by Meg Ripley
“Okay, then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said.
Julian nodded and waved, but said nothing as he walked out, leaving Madelyn and I alone.
“Thanks for everything,” she told me. “This is going to be a great experience; I just know it.”
“Good. I’ll do all I can to make sure of it.”
She smiled again and I almost lost my knees. I shifted my weight and smiled back.
“I was wondering if you might like to see more of the park,” I offered. “Sort of a private tour of the area.”
“That sounds great, but I have to get working on my thesis. I can’t believe Julian is almost finished.”
“Don’t believe it,” I said. “He’s all hat and no cattle, I reckon.”
She chuckled. “I can’t say I’ve heard that expression before.”
“I just think he’s all talk. But maybe he’ll prove me wrong.”
“I hope you’re right,” she said. “But I haven’t had the privileged life he’s had, so I guess that puts me at his mercy forever.” She rolled her eyes.
“Bless his heart. Well, I’m glad you didn’t fall for his act or were charmed by his money like some would have been.”
She shook her head. “There are much more important things.”
“I agree. Like taking time out to see nature and relax before diving into something challenging. A few minutes out yonder will clear your mind right up. It doesn’t have to take long.” I wanted to beg her. Please, please, don’t say no.
“I do have to prepare for the dig tomorrow…” She pulled her mouth to one side as she thought. “But I guess if we make it quick, it’ll be fine.”
I held out my arm to gesture to the door. When she saw Julian waiting for her in the car they’d come in, she turned to me with an apologetic expression.
“I forgot we came together today. Can I take a raincheck for tomorrow?”
“If you’d like. But I’d be happy to drive you to the hotel myself.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
She walked over to Julian’s window and talked with him a moment. He sped off, and I could only assume he was fit to be tied.
“I’m driving myself from now on,” she said. “He drives me nuts already.”
“I’ll try to keep him in line for you.”
“Thank you. I do appreciate that.”
I opened the door of the ATV for her and helped her in, then drove off toward one of my favorite sights in the whole park.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“There is a spot that’s got a perfect view of Casa Grande.”
“What’s that?”
“Just about the most iconic rock formation this side of the Mississippi.”
“Oh, I guess I should have known that. Hmm, I don’t think it ever came up in my studies...”
“You can’t know everything. And when you see it, I bet you’ll recognize it, even if you didn’t know the name. Most people don’t know the name until they come see it for themselves.”
“Have you worked here long, Sawyer? You know so much about the area.”
“I’ve been a Ranger for years, but I grew up not far from here.”
“Right, your family’s ranch. It’s nearby?”
I nodded. “Our property line is on the park’s border.”
“Oh wow.”
“Most of the park’s land was once taken up by ranches and farms. The government came in and bought them all out. Didn’t give the owners a choice because the land needed to be protected. I can’t say I argue with that, but I don’t care for the way it went down. Plenty of people worked their land hard and got little for it in the end. It’s hard enough to make a living.”
“I guess your family got lucky that your land was right on the border.”
I laughed. “Oh, it wasn’t. Let’s just say you don’t want to mess with my grandfather. He refused to sell, and they couldn’t move him. Our land was close enough to the border they wanted that they finally relented.”
“So, the Montgomerys are real rebels,” she said with admiration.
“You could say that. Grandpa is still as feisty as ever.”
“It’s admirable that he fought like that. And you got to grow up on the ranch because of it.”
“I’m grateful for it, too. It was a good upbringing.”
I pulled up to the overlook and turned off the engine. I took a moment to just stare at it before climbing out of the vehicle. Madelyn and I walked along the railing and leaned against it.
“I have seen photos of this,” she admitted.
“I thought so. Casa Grande…”
“Big house. Makes sense. It does look like one.”
“I always thought, from this angle, that it looked like a giant rock castle.”
She squinted at it. “Oh! I see it. It looks like two turrets on either side.”
“Yeah. My brother and I used to run around the rocks at the ranch and pretend we were fighting bad guys from inside that castle.”
“It’s a good fortress. Being rock and all.”
I chuckled. “For two young boys, it sure was.”
“What’s your brother’s name?”
“Wyatt. Do you have siblings?”
“I have a sister. And a brother-in-law and niece. She’s two.” Madelyn smiled, clearly thinking of them fondly.
“Is your family in Massachusetts?”
“Nope, just school. I’m originally from New Hampshire. That’s where I’ll be heading when I’m done here. Back home.”
“No place like it.”
“Thank you for showing me this. I should get back, though.”
“We just got here. Slow down a minute. Take your time.”
She pressed her lips together. “That’s a Southern thing, isn’t it? Everything’s sort of slower moving. Not like fast-paced city life.”
“No ma’am.”
“I do love that accent of yours,” she said, pulling her lips into a half smile.
“I like yours, too.”
She did gaze back out at the landscape, but she seemed to be thinking of something else; probably of whatever she had to do when she got back. I couldn’t stand the thought of dropping her off and not seeing her for hours; good thing the weekend would be days away. I’d have to figure out exactly what these feelings were before then.
