by Lia Davis
“Wow.”
“There is also a salad.”
“Did you cook all this?” She settled down on a corner of the blanket, leaving a large space between them.
He chuckled. “No, the inn was kind enough to offer me one of their picnic baskets when I told them about our plans.”
While they ate, they watched the sun set over the steaming white calcium carbonate mounds of Mammoth Springs. Finally, the tourists wandered off into the dusk, leaving them alone. Jenny sighed. “I love the isolation of Yellowstone. The clean air and low technology lend itself to family time and turning in early. The silence of the park at night is like a balm to the soul.”
“If you can ignore the elk calls and sounds of other wildlife.”
“Ignore them? Never. They are a big part of why I love it so.” She wiped her mouth then folded the remaining food back into the waxed paper, and stuffed it in the bag. “Now to the awkward getting-to-know-you questions.”
“Ask me anything.”
“Do you have a family?”
“I married young. She died years ago, but we were blessed with children.”
“You’re a dad?”
“My children are grown. Liesel and I started a family as soon as we wed.” He and Liesel had kept expecting the arrival of their second mate, who she would have accepted as her lover as well. Jenny might have a harder time understanding the inner workings of the elk’s relationships. Unlike the canine, feline, and bear shifters who locked their life force with their mates, deer did not. When Liesel was shot, he gave up on the idea of another, too heartbroken even to consider another. Sitting next to his newfound mate after years of celibacy, he fought the urge to take her on the blanket under the moon.
“How many children do you have?”
Ten would not go over well. “My own herd, you might say. The boys work in the park.”
His two sons worked park patrol down near the southern and western entrances. He did his best to see them a couple times a month. His daughters had all left in search of something better. He spoke to them when they could get to a phone to call, but they had all joined new herds, so calling dear old Dad didn’t rate.
“I’m having a hard time believing you are old enough to have grown children.”
“I married young.” He shrugged. “Does the age difference put you off?”
“No. Though I still don’t know what it is.”
Time to redirect. “Does it bother you that I have grown children?”
“Shocked, not bothered.”
“Would it shock or bother you if I kissed you?” He crawled to her corner of the blanket.
“It might if you don’t.”
He claimed her lips. She opened to him immediately. A thrill he hadn’t experienced in decades, perhaps never, ran through him, filling him with an all-consuming need to claim this woman. His animal screamed mine, and he had to agree.
He gripped her braid as he deepened the kiss. A moan escaped her. The urge to lay her back and make love to her right there in view of anyone who cared to see past the inn ran through him. She clung to the short sleeves of his shirt, pulling him closer.
“Lars?” Through the lust-filled haze, for a second he couldn’t think whom the female voice might belong to. Jenny pulled away first, and the fog lifted. One of his betas stood before him, her head cocked to the side.
“What is it, Britt?” he bit out.
“I’m sorry to interrupt.” The young female elk shifter stared at him, openmouthed, and why not? Lars hadn’t been romantic in years. She turned her attention to his date then blinked twice before returning her attention to him. “Jenny?”
Lars struggled to stifle his irritation. “Britt, did you need something?”
The young shifter nodded. “Your son called.”
“Anders or Leif?”
“Leif. He says there’s something going on with the southern herd.”
He jumped to his feet. Neither of his sons would call him for assistance unless he couldn’t handle a situation himself—unlikely—or he’d found signs of poachers.
“What is it?” Jenny stood up.
“My guess, we have some illegal hunting going on.”
“In the park?”
“He wouldn’t be calling for problems outside the area.” He blew out a breath. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”
“Don’t be silly. You’re justifiably upset.”
“Britt, can you walk Jenny back—”
“Go. I know my way. You need to get down to find out what’s going on.”
Britt wrung her hands. “Brutus said we should call Darius. His trackers might be of some help.”
“Can you call him and ask him if he could spare some of his pack?”
“Of course.” She glanced one more time at Jenny before running down the hill to one of the cabins.
“I’ll call you.”
“I hope you find whoever is responsible.”
Lars nodded, already heading down the hill. He had to handle this himself. His people counted on the safety of Yellowstone. He would damned well keep it that way. He allowed himself one last glance back, rewarded with an impatient “Go” for his troubles. At least she had his priorities straight.
Two hours later, he joined his sons, Brutus, and some of his sleuth at the side of the road.
“Dad, sorry to call you out here like this.” Anders rubbed the back of his neck.
“You did the right thing. He patted his eldest’s shoulder and faced the grizzly. “Brutus.”
“Lars,” the grizzly growled.
“What do we know?”
Anger poured off the bears in waves. “The wolves have picked up a scent. They’ll call me when they find the person.”
“You can’t kill the hunter on Yellowstone lands.” Lars would relish watching the human cower in front of the bears, though. He would gladly run them through himself. Just outside the park. “Show me.”
The bears stayed behind as his sons escorted him to the crime scene. Though they were likely itching to take over the scene, this was an elk kill, and Lars was in charge. Three carcasses lay on the crusty surface near a geyser: two bulls with their heads missing and a cow. “Trophy hunters.”
