Alex purposely struck up a conversation with him in Spanish, knowing it would irk Brock, but she didn’t want him getting any ideas about her. He needed to find someone who was looking for a good time. There were enough attractive women around.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Diane walk into the room. “It looks like everyone is back. We’ll now hear from the chief biologist of the park, Ranger Hollis.”
What?
When had Ranger Thomas retired?
That meant Cal worked here at headquarters instead of Wawona.
Alex’s hungry eyes fastened on Cal as he entered the conference room, keeping his dog on leash. With his tall, hard-muscled frame, no one filled out a uniform the way he did. His eyes were the kind of intense blue that almost made you tear up when you looked into them.
At thirty-four, he was a gorgeous man with an unmistakable aura of authority. It didn’t surprise her that he commanded the interest of everyone in the room, male or female.
She knew the second his gaze fell on her, but she’d already gotten out her loose-leaf notebook and stared at the paper, poised to take notes while he lectured.
“Good morning,” he said in his deep, compelling voice. “Let me introduce you to Sergei, my Karelian Bear Dog. When you see us around, you’ll know he’s learning how to track bears and help keep our campgrounds safe.
“You’ve been given materials about the flora and fauna of the park,” Cal continued, “but the bears deserve some discussion for a few minutes. Tourists come to the park to see our American black bears. Keep in mind that few of them are black. They come in a range of colors from brown to cinnamon to blond. There are close to five hundred of them. They’ll be mating through June and July, making them more aggressive, and will eat anything day or night. Unfortunately, once they’ve tasted human food, they want more. Here at Yosemite we’re dedicated to eliminating the temptation. As volunteers, you’ll be expected to educate anyone you see not using the designated canisters and food storage lockers.”
Alex had heard all this from his lips before. He was so good at what he did and had a great way of communicating his passion for the park and its inhabitants to others.
“The bears are expert at rummaging through trash cans and campsites and breaking into cars to get at any food, even the tiniest crumbs around a child’s car seat. They get spoiled and love to sit in one place and eat and not have to work to find food. The problem is, bears and people don’t mix well, but the traditional methods of dealing with problem bears, like shooting them with rubber bullets or other nonlethal rounds, only meet with limited success.
“Even when the bears are trapped or tranquilized and removed to the wilderness, more than half get into trouble again. Some have to be killed, and killing goes against everything I, and all of us here at the park, believe in. The black bears and Yosemite are synonymous as far as we’re concerned.
“To banish or kill them isn’t the answer. A solution needs to be found that will encourage a peaceful coexistence and preserve both humans and animals. These dogs are part of that solution, since experiments have proved they have an eighty percent success rate at keeping bears away from campsites. But your help as volunteers is needed to educate the public how they can contribute, too.”
Cal was a natural teacher and had his audience mesmerized. That was exactly the way he’d affected her the first time she’d laid eyes on him.
The dark blond, six-foot-three bachelor, happily married to his work, probably didn’t make more than $36,000 dollars a year. No house of his own, he moved from ranger tent to lookout tower to cabin, depending on his latest assignment. On call, day and night.
For six years she’d had a crush on him that was so bad, she’d feared it had turned into a permanent condition. From the beginning there’d been an instant attraction. Lust at first sight. Electrified by a pair of blue eyes.
She’d been introduced to him by the former superintendent of the park, who’d been friends with her father. At twenty she’d felt quite grown-up and resented it when the hunky ranger had treated her like a teenager.
He’d been twenty-seven at the time—not that much older than her. That’s what she’d told herself back then—when she had little knowledge of life except to know when a guy found her attractive. Ranger Hollis had been no exception. That electrification had happened to him, too.
Though he’d been careful, she’d caught him checking her out after she’d joined the group of tourists he was addressing about fishing regulations. A man could hide a lot of things, but he had the kind of eyes that ignited with inner heat when emotions caught him off guard. Like the time she burst into his tent unannounced to let him know she’d arrived back at the park. He’d gotten rid of her fast, but not before she’d seen that flare of interest. Over the years she’d lost count of the number of times she’d watched his gaze charge up when he happened to see her coming. Or when he approached her. She remembered the time she and two of her close girlfriends had come here to ski. By accident Carol had led them away from the trail in the designated ski area and they became lost. Alex called the closest ranger station for help.
It had thrilled her when Cal showed up with another ranger. She hadn’t planned for them to meet while she was out with her friends. The warmth in his eyes when he’d first seen her was real, even if he’d quickly re pressed it.
That was the trouble. While she talked and flirted with him, he went along to a point, but treated her like she was someone’s little sister. All the time he was pretending to be amused, she knew deep down he found her attractive, yet he never let anything get out of hand. He never touched her. She could get so far with him, but no further.
There was only one time when he’d revealed another side to her. It was the last time she’d seen him. After learning from another ranger that he was at the lookout tower, she’d surprised him. “I brought you something from Paris,” she’d called to him, climbing the steps.
It was early afternoon. They were alone.
In a stern voice he told her he was on duty at his post until further notice. “No tourists allowed.”
