Ace hadn't slept well the night before. His dreams were laden with images of a casket sprinkled with yellow daisies and a blond figure running from Rhea springs. He didn't need a shrink to tell him who'd been on his mind last night. Caroline as usual, but Kristy was a new character in his dream world.
Pulling his truck into the visitor center parking lot, he glanced through the trees toward her house. After yesterday's near run-in with Mark, he wondered how she was doing. And what it was that Mark had left for her on the porch.
“Mornin', man.” Owen greeted him as he came through the door.
“Good morning.” Ace put his hat up on the stand and joined in the necessary activities to open the center.
Matthew came around the corner, holding the movie remote. “The theater is ready,” he announced.
“Great.” Ace glanced in the seasonal office. “Hey, Mason,” he called.
Mason looked up from the binder he was reading and waved in greeting.
Ace stepped through the swinging doors to the front desk. It looked like they were nearly ready to open.
Owen whistled a few bars of “Rocky Top” as he closed the cash register drawer.
“You're in a chipper mood.” Ace slid his master key into the front door and unlocked the bolt. They were ready for business.
“It might be your Monday, but it's my Friday.” Owen chuckled.
“Right.” in order to stay open seven days a week, the rangers' days off were staggered. “Big plans?”
“Heading to Knoxville to visit my mama. I'm hitting the road as soon as I'm off work.”
“Sounds fun.”
Monday was typically a slow day at Shiloh, as the small number of visitors attested. Ace was relieved to get out of the building to lead a walking tour.
“Welcome to the Shiloh National Cemetery.” This was only the second cemetery walking tour he'd led, and he felt a familiar nervous twinge, especially since Matthew was standing in the back taking notes. Ace had tagged along on a few of Kristy's ranger programs. She was so at ease. He wondered if he'd ever feel like he knew the material the way she did.
“The poem you see on the plaques along the cemetery path is entitled “bivouac of the Dead” by Theodore O'Hara. It is the only poem of sorts allowed in any national cemetery. The interesting part is that Mr. O'Hara was a Confederate. So while his poem may lie between the hallowed walls of the cemetery gates, he himself cannot.” Ace had incorporated some of the tidbits he'd heard Kristy relay to the visitors into his own program. He knew she would only see that as unfair copying, but he hoped maybe at some point she could see it as flattery.
The visitors followed him dutifully along the cemetery path, asking questions and stopping to take photos. Before he knew it, it was time to wrap it up and head back to the visitor center. His next program wasn't scheduled until late in the afternoon, and he was looking forward to spending some time in the library. He'd spent the weekend reading about the battle and the formation of the park, but there were other details he was interested in learning more about.
“Learning about the generals here, huh?” Owen asked later as Ace emerged from the library, book in hand.
“Yep. I know the basics of who was here but am hoping this will tell me more about them.”
“Good idea. As you learn more, we'll increase your program load. And have you given any thought to the Junior Ranger Program?”
The Junior Ranger Program was the thorn in his side. He wanted nothing to do with it, considering it was Kristy's pet project. But he'd never been one to shirk duty. “I've been looking over it. I think there are a couple of changes I'd like to make, but it looks pretty good to me.” He knew she was going to have a fit, but he felt like some of the activities required of kids trying to earn a Junior Ranger badge were too hard.
“Good luck with that.” Owen snickered and walked back into his office.
Guess Owen knows a touchy subject when he sees one.
Ace looked down at the book he'd just checked out of the park library. Would this one have the information he needed?
Kristy frowned at the notice posted on the bulletin board. Big red letters told her there was to be another stakeout. It seemed the monument bandit had struck again. What luck she had.
“What's the deal?” she asked Hank as he came through the back door.
“This time they hit the Kentucky Monument. Arnie is fit to be tied. We're short-staffed right now, too. With Steve out of the country and Owen in Knoxville, we'll all have to be extra diligent.”
“What's the plan?” she asked.
“He wants you and Ace to cover the Bloody Pond tonight. Arnie and I will be out at Fraley Field. It seems like the vandal is striking pretty late. We'll be out from ten until midnight.”