“Should we get going now?”
My bear protested with a low growl inside, but I relented and turned back to the ATV. I drove as slowly as possible, but even still, we reached the station all too soon and switched from the ATV to my truck. She told me where her hotel was located and I headed out toward the town of Marathon.
5
Sawyer
I’d been having such a good time getting to know Madelyn, the thirty-minute drive to Marathon flew by. I was asking about her sister when the hotel came into view.
I parked and smiled at her. “Well, I hope today was all you wanted it to be.”
“It was.” She nodded, thinking to herself for a moment. “In more ways than one.”
My chest tightened. I leaned against the truck’s door to keep myself from doing something stupid, but truth be told, I wanted to kiss her so badly. That would be a bad move, my friend. But I had to do something; I had to know if the signals I’d been picking up from her were legitimate. Before I could give it a second thought, I blurted, “Will you go out with me? Tomorrow night?”
She looked down for a long while, then finally back to me. Her dark eyes looked unsure and her chocolate ponytail hung over her shoulder. Taking my hand, she told me, “Sawyer, you’re a great guy, but I really can’t get involved with anyone right now. I have so much work to do for my thesis and I planned to really get things done this semester with minimal distractions.”
“What if they’re not distractions, just other experiences you have while you’re here in Big Bend?”
“If it takes away from my thesis, then it’s a distraction.”
/> “You have to eat, don’t you?”
She sighed. “Believe me, Sawyer, if it weren’t for the circumstances, I’d go out with you in a heartbeat. You’re sweet, charming…and pretty cute, I might add.” A flush of pink danced across her cheeks. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me already. But if my time—and brain—are focused on anything other than my paper and this dig, it could mean I won’t finish this semester. I want to be done; to start my life. I want to get home and catch up with my family.” She lifted her shoulders a little. “I’m really sorry. It’s just bad timing.”
“I understand,” I said, my throat thick. But then I had an idea. “Well, I’m a Ranger, and showing people around is my job. Helping you is my priority, according to my boss. So, what if I took you to places that would help you write your thesis?”
I watched the confliction play out on her face for a moment. Then with a smile, she said, “That should work.”
My heart soared. “Great. Tomorrow night?”
“Only if we strictly do things that will help my thesis.”
I drew an X over my chest. “Cross my heart.”
She chuckled and opened the truck door. “I’ll hold you to it, then.” She smiled at me before shutting the door. “See you tomorrow.”
I drove home faster than usual, knowing I had to get outside and run off some of this energy. I needed my brother. The moment I got home, I tore my clothing off and headed out my back door. Standing and stretching tall, I felt my bones and muscles shift into their bear form, and with a loud roar, I took off through the junipers and piñon pines.
Hey!
Sawyer, what’s going on?
Hi, honey.
Hey y’all, I replied to Elijah, my third-in-command, my brother Wyatt, who was my second, and my mother. She was obviously the only member of the clan who called me honey.
I was hoping to get my brother alone to talk, but I’d have to wait it out or get him to come over. What’s everyone up to?
Heading in your direction, actually, Wyatt said.
Perfect.
I was just heading home to get supper ready for Daddy.
I’m fixin’ to get back to the station, so I’m gonna shift out, buddy, Elijah added. Talk to you tomorrow!
After we’d said our goodbyes, it was just the two of us.
Man, what’s going on with you? Wyatt asked.
What do you mean?
He laughed. You all but told them to get out, the feeling was so strong.
I sighed. Oh no. I’ll have to apologize later. I do need you, though.
Well, are you fixin’ to tell me who she is?
Wyatt…
That bad, huh?
I’ve never felt anything like this before. She’s a student at Harvard, here in the park.
For that dig?
Yeah, that’s her. She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and I’m drawn to her in ways I can’t explain.
I can feel it. Well, what are you doing about it?
I have a date with her tomorrow.
Smooth. What do you have planned?
Here’s the thing. She’s working on her thesis and doesn’t want to take time from it, so I promised that I would only take her to see things that would help with her research.
You know the attractions in the park better than anyone.
Is that enough, though? I wondered. Should we also go somewhere else?
Somewhere that fits into her research?
I reckon that might be hard, I admitted.
She still has to eat, right?
That’s what I said. But she doesn’t want to let her mind get too distracted from her project.
She’s tough. I’d ask if it’s worth the hassle, but I can tell you don’t have a choice.
I just met her today.
I know. He laughed. I read the bulletin about the students and the dig. What’s the other one like? He sounded hopeful. I’d have to make this fun.
Oh, short dark hair, good looking, from a rich family who’s also well-known. The whole package.
Whooo-eee, she sounds amazing! I have to meet her.
I couldn’t hold back my laughter any longer. Except she’s a he. There was a mix up; they sent a male instead of another female.
Bastard! Thanks a lot.
Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.
