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"What the fuck was that?" Mesa yells from the open window of his truck as he waits for the rest of us to pull out in front of him.
Before anyone can answer, a second bellow sounds from another direction, this one sounds more distant and higher pitched, whatever it is, there's two of them.
"Window," Oz's face is serious as he points at my half-up driver’s side window. "Up. All the way. If you need me, I'm on channel four. Don't worry, just mountain lions, Red."
He jumps in his own work truck and leads us off the mountain.
I've heard mountain lions-- that was not what made that noise.
Osprey
Red's truck is right behind me, with the kids in the van behind her, and Mesa bringing up the rear to make sure no one stops or has trouble along the way.
It's a slow drive back down the service road in the dark, and the wildlife is definitely on the move. I have to stop three times to avoid scared raccoons and rabbits before we hit the paved road where Deputy Hawkins and his men are working with the local fire crew to escort us off the mountain and down to the main highway while the newly dispatched team of hotshots get to work cutting new lines and clearing brush.
All the while, telling myself that noise was just a couple of recently displaced mountain lions crying over new territory.
Everything has a perfectly reasonable explanation and that's what makes the most sense to me.
Even when then kids in the van are excitedly yammering about catching the 'squatch calls on audio.
Once everyone is past the burn and back on the main highway down to Moonshine Ridge, I might make a mental note to check in with Rapid Jones in the next few days. Not because I want to ask him about his Bigfoot stories or anything, I just haven't seen much of him since he married the Doc and stopped shooting pool down at the tavern with us.
That's what I tell myself as I keep track of Red's headlights in my rear view on the way down to the station in town.
I figure if Bigfoot's a thing, Red'll be safe up there on the job anyway. After all, damn near everyone in town's got a story about the hairy giants and not one of those stories has ever involved getting attacked.
Gotta make sure she doesn't leave base without her bear spray though.
Down at the station, we meet up, file our reports and check on how the closures affect our schedules from here on out, and swap work vehicles for personal ones.
"Follow me." It's not a question, I want Red on my tail all the way back to my place.
"Aren't you going home?" Meadow asks, her eyes twinkling in the parking lot light.
"Yeah, we are." I give her half a smile, running my hands down her arms and loving the way she shivers at my touch.
"I figure you should see where you live now."
Red's never been to my house, but I'm pretty sure she'll like it. If she doesn't, I'll tear it down and build her a new one. Either way, she's mine now and I'm not waiting another minute to move her in.
I'll have my ring on her hand as soon as we get down to Slow River to shop for one, and if I have my way, I'll have my baby growing in her before we're back at work in the morning.
"Lead the way," she tells me with a grin that says she's thinking the same thing I am.
EPILOGUE 1
One Year Later
Meadow
My tenure as back-country ranger was short-lived, since we found out we were pregnant only a couple months after I moved in with Oz.
I was able to keep the job till I was about six months, after that, Osprey put his foot down and insisted I take a job down at the station in town.
Not that I minded. To be honest, Oz wasn't the only one who was a little freaked out about me being all alone up at the yurt during snow season with no way in or out that wasn't on skis or snow-shoes.
And now that Fields is here, I'm so glad that I never have to spend a day away from my family.
