The Replacement

She had a talent with animals that other handlers envied. Obviously it ran in the family. Yet she’d given up dogs and climbing and winter sports for an equally flawless career as a rescue ranger at California’s underwater state diving park, La Jolla Cove in San Diego county, with fill-in stints as a lifeguard at Carlsbad State Park. Lindsey Nelson was multitalented and successful in all her endeavors—except when it came to her personal relationships with men.

Jack studied the photos of the two rangers. To his discerning eye, the two stubborn chins promised resistance to anyone or anything challenging them. Their faces showed intelligence, determination and more than a hint of steel. Admirable qualities on the job, but from a personality standpoint, Jack figured that as a couple these two were doomed from the start. Their impressive careers and daring rescues proved that neither of them accepted compromise. He doubted either knew the definition of the word.

That might work well for rescues, but not for romance. However, Jack Hunter didn’t care about old flames or bruised hearts when it came to a kidnapped child. He only cared that he’d filled the opening Eva had left—filled it with the best ranger available. Personal relationships weren’t Jack’s concern. He’d done what he was hired to do. As for anything else—including love and romance—the woman he’d chosen as Eva Jenkins’s replacement was on her own.

CHAPTER TWO

THE PLANE TOOK ITS REGULAR flight path north, high above and along the California coast. The green of the ocean contrasted with the beige of the shoreline and the dark greens and tans of the mountain deserts. So far, Lindsey had seen little snow, but she hadn’t been airborne long. She turned away from the window, pleased the two seats next to her were empty. She wasn’t in the mood for chitchat. Her farewell phone conversations with her parents and two sisters had been full of their warnings—to be careful in the cold of Yosemite, careful around Eric, and to be especially careful not to upset Wade.

It hadn’t been easy to say goodbye to Wade. He’d insisted on driving Lindsey to the airport, and had been as gracious, as loving as ever, but she knew he’d been hurt by her refusal to wear his ring. He’d become even more distraught when he learned how isolated she’d be at the ranger winter cabin.

“Can you at least give me your phone number?” he asked.

“I wish I could. There aren’t any phones. No cell phone service, either. No e-mail or snail mail. It’s strictly ham radio, Wade. The best you can do is phone any emergency news to Mr. Hunter, and he can radio it to me.”

Her boarding call was announced. “I guess this is it.” She’d reached for him to kiss him goodbye. When they parted, Wade took her hand and pushed the diamond ring onto her finger.

“If you won’t wear it as an engagement ring, consider it protection from the ex. If nothing else, he’ll keep his distance.”

Before Lindsey could protest, Wade had pulled her close for one more kiss, and whispered in her ear, “I’ll be waiting for you when you get back.” Then he’d abruptly left. Lindsey stood alone with a ring on her finger, no Wade to return it to, and a loudspeaker blaring out the final boarding call for her flight. She could do nothing, but get on the plane.

Open seating was blessedly plentiful. Lindsey found herself a spot, put a pillow and blanket on the aisle seat to discourage the more sociable, and found herself reviewing recent events. The last-minute frenzy of filling out checks for her rent and utility bills in advance and addressing them for her older sister, Kate, to mail in the next few months had kept her mind off Eric and their history. Her younger sister, Lara, had promised to look after her apartment and water her plants. Her parents promised to look after Wade; a request she hadn’t made, but something they’d offered nonetheless.

Then came the check-in line and being searched by airport security, getting a decent meal inside the airport ahead of time in case the airline food was tasteless or skimpy—it later proved to be both—and takeoff. Lindsey politely answered the usual round of questions from the flight attendants in the negative. “Do you want a soft drink? A snack? Care to purchase a headset or cocktail?”

Eyes closed, Lindsey tried to set her thoughts in order.

Eva dead because of carelessness. That poor woman. And now I’m taking her room, her gear, her winter uniforms, her bed, even her dog. I doubt I’ll get much of a welcome from the dog—or Eric. Not to mention the other two rangers. I don’t blame them, though.

Eric must be devastated about this ranger’s death, she found herself thinking. As team leader, he’d always emphasized safety….

Eric, her ex-lover with the laughing blue eyes, the dark hair and the capability to surmount any and all obstacles—or so she’d thought. She’d only seen him devastated once before. The day their happiness ended.

