Page 26 of Capture the Moment
“Yeah, it really is. They’re a highly trained search and rescue team. Very James Bond.”
Kate laughed. He liked making her laugh.
“Have you ever applied to be a full-time ranger?”
His smile faded. “No.”
“Because...”
“For a lot of reasons. It’s really hard to get hired full-time, especially if there’s a specific park you want to work in.” He felt a little sting, as if he could hear Emma asking him the same question.“Why are you so afraid of change?”she would ask him.“Why can’t you just try something? What’s the big deal?”
He didn’t know why he was so resistant to risk. Kind of ironic, considering he was in the bear management business. But the truth was, if he applied to be a full-time Jenny Lake Ranger and was rejected, it would crush him. Sour him on being a seasonal ranger, which he loved.
It was easier not to try.
He glanced at Kate. Now, she was one willing to take risks. He admired that quality in her. She had come to the park as a novice and took plenty of jabs from the other shutterbugs. Yet she was still here. She didn’t quit.
As if she sensed he was thinking about her, a curious look came over her face. “Just what are ‘druthers,’ anyway? I’ve heard that expression my entire life and I’ve never known what it means.”
Surprised, he chuckled. That remark was unexpected. “I think it’s slang for ‘I’d rather.’”
“Makes sense.” Kate nodded. “I heard 399 wasn’t spottedthis morning, and I was so relieved I hadn’t missed her. I’m determined to not leave the park without that one-in-a-million shot of her.”
Coop took a step closer. “What makes you so sure you’ll be able to get something unique?”
She stiffened, as if she’d heard that question one too many times. “Because my experience is from a zoo, you mean.”
“Not at all. I think it’s cool you got your start in a zoo. I only meant to say that a lot of photographers have gotten incredible shots of 399. Thomas Mangelsen, for one.”
“True. His work is remarkable.”
“Seems like you’re banking a lot on something that’s already been done.”
“Because ... she’s such a familiar subject.”
“Right.”
“I think the challenge of photography is creating new and different images of a very familiar subject.”
Okay. That was a new thought to him. “So ... you’re trying to find a new angle?” What new angle could there be of the world’s most famous bear?
Listening to him, she tipped her head, as if trying to decide how to answer him. “Let’s just say,” she said, “I have something up my sleeve.” She patted her camera and left him with a parting smile.
Left him wondering what in the world she meant by that.
Tim Rivers made the drive from Gros Ventre River to Jackson Lake Lodge, where he had tasked himself with the mission of rousing Frankie the intern out of bed. Not the most thrilling task, but it was part of his duty as a district ranger. Sally had been insistent that Frankie receive special attention this summer due to his father’s position in the NPS, which had made her act a bit jittery about the boy potentially being overlookedin the YCP. More than a bit jittery. She was adamant that he should be carefully supervised. Tim knew that Coop had more experience with teens than other rangers had, so he brought up the internship concept and Sally jumped on it.
So that was the reason behind reassigning Coop from backcountry duties, though the official explanation was his outspoken behavior toward hikers. It wasn’t a deception, though. Tim had been in full agreement with Sally to pull Coop after those complaints. It wasn’t like Coop to treat people that way and it didn’t bode well for the start of the tourist season. Tim sensed that something had been eating at Coop from the day he’d arrived at the park. There was a tension simmering beneath the surface, and it seemed to affect his interactions with others.
So, other than having to keep an eye on a pampered teenager, Tim thought being down in the valley might be a good change for Coop. And after seeing the exchange of looks between him and that good-looking lady photographer this morning, he didn’t feel too badly about how the summer was rolling out for his young friend.
Tim’s mind rewound to when he first met Coop at that school talk about careers in the NPS. Coop had come up afterward and told him how he’d spent every summer of his life backpacking in one national park or another. There was a certain look in Coop’s eyes that resonated with Tim—a familiarity. A passion for the great outdoors. It was clear to Tim that this biology teacher had the potential to do more than just explore nature during his summers; he could contribute significantly to preserving and protecting it.
On the spot, Tim offered him a seasonal position as a Jenny Lake Park ranger. It was a decision Tim never regretted, as Coop’s dedication and impact in the park were evident from the start. He had an uncanny intuition about wildlife. Bears, especially.
Not so much with people, though.
But he changed his mind on that after he knocked on the door of the shared room where Coop and Frankie were stationed for the summer, knocked and knocked and knocked, and after Frankie finally stumbled out of bed to open the door. Coop should be nominated for sainthood.
