The Bachelor Ranger

by Rebecca Winters

  He was outside somewhere with Sergei now, reliving his pain, needing another woman to fill his emptiness. Any woman. Even Alex, the pariah.

  After waking early the next morning, Alex made calls to the boys’ families to let them know how things were going. Already the positive feedback from the parents made her day. None of the boys were complaining about going home yet.

  At eight o’clock she vacated the cabin in jeans and a navy hoodie. Sun shone from a clear blue sky. The mountain scenery was incredibly beautiful. She walked out to stash her backpack in the minibus. On her way to the café she saw the boys standing beneath some trees with Cal. They were watching him put Sergei through more tricks. He could bow and play dead. Smart dog.

  When she looked up, she received the full brunt of a pair of brilliant blue eyes. “Ah,” he said. “Now that your leader is here, Sergei will demonstrate how to kiss.”

  A Cal Hollis who grinned at her like that could set every butterfly loose in her stomach. The morning sun highlighted the lines of his rugged features. The boys were smiling at him. His rapport with the teens was nothing short of extraordinary. They had no idea how lucky they were to be taken under his wing.

  She moved closer and leaned down to rub her hands over the dog’s fur. “You’re my buddy, aren’t you.” Sergei licked her twice, much to the boys’ amusement. When she looked beyond the pointy ears, she discovered Cal’s gaze focused on her mouth.

  Once upon a time a look like that would have reduced her legs to jelly. But she knew the reason for it now. Let some other woman give him comfort.

  After patting Sergei’s head, she walked inside the café and ordered breakfast for the whole bunch, including Cal. A minute later he joined her at the counter without his dog.

  “He’s been fed and watered,” Cal said, answering the question in her eyes. “But he doesn’t like being crated.”

  “No living creature does.”

  “That’s a fact, ma’am.”

  Some people hated confinement more than others. Cal had picked a job that ensured he could be outdoors as much as possible. Alex remembered a film she’d once seen on prison inmates. They all agreed the thing they missed most was the sky. Cal had the sky and the mountains, but she knew they weren’t enough to ease his pain over Leeann.

  “I put in your order.”

  His eyes drifted over her. “How did you know what I wanted?”

  “We’re all getting the same thing.”

  One brow lifted. “I like surprises.”

  No he didn’t. Not from her. But they’d agreed to be friends. If she was going to honor their pax, she needed to proceed as if this were a new beginning. “That’s easy for you to say because you’ve probably eaten here a hundred times or more.”

  “Guilty as charged.”

  She turned to find an empty table next to her group and almost ran into one of the volunteers she’d met in orientation—the annoying guy with the spiky black hair.

  “Hi, Alex.” His brown eyes assessed her with blatant male interest. He repelled her. “In case you forgot, I’m Brock.”

  “Your name was on the tip of my tongue. Are you here to take pictures? It’s the perfect day for it.”

  “That’s what I thought when I got up this morning. How would you like to hike to Lembert Dome with me?”

  “Thank you for asking, but I’m afraid I can’t. I’m here with my group of volunteers.”

  He glanced at Cal, who was helping the waitress pass the breakfast plates around. “This is the second time I’ve seen you with Ranger Smoky over there. If you’ve got a thing going with him, tell me now.”

  Both he and Ralph seemed obsessed with Cal. Why? Again she was irritated by his aggressive nature. He lacked people skills. She couldn’t understand how he’d been hired to help at a public campground.

  “We don’t. Coincidences happen. Now if you’ll excuse me, my breakfast is waiting.”

  “Mind if I sit with you while I order mine?”

  Now was not the time to make a scene. “Be my guest.” She headed for the table where Cal was waiting for her. He watched them coming and got to his feet without giving away what he might be thinking.

  “Ranger Hollis? This is Brock—you saw him last week in the conference room. He works at Crane Flat. I’m sorry but I don’t remember your last name.”

  “Giolas.”

  Cal shook his hand. “Sit down, Brock. How’s everything going at the campground?”

