Ranger Daddy

by Rebecca Winters

  ONCE JEFF HAD LOCKED UP, he went to bed, cognizant of the wind blowing around the corners of the house. The eerie whistling beneath the eaves gave proof of a microburst growing in momentum. He had the impression the elements were doing their worst to tear off his roof.

  Earlier in the day, after he’d landed at the Merced airport with Gabi and Ashley and they’d eaten another meal, he’d noticed the shape of the clouds and had sensed a thunderstorm building over the high Sierras, headed for the park.

  The summer storms could be particularly violent over El Capitan and Half Dome. When nature did her worst, those were the times a terrible emptiness stole through him and he felt his aloneness as a tangible thing…perhaps the way Adam might have felt with out Eve.

  But since Gabi had come to the park last Saturday, everything had changed. Tonight she lay just a few feet away, in the living room, her daughter in the spare bedroom. Their presence brought him a contentment he’d never known before. Though the rains were now descending in a deluge, he experienced a warm sensation the likes of which he’d never felt in his life. Tomorrow he had plans for them….

  But no sooner had he closed his eyes than the blare of the phone jerked him out of his euphoric state. He groaned as he reached for the receiver, noting it was five after one in the morning. “Thompson here.”

  “Jeff, it’s Chase. The National Weather Service says heavy rains in the Sierra Nevada are causing flash floods in rivers and streams throughout the whole area. Golf-ball-size hail has been reported. Rangers are calling in with reports of four inches of water on the ground already in some campgrounds. I’ve just given the order to close the road into Yosemite Valley.”

  Jeff let out a whistle. “Where do you want me?”

  “I need you to help evacuate the campers from Camp Four to the Yosemite Lodge stat! Finlay will be joining you.”

  “I’m on my way!”

  In his closet he kept his protective clothing the rangers called hurry-ups. He put everything on including his waders and hooded parka. The rest of the equipment he would need was in his truck. As soon as he was ready, he hurried through to the living room and woke Gabi.

  “Jeff?” She sat up, looking sleepy and appealing in a T-shirt he hadn’t seen before.

  “Shh.” He put a finger to her lips. “I don’t want to wake up Ashley. The storm we saw earlier has hit and there’s been flooding. I have to go help some campers to dry ground, but you’re safe here. Call me if you get worried about anything. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Without her permission he kissed her swiftly on the mouth, before dashing through the house to the garage. The taste of her stayed with him all the way to the village.

  Arriving at his destination, he jumped down into six inches of water and opened the tailgate of the truck for the first load of campers to get in. You could be forgiven for not knowing where you were in these monsoonlike conditions.

  He dug into his work. After seeing the last of the campers into the lodge, Jeff reported in and was told to help evacuate more at the Lower Pines Campground. They were to be taken to the Ahwahnee Hotel.

  By four in the morning the rain had turned into a light drizzle, its damage done. The good news from Chase was that all campers in the valley had been sheltered and were accounted for. Better yet, there’d been no serious injuries reported. Everyone was to assemble at headquarters to plan cleanup operations.

  The flooding meant Jeff’s team would need to inspect the damage to all roads, buildings and bridges. Once he could verify the integrity of the structures and order repairs for those that had been compromised, he could get back to new projects he’d been working on.

  He sloshed back to his truck in at least eight inches of water and drove over to headquarters, pulling up alongside Vance, who was just getting out of his truck. The chief looked as tired as Jeff felt, but he hadn’t lost his sense of humor. “At least our home away from home is still here.”

  “Amen.” They both chuckled as they realized the water hadn’t quite reached the top of the building’s foundation. “Before you became a ranger, you lived next door to the park all your life. Did you ever see it do this before?”

  Vance shook his head. “No, but years ago, I understand, a storm flooded the valley floor three feet. I guess we got off lucky tonight.” They entered through the back door. “Did I tell you I’m glad you’re back with you-know-who? Otherwise I might have had a real emergency on my hands with Nicky.”

  Thoughts of getting home to Gabi and Ashley had kept Jeff’s adrenaline surging throughout the night. He grinned in spite of the mess facing them. “Rachel told me.”

