Ranger Bear (Return to Bear Creek Book 11)

by Harmony Raines

  ***

  “What time is it?” Avery asked as Jacob shook her awake. She opened her eyes, but the light in the cabin told her it must be just past dawn.

  “Time to get up. We need a good long day if we plan to catch up with Manny and Joe.”

  “Urgh.” She moved, and her muscles complained. Her body wanted to stay here in the warmth, but her brain told her body to get its ass out of bed.

  “Here.” Jacob pushed a cup of coffee into her hands, and it was only then that she realized he was already fully dressed.

  “How long have you been up?” Avery struggled into a sitting position, keeping as much of herself inside her warm sleeping bag as she could, while nursing her cup of coffee.

  “Long enough. I thought I’d let you sleep.” He sat down next to her. Getting out of a warm bed, and leaving her to go get the firewood, tore him in two. His need to stay with her, to breathe in her scent and know she was next to him, where she was meant to be, was almost too much to fight.

  “Thanks.” She lifted her cup to her lips and groaned quietly.

  “You’ll feel better once we’ve eaten and get moving again. Your muscles have tightened up, but it won’t last.” He drank his coffee and went over his plan for the day. If they made good time, and the drug dealers didn’t, there was a chance they might catch up with them later in the day.

  Once they climbed the cliff, they were going to have to keep a close lookout for Manny and Joe. He could use his bear senses, but they would be much stronger if he shifted. Maybe once they got to the top of that cliff he’d tell her.

  “You dozing off there, Jacob?” Avery nudged him in the ribs.

  “No, I’m just thinking about how this is going to play out.” Jacob drank his coffee, and then got up, heading for the kitchen. Behind him, Avery slipped out of her sleeping bag and reached for her jeans. With some difficulty, he kept himself from turning around and watching.

  “We’re going to catch those bastards and whoever else is up here. Simple.” She came to join him in the kitchen. “I am going to need more coffee.”

  “Help yourself. I’ll make some oatmeal. And there’s some fresh fruit. Apples and oranges. They don’t squish so easily in the pack.” He took a pan out, into which he emptied a couple of packets of oatmeal and added water. “This tastes better than it looks.”

  “Good to hear.” She ate an apple while he heated the pan and stirred its contents. “Can we eat outside?”

  “Sure, the sun hasn’t taken the chill off yet, though, so get some warm clothes on.” He pointed at his pack. “I brought a few extra thermal shirts.”

  “You really do think of everything, don’t you?” She pulled a shirt out of his pack and went to the small bathroom. “I’m glad I let you tag along for the ride.”

  “So am I,” he said quietly, pouring the oatmeal into two bowls and refilling their coffee mugs.

  “Much warmer.” Avery came back to the kitchen and they carried their breakfast outside, sitting down on the steps leading to the cabin. Avery blew out a breath, smiling as a cloud of vapor appeared before her.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Jacob asked.

  “It is.” She picked up her spoon and began to eat. “I’ll enjoy it even more when we have those two in our sights.”

  “There’s no rule about not enjoying the day anyway,” Jacob told her.

  “I’ll do my best to try.” She blew out another breath and then turned her full attention on her breakfast.

  As they ate in silence, the sun edged higher in the sky, the first rays spilling over the mountain peaks to the east, and casting a warm ruddy glow over whatever was in its path. The warmth of the rays seeped into the air, warning them that precious minutes were ticking away.

  “Finished?” He took the bowls inside, and Avery followed. “I’ll wash these up while you get ready. Don’t leave anything, make sure everything is safely stored in your pack and your boots are comfy.”

  “Isn’t that what they tell soldiers, to look after their feet?” Avery asked.

  “Yes, and don’t march on an empty stomach.” He dried the dishes.

  “I am ready to put that advice to the test.” Avery came to the kitchen and helped him clean the rest of the surfaces, then they both put their packs on their backs and headed out into the new day, neither of them knowing what it might hold.

