A Ranger for the Twins

by Tanya Agler

  Ethan was more like the Lucie of the past, and Mattie resembled her mother now. Caleb yearned to see a glimpse of the Lucie from so long ago, and yet, this Lucie was more beautiful than ever, as though the years had thrown her a curveball but hadn’t defeated her. Having Lucie’s friendship would count for something. As would Mattie’s.

  “Thank you. This’ll tide me over through my appointment with the real-estate agent.” Caleb glanced at his watch. He’d have to leave in a few minutes, another case of talk and run. Somehow, though, he wanted any time he could get with this family. He bit into the cookie, the flavors melting in his mouth. “Not many things are as good as promised, but this is one of them.”

  “A little tart, a little sweet, but always satisfying.” Lucie held up the uneaten half of her cookie before taking another bite, a blissful look coming over her face. Caleb popped the other half of his cookie in his mouth and took his time chewing. This was why he’d made his way back home.

  Ethan jumped up, ran over to Mattie and tagged her on the shoulder. “You’re it.”

  Mattie sprinted after her brother, who was already on the steps out to the green space in front of the gazebo, the distraction doing Caleb a world of good.

  Lucie peeked into the pink box. “There’s one cookie left. Want to split it?”

  Ladybug snuffled and made her way over to Caleb as though asking him to split half of his half with her. She nudged her head under his hand, begging for crumbs of affection if there were to be no crumbs of cookie forthcoming. He scratched her head and her tongue lolled. “Will she forgive me if I keep it to myself?”

  Lucie plucked the cookie out of the box and broke it in two. “Ladybug looks rough and tough, but she’s a kind soul. Mattie’s bunny, Harvey, jumps all over her and she doesn’t bat an eye.” She walked over and held out half of the cookie. “Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

  For honesty’s sake, he should spill the whole story about his parents’ savings now. The revelation of another one of Justin’s lies should come from him rather than anyone else. With the twins occupied on the lawn around the gazebo, playing tag as if they didn’t have a care in the world, there’d never be a better time.

  But seeing those blue eyes hurt again held less appeal than another thirty-hour drive.

  “Thanks.” He reached for the cookie, but she pulled it back.

  “What if this cookie comes with strings attached?” She knit her eyebrows together before laughing and shaking her head and extending his half. “The cookie is free, but I do need to get something off my chest about the wellness center. I need a favor. That was the point of my email. Nowadays, I try not to hold anything back anymore.”

  His breath caught as he accepted the proffered half. Whatever she had to say couldn’t top his revelation. His phone chimed, the reminder his appointment was a mere five minutes from now. “Can this wait? I’m meeting with Robin Jennings, the newest agent for Cobb Realty, in a few. My cousin’s been great about letting me stay with him, but sharing a bathroom with Jonathan and his two daughters on school mornings is already getting old. After I tour possible rentals, I have a meeting with my boss.”

  “Do you have a few minutes tomorrow morning?” Lucie rummaged through her purse before pulling out her phone. “I have an interview with a potential employee at eight at The Busy Bean. I’ll buy you a cup of your favorite espresso to celebrate your move.”

  “The Busy Bean? Is that new, too?”

  Lucie nodded. “The downtown revitalization project has been a godsend for the town. More and more tourists are coming for the Independence Day parade, and then it’s bumper-to-bumper until fall. Hollydale is becoming quite the attraction.”

  That made his job with the Park Service all that more important. Caleb didn’t know what time Owen would want him to report tomorrow, and he didn’t want to turn around and cancel plans with Lucie. Then again, Jonathan’s coffee left something to be desired, and Caleb didn’t have the heart to tell him. “I’ll try. I can’t promise anything, though. Thanks for the cookie.”

  Walking down the gazebo steps, he glanced over his shoulder and waved. Reconciling his future with his past had seemed so easy in Montana, but here?

  Had he betrayed his parents by sharing a cookie with Lucie and her kids? Sure felt that way. Since he was staying in Hollydale for good, he’d have to figure out how to keep Lucie at a distance. So far, he hadn’t been succeeding.