“Appears to be so.” Anders searched the desolate landscape. “They probably killed the cow for being in the way.”
“This happened not too long ago?” Lars crouched beside the deceased.
“A family of tourists heard the shots as they finished changing a flat tire. They went straight to the first ranger station they could find.” Leif handed him a flashlight.
“We got here about half an hour later,” Anders filled in.
Lars offered a silent blessing to the departed, lifting his arms to the sky. “They were in and out quick; probably not their first kill. I’ll bet if we search the area we will find more headless remains.”
“What the elements haven’t taken, scavengers will,” Brutus said, coming up behind them. “Grant’s new mate is a geologist, I don’t think you have met Morgan yet. She has been out checking the geysers in this area. She hasn’t seen anything but will keep an eye open. If they staked out the area, they knew it was fairly deserted, and the geysers would help hide the evidence. It doesn’t take long at those water temperatures to destroy a carcass.”
“If they are hunting in the park, they won’t stop with elk.”
Brutus snorted. “Anyone poaching here is doing it for the adrenalin rush. The risk of getting caught where it’s illegal.”
“Have the bison been alerted?”
“No. I’ll contact Chintok in the morning.”
“You wanted to be out here and not stuck on the phone.” He couldn’t blame Brutus. Neither wanted to waste time dealing with the bison alpha.
“Hey, you want to call him in the morning? I have no issue backing you up.”
“No. I have enough to deal with.”
“Fair enough.” Brutus let out a whistle. “My sentinels are making rounds at areas
where we think they might enter the park. I’ll also call Otto in the morning to get reinforcements. Otto can let me know what the black bear numbers are.”
A large gray wolf loped into sight and shifted about ten yards from them. Darius, the alpha. “We lost their scent at Lake Lewis.”
“A boat?”
“Most probably. I’ve two trackers circling the lake in opposite directions. Providing the poachers didn’t take the rivers, we should pick up their scent again.”
“Thank you, Darius.”
“You and Brutus have done a great deal to help get us back into the park. We are all in this together.”
“Yes we are.” Brutus clapped the wolf on the back. The man stumbled forward a few steps with the impact. “How about you join me in the morning when I go see Chintok? The old bison needs to hear about what is going on, and you should be there.”
“Great I have a free hour or two tomorrow.”
Both Lars and Brutus laughed.
Brutus sobered. “You might want to clear your whole day.”
Chapter 3
Jenny expected to catch a glimpse of Lars over the weekend. But, so far, no such luck. Rumors flew amongst the rangers about the hunters within the park. A few more stories surfaced of people thinking they came across evidence of poaching, but they found no new leads. Everyone was on edge. Even the elk herd at Mammoth appeared more skittish than normal.
She received a quick note from Lars saying he didn’t know if he would make it to the picnic with Quinn and Brutus. Pulling into Lake Yellowstone Hotel parking lot, she wondered for the first time where Quinn and Brutus lived. Quinn had been vague about her new address when she moved in with Brutus. Jenny crossed the street to the picnic area. It took a few minutes to find Quinn in the crowd. Nearly every member of the fire and rescue team towered over her five-foot-eight height.
“Jenny.” Eyes bright, Quinn pushed through the group to throw her arms around her. “I’m so glad you made it.”
“I wouldn’t miss meeting my godson.” She searched the crowd. “Where is he?”
A cry rent the air, and Brutus turned, cradling a babe in his arms. “I think he wants you, Quinn. Hi, Jenny. We are about to fire up the grills. Tofu burger for you?”
“Yes, please.” She eagerly accepted the baby from his arms. The little guy who’d looked tiny in his father’s grasp now seemed gigantic. “Hello, Hagan. He can’t be just two months old.”
“He’s a brute, isn’t he?” Quinn moved in to kiss the downy dark hair. The baby cooed and snuggled against Jenny’s neck. “I hate that I haven’t been able to get up to Mammoth to see you.”
“I’ve only been back in the park for a couple of weeks, and you have your hands full.”
Quinn led them to the picnic table farthest from the crowd. “Let me know if he gets too heavy.”
“Never.” Sitting, she adjusted the baby in her lap. He yawned and cuddled back into her embrace. “So, fill me in. Other than the baby, what is going on?”
“I’m on family leave for the foreseeable future. But I’m not sure I want to go back now that I have this little one.”
“How does Brutus feel about that?”
“You’ve met him, haven’t you?” she teased. “He’s thrilled about both his son and the idea of my staying home with him. But if I wanted to head back, he would support that decision, too.” The man in question turned to Quinn and offered her a wink before lifting his beer to his lips. Quinn blushed and fidgeted with her shorts hem. “I’ve been meaning to tell you.”
“What?”
“We eloped during the winter. I wanted to give you the news in person.”
“Congratulations. I know how smitten you are with him, and with the baby…”
“He came faster than we expected, but Brutus is so thrilled to be a daddy.”
