Chapter Nine
C ounting the years she’d spent as a seasonal, Vickie had been giving ranger talks for nine years. So you would think that by now she’d be over feeling nervous before a talk. But no. She always felt a flutter in her stomach just before that moment when she welcomed the visitors. Today was no exception. She took a deep breath.
“Good morning,” she said to the small crowd of visitors waiting near the sign that advertised the times of today’s ranger programs. “Welcome to the Lincoln Memorial, and to our nation’s capital.” She smiled brightly as a few more people joined the circle around her, her eyes landing on a tall, well-built man leaning against a large column. He caught her eye and nodded. His thick dark hair was a little shaggy, the ends curling over the collar of his polo shirt.
Vickie launched into the first part of her talk, where she discussed the monument itself. “The memorial was commissioned in 1897, but construction didn’t begin until 1914. It took eight years to complete.” She motioned at the statue of Lincoln behind her. “This statue is nineteen feet tall and nineteen feet wide. It was made from twenty-eight marble blocks.” She took a breath. “There are quite a few myths associated with the statue, just as there are quite a few myths associated with President Lincoln himself.” She smiled at the group. “Contrary to what you might’ve heard, his hands aren’t spelling anything in sign language.” She watched as everyone shifted their gazes to the large hands on the statue. “Instead his left hand is in a fist, symbolic of his action during the Civil War. His right hand is open, symbolizing how he forgave the South and invited them back into the Union.” She paused. “Another myth that’s been perpetuated through the years is that the face of Robert E. Lee is on the backside of the statue, gazing across the Potomac River toward his home.” She paused. “False. I assure you, his face isn’t back there.” She paused. “I know because I took the liberty of sneaking back for a peek right after I started working here.” The crowd laughed. Vickie waited until they were quiet to explain the different types of marble and limestone used to build the monument.
“Moving on to the life of the President, we have to discuss what was going on while Lincoln was actually in the White House.” She pointed to a Boy Scout in the front of the circle. “Can you tell me what major event was happening at that time?”
“The Civil War,” the scout said, clearly proud of his knowledge.
“Very good.” Vickie nodded in his direction. She motioned to the wall that was to her right. “One of Lincoln’s most famous speeches can be found inscribed here. The Gettysburg Address. Did you know that the President wasn’t even the keynote speaker that day?” Most of the crowd shook their heads. “Even so, he delivered one of the most famous speeches ever given, one that history students still learn from today.” She noticed a few glazed over expressions and decided to skip over the next part and go straight to the end. “As you probably know, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated six days after the Civil War ended. This memorial to our slain president is one of the most visited locations in the world, and scholars continue to discuss and debate Lincoln and the impact he still has on our world today.” She smiled. “I’ll be around if anyone has questions, otherwise, enjoy the rest of your day.”
The crowd began to thin out. She knew if any of the other rangers were around, she’d probably take flack for giving such a short talk. But it was early in the morning. And as usual, whenever she saw someone yawning or looking around, she always took it as an insult. Would thirty finally be the year she stopped taking things so personally?
“Excuse me.” A deep voice said behind her.
She turned and came face to face with the man who’d been leaning against one of the columns. Now that he was closer, she could see a few strands of silvery gray in his dark hair. His chiseled tanned face was smooth and unlined.
“Yes? Did you have a question?”
“I haven’t been to the Lincoln Memorial in years. That was an interesting talk.” He grinned, his brown eyes sparkling.
Uh oh. The promise she’d made to Kristy last night came rushing back. She quickly glanced down to see if there was a ring on his finger. There wasn’t. Had he seen her look? Of course, a man not wearing a ring didn’t mean anything. Some men didn’t like to wear rings. Or he could have a girlfriend or a fiancée. Men should really be required to wear engagement rings. Say something, Vickie . “Thanks.” Brilliant. She smiled and looked around. “Um. Are you here with your family?” So much for smooth. But at least if she found out now that he was here with his wife and kids, she wouldn’t make a fool out of herself by asking him out.
A tiny bead of sweat trickled from her forehead and Vickie resisted the urge to remove her hat and wipe it away. If only she’d have included a special clause in her promise to Kristy that she’d only ask out a man if she were in normal clothes. She was suddenly all too aware of her green pants and Smokey Bear hat.
