Page 95 of Capture the Moment
Kate burst out with a laugh. “Seems like there’s been a turning point for Frankie and his dad.”
“Yeah,” Coop said. “A turning point for Tim and Sally too, but not in a good way. He told me her promotion is in Isle Royale in Michigan.” Coop tipped his head. “I guess this was a pivotal week for you too.”
Kate’s eyes widened. “You mean because of Oliver? I would call it more than a pivot.” She let out a puff of air. “I feel foolish. So naive.”
“Innocent,” Coop said. “Trusting.”
“I can see now how I basically dangled 399 right in front of him.”
“So he didn’t know of her until you brought her up?”
“Yes. No. I’m not sure.” Kate let out a huff. “I keep thinking about this. I thought I was the one who told him about 399—but now I’m not sure who brought her up first. Honestly, I’m not sure about a lot of our conversations. But I do know that she’s all I talked about these last few months. A man like that—how could he not see it as a dare? Because of me, he tried to kill that wonderful bear.”
“Because of you, she was protected. Because of you, one of the most elusive, notorious poachers has been caught and will face justice.”
Kate looked at him. How kind. “Thank you for not blaming me.”
“You did nothing wrong, Kate. In fact, you did a lot of things right.” His eyes met hers. Met and stayed.
She tried to keep her cool on, but she felt a sizzle of attraction run through her entire body. He was beautiful to her, inside and out. His looks—those even features, the seawater-gray eyes with crinkles at the corners. But also his heart—calm strength under fire, protective and caring.
Tenderness was written on his face. “What would you say about heading over to Oxbow Bend? Full moon tonight.”
What would Kate say? Yes, yes, yes! But, to quote Frankie, she kept her cool on. “Sounds like a plan.”
They left Kate’s car in the Jenny Lake Lodge parking lot and drove over in Coop’s truck. A small detail but significant for Kate, because her camera was in her car’s trunk. No photograph-taking tonight. No distractions.
The full moon came out from behind a cloud, casting a bright glow over Oxbow Bend. Kate and Coop walked along the riverbank. Everything felt serene, almost magical. The Tetons stoodtall in the distance, their snowy tops glistening in the moonlight and doubling themselves in the calm Snake River below. “I can’t get over how different this area seems in the moonlight compared to the day. It’s always changing.” Across the water, something darted out from a bush and dove into the water.
“Nocturnal wildlife is different too.”
“God is so interesting,” she whispered softly.
He smiled. “That, and God is so ... vast.”
“These last few days ... God was in all of it. I’ve never felt his presence quite like I did. Or maybe a better way to say it, I’ve never seen God’s presence quite like I can see him now. All those just-in-the-knick-of-time moments. Like, Frankie forgetting his phone and making you return for it.”
Coop nodded. “Or Tim passing by Feldmann’s car and recognizing him.”
“So what do you think?”
“About ... all that went on in the last few days?”
“Do you think God was in it?” It was important for Kate to know what he thought.
“I’ll be honest that if you’d asked me a week ago about those coincidences, I might’ve chalked them up to just that—coincidences. But now ... I have no doubt there’s more to them.” He gazed over the river. “The same God who made this incredible park in the first place, who takes care of all the wild creatures in it, is more than capable of delivering hunches at just the right time.”
She smiled, appreciating his candor, his openness. She believed he was telling her the truth, sharing genuine conviction. “It’s the listening to the hunches part I need to get good at. There’s a verse in the Old Testament about how God speaks not in a fire, not in an earthquake, but in a whisper.”
Coop scoffed a laugh. “No wonder we miss it so much.”
They walked a while longer until Coop pointed up the bankto where someone had left a plastic bench. He brushed the dirt off with his hand and they sat, soaking in the tranquil scenery together.
“I wish this day wouldn’t come to an end,” Kate said softly. “I think it’ll always be the best day of my life.”
“Me too. It’s been quite a day.” Coop’s gaze was warm as he turned to her. “What do you think? Are you considering accepting the social-media-slash-photographer-in-residence position?”
“I’d like to. I really, really would. It combines everything I love. There’s just one thing that I wish would happen first.”
