He didn’t bother to hide his relief. “Good. Everyone’s already here for the four o’clock. It’s one family with three kids, and they’re all novices. So you’ll have to take it a little slower,” he added with a knowing wink.
This group required considerably more attention than the last. The father and the two youngest boys had never even sat on a horse, while the mother and the oldest son had been on exactly one trail ride. Rebecca mounted Star and gave a mini-demonstration for them, showing the proper way to sit in the saddle and hold the reins. Shania moved easily between the guests and helped each of them to position their feet in the stirrups.
Once everyone was situated, Rebecca motioned Shania closer. “Do you remember how to get down to the river?”
“Of course.”
“Would you like to lead us, then?”
Shania’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
“Yeah. I kind of want to keep an eye on everyone.”
She nodded. “Is there anything in particular you want me to say?”
Rebecca gave a rueful grin. “You probably know more about the ranch than I do. Tell them anything you like.”
She guided Star to the back of the line while Shania pointed Pumpkin towards the meadow. The family fell into step behind her, all exhibiting the telltale hunched shoulders and stiff back of a novice rider. The boys were too noisy for Rebecca to hear Shania’s conversation with their parents, but she seemed perfectly at ease in her role as guide. She gestured to the distant peaks and pointed out the eye-shaped markings on the bark of the aspen trees before she pulled Pumpkin to a stop.
“Oh, look at this,” she said, motioning everyone closer. “See how the bark is gone from the bottom of the tree? What kind of animal do you think did that?”
The family crowded around to inspect the tree. “A bear?” guessed one of the boys.
“Well, that’s a good guess. But a bear marks its territory with its claws,” she replied, spreading her fingers and mimicking the motion against the bark. “So the marks will run in a parallel line. When all the bark is rubbed off like this, it’s from the antlers of a deer or an elk. This time of year, when their antlers are growing, they’re covered in a soft brown skin called velvet.”
“Is it real skin?” the mother asked.
“It’s real skin. It keeps oxygen and nutrients flowing into the antlers while they mature. Actually, antlers are the fastest growing type of tissue in the animal kingdom. They start growing in the spring and the deer sheds them in the autumn or early winter. Then the process starts all over again.”
“That’s so cool!” the oldest boy said. “How big do antlers get?”
Rebecca couldn’t help but smile. Shania was definitely in her element here; she had no shortage of things to say about nature.
The conversation kept going as they started moving again, through the pine grove and down the narrow trail that led to the valley floor. When they reached the river, the girls tied their horses and helped each member of the family to dismount. Rebecca snapped the obligatory photos and then pointed to the path of river rocks they could use to cross over to the other side. Immediately the boys took off running, shrieking with laughter as they hopped between the rocks.
While the parents followed at a more leisurely pace, Rebecca stepped around to each horse and tightened their cinches. When she was finished, she noticed Shania standing by the shore, gazing out over the rippling water. Once again, Rebecca didn’t have to guess what she was thinking. This must have been the same area where she and Alec played when they were kids.
Was it also the same place they’d spent the night together nine years ago?
Rebecca pushed the uncomfortable thought from her mind and stepped up beside her. Shania, too, seemed to rejoin the present, turning to her with a sheepish grin.
“I hope I didn’t get too carried away back there.”
“Are you kidding? The boys were eating up every word. They’re probably going to spend the rest of the week picking your brains.”
Shania gave a modest shrug. “I wouldn’t mind. The crowd I work with isn’t the chattiest bunch.”
“What made you want to get into your field?”
“Honestly?” She turned her gaze back to the river. “The time I spent out here. And the time I spent with Walter. He knows so much about this land, and he’s so passionate about it. It wasn’t hard to adopt his enthusiasm.”
Rebecca felt a rush of melancholy. “I wish I could’ve known him back then.”
“He was an incredible man.”
“He still is.”
Shania met her gaze and sadly mirrored her smile. “Alec said you just finished your Master’s in psychology?”
“Yeah, last month.”
“Congratulations. Do you know what you want to do yet?”
“Not a clue. When I was living back east, I wanted to study criminal psychology. Maybe get into profiling or counseling, something like that. But now that I’m here…”
When her voice trailed off, Shania gave a gentle nod. “You don’t have to figure it out right now. And it’s not like you don’t have enough here to keep you busy in the meantime.”
“Isn’t that the truth?” She glanced across the river to where the boys were skipping stones. “I never knew that Alec got accepted into veterinary school.”
“No?”
Rebecca shook her head. “I’m not surprised that he got in. I’m just surprised he never told me.”
“Well, I’m sure it’s a sore subject.”
She was silent for a moment. “You know, when I was moving here from Boston, I couldn’t understand why he was so insistent that I stayed in school. I offered to take a year off to establish state residency, but he wouldn’t even hear of it. I guess now it makes sense.”
Shania didn’t respond right away. She leaned over and scooped up a river stone, skillfully tossing it towards the water. It bounced five or six times before it disappeared beneath the surface.
“It’s the opportunity he lost,” she finally said, brushing the sand from her fingertips. “Although I don’t think it was college that he was looking forward to as much as just getting out of here.”
