Page 38 of Kicking it with my Best Friend

Gavin and I nodded. “Keep us posted,” I said.

“Of course.” With that, Dr. Mason said goodbye and headed to his truck.

My hands shook as the adrenaline wore off, my nerves tense and my stomach aching. “Well, that was something else, huh?”

Gavin nodded again. “It was. Should I radio Faith and the entrance and let them know it’s all clear?”

“Yeah, that would be great. Thanks, Gav. I’ll clean up here. Let the families know their belongings are safe and they’re free to come get their things.”

“Will do.”

I retrieved some safety gear and cleaned up the campground as quickly as possible with gloves, a trash grabber, and a big trash bag. Once the area was tidy again, I walked back to the visitor center, which wasn’t too far, breathing deeply the whole way.

I loved my job as a park ranger, even though some days were stressful, adrenaline-packed, and hard. Usually, on those days, I went home alone, had a little dinner, and went to bed early, but all I wanted right then was to be in my love’s arms.

The thought hit me like a ton of bricks. Parker. I was in love with Parker. I needed to tell him. My mind raced with questions and worries. I turned it over and over in my head for a while before deciding to go back to my office and write up my report to distract myself from the realization that I was in love with my fiancé.

Chapter Seventeen

Parker

ThedayafterIrealized I was in love with Travis, I went to work but couldn’t focus. I was a mess. My concentration was shot to hell, and I had no idea how to get myself together. Armand and Leigh ganged up on me at lunchtime to joke about me being distracted over the wedding, and I tolerated it good-naturedly before telling them we really needed to finish the pitch presentation for Amante Bay’s campaign. I bit back the urge to tell them both to fuck off. I didn’t want to lose my support on the campaign and I definitely didn’t want to lose my great relationships with them because I was feeling a little sensitive.

We’d taken the resort in a fresh, new direction—highlighting LGBTQIA+ couples in the material. Instead of showing heterosexual married couples walking happily down the beach, hand in hand, we showed footage from gay and lesbian weddings. We showed a couple walking along the beach hand in hand, one guy proudly displaying his top surgery scars. We had non-binary couples in the campaign lounging by the pool. Every actor and couple we’d hired was on the queer spectrum. I hoped it would win over the owners, but if it didn’t, it was still something I was proud to put my name on.

I was putting the finishing touches on the slideshow when Leigh sauntered into my office. “What are you doing here so late?”

I tilted my head to the side. “Late?”

“You said you wanted to get out early and go see that man of yours.”

“What time is it?” When she told me, I nearly knocked my chair over from jumping up so quickly. “You’re right. I’ve gotta go.”

A little while later, I pulled up to the welcome booth on the main entryway to the park and stopped my car at the window. “Hi, I’m here to—”

“Sorry, sir,” the ticket-taker said. He was a young guy, maybe eighteen, and he was shaking his head firmly. “We’re not allowing anyone inside the park right now.”

I furrowed my brow. “What? Why not?”

“Bears. We just want to make sure everyone’s safe in the event of an attack.”

“Bear attack?” My stomach roiled, heat racing through me as I tried to reconcile what he’d just said with what I knew about Travis’s job.

“We’re not certain what’s happened quite yet. Sir, you’re going to have to turn around now.”

My heart rate sped and my hands shook a little as I tried to figure out what to do next. “I’m Travis Weston’s fiancé. Please… just tell me he’s safe.”

The ticket-taker frowned. “Ranger Weston is leading the capture efforts, along with Dr. Mason. I’m sure he’ll call you when he’s safe. Until then, you’ll need to turn around.”

“Look.” I leveled him with my best glare. “I won’t do anything stupid, but I am not leaving this park until I know Travis is safe. Do you understand?”

“Sir, I—” His radio squawked and a burst of static exploded from it. The guy picked up his radio and nodded along before speaking into the radio mic. I tried to listen but couldn’t quite make out what the person on the other end was saying. All the young guy said was “Ten-four.” When he finished, he put the radio down again. “You’re all clear to go in.”

“Is everyone safe?”

“The bear has been transported off premises.” He pressed a button inside his booth and the barrier arm lifted.

That was all I needed. I let my foot off the brake and resisted the urge to floor it, instead driving slowly through the park until I reached the visitor center. I threw the car into park and raced inside, taking long strides until I reached the front desk.

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