Lara Lacombe - Ranger's Baby Rescue

“She’s my world,” Emma said, sniffing. “I’ll never stop looking for her.”

But why are you searching alone? he wondered. Based on the little he knew, he didn’t think Christina’s father was in the picture. Why not? Emma didn’t look like the anonymous one-night stand type; being deployed while in the army had made him an expert of sorts at spotting the women who hung around base, only wanting a quick roll in the hay. No, he could tell Emma was the kind of woman who did relationships. She had a girl-next-door appeal that screamed “wife and family.” She was the type he and his army buddies had talked about settling down with after they’d had their adventures.

Of course, Jennifer had been like that, too. That hadn’t exactly turned out well for him. Maybe something similar had happened between Emma and the father of her baby?

It really wasn’t any of his business, but curiosity got the better of him. “Where is Christina’s dad?” Not the most delicate way to ask the question, but since Matt was going to be spending the foreseeable future with Emma, he wanted to know why the father of her child wasn’t out beating the bushes, as well.

Her lips tightened, and for a second, he thought she wasn’t going to answer the question. Then she spoke, her voice low. “He’s dead.”

“Oh.” It wasn’t the answer he’d been expecting, and Matt felt like a world-class idiot for pressing the issue. “I’m so sorry.”

Emma jerked one shoulder in a dismissive shrug. “You couldn’t have known.”

No, but he could have been a bit more sensitive. He had to stop thinking the worst of people; not every woman was a liar like Jennifer.

He cleared his throat, needing to change the subject. “I’ll leave these out front, so people will see them. Let’s start getting supplies together, and then I can hit the trails.”

“You mean we can hit the trails,” she said.

Matt bit his bottom lip, cursing silently. Did the woman ever miss anything? “I don’t know if it’s such a good idea for you to accompany me—” he tried, but she cut him off.

“I have to go with you. I can’t stay here doing nothing.”

Matt took a deep breath and tried a different tack. “I know you’re frustrated and feeling helpless, but it’s best if you stay behind. What if your brother tries to call? Cell service in the more remote areas of the park is patchy at best.”

Emma frowned, as if she hadn’t considered that possibility before. Matt began to relax, thinking she’d accepted reason.

But she shook her head again. “It’s a chance I’ll have to take.”

Okay, he was clearly going to have to be a little rude to get her to listen. “Look, I can’t take you with me. You’ll slow me down and limit how much ground I can cover at a time.”

“No, I won’t.” She sounded supremely confident. He ran his eyes over her body, looking for clues as to her fitness. Her oversize T-shirt didn’t reveal much—from this angle, he couldn’t tell if she was all softness and curves or lean, toned muscle.

Did it matter? At this point, he knew she would follow him whether he wanted her to or not. Perhaps he should give in. If it turned out she couldn’t keep up with him, he could send her back to the ranger station. But if he remained stubborn and refused to let her join him, he’d be distracted by worries that she was out there wandering the park alone and with no one to help her should she find trouble.

“All right,” he said finally. “I guess we’ll find out if that’s the truth.” It shouldn’t take long for her to realize she was out of her depth, and by that time, she’d likely be all too happy to return to the refuge of the ranger station. “We can start as soon as I get my bag packed. Do you have supplies?” Maybe he’d get lucky and she’d say no.

“Yes,” she replied. “I’m all set in that area.”

He nodded. “I’d like to look at what you brought, make sure you have the essentials.” Experience had taught him that hikers didn’t always bring the necessities when packing for a trip. People tended to skimp on some of the supplies, filled with misplaced confidence that their journey would be free from accidents.

“That’s fine. I’ll go grab my bag.”

Matt nodded. She returned a moment later with a pack that looked broken in, and his impression of her capabilities inched a little higher. This was not the bag of a novice—she’d clearly done some kind of camping in her life.

Emma placed the bag on his desk and unzipped it, pulling it open with a little flourish. “Search away,” she said, the barest edge to her voice.

He met her eyes and could tell she knew he was looking for a way to discredit her. But he wasn’t going to apologize for his resistance. He’d been roped into this investigation without warning, and he wasn’t about to take her on a search without first knowing she could handle herself on the trails.

He combed through her bag, feeling a little self-conscious under the weight of her gaze. A sense of grudging admiration built as he realized she’d brought all the essentials, plus a few extra small conveniences. She was definitely prepared, at least from a packing perspective.

Matt zipped her bag closed and pushed it toward her. “Okay,” he said. “Let me get my stuff and we’ll set out.”

Emma nodded, relief flashing across her face. “That sounds great.” He could tell she was anxious to get started, and truth be told, he was eager to begin, as well.

“Have you ever done anything like this before?”

“Not exactly,” Matt hedged. He’d never mounted a search like this in his time as a park ranger, but it reminded him of one of the missions his squad had been sent on overseas. They’d been tasked with providing extra man power to a small group of Special Operations soldiers as they hunted for a well-known terrorist operative. They’d spent days combing the desert and beating down doors, but ultimately their search had proved unsuccessful. It wasn’t exactly the kind of encouraging story Emma needed to hear right now.

Hopefully this time, he’d have better luck.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky, a fiery ball that made her eyes water from its brightness. Emma was grateful for her hat, and hoped that Joseph was keeping Christina in the shade. Her baby skin was sensitive to the sun, her blue eyes even more so.

For the millionth time, she wondered what her brother had been thinking. He’d always been impetuous, acting on emotion rather than reason. And after their dad’s death a few years ago, Joseph’s self-control had practically disappeared. That’s when his gambling had gone from a hobby to a problem. But kidnapping was beyond the pale, even for him. She’d never thought him capable of endangering a child, especially one he’d held and played with before. Had she simply missed the signs, or was this a new, dangerous aspect of his personality? Joseph was a stranger to her now, and Emma knew that later, after she had Christina back safely in her arms, she’d mourn the brother she’d lost.

She glanced over at Matt, walking alongside her. It was clear he’d been reluctant to let her join the search, but he wasn’t being an ass about it now. With his long legs, he could easily have set a pace designed to make her quit. Instead, he’d kept them moving at a steady, sustainable clip. She appreciated the consideration, more determined than ever to prove she could keep up with him for as long as it took.

“How long have you been a park ranger?” She normally wasn’t a chatty person, but the silence was getting to her. She needed a distraction from her own thoughts, or else fear and panic would take over, leaving her unable to function.

“A little over a year,” Matt replied.