  As long as Avery was by his side, he didn’t care. They were learning to work as a team. A team that would grow in strength as they learned more about each other.

  She needs to learn about me, Jacob’s bear told him.

  I know. Later today, Jacob promised. He would find a way to tell her. He only hoped she wouldn’t run from him.

  Chapter Nine – Avery

  They left the cabin, Jacob making sure the door was firmly shut and the latch secure. “Keeps the weather out. Cabins like these can go days sometimes without being used.”

  “If we don’t catch Manny and Joe with drugs, there’s a good chance they will be the next ones using it on their way back down,” Avery commented as they set off along the trail. The sun was rising rapidly now, and it seemed as if the light and shadows changed every second as they walked.

  “You’re sure that’s what they are doing here? Lonnie didn’t get it wrong?” Jacob asked.

  “Absolutely. It all fits. According to Lonnie, they must have a main supplier. These two are not overly bright, I don’t think they are very high up the food chain. Every couple of months they come here and climb the exact same trail, to a place that is out of sight and difficult to get to.”

  Was she trying to convince herself? Avery went over it all again in her head. Lonnie said a tip-off had come from about them heading for a deal this weekend. He had asked her to come up here with him after his suspension, but they had agreed he should stay put at home, and make sure everyone knew he was there. If whoever was behind this got wind they were being spied on, the deal might be put off, and they would be back to square one.

  Lonnie had promised to make enough of a nuisance of himself that everyone would know he was still in Holloway County.

  “Maybe the dealer has drop-off points along the mountain,” Jacob mused. They walked along the same flat grassy area the cabin was located on. Each step she took loosened up her muscles, and Avery swung her arms to limber them up too. When they reached the rock face they were going to climb, she wanted to be ready.

  “I guess. But really, it makes no sense.”

  “I thought you said it all fit together,” Jacob said.

  “I said it all fits, I didn’t say it makes any sense. Why climb up here with a stash of drugs? There are plenty of places to do a deal where no one would see without hiking all this way.” She shrugged as she voiced his own concerns. Unless there were shifters involved. Maybe Joe and Manny were shifters. However, Wyatt would likely have picked up on their scent and told him, so he let that idea go. “But then nothing about the drug industry makes sense. Profiting from other people’s misery. I don’t get it.”

  “I admire your tenacity.” Jacob slowed as he looked around, and then walked on. She sensed they were getting ready to deviate from the trail Manny and Joe took. Taking out the map, she used it to pinpoint their location.

  “Thank you.” She took a couple of quick strides and caught up with him. “We’re here, right?”

  “We are.” He pointed to the high peak that rose above them to the west. “That is where we have to climb.”

  Avery looked at the peak, and then located it on the map. If she ever got separated from Jacob, she was going to know her way off this mountain. He might be the ranger, but she could not allow herself to be completely dependent on him.

  “Lead the way.” She put the map back in her pocket and loosened her shoulders, as if she were doing a warm-up for the gym. As she walked she did long squats, stretching her muscles. Cramping muscles on the side of a cliff would put both of them at risk.

  “You’ve never climbed before?” Jacob asked.


  “What makes you think that?” Avery lifted her arms, clasped her hands together, and stretched out the kinks in her shoulders.

  “You said you’ve spent most of your life living in town.”

  “We have climbing walls. I’ve been up and down those a few times. But no, I’ve never actually climbed up the side of a mountain.” She stopped stretching. “You said you had the gear we need?”

  “I do. A couple of harnesses, and all the rope we need. It’s not high, but if there is even the slightest breeze, it can make conditions hazardous.”

  “Understood.” She sounded like a raw recruit talking to her training officer. “I’m a quick study, Jacob.”

  “I figured. And I’ll be there to catch you if you fall,” Jacob said, as he ducked under a low branch.

  “I do not intend to fall.” Avery’s stomach flipped at the thought. Heights had never been her thing. Sure, she’d gone up and down the climbing wall at her local gym, but as they got nearer to the cliff, it was obvious this was a lot higher.

