Emma slid the plate forward. “It’s all yours. Ruby Jean likes you. She might even give you my slice of cake.”
Jack chuckled beside her, and then, surprising her, he slid an arm behind her. She didn’t mind. It was part of the act. They were just having fun, despite the previous hour with her dad and Angel.
Tomorrow, she’d dwell on that, and perhaps she’d make an attempt to apologize to Angel. Maybe she’d look into joining forces with the Women’s Wellness Center for her event too. Emma hadn’t realized that her mom had wanted to give back to the center. In that regard, it really was the perfect match.
* * *
Jack wanted to be enjoying the peace and quiet of doing his job solo today, but the park was extra busy with it being the Fourth of July. He also had too much on his mind. First, he was wondering how Sam was making out at his first day of work at the café with Emma.
Then he was thinking about Emma, and some of those thoughts needed to be reined in to a safe, nonromantic territory.
Lastly, he was watching his back just in case Emma’s dad decided to come after him.
Edward St. James was a peaceful man, but the thought of a drunk dating his daughter might drive the senior St. James over the edge. Jack wasn’t a drunk, but Edward didn’t know that.
Jack’s thoughts swung from topic to topic as he rode his ATV along the trails of Evergreen Park, slowing when he saw evidence of a recent campfire near Blue Sky Point, in the same place he’d seen evidence of a camper before. Jack stopped the vehicle and inspected his surroundings from where he sat. Who was making their home here these days?
“Hello?” Jack called out into the woods, his voice echoing just a touch. Most hikers stayed on the trails. There were warning signs posted about the dangers of stepping off. There were bears and all kinds of wildlife in this area, along with a variety of snakes, including rattlers. Now, being added to the list, there was a shady character who made illegal campfires out here.
Jack got off his ATV and walked around the charred earth, squatting low to look for any kind of clue or evidence. All he found was a penny and a toothpick. The toothpick wasn’t the end of the world, but it was still litter.
Jack straightened and looked around again. “Hello out there? Care to come out and talk to me? It’s illegal to camp out here, you know.” He didn’t think anyone could hear him, but if they could, that was a stupid thing to say. Telling the squatter that it was illegal was pretty much threatening jail time.
Well, good. Maybe the person would get a clue and go squat somewhere else.
After another ten minutes of futile searching, Jack hopped back onto his ATV and rode along the trails some more, helping hikers find their way and checking on some baby geese that had recently hatched near the Evergreen Park side of Silver Lake. He ended back at the ranger’s office and returned some phone calls from his desk. One was from Mayor Brian Everson, who was having a function at the park this summer. Of course he was. Mayor Everson was always organizing something. The next event was for the Special Olympics, which Brian and his wife, Jessica, headed up.
Jack also needed to return a call to the Women’s Wellness Center. Dr. Ashley Rivers wanted to review how many tables she’d have for her fair and where they’d be set up. Too bad Emma was still on the fence about combining events. Today would be a good time to swing the idea by Ashley, when she was still hammering out the final details.
“Knock-knock!” a woman called as she pushed open the ranger office’s front door.
Jack stepped out of his office and saw Sophie Daniels walk in, dressed in springtime colors. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail today. “Sophie,” he said. “What brings you here?”
“Well,” she said, stepping closer, “I was thinking that I would like to take up bird-watching.” She looked at him expectantly.
Jack remembered what Granger had told him about Sophie and the Ladies’ Day Out group. Apparently, they’d encouraged Sophie to make a play for him. Was that what this visit was? Was she interested in him romantically?
Sophie was a beautiful woman, no doubt. She was smart and sweet. And they