Page 89 of Capture the Moment
“You know, cooperation could really simplify things for you,” the game warden said, trying to sound casual, like two pals having a chat.
Wade was unmoved. His instincts were honed. He wasn’t about to walk into a trap. “I’m not saying a word without my lawyer present.”
My lawyer.That was a lie. Wade had always been a step ahead of the law and never needed a lawyer. In fact, he’d always been a little pleased that he didn’t even know any. In retrospect, he should have thought that through.
He accepted the game warden’s offer to make a phone call, stepping toward the station phone. Dialing the one number he knew by heart, he listened to the rings, each one echoing his rising anxiety. A cold spark sizzled down his spine, a real bone-chiller. Fear hit him like a ton of bricks—it was a first for him. Then, relief flooded in as a familiar voice picked up on the other end and said a casual “hello.” He quickly checked to make sure the game warden was out of earshot before he whispered into the phone.
“Hey, Mom. Yeah, it’s me. Do you know any good lawyers?”
Twenty-One
I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.
—Anonymous
As the day wound down, Maisie and Pops sat on the worn-out bench on his cabin porch, soaking in the serene beauty that surrounded them. Maisie’s mind still buzzed from the whirlwind of events from this morning. Pops seemed quieter than usual, lost in his own thoughts.
Just as Maisie was on the brink of asking Pops his thoughts on whether Wade Schmidt might end up spending the rest of his life in jail, a car came into view, pulling into the driveway. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Is that Mom?”
Pops followed her gaze, squinting against the bright afternoon sunlight. “Well, I’ll be,” he said, a smile spreading across his weathered face. “Sure looks like her.”
Maisie bolted across the patio and threw herself into her mom’s open arms. “You’re back! Mom, we have so much to tell you!”
Mom hugged her back. “I have a lot to tell you too.” She stepped back and did a double take. “You’re wearing makeup?”Pops had joined them by now. “Tim, did you encourage her to ... experiment ... with makeup? So much of it?”
He laughed. “Don’t look at me. It’s all your daughter’s doing.”
Mom put her hands on Maisie’s shoulders and examined her face with a puzzled look. “Well, I suppose it was inevitable. But maybe we can tone it down a little.”
Not a chance. If anything, Maisie would like to tone it up. Shelovedwearing makeup. It made her feel grown-up, like she was fifteen.
She hooked her hand through her mom’s elbow. “You won’tbelievewhat’s been happening here.” She launched into the entire story, starting at the beginning, on the day her mom dropped her off. Mom listened, eyes wide, glancing at Pops now and then as if she couldn’t believe her ears.
“All true,” Pops said, when Maisie finally finished the tale.
“A notorious poacher?” Mom said. “Here?”
“The worst one of all!” Maisie couldn’t stop smiling over the thought that Wade Schmidt was behind bars, far away from bears. From Kate.
After Coop had given Kate a big smooch, right in front of everyone, Maisie realized she had completely missed their budding romance. It was a happy discovery for her, because Frankie had witnessed the kiss too. She saw the look on his face, like his crush on Kate had been doused by a big bucket of cold water. A delightful moment for Maisie.Too bad, Frankie, she wanted to shout.You should be crushing onme, not on a woman old enough to be your ... big sister.
“Thea, you must be hungry,” Pops said. “Let’s get inside and I’ll whip up my World-Famous Spaghetti.”
Mom and Maisie exchanged an amused look. Pop’s World-Famous Spaghetti consisted of a jar of spaghetti sauce, a package of dried pasta noodles, and sliced hot dogs.
Later that evening, sitting around Pops’s little kitchen table, twirling her spaghetti around her fork, Maisie’s eyes fixed on her mom. She looked different somehow—calmer, settled, like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
“So how was the retreat?” Pops said. “Was it everything you hoped it would be?”
“It was ... unexpected,” Mom said. “In a good way.”
Pops raised an eyebrow. “Unexpected? What do you mean?”
Mom took a deep breath. “Well, at first, I didn’t realize it was a Christian retreat. I thought Rebecca had roped me into something and I gave some serious thought to...”
“Bolting,” Maisie said, filling in the pause.
“Yes. I admit it. To bolting.” Mom cast a side glance in Pops’s direction. “It even crossed my mind that Ranger Tim Rivers might have been in cahoots with my friend who encouraged me to go.”