She kept climbing until she reached the top and moved toward him. He warned her the risk of an avalanche was too high in that area for her to be there. “You shouldn’t have come.”
When he ordered her back down, she lowered the picnic basket to the floor. Feeling reckless she said, “Make me.” At that point he took hold of her arms and dragged her toward the stairs. But she refused to cooperate and went limp against him.
“Damn it, Alex,” he muttered just as she lifted her head. It was the first time he’d called her by her first name instead of Ms. Harcourt. Desperate for this closeness, she pressed her lips to the hard mouth she’d been craving for years, blinded by her own desire for him. Suddenly the man who’d always controlled their relationship was out of control.
He crushed her right up against his chest, kissing her with an intensity that fueled her response. If he’d been trying to teach her a lesson, it had failed. As seconds ticked by, their kiss burned hotter and deeper, ramping up the emotions driving them. She had no doubts that if another ranger hadn’t chosen that moment to climb the stairs, forcing her to vacate the premises, they’d have spent the night together.
The result of their unexpected encounter had been disastrous. The next time she went back to the park to see him, he wasn’t available. No one would tell her where she could find him, and that hurt because he’d kissed her as if his life depended on it. Probably at his request, the other rangers had closed ranks on the ex-senator’s daughter, making her feel like a pariah.
It was bad enough that Cal had felt that way about her, but if his peers were purposely shunning her, too…
Wounded by the experience, she hadn’t gone near the park for a year, and had fallen into a depression even her parents had noticed. She’d done nothing but prove she was a shameless flirt who’d outlived her welcome at the park.
She’d needed to erase the image, but i
t meant going back to the scene of the crime. To her everlasting gratitude, Chief Rossiter had given her the opportunity to prove her worth. Now was her chance to show everyone she’d grown up.
While she was immersed in torturous thoughts, everyone at the table started clapping. Cal’s speech was over. She busied herself putting away her paper.
“We’ll break for lunch, then reconvene at one o’clock,” Diane said from the podium. Cal had already left the conference room.
It irked Alex to feel Brock staring at her. To put him off, she shifted away from him in the chair and pulled out her cell to make a phone call, hoping he’d get the point.
“Where are you going to eat?”
Alex couldn’t believe his persistence. It crossed boundaries and turned her off completely. “I’m not,” she said over her shoulder before the harried-sounding person on the other end of the phone answered.
“Buses For Sale—”
“Hello. I’d like to speak to Randy in the detailing department, please.”
“Just a minute—”
Before she could say thank-you, he’d put her on hold. The customer-service guy must be having a bad day.
When Brock made no move to leave, she got up from the chair and walked over to the large picture window that looked out on dense forest in the distance.
“This is Randy.”
“Hello, Randy. It’s Alex Harcourt. How’s the H & H logo coming on the minibus?”
“It’ll be done Friday.”
“That’s wonderful. I’ll be flying into the Merced airport on Saturday morning from Albuquerque and will pick it up then.” The boys would be with her. Only three more days…
Something black-and-white flickered in her peripheral vision. It was Sergei in the entry to the room, and behind him was his owner.
WITH THE DOOR AJAR, CAL could see into the conference room. He’d been waiting for Alex to come out in the hall, but she was on the phone. Since the Chief wanted her on board and it was now a fait accompli, Cal realized they needed to talk. The sooner the better, considering she’d avoided looking at him throughout his presentation.
Their strange past history had to be buried. He wanted the air cleared. For that to happen, they needed to be alone, but the male volunteer who’d been sitting next to her showed no signs of leaving. If he’d made a lunch date with Alex, that was too bad. Cal didn’t have much time before he started on his afternoon rounds.
He reentered the conference room with Sergei at his side. As he drew closer, he could have sworn his presence intimidated her. She wasn’t behaving like the Alex he’d known. That was his fault, but things were about to change.
She spoke into the phone for a few more seconds, then clicked off. “Ranger Hollis…I didn’t realize you were waiting to see me.”
“Ms. Harcourt? If you don’t mind stepping into my office at the end of the hall? It will only take a few minutes.”
She nodded and walked around the table to get her purse and handouts.
“Excuse us,” he said to the other volunteer, who sat there clearly miffed.
“Sure.”
Cal wasn’t impressed with the other man’s attitude. Something didn’t seem right about him, but at the moment he had Alex on his mind. When he left the room to walk back to his office with Sergei, he could sense her behind him. As soon as she entered, he shut the door and invited her to sit down opposite his desk.
When he took his place in the swivel chair, the dog lay down beside him. “I’m sorry if I interfered with your lunch date.”
“No problem. There’ll be other opportunities.” So the guy had made plans with her. “Ranger business has to come first. By the way, congratulations on your promotion. It’s well deserved.”
“Thank you.” He could feel his frustration level rising. This wasn’t the way he’d envisioned their conversation going. “Alex, we need to talk. It’s been a long time in coming.”
