The Chief Ranger

by Rebecca Winters

  His blond head swung around to Rachel. “Can we put yellow roses on Mommy and Daddy’s graves, too?”

  Tears blinded her. “We’ll put on a whole bunch of them!”

  “Vance? When we go to your house can I ride in your truck with you?”

  “I was hoping you’d ask, but it’s up to your aunt.”

  “Can I, Rachel?”

  It was going to make the final parting from Vance that much harder for Nicky, but knowing they were leaving today, she wouldn’t have refused him for anything in the world. “Of course.”

  “Can we go back now? I’m hungry and I want to talk on the microphone in his truck.”

  “I can fix the hungry part right now.” After opening her purse she handed each of them a Kit Kat bar. “Do you want your juice?” He nodded. “Here you go.”

  Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined Nicky enjoying a snack with Vance on top of El Capitan. It took away the terrible sadness she’d carried for so long.

  “Everyone smile,” Perry said before snapping some pictures of the three of them. Vance had thought of everything. Her parents would want to see these. As for Rachel, she’d treasure them forever.

  When the pilot had finished, Rachel walked over to him. “I’d like to get one of you with them. In our family, you’re a real hero.”

  “Happy to oblige.”

  While she was at it, she took pictures of the helicopter and their surroundings. When she returned the camera to him, she gave him a hug. “Words can’t express what you did for my brother and his wife, let alone what you’ve done for Nicky. Please know I’ll always be in your debt.”

  “Just doing my job.” He was modest, like Vance. “This has helped me,” he said sincerely.

  Rachel believed him. “I think we’re ready to go now,” she murmured with a tremulous smile. Yet even as she said it, she felt the pain of parting. That was one emotion she hadn’t expected to take away when they left Yosemite for good.

  Chapter Six

  Two hours later Rachel, Nicky and Vance had eaten a big breakfast and were ready to leave for Oakhurst. When she went out to the front desk to settle her bill, she discovered it had already been taken care of.

  She turned to Vance, who’d helped Nicky take their bags to the car. Right now they were in the foyer looking at the owl. “I happen to know your job doesn’t give you an expense account.”

  His eyes glimmered mysteriously. “Sometimes there are exceptions.” Meaning he’d paid for it out of his own pocket.

  Lowering her voice, she said, “I can’t let you do this.”

  “It’s done. Don’t rob me of the pleasure of easing your financial burden in some small way. After all you’ve suffered, I’d do it again. For Nicky …”

  Rachel averted her eyes. “I know you would, because you’re an extraordinary person.”

  “The feeling’s mutual.”

  On trembling legs she walked over to Nicky. “Let’s go.”

  Vance transferred Nicky’s car seat to the truck. A minute later they were on their way. Her nephew waved to her through the window of the power wagon. She

  followed in the rental car, careful not to let any other vehicles get between them.

  Throughout the drive to Oakhurst, Nicky called her every so often on Vance’s cell phone in order to tell her some new tidbit he’d learned about the park from his mentor.

  “Did you know some of the traffic rangers ride motorcycles?”

  “I saw one pass us going the other way,” she replied.

  “Yeah. Vance said a car was speeding and the driver would get a ticket.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  “I wish I could see him get mad.”

  She could hear Vance chuckling in the background. The sound thrilled her. “Darling? Guess what I found out?”

  “What?” Nicky asked excitedly.

  “El Capitan is Spanish for an Indian word, and I know what it means in English.”

  “Is it captain?”

  “Something even greater.”

  “Superintendon?”

  Rachel broke into laughter. “No. Something much more important.”

  “What is it?” He’d run out of guesses.

  “Chief!”

  There was a pregnant pause. “You mean like Vance?” She could almost hear him add, “The greatest guy on earth?”

  “Exactly!”

  “Whoa!” Rich male laughter rang through the phone.

  “Hey, Vance—”

  She smiled because Nicky had forgotten he was

  talking to her. Totally amused by his chatter, she left her phone on speaker mode until he remembered he was still connected.

