Love Another Day

by Regina A Hanel

  "Where to, Miss?"

  "Oh, ah, sorry," she said, returning her cell phone to her pocketbook. She appreciated the politeness of her taxi driver. Addressing her as 'Miss' rather than 'Hey, lady' was so much nicer and so not at all what she was used to. "Grand Teton National Park. Big Bison Lodge, please."

  SAM ARRIVED AT Chief Raymond Thundercloud's office after she polished off a granola bar from the vending machine down the hall. The Chief's spacious corner office was the nicest room in the building. Suspended above the door was a National Park Service emblem the size of a large clock. Inside, the floors were covered in wall to wall carpeting and furnished with newer pressed-wood shelves, a desk, and two tables. Picture windows opposite the doorway only provided a humdrum view of the parking lot, but they welcomed in ample light. In the narrow space between the windows hung several service plaques and awards, and in the corner to the Chief's left, an American flag draped from an eight-foot pole made of hard plastic painted gold, with a plastic golden eagle perched at the top. Sam stood outside the doorway, ranger hat tucked loosely under her left arm, rapping her knuckles on the metal frame.

  "Morning, Chief. Jeff said you wanted to see me?"

  "Oh, hey, Sam. Yeah, come on in. We've been waiting for you." The Chief stood and straightened from his high-backed, black swivel chair and motioned Sam toward one of the other two similar chairs in front of his desk.

  "We?" Sam said as she entered, not seeing anyone else in the room. She stopped a foot short of the chair.

  "Yes, we," the Chief confirmed. "Sam, I'd like you to meet Ms. Halie Walker. Ms. Walker's a photojournalist for The Wild International. Ms. Walker, I'd like you to meet Ranger Samantha Takoda Tyler."

  Sam swallowed hard as the slender and stunningly attractive woman stood and stepped toward her. She was a couple inches shorter than Sam, but exuded an air of confidence that made her appear much taller. Diamond-studded earrings glistened beneath curly golden locks of hair. A cognac colored lambskin leather jacket covered a light tan cashmere sweater. A bit self-conscious in her dirtied uniform, Sam bent forward and brushed dried mud off her right pant leg near the knee before straightening and extending Halie her hand. "Nice to meet you," she managed.

  Halie returned the greeting with a firm, yet gentle handshake. She held Sam's hand longer than was customary as she studied Sam's emerald green eyes. "The pleasure's mine," she replied, her tone calming. "Chief Thundercloud's told me a few things about you."

  "All good I hope," Sam said. She was acutely aware of the softness of Halie's skin next to her own and the warmth of her hand.

  "So far," Halie replied, a sparkle in her eyes.

  Feeling unexpected heat rise within her, Sam withdrew her hand and seamlessly shifted her attention to the Chief, who had already begun explaining the reason for Halie's visit to Grand Teton. Sam listened half-heartedly, her thoughts focused on trying to figure out why she, and not one of the other rangers, had been called to his office, especially when today should have been her day off. Zoning in at the tail end of the Chief's talk, Sam said, "That's great I guess, Chief, but what does the article have to do with me?"

  "I was getting to that. I want you to be Ms. Walker's assistant during her stay with us. I've offered her magazine our help. In return her manager promised me editorial rights before the article goes to print."

  "What?" Sam's mind raced. She was in no mood to get shackled with a special assignment, the memory of her last one still etched in her brain. What was wrong with letting the seasonal rangers help out? Wasn't that part of what they were hired for? Plus, the last thing she needed was additional responsibility added to what felt like an already overloaded plate. She pulled her ranger hat out from under her arm as if getting ready to leave, playing nervously with the brim as the Chief's words registered fully. "I'm sorry, Chief, I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but are you asking me to babysit Ms. Walker? I mean, I'm no writer, so I don't see what good I'll do her. Plus, when am I supposed to get my own work done? This coming weekend kicks off our busiest season."

