Saved by the Montana Hero

by Vella Munn

  “Now there’s a loaded question. I could insist I can be trusted with matters of national security, but I might be lying through my teeth.”

  “You’re right. That was a dumb question.” She looked past him to their surroundings. “I’m going to tell you something maybe I shouldn’t but eventually it’ll become public knowledge. I hope you’ll keep this to yourself for awhile.”

  She was asking if she could confide in him. Trust him.

  “What?”

  “A couple of months ago Echo showed me pictures of wolf prints that had been taken around a spring near Rabbit Ears.”

  He gaped. “Wow. No doubt about what the prints were?”

  “None. Echo knows that stuff. Boy does she.” She sighed. “The prints were huge, unlike anything I’ve ever seen. As for whether you and I sensed a wolf’s presence, probably not, but it’s a kick thinking about it.”

  He didn’t respond as he absorbed her excitement. If he touched her, her reaction would envelope him. Give them something to share.

  Sharing? He wanted that, knew to avoid it.

  “I hope what I told you about the prints doesn’t spook you,” she said.

  “Hardly. If I remember right, wolves have always been in the Rocky Mountains. They were never completely eradicated here, were they?”

  “No, not that people didn’t try. That infuriates me every time I think about it.”

  “But to have one, at least one, close to Lake Serene is a lot to wrap my mind around.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  Go on talking. Let me get a handle on your mood. “I believe wolves belong. Once they were part of the balance of nature, left their footprints on the land. Because of the re-introduction program, it’s happening again all over this country.”

  “I’m glad to hear you say that. Not everyone feels the same way. Like you said, long before we humans mucked things up, nature balanced itself. Why are we so arrogant to think we know better than Mother Nature?”

  “I don’t know. Too bad we can’t leave the forest alone.”

  “We should.”

  But it was too late for that. The wilderness couldn’t be restored to what it had once been any more than he’d been able to restore health to two precious people. Feeling weighed down by the reality, he cast around for something easier to talk about. Maybe she felt the same because she left him and went into the kitchen area. He heard water running.

  “Darn it,” she said after a few seconds, “the hot water hasn’t been turned on. I really can’t clean without it.”

  After putting down his armload of wood, he joined her. He still didn’t like the idea of her having been sent here to tackle months of neglect, but she seemed comfortable in the kitchen. She’d smoothed her hair and her bangs were slanted so they drew his attention to her big eyes but that wasn’t all. Around her he felt like a man, plain and simple. After forcing his attention off her and the signals his body was trying to give him, he looked around until he spotted an ancient electrical panel near the back door. Fortunately the old fuses were marked. He turned the one for the hot water heater over.

  “Hopefully that’ll do it,” he said. “It’s things like this that makes me interested in electrical work. Probably the whole building needs updating.”

  She groaned. “I should say thanks but unless the fuse burned out, you’ve taken away my excuse for not staying.”

  That did it for him, made him think about what she would do once he left. The rain might not last and she certainly had enough to do to keep her occupied for the rest of the day. Much more heat and she’d be able to remove her sweatshirt. She might open more windows to chase away the mustiness. Some of the forest sounds would reach her but there’d still be silence.

  “You don’t have to do this,” he said. “Tell Melinda it’s too big a job for one person and get her to send reinforcements.”

  “Don’t tempt me.”

  “You think that’s what I’m doing?”

  “It sounds like it. Seriously, I don’t mind.”

  Maybe she didn’t, but he did. There wasn’t enough of her for the physical task. Melinda should have sent someone bigger and stronger, not this fragile, young woman.

  No, not fragile. He’d already seen some of what she was capable of. The problem was, he was being influenced by his past.

  “I’m going to call Rey,” he said. “Tell him I’ve decided to stay and help—”

  “No, you aren’t.”

  Surprised, he faced her. Yes, there was strength beneath her delicate appearing form.