  “I can’t complain.” After he took a seat, the waitress came to take his order.

  Alex dug into her breakfast. Between bites of his, Cal asked more questions. “What brought you to Yosemite?”

  “The scenery.”

  “Brock’s a freelance photographer,” Alex interjected. He seemed pleased she’d remembered.

  “You’ll never run out of subject matter here whether it’s people or scenery,” Cal commented.

  After swallowing the last of her omelet, Alex looked over at the boys. They’d finished their food. She could tell they were anxious to get going.

  “If you two will excuse me, the guys are ready to board the bus.” She stood up. “It’s been nice to see you again, Brock.”

  “You, too,” he muttered.

  She’d prepaid the bill. Without any more discussion, she walked out with the troops, who were carrying their backpacks. Alex couldn’t get away from Brock fast enough. Cal must have read her mind because he didn’t detain her. There was something about Brock’s personality that put her off.

  Once the boys had stashed their stuff and taken their seats, Alex opened her backpack and handed them their cell phones. “During the drive back, you can give your families a running commentary on anything you feel like.”

  A glance out the window revealed Lusio and Mika standing next to Cal’s truck. She stepped off the bus and walked over to them. “Ranger Hollis will take you back to Sugar Pines. In case I’m out, give me a call when you arrive and I’ll come and pick you up. Here are your cell phones.”

  While she was handing them over, she saw Brock leave the café and head for a white Nissan Sentra. As he drove off, Cal emerged from the café and walked toward them.

  Lusio looked at her. “Is it okay to call him Cal? He told us to.”

  “When you’re alone with him, of course.” Cal couldn’t have done anything to win their trust faster than treating them like a friend.

  He walked up and opened the passenger door for them to climb in. “I promise I’ll take good care of them,” he said.

  “They’re lucky to be with you.”

  “Just now you looked like a mother seeing her kindergarteners off to school for the first time. Your bond with them is very touching, you know that?”

  Alex had trouble swallowing. “They’re so sweet and sensitive. I love them.” Her voice trembled.

  “It shows. Otherwise you couldn’t have gotten a whole crowd of come to a wilderness park when they’ve never left home before.”

  “Thank you for being here for them, Cal.” Thank you, thank you.

  Several hours later the minibus arrived at the Curry Village area. Her group wanted to eat lunch there before they went exploring. Alex told them to have fun. After the bus emptied she was about to close the door when eight-year-old Nicky Rossiter ran up. Roberta Jarvis, four years older, was right behind him.

  “Hi, Alex!” the children cried in unison.

  “Well, hi, you two! What’s going on?”

  “We just had tacos for lunch.”

  “They’re good here, huh.” Both of them nodded. “Where are you headed?”

  “Back to headquarters,” Nicky answered. “Our dads are in a meeting.”

  “Where’s your mom?”

  “She’s home napping while Parker’s asleep.”

  “I’m sure she needs it. What about your mother, Roberta?”

  “On Friday she flew to San Francisco to be with my grandparents. She’ll be back tonight.”

  “Will you tell her I’d like
my volunteers to meet her? They’ll be fascinated to learn a little bit about archaeology while they’re here.”

  “Sure. She’d love to do that. I’ll tell her to call you.”

  “Thanks. I’m at the Sugar Pines ski lodge.”

  “I know.”

  Nicky was looking at her with eyes that implored. “Can we have a ride in your minibus?”

  “I was just going to ask if you’d like that. Climb on board.” They needed no urging. “Wherever you decide to sit, be sure to fasten your seat belts.”

  “We will.”

  “This is fun!” Nicky cried. “I always wanted to ride in one of these.”

  Alex smiled. She’d only had the bus a little over a week. “Do you want to go straight to headquarters, or shall I take you on a guided tour of the Valley first?”

  “A tour! Make it last a long time—we always have to wait and wait for their meetings to be over.”

  “I always had to wait for my dad, too. Are you strapped in?”

  “Yes!”

  “Okay. But first I have to check in with your father.”

