by Meg Ripley
“So, if I win, you promise to go out with me again.”
Not much of a loss for me. So far, my eagle wanted plenty more of him, as much as I didn’t want to admit it. “And when I win?”
“State your terms, worthy foe.”
“You keep your promise and make sure I have non-stop fun. On both dates.”
He grinned, and for the first time, I noticed he had subtle dimples. Of course he did; he radiated boyish charm. But he’d grown into a fine man. “It’s like I’m winning even if I lose.”
I winked. “Me, too.”
I took my position and picked up my striker. He got into place across from me and dropped the puck in the middle. “May the best shifter win.”
Before he even stopped talking, I’d slammed my striker into the puck. The little orange disk slid straight into the goal and the machine lit up.
His mouth hung open and he looked at the scoreboard that now said 0 - 1. I positioned my striker again. He narrowed his eyes and appeared to gather his determination.
Max set the puck down on his side and slammed it hard. It clanked against the edge in front of me, but a foot from the goal. In just two more volleys, I scored again.
He grew very serious when he was competing. But it was adorable the way he furrowed his brow and pressed his lips together with his chin out. I let him have a goal, but made sure it seemed authentic. He danced around in celebration.
“Stay on your game, Ramsey,” I warned. I slammed the striker and scored while he was still mid-victory dance.
“That doesn’t count!” he complained. “I wasn’t ready.”
“What part of ‘stay on your game,’ didn’t you hear?”
He shook his head and grabbed the puck. “Man, you don’t mess around. Okay then, Malone. Let’s end this thing, shall we?”
I looked at the score, amused that he’d called me by my last name like I had him. The score was 2 - 6.
“It is first to seven, right?” I gestured to the score.
“You’re about to see the greatest comeback of all time.”
He scrunched his face, bent down, and got his striker ready while mine rested in defensive mode in front of my goal. I never let my guard down. Having two older brothers taught me that.
When he jutted his striker out, it cracked hard against the puck and sent it soaring my way, but I didn’t move. The puck bounced off my striker and zoomed back across the table, landing directly in his own goal. I broke into belly-shaking laughter as the machine flashed and bragged my victory.
He stood there, shaking his head while pressing against the bridge of his nose. “I can’t believe I did that.”
“Yeah, see”—I was still laughing and found it difficult to talk—“if you hit it too hard, it bounces.”
“Yeah, I see that,” he lamented. “Well, that’s one for you. Off to a good start, Malone.”
“Wish I could say the same for you.”
“Ouch!” He put his hand to his chest. “I’ll fix you. Let’s have a game of pool next.”
“Bring it on.”
At some point, I figured I should tell him I grew up playing bar games. My family, who was still back in Iowa, owned a bar. There’s even a photo of me hanging on the wall at Malone’s where I’m four and holding a pool cue much taller than me.
He racked the balls and let me break. When I sank four balls in that one shot, he exhaled a low growl. “That makes you stripes, then.”
“Go ahead,” I offered.
“No, you sank four balls. It’s still your turn.”
“I know, but that’s okay.”
He lined up his cue, concentrating hard, and nailed his shot.
“Nice one,” I said.
He lined up again and missed. “Now let’s see what you can do,” he challenged.
“Can we change the terms?”
“Maybe.”
“If I beat you in every single game we play, you owe me a car.”
He guffawed, bending over and holding his cue in one hand while his other held his stomach. “Well, I’ll tell you what. If you beat me in every single game, I’ll rent the fanciest car I can find and take you for a nice long drive.”
I shrugged. “That works.” I’d already gotten my prize—seeing his reaction to what I’d said. I’d only wanted to see how generous of a person he was. That, more than anything, would tell me if he’d be a giver or a taker. He hadn’t reacted too well to the statement itself, but I gave him points for coming up with an alternative that technically met my criteria. He would be buying me a car, but only for a day.
“Deal.”
I got started. In my first shot, I only sank one ball. But my next shot bounced the nine off the twelve and sank both the twelve and the eleven balls.
Max whistled. I cracked my knuckles and sashayed around the table. “I’m just getting started.”
When I had sunk every stripe, he sighed. “Well, I have no doubt you’ll get the eight ball.”
I chose a pocket and he moved the chalk cube beside it to mark it. Before I attempted the shot, I showed off a little, carefully knocking in the solids that surrounded the eight ball. When every other ball had been sunk, I went back for the eight ball. I wanted to make this one good.
“Now, watch and learn,” I instructed, leaning in.
The cue hit and sent the eight ball forward, where it bounced and came back hard. It sailed into the furthest edge from where it had bounced, then rolled toward the pocket. It had been a perfect shot. But I hadn’t struck hard enough. The ball stopped just one inch short of the pocket, and in my quest to show off, I’d just lost.
“No way!” Max grabbed his pool cue and eagerly knocked the ball in.
I let out a long sigh.
“No one’s going undefeated tonight,” he announced. He went to the bar to get us two more beers.
“I guess that leaves darts,” I pointed out.
He gave me a cautious look. “Are you secretly a whiz at darts, too?”
