CHAPTER THREE

Wil held his breath until they were both seated on the porch. He didn’t have to wait long. Rick got right to the point.

“I think I can cure him, but it’ll take multiple treatments, and I have no idea how we’re going to explain his miraculous recovery to everyone who knows about his condition,” Rick said as Wil’s heart soared. “Thing is, he’s given up hope. How do you think he’ll take the news that he’s not going to die just yet? He’s a little too shrewd to believe any story we could make up.”

Wil paused a moment to think. “He knows about shifters, which totally blows my mind. Maybe he wouldn’t be too surprised by our little secrets.”

“Possible, though we don’t really have clearance to share that information,” Rick reminded him. Wil just gave his friend a raised-eyebrow look, and Rick shook his head. “Yeah, okay. I can see your old man isn’t the type you can really hide things from. He’s going to figure it out if we do any of our mumbo-jumbo.” Rick sighed. “At least he’s one of us. We know he had skills and has seen a bit of the real world.”

“Probably more than we have, if that’s possible,” Wil replied. “Though, before today, I never would have expected him to talk about shifters or anything remotely magical. I had no idea he knew about any of that.”

“The old boy still has some surprises left. I wouldn’t expect anything less of a living Special Forces legend,” Rick smiled slightly. “I’m really glad I got to meet him, you know? I’ve never said it, but I’ve always admired you for who your father was. It must have been epic growing up here.” Rick looked around at the forest that wasn’t all that far from the cabin.

“Being on top of this mountain was pretty cool, I have to admit,” Wil allowed, “but as a teen, all I wanted to do was get off this blasted rock and see some actual people. Bears and wolves are all well and good, but people intrigued me more.”

“I guess I can see that. Living up here in virtual isolation has to be rough on a kid.”

“And a wife,” Wil said, surprised by the bitterness in his own voice. “My mom couldn’t take it, and when she split, she didn’t take me with her. She said a boy needed his father and that Senior needed me around more than most. She claimed I reminded the old man that he wasn’t in the jungle fighting wars anymore and that I had to stay here. That it was the best place for me and for my dad. I always figured she just didn’t want me around, but I got to see her before she passed, and we had a long talk. She told me that I was the only gift she could give my dad that he would keep. That he would need. I made my peace with her before she died, and I think she finally forgave herself for leaving me behind when she took off for the beach.”

“California?” Rick asked.

“Exactly. Surf, sand and people galore. That was her scene, and she made a new start out there. I even have a half-sister that I talk to a few times a year, though we’re not close.”

“I assume the captain knows about her and has her under surveillance, just in case our enemies try to use her to get to you?” Rick frowned.

“Oh, yeah. It’s in my personnel file. The captain knows, and Commander Kinkaid assured me that he has contacts out in California who are keeping an eye on Sunny. He implied that the contacts weren’t exactly military. My guess was that they were some kind of shifter, but I didn’t ask for specifics. Kinkaid can be scary.”

“Your sister’s name is Sunny?” Rick asked, looking intrigued.

“Yeah, Mom was a bit of a free spirit. She said she went along with my dad naming me after himself, but when she had my sister, she wanted to give her a happy name that wasn’t weighted down with so much history and baggage. Her new husband was happy to go along with her. I could tell, the one time I met him, that he loved her deeply. He’d have done anything she wanted, unlike my old man. Not that Senior didn’t try. He was just a little too damaged by his time in service to easily adapt to being a civilian after. When he and my mom were together, he was still heavily in transition from operative to park ranger, and he had a lot to work through before he mellowed.”

“I guess I can see that. I know he served during some serious shit. That had to have made an impact,” Rick said in a quiet, understanding tone.

Wil nodded. “It did. I didn’t understand it when I was younger, but I figured it out pretty quick once I started finding my own place in the world. And, when I joined the military, I understood him better than ever. Especially when I earned my Green Beret. There were more than a few senior officers who had known my dad back in the day, and a couple of them shared what they knew of his past, which helped put a lot of things in perspective for me.”

Wil would have said more, but he noticed a park ranger’s hat coming closer through the distant trees. He stood up and headed for the porch stairs. He wanted to meet the new ranger as gently as possible, without giving her a fright by hiding in the shadows of the porch.

“Heads up,” Wil said quietly to Rick. “If I’m not mistaken, we’re about to encounter the mysterious Ranger Mandy.”

“Go for it, Junior,” Rick said, not moving from his comfy seat on the porch. “I’ll stay here until you explain things to her.”

 

Mandy’s day wasn’t going quite right. The eagle pair had spotted her and were preparing to attack when she hightailed it out of sight. She hadn’t been able to check on the eaglets as she’d hoped, and the long walk had been for naught. She should have just stayed at the cabin with William. Lord knew, the old ranger didn’t have that long left to him. She wanted to be there for him if he needed anything.

In fact, her boss had given her a lot of leeway in her duties. The entire ranger staff cared for William and wanted to look out for him. They’d given Mandy the job of seeing to his final days since she’d received some medical training as a first responder before moving into this job. Not that William Owens knew about that part of her background. He’d find out if, and when, he needed her services as a nurse. Until then, she was just the new ranger he was teaching the ropes in his retirement.

She walked out of the forest, hoping to see William on the porch of the old cabin. Instead, she stopped short at the sight of a much younger, much fitter man walking down the porch steps. Her breath caught, and then, her brain started working again. She knew this man’s face from the photos she’d seen inside the cabin. This had to be William’s son, Wil or Junior, depending on William’s mood.

