She waved her hand. “It was nothing.”
Alec wasn’t convinced of that, but it would have to wait until later. He called Shania to tell her about the bear, and she was standing outside when he pulled up to her cabin.
“I can’t believe they caught him this fast,” she said as she leapt into the passenger’s seat.
“I know. I’m kind of shocked myself.”
The truck was too wide to travel down the horse trail, so they looped through the back pastures and entered the river valley from the west. Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up beside a Jeep and a large transport vehicle that sported the official antelope logo of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Bill approached the truck when Alec stepped out. “Mr. Westin?”
“Alec,” he supplied as he shook his hand. “So what do we have?”
“Come and see.”
Alec and Shania followed him around to the other side of the transport. A wire mesh box trap sat on the bank of the river, not far from the remains of the moose. At the bottom of the cage was a lethargic-looking brown grizzly bear. Just outside the cage was a small golden cub, lying in the sand with its legs bound.
“The sensor on the cage triggered about five o’clock this morning,” Bill explained. “We came right out and got her sedated. Found her cub hiding in the bushes across the river. My men are searching the area right now, just in case there’s a second one nearby. We’re–”
He stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Shania approaching the cage. “Ma’am, I need you to step away from the animals,” he called. “I know they look tame, but I can assure you they’re not.”
Alec didn’t miss the amused glimmer in Shania’s eye as she turned to face him. “Yes, I’m aware of that,” she politely replied. “I’m Dr. Thompson. Head of large animal research for the Nature Conservancy.”
Bill’s cheeks turned crimson as he shook her hand. “Apologies, Doctor. I didn’t realize.”
“It’s alright,” she assured him, motioning towards the cage. “May I?”
“Yes, of course.”
While Shania examined the bear and her cub, the rest of Bill’s team emerged from the woods and reported no signs of a second cub. Alec felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders as he followed Bill over to the Jeep and began filling out the paperwork for the bear’s removal.
“Where will you take her?” he asked.
“Up to Yellowstone. The park started a relocation service on the north side several years back. So far it’s working out well.”
Bill paused when Shania appeared behind them. “Any thoughts, Dr. Thompson?”
“Yes. I think you should let her go.”
Both Alec and Bill did a double-take. “Let her go?” Bill echoed.
Shania nodded without hesitation. “She’s not the one we’re looking for.”
Alec stared at her in bewilderment. “What do you mean? She’s right here by the moose.”
“And her tracks are all over the area,” Bill pointed out.
“Probably because she’s been feeding on the moose. But she’s not the bear that killed it.”
Alec frowned. “What makes you so sure?”
“This is a small female. She can’t weigh more than three-hundred pounds. That moose,” she said, gesturing to the nearby carcass, “was probably twelve-hundred pounds. There’s no way she brought down an animal that size. It’s not physically possible.”
“Well, perhaps the moose was weak or sick,” Bill replied. “Or maybe it was already dead when she found it.”
“Did you examine the moose?”
“We did on Thursday, but I’m afraid there wasn’t much of it left.”
“Well, I saw it on Monday, when it had just been killed. It was still warm to the touch. Its back and hindquarters were torn to shreds. And the tracks surrounding it were double the size of her paws.”
She glanced briefly at Alec before she turned back to Bill. “This is your jurisdiction, of course. But I am one-hundred percent certain that this is not the animal we’re looking for. Relocating her and her cub would only cause them more unnecessary distress.”
Bill nodded as she spoke. “Well, it’s your property and your decision,” he said to Alec. “We’ll do whatever you want us to do.”
Alec drew in a long breath. “Give us a minute?”
Bill rejoined his team at the transport vehicle, leaving Alec and Shania alone by the Jeep. “You’re sure about this?” Alec asked.
“Positive.”
“But isn’t it risky to have a female with a cub wandering around?”