I tipped the corners of my mouth into a slow grin. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s a good thing I’m so cute, or I wouldn’t have a chance with you at all.”
I winked at him. “You are cute. But looks will only get you so far. Trust me.”
5
River
“Hmm.” He took my hand, which started a fire in my palm that ran straight to my heart. After leading me to the dartboard, he handed me three darts. “You’ll have to explain that one.”
“What one?” I threw the first dart and it landed in the green circle around the center. I was a little rusty at the game.
He explained, “You said, ‘trust me’ about looks only getting you so far. Why should I trust you on that?”
“Oh.” I blew out a sigh and landed a dart right in the red center. “I just meant it doesn’t keep you from making dumb choices and getting into shitty relationships.”
“How bad was your last relationship? You said it was recent?”
“We broke up a year ago, but he still won’t leave me alone. He thinks he has some claim on me because he’s convinced that eagles mate for life, and that it’s only a matter of me waking up and realizing how great we were together before I’ll come running back.”
“And he’s not too great, I’m guessing?”
“If he were, I wouldn’t be here with you, now would I?” I tossed the last dart, which landed between the other two. “Think you can beat that?”
“I shouldn’t even bother trying. I’m terrible at darts.” He picked up the first one and chucked it. Barely sticking in the board, the dart hung precariously from the outer ring.
“Wow.” I gave him a surprised look. “You have awful form.” I laughed and positioned myself as if about to throw. “Watch my hand. See how it follows through after releasing the dart? That will keep it going to where you aimed.”
He picked up the next dart and mocked throwing it a few times. When he released it, his hand kept moving forward; so far, it became
comical. But the dart landed much closer to the center than the first one had.
“Hey! That tip worked great!”
I chuckled at his excitement. His last dart landed closer still to the center, but none of his were anywhere near mine.
“I’m thinking this one’s mine,” I teased.
“Yeah, yeah. Aren’t they all? Really, I only won the pool game on a technicality. You had it.”
“The ball didn’t sink.” I shrugged. “That’s the rule.”
“But you sank every other ball. And you would have gotten that one.”
“But I didn’t,” I countered, “and almost doesn’t cut it.”
“The point is, you’re obviously much better at pool than I am.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“Ready for another beer?”
I walked back to the table and sat while he went to the bar. He returned with not two beers, but a pitcher. I’d already had two, so I needed to be careful. But one thing had been true about this date: he’d said I would have a blast, and I did. Being around Max felt light and easy; God knows I’d needed that after the nightmare of Levi. The fact he was more than easy on the eyes was a plus, too.
I threw back a long swig of beer. My core was heating up now that the games had ended and I sat there with nothing else to do but gander at his chiseled face and muscular frame.
He chugged a glassful and poured another.
“Trying to drown your sorrows, Ramsey?”
“I would be…but our terms happened to work out in my favor. I get to take you out again, we must have fun, which will be great, and we’ll be doing it in a fancy car. I’d lose a lot more often if it always paid off so well.”
“If you keep competing against me, you will lose a lot more often.”
“As long as I’ve won you, I’ve won it all.” He pulled his mouth into a half smile.
I swallowed hard. My heart started to race and the drinks had given me a nice buzz. When he started to lean in, my eagle cheered me on and I didn’t hesitate, meeting him halfway and pressing my lips to his. His soft lips moved against mine for a long moment, but then he broke away. Short, but oh, so sweet.
“So, what’s the verdict?” he asked.
I looked at him, his words not making sense as my head continued to spin. Did he want a judgment on the kiss? To know that he’d made my insides rage into an inferno? I wanted him, and that was all I could think about.
“Did I win?” he clarified.
I recalled his line about winning me. “I’d say you haven’t lost, but it takes far more to win me.”
“Does it?” he finished the last of his beer. “I’d love to get out of here and have the chance to do some of that ‘more’ you mentioned.” He looked at me with a hopeful expression.
I bit my lip. I didn’t want to get pulled into anything, and I thought that if I slept with him, even just casually, I might start to have feelings for him. I’d decided to take a break from relationships, but there he was, smoking hot and eager, and I wanted him just as badly as the look in his eyes told me he wanted me. As long as it’s just a little fun, what harm could come of it?
I stood up and finished my beer. “Let the fun continue.”
He hooked his arm around my shoulders and led me out to his car, a red Mustang. About what I expected for someone like him. He liked to play, so of course he’d have a fun toy to drive.
“I’m really having a great time getting to know you,” he said, opening the door for me.
Sliding into the leather-trimmed passenger’s seat, I smiled. “Same here.”
“Awesome.”
He came around to the driver’s side and leaned over for a quick kiss before starting the car. But I couldn’t let him get away that fast. As he began to pull away, I leaned closer, pressing my lips to his once again.
He cupped my neck, tickling the fine hairs there, before his tongue played at the seam of my lips. I parted for him, and as it softly slipped into my mouth, I returned the gesture.
I was enjoying myself so much, that when the pounding came on the window, I jumped and shrieked in surprise.
But my surprise quickly turned to rage the moment I saw his face.
“You have got to be kidding me,” I seethed through gritted teeth. “That’s my ex, Levi.”