  “I’ve been taking care of myself for most of my life,” she said. “A wolf isn’t going to storm in here and wrestle me for control of the mop.”

  “No, it probably isn’t. What if it was a wolverine? They’re nasty creatures.”

  Her mouth twitched. “And ugly. However, Echo told me about wolverines. She said one hasn’t been seen in the Flathead Forest for so long it’s possible they’re no longer here.”

  “That’s too bad. It sounds like you’re pretty knowledgeable about Montana’s wildlife.”

  “I’m learning. Echo is a great resource and teacher. I envy her for having a job that makes use of her knowledge of and love for forests. Take off. I’m serious about being able to handle this chore.”

  “I know you are. I just thought—never mind.” He didn’t know how to deal with her independence. He’d been relied on for so long that responsibility had become part of him.

  As she started pulling items out of the cupboard to the right of the sink, he reluctantly got in touch with Rey who told him to head for the large, luxury rental building being built not far from the main resort. To his way of thinking, the complex didn’t blend into its surroundings. At the same time, the upscale construction materials fascinated him. Maybe the electrician was there.

  If Kolina hadn’t heard about how the rental building had been designed to withstand fierce snowstorms and subzero temperatures, he’d tell her. Take her on a guided tour if she wanted.

  “What a waste,” Kolina said.

  He looked to see what she was talking about. A box for graham crackers lay on the counter next to one for popcorn. Both had been torn apart. She held up a large plastic catsup container, also ruined.

  “Mice.” He surmised.

  “Bigger, I’m thinking.” She indicated the cupboard. “I’m not going to touch what’s left of that bag of sugar. Yuck. Darn it, my gloves are in the vehicle.”

  He brought a large trash can to where she was working, picked up the boxes, and dropped them in the can. That done, he reluctantly opened another cupboard. This one was full of soda cans. Several had been punctured in multiple places leaving him with no doubt of what was responsible for the syrupy residue on every surface.

  “Raccoons.” He announced. “There’s hardly anything the buggers can’t get their teeth into.”

  “Yes, raccoons. No way am I going to tackle that without a fire hose.”

  They’d been nearly this close together when he tried to stop her inner tube so he should be used to the femininity beneath her practical clothes. Wasn’t. He felt her warmth on his shoulder, down his arm, over his side. He glanced her way but couldn’t tell if she was having a similar reaction.

  Kolina Childs had been the subject of more than one conversation among his fellow crew members, which wasn’t surprising since Lake Serene Resort didn’t have many single women on staff. There was Echo but she was taken. He’d spotted an attractive young woman with Nate Quaid who was the resort’s plumber. Nate had introduced Alisha Hearne to Terron and had explained she owned one of the private cabins on the opposite side of the lake. Obviously Alisha had eyes only for Nate, and Nate felt the same way about her.

  That pretty much left Kolina as the only unattached single female unless he wanted to count several middle-aged, divorced women who either wanted nothing to do with men or were on the prowl. Speculation about Kolina ran from her having a long-distance boyfriend or fiancé to being gay. Why else
wasn’t she responding to the come-ons aimed at her?

  He hadn’t been immune to her sexy body and soft voice. However, he hadn’t had the opportunity to try to get a woman to notice he was alive for so long that whatever seduction skills he might have once had were rusty. With Kolina inches away, he had no idea what to do next.

  Of course, the disaster they were looking at factored in. A lot.

  “That’s it,” she said as she backed away. “I’m willing to clean the main area but I’m not staying in here without a hazmat suit.”

  He agreed but on the off chance that hard-nosed Melinda wouldn’t let Kolina off the hook, he decided he could at least throw away the ruined soda cans. She’d brought along several rags and he used a couple as makeshift gloves to pry the cans loose from the residue. By the time he was done and she’d thrown in a lot of shredded napkins and paper towels, the trash can was full.

  “There should be a dumpster out back,” he said. “Hopefully I can empty this in it and get back inside without drowning.”

