’t believe what I’m seeing. How many bears come here to eat?”
“Sometimes there are twenty or more. It can get pretty loud when they’re battling for spots to feed.”
Like the breadlines on a bad day. He’d once seen a woman throw a young boy out of her way in a frenzy to fill her food basket. The child lay bleeding on the pavement, a gash in his arm from where he’d fallen against a fireplug. The memory crowded through him, gnawing at his insides. He’d skipped countless meals to make sure his mother and sisters ate. Were things easier now he was gone? His monthly check from the government should provide food for the table. A lump rose in his throat.
Another fight broke out, the large animals bellowing and chasing each other, only to have an opportunistic neighbor rush in and fill the vacated spot. The ranger paused his lecture to let the crowd watch.
Nate jumped to his feet and headed to the back, needing to get away from the sounds. How many families could eat on the scraps being thrown out there for the wild animals?
“Nate?” Elsie followed, catching him just past the final row of benches. “What’s wrong?”
He continued walking a few more feet, wanting to be clear of the jeering crowd. “Not my sort of entertainment, I suppose.” He rubbed his arms, trying to perk up his circulation. “Aren’t you cold?”
Elsie stood there with just a thin sweater over her dress. She drew her arms around her middle. “A little. I’m used to it, though.” The setting sun did little to warm the meadow.
Nate shrugged off his heavy twill jacket. “Here. It’s our fault you’re out here tonight. We can’t have you catching a chill.” He glanced around. “What about your friend?”
“Oh, I think she’s warm enough.” Elsie nodded toward the couple on the rear bench. Red had his arm wrapped around Mary’s waist.
Elsie packed a bundle of laundry into the molly cart and rolled it through the hall toward the last room. The hotel was only half-full, the rooms a luxury few visitors could afford right now.
She knocked on the door before letting herself in, calculating how many hours it would take to pay one semester’s tuition. The teaching position at the CCC camp helped, but it was still going to be close. She’d need a job on campus as well.
The last room tidied up quickly. She stripped the bed, laid out new towels, and swept the floor. At this rate, she’d be done early. Maybe she could put in a shift at the laundry room. She didn’t like bending over the steaming vats with the other bubble queens, but the extra hours would help.
A knock on the doorframe made Elsie jump. She glanced up in time to see Graham stick his head inside. “There you are.”
Rose peeped out from behind him, then rushed forward and grabbed Elsie in a hug. “Elsie, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
“What’s wrong?” Elsie stepped out of her friend’s embrace. “Why are you here?”
Rose smiled. “Nothing’s wrong, silly. I have two days off, so I thought I’d come spend them with you and Mary.” She glanced at Graham, her eyes shining. “Graham was sweet enough to drive me. He’s a good driver too.”
Graham tipped his hat. “It was my pleasure, believe me. You’re much better company than the dudes and dudettes I usually haul around.” Her cousin had picked up the savage lingo quickly, already employing the silly western nicknames park staff used—“dudes” for yellow bus tourists, “sagebrushers” for those who stayed in the auto camps.
Rose squeezed Elsie’s hand. “Graham let me sit up front next to him since there weren’t any tourists on this trip. And it was such a beautiful day we kept the canvas rolled back. I’m glad I remembered to tie a scarf around my hair, or I’d be a mess.”
Elsie finished loading the cart. “You are always pretty as a picture, Rose, even with your hair mussed.” It was true. Between Mary’s Hollywood-style glamor and Rose’s girl-next-door sweetness, Elsie felt like the ugly stepsister. Especially with her long sleeves and buttoned-up collar. “And you’re just in time. I arranged for a showing of Highlights of Yellowstone’s Geysers in the community center tonight. A bunch of the CCC men are coming.”
Rose helped Elsie make the bed. “I’m sure Mary’s happy about that. Can you stay, Graham?”
“I’d like to, but I’ve got to get the bus back to Mammoth.” Graham leaned against the doorframe. “But before I go, could I treat you two ladies to lunch at the café?”
Rose beamed. “Say yes, Elsie. Please?”
