6. Daisy #2
I close my eyes and send up a silent prayer.
“Lord, I’ve always felt that this is a mission that should be solo; that it’s something I should do on my own.
Mostly because I didn’t want to drag anyone into this mess.
Clearly, You have other plans. Please give me the strength to follow, rather than lead, and to admit when I need help. ”
As I sit on the ATV with my eyes closed, I wait for my muscles to relax in the hope that the burden of my task will fall from my shoulders. It doesn’t, because my task isn’t finished yet. However, the hair on the back of my neck stands on end as I feel a pair of eyes boring into me.
I open my eyes to find Angel and Vinny both staring at me, but they are full of patience and understanding.
It’s not them making me feel watched. Scanning the area, I notice a group of people exiting the main building of the campground.
Next to them is a man staring at me with a clipboard in his hand.
He’s handsome in an unconventional way, with an overly square jawline that borders on blocky, a nose that’s slightly crooked, and lips a little too thin for his face. Yet the curly brown hair peeking out from under a black beanie gives him a playful look that contradicts his hooded gaze.
Angel and Vinny both notice the direction of my gaze and turn their heads to follow it. “Do you know him?” Angel asks.
“No. As far as I know, we’ve never crossed paths.”
The man walks over to the three of us, and the closer he gets, the more details I can make out. Crinkles around his eyes and lips suggest he’s older, definitely late 40s, while the way he fills out his coat suggests he’s muscular, but not bulky. Outdoorsy would be an apt description.
“Can I help you?” he asks. “You seem lost.” Extending his hand, he introduces himself. “My name is Brad Callahan. I work for the National Park Service.”
Vinny shakes his hand first. “I’m Vincent. These two are my niece and nephew, Daisy and Angel. We’re just trying to decide which trail we should take. Do you have any recommendations?”
Hmm. If Vinny is creating a narrative, then he doesn’t trust this guy. I don’t trust him, but I don’t trust anybody unless they’ve earned it.
“The first thing you need to do is get permits for your ATVs, which you can get inside the Welcome Center. They’re ten bucks each and are good for two years.
As for the trails, I’d steer clear of any trails over 4,500 feet in elevation.
The snow is already getting pretty deep at the higher altitudes, and road closures are projected early this year.
Hopefully, we can keep them open long enough for the three-day weekend. The trails? Not so much.”
“Man, I was hoping to explore the rim,” I tell him.
“You can, but it’s at your own risk,” he says, glancing up at the overcast sky.
“Campgrounds up there are already closed for the season due to heavier-than-average snowfall, and the lodge on the rim is minimally staffed. If you get stuck, it could be a while before anyone can get to you. I certainly wouldn’t go without extra provisions and the proper winter gear.
” Brad raises a skeptical eyebrow at our current attire, which isn’t meant for long-term cold survival.
“What about caves to check out?” Angel asks.
Brad’s lower lip dips downward. “There aren’t many near Crater Lake itself.
You’d want to head south to the Oregon Caves National Monument in the Siskiyou Forest. It’s about an hour’s drive, and there’s over 4,500 acres of preservation lands worth exploring.
The Marble Cave system inside the monument boundaries isn’t all that big, roughly 15,000 feet of passages.
However, it’s well worth the trip if I do say so myself. ”
My lips pinch and twist in frustration; not at Brad, but at the lack of caves. There has to be some place suitable to hide for a week where escaping would be difficult. “Thank you for the information, Mr. Callahan.”
“Please, call me Brad. It’s my pleasure to be of assistance. Part of my job is to ensure visitors enjoy their time at our parks.”
“Are you a park ranger?” Vinny asks.
Brad tucks his clipboard under his arm while he removes a set of gloves from his coat pocket. “Not exactly. I’m an inspector. It’s pretty boring stuff: audits, paperwork, compliance with regulations. That sort of thing.”
“You don’t seem like a boring guy,” I say. “I bet you’re pretty adventurous.”
Angel turns his head toward me so fast I almost laugh at the look on his face. Thankfully, he doesn’t say anything.
“My job might be boring, but it does allow me to travel to all the parks across the country. I’d love to tell you about it over dinner,” Brad says.
“We’re having chili tonight,” Angel interjects. “It’s not exactly first date food, if you know what I mean.”
I have to hand it to Brad; he doesn’t get flustered. “Well, I wasn’t really expecting to eat with you. I was hoping to take your sister out for dinner.”
Vinny gestures between us. “They’re cousins. Hence the differences in appearance.”
“I’m not available tonight, but how about breakfast tomorrow?” I suggest. “The diner down the road makes great French toast, and I’m dying to try Dottie’s waffles.”
“It’s a date,” Brad says. “I can pick you up….”
Angel interrupts yet again. “Daisy will meet you there.”
Brad keeps his composure, asking, “Is 7:00 a.m. too early? I have to be at work by 9:00 a.m. I wouldn’t want to rush through our meal.”
“That will be perfect. I’m an early riser,” I reply. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Taking a step back and smiling, Brad waves. “Tomorrow then.”
The three of us watch as he gets into his truck parked near the Welcome Center and drives past us, waving one more time as he leaves.
“What was that all about?” Angel asks as soon as the truck disappears from view.
“Are you jealous?” I joke.
“One hundred percent,” he admits. “I can agree to being friends with you, Daisy, but that doesn’t mean I want to watch you date other men.”
“It’s a smart move on Daisy’s part,” Vinny says. “Brad Callahan has access to all the parks in the country.”
At least someone is thinking clearly besides me. “He knows things about the parks that others wouldn’t, such as road closures, vacant campgrounds, trails that aren’t on a map, and those sorts of things.”
Angel’s brows draw together as he works through what we’ve just told him. “So, you’re only going on the date to get information from him? Nothing else?”
“I wasn’t trying to make you jealous, Angel. I promise. The date is about finding out Brad’s story, hoping he’ll tell me something that either puts him firmly on our suspect list or exonerates him.”
“I’m going with you tomorrow,” Angel says, as if the matter is settled. “If he is the man we’re looking for, then I don’t want you alone with him.”
“No way! That’s not going to happen!” I tap my ear to remind him that there are other ways to keep tabs. “Angel, you can listen to our conversation if you want, but this time I’m going in alone.”
Vinny clears his throat. “I’m more than happy to provide Overwatch. If my date with Dottie goes well tonight, it wouldn’t be out of place for me to sit at the counter and chat with her tomorrow morning. I can be a measure of security without interfering.”
Angel and I stare at each other, waiting for the other to blink. He loses the battle. “Fine. I won’t go to the diner and cramp your style, but please allow Vinny to arrive early and provide backup.”
My eyes dart between Vinny and Angel, both acting like my protective older brother, Owen.
It’s suffocating while also very sweet and heartwarming.
“Alright, Uncle Vinny can come, but only because I really want him to find love. Dottie seems like the ‘settling down’ type and perfect Auntie material.”
Vinny grumbles. “How about we catch ourselves a kidnapper first? Worry about marrying me off later.”
I tap the comm device in my ear to turn it on, then put on my helmet. Angel and Vinny do the same. Angel asks, “Where do you want to start?”
“The rim,” Vinny and I reply in unison.
“Brad said to avoid elevations above 4,500 feet.”
“Exactly,” I say, starting my ATV. One nice thing about our comm devices is that they filter out ambient noise. Even with the rumble of our engines, our voices come through crystal clear.
I rev the engine and head toward the trail that will take us to the road going up the mountain. Laughing, I say, “The best place to start is the one we were told to avoid.”