  Vance’s eyebrows lifted. “Did she also tell you he wants me to give Gabi a job like I gave Cal’s wife? Then Ashley will have to live at the park,” the chief said, imitating his son.

  Jeff laughed so hard that the two bedraggled-looking rangers who’d just come in behind them wanted to know how anything could be funny after such a wretched night.

  Vance winked at Jeff. “Just a little private joke between Ranger Thompson and me.”

  Nicky Darrow Rossiter. Probably the funniest and most creative young inhabitant at Yosemite. Jeff liked the way he thought. But where Gabi was concerned, Jeff was leap years ahead of him.

  GABI WAS THE FIRST ONE UP. She checked her watch. Ten to eight. Had Jeff come back while she’d been sleeping? Before she dared peek in on him in his bedroom, she rolled out of bed and hurried through the house to the garage, but his truck was missing. Maybe it was out in the driveway.

  She raced through to the living room. When she opened the front door, she discovered the street and Jeff’s yard were under several inches of water and there was no sign of his truck. The water had risen to the bottom step of the porch.

  Incredible!

  Gabi looked up at the sky. The storm had passed over, leaving a trail of pink-tinted clouds as the sun rose. It promised to be a beautiful day, but the damage from flooding like this would be horrendous. Every ranger would be busy taking care of stranded tourists, not to mention other emergencies involving campers and vehicles. She shivered just thinking about it.

  While she stood there taking in the unexpected sight, Ashley and Sergei joined her. Gabi slid an arm around her daughter and pulled her close. “Can you believe what that thunderstorm brought?”

  “I didn’t hear it rain.”

  “That’s because you were too tired.”

  “Where’s Jeff?”

  She touched her fingers to her lips where Jeff had kissed her last night before he’d left. Or had she just imagined it? “He’s out helping people who got caught in the downpour.”

  “Oh. Can we call Nicky? I want to go out in the water and play.”

  “Before we do anything like that, we need to get dressed and have breakfast. By then Jeff will have phoned me and we’ll make plans.” Hopefully, he was all right. Of course he would be. This was the kind of work he loved. Still…

  “Okay. Come on, Sergei.”

  Gabi had just shut the door when her cell phone rang, causing her pulse to race. She reached for it on the coffee table where she’d left her purse, and clicked on. “Jeff?”

  “No.” There was a prolonged silence before the female voice said, “It’s Bev.”

  Gabi’s lungs froze.

  How could she have been so foolish to answer the phone like that without checking the caller ID first? The fact that Bev didn’t ask if the Jeff she assumed was calling was the same Jeff who’d once lived next door to them revealed her culpability. Gabi drew in a deep breath.

  “Has Ryan been harassing you again?”

  “He called me a few minutes ago demanding to know where you are. I thought you’d spoken to your attorney.”

  “I did. In fact, I met with him yesterday. We’ve sent his attorney our response. By now Ryan should have had a phone call telling him to stay away from you. In bothering you, he’s now breaking the law. As soon as we hang up I’ll phone Mr. Steel and tell him what’s happened. If
his attorney can’t stop him, then Ryan will be arrested.”

  “Maybe you need to phone Ryan.”

  The gloves were off. Gabi shouldn’t be surprised, not after what Jeff had revealed. At this stage, her former foster mom was an enigma to her.

  Though Gabi had no intention of contacting Ryan, she decided to placate her. “Just a minute, Bev. I need to get my purse.” She searched for pen and paper. “Okay. Go ahead and give me his number.”

  While she was writing it down, she heard the garage door open. Her heart quaked because it meant Jeff was home. Ashley raced through the house with Sergei to greet him.

  “I’m sorry you’ve been bothered, Bev. I’ll take steps to make sure you don’t hear from him again. Now I have to go.”

  Gabi hung up and hurried out of the living room. Once she’d reached the guest bathroom, she took off the long T-shirt she’d slept in, and showered. Afterward she dressed in jeans and a layered aqua cotton top.

  Before she joined the others, she phoned her attorney. He wasn’t in, so she left a message with the receptionist for him to call her.