  “Vance says we’re almost there. See you in a minute.” He hung up.

  They passed the sign for Oakhurst. Before long the truck pulled up in front of an attractive ranch-style house with a stone and siding exterior. As she came to a stop and parked, Vance walked back to her.

  He leaned down, giving her the full force of eyes a more brilliant blue than the sky. “I phoned the people renting my grandparents’ house. They’ll keep an eye on your car until we get back from the cemetery.”

  With his help she got out and locked it. He ushered her around to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door. Their arms and hips brushed as she squeezed inside, making her acutely aware of him. When Nicky gave her a quick hug she held on to him to get herself under some kind of control.

  “This is where Vance used to live!”

  “I know. It’s a lovely home. Kind of reminds me of Nana and Papa’s house.”

  “Yeah,” Nicky agreed. “Where are we going to get roses?”

  Vance started up the truck. “There’s a florist a couple of blocks over.”

  “Can I help pick them out?”

  Rachel’s gaze collided with Vance’s before he said, “I was counting on it.”

  Since this morning she was forced to acknowledge a new dynamic at play involving Nicky. She had a presentiment the parting with Vance was going to be traumatic, and she wasn’t looking forward to it.

  Once they arrived at the florist, she remained in the truck while the two of them went inside. No matter Nicky’s expectations, she wouldn’t allow them to linger at the cemetery. They needed to be gone from Yosemite and put this chapter of their lives behind them before she forgot that Vance was still wearing his wedding ring. As for the chief, he needed to get back on the job. It was a miracle he’d given them this much time.

  Out of the corner of her eye she saw Nicky come out the front door, carrying a container with a dozen yellow roses. The whole bouquet was bigger than he was. Vance put it in the truck bed, then they got inside.

  Rachel kissed her nephews cheek. “Those are the prettiest flowers I’ve ever seen.”

  “Vance says his grandma will love them.”

  “No doubt about it.”

  A mile and a half away, they entered the cemetery, which was kept in immaculate condition.

  “I’ve seen cemeteries before!” Nicky announced.

  “I’m sure you have, darling.” Maybe he was remembering. Many of the graves had flags and flowers. It hadn’t been that long since Memorial Day.

  “Here we are.” Vance stopped along the side of the lane, turned off the motor and helped Nicky jump down. The little boy ran over to one of the markers. “What are these?”

  “Headstones.”

  “Headstones?”

  Rachel went to join him. “Yes. They show the names and the dates of people who died. Snow and rain won’t damage them.”

  Vance carried the roses to a light gray tombstone that had two names inscribed. Nicky hurried after him. “Is this where your grandma and grandpa are buried?”

  “That’s right.” He placed the flowers in the center.

  Nicky sounded out their names. “Dor-o-thy and Wil-liam Ross-iter.”

  “Good for you,” Vance praised. “What are your grandparents’ names?”

  He hesitated. “Nana and Pap
a Darrow.”

  Rachel put her hands on his shoulders. “Minnie and Ted.”

  “Oh, yeah, but my mommy and daddy’s names are Benjamin and Michelle.” He looked up at her. “Do they have a headstone?”

  “Yes. As soon as we get home, we’ll pick some yellow roses from the garden and go right over so you can see it.”

  She knew his next question before it left his lips. “Can Vance come with us?”

  “I’m afraid not.” Rachel answered as calmly as possible. They’d talked this over a dozen times already. “He lives here and he’s in charge of the whole park. In fact, he has to drive back right now. Let’s go, darling.” She grasped his hand and headed for the truck.

  To her relief he didn’t put up an argument. They all got in the cab and headed back to Vance’s grandparents’ house without incident. It wasn’t until they were parked in front of her car that she understood why there’d been no histrionics yet.

  “Why can’t we stay with Vance? He has a house in the park and lives all alone,” Nicky argued.

  She pretended not to hear him, and opened the door. “Come on.” When he wouldn’t budge, she removed his resisting body from the car seat and carried him to her rental vehicle. Unfortunately, she needed her keys, which were in her purse.