Yosemite

Summer, four years earlier

LINDSEY NELSON sat dejectedly in her bedroom at her summer cabin. The wedding dress she was supposed to be wearing tomorrow hung unwrapped, untouched, in her closet. Her suitcases were packed for her honeymoon vacation, boating and hiking at Lake Tahoe, along with some easy climbing. The dress, the suitcases, the snorkeling equipment in their travel bag for the honeymoon—it was all waiting and ready. For nothing, it turned out.

She stared at the floor, unwilling to meet the gaze of the white-faced man standing before her. Just this time last week she’d thought her life perfect. Lindsey Nelson, year-round search-and-rescue ranger for Yosemite, had it all: a job she loved, a man she adored and her wedding day tomorrow.

But her last rescue had ruined that; one loss had triggered it all. Lindsey and Missy, her beloved golden retriever, had searched and found a missing five-year-old boy. Missy might have been getting on in years, but her nose and her determination to succeed was as strong as ever. Yesterday, after sunset, when the other searchers had given up for the day, Missy and Lindsey continued their search alone—and were rewarded for their efforts.

The boy had been found alive, but Missy’s great courage was no match for her advancing years. For the first time ever in their partnership, Lindsey knew Missy’s rescue days were over.

“It’s time to retire, girl,” Lindsey had said after rushing her to the vet. “Eric, I don’t know about going to Lake Tahoe for the honeymoon. The vet said Missy’s still very fragile. Maybe we could go to the coast, instead. She’d get more oxygen at the beach than at the higher altitude of Tahoe.”

“It’s too late to change our plans now,” Eric had replied. His large, capable hand stroked the dog’s head. “Maybe we should just board her at the vet’s and reevaluate her health after the wedding.”

A warning rang in Lindsey’s head. Reevaluate from Eric’s lips meant We’ll see, as in No way.

“I’m not going anywhere, and Missy isn’t going anywhere without me while she’s not feeling herself. I’m not leaving her side.”

“Even to get married?”

“We’ll still get married the day after tomorrow, just as we planned,” Lindsey said reasonably. “After that, the vet and I will…reevaluate the honeymoon plans.” Her choice of his favorite word to stall was deliberate.

Eric drew in a deep breath and changed tack. “Sweetheart, I know you love the mutt. She’s—”

“Her name is Missy!”

“She’s done great work over the years. You both have. But marriage means we should put each other first.”

“Then you should respect my wishes. I don’t want to leave Missy alone when she’s sick.”

Eric had been disappointed, but agreed to postpone their honeymoon for the time being. “I can wait for the honeymoon, as long as the wedding is still on,” Eric said. He closed the door to her room with the easy maturity that would soon earn the twenty-six-year-old rescuer his promotion to head ranger.

Twenty-one-year-old Lindsey had sighed with relief and considered herself lucky to have such a great guy in her life. But right now her dog needed her. She fixed Missy a special dinner with the vet’s new pills mashed and mixed in. Then they curled up in bed for the night, the woodstove blazing with heat for the invalid. Missy burrowed her nose against Lindsey, while Lindsey encircled the shaggy neck with her arm, her hand resting on Missy’s golden head.

Late that night, before the sun rose on her wedding eve, Missy’s brave heart quietly, painlessly stopped. Even in death, the nose that had saved so many lives remained snuggled under Lindsey’s loving hand.

Lindsey’s fellow rangers gave Missy an official funeral in the beauty of Yosemite that dog and handler had served so faithfully, and loved so well. Her family, in town for the wedding, attended. Pet and kennel owners themselves, they understood Lindsey’s pain. Eric had seemed understanding himself, until later when they all gathered at a local hotel for what was to have been the prewedding dinner.

“Are we all set for the ceremony tomorrow?” he asked.

Lindsey shook her head, tears starting again. “I can’t, Eric.”

He grew very still, as did the whole roomful of family and friends, including other rangers. “I think we should postpone the wedding,” she whispered.

“You mean…cancel.” His voice hadn’t sounded like her lover’s at all.

“No, reschedule,” she insisted. “I just need a day or two and then everything can go on as planned. I’m so sorry, Eric…everyone. I just can’t…” Her voice broke. “I hope you understand.”