  “Don’t come too close,” Jeff said as she entered the kitchen a few minutes later. Sergei had gone to his corner to eat.

  “You have to be beyond exhaustion!”

  He sighed. “That’s a fact. I’m afraid I frightened Ashley. She’s outside with Nicky, sloshing around in her flip-flops. Samson stayed home this time.” Jeff was eating a tuna sandwich.

  “You haven’t outgrown your love of tuna. Why am I not surprised?” she murmured.

  His grin turned her heart over. Overnight he’d grown a beard, and his hazel eyes were heavy-lidded. But Gabi thought he’d never looked more appealing, standing there with disheveled hair, a white T-shirt covering his well-defined chest.

  “If you’d phoned, I would’ve had breakfast waiting for you.”

  He shook his head before swallowing the rest of his orange juice, drawing her attention to his biceps with their farmer tan. Though not a bodybuilder, he’d been well developed even in high school. It took powerful arms to handle his motorcycle over ground where only a daredevil would go. “This is what I crave when I’ve been out all night.”

  She checked her watch. “You haven’t had any sleep for twenty-six hours. Go to bed and I’ll take care of everything else.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Promise to be here when I wake up?”

  She deserved that. “Where would I go with a virtual lake surrounding us?”

  A sensual smile broke out on his attractive face. “You wouldn’t get far. Chase closed the road leading in and out of Yosemite Valley, but have no fear. The water is already starting to recede. By the time I wake up, the kids will be able to find all kinds of stuff in the grass. Nicky can’t wait.”

  Gabi studied Jeff’s handsome features. Who knew what kind of emergencies he’d had to deal with during the night? “What can I do for you? If you’ll leave your clothes outside the bedroom door, I’ll wash them for you.”

  “I won’t say no to an offer like that. Every part of me is filthy, including my T-shirt. Which reminds me. Come to my room with me. I want to give you something I’ve been holding on to for a long time.”

  Curious, she followed him out of the kitchen and down the hall. He walked over to his dresser, opened the bottom drawer and reached in between folded jeans for a sack, which he handed her.

  “Happy belated high-school graduation.”

  It had to be the gift he’d brought her when he’d dropped by Bev’s. With trembling hands Gabi opened it and pulled out a navy blue T-shirt. Holding it up, she read the message printed in white letters: Today My Life Begins.

  A moan escaped her lips. She clutched the shirt to her chest, unable to breathe for a moment. By the time she dared look at him, he’d disappeared into his bathroom. She could hear the shower running.

  Jeff…

  Sergei wandered in and brushed against her legs. She rubbed his fur. “I know you’ve missed him, but we have to let him sleep. Come on. Let’s go check on the children.”

  But first she made a detour to the guest bedroom. After folding the T-shirt and slipping it back in the sack, she put it in the bottom of her suitcase. Tears dripped inside before she could close the lid. Like the famous Pennsylvania Dutch expression, she was too soon oldt, too late schmart.

  Gabi couldn’t go back and rewrite history. She wished Jeff hadn’t given it to her. The act had dredged up pain she didn’t want to revisit.

  At noon she gathered the children around the dining-room table to eat tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Then she did dishes and several loads of laundry. Twice she mopped the floor from the garage to the kitchen, after the kids traipsed in with wet feet. All in all, it was a wonderful day and there was more to come.

  Rachel had phoned and invited them for the barbecue that hadn’t come off the other evening. She’d planned it for six-thirty, hoping her husband would be awake by then. The chief had been working nonstop for over twenty-four hours, too.

  Gabi offered to contribute deviled eggs. While she got busy making them, the kids settled down to doing artwork in the living room. Gabi couldn’t remember ever being this happy before. Though this dream she was living here at the park would come to an end soon, she refused to think about that right now.

  As she was about to cover the eggs with foil, Jeff’s tall, hard-muscled body suddenly appeared in the kitchen, showered and clean shaven. “No, no, not yet—” He sneaked one egg from the plate and popped it in his mouth.

  He’d put on a coffee-colored sport shirt and tan chinos. It gave her inestimable pleasure just to look at him while she waited to hear the verdict.

