Rescued by the Ranger: Camp Hardwood Series
Rescued by the Ranger
Camp Hardwood Series
Alexa Riley
Contents
Rescued by the Ranger
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue
Epilogue
Summertime Sneakout
Stalk the Author
Copyright © 2019 by Author Alexa Riley LLC. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email to riley_alexa@aol.com
http://alexariley.com/
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Edited by Aquila Editing
Cover Designer: Mayhem Cover Creations
Rescued by the Ranger
by Alexa Riley
Zara has an adventurous spirit and wants more from like than she’s getting from her time as a foster kid. One day her curiosity takes her into the woods and suddenly she’s faced with more than she bargained for.
Moose is Camp Hardwood’s ranger and is responsible for keeping the place safe. It’s a sanctuary for him and where he calls home and he’s not looking for anything more. But when he’s sent to save a lost girl in the woods, what he finds is a woman he can’t let go.
Warning: this filthy quick read is insta-love with insta-heat to match and enough fire to set the woods aflame. Get the second book in the Camp Hardwood Series now!
For summer nights under the stars…
Chapter One
Zara
“You’re so full of it.” I look over to Tessa, who is egging me on. For the past four days it’s all the girls have talked about. The big mystery man out in the woods.
“I swear. They say there’s an old cabin out there where he lives and it’s haunted. A camper went that way last year and never came back.” I roll my eyes even as I look toward where she’s pointing. If someone went missing I think that would’ve made the news. I’m not from around here, though, so maybe I wouldn’t have heard about it.
We’ve been up and down trails all over here, but we’ve been told that area of the woods is off limits. There’s a path that leads that way, but a simple thin rope is the only thing that marks it as out of bounds and someone could step right over it. I think I heard one of the camp counselors say it isn't Camp Hardwood property and that’s why we can't go up.
Curiosity always gets the best of me and I have a bad habit of doing things I’m not supposed to. Hence why I’m here to begin with. The foster home I’m at thought sending me away to camps all summer and keeping me busy would keep me out of trouble. More importantly, out of their way so I couldn’t embarrass them further. I would’ve protested but they have me under their thumb. Why else would a barely eighteen-year-old girl be at camp? I had my birthday two days ago, not that anyone knew it. I’m sure no one at the foster home remembered it and didn't tell anyone here. I didn’t want to point out how little anyone cared and it stung enough without sympathetic looks from others.
“We should go check it out then.” I step that way but Tessa grabs my arms to stop me.
“Like right now?” Her eyes widen. “Why not? What’s the worst that could happen? I don’t think there’s actually someone out there kidnapping campers but I wouldn’t mind poking around.” They could kick me out and I actually frown at the thought. I’ve been enjoying this camp. It’s my favorite out of the ones I’ve been sent to before. I don’t know what comes next but I wish I could stay here with Mrs. Cyprus and her bear of a husband Ford. They’re sweet and the kind of parents I wish I had. Everything about this place is lovely, and I don’t think my foster family planned on me enjoying my time out here so much.
Here at Camp Hardwood it doesn’t feel like every move I make is being judged. I wish I could stay forever, but right now I could use a little adventure.
“When else would we do it?” I shrug off her hold on me. Time’s actually running out for me before I leave camp and am sent back to the foster house. After that who knows, and I’m not ready to face it.
“Someone could see us.”
I look around and no one is paying us any attention. She’s right, though; it’s broad daylight.
“You want to wait until night?” My blood runs cold just thinking about coming back in the dark.
“Night is worse!” she gasps and she’s right.
I wouldn’t have the balls to come back in the dark. Nothing scares me more than being outside at night. It’s been a fear I’ve had since I was a little girl. I woke up alone once with the power out because of a storm and the house was empty. I remember hiding in a closet and crying until I fell asleep. I was six or seven at the time.
The people running the foster home found me the next morning when they went to my room and saw I wasn’t in my bed. It wasn’t until years later that I put together they hadn’t checked on me when they got home from wherever they’d been.
They called me a drama queen and said that my fear was a way of getting attention. The last thing I wanted was their attention. I made sure after that to be prepared and I kept a stash of flashlights under my bed.
“I’m going.” I take one last glance to make sure no one is watching and move to the rope.
“I’ll stay here and make sure you come back.” Tessa takes a few steps away from me and almost trips over her own feet.
“You don’t want to come check it out?” I don’t want to go alone but I don’t want to look like a chicken either. Not that it matters because Tessa is acting like one right now.
“You’re a virgin; the virgins never die,” she reminds me. “In scary movies they always live.”
It’s a good thing because I can’t run for shit. Let’s hope the stereotype holds true and I don’t have anything to worry about.
