Love Another Day

by Regina A Hanel

  "I don't know, Sam. I think you'd commit if you found the right person. Maybe you haven't found her yet."

  "What about Felice? Remember her? She was pretty terrific. I botched that up," Sam persisted.

  "Felice was a nice person, but she had issues too. When you met her she was coming off a divorce. I don't think she was even sure if she was truly gay."

  "Yeah, I guess, but is that a good enough reason to break up with someone? I don't know, maybe you're right. Maybe Dr. Kornwall's searching. She doesn't actually know what's been going on with me. How could she?" Sam took a sip of coffee and tried to relax.

  "Did she mention why she thinks you've been having the dreams again?"

  "No. I asked her that too and all she said was, 'We'll get to that, don't worry'."

  April was quiet for a moment. "Look, I'm sure the lady doc has your best interests at heart. She's an excellent therapist. Sometimes bad things happen to us in our lives, and we bundle those memories away because they're too difficult to deal with when they happen. And then, as time goes by, who knows how that impacts our lives. Death isn't easy to deal with, especially when you're young. I don't know how losing one of my parents at thirteen would've impacted me, but I'd have to think it probably would've had a negative effect. I think the best thing you can do is stay open to what she's saying, and don't be too critical. Give her theories a chance of having a voice. You don't have a whole lot of other options right now."

  Sam listened intently. April's words resonated, even though she didn't want to hear them. "I think you may be in the wrong job," Sam said. "I guess I do need to give this some time. I keep wondering if I hadn't cut my therapy short the last go around, if I'd still be in this situation."

  "I'd like to think you wouldn't, but you can't undo the past. You need to give her a chance, and hang in there."

  Sam wiped her eyes. "Yeah, I know. Sorry to unload on you."

  "That's what friends are for. Now forget about all that, and tell me what else you've been up to. How's work?"

  "The Chief has me on assignment helping out a photojournalist who works for a wildlife magazine in Boston. She's staying at the lodge doing a cover story on the park."

  "Interesting. She you say?"

  "I know where you're going with this. Yes, she."

  "How's it going? Dish." April prodded.

  "We had a bumpy start to say the least. We're very different, yet alike in a lot of ways. She appears to be honest, she's definitely organized, easy to talk to and stuff, she's very pretty--gorgeous in fact--but she can be a bit materialistic, and she's way too driven. She's stubborn too. Definitely set in her ways and bossy at times."

  "Wow, that's a lot to observe about a person who you're working with on a professional level, isn't it?"

  "What can I say? I'm naturally observant. I just don't know what to do about her. Dr. Kornwall's words keep floating around in my head and won't give me any rest, and neither do the nightmares."

  "You've got a dilemma, that's for sure. Have you two gotten together outside of work?"

  "We've been kayaking on Jackson Lake, and she's been over for dinner."

  "You invited her to dinner?" April paused. "Did you kiss?"

  "We did." Sam chose not to mention they'd kissed more than once and on separate occasions.

  "And?"

  Sam remained silent. "What?"

  "What do you mean 'what'? Do I have to pull it out of you? I have ways of making people talk."

  "To be honest, she took my breath away. I've never connected with someone like I connect with her, which confuses me since I haven't even known her that long. At times she seems rigid, but then she'll say or do something that shows what a huge heart she has and that she enjoys helping people and animals, which I find incredibly attractive." Sam pictured Halie's expression when she watched the young moose calf run off to meet its family. She recalled how Halie helped her with Josh and Jason and how she gave her the sweatshirt she was wearing to keep her warm and brought her soup and--

  "Ah hmm," April said.

  Sam snapped back to the present. "Sorry, what was I saying? Oh, yeah, and she's got a great sense of humor and a sharp mind. I feel the passion in her."

  "I can see clear as day you like this woman--maybe even love her. The question is, does she like you back?"

  "What? I didn't say anything about love." Sam's cheeks transformed to a rosy red. "I think you're jumping the gun. We're friends, nothing more."