  The green flecks in his eyes ignited. “That tasted exactly like my mom’s.”

  “Ruth taught me how to make them. You mash the cooked egg yolk through a strainer before mixing it with Best Foods mayonnaise and celery seed.”

  “I could eat the whole plate!”

  “You and the Mad Hatter.”

  “That’s right. He’d drink tea and eat the saucers.”

  She smiled. “I remember. If you’d had more eggs on hand, I would have made a whole platter just for you. As it is, we’re due at the Rossiters’ for dinner right now. Nicky said they have a big watermelon that’s ripe to eat. No doubt Rachel has made enough potato salad to satisfy you.”

  “Do you have Mom’s recipe for potato salad memorized, too?”

  “What do you think?”

  His expression grew solemn. “I think I have to keep you around for the duration.”

  When he looked at her like that, weakness attacked her body. “If you’ll get the children, I’ll grab my purse and meet you at the car.”

  JEFF GUESSED it was too much to hope that Gabi might have put on the T-shirt he’d given her. When she’d looked at it, he knew by the sudden quiet that she’d been emotionally affected, but he couldn’t read her mind.

  There’d been moments since they’d come back to the park when he’d managed to forget she had an ex-husband. Denial had a lot to answer for, yet the fruit of her marriage to another man was sitting in the back seat of the Volvo with Nicky and Sergei.

  Years ago she’d fallen in love with Ryan Rafferty. She’d married him, made love with him, created a home with him. He’d given her a baby.

  Again Jeff had to conclude that no matter how profoundly he and Gabi had loved each other in their teens, she’d grown up and moved on. Until the judge ruled in her case about Ashley’s birth father and his rights, Jeff had no hope of gaining her exclusive attention. He could be the friend she’d sought after seeing his picture in the newspaper, but would be a fool to expect anything more from her.

  She’s fighting for her daughter’s life, Thompson.

  The only thing Jeff could do was help her to achieve that end. For the time being, that meant providing her a safe haven. Nothing more.

  When they reached Nicky’s house, Jeff hardly recognized Vance or Chase. The last time he’d seen them had
been ten hours ago, when they’d all been covered in muck.

  Surprising what a difference a day made. Already the flood had pretty much receded. Jeff pulled into Vance’s driveway, confident they wouldn’t track water into his house.

  The chief stood in the doorway. “Hey, sport!” he called.

  “Hi, Dad!” Nicky answered.

  “Welcome to the ark,” he quipped. At that comment both Jeff and Gabi started chuckling.

  Perplexed, Nicky looked up at his father. “What ark?”

  “Don’t you remember this morning? But a little while ago I sent out a dove, and it never came back.”

  “No, you didn’t, Dad….”

  “No?” With a laugh, he hugged Nicky and followed him through the house.

  Ashley and Gabi trailed after them with Sergei. Jeff brought up the rear, carrying the eggs to the dining room, where Rachel had set up a buffet. She told them to load their plates and they’d sit around the living room to eat.

  Jeff introduced Gabi to Chase’s wife. “I hear you’re the park’s top archaeologist,” Gabi said.

  Annie smiled. “Let’s just hope Nicky doesn’t say that around my boss. It’s so nice to meet you, Gabi. Roberta tells me you teach third grade in Rosemead.”

  “Hey—she could be my teacher!” Nicky cried.

  “You already have an excellent one,” his father reminded him.

  “But Ashley’s mommy would be better.”

  Gabi smiled. “That’s very nice of you to say, but I have a group of students waiting for me to teach them. School’s going to start in a couple of weeks.”

  “I wish we didn’t have to go back,” Ashley complained. “I don’t want to leave Jeff’s house.”

  “Yeah. I think you should stay on a long vacation,” Nicky declared, entertaining Jeff no end. The boy’s ears were never far away.

  Gabi stood next to Annie. “Roberta told me you’re expecting. Congratulations.”

  “We’re excited, but it’s a long way off yet.”

  “Ashley’s mommy got a nosebleed yesterday, but she’s not going to have a baby.”

  “Nicky!” both his parents said at the same time.