Chapter One
Draven
“Fuck!” This was just supposed to be a fun little project. I would write a couple of letters answering questions from a class of second graders, maybe even sending a photo or two. Everything was going great until I received the latest letter from Miss Danning’s Second Grade Class.
Sweet Miss Danning. She was pretty as a peach in her class photo, with petite curves and kind eyes. ‘Dammit! Why did she invite me to come to visit her class anyway? It was all nice and easy without the complications of face-to-face interactions.’
I was trying to figure out how to say no nicely when stupid me had to mention it to the boss jokingly. Now, this was going to be a big publicity thing. “Double fuck! I never wanted to go to town to meet the little monsters. I just had to open my big mouth.”
“Yup, you’re screwed. Time to clean up and look like a normal human,” my best friend, Kaleb laughs.
I look at him on my laptop monitor and groan. “You know how crappy I am with people and social events. Kids are going to be so much worse. It’s why I love being a Ranger here. Just me and nature. This is going to be bad, I know it.”
“Look, you’re going to be fine. You aren’t nearly as bad with people as you think. You’re having a completely normal conversation with me right now.”
“Dude, I’ve known you since we were like three. You don’t count. Besides, nothing about you has ever been normal,” I smirk.
“Says the man who talks to a maximum of ten people in an average month. Let’s just hope you don’t turn purple again.”
I groan as my head drops into my hands.
“In all seriousness, you’ll be just fine. The mountains are your favorite topic of discussion. That makes it easy. Wear jeans and one of your clean ranger shirts, trim your beard, and shower. It’s twenty-five kids and their teacher. Talk about forest fires and all that shit, then simply shake a few hands, pose for a photo or two, and you’re done. You can do this.”
“I can do this. You really think so?”
“Yeah, I do. Hey, you never know, you might find a girl,” Kaleb teases with a wicked smile and his eyebrows wiggling. “You know, like that teacher. I wonder if she’s single. Wait, is that why you’re so nervous? You have a crush on the teacher?”
I roll my eyes at him. “Do you ever think of anything besides women?”
“Can’t say that I do.”
“That explains so much.”
Cassidy
I’m so very nervous. Today is the day that we finally meet our favorite pen pal in person. Ranger Draven Michaels. I may have a bit of a crush on him, but I would never say that out loud.
I’m a shy teacher who loves making learning fun for my kids. I don’t date by choice but also because I live in a small mountain town with limited options. I’m okay with that, though. This town and these mountains are a part of who I am.
Ranger Michaels is so tolerant of answering every question my students come up with. I may have snuck a few more personal questions into the letters, but I kept it to the kids, mostly. He claimed in his last letter that he became a forest ranger because of a love of being out in nature and that he was very shy. I find that somewhat hard to believe. He’s so well-spoken in his letters. I know I put him on the spot with our class invitation, but I just couldn’t help myself when he asked for a class photo.
“Cass, still got that hot Ranger coming in for a class visit today?” Tinea Anders, my best friend, asks as she pops her head into the doorway.
I smile brightly at her. Her cheerful personality always makes me smile, even when smiling hasn’t been on my to-do list lately. “Hey! That’s the plan. Didn’t the kids do a great job decorating the class?”
“They did. So let’s see what you’re wearing.” She takes my hand and spins me around as she takes in my favorite blue jeans, grey and white polka dot blouse, and grey ballet flats. “Girl, you look beautiful.”
“Yeah?”
“Definitely! Now I don’t want you to be mad…” she begins, and I know this can’t be good. With a deep sigh, I look expectantly at her as she continues, “I sort of asked Rich to check Ranger Michaels out.”
“Oh Tin, you didn’t. Isn’t that illegal?” Ever since she married a Sheriff’s Deputy, she’s used every opportunity to check people out. While it was handy, I hate knowing people’s privacy has been invaded in my name.
She waves her hand dismissively as she moves close to me and pulls out a poorly printed photo image. “Seems Ranger Michaels is hot and single. He’s thirty-two, the perfect age match for your twenty-five, I must say. No wants or warrants and not even a speeding ticket.
“Yada, yada, boring… oh stats. Here we go. Oh, nice! He’s six foot seven with lots of tattoos. Based on his weight, he’s either all muscle or a major marshmallow. With his job, I’m thinking, muscles.”
“Great, Tin. Now I’m going to be dwelling on how many teachers are going to be checking him out, and he’s stuck in a classroom with plain Jane, short and curvy, me.” So yeah, I had insecurities, but what woman didn’t?
“Oh, sweetie, no. Don’t do that. You just put all those silly thoughts out of your mind.” Before she could say anything more, the first school bell rang. “Look, I’m going to say my Aunt Bessie’s blessings for you. You know what that means.”
“It’s darn tootin gonna be a good day if Bessie has her say,” we said together with a giggle. Here’s hoping Aunt Bessie had my back.