Rebecca frowned as she studied the beauty that surrounded her–the sunlight reflecting off the water, the tall trees swaying gracefully overhead, and the distant mountains that bridged the gap between earth and sky.
“I can’t imagine why he would ever want to leave this place,” she said softly. “I love it here.”
“So do I,” Shania agreed. “But you and I grew up in the city. This is all he’s ever known.”
Rebecca had never thought about it that way. She opened her mouth to respond, only to be silenced by a shrill scream from the other side of the river.
She whipped her head around to see the boys’ parents racing across the rocks. Instantly she and Shania chased after them. They reached the opposite shore to find the youngest boy wailing in his mother’s arms.
“It’s alright, honey,” she assured him. “It’s not going to hurt you.”
The older boys, on the other hand, were enthralled by the gigantic carcass lying on the shore. “Look at all the blood,” one of them said, picking up a stick to poke the animal’s fur.
“Is it an elk?” the father asked when the girls appeared.
Shania shook her head. “It’s a moose.”
Rebecca grimaced as she approached the remains of the creature. The moose was enormous–easily the size of a draft horse–and the smell wafting off it was nauseating. The parents promptly moved the boys away as Shania leaned over to inspect the animal’s entrails.
Rebecca remained several steps back, covering her mouth and nose with her hand. “I’ve never been this close to a moose before.”
Shania seemed distracted as she knelt to examine the sand. “You haven’t?”
“No.” Rebecca frowned at her tight-lipped expression. “What is it?”
Shania glanced over her shoulder, making sure the guests were
out of earshot, before she motioned Rebecca closer. “This is a fresh kill,” she said in a low voice. “And these are grizzly tracks. We need to get out of here right now.”
Chapter 22
Rebecca wasn’t about to argue with a wildlife expert. If Shania said they needed to leave the area, she believed her. She tried her best to pretend like she wasn’t scared to death as she spun on her heel and hopped back across the river.
“You guys have been doing so great today,” she called to the guests. “I think you’re ready to go a little faster once we get out of this valley.”
As she’d hoped, her ploy worked like a charm. The boys were all too eager to get back on their horses and start riding again. Shania helped the parents mount before she swung onto Pumpkin and wheeled her around to face Rebecca.
“Why don’t you lead them out?” she whispered. “I’ll follow a few paces behind.”
Rebecca didn’t like the idea. She couldn’t even imagine Alec’s reaction if something happened to Shania out here. Then again, his reaction would be even worse if something happened to her or one of their guests.
“Please be careful,” she replied. Then she pasted a smile on her face and turned Star towards the guests. “Alright, everyone. You’re following me now. Same order as before.”
The family fell into line behind her as she guided Star back the way they’d come. When they began their descent out of the valley, Rebecca dared a glance over her shoulder. Shania and Pumpkin were trotting in the opposite direction, back towards the moose. Rebecca’s heart lurched into her throat when she saw the mare stop and prick her ears, staring intently at something on the other shore.
A bear?
She forcefully shoved the notion from her mind and turned her eyes back to the trail. Why couldn’t this group be the experienced riders? All she wanted to do was gallop full throttle back to the safety of the ranch.
A surge of relief flooded her veins when they reached the meadow and she saw Shania and Pumpkin cantering up to join them. She briefly caught Rebecca’s eye and gave a little nod before she pulled her horse to a stop.
“Did I hear something about going faster?” she asked the guests.
There was a unanimous shout of excitement from the boys. Rebecca’s heart rate finally returned to normal as she told the family to collect their reins and prepare for the bumpy transition. Once they were trotting confidently across the meadow, Shania pulled up alongside Rebecca.
“I didn’t see anything. We probably scared him off.”
Rebecca frowned. “And you’re positive it’s a grizzly?”
Shania nodded. “A grizzly’s the only thing big enough to take down a full-grown moose.”
*
Alec was just putting Shadow away from a training session when he spotted Rebecca, Shania, and their guests emerging from the aspen grove. He shut the stall door and latched the lock, giving the colt a final pat before he strode out to meet them.
“So just stay on your horses, okay?” Rebecca said as the guests filed into the corral. “Shania will be around to help you dismount.”
She pulled Star over to him, and he frowned when he noticed her expression. “Everything alright?”
She shook her head as she swung to the ground. “We need to talk.”
Alec’s gaze flickered to Shania. “Not about her,” Rebecca added.
He didn’t know whether to be relieved or doubly concerned. “I’ll help you with the horses.”
She followed a step behind him as he entered the corral and approached the family. “How was your ride?” he called.
“Wonderful!” the father replied. “Are you the owner?”
Alec took hold of Rush’s reins so the man could dismount. “I am.”
He swung a leg over the gelding’s rump and landed on the ground with a thud. “Paul Bennett,” he said, thrusting his hand in Alec’s direction. “To be honest, I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of a dude ranch for our summer vacation. But I have to say that I’m really glad my wife talked me into it. This has got to be the most spectacular place I’ve ever seen. And these two,” he added, gesturing towards Rebecca and Shania, “were so great with our boys. You’ve got an amazing staff. I’m really looking forward to the rest of our week.”