  They skirted the edge of the cliff, Jacob looking upwards and then back down to the ground. “It’s little used, and not many people know about it, but there’s a route we can climb that has semi-permanent pitons in place.”

  “You’ve used this before?” Avery asked. Looking up, she couldn’t see the top from where she stood.

  “I have. The rangers periodically come up here and climb. Partly for practice, and partly to ensure it’s safe. We use it if we have to get higher up the mountain quickly.” He took his pack off and dumped it on the ground. “Here it is.”

  Avery could see small spikes sticking out of the rock. Small spikes. Yeah, they really looked safe.

  “I’ll go first. I’ll test each one before it holds my weight.” He pulled harnesses and climbing rope out of his pack, laying them out on the ground. Then he pulled out a handful of metal devices with a spring attached.

  “What are those?” Avery asked.

  “Spring loaded camming devices, they go into cracks in the rock. If the spikes are loose, I’ll use these to replace them.” Jacob studied the equipment and then picked up one of the harnesses. “Let’s get you into this thing.”

  Avery took her pack off and placed it on the ground. “Where do we start?”

  Jacob ran his eyes over her body. Usually she’d have given him a verbal warning about sexual harassment, but not today. He was doing his job, and so she tried to relax and let him look at her.

  “Done looking?” she asked as he approached her. Avery’s heart beat faster and her face flushed red. She wouldn’t mind if he did stare at her all he wanted. Which went exactly against her code.

  “For now.” He held the harness out. “I want to fit it right. Helps to have an idea of your size and weight.”

  “Great, so you’re looking to see how big my ass is,” she joked as she stepped into the harness.

  “Your ass looks perfect.” He coughed and stalled. “Sorry.”

  She hesitated, not sure how she was supposed to respond. “What now?”

  “These go over your shoulders, and then we make sure they are fitted snugly. But not too tight.” Jacob worked away, making sure her harness was comfortable and secure. Every time his fingers touched her skin, heat radiated out, until she thought she would internally combust.

  “How does that feel?” Jacob’s words made her jump guiltily, although she had nothing to feel guilty about. She was a woman: of course she was going to be attracted to a man like Jacob. But acknowledging she was attracted to him and acting on that attraction were two different things.

  “Feels good.” She moved around, flexing her legs and stretching her arms.

  “I’ll get geared up and then we can start.” Jacob looked at the sun, before bending down for his own harness. “We’ve made good time so far. So let’s take this slow. There’s no rush.”

  “I thought time was of the essence.” Avery picked up her pack and put it back on. She was going to have to adjust her climb for the added weight. “Wow, that was fast.”

  “I am the expert.” He pulled his pack on and secured it before taking hold of the rope and the camming devices.

  “You are.” She held her hands up and bowed her head.

  Jacob laughed. “Now you get to look at my perfect ass.”

  Avery lowered her eyes and did just that, only for a second, she just couldn’t help herself. He pretended not to notice; instead, he went to the rock face and looked up, then raised his hands, and reached for the first handhold. She watched him closely as he attached a carabiner to it, then he reached higher, and his feet found footholds, so he could boost himself up.

  “Want me to follow?” Avery called up.

  “I’ll come back down.” He moved further up the rock face, twenty feet or more, before he rappelled back to the ground.

  “Everything look safe?” Avery asked, her nervousness evident.

  “I wouldn’t let you go up there if it wasn’t.” He attached the rope to her harness. “I’ve tested the spikes, they’re all solid. I’ll go up in front so we keep our weight distributed over a larger area.”

  “I’m good to go.” Avery nodded, and adjusted the straps of her backpack.

  “You’ll be an expert by the time we get to the top.” Jacob turned away and began to climb once more. Avery watched where he put his hands and feet, and how he moved the rope. She could do this.

  She took her time, making sure her fingers were secure, before she pulled herself up and placed her foot on a protruding ledge, testing it before she climbed higher. Looking up, she watched Jacob as he systematically moved further up the rock face. Watching him work made her more confident. He was a professional. Just as she was. They might have completely different careers, but they were very similar.