“Damn it,” I mumble, knowing she’s not coming. I should just forget it, but I want to go looking. The sun is still high in the sky and I could venture a little way out to take a peek. There’s a trail and it’s not as though I can get lost on a trail. All I have to do is follow it, which is easy enough.
“If I’m not back in an hour you better tell someone I’m missing.” She nods her head up and down. “I’m serious. If I’m not back for dinner that means something is wrong,” I add and she keeps on nodding as her eyes widen in disbelief.
I climb over the rope and Tessa take another step away as if I’m going to grab her and yank her to come with me. I roll my eyes at her and summon my courage.
“There’s no one out there,” I tell her as I turn to face the path.
I straighten my shoulders and try to put on a brave face. I follow the path as I head off on what I tell myself is going to be an adventure.
I wasn’t prepared for how big of an adventure this ends up being.
Chapter Two
Moose
I’ve always liked the peace and quiet of the woods. Out there in the real world things are a mess. I’ve done things in my past that I’ve never told anyone, but they were f
or the greater good. I took out evil people and did everything I could to keep my hands clean. I find it’s best to stay busy and keep my mind clear so I don’t dwell on the past.
I grew up near Camp Hardwood and even came here a few summers as a kid. I never dreamed in my race to join the military and leave town that I’d end up wishing for this place again one day.
I worked my way up the ranks until the government saw the need to pluck me from the service and have me do their dirty work. I can’t say I didn’t understand it. I was the best at what I did and although my size is a pretty big giveaway, I was able to get in and out of places without being detected.
Now I spend my days in the mountains and life is good. I think some might call it lonely if they were looking in from the outside, but I don’t mind the solitude. I spend a few hours every day checking things over at camp and doing what they ask me to do, then I get to go back to my cabin in the woods.
I’m ranger of the woods around Camp Hardwood and explore as much as I can to make sure the area is secure. I don’t envision a real threat to the campers here, but I like to keep an eye on the den of bears that’s north of the property and watch for signs of mountain lions. It’s basically just me and my hiking boots and I’m fine with this life.
Summer is in full swing at the camp, but I’m always staying ahead of the game. Today I’m chopping some wood outside my cabin to stockpile for the winter. A tree came down in the storm last month and it’s finally dry enough to cut.
It’s late in the day with the sun beginning to set, but it’s hot and muggy out. I take my shirt off and wipe the sweat off my face with it. I look down at the dark hair on my chest and wipe that off too. I’m not chiseled or cut like I’ve been in the gym, but I’m strong and solid like the tree I’m slicing into. My beard gets itchy in the heat so I had to shave it down a bit, but once the cold weather snaps back I’ll let it grow like a bear.
I got asked by a camper why they call me Moose and I told her the truth. I said I once ate an entire gallon of Moose Tracks ice cream, but I don’t think the kid believed me. Hey, what can I say? I’m a big guy with a big sweet tooth.
It’s the one indulgence I don’t mind being around civilization for. Sweets are my weakness and sometimes it gets out of hand.
I place the wood on the chopping block and swing my axe down on it. The blade splits the stump and I stack it up next to the others.
When I bend down to pick up another piece of wood I hear my radio go off. I toss down my axe and go over to it and hit the button on the side.
“Moose,” I say and wait until I hear the click and then Ford comes on.
“We’ve got a problem.”
“I assumed that’s why you’re calling.” I take a drink of water and wonder what’s going on. He only uses this for emergencies when I’m at my cabin.
“We’ve got a girl gone missing. She didn’t come down after a hike today and her friend said she headed up the trail in the restricted section. That could be up your way, but we can’t be sure.”
“I’m on it.” I go into my cabin and grab a fresh shirt and my gear. I keep it by the door for times just like this. It’s sad to say she’s not the first to go missing, but it doesn’t take long to find them. I need to know a little more about who I’m looking for and where she was last seen. “Give me all the details you can.”
“Her name is Zara, and she’s seventeen.” I hear a rustling of paper and a curse. “Wait. She’s eighteen as of two days ago. She was last seen headed up your trail but she would have hit your cabin a long time ago. Chances are she got lost where it forks and couldn’t find the trail markers.”
“Shit.” Now it’s my turn to curse. I saw mountain lion tracks there earlier in the week but it was so far out of bounds I didn’t think it mattered.
“Blond hair, about five foot five,” Ford says, and I hear his wife in the background.
“Don’t worry. I’ll bring her back,” I vow, then tuck the walkie talkie in my pack and grab a couple of water bottles.
It’s hot in the summer, but as soon as the sun sets the temperatures in the mountains can drop fast. If she’s out there in the dark at night then it’s possible she’s already in danger. I don’t even want to think about what could happen if a hungry animal spots her.