  When she opened her mouth, he figured she was getting ready to remind him this wasn’t his job. Then she closed it. She was probably trying to decide whether a thank you or a call to a shrink was in order. He wasn’t sure himself because, if he was trying to impress her, couldn’t he have come up with something more impressive than offering to take out the garbage?

  Still using the rag gloves, he picked up the can and headed for the back door. She opened it and started to back away to give him room.

  “Wha—look.” She grabbed his shoulder.

  Alert, he put down the can and joined her in the open space. Too bad she didn’t have a reason to continue touching him. Cool, wet air rushed in. A trash receptacle was within sight, but it wasn’t a heavy-duty dumpster. Instead it was maybe twice as large as what he’d been carrying.

  More to the point, it had been knocked over. The contents were strewn all over.

  “Wolf,” he blurted.

  She again touched his shoulder. “No. I’m sure—at least I can’t believe…”

  No wonder she was speechless. Critters getting into trash cans was a persistent problem around the resort, but he didn’t recall seeing a can this large tipped over. Mostly it was a matter of rodents climbing in and selecting a few choice-to-them items to haul off—after dropping the discards on the ground.

  The rain had flattened the paper products and turned everything into a gooey-looking mess. No way would he touch it with anything except a shovel. Whatever animal was responsible, it had to be good-sized to be able to upend the metal can.

  “Not a raccoon,” she said as the possibility popped into his head.

  “How can you be sure?”

  “See that apple?”

  He looked where she was pointing. A few bites had been taken out of the browned apple. Orange peelings spilled out of a nearby plastic bag. Judging by some wrapping, someone had eaten part of one of the to-go hamburgers the restaurant supplied. The burger and bun were gone but a shriveled tomato and lettuce remained.

  “I get it,” he said. “You’re making the point that raccoons would have taken the apple, orange peel, and vegetables.”

  They faced each other. He was sure his expression mirrored her confusion.

  “Not a bear either,” she added after a short silence. “Echo says they’ll eat everything.”

  Not giving himself time to question his actions, he took hold of her shoulders, drew her away from the door, and closed it. He didn’t release her.

  “The meat’s gone,” he said. “A wolf could have done that.”

  “Wouldn’t that be incredible?”

  “Incredible?”

  “Yes. The ultimate predator standing close to where we are.”

  “You’d love that, wouldn’t you?” he asked.

  “Absolutely.”

  She turned until she was facing him. The unknown was out there but not in here where it was just the two of them and something without definition, sparking.

  They’d connected. Simple and complicated as that.

  Chapter Three

  “Calm down,” Echo said. “That’s not wolf behavior.”

  After returning to her senses enough to realize she needed to put distance between herself and Terron in order to think, Kolina had reached Echo on her cell phone. She’d put her friend on speaker so Terron could hear both sides of the conversation. Although it wasn’t particularly cold, they were standing near the wood stove. They were also closer together than necessary, closer than she thought she’d ever be to a near stranger. Sharing things like upended trash cans did that.

  “I don’t know what got into the trash,” the Fish and Wildlife employee continued, “but wolves are hunters, not scavengers. Plus I don’t see them hanging around something that smells of humans.”

  “Good point,” Kolina said. “I just got excited.”

  “I can tell. That’s been happening to me lately now that I’m in the field most of the time.”

  She hadn’t said anything about Terron and her feeling as if they were being watched earlier. She should have since that would probably help Echo determine what they were talking about, but she didn’t want to take any more of Echo’s time right now. Maybe when it was just the two of them and Terron wasn’t distracting her.

  “Speaking of the field,” she said. “How is the bear study going?”

  Echo chuckled. “I absolutely love it, but I’m not crazy enough to be out today. It’s too wet for anything except paperwork.”

  “At least you aren’t cleaning up after the world’s biggest raccoon party,” she said while Terron nodded in sympathy or understanding or both.