He had, at first. He’d been comforting, loving and compassionate—until that evening when Naomi, who had never approved of Lindsey for her beloved twin, had used her influence with Eric.

That influence was considerable.

Lindsey had overheard the end of one argument. “For God’s sake, Eric, Lindsey knows what our work schedules are like! Yours and mine and hers. She’s a park ranger! She also knows this park is booked two years in advance. Not to mention plane reservations and rental car reservations and the tight planning it required to get everyone flown in. This is going to throw everything into one big mess. Believe me, twin, Lindsey doesn’t want you to delay the wedding, she wants to cancel it. She’s scared. Her dog’s death is a perfect excuse to call it off. She’s been dragging her feet all the way to the altar.”

Eric had used those same arguments later that evening in private.

“But…you said you were okay about this,” a shocked Lindsey had said. “It’s only for a day or two.”

“I thought it over, and I’m not.”

“You mean your sister thought it over, and she’s not,” Lindsey had accused him. “You always take her side over mine! Dammit, Eric, I warned you about this. She’s never liked me. She’ll never like anyone who takes you away from her, and if she has to lie to keep you, she will!”

“You’re wrong.”

“I’m not! First thing she did after her husband died was come running back to you! Both your parents are alive, yet suddenly she has to be a park ranger herself.”

“She’s right about one thing. You have been dragging your feet about this wedding,” Eric accused.

“Damn right, but not because of you…because of this very thing! Naomi’s acting like our marriage is her business, and you two are a package deal. Well, I want to marry you, not your sister!”

“So now my family isn’t good enough for you?”

“I am not trying to call off the wedding. Naomi’s the one trying to end our plans. Why can’t you see that? Marriage is supposed to be based on trust between two people—not three! Who do you believe more, her or me? Choose!”

Eric’s eyes narrowed. “Is this an ultimatum?”

“It’s the simple truth,” Lindsey stated. “Naomi sees me as competition for you, and she’s jealous as hell. She doesn’t know me, or care to know me. All I want to do is say goodbye to my dog and not bring that sadness to our wedding. Or to the honeymoon, either. We can still go, now that Missy’s…” She swallowed hard. “You should take my word, not Naomi’s. And if you think she’s an expert on me, then you’re a fool! I’m rescheduling our wedding for the day after tomorrow.”

“Don’t bother. The wedding’s off,” Eric had said. He stood up so abruptly the chair behind him tipped and crashed to the floor. Those were the last words Lindsey ever heard from him, then or in the four years that followed.

Yosemite Valley

Replacement day one, the present

THE SHEER FACE of Half Dome, Yosemite’s massive rock of granite, reflected the sun’s light downward to the valley. There it bounced against the brightness of the snow and reflected upward again, illuminating everything with brilliant clarity. Lindsey stopped in the snow to adjust her sunglasses and take a breather. She slid her pack off her shoulders absorbing in the beauty of the area.

Already she’d covered more than half the distance toward the rangers’ winter lodgings. Her flight yesterday had landed smoothly, she’d been met as promised by Jack Hunter—been outfitted in gear, including a radio, and put up in a local motel in Lee Vining for the night. Early this morning, Jack had delivered her via truck and then snowmobile to Yosemite’s rear entrance from the Tuolumne River side. Amid the glittering snow of the high country, Lindsey said goodbye to her superior, and from there skied off toward her old workplace.

I never realized how much I’ve missed this, she thought to herself. And missed Eric. To Lindsey, Eric and Yosemite were forever linked in her heart. It made her travel easier and faster than she would have supposed possible. Once she made it to the top of the pass, she took another minute to rest.

Lindsey reached for a trail bar and her thermos of hot chocolate. Since she’d refused to accept and train a new rescue dog after Missy’s death, she’d traded the canine handler spot in Yosemite for the warmer parks in Southern California; it was where she was originally from and where her family still lived. She’d quickly found a new position with the park system, thanks to her surfing and diving skills, and went back to helping her parents around the kennels in her spare time. Being around Eric had been out of the question four years ago. He wouldn’t even see her to take back his ring. She hadn’t wanted to return it, but felt obligated to do so. She’d left it with the former head ranger; Eric hadn’t been awarded that spot until a year after she’d left.