“And everyone knows he loves you.” She would have said more, but a sizzle went through her, starting at the nape of her neck and moving to her fingertips. Lars came up the path. As he neared, their eyes locked, and he made a beeline for her. He leaned over and brushed her lips before facing the new mother.
“Hi, Quinn. Motherhood suits you.”
“I’m severely sleep-deprived.” She spoke with such love, no one would believe she cared about exhaustion. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“No, you should sit. I can get it.”
Quinn got to her feet. “Don’t be silly. I’m pampered all day by Brutus and his family. Sit and relax. Jenny, do you want me to take the baby?”
“Don’t even try it. This is my time.”
Quinn backed away, hands up but laughing.
“You are a natural with the baby,” he said.
“It’s easy when they’re asleep. I’ll be finding Mama super quick when he awakens, trying to feed.” She rubbed her cheek against his head. “You’re exhausted.”
“I’ve been watching the herds most nights.”
“Any signs of the hunters?”
“A few, but the evidence is so old it could be another set of predators.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “It’s not hunting season anywhere around, so they can’t try and say they wandered in by mistake.”
“Hopefully you’ll catch them and soon.”
A companionable silence fell between them. Quinn brought them each a beer before returning to Brutus, who wrapped a protective arm around her. After a few sips, Lars cocked his head and asked, “So why haven’t you gotten married and had a baby of your own?”
“Perhaps because my career got in the way. Or I haven’t met the right person.” She never wanted to make the mistake her mother had. Would having a baby with the wrong person cause her to run as well? She doubted it, but she always worried. Her father had once called her her mother’s daughter, to her horror. But the right person already had full-grown children. Would he even want to start all over again? “Why would you think I am so desperate to have children?”
“The way you’re clinging to Hagan like it’s your only chance.” He reached out and twisted a curl of Hagan’s hair around his finger. “You would make a wonderful mother. Why deprive the world of that?”
She wanted to ask him if he would help father her child, but she couldn’t work up the courage, even in jest. She could face down an angry animal, deal with tourists who didn’t have a brain cell. But when it came to this man, the ground seemed to be made of egg shells at all times. “I guess time will tell.”
“I hope so,” he replied, running his knuckles over her cheek.
Staring into his eyes, she reminded herself to breathe, to enjoy the moment with him. She couldn’t worry about next season, next year, or even next week. She could live in the now and enjoy being the center of his attention. After all, Quinn had taken the leap, and it worked for her. And if it didn’t, she would remember she hadn’t shied away from what she wanted.
“Hey, Dad.” A tall blond young man, so like Lars she would have known he was related even if he hadn’t called him “Dad,” came up to the table. “Didn’t think you were going to make it.”
“Anders.” He stood and embraced the younger man. “I didn’t think so, either.”
“This must be the Jenny I have heard so much about.” His smile was so much cheekier than his father’s as he peered down at the baby. “Wow, you move fast, Dad.”
“Oh no. This is—” she began.
“Sorry. Just kidding. This little guy and I are well acquainted, though usually no one is able to pry him out of his proud papa’s arms. You must have mad skills. I’m Anders, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too.”
“The old man has been alone for far too long.”
She forced herself to smile. She had convinced herself it made no difference as long as his children were younger than she. But Anders had to be a few years older. Hagan let out a grunt followed by a loud wail as he rooted for milk. Saved by the baby. “Excuse me.” She stood, looking for Hagan’s parents.
Quinn
and Brutus made their way through the ever-growing group of park staff who came for a burger and to meet the infant. “He has perfect timing. Every time I’m about to sit down to eat, he demands his meal.”
Quinn eased her fussy son from Jenny’s embrace and settled into an empty seat to nurse. Hagan’s absence left an emptiness in Jenny she never would have imagined. The hand at her lower back had her jumping. “Walk with me.”
She nodded but couldn’t face Lars. Too many conflicting emotions churned within her.
A distance away from the group, he turned her toward him. “Seeing my son bothered you.”
She nodded.
“Age is simply a number.”
“He’s older than I am.” She hoped he would contradict her.
“Many in the park are older than you are.” He grinned, but she couldn’t return his smile.
“Don’t joke. How old are you?”
“I’m younger than Brutus, if it makes any difference.”
She wanted to pull out her hair. “Why won’t you answer the question?”
“Because you will harp on the answer when I’d rather have you focus on what is important.”
“Which is?”
“This.” He placed her hand on his heart. “I knew you would fight the age difference. Even now, it’s all you can focus on.”
“Because your children are…”
“Are not us. They have nothing to do with us. If they aren’t concerned with the age difference, and I’m not, why are you?”
Excellent question. She didn’t care what people thought, so why would she focus on something no one else seemed to care about. “Brutus is older than you?”
“Mmm hmmm. He’s ancient, actually.”
“But he appears so young.”
“And by that you mean to say I look old?”
“No. I knew you were older than I but not twice my age.”