Ranger Daddy

by Rebecca Winters

  “Bryce? Here are the blueprints the architect put on my desk. I’ve added the specs. Diane made copies for everyone. It would have been nice to get them rebuilt in June, but there were other priorities. Take a look at everything. Ask me anything you want.”

  Marty lifted his head. “Before we get started, I have to ask if it’s true that there’s going to be a cap on the number of visitors to the park from now on?”

  The other engineer’s question was off the subject, but Jeff was happy to answer it because there’d been a lot of talk lately about changes coming. “As you know, everyone and his dog has been trying to figure out the overall carrying capacity of Yosemite Valley. No pun intended in reference to Ranger Hollis or Sergei.”

  The men chuckled.

  “To be specific, no one has the answer to that yet, so no, there’s no cap. That should settle rumors that we’re closing off areas to the public, as some have assumed. But since the Merced River, for instance, is an incredibly valuable resource, we want to make sure it’s protected. Therefore, the new building projects for that area are being put off until next year.”

  His explanation generated talk for a few minutes. “Does that include a moratorium on the restoration of facilities at Curry Village?” Bryce finally asked.

  “Looks like it,” Jeff answered. “There were plans to move the endangered cabins out to the parking-lot area, away from the cliff, but Chief Rossiter hasn’t been given the final okay on that yet. There are a hundred million dollars’ worth of projects for the park still being kept on hold. While the experts worry about Yosemite’s fragile ecosystem and how best to preserve it, we’ll concentrate our efforts on repairing historic buildings, damaged trails and the like.”

  “Is there any truth to the rumor that some of the housing is going to be permanently removed from the valley? Several politicians are claiming that existing structures aren’t the best thing for the environment. I’m afraid the sentiment is catching on,” Marty stated.

  “That subject has been floated around by environmentalists for years, but the answer is no, and in my opinion always will be no.”

  “That’s good,” the engineer said. “My wife and I were talking about it this morning. Neither of us relishes the thought of having to live outside the park and commute.”

  “None of us do. It would be unwise to remove and relocate housing for the sake of reducing beds. Our visitors require service, and moving employees out of the valley means increasing transportation. All it will do is impact our roads and pollute our air.”

  “Amen,” Bryce exclaimed. “It would make it damn hard to hire the highly qualified personnel we need, let alone retain them.”

  Jeff nodded. “Living in Yosemite Valley is an important incentive to many people like you and me, who prefer life away from the big city. And it allows us who have close contact with the tourists to be that much more familiar and knowledgeable about the valley and the park itself.”

  He looked around, but there didn’t seem to be any more questions. “All right. Go ahead and read through everything. If something’s not clear, we’ll talk about it.”

  While they got busy, Jeff took a doggy treat out of his pocket and leaned down to feed it to Sergei. “Hey, buddy,” he whispered. “I need to check out North Pines Campground while you sniff for bears. How’s about we do that after I’m through here?” He was glad for the dog’s company.

  At the thought of Cal leaving for his honeymoon, Jeff realized he had to do something about his love life. To wallow in pain for the rest of his days wasn’t healthy. A psychiatrist would probably tell him he was in a depression, and needed to shake it. But how was he supposed to do that when he was still waiting to experience the intense kinds of feelings he’d had for a certain female back in high school?

  Her foster mother hadn’t liked it that Jeff lived next door. Neither had Jeff’s father. In collusion with his second wife, Ellen, he’d made sure the relationship was broken up before anything happened that couldn’t be undone, such as pregnancy. Jeff had been forced to leave Alhambra at eighteen, and that was it.

  In his second year of college he’d tried to bury his pain by getting married, but it was a disaster, and had ended in divorce by the beginning of his third year. Somewhere in his psyche he’d known it was destined to fail. Though the divorce hadn’t put him off women, so far he couldn’t see himself making a permanent commitment a second time, not if he wasn’t deeply in love.

  After he’d told Cal about his past, his friend no longer questioned why his relationships with women never went anywhere. Of course they didn’t, when Jeff was unconsciously searching for what he’d once known in his youth and had never found again. That kind of love truly was wasted on the young.

