Page 44 of Capture the Moment
“Hi, Pops!” Maisie said, a smile lighting up her face.
Sally looked up. “What’d you find at the campsite?”
“Nothing. Abandoned. Empty of everything except trash. So we cleaned it up. Four trash bags full.”
Sally grimaced. “Sorry about that.”
“Par for the course,” Tim said. “So what’s with the huddle?”
“I’ve been showing Maisie how to read these maps. Figured it might come in handy for her Junior Ranger badge.” Sally sounded her cool, calm, collected self, which made Tim relax a bit.
“Actually,” Maisie said, “I got my Junior Ranger badge a couple of summers ago. Pops made sure of that.”
“Right,” Sally said, looking a little embarrassed. “Well, hon, I guess you’ve been around national parks for a long time.”
“Every summer for as long as I can remember,” Maisie said proudly.
Tim felt a swell of pride at Maisie’s words, but beneath it lingered a sense of unease. He knew he was the only father figure in his granddaughter’s life. And he couldn’t help but wonder if he was doing enough to prepare her for life. Her mother certainly wasn’t. He even had to push for Maisie to get braces for her very crooked teeth, offering to cover the cost himself.
“So how’s Coop doing with Frankie?”
Tim looked behind him, thinking Frankie was nearby, but saw no sign of him. “Pretty much what you’d expect.”
Maisie’s eyes lit up. “Where is Frankie?”
“He’s around here somewhere,” Tim said.
As Maisie slipped away to go find Frankie, without her as a buffer, Tim and Sally were left in an awkward silence. What had caused the change between them? He still couldn’t figure it out.
“Hope I didn’t offend your little gal,” Sally said. “I’m not around kids much. I can barely tell a five-year-old from a ten-year-old.”
“No, I don’t think you offended her. Maisie doesn’t offend easily. She’s pretty happy-go-lucky.” With a wide-eyed innocence that Tim cherished. He knew it wouldn’t last much longer. Look at Frankie. Only sixteen, yet there was a perpetually bored look in his eyes. Clearing his throat, he said, “So I haven’t seen much of you lately. Everything okay? You seem a little ... distracted.” Cold. Distant. Aloof.
Sally’s smile faltered slightly, her eyes darting away for a moment before meeting his gaze again. “Just the usual start of the season madness.” She rolled up the maps she’d shown to Maisie.
Really? Tim wondered. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Sally was holding something back, creating a distance betweenthem that hadn’t been there before. “Well, if I can help in any way, just let me know.”
Sally nodded, her smile strained. “Just keep doing your job, darlin’. Let’s keep this park running smoothly.” She picked up the maps and left him.
And with that, Tim realized where he now stood—just another employee to her.
Wade hated to be wrong.
He had made a mistake by entrusting so much to Feldmann. He couldn’t afford any more mistakes.
With so much riding on this hunt, Wade thought it would be wise to put Feldmann’s turncoat to the test. What better way than by a real hunt? But not just any hunt would do. Elk and moose were too predictable, too straightforward. They roamed openly, making them easy targets. A bear, on the other hand, would attract unwanted attention from the park rangers.
No, Wade needed something more challenging, something that would truly gauge Feldmann’s discernment. And that’s when the idea hit him like a bolt of inspiration—a wolf hunt. Wolves were cunning, elusive, and far more challenging to track down. And they weren’t endangered, so there’d be less backlash from park rangers if they found any evidence of the poach. Unlikely, though.
With a grin spreading across his face, Wade made up his mind. A wolf hunt it would be.
Twelve
The continued existence of wildlife and wilderness is important to the quality of life of humans.
—Jim Fowler, American zoologist
It was Coop’s day off, a precious opportunity for the solitude he craved. He planned to hike to the headwaters of Pilgrim Creek and look for signs that 399 might have emerged from her den. He couldn’t make up his mind about taking Kate to set up her camera near the bear’s lair, and thought a visit to the vicinity might give him the answer he was looking for—especially if 399 hadn’t made it through the winter. If the old girl hadn’t survived, it might be better for everyone to know. As he strode toward his truck, his peace was disrupted by an unexpected companion.