“It’s true that a mother can become hostile if she feels threatened. But with the layout of your land, she’ll hear you coming and be long gone before you even knew she was there. Bears aren’t aggressive by nature. They’re actually very shy.”
“And male bears aren’t?”
“It’s not that they aren’t. They’re just more dangerous because of their size. The bear that killed that moose could easily go after your cattle, even one of your horses. She’s not big enough to. I don’t see her posing any viable threat to you.”
He turned his gaze to the bear lying helplessly inside the cage. Beside her, the cub squirmed against his restraint and gave a pitiful little cry.
In a strange way, he felt like he was looking at himself.
“Alright, then,” he said quietly. “We’ll let them go.”
Chapter 26
Rebecca was on her way home from town when her cell phone rang. Figuring it was Alec calling to give her an update, she eagerly dug through her purse. “Hello?”
“Hey, Bec. It’s Ryan.”
“Oh,” she said, switching the phone to her other ear. “Hi, Ryan. What’s up?”
“I’m sorry to bug you, but I’ve been trying to get ahold of Alec. Is he with you?”
“No, he went down to the river to meet someone from the game department. Apparently they caught the bear.”
“Wow, already? That’s great. You must be relieved.”
“I’ll be relieved once I know it’s off our property.”
Ryan chuckled. “I was calling to see if you’d be willing to bartend tonight. Justin just came back from the urgent care clinic with a nasty case of strep throat, so he’s going to be out for a couple days. And the rest of my crew is already in overtime this week.”
Rebecca’s shoulders sagged. She’d been looking forward to curling up on the couch and relaxing this evening, but they could hardly open the lounge without a bartender.
“I’ll take care of it,” she assured him. “And I’ll let Alec know he’s sick.”
“Thanks, Bec. You’re the best.”
She unloaded the groceries and made a late lunch for herself and Walter before she headed upstairs. She rummaged mindlessly through her closet, searching for something nicer than her usual barn attire. Then she stepped into the shower and lingered there for a while, letting the hot water beat against the tense muscles in her neck.
When she finally dragged herself from the shower, she slipped into a shimmery black top and long broom style skirt. She swept on some mascara and eye shadow and was in the middle of drying her hair when Alec’s reflection appeared in the mirror.
Immediately she shut off the blow dryer. “Hi.”
“Hi,” he replied, warmly returning her smile. “Please tell me I’m your date tonight.”
For what felt like the first time in ages, Rebecca laughed. “If you’re looking for a date, you’ll have to come down to the lounge. Justin’s sick and Ryan asked me to cover the bar.”
“He doesn’t have anyone else who can do it?”
“Apparently not,” she said, turning to face him. “How’d it go today?”
She listened as he described the bear, the cub, and Shania’s advice. “I didn’t see any reason not to trust her expertise, so we went ahead and released them.”
Rebecca’s stomach sank. “So it’s still out there somewhere.”
He nodded. “But try not t
o stress about it, okay? I asked my father the other day, and he said there’s never been a bear problem in the whole history of the ranch. Besides, grizzlies roam over huge ranges. It could be a hundred miles away by now.”
Or right in our backyard, she thought, but decided not to say it.
“It’s almost five,” she said instead, picking up the blow dryer again. “I need to finish getting ready.”
“Okay.” He lowered his head and kissed the top of her shoulder. “You look beautiful, by the way.”
An unexpected lump formed in her throat as she watched him turn and exit the bathroom. She opened her mouth to call his name; then she closed it again and turned her attention back to the mirror.
Twenty minutes later, Rebecca unlocked the door to the lounge and switched on the lights. From the day they added it onto the main lodge, it became her new favorite place on the ranch. A long bar occupied the wall opposite the panoramic window, complete with a line of saddle-mounted barstools. Two pool tables sat on the far side of the hardwood dance floor, and a row of cozy leather couches formed a welcoming circle around the river-stone fireplace. In the back corner was an old-fashioned jukebox for use during the week and a small stage for the live band that performed on Saturday nights.
