Nina glanced over, worry playing in the soft crease between her brown eyes. “You okay?”
Emma nodded. “Yeah. Of course. I’m just in more of a celebratory mood this week.”
“Okay then. I’m free tonight after the café closes. I’ll meet you at the tavern.”
“Sounds perfect.” Emma carried the beverage she’d just prepared to her waiting customer. Tonight, she would drink her cares away and laugh until her worries floated into oblivion. Then tomorrow she would call the WWC.
Chapter Fourteen
It was lunchtime, and Sam had barely spoken a word to Jack all morning. In the night, Jack had realized just how unfair the whole situation was for Sam, but there wasn’t much he could do about it.
“Let’s do one more patrol around the park and then grab some sandwiches from the diner. Sound good?”
Sam shrugged. “Sure.”
“You know,” Jack said as they walked out to the ATVs, “when I was your age, I would’ve loved a summer job like this one. Most kids wind up working at a fast-food place, but you’ve got connections. Having a job where you can get out into the sunshine and fresh air is a great deal.”
“Most of my friends back home don’t have to work the summer,” Sam pointed out. “They’re hanging out, skateboarding, and going to concerts.”
Jack pushed out the doors of the office building and slid his sunglasses over his eyes. “Lucky them. We have concerts every Friday night. Don’t forget that.”
Sam scoffed. “No names I recognize.”
“Music is music. You need to make the best out of what you’re given, buddy. Even if you don’t like the cards you’re dealt.”
Sam climbed onto the ATV that Jack was letting him use under his supervision. Judging by Sam’s stance, this conversation was over. Jack climbed onto his own ATV, and they headed down the trails of Evergreen Park, the wind whipping against his face and through his hair. As they approached Blue Sky Point, Jack slowed and gestured for Sam to do the same. There was a hiker in the woods that set off alarm bells in his gut. She leaned against a tree, looking out toward the distant mountains. She didn’t even seem to notice them ride up.
Jack looked over at Sam, who seemed to be on the same page as him. Was this woman the illegal camper?
She wore a pair of jean shorts and a T-shirt along with socks and tennis shoes. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a messy bun. Her skin was deeply tanned, and as he drew closer, gesturing for Sam to stay back, he thought maybe she was injured. She flinched as she shifted, keeping weight distributed on only one leg.
“Ma’am?” Jack said, wanting to make his presence known.
She didn’t acknowledge him.
He noticed now that she had earbuds in. They were attached to a small radio hooked to the pocket of her shorts. Jack hadn’t seen a little radio like that in a long time. Most people used their cell phones to listen to music these days.
Once he got in line of her peripheral vision, she startled and whirled to look at him. For a moment, she put weight on her opposite leg. Then she flinched and quickly leaned against the tree to shift her weight off it again.
Jack held up a hand. “It’s okay. I’m the park ranger here. Are you hurt?” he asked.
Her wide eyes stared back at him.
“Can I help you?” he asked. “You seem like you might have hurt your leg.”
She shook her head, throwing off her balance just slightly.
Jack sighed. “Your leg is hurt.” He gestured at his ATV. “I can give you a ride out of the park and arrange for you to get medical attention.”
“No,” she said. “I don’t want to go to the hospital.”
That sent out all kinds of warning signals in Jack’s gut. “Are you in trouble?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No.”
Well, he couldn’t make her seek help if she didn’t want to. “You can’t camp at the park,” he told her. “It’s illegal.”
She sucked in a tiny gasp. “Oh. I didn’t know. I’m…I’m sorry. Please don’t call the police.”
Jack noticed the duffel bag nearby. She wasn’t camping for the sake of camping. “You don’t have anywhere else to stay?”
She didn’t answer.
Hurt and homeless it was.
“I won’t call the authorities, but I will give you a ride out. You can’t walk on that leg, and you can’t stay here. My nephew and I were just about to get lunch. I’ll take you too if you want.”