Elsie’s stomach turned. Forgiveness didn’t mean she had to socialize with him, did it? Since moving to Canyon, she’d managed to avoid her cousin. “I have lessons to plan. But you two go ahead.” Obviously, Rose’s crush had expanded into full-blown puppy love. She just couldn’t tell if Graham felt the same.
Rose smoothed the bedspread. “I can’t wait to hear all about your experiences with the CCC men.”
Graham’s eyes narrowed. “Are they behaving themselves? No more fistfights or garbage can fires?”
Elsie wiped the small table. “They’ve been perfect gentlemen.”
“Graham, I can go to the café with you, if you’d like.” Rose moved toward him.
His gaze flicked to Elsie. “I probably should be getting back, come to think of it. I’ve got half a sandwich in my bag. It will hold me over.”
Rose’s smile faded. “All right.”
Elsie followed him out the door, wrangling the cart behind her. “Graham, how are my parents? My mother?”
His hesitation spoke volumes. “Auntie says to tell you she’s fine and she hopes you’re having a good time.”
“She says?” Her heart plummeted. “What’s the truth, then?”
He removed his cap, leaving his hair ruffled. “That’s the message she entrusted me with.”
Elsie rounded on her friend. “Rose?”
“I spoke to her three days ago, and she seemed tired. But that’s been normal lately, right?”
“What are the two of you not telling me?” Elsie struggled to keep the bite out of her voice. “Is it her heart? Has she been overdoing it?”
Graham reached for the cart handles and helped her maneuver it toward the laundry room. “You didn’t hear this from me, but she took a tumble on the back stairs.”
“She fell?” Elsie’s breath caught in her chest.
“She’s not hurt.” Rose added. “But your father…he thinks she may have fainted.”
Elsie leaned against the wall, suddenly feeling a little dizzy as well. “I shouldn’t have moved to Canyon. I need to be there.”
Graham gripped her shoulder. “And that’s why she told me not to say anything, Elsie. She doesn’t want you to worry.”
She recoiled from his touch. “I want to see her. Can I come back with you?”
Rose gasped. “But you have to work.”
Her friend’s words barely penetrated the chaos in her thoughts. “They won’t mind. We’ve got too many pillow punchers right now and not enough visitors. Mary can run the film tonight.” She glanced up at Graham. “But I do have to teach on Monday. Can you bring me back before then?”
; “I’m returning to Canyon late tomorrow evening. You can tag along.” Graham’s voice was low. “But your mother wouldn’t want you to rush home on her account. You know that.”
“I need to see her.”
Graham lifted his gloved hands. “Let’s go.”
* * *
Nate clutched the roll of papers as he strode off into the woods, desperate for a breath of air. Several of the guys had started a baseball game in the yard, but the last thing Nate needed was to swing a bat right now. That wouldn’t fix anything.
He sank onto a fallen log and dropped his head into his hands. The papers rustled against his cheek. How did I get myself into this mess? Lowering the documents, he unrolled them and stared at the typeface plastered across the top and the series of blank lines that followed.
“Reports.” That’s what Dahl had said when he tossed the packet onto Nate’s bunk. Reports by Monday. Nate mulled over the information he could include: acres cleared, top workers, difficulties encountered, equipment needed. He knew what needed to be reported. Why couldn’t he just tell Dahl and Ranger Brookes directly? What was it about the government that they had to have everything on crisp white sheets to stick into a folder somewhere?
He glared at the papers, then rolled them up and jammed them into his shirt pocket. Hopeless. He couldn’t write any better than he could sprout wings and fly. Nate got up and started walking. If he just kept going, eventually he’d make it back to civilization. He could get himself a job of some sort that didn’t require reading and paperwork. Factory work or cleaning fish in a cannery. He could push a broom or a plow—whatever. Jobs were scarce, but there had to be something that didn’t involve reports.
Nate continued on, stumbling over logs and shoving through brush. He had no idea how far he’d gone when he slowed, the roar of a river echoing through his chest. He’d made it to the edge of the canyon, the Yellowstone River far below. Nate scrambled to an overlook where he could gaze over the thundering falls. How much of that water came from the snow melting off the highlands where he and his team had been working on beetle-damaged trees?
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