  "I'd hardly call this baby-sitting, Sam, and I'm well aware what time of year it is," the Chief replied, his tone rigid. "I'm surprised at you. I know you're set in your ways, but this is a golden opportunity for the park." He glanced at Halie while motioning Sam to move closer. "Excuse us a moment if you would, Ms. Walker," he said before returning his attention to Sam. In a whisper, he said, "You're the perfect ranger for this job. Instead of giving me flack, you should be grateful for the opportunity to be involved, and for the fact that I thought so highly of you and your work. When the magazine contacted me several weeks ago, you were the first person I thought of, not only because you're a great ranger with instincts that can't be taught, but also because I care about what happens to you. I've known you a long time now. I know the past is still bugging you. When's the last time you've been to The Moose with the other guys or done anything with them? The bottom line is, I think a change of pace is exactly what you need. I'm sorry if you don't agree, but it's my decision to make."

  "May I say something?" Halie asked, but before receiving a response she addressed Sam. "I don't want to sound rude, but I'm not the one who requested a guide or 'babysitter' as you so eloquently put it. And based on your response, I think I'd be better off on my own anyway, but I don't get to make that decision. What you should try to remember here is that I'm not writing this article about me. I'm writing it about your park."

  "Yeah, but you're involving me," Sam said gruffly, though at the same time she respected Halie's frankness and the fact she didn't cower.

  "Like I said, that wasn't my choice. But as Chief Thundercloud has already told you, publication of this article is expected to benefit the park."

  "And why would we need this added benefit?" Sam pressed. "Things seem fine as they are."

  Halie straightened her spine and squared her shoulders. "The operative word being 'seem.' Over the years the government's slashed funding to National Parks. Now they're threatening the closure of several. Grand Teton's one of those parks at high risk of closure."

  "What makes you think Teton will be shut down?" Sam asked.

  "Maintaining a park is costly."

  "So's maintaining the roadways and far as I can tell, they're still open."

  "There's more to this than what Halie's told you," the Chief said, "but trust me, the concerns are real. A few months ago I was informed that the Secretary of the Interior had already listed Grand Teton as one of the parks being considered for closure next year."

  "What?" Sam was shocked. The thought of the park closing had never entered her mind. Why should it? The closing of National Parks was unprecedented. Why shut down Grand Teton? What would happen to all the surrounding businesses? Why hadn't she heard about this before?

  The Chief continued. "Visitation's been on the decline for the past several years. We've had the all too public controversy about whether or not to let snowmobiles into the park, which has cost us a huge amount of money researching a workable solution we don't yet have. Add to that the post 9-11 cost of fighting terrorism, and the situation doesn't ring favorable for us. The government's already closed select military bases to redirect funds to the fight on terror. But the magazine furnishes us with a way of reaching the public and rallying their support behind us. The visibility may boost visitation and help keep us open."

  "And when were you planning on telling everyone about the possible closure?" Sam asked.

  "When I felt I ultimately had to and saw no other way out, but I hadn't reached that point yet. I'm hoping I never have to." The Chief wouldn't make eye contact with her.

  Sam recognized the disappointment in his voice. "I see your point," she conceded. Okay, fine. She'd play her assistant role for what, a few days or week at the most? Then life would return to normal. She addressed Halie. "I'm sorry if I came off a bit harsh before. You can count on my help."

  "A bit? Yeah, well, we'll see," Halie said.

  Sam's eyes narrowed. She
was beyond ready to leave the meeting. Her head pounded and she still needed to see Dr. Morgan about a blood test. She placed her hat on her head. "Is that it then, Chief?" she asked, moving toward the door.

  "Not yet. I'd like a weekly report on my desk, Monday mornings, detailing your activities."

  Sam stopped and reversed course, a flash of disgust on her face. "Weekly? How long is--"

  "Any problems, I want to know about them immediately.

  You're to report directly to me until this assignment is over, however long that may be. You'll be off the cascading schedule, no weekends. You'll match Ms. Walker's schedule and follow her instructions when you're with her. When you're not with her, you'll resume your normal ranger duties. You can pick Ms. Walker up from Big Bison Lodge at eight o'clock tomorrow morning."

  Silence followed before Sam sheepishly asked, "Can we make it seven?"