  Vance caught up to them with the car seat and gathered Nicky in his arms so she could unlock the door.

  “I don’t want to go.” By now tears were pouring down the boy’s cheeks. He buried his face in Vance’s neck, releasing great heaving sobs. This was one time when the ranger couldn’t make it better, not with all his potent hero magic. The sooner she drove away, the better.

  But he had to put Nicky down while he installed the car seat in the back. If anyone saw the three of them right now, they’d call 9-1-1, thinking something terrible was going on. Nicky was out of control. When Vance strapped him in, he screamed harder and kicked his legs. “I don’t want to go! I want to stay with you!”

  “I wish you could, sport.” Rachel could swear she heard tears in Vance’s voice. This was a nightmare of new proportions. “I’ll call you when I get back in my truck, and we’ll talk while we both drive.” He shut the door.

  Nicky wasn’t listening. He only sobbed harder. His heart was breaking and neither of them could do anything about it. This was almost worse than the trauma of a year ago.

  Rachel lifted pained eyes to Vance. “Thank you for everything,” she said, before starting the car. He stood there, looking so helpless and grim she could hardly bear it.

  “Nooo!” Nicky shouted when she drove away. “Vance!” he screamed. “Stop!”

  Rachel was frantic and honestly didn’t know what to do. Five seconds later her phone rang. She clicked on. “Vance?” she said in a trembling voice.

  “I can’t let things end this way, Rachel. I’m following you to Merced. Put Nicky on.”

  Deep inside she knew that spending any more time with him was only delaying the inevitable, and would make the situation even more intolerable. But she couldn’t think beyond calming Nicky down.

  She signaled before pulling off to the side of the road. Undoing her seat belt, she turned to him. “Vance has decided to drive as far as Merced with us before he has to go back. Do you want to talk to him?”

  Nicky hiccuped. “Yes.” His face was so blotchy he looked like he had giant hives.

  Rachel leaned over the seat and handed the phone to him. Little by little his one-syllable answers turned into two words, then three. Before she knew it he was laughing. The calm after the storm enabled her to start driving again. Vance swung in behind her. He and Nicky kept up their conversation all the way into Merced, where they hit the late Saturday afternoon traffic.

  “Vance says to follow him to the Merced Inn. He knows where everything is.”

  “You’re right.” Nicky must have told him where they were staying. “You have to hang up now.”

  “Okay. See you later, escalator.”

  Things were temporarily back to normal.

  “Rachel? Can Vance take me to get my hair cut?”

  She blinked. Where had that come from? She couldn’t keep up with him. “A haircut?”

  “Yup. Some of the kids in the pool said I have curls like a girl.”

  He did for a fact. “Did it hurt your feelings?”

  “Yup. I told Vance. He said he had long black curls when he was my age ‘cause his mommy liked them, but the kids teased him, so his daddy took him to the barber. I want to look just like Vance!”

  What red-blooded American boy wouldn’t? A military cut on Nicky ought to be something to see. “We don’t have time to do that, honey.”

  “Please? I promise I’ll be good and won’t cry anymore.”

  That was a big promise, but maybe it would work.

  “You really mean it?”

  “Yes,” he said, albeit tentatively.

  His nana was going to cry when she saw the change in him. In fact her parents would be astonished by his new, confident demeanor. Rachel had discovered that the right man could work wonders for a vulnerable child missing his father.

  Hopefully, Nicky would remember what he’d just told her, so they could go back to Florida without hysterics. But as she’d found out several days ago, Vance was an impossible act to follow.

  THE BARBER REMOVED the drape fastened around Nicky’s neck. “All finished, young man.”

  He jumped down. “How do I look?”

  Vance barely recognized him. The little boy was gone. In his place was the promise of the man within. Vance patted his shoulder. “Tough! I like it. Are you ready to walk me to my truck?”

  “Y-yes,” he answered mournfully.