“You’re right. I’d like to start with that incident in the lookout tower. What happened was my fault.” She spoke the words with unexpected frankness. “I’m deeply ashamed of my actions. It was totally immature. My brothers figured I’d never grow up, but I’d like to think I’m finally there.”
Cal had been right. A new Alex had arrived at the park, one he didn’t recognize.
She folded her arms. “Let’s agree that every time I came to the park in the past, I made your life miserable. I give you my word you’ll never have to worry about me again. Do I have your forgiveness for virtually attacking you in the tower?”
She stared at him without flinching, her eyes as green as the leaves of the flowering dogwoods near the edge of the forest.
He took a fortifying breath. “You know very well there’s nothing to forgive. It was just a kiss, one we both enjoyed. I kissed you back, remember?”
“Only because I provoked you. I was a fool. You deserve a medal for putting up with me as long as you did.” To his surprise she got to her feet, causing Sergei to lift his head. “Since Chief Rossiter has given me a chance to do something that means the world to me, I promise to stay out of your way.” She’d already said that.
“I’m afraid that would be impossible,” he informed her, “and that’s the reason I wanted to talk to you. We’ll be seeing each other all the time. The Chief is excited about your project. We all are. I want your success as much as anyone else around here.”
She gave a small smile. “Thank you. Even if it almost gagged you to say it, I appreciate your willingness to forget the past. The truth is, I was a big nuisance, but those days are definitely over. I’ve got my work cut out with the boys.”
He studied her for a moment. “You never told me about Hearth and Home. I’m very impressed.”
“It was Mom’s creation,” she informed him. “I grew up being a part of it because I’m her daughter. Every time I visited the different ranches on our property to help the kids with their English, I’d show them my latest videos from Yosemite. They always wanted to see more.
“I felt guilty that I’d been able to have these priceless experiences and they hadn’t, so I decided something should be done about it. But convincing the tribal council took a lot of talking. Several years in fact. Now that it’s going to happen, I’m worried it might bomb on me.”
“Not if the Chief has anything to say about it.” Her green eyes looked so vulnerable that a part of Cal wanted to help, too. Her idea was brilliant.
“Thank you, and thanks for the opportunity to talk. I’ve needed to get this off my conscience since last May.”
She was confused. “Don’t you mean March?”
She shook her silvery-gold head. Even in the dim light of his office, her hair shimmered. “No. I came to the park in May, but I couldn’t find you and none of the rangers could tell me where you were. It was humiliating to realize that I was persona non grata, not only with you but your colleagues. The lesson was one I’d needed for years.”
Cal couldn’t allow her to go on assuming something that wasn’t true. He stood up. “Before you leave, let me make something clear. If the rangers didn’t tell you anything, it was because my wife had just been killed in a late-spring avalanche here at the park.”
“Wife—”
She didn’t move, but he could have sworn her eyes dimmed.
“Yes. Leeann was a ranger who’d been a recent transfer from Rocky National Park. We met several years earlier when I worked there, too. The last time you came here, I was in Colorado with her family for the burial. Because of the possibility of negative publicity in the media, especially when it could reflect poorly on the park’s safety issues, the rangers were sworn to secrecy.”
If he wasn’t mistaken, she’d lost some color.
“Your private fraternity is good at keeping secrets. Not even my father heard about it through the head of the federal park committee who took his place. How devastating for you.”
“It was.”
She frowned. “When I showed up at the tower in March
, why didn’t you tell me you were engaged? If I’d known, I’d like to think I would have had the decency to leave you alone.”
Considering the way he’d kissed her back, she had every right to ask that question. “I didn’t propose to Leeann until April. We married in May. She was killed two weeks after that.”
During the silence he knew she was counting the days between the tower incident and his marriage. After the way he’d practically devoured Alex that afternoon, it wasn’t very long for him to have become involved with someone else, let alone get married.
“I’m sorry for your loss.” She sounded so sincere it twisted his gut. Her gaze fell on the dog. “Sergei must be wonderful comfort for you.”
At the sound of his name, the dog got up and took a few steps toward her. She stopped long enough to reach down and rub his chest. “Let’s hope you turn out to be Yosemite’s wonder dog. Your master’s counting on you.” She patted his head and stood up. “See you around, Ranger Hollis.”
Unless he had a reason to request another conference with her—and he couldn’t envision that happening—he knew in the core of his being she’d never willingly cross his threshold again. The knowledge should have come as a relief.
After she’d gone, he put his cell phone in his pocket and left headquarters through the back door. Sergei climbed in the truck cab with him, and he started the motor and took off for Big Oak Flat entrance. Time to do the annual inventory of food lockers and bear canister rentals throughout the park.
BY THE TIME THE ORIENTATION ended at four, Alex was confident no one had noticed the agony she’d lived through. There’d been a presentation by Ranger Sims and short talks by various forest service personnel.
She hadn’t heard any of it. The knowledge that Cal had gotten married so soon after she’d left the park in March filled her thoughts to the exclusion of anything else. All this time she’d believed he’d purposely avoided her in May.
The Bachelor Ranger Page 6