Page 42 of Capture the Moment

“They start out cautiously. After emerging from the den,mothers and cubs tend to spend their first few weeks around the site. That helps the COY to slowly explore their world and start to learn some skills. Only half of COYs make it to their second year.”

Sad.Nature could be so cruel. Kate remembered going to an exercise class where the instructor wore a T-shirt that proclaimed “Say yes to the universe!” At the time, she had thought it silly. Now, she thought it foolish. The universe was heartless. It didn’t care what you thought.

Listening to the rain on the awning above them, Kate mulled over whether she could ask the question that had been on her mind since their earlier conversation. Finally, she turned to Coop. “Do you know where her den is?”

Coop shifted in his seat, his gaze flickered away, a hint of reluctance in his expression. “Somewhere near Pilgrim Creek. In the high country.”

Maybe Kate shouldn’t have asked. Or maybe ... he seemed uncomfortable because he did know.

“You do know, don’t you?” she pressed, her tone gentle but insistent.

Coop sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. “This time last year, I found her den.” He rubbed his forehead. “With each passing day, I’ve thought about heading up there to check on her, to see if she made it through the winter.”

A surge of excitement washed over Kate. “Would you take me there?” she asked eagerly, her eyes shining with anticipation.

He shook his head. “First of all, it’s a difficult trip. Straight up.”

“I won’t slow you down.”

“Well, the area is restricted to the public for now.”

“We’re not the public. We’re a ranger and a photographer.”

“True, but interfering with wildlife can have serious consequences.”

“But I wouldn’t be interfering. I know the mantra—observe, don’t disturb. I have no intention of disturbing anything. But I do have an idea for a unique photograph.”

Coop narrowed his eyes. “What kind of idea?”

“I want to set up my camera and capture her as she emerges.”

“Do you realize how long that could take?”

“Not for me. My camera has a motion detection feature. If she’s coming in and out of the den, like you said, it would just be a twenty-four-hour thing.”

He glanced at her camera. “So you’d leave it and we’d come back for it?”

She nodded.

“Let’s say, just for the sake of discussion, that she ventures out of her den. Bears are insatiably curious and they have an incredible sense of smell. If she sniffs your scent on that camera, she’d tear it apart.”

“I’ll take unscented wipes and make sure I’ve eliminated every trace of me.”

“Still sounds risky.”

“It is. But I’m willing to take that risk.”

Coop hesitated, his brow furrowing with concern. “I don’t know, Kate.”

Kate nodded, understanding she was asking a lot of him.

Coop studied her for a moment, his expression softening. “Let me think about it,” he said, a hint of reluctance in his voice.

Kate nodded slowly, her heart pounding with excitement. She hoped he couldn’t hear its thump.

The radio on Coop’s belt crackled to life, interrupting their conversation. “Coop, where are you? Frankie said you were going after the Zoo Girl.”

Kate cringed. How many people were worried about her? Embarrassing.

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