Page 48 of Capture the Moment
“Could the photographers be lying to you? I can see why they wouldn’t want to share that info. I mean, you’re all competing for the same picture, right?”
“I suppose. But word travels fast around here. I’m sure I would know if someone spotted her.”
“It’s only that ... I can’t help but worry about you, that’s all.”
Kate’s frustration ebbed. His concern was sweet. “I’ll be home soon enough.” That was true too. She just wasn’t sure if she’d be back with a great photo or back to the zoo.
“I’ll hold you to that,” he said, a hint of playfulness returning to his voice. “You know, having you away has got me thinking about what you said before you left. About how this time apart would be good for us.”
“Yes,” she said, her voice laced with relief. Yes! Yes, yes, yes.
“The more I think about it, the more I think you’re right. A change is needed.”
Oh, thank goodness! “Sounds like we’re on the same page. We can talk more when I get home.”
“And when exactly do you think that will be?”
Kate hesitated for a moment. She was holding out hope that Coop would take her up to 399’s den. He hadn’t said yes but he hadn’t said no. “Honestly, I’m not quite sure,” she said. “For now, I’d better get back to work. There’s something I need to finish up.”
“Oh. Okay.” He sounded a little hurt. “You get back to your photography adventure. Let’s talk again tonight, okay?”
“Absolutely!” she said with a lightness she didn’t feel. She hung up before he could try to pin her down with a specific time.
Maisie pedaled her bike hard along the winding trail that led to String Lake. She was getting better on Pops’s bike. In Denver, where she lived with her mom, she didn’t bike much. Partly because of the heavy traffic and partly because her bikes kept getting stolen.
As Maisie made a turn into String Lake’s parking lot, her heart skipped a beat at the sight of Frankie, shooting a thrill of excitement through her. Frankie had a level of coolness that no other boy in her middle school could ever hope to match. He acted like he had nothing to prove and no one to prove anything to.Soooo cool.
“What happened here?” Maisie asked, hopping off her bike to join Frankie. He was cleaning up a picnic table full of half-eaten leftovers, empty cans, and discarded food wrappers.
“Coop assigned me to pick up trash left by stupid people who can’t seem to clean up after themselves.” Frankie grimaced as he gestured toward the mess. “What iswrongwith people? Why do they come to a national park to litter? Why not just stay home and keep their slovenly ways to themselves?”
Frankie was brilliant. Who used the wordslovenly? “Looks like they had fun, at least.” Maisie picked up some chewed cobsof corn by their stems and added them into the trash bag. “I can’t eat corn with my braces.”
“I don’t care if they had fun. Leaving their junk behind is how bears end up preferring human food.” Frankie’s voice was laced with frustration. “And then the bears end up getting euthanized. What’s worse, it’s usually the COY or yearlings.”
Maisie froze. “Cubs?” she whispered. “Cute little cubs?”
Frankie nodded grimly as he continued to gather up the trash. “Yep. Happens all the time. A fed bear is a dead bear. They should punish the stupid people, not the bears.”
Once the area was picked up, Frankie took the bags over to Coop’s truck and heaved them into the open bed. Maisie trotted behind. “Where’s Coop?”
“He’s down by the lake talking.” He made ayak yak yakgesture with his hand. “Somebody said there was a big ol’ bear sniffing around here.” He chuckled. “Then again, if I were to encounter a bear the size of Bruno, I’d raise a racket.”
“Bruno?”
“Yeah. Bruno the boar.”
“A pig?”
“You should know better than that. You’re a ranger’s grandkid.” He scoffed. “A boar is a male grizzly. Biggest bear in the park. Bruno’s the sire of most of 399’s offspring.”
“I’mnota kid. But I do think that’s sort of sweet.” Frankie gave her a look like she sounded silly. “What? It’s kind of romantic to think bears pair up.”
He scoffed. “Bruno has sired the cubs of a ton of female grizzlies.”
“Oh. So he’s not a monogamist.”
A laugh burst out of him. “Not even close.”