  Somehow, he’d have to give Lucie a wider berth in the future.

  Sometime after tomorrow.

  * * *

  THE MILE MARKERS to Lake Pine Falls gleamed in the setting rays of the late-afternoon sun, the Park Service logo at the bottom right. He swung into the employees’ parking lot, a childhood dream come true. While most rangers dreamed of Yellowstone or Yosemite, the Timber River Park represented the pinnacle of success for Caleb. Taking care of the animals and environment in his backyard was all he’d ever wanted.

  Getting out of his SUV, he winced at the back twinge that was becoming too much a part of his everyday life. He’d aggravated it when he pulled the youngest boy out of the crevice, and he should have known better than to drive ten hours a day, but the thought of reuniting with Jonathan and finding out information to give his parents had spurred him to keep his hands on the wheel. The sooner he signed a lease and slept on a good mattress, the sooner his body would recover.

  Caleb strode to the rear of his SUV and opened his first-aid kit. He chased two ibuprofen with a sip of water while composing himself for his meeting with Owen Thompson, who’d insisted he arrive in plain clothes rather than the standard park ranger uniform of starched green pants and beige shirt.

  Caleb zipped up his favorite forest-green jacket, the insignia badge front and center the same found in the gift shops, and forged on into headquarters positioned alongside the visitor center. Waiting in the lobby was Owen, his thinning gray hair the only difference from his picture. Caleb would have known him in his sleep.

  “You must be Caleb.” The deputy director approached him, his hand extended. “My office is at the end of this hall.”

  After the niceties were complete, Caleb relaxed, confident he’d chosen the right path. “What time would you like me to report tomorrow?”

  Owen placed his elbows on the metal desk. “I heard you never waste time.” He laughed and pulled out a file folder. “Yes, I’m old-school paper and files, and yes, I talked to your former supervisor. He said you slow down for meals, and that’s all you slow down for. We talked about you at some length.”

  Even now, the world beyond Owen’s office beckoned through the window, the dark brown dirt of the trails, the verdant green of the pines and the slight breeze swaying their tips. Spring was a time of rebirth and discovery. About now, wildflowers would start to unfurl their petals, bears would straddle out of their hibernation dens, and tourists would dust off their backpacks for excursions on Timber River and the Appalachian Trail. Caleb wanted to be a part of all of that.

  “Then you should know I’m itching for a tour of the facilities. Spring is the best time to come on board and get to know the staff.”

  “Whoa! First things first. Lodging accommodations. Like I said on the phone, we don’t have a cabin on-site for you, so you’ll have to commute. My daughter Ashleigh and I occupy one of the two cabins near our main facility. The senior ranger, Mindy Ellison, lives with her family in the cabin that’s farther away from Hollydale. You’re taking quite a pay cut without a housing stipend.”

  “It’s almost like you’re trying to get rid of me before I even start.”

  “Not at all. Just wondering if this will seem tame in comparison to what you’re used to.”

  What he was used to was hard work. He’d prefer to do that where he felt comfortable. Caleb leaned forward, his arms on his knees. “I’ve been in touch with Cobb Realty. My agent knows I need something close by.”


  “Great. Then there’s the little matter of your routine physical.” Owen opened the file and handed Caleb a stack of forms.

  Caleb wrinkled his brows while he inspected the paperwork. “I just went through all of this last October in Montana. Everything should be in order.” That small twinge near his tailbone kicked up, and he shifted in his seat. “Blood work, EKG, the whole kit and caboodle. I should be good to start tomorrow.”

  “You know it’s routine at any transfer.” Owen leaned back and linked his arms behind him to form a pillow. “And you’ve had a busy month, what with the rescue and the trip here. Take the rest of the week off. Get reacquainted with Hollydale.”

  Caleb rubbed his right ear before laughing. “If you’re worried I’m going to preen and carry myself off as a hero, don’t. I’m a team player. What we do at this station, we do together.”