He narrowed his eyes a little. “No. I’m alone.” He cleared his throat. “Actually, I live here.”
“Oh. Me too.” She fought the urge to groan. Of course she lived here, otherwise what would she be doing delivering a ranger talk? She forced a smile and ignored the blush she felt creeping across her face.
The grin he shot in her direction displayed a dimple in his right cheek. “I see.”
Her heart pounded against her chest. How should she do this? Should she ask him for dinner? Would you like to grab a bite to eat later? Or was that too much? Maybe just coffee. Or ice cream, since it was such a hot day. She’d try to ease into it. “We don’t get too many locals here. Are you out playing tourist for the day?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m a professor.”
“Oh?”
For a moment he looked unsure, then he stuck out his hand. “Dr. Thatcher Torrey, professor of history at George Washington University.”
She grasped his hand and shook. “I’m Vickie Harris. Just a park ranger.” She grinned. “No fancy title needed.”
Thatcher laughed. “Sorry. I guess it sounds awfully pretentious to introduce myself as a doctor, doesn’t it?”
“Not at all. Believe me, if I’d gone to the trouble to get my doctorate, I’d include it too.”
He shrugged. “I guess I’m in work mode right now, with school starting soon and all.”
“I understand all about work mode. Normally, I hate to be up in front of people, but since it’s part of my job, I can handle it. I go into ranger mode and am fine.”
“Ranger mode, huh?” He smiled again. “I’ve always thought being a park ranger would be an interesting job. Do you enjoy it?”
“I love it. I started out as a seasonal ranger at Shiloh National Military Park in Tennessee.”
“Shiloh, home of the Bloody Pond.” He grinned at her surprised expression. “Don’t forget you’re dealing with a history professor.”
“Very good, Dr. Torrey.” She returned his smile. “I’ve been working along the National Mall for the past five years.” She motioned at the large statue of Lincoln. “There’s something magical about the monuments here.”
“Are you well-versed in the history of Abraham Lincoln?” he asked.
She cocked her head and looked up at him. Was he going to ask her to speak to his classes? She’d had to do that sort of thing before and had found being in the classroom wasn’t her thing. “Honestly, I’ve spent the majority of my time at the Washington Monument, but these past several weeks I’ve been stationed here a good bit. I’ve been learning more about Lincoln’s life and legacy.” She shrugged. “It’s pretty interesting stuff, but being a history guy, I guess you already know that.” She took a deep breath. It was time to bite the bullet and ask him for a date. Here’s hoping the lack of a ring on his finger meant he was available. “I was wondering. . .” she began, but he’d already started speaking.
“Could I maybe buy you dinner one night later this week?” he asked.
She felt her face flame. That hadn’t gone as planned, but maybe it would placate Kristy. After all, accepting a dinner date from someone she met on a ranger program was definitely out of character. She normally liked to make sure she knew someone in common with a potential date so she could check to see what other people knew about them. Or at least take the time to look at their social media pages and see if any red flags popped up. But it was time to throw caution to the wind. “Sure,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “What do you have in mind?”
“How about tomorrow night? Say six-ish? If you don’t mind getting a little touristy, I love The Dubliner. It isn’t too far from Union Station.”
She nodded. “I like that place.” She’d visited the iconic Irish pub a few times when she had family in town, or just to grab a bite with friends.
Thatcher pulled out a card from the pocket of his khaki cargo shorts. “Here’s my card. If something comes up, just call me. My home number is on there and you can leave a message if you need to.”
“Okay. Thanks.” She was suddenly unsure. It’s just dinner. No need to collect references for that. Besides, they’d meet at the restaurant. It wasn’t as if he were picking her up or anything.
“It was nice to meet you, Vickie. I’ll see you tomorrow at six.”
She watched him walk down the stairs and merge into the crowd. He was handsome. A little older than she was used to—she was guessing late 30’s—but maybe that was okay. And he had a PhD, so he must be intelligent. She couldn’t wait to call Kristy tonight and tell her she’d managed to get a date without having to do the asking. Turning thirty was suddenly looking up.