  "Well, then in that case I'm sure you won't mind bringing your 'friend' to dinner next Saturday, so Corrine and I can meet her. Any woman that can impress you the way she has must be something."

  "Who said she impressed me?"

  "You did," April said.

  Chapter Twelve

  AN OVERFLOWING PARKING lot at the lodge was evidence that the summer season had kicked into high gear, as was the multitude of people scurrying about. The forecast called for a nice day, seventy degrees with scattered clouds, and so far the forecast was right.

  Halie approached the Expedition with her usual backpack, camera bag, and coffee cup conspicuously missing. She opened the passenger side door and peeked in. "Hi. I tried calling you at home to let you know I was staying in and doing research today, but I couldn't get a hold of you in time."

  "Oh," Sam said, disappointed but trying to hide it. She'd thought a lot about her conversation with April the day before and woke finding that she couldn't wait to see Halie and spend time with her, even though they would be at work. She wanted to find out how the rest of her Sunday was, and the thought of not having her company drew some of the happiness she awoke with from her. "That's okay. I had to swing by this way anyhow. Do you think you'll be out taking pictures tomorrow?"

  "Photos," Halie corrected. "I don't know for sure. I'll call you tonight. I might. I did want to photograph bears this week."

  "Black or grizzly?"

  "Either is fine, but preferably grizzlies. I promised my nephews I'd bring home some shots for them. They've never seen a grizzly. I planned on having the photos blown to poster size so they can hang 'em on their walls. They're little yet. They love that kind of stuff."

  "I'm sure." Sam paused for a moment before adding, "Do you have plans for Saturday night? You're not working this weekend, are you?"

  "No. Why, are you asking me out? I thought we weren't dating?"

  "Cute. We're not, but I wondered if you'd like to meet my friends, April and Corrine. They invited us to dinner."

  "They did? That's nice." Halie didn't hesitate. "I'd love to go."

  "Great. They're good people. I think you'll like them."

  "I'm sure I will."

  "When you decide to photograph the bears, let me know. I'll come with you."

  "You don't need to. I'll be fine on my own."

  "Maybe, but I'd feel better if I went along. There's probably nothing to worry about. If we got any calls about an aggressive bear or an inkling there was an issue, we'd have posted warning signs all over the place in that area anyway. But still, you don't want to run into a hungry bear or a mother and her cubs."

  "I know. You don't have to worry. Besides, my understanding is that bear attacks on humans are extremely rare."

  "Yeah, but they do happen. Last month a photographer got mauled in Yellowstone. Bears don't tolerate intruders very well, friendly or not. I don't think it's safe for you to be out there alone. Why not take photographs from the Expedition?"

  "You're kidding right? I want something unique," Halie snapped. "Otherwise, what would be the point?"

  "Right, silly of me to suggest such a stupid idea," Sam retorted. What was it with Halie sometimes? Too driven for her own good?

  "I'm just saying I'm looking for uniqueness, and I'm not going to find that sitting in a car. That's all. I appreciate what you're doing, I do, but I'll be fine. I'm no pushover."

  "I can see that."

  "I'll call you tonight, okay?"

  JAKE WHINED AND barked when Sam pulled up to the c
abin. As soon as she opened the door he bolted out to greet her.

  "Hey, fella! Have you been a good boy today?"

  Jake rolled on the front lawn and wagged his tail.

  Sam petted him for a few minutes before going inside. She took off her shoes, hung her hat on the pegboard, and tossed her keys on the small rectangular oak table by the door. On her way into the bedroom she undid her leather duty belt. She laid it on the dresser and stripped off her clothes and bulletproof vest before moseying into the bathroom and filling the tub with hot water. She twisted her hair into a ponytail and held it in place as she slunk under the water neck deep.

  She closed her eyes, leaned her head against the tub, and willed her muscles to relax. Sam's body was tired from a long afternoon on foot patrol. Had she been with Halie, her day would have been less strenuous--more driving, less on her feet. She lay in the water until it cooled. Revitalized, she added more hot water before soaping and rinsing off. She stepped from the tub, dabbed herself dry, and changed into sweats. Smelling fresh and feeling renewed, she made dinner for her and Jake.