  “That’s not the problem.” Owen sighed and moved to an upright position. “You know the turnover rate in our line of work. I’ve seen park rangers console the loved ones of hikers who had fatal heart attacks on the trail. I’ve seen tourists who are convinced our safety signs and procedures don’t apply to them and get hurt—or worse—when they disregard our regulations.

  “Since you’re coming from Yellowstone, I don’t need to tell you about the campers who believe grizzlies are real-life teddy bears. I’ve seen burnout firsthand. Going in for your physical, taking the rest of the week off and getting settled will help your fellow rangers and yourself. We’re a family here, and we look out for each other.”

  As much as Caleb wanted to argue, he understood those stories—he’d seen all of that firsthand, too. But this mandatory vacation irked the part of him that wanted to be out on the trails helping others and ensuring someone looked out for the animals.

  Even if Owen was just looking out for him.

  Caleb rose from the chair and extended his hand to the deputy director. “I’ll be here Monday morning bright and early, as energetic as the Timber River woodpecker at Lucie Decker’s training and wellness center.”

  Owen motioned for him to sit back down and Caleb did so. “You saw a Timber River woodpecker? Are you sure?”

  “Positive.” Caleb pointed to a framed sketching of birds of the region next to a bookshelf. “If you look closely at that print, you’ll see the initials CAS in the corner. I drew that and presented it to the director before I left for college. Local ornithology is something I care about.” Sketching and Lucie were the two things that had kept him sane after his surgery.

  Owen glanced over his shoulder and smiled. “For the record, I had to twist the director’s arm to leave that behind. So, you know your birds. When did you see it?”

  “Yesterday afternoon.”

  Owen tapped his fingers together. “I haven’t seen a Timber River woodpecker in the year I’ve been here. They’re critically endangered. As a matter of fact, we’re the main sponsor for the Sunset Soiree, which will help fund efforts to save them and start a nature conservancy in Hollydale. If you see one again, take a picture and send it to me, along with the exact location. Once there’s confirmed proof, we’ll map their habitat and go from there.”

  “Lucie says the woodpecker has fallen in love with her chimney.” His stomach churned at how he might be throwing Lucie under the bus—if there was a Timber River woodpecker nest on her property, there’d be park rangers combing the area, enough so as to make her corporate retreats a sight more difficult.

  “Then I definitely want a picture. If her land holds the migration and nesting site of an endangered species, the Park Service will monitor the situation and go from there.” Owen stopped short of declaring any further intentions, but he didn’t have to.

  Caleb knew too well what Owen’s next steps would be if the woodpecker had chosen Lucie’s property as its own personal nesting site.

  Eminent domain could tear Lucie’s center away from her before it had a chance to succeed.

  Owen stood, as did Caleb. Pausing at the door, the deputy director motioned for Caleb to walk ahead of him. “Between the physical and your first assignment of sending me a photo of the woodpecker, it seems like you aren’t getting away from work, after all.” They reached the employees’ entrance and Owen patted Caleb on the back, hard enough for that sore spot to ache once more. Caleb did all he could to keep from jumping. “Your supervisor was sorry to lose you. Hard workers are a rare find. See you Monday morning.”

  Caleb waved goodbye and walked out to the parking lot. He pressed the key fob and unlocked the driver’s door, then stopped. The concern of confiding the plight of the Timber River woodpecker to Lucie brought a moment of panic.

  Being with her again was a gift horse that could rear up and kick him in the mouth if he wasn’t careful.

  CHAPTER THREE

  THE AROMA OF coffee and cinnamon added to The Busy Bean’s allure and bolstered an already good Thursday morning. The twins hadn’t argued once, and Lucie was on time to interview Sierra Hernandez. If this went well, she’d have her employment roster rounded out today before she started cleaning the fire pit area, followed by an afternoon of supervising the AV equipment installation.

  Was Caleb’s return heralding a change of fortune for her? While the jury was still out on Caleb, his arrival might be a reminder that rainbows could peek through storm clouds. In his case, he’d seemed to sail along on calm seas after that turbulent senior year almost sank him.