  Since being transferred to Yosemite, Jeff mostly dated women outside the park. He didn’t like the idea of getting involved with another ranger. When he went off duty for twenty-four hours, he wanted a total change, and usually took off on his motorcycle.

  In fact, he was going to do his yearly charity stunt ride in North Fork next Saturday, to benefit the fund for children of fallen firefighters in the area. If Denise Anderson was available, he’d take her out to dinner afterward. The attractive woman, who worked for their chamber of commerce, had caught his eye.

  He ought to phone her to make sure she’d be free, but he couldn’t seem to muster the enthusiasm right now. Maybe tonight. That’s what was wrong with him. The world abounded in good-looking women, but not one ignited him.

  He grimaced when he realized Cal’s marriage had made him morose and restless. For the time being, Sergei was welcome to run him ragged.

  AT THE ENTRANCE to Yosemite, a ranger told Gabi she might have trouble finding a vacancy for the night in Yosemite Valley. “You could get lucky if there’s a sudden cancellation, but without reservations you never know if you’ll find a place to stay. August is high season and the summer crowds reduce your chances of success. I’d advise you to make one outside the park for tonight as a precaution.”

  He gave her a list of possible locations close by. After three phone calls, she was able to find a room for her and Ashley. “Thanks for your help, Ranger Ness.” His name tag was pinned to his uniform. “The Travelodge in El Portal has a space for us tonight.”

  “Good. Enjoy your visit to Yosemite, ma’am.” The ranger smiled at Gabi with male interest as he tipped his hat.

  “I’m sure we will.”

  With the fee paid and Ashley poring over the park literature, Gabi passed through the South Entrance, experiencing a feeling of safety. It was ridiculous, but the act of entering the park made her feel as if an invisible door had closed behind them, protecting them from danger.

  She’d never been here before, but had hoped to come one day. Her stomach muscles clenched. Just not under these circumstances.

  “Look, Mom!”

  “I can’t right now, honey. What does the brochure say?”

  “There’s a train we can ride. It’s called the Yo-semite Moun-tain Sugar Pine Rail-road.”

  Her daughter had been the top reader in her first-grade class last year and it showed.

  Her darling girl, whom Ryan hadn’t wanted any part of.

  Gabi tightened her hands on the steering wheel, aware she was running on sheer adrenaline. Her ex-husband had shown an unpredictable side to him years ago. It appeared time hadn’t changed him. She shuddered to think his violent nature hadn’t changed, either, not if he’d gone straight to Bev’s, demanding to know where Gabi was.

  “That sounds fun. We’ll go exploring later.” The ranger had suggested she could still try to get a room at Yosemite Lodge. There were other possibilities, too, such as the canvas tent cabins at Curry Village in Yosemite Village, where the park headquarters were located.

  Gabi had decided that if she ran into trouble finding accommodations for the rest of the week, someone at the desk would know where she could locate Jeff Thompson, the striking ranger whose picture had been in the newspaper last month.<
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  The last time she’d seen him had been on a Friday evening fourteen years ago, when he’d brought her home from a movie on his motorcycle. He’d told her he had special plans for them that weekend, but they’d never materialized. After kissing her until she could hardly breathe, he’d said good-night, and she’d run into Bev’s house, not realizing she wouldn’t be seeing Jeff again.

  A lot of years had gone by since then, but at one time they’d been very close. If she could find him, maybe he would know of a place they could stay inside Yosemite.

  In the news photo, he’d been standing next to the beautiful daughter of a former senator from New Mexico. They’d cracked a bear-mutilation case along with another ranger and his dog, also featured in the news. Since reading the story, Gabi hadn’t been able to get the image of a very grown-up Jeff out of her mind.

  “Here’s a picture of people horseback riding.” Ashley broke into her thoughts. “It says ‘Children must be at least seven years old to ride.’ That means I can go. ‘You can ride to the top of a wa-ter-fall.’ You should see how tall it is, Mom! I want to do that. Can we?”