She lit the fireplace and straightened the barstools before she stepped over to the jukebox to select a few favorite songs. Then she squeezed behind the bar and unlocked each of the coolers so she could start setting up for the night.
She was just pulling the lemons and limes from the fridge when one of the band members poked his head through the door. “Are we too early?”
“Not at all,” she replied, motioning him inside. “What would you guys like to drink?”
Rebecca was in the middle of loading the cooler with beer glasses when Tommy appeared in the entryway. “Hey,” she greeted.
“Hey,” he echoed as he strolled across the lounge. “Feeling better?”
“Better than what?”
“We missed you at the bonfire. Alec said you weren’t feeling well.”
“Oh, that.” She waved her hand. “Yeah, I’m better today, thanks. Just needed a good night’s sleep.”
“Good.” He slipped under the pass-through to join her. “I’ve been looking for you all day. I need your opinion on something.”
Rebecca grinned and shut the cooler door when she noticed the twinkle in his eye. “Would this something have anything to do with Liz?”
He gave a noncommittal shrug as he reached into his pocket. “Maybe.”
She beamed when he produced a black velvet box. “Oh, wow,” she said when she opened the lid and saw the shimmering three-stone diamond ring. “Tommy, it’s beautiful.”
“You think she’ll like it?”
“She’ll love it.” She studied the ring for another minute before she met his gaze. “I can’t believe you’re getting married.”
Tommy chuckled. “Well, I’m not getting married yet. She’s coming out here later, but I’m not going to propose tonight. I’m still trying to figure out exactly how to do it.”
Rebecca closed the lid and handed the box back to him. “She’s going to say yes no matter how you ask her.”
He looked less than convinced. “You’re sure about that?”
“Positive.”
The first guests showed up just then, bringing their conversation to a halt. Tommy ambled over to greet them and ask how they’d enjoyed their week. Soon more guests filtered into the lounge, followed shortly afterwards by Jake, Ben, Holly, and Shania.
While Alec always expected professionalism, he also encouraged their wranglers to relax and enjoy themselves with the guests on Saturday evenings. They usually had a good rapport built up by the end of the week, anyway, after spending so much time with them on trail rides and riding lessons. It was the perfect way to round out the guests’ experience and for the wranglers to unwind.
Shania spotted Rebecca behind the bar and made her way over to her. “What are you doing back there?”
“Filling in for a sick bartender.” She poured a shot of whiskey and slid it across the bar. “To surviving your first week.”
Shania looked surprised. “Really?”
Rebecca nodded. “Drink up. We’ll add it to your tab.”
She laughed before she tilted her head back and drained the shot. “Thanks for that.”
“Thank you,” Rebecca said as she took the empty glass from her. “You’ve been a valuable asset this week. I’m glad you’re here.”
Shania returned her smile and shyly dropped her gaze. Before she could respond, Tommy approached the bar. “Wanna start four Long Islands for the group in the corner? They’re in Cabin Twelve.”
“Sure,” Rebecca replied, already reaching for the glasses.
Tommy leaned his elbows against the bar top and sent Shania a friendly grin. “Heard about your grizzly this morning. Wish I could’ve seen her.”
“She was beautiful. I’m really glad Alec decided to release her. It can be so traumatic to relocate them.”
“I bet. You must see a lot of that in your line of work, huh?”
While they conversed, a wispy brunette came up to the other end of the bar. “Excuse me,” she said to Rebecca. “Can you tell me when the dance lessons start?”
Rebecca gave her a blank stare. “Dance lessons?”
“Yes. I thought I saw it listed on the weekly schedule.”
Right.
Every Saturday at six o’clock, Tommy and Allison would pair up to teach couples a few basic western dance steps. Obviously, though, Allison wasn’t here this summer, and no one had asked about it since the season began.