Now she’d come back to Yosemite—Eric’s home—again. A sad smile crossed her face. With hindsight, she realized she and Eric had more problems than just the death of a dog or the jealousy of a twin. Eric led with his head, she led with her heart, and neither seemed to find any middle ground except in bed. They were young then. Too young, perhaps. They should’ve talked things out—would have talked things out if Naomi had stayed out of it.

Both of them were close to their siblings. If their situations had been reversed and Kate or Lara had suggested that Eric wasn’t good for her, she would’ve taken their words very seriously, indeed. But she wouldn’t have called off the wedding—that much she knew.

Lindsey stuffed her once-short blond hair back under her thick woolen hat. Not having to contend with Yosemite’s more primitive plumbing, which made simple hygiene a chore, she’d let it grow long and thick.

Her breath came more heavily than she liked. She was still fit and trim, but four years of living at sea level had hindered her blood’s ability to process the high-altitude air. Lindsey reached for a Diamox pill and washed it down with the hot chocolate. The medication was needed twice a day to prevent high altitude pulmonary edema, which could kill. An easy physical pace for the next few weeks would be required until her body produced more blood cells and adjusted to the higher altitude. The rangers’ winter quarters were at the highest level of Yosemite—the fabled High Sierra that had taken lives from the earliest Native Americans to the tragic Donner Party, and more recent victims, like Eva.

To live on the edge of survival brought out the best or the worst in people. Sadly, Eva, who had replaced Lindsey, hadn’t made it. But for Lindsey, true Nature with a capital N brought out the best in her. She thrived in the Sierra, and didn’t see death within the snow, but glorious life. She prayed Eric still took joy in his surroundings. Despite their breakup—a breakup he’d said she’d wanted—she’d never wished him anything but happiness and health. She still wished that for him.

As Lindsey munched on her snack, she mentally reviewed the three rangers she’d soon share a cabin with.

Eric she already knew. A true wilderness expert, a throwback to the early California mountain men and climbing guides he was descended from, Eric was at home in the High Sierra. Four years ago, he’d been a delightful combination of his intelligent father’s outdoor ways, his educated mother’s handsome looks, and his own brand of wit, charm and courage. All knew him as a gifted expert on climate with an uncanny sense of snow prediction and ability to navigate in any weather. He usually read people just as well—except for Lindsey.

I wonder if he’s still the same man….

The second ranger, Eric’s twin sister, Naomi, probably hadn’t changed a bit. She and Eric were instantly identified as siblings; their hair and eye color, even their skin tone and facial features, were so similar, their relationship was unmistakable. Naomi was probably as opinionated, bossy and possessive as ever. She rarely stayed away from her twin for long. Her husband, Bruce Palmer, had been killed in a car accident, and she’d returned to her twin for comfort. She’d qualified for a Yosemite ranger position at about the same time Lindsey started working with Eric. From what Jack Hunter had mentioned in a later conversation, Naomi was still working as a ranger and busily finishing up her master’s thesis on Sierra Nevada botany. A herbalist and botanist, and the team member with the EMT certification, she was usually found deep in her books and research. Lindsey often felt Naomi would never have left her former hospital job for ranger work if her husband hadn’t died.

Naomi had always been more interested in her studies than in the people around her. Although twins, brother and sister were opposites, with Naomi quiet and somewhat pessimistic, Eric openly sociable and cheerful. They hardly ever disagreed on anything—except Lindsey.

Lindsey wasn’t looking forward to seeing Naomi again. Eric’s sister had always seen Lindsey as competition, since the twins were so close. However, to be fair, Lindsey had to admit that although Naomi had certainly tried to influence Eric, the final decision had been his.

Keith “TNT” Arroyo, the explosives expert, remained the only member of the team Lindsey didn’t know. He was a relative newcomer with less seniority than Naomi, and he’d replaced the explosives expert Lindsey had worked with. Supposedly “TNT” lived up to his nickname in both his lifestyle and his skiing. His expertise with explosives had already earned him a place as instructor in setting off man-made avalanches. Like Lindsey and Eric, he had a glowing record and had saved lives more than once. He was the youngest of the party at twenty-three, Hunter had told her during her briefing.

“Despite his youth, Keith’s an excellent ranger—but that’s not all. The man knows his explosives, and he and Eva made a great two-member team. Keith’s a good man to have on any team—and he’ll need your friendship. He doesn’t have a twin’s shoulder to offer comfort.”