  When they worked a job, they were focused, dedicated to getting it done and getting it done right. She prided herself on her professionalism. Just like her dad. He was her role model, at least when it came to being a cop. While her mom was her role model when it came to being a strong woman.

  She always figured she had the perfect combination in her parents…

  Avery paused, hesitating as she reached for the next handhold. She’d let her concentration slip. Concentrating and centering herself, she refocused and reached upward. Her fingers found the handhold, and she heaved herself up, feeling the strain in her legs and arms. She could do this.

  The weight of the pack tipped her backward, but she fought to keep going, until Jacob’s voice called, “Are you OK?”

  “Yep.” She took a breath and reached again. Only this time it was easier. Jacob was taking the strain on the rope. “I can do it.”

  “I know you can.” He pulled her up, and she was kind of glad he did; the strain on her arms and legs eased, giving her time to recover.

  She moved faster, Jacob taking the strain while she reached, found a handhold, pulled herself up, and then found a foothold. In minutes, she was only a few feet below him.

  “Thanks.”

  “I know you wanted a closer look at my ass.” He winked at her, gave her one of his cute smiles, and then looked upward. “We’re about halfway there.”

  “Halfway. OK, that’s good. I can do it.”

  “It’s gonna get harder. Your muscles are gonna tire.” His warning wasn’t something she needed to hear, but she knew it was the truth.

  “I get it.” She took a moment to flex her hands. Her fingers wanted to cramp up, but that was not going to happen. “I’m good.”

  “OK, let’s do this.” Jacob began to climb. He was faster than her, stronger, but she kept going.

  “Easy, this is going to be easy.” She spoke the words under her breath, keeping herself going, keeping herself focused.

  When he sensed her struggling, he helped. It was as if he could read her mind, and she sure did appreciate it. He was right; the second half of the climb was harder.

  “Nearly there,” he called down.

  “Good,” she gasped, loo
king up at him.

  “You’re doing great,” he encouraged.

  Jacob moved, and behind him, she could see the top of the cliff. It was so close. That’s what she focused on as she struggled to make it to the top. She counted how many stakes she could see hammered into the rock, and counted down.

  When Jacob disappeared from view she knew he’d made it to the top. In seconds he was leaning back over, checking that she was OK, and then taking up the slack of the rope. He pulled, she climbed.

  At last, she reached the top, and he hooked his hand under her arm and heaved her over the top of the cliff, where she lay face down, catching her breath.

  “You did it. I knew you could.” He slipped off his backpack and lay down on his back, looking up at the sky.

  Avery lifted her head and looked at him. “Want me to get you a pillow?”

  Jacob put his hands under his head, and smiled. “I think we deserve a short rest.”

  She sat up, pulled her backpack off, and took out her water bottle. After a taking a drink, she passed it to Jacob. “Here, you also deserve a drink.”

  “Thanks.” He sat up and accepted the bottle. “We should eat something too.”

  “We just had breakfast.” But she pulled out a couple of energy bars and passed him one. “Where to from here?”

  “Karakin Pass is that way. There’s a game trail we can follow. It gets muddy in the winter, but at this time of year, it should be dry and easy to follow.” He pointed at her pocket. “Take a look at the map. I’ll show you where the pass is.”

  Avery took out the map and opened it up; crossing her legs in front of her, she spread the map out on the ground. “It’s here, isn’t it?”

  “It is.” Jacob nodded. “They teach you map reading at police school?”

  “My dad taught me. But we used to navigate the streets. It was like a game. But if you can read one map, you can read another.” She folded it back up and put it in her pocket. “I’m now regretting putting this extra layer on.”

  She took off her coat and folded it up, putting it in her pack. Then she lay down next to him, gazing at the sky. It was so blue, the palest of blues, with no clouds in sight. Turning her head to the right, she looked out over the mountainside. It was so pretty. So fresh, so not the city.