He was wearing rumpled army fatigues and had dark smudges under his eyes, though they didn’t detract from his rugged good looks. Golly! He was even better looking in person than in those photos. Something else she realized as she began walking again—those photographs had been taken when he was much younger than he was, now. He’d filled out a lot since then…in all the right ways.

He had the same deep blue eyes his dad had, though the son’s had fewer lines around them and were clear and healthy. Wil stood straight and tall, his six-plus feet and heavily muscled frame imposing, though she didn’t feel threatened. William, Senior, must have once looked a lot like this much younger version of himself, but age and illness had stooped the once-proud shoulders and withered his strength away.

Wil, Junior, though, was still in the prime of life, and his chiseled cheekbones fascinated her, as did the slight cleft in his chin and strong jaw. His hair was brown, kissed by the sun to have golden highlights, and his complexion attested to his love of the outdoors with a healthy tan. Even with the smudges of sleep deprivation under his blue eyes, he was still one of the most handsome men she’d ever encountered.

If Mandy didn’t have so many hang-ups, she could go for William’s son in a big way. A big way. As it was, a guy this well put together wasn’t going to be interested in her. Not with all the baggage she carried around. Better to just act professional. After all, this was a really tough time for William and his son. This wasn’t the time to think about flirtation. Nope. Not at all.

Mandy walked up to the man, stopping a few yards from him. “I expect you’re William, Junior,” she said, figuring a strong offense was the best defense.

“Yes, ma’am.” He looked down, and her eyes were drawn to the streaks of sunlit gold in his brown hair. Damn. He really was just too handsome. Of course, he’d just ma’amed her. That counted against him, for sure. “I have to thank you for contacting me. I know the Army didn’t make that easy, but I’ll be forever grateful for your persistence.”

Mandy nodded. “Glad my messages finally got through. How long can you stay?”

“I’m here as long as I’m needed,” he replied at once. “My C.O. gave me extended leave.”

She was taking that in when a shadow moved on the porch, and she went on alert.

“Excuse me,” Junior said, glancing in the direction she was looking. “I didn’t come alone. My friend and teammate, Dr. Rick Lovelace, came along to see if there was anything he could do to help.”

“Your friend is an M.D.?” Mandy asked. She knew her eyebrows had risen in surprise. “Does your father know? He’s a little…uh…hostile toward the profession these days, you know.”

“Then, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Junior replied with a rueful grin. “Thanks for the warning. It didn’t come up when we arrived, and Dad’s asleep right now after Rick gave him something for pain. I just said Rick had some medical knowledge, and Dad probably surmised he was a combat medic or something, from that.”

“Probably,” Mandy allowed. “I’m glad you got him to rest. He’s awake most nights, now, sitting in the window or on the porch, looking out on the forest. I think he’s in a lot more pain than he lets on.”

She frowned at the memory of how many times she’d awakened to find old Ranger Owens sitting on his porch in near-freezing temperatures and a giant wolf lounging not too far away. William seemed to have tamed a few of the wild wolves that lived on the mountaintop, but they never came near Mandy. Just William. It was part of the mystery of the old man who was something of a legend in ranger circles.

The second man appeared at the top of the porch steps. He was another handsome fellow. Big and brawny, but though she could appreciate his buff bod and good looks, he didn’t really do it for her like Junior did. Of course, she had no business sizing any man up. Not now. Possibly not ever. Which was why she’d chosen to live up here on the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere.

The second man came down off the porch with an open expression and a spark of interest in his piercing blue eyes, which she did her best to ignore. He stopped beside his friend.

“I’m Rick. I suspect you’ve got a little medical training, am I right?” His smile was slow and coaxing. “I noticed the I.V. setup in Ranger Owens’ room. You’ve been giving him fluids?”

“When necessary,” she admitted. “He can’t always drink enough, so to avoid dehydration, he’ll sometimes agree to a saline drip, but very little else. I’m surprised you got him to take any medication at all.”

“Well, I can be very persuasive,” the doctor claimed, then seemed to laugh at his own words. “Plus, we men sometimes have a hard time showing any signs of weakness in front of a lady. Among our own kind, we tend to cut the crap and admit we’re not superman.”

“Speak for yourself, Doc,” Junior quipped, and both men smiled.

She really didn’t want to get too involved with these newcomers, but she felt responsible for William’s continued wellbeing. She’d invited his son here, of course, because it was only right that the son be given a chance to say goodbye. William had fought her on it, but she’d done it anyway, behind his back. She had no regrets about her actions.

“I usually cook dinner for William,” she told the men. “We eat together, then I head to my own trailer for the night. He doesn’t eat much these days, but I try to tempt him with things he likes.”

Junior stepped a pace closer and bowed his head. “I really can’t thank you enough for taking care of my dad through this. If I’d known…”

“You would have come a lot sooner, I’m sure,” she finished for him, feeling a bit uncomfortable with his gratitude.

“That I would have,” Junior reassured her. “As it is, we just got here. We can definitely fend for ourselves, but we don’t want to interrupt your routine too much. How can we assist with dinner prep?”

He stepped back and headed toward the porch stairs, his entire manner unthreatening and helpful. Mandy felt a little odd about having these two strangers in what she had considered her safe zone, but one of them was William’s son. Surely, she could trust him. And the other was also a soldier, like William had been. They were reputed to be men of honor. She’d just have to trust that they would behave honorably with her.