than I thought.
"You're all set to go,"
I said. "I've got your insurance on file already. It's a
ten -dollar copay.
"Okay," Kyleen said,
smiling. Our eyes met for just a second too long, and it made me feel like my
stomach was starting to float. If only I could find a reason to make her stay.
Hell, I was going to ask her out. Forget the age difference. I'd take her out
to dinner tonight, tell her it was to make up for her
shitty day. Steak and wine. And then I'd charm the
pants off her.
I looked back at Kyleen. She was
searching through her backpack, opening and closing zippers.
"Shit shit shit," she
said, her face suddenly growing tight with panic. "It's gone! My wallet's
gone. My credit cards, everything!" She jumped to her feet.
"Shit!" she yelled. "That's why he left me hanging up there!
That kid stole my stuff!"
Kyleen
"Come on!" Clay said,
ushering me outside and jumping into a Park Service truck.
"Where are we going?"
"We're going to try to catch
that little shit. There's only one exit out of the park, and we're going to get
there before he does."
"Okay!" I yelped and
grabbed the handle above my head as we pealed out of the parking lot.
Clay grabbed the radio off the
dash and called the rangers, alerting them that a criminal was attempting to
exit the park, most likely in a green Volkswagen bus with New Mexico plates.
"That kid's caused enough
trouble in this park," he growled, gunning the engine as we tore through
an intersection.
We came to a stop in the middle
of a traffic jam, and I looked up the long line of cars ahead of us. A ranger
far up ahead was directing traffic at an intersection.
"Is that him ?"
I asked. There was a green hippie bus far ahead of us in the line of cars.
"That's him!" Run ahead
and tell the ranger. I'm going to go deal with Cory personally."
I ran up the line of cars, hoping
the ranger wouldn't let traffic through and let Cory drive away. To my dismay,
she started waving our line through.
" Nooo! " I screamed.
" Stop! Stop the cars! " Cory noticed me and gunned the engine
of his old van, speeding up to drive past her.
But not in
time. A
big white Park Service pickup rolled out of a nearby parking lot and moved to
intercept him. It squealed to a stop sideways in the middle of the road,
blocking Cory in. Cory slammed on his brakes, and the ancient van skidded and
hit the side of the pickup. I watched in shock as his body slammed forward and
hit the windshield. The rangers jumped out of their truck and pulled Cory out.
He looked a little dazed as they put the handcuffs on.
One of the rangers pulled a
backpack out of the van and looked through it. He handed me my wallet.
"Ma'am? Is this yours?"
"It is. Thank you."
Another vehicle arrived to take
Cory away, and he gave me one final smirk before the rangers pushed him into
the back.
"Hope you had fun," he
chuckled before the ranger shoved him into the car, "We won't use a condom
next time, either."
****
Clay drove me back to his office.
I relaxed, letting the tension of the situation drain out of my body.
Everything had turned out all right.
"You said ten bucks,
right?"
"It's okay," Clay said, "you don't have to pay me. It was a pleasure
to help out a young woman. A beautiful young woman."
Clay turned to leave. I guess the
rocking chair outside on the porch was waiting.
"You can come outside and
hang out, if you want," he said. "You've got the day off,
right?"
"Yeah." I walked
outside, following him. What a perfect gentleman, I thought. He was a little
older than I was, but I liked his maturity, and his strength.
And he was attractive. Maybe he
wasn't totally ripped like Cory or one of the other rock climbers, but he
looked like he'd been pretty athletic in his younger days, and he still had a
powerful-looking chest and shoulders.
"You live alone
"You're all set to go,"
I said. "I've got your insurance on file already. It's a
ten -dollar copay.
"Okay," Kyleen said,
smiling. Our eyes met for just a second too long, and it made me feel like my
stomach was starting to float. If only I could find a reason to make her stay.
Hell, I was going to ask her out. Forget the age difference. I'd take her out
to dinner tonight, tell her it was to make up for her
shitty day. Steak and wine. And then I'd charm the
pants off her.
I looked back at Kyleen. She was
searching through her backpack, opening and closing zippers.
"Shit shit shit," she
said, her face suddenly growing tight with panic. "It's gone! My wallet's
gone. My credit cards, everything!" She jumped to her feet.
"Shit!" she yelled. "That's why he left me hanging up there!
That kid stole my stuff!"
Kyleen
"Come on!" Clay said,
ushering me outside and jumping into a Park Service truck.
"Where are we going?"
"We're going to try to catch
that little shit. There's only one exit out of the park, and we're going to get
there before he does."
"Okay!" I yelped and
grabbed the handle above my head as we pealed out of the parking lot.
Clay grabbed the radio off the
dash and called the rangers, alerting them that a criminal was attempting to
exit the park, most likely in a green Volkswagen bus with New Mexico plates.
"That kid's caused enough
trouble in this park," he growled, gunning the engine as we tore through
an intersection.
We came to a stop in the middle
of a traffic jam, and I looked up the long line of cars ahead of us. A ranger
far up ahead was directing traffic at an intersection.
"Is that him ?"
I asked. There was a green hippie bus far ahead of us in the line of cars.
"That's him!" Run ahead
and tell the ranger. I'm going to go deal with Cory personally."
I ran up the line of cars, hoping
the ranger wouldn't let traffic through and let Cory drive away. To my dismay,
she started waving our line through.
" Nooo! " I screamed.
" Stop! Stop the cars! " Cory noticed me and gunned the engine
of his old van, speeding up to drive past her.
But not in
time. A
big white Park Service pickup rolled out of a nearby parking lot and moved to
intercept him. It squealed to a stop sideways in the middle of the road,
blocking Cory in. Cory slammed on his brakes, and the ancient van skidded and
hit the side of the pickup. I watched in shock as his body slammed forward and
hit the windshield. The rangers jumped out of their truck and pulled Cory out.
He looked a little dazed as they put the handcuffs on.
One of the rangers pulled a
backpack out of the van and looked through it. He handed me my wallet.
"Ma'am? Is this yours?"
"It is. Thank you."
Another vehicle arrived to take
Cory away, and he gave me one final smirk before the rangers pushed him into
the back.
"Hope you had fun," he
chuckled before the ranger shoved him into the car, "We won't use a condom
next time, either."
****
Clay drove me back to his office.
I relaxed, letting the tension of the situation drain out of my body.
Everything had turned out all right.
"You said ten bucks,
right?"
"It's okay," Clay said, "you don't have to pay me. It was a pleasure
to help out a young woman. A beautiful young woman."
Clay turned to leave. I guess the
rocking chair outside on the porch was waiting.
"You can come outside and
hang out, if you want," he said. "You've got the day off,
right?"
"Yeah." I walked
outside, following him. What a perfect gentleman, I thought. He was a little
older than I was, but I liked his maturity, and his strength.
And he was attractive. Maybe he
wasn't totally ripped like Cory or one of the other rock climbers, but he
looked like he'd been pretty athletic in his younger days, and he still had a
powerful-looking chest and shoulders.
"You live alone
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