  Unsinkable. That was Caleb. She could learn something from him.

  Scanning the shop, Lucie spotted Sierra, the recent college graduate who wanted to stay in Hollydale but hadn’t found anything that would dent her student loans. While Lucie wouldn’t be able to offer the same compensation package as more established companies, she did have the locale working in her favor. Nature, quaint shops and casual cuisine combined to pack a triple combination hard to resist.

  “Hi, Sierra.” Lucie wove her way around the long line before arriving at the table Sierra had snagged. Her eyes widened at the beverage and muffin placed at what was presumably her seat. “You didn’t have to buy me anything.”

  Sierra laughed and waved her hand. “Mom insisted. She said if you’re thinking of hiring me and keeping me in town, the least she could do is buy you breakfast.” Her expression suddenly turned serious. “It’s not a bribe, though. I only want the job if I’m qualified and if you want me on your staff.”

  “This interview’s a two-way street. You’ll have to determine if you want to be a member of my staff.” Sweat broke out on Lucie’s forehead at the thought of signing payroll checks for an entire staff.

  This dream of running a training and wellness center was coming together so fast. Maybe too fast as she’d be responsible for a staff who’d depend on her for their financial welfare.

  The thought terrified her. She wasn’t someone everyone in Hollydale looked up to, not like Caleb. Maybe she should have stuck to running her parents’ wedding destination lodge, where she’d worked as a teenager. However, she sure wasn’t a role model for a successful marriage, or an observant wife.

  And she certainly wasn’t a hypocrite.

  Not that marriage was bad for everyone. For her friends Georgie and Mike, who’d married a few months ago, true love helped them weather storms that would have scuttled other couples. In Lucie’s case? One trip to the altar was enough.

  Love was fine for other people, but it wasn’t for her.

  “Let me pull up your résumé on my phone.” Lucie settled into her seat and kept from digging into the apple-cinnamon-crumb muffin. Thank you, Sierra’s mom. For all of their sakes, she hoped Sierra would accept the job. “Your credentials are impeccable, and we graduated from the same college.”

  They launched into a discussion of professors before Lucie steered the conversation toward the job duties.

  Young and personable, Sierra would bring energy and excitement for clients embar
king on a day of white-water rafting or hiking. Her upcoming certification as a yoga teacher was an added plus, as Lucie would love to expand her list of offerings beyond team building and spa days. When it came time to talk salary, Sierra examined the measly sum Lucie printed on a notepad and picked apart her croissant. “Any chance of a raise, say...before the first paycheck?”

  Lucie blew across the top of her coffee, the steam tickling her nose. “I was worried someone with your qualifications probably wouldn’t be able to come on board. That’s as high as I can go for now. But if the business is a success...” Lucie stopped and shook her head. Positive thinking for her venture began with her. “Let me rephrase that. When the business is a success, I’ll look into increasing salaries.”

  “That’s just not what I expected. Student loan debt is a real bummer. Opening a yoga studio in the old dance studio is my best bet to stay in Hollydale at this point.”

  An inspiration came out of nowhere. “I have an idea. It might take some initiative on your part, but we’d both benefit. Here’s a rough layout so you can see what I mean.” Lucie snagged a napkin and drew the main-level floor plan of the event center, then sketched out a nearby field she’d planned to use for outdoor lunches and the like. “You could use this extra conference room for your studio—” she pointed to it on her sketch “—and this field would provide space for something like a sunrise class or anything else you want to take outdoors. If I get the all-clear from my insurance carrier, I’d let you use those free of charge. You’d work for me and organize the outdoor excursions, but you can pocket any money from your yoga classes. We’ll work out a schedule for you to use my facilities. Everyone wins.”

  “That makes a lot more sense than my starting from scratch and shelling out money that could go toward my loan. I wouldn’t need much, just some mats and a couple yoga blocks. I might be able to stay in Hollydale after all.” The positivity in Sierra’s voice was clear, and Lucie clenched her fists, hoping for a decision in her favor.