  The Chief glanced at Halie for a response, then back at Sam. "No, eight o'clock. Oh, and I gave Ms. Walker one of our latest GPS, two-way radio hand receivers." He handed Sam the other unit, exhibiting a smug air. "These should keep the two of you from losing one another out there."

  "Great, a definite plus," Sam mumbled.

  Chapter Three

  TINA STROKED SAM'S arm. "Thanks for taking these days off to go hiking with me."

  "Yeah, well, you have a unique persuasiveness about you," Sam said.

  "Sometimes you have to turn up the charm to get what you want." Tina paused and interlocked her fingers with Sam's. "After all," she continued, "some nuts are harder to crack than others."

  "Are you calling me a nut? Never mind. Don't answer that."

  "I had a harder time convincing my parents to foot this post graduate summer excursion to the National Parks than I did convincing you, but convincing you was a lot more fun," Tina said.

  Sam's cheeks flushed. "I'm not commenting on that last part, but I'm glad they let you go. If they hadn't, we never would have met, and I'd have never had these incredible few days that I know I'll never forget."

  "Me neither. It's been a great adventure so far. I feel such an adrenaline rush on the mountain."

  "I know what you mean, but we better stop the chatter and hoof it before we get stuck in this storm. Come on, let's go," she said and patted Tina on the butt.

  "Hey, cut that out or I can assure you, we won't be going anywhere anytime soon."

  As the hours passed, Tina's pace up the mountain quickened. The wind whistled past them, increasing in force. The sky darkened. Purple and gray clouds swirled above. Thunder rumbled like an angry drummer. Sam's heart pounded faster. Sweat dripped between her breasts. She should have insisted on setting up shelter sooner. She should never have given in to Tina.

  The hair on the back of Sam's neck stood on end. "Tina, please. Enough already. We need to stop." Tina spun around and faced Sam. Her mouth opened to speak. At that moment, lightning flashed between them and slammed into the mountain. The ground rocked. Chunks of earth and stone broke free and crashed to the valley below. Sam lost her footing and fell backwards.

  Gasping for air, Sam sprang upright, heart pounding, hands gripping the bed sheets. Her t-shirt was soaked through with sweat. She released her hold on the sheets and covered her face with her hands, resting her elbows on her bent knees. She sat motionless for several minutes, shaking.

  Two years had passed since that day on the mountain, but Sam still couldn't shake the nightmares. She uncovered her face and ran her fingers through her long, dark hair, sighing deeply. The night was over, leaving her drained again. She wondered how much longer she'd be tormented by her past. When would the punishment be enough? Would it ever be enough? She'd broken her cardinal rule about not dating park visitors and had paid the price, and because of that, so had Tina.

  The jingle of dog tags disrupted her thoughts. Through the opening of the door peeked a happy golden-brown face with big brown eyes. Jake made his way to the side of Sam's bed and whined until she reached over to pet him. He rubbed his cold, wet nose on her arm.

  Her shaking slowed. "You gotta go out, don't you?"

  Jake's tail thudded on the throw rug.

  Sam tapped him on top of his head. "Okay, give me a minute."

  He let out a bark and jumped back from the bed, then limped off toward the bedroom door, his right hind leg in a cast.

  Sam slid her legs out from under the covers, dangling them off the side of the bed. She ignored the cool air against her skin and sat staring at the bare wall before standing.

  In the kitchen, after letting Jake out, she poured herself a mug of coffee and sat at the table playing with the edges of the cotton place mat in front of her. She sat watching the steam rise from her mug until the coffee got cold. I can't keep going on like this. Something has to change.

  SAM LEFT THE warmth of her meager two-bedroom cabin near the base of Grand Teton and headed to Big Bison Lodge. The Expedition was cold, but heated quickly as she drove out Teton Park Road and past Jenny Lake.