She sent the woman a dazzling smile. “They’ll start in fifteen minutes.” Then, feeling slightly frazzled, she walked back over to Tommy and Shania. “Someone just asked about dance lessons.”
“Oh.” Tommy glanced out at the empty dance floor. “I hadn’t even thought about it since Alli left.”
“I know, I haven’t either.”
He turned to Shania. “Don’t suppose you know any western dance steps, do you?”
She stifled a laugh. “You’ve got to be kidding. I’m the worst dancer on the planet.”
Rebecca held up the bottle of Crown Royal. “Even after a few more shots?”
“Especially after a few more shots. And besides, I didn’t read anything about dancing in the job description.”
“Hmmmm,” Tommy said. “I’ll have to talk to Alec about that.”
“Why don’t you ask Holly?” Rebecca suggested. “I’m sure she knows how to dance.”
Tommy approached the group of young wranglers at the pool table and returned ten seconds later. “Her exact words were: Over my dead body.”
“Fantastic,” Rebecca muttered.
“Sorry, Bec,” he said with an apologetic grin. “Looks like you’re elected.”
“I can’t leave the bar.”
“I can watch the bar,” Shania put in. “I used to bartend in college.”
Rebecca didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. She shot Tommy a sideways glance as she lined the Long Island Iced Teas on the bar top. “You must be desperate if you’re asking me to do it.”
He raised a brow. “If I recall correctly, you had an excellent teacher.”
She laughed and shook her head as he gathered the drinks and carried them over to the guests. Shania watched him go before she turned back to Rebecca.
“Seems like you two get along really well.”
“Yeah, we always have. He’s good friends with my brother. Actually, he’s the one who got me the job here.”
“Oh, yeah?”
Rebecca nodded. “You met him before, right? The last time you were here?”
She knew it was a risky question, but Shania didn’t dodge it. “Yeah, he’d just started working here. I think he was fresh out of high school.”
“What was he like back then?”
“Exactly like he is now.” Shania glanced over at
him thoughtfully. “Not quite as tall, though. And maybe a little more of a flirt.”
Rebecca’s eyebrows shot up. “Tommy? A flirt?”
Shania’s giggle momentarily made her seem younger than she was. “Maybe naïve is a better word. I spent a few days here with him while Walter and Alec were away. I don’t think he realized that Alec and I were–”
She stopped herself just in time. “Anyway, he was sweet,” she continued. “It’s been fun to be around him again now that he’s all grown up.”
“Did you meet his girlfriend at the rodeo?”
“Liz? Yeah, I did. They seem like a good match.”
“She’ll be out here soon,” Rebecca said, motioning her closer so she could lower her voice. “Don’t say anything, but he’s going to propose to her.”
She made a few more drinks for the guests before Tommy’s voice sounded over the speakers. “Evening, y’all. We’re going to be starting some western dance lessons in just a minute for anyone who’s interested. Don’t be shy, I promise it’ll be fun.”
*
Alec walked into the lounge to find a happy soiree of activity. The pool tournament was going strong in the corner, headed up as always by Jake and Ben. The majority of guests were crowded around the bar or the fireplace, chatting and laughing over cocktails. He said a few hellos to guests he’d met during the week as he squeezed his way over to the bar. Then he ducked under the pass-through and stepped up behind Shania.
“Bear expert, horse wrangler, and bartender. Is there anything you can’t do, Dr. Thompson?”
She craned her head around. “Well, I had to choose between pouring drinks and teaching dance class. You see where I am.”
Alec grinned. “This would’ve been my choice, too.”
Shania turned back to the beer tap and gave a little gasp when the foam spilled over the side of the glass. “Maybe I should’ve headed to the dance floor, after all,” she added as she shut off the tap and reached for a bar rag.
“I’ll help you. Just tell me what you need.”
“Ummm…” She cast a quick glance down the bar. “The couple at the end ordered two Old-Fashioneds. I haven’t started them yet.”
Indian Summer Page 18