She groaned.
“Sorry, kid. Just focus on all that overtime pay.” Hank guffawed as though he'd made a funny joke while he made his way to the staircase leading to his office.
“Bad news?”
She turned to face Ace, who was leaning against the door frame of her former office. “I guess we'll be staking out again tonight.”
He nodded. “It looks that way. I can come pick you up if you'd like.”
Kristy shrugged. “Don't worry about it. I'll meet you in the parking lot. Fifteen till ten?”
“Sounds good. If you change your mind, though, I'd be glad to swing by.”
She smiled despite herself. “Thanks for the offer, but I'll just walk down.”
The phone was ringing as she unlocked her door after work. After a back-and-forth dance with Sam, she finally reached the phone.
“Hello.”
“Kristy?”
“Yes.” Sam jumped into her lap and got a good lick in on her face before she could move from his reach.
“It's Robert. How are you?”
“I'm doing great. How about you? Any luck with the house hunt?”
“I'm still looking. I've at least narrowed down neighborhoods.”
She grabbed Sam's favorite toy from a wicker basket next to the couch and threw it across the room. He leaped from her lap to fetch it. “That's great.”
“I wanted to tell you what a good time I had at lunch the other day. And I thought maybe if you're free one night this week, we could go to dinner. If you want to, that is.” Despite the even tone of his voice, uncertainty came through the line.
Kristy thought for a moment. Robert was a nice, dependable guy. Maybe her heart didn't pound when she was near him, but she had enjoyed their time together on Sunday. “Dinner sounds nice. I actually have to work some nights this week, but not until later. So if you don't mind an early dinner, any night would be fine with me.” Hopefully tonight would be the night they caught the vandal, and she would be spared of many more hours alone with Ace.
“How about Friday? say, seven?”
“Sounds great. See you then.”
And you'd better show up this time.
Ace paced beside the pickup truck. They were supposed to be in place in five minutes or Mr. Bramblett would be grumbling. Where was she? He checked his watch one more time and shook his head.
Jumping in the truck and driving to her house tempted him, but he had a feeling there was no better way to get their night off on the wrong foot. Finally, he spotted a figure coming up the path.
It's about time.
“Did you forget? I know you aren't looking forward to this, but both of us will be at fault if we're late.”
“Sorry.” she rushed over to the truck and climbed in the passenger seat.
No arguments over who'll drive? What's going on here?
Ace had been fully prepared to insist on driving this time, especially after her lead foot last week.
“I had some trouble at home.”
He glanced over at her as he headed the truck toward the Bloody Pond. She was definitely upset about something; he could see it on her face. “What happened?”
“I'm not sure. You know those flowers I planted the other day?”
“Yeah. They looked nice.”
“Well, something dug them up. Every last flower, root and all, is gone. Do you know of any animal that eats impatiens?”
“Maybe a raccoon?” He had no idea but hated to admit it. Wildlife wasn't his area of expertise.
“I don't know. They were there when I got home from work, because I remember looking at them and thinking they were pretty. But when I let Sam out, I happened to see the empty space in the flower bed. I took a flashlight and looked all around the house.” she sighed. “But I didn't see a trace of the flowers, or of a critter. It just makes me so mad.”
“I think there are some traps in Steve's office. You can set one out and see what kind of animal you come up with. I'll help you release it if you end up catching something.” He parked the truck along the side of the road, the pond visible in the distance.
“Thanks. I may do that tomorrow.” she drummed her fingers on the truck door and gazed out the window.
Ace rolled the windows down. “I brought some mosquito repellent.” He handed her the orange bottle.
“Thanks. I always know summer is finally here when the mosquitoes come out.” Kristy hopped out of the truck and sprayed her arms and legs. “Here you go.” she threw the bottle across the pickup bed to the driver's side, where he stood waiting to catch it.