  Sam felt Halie's absence during the day and into the evening. She wondered if Halie had missed her. But she decided it shouldn't matter and fought to push thoughts of Halie from her mind. She ate dinner while skimming through a home design magazine. Afterward, she settled into a good book on the living room sofa. Jake followed, picking up one of his favorite bones along the way. He lay on the floor, his back touching the sofa, and positioned the bone upright between his paws before he began gnawing. The muscles near his temples bulged outward each time his jaw contracted. The sound of crunching bone filled the room. Minutes later, only a small stub remained tucked under his chin, and the bone crushing noise was replaced with soft snores and twitching paws.

  It'd been a while since Sam took the time to read, and she missed it. She sped through the first five chapters completely engrossed in the story, unaware of the time. She was about to take a break when the phone rang. "Hello?"

  "Hey, Sam, it's Halie. Hope I'm not bothering you, but I've got good news."

  "Hi. I was just doing a little reading. What's up? You want me to pick you up tomorrow morning?"

  "Yeah, but that's not why I called. Mark called me. He got a lead on the animal trap," she announced happily.

  "Are you serious?"

  "Very. Ready for a long story?"

  "Sure." Sam was anxious to hear the details.

  "In the early nineteen hundreds, a small company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, called Victory Brothers manufactured a slew of metal products, including your animal trap. Two brothers owned the business. They were second-generation owners who, as rumor had it, took great pride in their work, so much so that they stamped each trap with an identifying code. The first four numbers represented the part number, the next four represented the number produced in the series, and the last character, which I had trouble deciphering, was a V and identified the company--'V' for Victory. After the one brother passed away, the other brother struggled maintaining the business on his own, so it folded. The surviving brother hid most of the remaining inventory in the basement of his house thinking that when his son grew older he might be able to start the business up again. In the meantime, his manufacturing plant and the land the plant was built on were sold off to pay creditors in the bankruptcy. The surviving brother never told anyone about the stash, and no one ever located it. But years later, when he died, his son found the merchandise in a hidden compartment. So the son, probably not knowing what to do with all the stuff, posted it for sale on the Internet. It turns out an antique dealer from Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania, who deals in sporting collectibles, saw the son's advertisement and bought the whole lot of goods from him. And the best news is that dealer's still in business."

  "You're kidding? How'd your friend find all this out?" Sam asked, baffled.

  "I'm not sure how he traced the numbers and found the company who manufactured the trap, but he got a lot of information about the history of the company from the antique dealer. The antique dealer's business had also been in his family for several generations. The guy told him that when he was younger he recalled seeing news articles in the papers on the Victory Brothers company's bankruptcy and all the controversy that went along it. He said the creditors knew there should have been inventory left, according to the books and records, but the merchandise couldn't be found. The dealer said that the controversy surrounding the parts was one of the main reasons he bought them."

  "I don't believe it."

  "I know. When Mark asked him about the sales of the traps, he said he's been selling them piecemeal over the years, but that six months ago he sold the last few traps to one buyer for two-hundred dollars. When Mark asked him if he still had a record of the sale, he said he was sure he did, but that it would take too long to dig it out."

  "He's probably fishing for compensation to make a search worthwhile."

  "I thought the same thing and told Mark I'd get back to him tomorrow."

  Sam paused for a second. "Tell Mark that I'll give the guy another two-hundred dollars if he can find the sales receipt and mail it to me."

  "Great idea."

  "Thanks for doing this. I appreciate it, and I'm sure Jake would too if he understood."

  "Yeah, well I'm really only doing this for Jake because he's such a sweetie pie."

  "Of course," Sam said. She knew Halie was helping her so she'd eventually have closure to what happened to Jake, and she was thankful for it. The problem was, the more giving and kindhearted Halie was, the more difficult it was for Sam to think about her platonically.