I have an idea though, he said. Why don’t you stay in the park and take her on a tour on horseback to see the sights.
That’s perfect! I knew you’d have a good idea.
Well, just remember, if she has a sister who’s cute, too…
She does. At least the sister part. I don’t know what she looks like, but she’s married. With a daughter.
Striking out all over the place.
Like you don’t get every woman you want. Let someone else have a chance just once.
Yeah, yeah. What’s this babe’s name, anyhow?
Madelyn Sutton.
Nice ring to it. Madelyn Montgomery...
Let me actually date her first. But my inner bear warmed at the idea.
When I got back home, I took a long hot, shower. My heart swelled with gratitude for both Wyatt and my clan, who’d so graciously shifted out of bear form so I could talk to my brother in private. I’d have to thank them at the next meeting.
Our clan meetings were more like family gatherings. Since Big Bend was such a remote area, my clan had only eight members, including myself. My parents, my brother and me, Elijah Tucker and his siblings Chelsea and Benjamin, and then Alex Hawkins. Our family was very close to the Tuckers. We’d all kind of adopted Alex, who was the only transplant to the area after wanting to escape city life.
From what I heard, it was common in our region to have small, tight-knit clans; even for fathers to pass down the Alpha position to their sons. In other parts of the country—and world—that wasn’t necessarily so with other types of shifters. My father had been Alpha, and when I was old enough and ready, he stepped down and retired. For the last two years, the clan had been mine, and I’d been focusing on my leadership and work. Now was the perfect time for me to find someone; too bad it was the perfectly wrong time for her. But nevertheless, I held onto the hope that somehow, it would all work out.
6
Madelyn
I nearly drifted up to my hotel room. A date with Sawyer? Really? It was a dream come true. For some reason, any time I found myself near him, it just felt right. But at the same time, I hadn’t even thought of my thesis—except to keep saying that I had to focus on it.
I pulled out my laptop to get to work. I changed into my pajamas, slipped under the covers and started typing my thoughts from the day, but was then startled by a knock at the door. My face fell into an instant glare and I shoved the computer and blankets aside to look through the peephole. My jaw already ached as I opened the door just a crack.
“What can I do for you, Julian?”
“Well, if you’re going to ask, I’d love for you to come downstairs with me and have a drink.”
“I’m writing up my notes for the day and working on my thesis.”
“You can take one night off.”
“No, I can’t,” I insisted. “Look, please understand that I am not interested in you. I think you’re smart and will be great on the site, but that’s where it ends.”
“Don’t fight your feelings. It’s okay if you like us both. I’m not a jealous guy.”
I took in a slow breath. “Good night, Julian.”
I closed the door and locked the chain. What would it take for him to finally get it? And as if I would like them both? Sawyer and Julian were hardly on a comparable level. They were polar opposites: one not my type in the least and the other more my type every minute.
But I decided to stay knowing that Julian was a guy. Sure, if it got too bad, I’d talk with my advisor about it. Since I’d decided to stay, though, I had to make the best of it. I couldn’t call and complain on day two when on day one, I’d said it would be fin
e. And besides, I wouldn’t want the fact that I had a date with the Ranger who was working with us to get back to Harvard somehow.
Was it even a date if we were just going around the park? Wasn’t that really just more of a private tour? But Sawyer definitely thought it was a date. He might have been reading too much into it. I wouldn’t want him to misunderstand or to feel like I was leading him on. I had made myself clear, hadn’t I?
Who was I kidding? I wasn’t even clear to myself. All I knew was my feelings for him were way too strong. I had to put the kibosh on things now before my hormones got in the way of me finishing my thesis. After the semester was done, I could date all I wanted. But then, I’d be home and Sawyer would be down in Texas. So far away.
I picked up my phone, grateful for the hotel’s Wi-Fi since I had no signal, and video-called my sister. I saw Ally’s little face first, saying hi.
When Leigh got on the screen, she was laughing. “I told her you were calling and she had to see you. She misses her Auntie Maddy doesn’t she? So, how’s it going?”
“Good, aside from the fact that I keep getting hit on by my asshole partner on the dig—who happens to be a guy, not a girl as I’d thought—and I also have a date with the hot Ranger who’s helping us.”
“What!” Her face exploded into smiles, and she danced around, holding Ally on her hip.
“But here’s the thing. I’m afraid if I get involved with him, it’ll get in the way of my thesis.”
“Of course. You’ve never been the hopeless romantic.”
“No, that’s you,” I said. “And you’re the married one with a kid.”
“Exactly.” She dipped Ally backwards to her laughing squeal.
“I’m not ready for that yet.”
“It’s one date, not a proposal.”
“It starts with date one. And…” I bit my lip and she looked over when I paused. “I’m really, really attracted to him.”
“Then go for it. I don’t know what you’re so worried about.”
“I just told you. I won’t finish on time.”
She rolled her eyes. “You and your timelines. Life can’t all be scheduled, you know. Sometimes, love comes when it doesn’t seem convenient.”