I set out for the mountain and say a silent prayer that I can get to her before something else does.
I’m not prepared for what happens when I find her.
Chapter Three
Zara
I clench my hands into fists as my fingernails dig into my palm and I try not to shake. I don’t want to show fear. Maybe they can smell it. For the life of me I can’t remember if you play dead or run when you see a black bear. How’s a person supposed to remember something like that in a panic moment? I never really thought I’d come across one.
“Hi, little baby bear,” I say gently as I take a step back, trying to make space between the bear and me. The bear inches closer, negating my progress. He’s not a baby at all. “I didn’t mean to bother you.”
I make my voice as soft as possible, like talking to a little newborn baby, but still the bear comes closer, sniffing the air. It doesn't look angry or aggressive. I’m pretty sure running from black bears is bad, but there is a fifty percent chance I’m wrong. I know I can’t outrun a bear either way because I can't outrun anything. My legs are already heavy from the hiking I did before I got lost. Not only that but I don't know which way I should run. Each second that ticks by I’m losing more daylight.
I close my eyes thinking maybe this isn’t really happening. I don’t know what I fear more: the dark of the woods or the bear. I take another step back, knowing either way I have to get out of here. I hear the snap of a branch and my eyes spring open to see the bear standing on his hind legs staring at me. My mouth opens to scream but just as I take a breath a hand comes down over it and my back meets a wall of a chest.
“He’s just curious,” the deep voice rumbles into my ear. “It’s why he’s up on his hind legs like that.” I shake my head no because he most definitely doesn’t look curious. He looks big and ready to rumble.
“Get on, Berry. You’re scaring the girl,” the man says loudly to it.
It falls to its feet before giving a huff and turning to leave. I swear it shakes its ass as it goes and I stand there in shock. He shooed the bear away? That was not one of the many things they told us to do when we saw a bear. Not that I was recalling anything else that was helpful.
Slowly his hand drops away from my mouth and I lick my dry lips as I turn to see the man who had a hold on me. My eyes meet a wide plane of solid muscles, and without having to look up I know who it is. I’d know this broad chest anywhere.
Moose. My heart flutters as I tilt my head back to meet his dark green gaze. I’ve seen him around Camp Hardwood talking to Mr. C. I’ve had a weird fascination with him and hide when I see him so he can’t see me watching him. I try not to stare but I can’t help it. There’s something about him that draws me in.
Something pokes my belly and I’m surprised by how close we are. Wait, is he hard? My ass was pressed up against him and I felt something digging into me. Most of my attention was on the bear, but I felt something hard in my backside that wasn’t his thigh. But my mind must be playing tricks on me because no way Moose would be turned on by me. Don’t men get hard-ons from adrenaline rushes? Though he doesn't seem scared over the bear—Berry, as he called him.
“You lost, little girl?” The use of the word “girl” irritates and does something funny to me. I like it on his lips but I don’t like him thinking of me as a kid. I want Moose to look at me as a woman. A man like him would want a women and I want nothing more than for him to want me. My whole body heats at the idea of being taken by him.
“No,” I lie.
His hard jaw ticks. If I’m lost that makes me look more like a girl, but who am I kidding? I’m not only lost here in the freaking woods, I don’t know where I’m going in general.
“Are you hurt?” he asks, and his voice is softer this time. I shake my head because physically I’m not. My legs ache and so do other parts of me, but I’m not sure that counts, nor do I want to admit to those aches.
I let out a small scream when a loud pop sounds and the ground shakes below my feet. I jump, unsure of what the hell is happening.
“Fuck,” Moose grumbles, and I’m in his big arms a moment later. “We gotta move.”
I think he means he needs to move because he’s the only one with feet on the ground. He runs at a speed that’s unnatural for his size. No wonder he wasn't afraid of the bear. He could outrun one, not that he’d need to. I think Moose could have taken the bear on and the animal probably knew that too.
“A storm is moving in quick,” he explains as he runs. I try to look up, but it’s hard to make out the sky through the thick trees. I thought it was getting dark but now I can see it wasn't just night; dark clouds are rolling in too.
His hand goes to the back of my head as he pushes my face into his neck. “Stay put, the branches can snag your face,” he tells me.
I, like the bear, do as I’m told. I already have a handful of scrapes on my legs and arms from my adventure gone wrong. If campers go missing up here it’s because a bear ate them.
At the moment my adventure isn’t feeling so wrong. The fear I had earlier with the sun setting and the danger of being eaten by a wild animal is long gone. Moose won't let anything happen to me and somehow deep down I know that.