And he looked pissed. He kept banging on the window, and now he was shouting.
“Get out here, River! I see you in there! I see you cheating on me, you slut! Get out here!”
Max glanced at him and then looked back to me. “Do you want me to pummel this asshole?”
“That’d be great, but you’d better not. I don’t want you getting into trouble or anything, and Levi is the sort of prick who will press charges and try to screw you over.”
“Good to know.” Max nodded.
“I’m calling your mother right now to tell her what you’re doing!” Levi held up his phone, then started tapping on the screen.
I pulled the handle and threw the door open, then stormed over to the driver’s side, where Levi was. Max’s door shut a moment later as he stepped out, too.
I snatched the phone from Levi’s hand. “Do you have any idea what time it is in Iowa? You’re going to call and wake up my mother for what? I am not cheating on you. Get it through your head. We’re done.”
“And you need to take a step back,” Max warned, standing taller and advancing toward Levi. Max was much bigger, and I’d hoped Levi was afraid of him. He should’ve been; he was nothing compared to Max.
“You need to stay the hell out of this,” Levi spat back.
“River is here with me. It’s time you leave.” Max took another step closer and stood up straighter, and I swore I caught a whiff of his bear.
“River belongs to me. She’s mine. You’re nothing more than a little play thing for her. You’ll see.”
Max’s eyes took on devilish glint. “Oh, don’t you worry. I plan to play with her plenty.”
I would have whistled at the balls of that comment, but instead, my blood turned to ice. I flashed back through several of the times I’d pissed Levi off. I’d said something sassy and barely had the words out before I was tasting blood. He would’ve slapped me if I’d looked at him wrong but never left a bruise; he was too smart for that. And emotional abuse didn’t leave visible signs, either.
I took a few steps back, waiting for him to strike. But Levi, to my surprise, only glared at Max. “You think you’re hot stuff, don’t you.”
Max shrugged.
Levi threw a punch and Max caught his wrist, twisting it back to incapacitate him.
“Let go of me!” Levi shouted.
Max looked to me. “What do you want me to do with this douche?”
I blinked and gulped. I had no idea what to say. The adrenaline still surged through me, making my mind fuzzy. Or was that the beer?
Levi struggled to get free and Max blocked him. Why didn’t he hit him back? I wondered.
“Okay, enough!” I shouted. “Stop this. Right now.”
They both turned to me. Max looked proud, but Levi looked amused, like he thought I was being cute.
“Levi, go home,” I ordered. “Or else I’m going to call the cops and act on the restraining order I have against you.”
The reminder of the night I’d gotten it must’ve come back to him. He dropped his arms and abruptly walked off.
“You handled that well,” Max complimented.
“Thanks.” It hadn’t felt that way to me. I was still shaking. “And thanks for defending me. I’m so fucking sick of his bullshit.”
“I don’t blame you.” He opened his car door, but stood there for a moment. “Do you want to get back in?”
“I think I’m just going to head home. I’m sorry. I’m just upset over this and it wouldn’t be fair to you. I need a hot bath and my warm bed.”
“Sure, I totally understand,” he said. “Are we still on for a second date?”
“Definitely.”
He
walked over and pulled me into a long, tight hug, and it melted some of the tension.
“Thank you,” I murmured against his chest. “For everything.”
“Thank you.” He brushed my hair from my face and gave me one last tender kiss. “I can’t wait for date number two.”
I put my finger on his nose. “You’re fun, Max Ramsey. I like you.”
As I drove off, with Max in my rearview mirror watching me, the frustration settled over me. I had wanted nothing more than a hot night with Max—with no strings attached. But Levi had shown up to ruin my plans yet again. He was always good at destroying anything that made me happy, and he was still doing it. How would I ever get away from him? When would it stop?
It served me right. Situations like these were exactly why I’d sworn off men for a while. I knew Levi would find out if I was seeing someone, and I knew there’d be hell to pay for it. Maybe I shouldn’t go out with Max again, I pondered as I headed home. It was all too much drama for me. If Levi eventually left me alone, maybe then I could think about seeing Max more often. As much as I enjoyed my time with Max, for now, I’d have to pull back some to avoid confrontations like these. Keeping work at the forefront of my mind will keep me occupied for the time being, I told myself, which prompted a reminder that I still had to get my reports on the kayakers filed.
6
Carson
I sat at my desk in the bear Rangers’ station, working on a brochure for the visitor center. I’d realized we were sadly lacking in information on the history of the park. I’d minored in history in college, so I found it enjoyable to do the research and writing required. I’d managed to impress my boss in the process.
And show up Max, which was easy, but always entertaining.
I inserted a photo of the original Ranger station and sized it to fit. As I worked, I thought about how I would incorporate the new information into my talks. I often led nature hikes or gave lectures on various topics of interest to our visitors. Once, I’d done a whole series on the different animals that inhabit the park, which the visitors seemed to enjoy. And they always wanted to hear rescue stories of people who’d been trapped in an avalanche or nearly froze to death. I didn’t like to brag, but I’d usually relent and tell one or two tales.