Free An Unlikely Hero (1) by Tierney James

eyes back to the pretty ranger. She looked like a no nonsense kind of person. Although petite her grip a moment ago revealed Honey could handle herself. She wore no makeup, only a little clear lip gloss. The natural, wholesome features of her face made her look like an ad for ski equipment.
    “On foot?” Robert was still unclear about how the ranger had materialized. His radar was up and something made him sense caution.
    Honey put her small hands on her hips. She wore a gun, Robert noticed. “No. My truck is parked just on the other side of that stand of trees. There’s an old logging road.”
    “Looking for something?” Robert still didn’t understand why she was here.
    Honey’s smile faded as she took out sunglasses from her shirt pocket and placed them on her delicate nose. “Actually, Mr. Scott,” Honey lowered her voice. “There has been a jail break in Carson City. The fugitives are on foot.”
    “Geeze!” Robert sighed taking another look at his children. “Are they up here?”
    Honey shrugged. “This is a good place to get lost if you don’t want to be found.” She followed his gaze toward the laughing children. “Don’t wander too far off the beaten path. There is plenty of law enforcement out looking for these guys. I’ll swing back by tonight to check on you. I’ll let others know you’re here. Got a phone?”
    Robert removed his Blackberry from his hip pocket. “Can’t get very good service up here.”
    Honey casually took his phone and pretended to inspect it.
    “Daddy! I caught a fishy!” Heather screamed with delight. “Help me! Help me!”
    Robert ran to her side to help reel in the four inch small mouth bass. The wiggling fish slopped water in Heather’s eyes. She squealed with delight as Robert removed the hook from its mouth.
    “Why is it breathing like that, Daddy?” Heather’s look of concern made her reach out and stroke the little creature.
    “It can’t breathe out of the water, sweetheart.”
    “Oh no!” Heather sighed sympathetically. “It’s so little. Does it have a mommy?”
    “Well, probably. Should we put it back in the water and send it home?”
    Heather stuck out her lip in disappointment. “I guess so. I want to name it first.”
    Robert nodded in agreement. His sons were now looking on, watching the ultimate release of the fish. “Swimmer. I name her Swimmer.”
    “How do you know it’s a her?” Sean Patrick asked with a frown. Releasing a perfectly good fish was just ridiculous.
    Heather squinted against the afternoon sun as she looked up at her brother. “How do you know it’s not? Besides it’s pretty so it has to be a girl.”
    Sean Patrick threw up his hands in defeat as he turned back toward the ranger. He saw her close up his father’s phone. She smiled at him innocently. He eyed her with reserve as he watched her approach. The ranger wasn’t sure of his age but realized this one probably had watched enough American television to suspect anyone examining someone else’s phone.
    “How’s the fishing this year?” She looked out over the tranquil blue waters and distant snowcapped peaks. Was there any place more beautiful than Tahoe?
    “Are you really a ranger?” Sean Patrick inquired.
    “Sure!” she laughed. “Do you think because I’m a girl I can’t be a ranger?”
    Sean shook his head and picked up another rock only to skip it four times across the water. “Because you don’t know how the fishing is.”
    “Well it changes from day to day. Any fisherman will tell you that.”
    “You don’t look like a ranger either.” Sean Patrick looked up at Honey one eye closed against the bright sunlight.
    “Really? What does a ranger look like?” Honey expected him to tell her how pretty she was or that most rangers looked like Smokey the Bear. She never tired of being complimented.
    “They dress different than you.” Sean Patrick said matter of fact.
    Honey could feel tightness in the back of her shoulders. Her fingers twitched