  Chapter Thirteen

  SAM VEERED LEFT off John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway onto Grassy Lake Road. She drove a few miles to the area she reasoned Halie would have the best chance of seeing bear for her photos and stopped. No warning signs. Good. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" she asked.

  "No. I'll be fine."

  "You know I'd feel a lot better if I were with you," Sam persisted.

  "Yeah, I know, and I appreciate your concern, I do, but I'm going on my own. Don't worry." Halie leaned over and gave Sam a quick peck on the cheek before she opened the passenger side door and stepped out.

  "What was that for?" Sam yelled out the window as Halie marched along the dusty road.

  "A friend saying goodbye to a friend, that's all," Halie said in a devilish manner, waving at Sam.

  Sam waved back, annoyed with the kiss, but the touch of Halie's lips still warmed her cheek and made her smile. She watched until Halie was out of sight, and the dust her boots kicked up had settled. "Be careful," she whispered.

  CAMERA READIED AROUND her neck, thinking pleasant thoughts about Sam, Halie counted her lucky stars to have met someone so charming and caring, even if she was a bit overprotective. Yet she was saddened they couldn't explore their relationship further. If only she were staying longer, maybe she'd have a better chance.

  The road she walked along cut through a wooded area with only a few grassy patches and shrub covered spots visible. Alongside, a ground hog waddled in search of food. Around a bend, Halie spotted three hikers approaching from the opposite side of the road. She hadn't expected to run into anyone that early in the morning. As the distance between her and the hikers shrank, she got a better look at them.

  The men were in their mid-thirties. Two were unshaven and the third had a beard, but all had unkempt, greasy hair, dirt under their fingernails, and wore shirts and jeans in dire need of soap. The bearded man who lagged behind the other two also had glassy, bloodshot eyes.

  For the first time in a long time, Halie was uneasy. Not since she'd covered a child abduction story and interviewed the abductor in jail had she felt this way. Even though she was protected, that same emptiness in the eyes and the way he ogled her was unsettling. She got the identical eerie vibe from these men. She recalled a news story from the previous summer when two women hikers--partners--were brutally killed during a hiking trip alon
g the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. Halie remembered it took park rangers four days to find the women after they'd been reported missing. Rangers found their dog too, lying cut up a few feet from his masters and covered in dirt. A chill ran along her spine. She was now acutely aware that she was a woman, alone in the woods, and vulnerable. She was also aware the men had stopped and were watching her. Keeping her fear in check, she concentrated on moves she learned in her self-defense classes, readying herself mentally in case she needed to act.

  The mental exercise returned a shred of power to her. When she reached the area along the road where she knew she had wanted to cut in to the woods, her inner voice told her not to veer off, to keep walking until she passed the men and they continued on their way. When she was twenty feet from them, she managed a smile and as strong a "good morning" as she could muster.

  Two of the hikers smiled back and greeted her, then continued walking, but the third man, the bearded one, said nothing. He merely stared at her with eyes that appeared void of emotion.

  Shivers ran down Halie's spine. Should she call Sam from her GPS or not? Was she overreacting? She decided not to call. Instead, she kept moving, maintaining a strong and steady gait. She wished at that moment she hadn't been so stubborn and had agreed to let Sam go with her.

  WITH THE SUN peeking in and out of the afternoon clouds, Sam drove north from Moran toward Jackson Lake campground when her GPS went off. She clicked on the talk button. "Hi, Halie, it's Sam. Go ahead." Sam waited for a response but got no answer. "Halie, it's Sam. Go ahead." Silence followed. Something wasn't right. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She tried reaching Halie one more time. No response.

  Instantly, she flicked on the switch for the emergency lights and pressed her foot on the gas pedal. Sam glanced over at the GPS with one eye, keeping the other on the road. The digital screen positioned Halie as being located three miles north of where Sam had dropped her off that morning, and roughly another mile or two into the woods, but it showed no movement. Sam sped past the morning drop off point and continued along the road another mile, then slammed on the brakes, skidding to a stop.