  She pressed the button she’d programmed to reach the Chief. When he didn’t pick up, she left a voice mail that the children were with her and they’d be back in front of headquarters in about twenty minutes.

  “All right!” She started driving, then pulled out the mike and switched it on. “Ladies and gentlemen? Welcome aboard the H & H Express. What’s so fabulous about Yosemite? It’s got dozens of incomparable meadows and more than a hundred lakes, plus waterfalls as tall as a two-hundred-story building, trees the size of rocket ships, mountains the size of—well, mountains! And even a few beaches. It’s bigger than a handful of European countries and nearly the size of Rhode Island.

  “Today we have two very important people with us. Nicky’s father is the chief of the whole park, and Roberta’s father is the assistant chief of the whole park. We’ll be touring the Yosemite Valley, so sit back and enjoy!”

  Nicky whooped it up. Roberta was equally excited but less vocal because she was older. Twenty minutes later Alex slowed to a stop in front of the park administration building.

  “Hey! There’s our dads!” Nicky lowered the window. “Hi, Daddy!”

  “Hi, Dad!” Roberta called out.

  The two men walked toward the bus. Alex opened the door. They climbed on board with a smile. Chase hugged his daughter. “Looks like you’ve been having a good time.”

  Roberta nodded. “It’s Alex’s day off. We asked her to take us on a tour.”

  “Yeah,” Nicky cried, “and she knows more than the rangers! She said we have trees as big as rocket ships.” His giggle was infectious.

  Vance’s eyes lit up in amusement. “That’s why she’s part of the team, son. Since I need to talk to her, why don’t you walk home with Chase and Roberta? I’ll come by for you in a few minutes.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Alex! That was fun! Can we do it again?”

  “Certainly.”

  “You’re nice, Alex. Thank you.” Roberta hugged her before the three of them walked away.

  “You’re welcome!” she called after them.

  The Chief took the first seat opposite her. “Thanks for the voice mail. I appreciated that. I guess you realize you made Nicky’s day.”

  “Those children made mine. Nicky’s priceless.”

  He chuckled. “Agreed. Now tell me how your volunteers are doing.”

  “Because of Ranger Hollis’s intervention, better than I would have thought.” For the next few minutes she explained about Lusio and Mika.

  He nodded. “Cal’s done the right thing. I’m glad to hear he’s gotten involved. Anything else to report?”

  “Yes. I intended to phone Beth in the morning and make an appointment with you.”

  “Since I’m right here, let’s talk.”

  “I’m concerned about a couple of things. The new volunteer at Crane Flat named Brock Giolas doesn’t seem to fit the usual profile of people who work here. He’s a guy with an attitude. Abrasive, you know? The first thing he wanted to know was whether Ranger Hollis and I were an item. He blurted the question right out. Talk about a turnoff—”

  “If I’d been a single guy and met you, I might have asked the same question.”

  Alex smiled. “Except you have a different nature that appeals to people. Brock’s bizarre to the point of being boorish. Mind you, this is just my impression, but I keep wondering how he got hired. I understand he’s a freelance photographer from Las Vegas in his spare time. If I were a tourist in the park needing help, I’d shy away from him.”

  While she was talking, he made some notes on a little pad he carried in his pocket.

  “What else?”

  “Ralph Thorn is one of the chaperones at Sugar Pines who was here last summer. He suggested we take our groups up to Tenaya Lake yesterday, ostensibly to mingle.” She explained about Lusio’s and Mika’s hurt feelings. “He asked me to watch the group while he went off with Steve Minor, the teen who’d made them feel so bad. I thought he’d only be gone a few minutes.”

  “How long did you have to wait?”

  “Two and a half hours.” Vance frowned.

  “After a half hour I started worrying that something bad had happened, so I phoned him, but his cell had been turned off.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that.”

  “I wasn’t too happy about it, either. For one thing, he left me alone to manage his thirty teens along with my group. If there’d been an emergency, I was the only adult in charge. We’d been out a long time and some of his teens wanted to get back to Sugar Pines because they were hungry. As I see it, Ralph broke one of the cardinal rules discussed in our orientation.