“Well, thank you, Paul. I’m pleased to hear that.”
Rebecca caught his eye as she led Cinnamon and Jack past them. Goodness, she was pale. What on earth had happened out there? The guests apparently had the time of their lives.
The three of them worked in silence to untack the horses and replace them in their stalls. Alec carried the final saddle into the tack room and found Rebecca near the window, staring blankly across the meadow. He frowned again as he stepped up behind her and slid his arms around her waist.
“What’s the matter, Bec? Is it something we need to discuss alone?”
She shook her head. “You should get Shania and Tommy.”
A few minutes later, the four of them were gathered in the barn office. Alec leaned back against the desk and gazed expectantly at his wife. “What’s going on?”
Rebecca motioned to Shania. “She can tell you more than I can.”
Shania cleared her throat. “We found a dead moose down by the river. It was a fresh kill, probably only a couple of hours. The sand was covered in grizzly tracks.”
“Did you see the bear?”
“No,” she admitted. “I stayed behind and searched the area while Rebecca got the guests out of there, but I didn’t see anything.”
“Well, not to sound fatalistic, but this is Wyoming,” Alec replied. “There are probably a dozen bears wandering around our property as we speak.”
“Alec, it took down a moose,” Shania said. “I’ve only ever read about grizzlies that were large enough to kill an adult moose. I’ve never seen it with my own eyes. This thing was larger than any of your horses, and it was torn wide open barely a mile from here. You just came out of a long winter, right? The last thing you want roaming around is a hungry grizzly, especially when you’ve got tourists here that would have no clue what to do if they met a bear.”
“She’s right, boss,” Tommy chimed in. “Just because we know how to handle ourselves doesn’t mean the guests do.”
Alec turned back to Shania. “So what do you suggest I do? Call the game department and see if they can come out and trap it?”
“I would highly recommend that.”
“And in the meantime, we should take the trail rides elsewhere,” Rebecca said. “We can stay in the back pastures or cut a new path across the road.”
Tommy nodded. “Probably wouldn’t be a bad idea for us to ride armed, either. I remember you had us do that the first summer we were open, but we kinda got out of the habit.”
Alec was grateful to be surrounded by so many level-headed people. He took a moment to process their suggestions before he released a deep sigh.
“Alright. I’ll call the game department first thing in the morning. Tommy, I want you to rework the schedule so either you, Ben, or Jake are always on for the trail rides. I don’t want the girls out there alone.” He looked at Shania again. “Do you have your own gun?”
She nodded.
Rebecca cleared her throat. “Should we say anything to the guests? I mean, I don’t want to alarm them, but they should at least be made aware.”
“What if I gave a little informal presentation?” Shania offered. “Maybe during lunch? I could talk about local wildlife and then transition into what to do if they encounter something. That way it won’t seem like such a blatant warning, but they’ll still get the information they need.”
“That’s a wonderful idea,” Alec replied. “If you wouldn’t mind doing it.”
“Of course not.”
He glanced at Rebecca and was glad to see that she didn’t look nearly as distressed as she did earlier. Beside him, Tommy placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Everything’ll be alright, boss. I’ll meet with Ben, Jake, and Holly in the morning
and let them know what’s going on.”
“And I’ll put out a bulletin to the guests about the presentation,” Rebecca added, turning to Shania. “Is tomorrow too soon to put something together?”
“No, tomorrow’s okay. I wouldn’t mind having access to a computer and a printer, though.”
“You can use our office at the farmhouse,” Alec said.
With nothing left to discuss, Tommy and Shania filtered out into the aisle. “Feel better now?” Alec asked his wife.
Rebecca let out a loud sigh and dropped her head onto the desk. “Much.”
He chuckled and smoothed his hand across her back. “I haven’t seen you that scared since the wolves.”
She lifted her face. “Not all of us grew up out here.”
“I know.” He paused to study her eyes. “Other than the moose, how did everything go today?”
“Everything else was fine. I’m just glad Shania was out there. I wouldn’t have even known we were in danger.”
Alec gave a slow nod. “And what about you and Shania? Were you uncomfortable working with her?”
“Not at all.” She gave a crooked grin. “She actually reminds me a lot of you.”
Chapter 23
Rebecca had barely come downstairs from her shower when she heard a knock on the front door. “Hi,” she greeted, opening the door wider. “Come on in.”
“Thanks.” Shania took a hesitant step into the foyer. “Is Walter here?”
“No, he had a doctor’s appointment in town. He and Lucy should be back anytime.” She motioned toward the hallway. “Anyway, the office is the second door on the right. Just make yourself at home.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. “I’ll, um…I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything,” she added, spinning on her heel before Shania could respond.
Idiot, she scolded herself. She couldn’t have said a more thoughtless thing if she tried.
Rebecca was in the middle of chopping lettuce for a salad when she saw the large white medical van pulling up the driveway. With precision timing, Alec emerged from the barn to meet them. Moments later, he, Lucy, and Walter ascended the wooden ramp and entered the farmhouse through the back door.
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