They landed, flat on their backs, splatting into green sloppy goo.
Claire Prescott doubled over, laughing. “Sorry. I really didn’t plan it that way.”
Erika jumped up, and tried to see her backside. Green covered her bottom, back, and hands.
Jack got to his feet, knowing he looked even worse.
“Two things,” Prescott said. “One, cattle are your problem, not horses. And two, do I have to ride with you two back to the park? You’re gonna smell awful.”
Jack and Erika looked at each other, then at Prescott.
“I’m serious. Do I?”
Chapter
5
Erika stepped onto slick rock and stopped. “I’ll take this one. You go that direction. Back over there,” she said, pointing for Jack. “Claire, we’ll catch up. That, or meet you at the truck.”
Prescott looked at the depressions in the rock, brimming with water, some several feet wide and deep. She nodded and started up hill. “Please do. I’ll try to get shots of the horses.”
Jack shook his head and continued after Prescott. “Not gonna worry about it.”
“Get back here, Jack Chastain.”
Jack stopped, and studied where she pointed. “There’s nothing over there.”
Erika waited for Prescott to disappear beyond the rise. “I know, but she doesn’t. She does not need to know what rangers have no qualms about doing.” She loosened her laces and kicked off her boots.
“What are you talking about?”
“Strip,” she ordered. She unbuttoned her uniform shirt.
He laughed. “That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard. That’s what you think rangers do?” He let his face turn serious. “And, qualms? I’ve got qualms.”
“It’s a hundred and five degrees. Your ass is covered in cow shit. There’s water, and this is a beautiful place. Sometimes it’s just the right thing to do.”
“Not taking a bath.”
“You are.” She pulled off her shirt and tossed it in a solution hole. She turned around. “Any green on my bra?”
“What do you think?”
She undid the clasp. “Strip. I’ve seen you before.” She tossed the bra into the solution hole. “Use that one for clothes.” She pointed at a larger tank. “That one’s mine. You’ve got your choice of the others.”
“It’s as if you plan these things. How do I let you talk me into this?” He started on his shirt buttons. “Why are you here? After the last time, I was sure you’d be fired, demoted, or locked in a broom closet.” He slipped off his shirt and dropped it in the water. “Why you? Why here?”
Her smile grew, bringing a sparkle to grey, predatory eyes.
“Surely the new regional director knows what happened here. She has to know you were involved. With everything. Her predecessor, his dealings with Mike Middleton. Almost giving away part of the park. How did she let you out of Denver?”
Erika slipped a rubber band off her wrist and pulled her hair into a pony tail. “How is my ol’ buddy, Mike Middleton?”
“I don’t know. Frankly, at this point, I’m more worried about the other guy, Harper Teague. The man with Montana connections.”
“Montana? You don’t say?”
“I do say. He was not what he presented himself to be. What do you know about him?”
“He wasn’t a face I remember from Montana, but I thought we were talking about the regional director.” Erika unbuttoned her green uniform jeans, and let them drop to the ground. She stepped out of the legs, jerked the belt from the loops, and tossed the pants in the tank. “The new RD didn’t trust me at first. In time she realized Nick was responsible for his own actions. Made his own bed. Me? I’m a peon, doing my job. I’m also adaptable. I’m creative. I know how to become indispensable.” She spun around, her backside toward him. “Any green?”
“Kinda goes with the blue, don’t you think?”
She gave a dismissive shake of her head, stripped off her undies, and tossed them in the tank.
He turned away.
“C’mon Jack, if you’re not looking, how can I tell you not to?”
He unbuttoned his river shorts and dropped them to the ground.
“You are skinnier than last time. Somehow looks good on you. You know . . . that weathered, withered, wildernessy guy kind of way.” She laughed. “You can look. I’m in the water.”
“Shouldn’t you wash your uniform first?”
“Go ahead.” She lay back against the rim and closed her eyes. “I don’t do laundry.”
He shook his head. “If it’ll get us out of here faster . . .” He knelt over the tank. Pulling out her pants, he worked the soiled spot. “This is stupid. Why suck up to her? This was her fault.”
“Shut up and keep washing.”
“What the hell can Prescott do for you? What are you hoping to get from this?”
Erika opened her eyes. “Jack, it’s you that needs to be sucking up.”
He stood and laid her clothes on a sun drenched rock. “I’m not concerned about her, or horses. Science will prevail.”
“It’s not that, Jack. She doesn’t like you. She’s in an important position. Staff for the Senate Interior Committee. Anything you have that needs to go through committee is gonna be touched by her. Kiss of death, if she doesn’t buy what you’re saying. And right now, she doesn’t.”
“Why?”
“Because of what happened in Montana. Maybe your association with the senator, who knows?”
“You’re kidding. He was the only politician I ever trusted.”
“She knows that. Shortly after that, whatever game she was playing came back to bite her. She was history. She’ll hold it against you . . . unless you learn to suck up to her.”
“Why?” He worked at a spot on his shorts. “Why should I?”
“To make her forget how well you got along with Senator Tisdale.”
“Didn’t help much.”
“No, it didn’t. You and the proposed park, both, political piñatas.