  “For another, he didn’t stick to the rule about never being alone with a minor. We have that same rule at Hearth and Home for the children’s safety. I’m not accusing Ralph of anything, but if there were a problem of that sort, Steve would have been at his mercy.”

  “What did you do?” Vance asked.

  “I was on the verge of phoning Ranger Sims for backup when they finally showed up. I asked Ralph why he didn’t answer my call, and he said he’d lost his iPhone somewhere and they were looking for it. That’s why they were gone so long.” Alex could hear the censure in her voice.

  “I’m afraid I didn’t buy his explanation. A phone can be replaced. If he’d lost it, he should have come back to the spot where we were all waiting for him. He must have realized we’d be worried. He could have gone back to look for his phone after he went off duty. At that point I didn’t ask more questions because I didn’t want the kids to think I was interrogating him.”

  “Could you describe the area for me where they hiked?” Vance asked.

  Alex gave him her best estimate.

  “I’ll ask Chase to investigate. He’ll talk to Steve before he gives Ralph a warning. He’ll be careful so it doesn’t reflect on you.”

  She sighed in relief. “That’s good.”

  “Anything else?”

  Alex bit her lip. “It’s probably nothing.”

  “Let me be the judge of that.”

  “The other night when Cal came to Sugar Pines with Ranger Sims to talk to the kids, Ralph made the comment that it hadn’t been Ranger Thomas’s policy to introduce bear dogs into the park. I guess I was surprised he’d given it that much thought. When I asked him about it, he said he’d heard some bear dogs had been used as an experiment in Washington State, but nothing had come of it. I don’t know why, but I got the impression that for some reason, he has it in for Cal. He asked me if Ranger Hollis and I had something going on.”

  “That makes two volunteers who find you attractive.”

  “But neither one of them acts like a normal guy hoping for a date,” she objected. “There’s a big difference.”

  “Understood. Tell me what else you know about Ralph.”

  “From the little I’ve learned, he’s a public school psychologist in Torrance during the res
t of the year. The other two volunteers at Sugar Pines happened to mention that Ralph was a nice guy, but he mostly kept to himself last year. That’s all I know so far.”

  Vance finished making notations before pocketing his pad. “This is exactly why I hired you. Where’s Ralph now?”

  “I’m not sure. When we separated at the lake yesterday, I went on with my group to Tioga Pass and haven’t seen him since.”

  The chief’s eyes gleamed. “Did your boys like it up there?”

  “I know they did. They were all smiles when I pulled up to the resort last night.”

  Vance got to his feet. “Bert Rodino says they’re working out just fine and do their jobs without complaint. They’re a real asset and so are you, Alex.” His praise meant a lot. “Keep up the great work.” He stepped off the bus.

  “Thanks for letting me come,” she called after him. He waved before she headed for Sugar Pines.

  The whole time Alex had been talking with Vance, she’d been thinking of Cal. For her peace of mind, it was time for her to concentrate on something else.

  Chapter Seven

  Cal pulled into Sugar Pines campground at six with Lusio and Mika. It pleased him to see Alex’s minibus in the parking area. Now he wouldn’t have to hunt her down. “When you guys go inside, would you find Alex and ask her to come out to the truck?”

  The boys thanked him before walking inside to get her. While he waited, he returned a phone call from Jack, but his brother wasn’t available. As he was leaving a message, he saw Alex come out the door and head in his direction. Every step she took made his heart pound a little harder. He hung up and got out of the truck, elated to have a legitimate reason to seek her out.

  “The boys said you wanted to see me. Have you decided they might not be equal to the task after all?” In the dark he couldn’t see the color of her fabulous eyes, but he could tell they were anxious.

  “If I’d thought that, I wouldn’t have made the suggestion in the first place.”

  He sensed her hesitation before she said, “But there is something wrong.”

  “I could use your help right now.”

  “What do you mean?”