Lindsey had nodded, finished filling in the final paperwork with Jack Hunter, checked her pack, straps and skis, and set upon her journey. Now, almost finished with her hot chocolate and trail bar, she would soon meet Keith for the first time.

She’d resume her acquaintance with the brother and sister who’d almost become her family.

CHAPTER THREE

Yosemite, Rangers’ winter cabin

Same day, late afternoon

“WHERE IS SHE?” Eric asked impatiently, his breath making more fog on the frosted, double-paned window. “It’s going to be dark soon.”

“She checked in by radio right on time. Stop worrying. She probably hasn’t skied in a while,” Naomi said calmly. “Better to be cautious and a little late than risk injury like—” Naomi broke off and continued setting the table in the large common room.

Like Eva. She’s gone. If Lindsey were gone forever… That thought chilled him to the bone. He couldn’t finish it, even to himself. Eric strode away from the window and back to the kitchen area. He picked up the spoon and stirred the stew he’d fixed for their dinner. He suddenly wondered if Lindsey still liked stew. Her mother and sisters were vegetarian, but in primitive conditions such as these, it wasn’t practical to cook separate meals for everyone. Cooking duties were shared, as was rummaging in the huge cabin pantry among cases of canned goods, dried meats and a freezer full of frozen vegetables and butcher cuts purchased in advance and stockpiled to last four people six months.

Lindsey usually ate what was on the table. Still… Maybe she’d become vegetarian, after all. Quickly he tossed some flour and other ingredients into the breadmaker. Lindsey loved hot, freshly made bread—and it would go well with their meal, Eric told himself.

Keith emerged from the small bedroom he shared with Eric. They were built deliberately small, with low roofs to make them easier to heat. “If we’re waiting dinner on the replacement, I hope she gets here soon,” Keith said with an appreciative sniff. He moved over to the fire, tending it and then stroking the dejected Ginger lying beside it, her tail tucked around her body. “I’m hungry.”

“I’ll never understand men,” Naomi said harshly. “You lost Eva, and now you’re waiting for her replacement—how can you eat?”

“That’s enough,” Eric said quietly to his sister. “What would you have us do? Stop eating like Eva’s dog?”

“You did when Lindsey left four years ago,” Naomi responded.

“If so, I didn’t urge others to imitate my example.”

Eric saw his sister flush guiltily, and immediately felt guilty himself. Ever since Eva’s death, they’d all been on edge. And now the proverbial “blast from the past” in the form of Lindsey Nelson, former lover and fiancée, was about to arrive.

“I’m sorry, Eric. My apologies, Keith. I’ve been a nervous wreck since Eva—and I’m worried about Lindsey,” Naomi said contritely. “I just wish she’d get here, that’s all.”

“We all do,” Eric added kindly. “Go ahead and radio her again, if you like.”

“I—no, that’ll only slow her down more.”

“Tell you what. I’ll go walk the dog and take a looksee,” Keith offered. “I’ll check the generator on my way back.”

The schedule of cabin chores was strictly adhered to. Wood must be brought in from the woodpile, supplies inventoried, snow cleared from the roof, the generator checked and refueled. As far as meals went, this week Eric was cooking, Naomi setting the table, and Keith cleared the dishes and washed up.

“I’d appreciate that,” Naomi said before Eric could reply. “Thanks, Keith.”

Keith nodded. “I won’t be long…ten minutes. Fifteen at most.”

All three checked their wristwatches from long habit. You planned your travel, you traveled your plan, and you always registered an itinerary with your partners. Even Eva had followed that rule. Keith hooked Ginger to the leash and after tugging and coaxing finally forced the reluctant dog to her feet and outside.

The rush of cold air coming in from the double-doored porch sent shivers down Eric’s spine as he peered out the closest window from his spot in the kitchen. His sister noticed. She always noticed.

“You’re nervous about her coming back,” she said without preamble.

Eric continued to stir.

“She’ll eat your cooking, you know. She always did.”

“That was four years ago. She likes pepper.” Eric added a dash of pepper.

“You’re still in love with her.” Naomi reached for the sturdy dinner dishes and placed them on the table. “Well, I hope you take every opportunity to get Lindsey back.”