  “Maybe,” she answered absently, too frightened by what had happened in the past eighteen hours to concentrate.

  Gabi had told Ashley as much as she felt her daughter could handle about her father. She’d explained that their marriage hadn’t worked out and they’d divorced. Her father had gone overseas in the military long before she’d been born, and had never been back.

  Ashley had accepted that explanation. Of course, the time would come when she’d want to know more, but Gabi hadn’t anticipated a discussion like that for a while longer. Fresh spurts of panic attacked her every time she thought about Bev’s phone call last evening.

  Tanned and happy, Gabi had just come in from a walk in the surf with Ashley when her cell phone buzzed. Bev’s news had devastated her on the spot. She tensed now, anxious to get to their destination, but the traffic was moving at turtle speed. At this rate it would take forever to get there. Gabi had the sinking feeling every possible place to sleep in Yosemite Valley would be filled, and was grateful for the ranger’s advice to have an alternate plan.

  Thank goodness Ashley had forgotten how tired she was. At the moment she was entertaining herself looking at the brochures and reading about the various granite formations and animals.

  “It says there are three hundred to five hundred black bears in the park. I can’t wait to see one!”

  “Me, neither,” Gabi murmured automatically, her grim thoughts elsewhere as they rounded a curve.

  “Mom!” her daughter suddenly blurted. “Look!”

  Gabi gasped, catching sight of a famous landmark in the distance. For a moment she forgot the frightening reason why she’d fled here. The wonderful view literally took her breath away. “It’s fantastic!”

  “But in this picture there’s a waterfall. Where is it?”

  “I didn’t realize it would be this dry, but it is August.” Drivers in the other cars were probably thinking the same thing. But in response to the beauty around them they’d reduced their speed to ten miles an hour. She had no choice but to keep following the cars in front of her, but she was growing impatient.

  Eventually they came to the heart of the valley, and Gabi found a spot near Curry Village where they could park. “Come on, honey. Let’s get out and stretch our legs.” With a lot of luck, maybe there’d be a cancellation and they could find a cabin right here for tonight, instead of having to leave the park.

  A half hour and several phone calls later, she had to give up. “Every hotel and lodging area is full for the weekend. It’s my fault because I didn’t phone ahead.” Gabi had been too frantic to think.

  “Does that mean we have to go back to that other place now?” Ashley’s eyes had filled with tears. She was hungry and tired after their drive from the beach.

  “Yes, honey, but we’ll get some tacos over there first. Okay?” She hugged her. “That ranger I talked to told me the Travelodge has a pool, and it won’t take us long to get there.” Ashley loved to swim. “Come on. I’m hungry, too.” Gabi took her hand. Maybe they’d just stay at El Portal and take day trips into the park until she knew what her next move would be.

  Gabi had intended to walk over to headquarters to ask if Jeff Thompson was around, but at the last minute she changed her mind. In fact, she’d gotten cold feet about the whole idea. What did you say to someone you hadn’t seen in years?

  Hi, Jeff! I’m running away from my ex. I used to talk to you about everything. Could you help me find a room for tonight?

  How lame and pathetic and desperate sounding was that for a supposedly stable thirty-one-year-old woman? When she thought about it, her behavior wasn’t that different from that of Ryan, who’d shown up after almost an eight years’ absence, unwanted and uninvited.

  It’s off-the-wall desperate, Gabi.

  She was ashamed to realize how close she’d come to doing something completely ludicrous. Today she’d been out of her mind. After a good night’s sleep she’d be able to think better, without needing help from anyone else.

  When Mr. Steel had told her to find a safe place fast, she’d remembered that photo in the newspaper and had acted without thinking. Though she wouldn’t follow through with her plan to find Jeff, she wasn’t sorry they’d come to this beautiful spot.

  After their meal, followed by ice cream, they walked back to the car, making slow progress with so many tourists about. Out of the corner of her eye Gabi saw a crowd of people with children gathered around one of the rangers near the parking lot. Above their heads she could see his trademark hat.