  That was the deal between him and Nicky. If the boy promised not to cry or get upset when Vance left for the park, he would take him to get his hair cut and Nicky could call him on the phone from Miami whenever he wanted. Vance had written his cell phone number on a piece of paper for Nicky to keep in his pocket.

  Vance paid the barber before they walked outside to Rachel’s car, where she was waiting. He’d left the truck at the hotel so they wouldn’t have to move the car seat again.

  After Nicky got in, she rubbed his head experimentally. “Do I know you?”

  He giggled. “I’m me!”

  “You sound like you,” she teased, flashing Vance a laughing glance before starting the car. For a brief moment her smile lit him up inside. The thought of her getting back with her ex was anathema to him now.

  A couple of minutes later they reached the Merced Inn and drove around to the parking area where her room was located. She pulled up next to his truck and turned off the motor.

  Now that the moment of parting had come, the shoe seemed to be on the other foot. Vance was the one who felt like kicking and screaming. The Darrows had only been at Yosemite since Tuesday night. He hadn’t met them until Wednesday morning. How in four days’ time could he have come to care about them like this? So much that he felt as if his life were falling apart?

  Not since he’d heard the news about Katy had he experienced feelings this emotionally wrenching. Was this what Chief Dick had seen in his vision? A big change that would affect him adversely for the rest of his life?

  At the moment, Nicky appeared to be handling everything much better than Vance, or even Rachel, who’d been unusually quiet since their arrival in Merced.

  Nicky scrambled out of the car. He waited for Vance to emerge from the front seat before diving into him with one of those bone-crushing hugs. Vance saw telltale moisture on the boy’s eyelashes, but true to his promise, he held back any sobs.

  Vance high-fived him. “See you in a while, crocodile.”

  Always quick to adapt, Nicky said, “See you in a while, reptile.”

  Vance noticed that it brought a smile to Rachel’s lips. The desire to taste them was so strong, he turned abruptly away from her and got in the truck.

  After switching on the motor, he glanced at both of them standing a few feet away. The si
ght would be indelibly impressed in his mind from here on out. “Have a safe flight, you two.”

  All the way to the other side of the continent. He didn’t know how he was going to handle it.

  Rachel flashed him the kind of smile that hid a myriad of emotions. He couldn’t tell if she was having trouble watching him leave or not. “We’ll be fine. I’m just worried you might drive too fast trying to get back to the park, and one of those motorcycle rangers will give you a ticket.”

  Nicky looked up at her in horror. “They wouldn’t give one to Vance. He’s the chief!”

  Vance laughed in spite of his turmoil. “Give me a call tomorrow night and let me know you got home okay.”

  “Okay.” His lower lip trembled. “Bye, Vance. Thanks for everything.”

  “You’re welcome. Oh, I almost forgot.” He reached into his pocket for Timberwolf. “You left this in my office.” Nicky stared at it but didn’t take it. “Isn’t this your favorite toy?”

  “Yes, but you can have it, if you want,” he said quietly.

  “I want,” Vance said in a husky tone. He closed his hand around it.

  “Goodbye, Vance.” Rachel sounded equally moved. She mouthed her thanks one more time before he put the truck in gear and drove away.

  If he hadn’t had a string of phone calls to deal with, the return trip would have constituted the drive from hell. He talked to the pilot first.

  “Thanks for what you did today, Perry.”

  “I didn’t know if he’d be able to handle it or not, but as we found out, some kids are more resilient than grown-ups.”

  “You’re right. I’m hoping his nightmares will end.”

  “Me, too. Just so you know, I e-mailed you the pictures we took on top of El Cap. Thought you’d like to send them to him.”

  “He’ll love them.” Vance would also send the pictures they’d taken at the Tuolomne Meadows. “Thanks, Perry.”

  “You’re welcome. He’s a cute little guy. Between you and me, he’s got a knockout aunt. Whew.”

  Vance pressed on the accelerator. “Yup. Thanks again for giving up your morning.”