  “You don’t have to either, girlfriend. I changed jobs. It isn’t that hard.”

  “That’s easy for you to say. You’re the one with a college degree.”

  “So? You could—”

  “Don’t you have better things to do than lecture me?” It was too late to turn off the speaker, too late to keep Terron from learning certain things about her.

  “As a matter of fact, I don’t,” Echo said. “I’d offer to come look at the crime scene but the rain’s going to wash away any prints the perp might have left. You know what I think it is?”

  “What?” she asked although now that her imagination was no longer in overdrive, she was pretty sure she knew what Echo was going to say.

  “Here’s my expert opinion. It’s a dog or dogs.”

  “Yeah,” Terron said before she could agree. “That makes sense.”

  “I don’t know what else it could be,” Echo said. “Do you think someone’s pet might have gotten loose and decided to raid the trash can?”

  Terron fixed his attention on Kolina. “It would take a pretty big dog. Besides, rules stipulate that visitors keep their pets under control.”

  Echo chuckled. “Rules get broken.”

  “So I’ve heard.” Kolina said, with Terron still staring at her. Maybe his intensity was what was making her uneasy. “Forget I called,” she said. “Mystery solved.”

  “Is that what you think?” Terron asked once she’d ended her conversation with Echo. “That someone’s pet went on a rampage?”

  “I’m not sure.” She put her cell in her pocket and placed her hands behind her so they were close to the heat. “Looking at the dumped-over trash, I’d say she’s right but…”

  “But what?”

  “I’m not sure that explains what we sensed at the top of the run.”

  Terron walked over to the open window and closed it. Then he wiped condensation off another pane of glass. She still couldn’t see much.

  “Why didn’t you tell her about that part?” he asked.

  He’d put distance between them so she should be able to think clearer, but the room remained full of him. She hadn’t had this reaction since Brian had been the center of her life and didn’t know how to handle it. Wasn’t sure she wanted it.

  Fighting a rush of emotion, she struggled to concentrate on Terron’
s question. “I’m not sure why I didn’t say anything. Maybe I should have, but we didn’t actually see anything. Maybe…”

  “What? We imagined the same thing? I don’t buy that and don’t think you do either. I just hope we don’t have some voyeur hanging around.”

  “I didn’t think about that.”

  “The crazies even come here.” He frowned. “Maybe I’m way off base but on the off-chance I’m not, you shouldn’t be alone.”

  “Are you trying to freak me out?”

  “Call it my protective nature.”

  This was too much, too intense, a man she barely knew, but for some reason trusted, invading her personal space and more importantly her emotions. She didn’t know how to deal with it. Never had.

  “I don’t need protecting.”

  “Are you sure?”

  No. “What do you want from me? If you’re waiting for a logical explanation for what happened, I can’t give it. I thought you had to take off.”

  “Is that what you want me to do?”

  He was trying to look beneath her surface, darn him. Push her. It wasn’t going to happen.

  “I have a job to do.” She indicated the room. “Maybe you don’t take yours seriously but I do.”

  The moment the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. Rey and Shaw would have sent him packing if he didn’t carry his weight. She needed to apologize or at least tell him what, that he had her off balance? If she did, he might ask why when she didn’t know.

  It was all too darned confusing.

  “In other words,” he said, “butt out.”

  “That isn’t what I said.”

  “Maybe not in so many words but—you’re right. I’m infringing on your space when it’s obvious you don’t want or need that. It won’t happen again. Just lock the door after I leave, all right?”

  *

  It had stopped raining by the time Kolina had locked up and driven back to the resort, but, judging by the clouds, she wouldn’t be surprised if it started again. She’d hoped she wouldn’t have to work in the restaurant that evening, but Melinda had approached as she was putting away her cleaning supplies and informed her that she’d had to let Ginger Ford go. Melinda had no choice but to ask Kolina to work the flaky eighteen-year-old’s shift.