  The sun streamed through the early morning fog and mist, highlighting the snow-capped peaks of an otherwise subdued mountain backdrop. As she neared the drive for the lodge, she eased her foot off the gas pedal. Tires crunched over gravel as she followed the winding road up past the front entrance and parked under a pine tree. Perched on a bluff overlooking Willow Flats, Jackson Lake, and the Teton Mountain Range, the log cabin style lodge and the several hundred guest-cottages surrounding it spread out over the ridge.

  Inside, the lobby was spacious. Tall floor to ceiling windows helped illuminate the interior, as did numerous small table lamps in the lounge area. Colorful western-style throw rugs covered large sections of the ceramic tile floor. Nature photos hung on the walls, and wooden pine beams ran along high ceilings. As Sam took stock of her surroundings, her stomach grumbled, even though she'd eaten earlier. The smell of coffee and cinnamon pastries coming from the café triggered her hunger.

  She was nervous seeing Halie again, especially so soon after their first meeting. She hadn't been particularly nice to her, which she took no pride in, but at the time her anger won out. She was uncertain how she'd approach her now. She expected to see her sitting near the picture windows, among the other computer zealots ferociously clicking away on their laptops, but Halie was nowhere in sight. Sam checked her watch. It read eight o'clock. At least one of us is on time. She glanced once more across the room before strolling to the front desk.

  The receptionist eyed her quizzically through orange-framed glasses. Before she could ask the woman for Halie's room number, she heard Halie's voice.

  "Up here," Halie yelled from the second floor. "Come on up, I'm just putting my things together."

  "That's okay, I'll wait."

  When Halie descended the stairs, Sam's eyes involuntarily followed the flow of her every movement. She willed herself not to furnish Halie the attention, but her eyes remained transfixed. Halie wore tan slacks and a turquoise cotton sweater that hugged her torso snuggly. She was stunning. But at the same time, Sam found her to be stubborn, pushy, overly concerned with appearances-- dare she suggest even priggish--and oh yes, late.

  "Morning, Ranger Tyler." Halie's eyes greeted Sam with unexpected sincerity.

  "Morning," Sam replied flatly, untrusting. "You ready to go?"

  Halie sipped her coffee. "I've been ready."

  "You have?"

  "Of course. I was filling in the missing pieces to my morning crossword puzzle waiting for you."

  Sam pursed her lips, but said nothing. Since Halie wasn't holding a grudge from the day before, she decided she'd do her best not to quarrel with her and let the comment slide.

  As they exited the lodge, Halie said, "Let me guess, the white SUV that reads 'Park Ranger' on the side, right?"

  "You're good. We could use someone with your keen investigative skills."

  "I don't doubt it. Fortunately, I have another job."

  Sam couldn't help but enjoy the banter. The woman was clever; she'd give her th
at. Sam walked Halie to the passenger side of the Expedition and opened the door for her. Halie didn't get in right away. Instead, her eyes roamed over Sam's lean, muscled figure.

  Sam pretended she hadn't noticed the attention and strode to the driver's side of the vehicle. She stepped in the same time Halie sat down.

  Halie kicked a few loose pens aside with her feet, then leaned over, picked them off the floor, and placed them in the makeshift penholder from which they'd likely fallen.

  "Thanks," Sam said, placing her key in the ignition and hooking her hat on the clamp that hung on the divider between the front and back seats. The pleasing, sweet, floral scent of Halie's perfume filled the vehicle's interior.

  "You think you've got enough stuff in here?" Halie commented in jest. "Besides the pens, radio console, traveling coffee mug, clamp on lamp, papers, maps, handcuffs, speed gun, and what's this?" she said pausing to pick up a cylindrical object.

  "Bear spray. I know. It does get a little crowded. This is nothing though. You should see the stuff I keep in the hatch area."

  "No thanks. I can just imagine. You ever have to use those?" Halie pointed at the rifle and shotgun positioned between the seats.

  Sam cleared the clutter off the cup holder. "Unfortunately, yes."

  "I figured you'd say that. Better you than me." She placed her coffee cup in the holder. "By the way, thanks, Ranger Tyler."

  "For what?"

  "For opening the car door for me. I could've gotten it myself though."

  "Your hands were full."

  "Right," Halie said, dragging out the word.