Once they were back inside the truck, a long silence ensued. Ace felt like each minute dragged on for an hour. He looked over at Kristy. Did she think the silence was awkward? she probably hated being stuck out here with him. He'd been happier than normal all day and had known the reason behind his happiness. It was the prospect of spending time alone with her. Ever since the day he'd fixed her fence, he couldn't get her off his mind. He wished she'd at least give friendship with him a fair chance.
“Look, Kristy. About the other day...” He trailed off.
“I really don't want to talk about it. Mark had some of my things he needed to drop off, that's all. I'm just sorry I acted like such a baby.” she didn't look at him as she spoke. Instead, she focused on the radio that lay in her hand, ready for use in case they saw anything out of the ordinary.
“Not a problem.” He shifted in his seat. “I've got an idea. I know this isn't exactly a fun way to spend an evening, trapped in a truck with the guy who has your job and all.” He looked over at her and was pleased to see her lips turn upward a tiny bit. Finally. “Who knows how many nights Mr. Bramblett is going to have us out here, though. So I was thinking. We need a way to pass the time.”
She looked at him with interest. “And what exactly do you propose?”
“I used to hang out in coffee shops a lot, believe it or not. There is nothing better than a good cup of coffee and long conversation. Anyway, some friends and I used to play a game every time we met at the coffee shop. I was thinking maybe you and I could play.”
“If you suggest we play Truth or Dare, I'm getting out of this truck right now and walking home.”
He laughed. “Not Truth or Dare. It's actually a game we made up. We called it the one-question game.”
“Go on.” she turned toward him and propped her elbow on the back of the seat.
“The theory is this: in every relationship, no matter what the circumstance, whether you've known the person for a day or for a decade, there is always one question you want to ask them. Nothing is off limits. The only rule is that you have to answer honestly. You can go into as much or as little detail as you want. And the person who does the asking has to answer the same question.” He raised one eyebrow at her. “Are you in?”
She gave a loud sigh. “I guess. It's better than just sitting here.”
“Great. Do you want to ask first, or do you want me to?”
“Since you're the inventor of the game, I'll let you do the honor. But be gentle. Don't ask anything too hard at first.” she smiled at him.
Ace leaned his head back against the seat and thought for a moment. There were a million questions he wanted to ask this girl. But the limited knowledge he had of her told him not to start out with anything too personal. Hopefully they'd build to that later. He sat up and looked over at her. “Okay. I've got it. What scares you? And I don't mean like spiders or snakes. Or animals who eat flowers.” He grinned.
She bit her bottom lip and was silent for a moment. “What scares me?” she glanced at him. “That's kind of hard. A lot scares me.” she took a deep breath. “I guess waking up one day and completely regretting the choices I've made. Losing my mom. That scares me a lot.” she looked thoughtful. “Being separated from God. You know. Sometimes I go through times when my relationship with Him is stronger than other times. It's scary to think about what it would be like if I fell away completely.”
He nodded.
“I could probably go on.” she smiled. “But I think that's enough for now. And how about you, Mr. Kennedy? What scares you?”
“My, aren't we formal? Well, Miss O'Neal, I also have a long list of scary things. Don't let my macho exterior fool you.”
She laughed. “Don't worry, I won't.”
“Okay, here goes. Being a disappointment to my family. That's scary. The brevity of life scares me a lot. We take it for granted that we'll be here forever, that we'll have all the chances in the world to do the things we want to do. And life can be wiped out so fastâa speeding car, a crashing plane, a heart attack. And
poof,
it's gone.” He shrugged, wondering if she thought he was crazy and surprised that he cared. “And I actually agree with you about fearing being separated from God. I went through a time in my life when I did fall away. I lived every second in fear. I knew I wasn't living right. And I knew the consequences. Thankfully, I realized my life meant nothing without Him in it.” He met her gaze and gave her a slow smile. The tense expression had finally faded from her face. Maybe she was enjoying spending time with him.
Kristy reached up and turned the dome light on. She held her wrist up and checked the time on her watch. “Not too much longer.”
Or maybe not. “Do you want to check in with the boss men? see if we get the all-clear to leave our post for the night?”
“Good idea.” she reached for her radio.