  As she made her way toward the Honda, Ashley cried, “Look at that cute dog, Mommy! He has pointy ears.”

  Gabi was looking…at the uniformed man. Though he was half-turned from her, she realized he must be the same ranger she’d seen in the paper with his dog. He had the animal on a leash now, while the kids took turns patting his head.

  “I want to pet him, too.” Ashley, who’d been begging for a dog, broke free and rushed forward. Gabi hurried to catch up.

  “His name’s Sergei,” she heard the ranger say to one of the children.

  “Does he kill bears?” another child asked.

  “No. His job is to scare them away from the campgrounds.”

  “But he’s not very big.”

  At Ashley’s comment, the ranger turned. “He doesn’t need to be.” Beneath the brim of his hat Gabi caught the glint of intelligent hazel eyes framed by well-shaped eyebrows dark as rich loam. As his head lifted, his hard-boned facial features became visible. The cleft in his chin was painfully familiar.

  “Jeff!” She gave an involuntary cry, but he heard her. His gaze shifted from her daughter’s face to her’s. For a moment the two of them stared at one another, while the world whisked her away to a different time, when they’d been different people. It was Jeff, but the boy next door had grown from an attractive teenager into a tough, virile male whose presence shook her to the foundations.

  “It really is you.” His voice had a deeper timbre than she remembered.

  This wasn’t supposed to have happened, but it was too late now. “I was thinking the same thing about you. Who would have guessed you’d become a park ranger?”

  Even though she’d already seen his picture in the paper, it was still a surprise to realize that being a ranger was what he did for a living. Back in Alhambra he’d talked about owning his own construction company one day.

  With the children concentrated on the dog, she and Jeff seemed to be alone for the moment.

  “Funny what life throws you when you had other plans.”

  “Yes,” she said, out of breath.

  “You must have just come from the beach.” His glance took in Ashley, then he stared at Gabi again. “You and your daughter not only look alike, you have the same golden glow. Where’s your husband?”

  A logical question. “I’m divorced,” Gabi answered, trying desperately no
t to show any emotion. What a joke, when she was terrified of what Ryan planned to do.

  Jeff studied her with a hint of compassion. “I’m sorry to hear that. The last time I talked to Bev, she said you were happily married.”

  Jeff had talked to Bev? She’d never said a word about it to Gabi. It must have been ages ago, before Ashley was conceived.

  “Sometimes the best marriages can go wrong. What about you? Do you have one or two little offshoots running around here somewhere?” She didn’t see a wedding band, but not every married man chose to wear one.

  “No.”

  No? Just no? Not even a “not yet”?

  She had a hard time believing that. He was too attractive…too wonderful to still be single. Maybe his spouse had died, or maybe he was divorced, too, but saw no reason to divulge information that was none of Gabi’s business. Soon after Jeff had disappeared from her life, his father and stepmom, Ellen, had suddenly moved from Alhambra, causing Gabi to lose her only link to him.

  The assumption that the grown-up Jeff had a wife and children now was one of the reasons she’d changed her mind about seeking him out here. After a tension-filled lull in the conversation, he looked down at her daughter. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

  Gabi struggled to calm her breath. “Ashley’s my one and only. Honey, this is Jeff Thompson, an old friend of mine.”

  Ashley turned away from the dog and looked up at him with interest. Gabi could read her daughter’s mind. He was a tall, imposing, uniformed park ranger, after all, and he had a dog that could scare off bears. “Hi.”

  “Hi, yourself, Ashley.” His compelling smile hadn’t changed. Gabi’s heart fluttered as fast as a humming-bird’s wings. “Your mother and I used to live next door to each other. In fact, I knew her from the time she was fourteen years old. I knew Monte and Nora, too.”

  He was referring to the two other foster children who’d lived there at the time, but Ashley wouldn’t have known either of them. Gabi had helped tend cute little Monte, who’d been seven years younger. Nora had been Jeff’s age, whereas Gabi had been a year younger. At times it got ugly because Jeff had been interested in her instead of Nora, whose jealousy had caused problems.