Page 93 of Capture the Moment

“Cooper! That’s enough.”

Why? Should Coop not have said that? Wasn’t it obvious to everyone? “Kids like Frankie, I see them all the time at my school. They’re starved for their parents’ attention.”

Sally groaned and dropped her chin to her chest.

“It’s okay, Ranger Janus.” Franklin lifted a hand to reassure Sally. “I don’t disagree. I just haven’t known what to do about him. He’s been so ... angry.”

Coop cast a glance at Sally to see if she was trying to warn him, but she seemed to have calmed down from high alert. “Sounds like he’s had a lot to deal with. First his mother’s death, followed closely by your DC appointment. Honestly, I think he feels like he’s lost both parents.”

The professional facade of Donald Franklin dropped, and he looked like just another confused dad. Coop saw a lot of them in high school. “Hey, but you’re here now, and that says a lot.” Why was he here, anyway?

The door burst open, Frankie’s usual style of entry, but then he froze when he saw his father. “Dad? You came.”

“Hello, Frankie,” his dad said.

“I didn’t expect you to drop everything. I didn’t expect you to come all this way.”

“You should expect that,” Franklin said, his voice cracking. “You’re my son.” He rose from his chair and opened his arms. “You’ve helped to nail Wade Schmidt. That’s a pretty big deal to me.” For a long awkward moment, Frankie seemed puzzled, like he didn’t know quite what to do. Then it clicked and he took a step forward, just enough encouragement for his dad to reach out and pull him into his arms. Awkward, but a start.

Coop motioned to Sally that they should leave the room. On the walk down the hallway, Sally said, “I had no idea you were a child psychologist.”

Coop laughed. “That situation didn’t exactly take rocket science.”

“Neither did the photograph at Willow Flats.” Sally stopped to look at him. “I wish you had come to me with your suspicions.”

Coop turned to face her. “I’m sorry, Sally. I just didn’t know what to do. So I went to Tim.”

“That was the right thing to do. Even though you both had it all wrong.” She waved it off, like it was ancient history. “The deputy director has some announcements he wants to make. The off-duty rangers are meeting out in front of the visitor center. The Zoo Girl is coming, right?”

“Kate. Her name is Kate Cunningham. And yes, she’s on her way.”

Sally turned and went briskly down the hall, leaving Coop with an uncomfortable feeling in his gut.

Tim Rivers and Maisie stood in front of headquarters, along with a few off-duty rangers, after receiving a cryptic message from Sally:There’s going to be special announcements, so get on over here.He watched as Sally emerged from the front door, followed by Coop, and then a man strolled out with his arm around Frankie—just enough familial resemblance for Tim to know who this man was. He grinned at the sight of a father and son acting like fathers and sons should.

Without waiting for introductions, the man addressed the small gathering of rangers. “Good afternoon,” he began, his voice exuding authority. “My name is Donald Franklin, deputy director of the NPS.”

Tim fought back a smile as he noticed how every ranger straightened up at Franklin’s words, a subtle sign of respect.

“I want to personally thank each one of you for your dedication to preserving the integrity of our national parks. It’s a job that demands the utmost vigilance, and I’m proud to see such commitment.” He clasped his hands together. “But that’s not the reason I’ve come. There’s been an impressive collaboration here between rangers, law enforcement, and even a wildlife photographer. Caught the poacher, saved the bear.”

Give Sally credit, Tim thought.She deserves full credit.

“We’ve got a lot to celebrate today. Is Kate Cunningham here?”

Kate, standing next to Coop, raised her hand.

“My son told me about your quick thinking. Impressive stuff. In fact, I’ve been talking with Sally here about your photography skills. She shared some of your work with me, and I must say, your photos are impressive. However, what really caught my attention were your captions. Nowadays, many parks are utilizing social media to connect with younger audiences, active on platforms like Intergram—”

“Aww, Dad,” Frankie said, groaning. “Instagram.” Under his breath he muttered, “He’s gotta get his cool on.”

“Right. Instagram.” Franklin cleared his throat. “Ranger Janus thinks you’re the ideal candidate for this new social media role for the park.”

Nice, Tim thought.Really nice. He had to smile at the stunned look on Kate’s face. Her eyes widened in astonishment, then she sputtered, “I’m ... speechless! Thank you so much.”

Smiling, Franklin said, “Just keep coming up with those captions.” He turned to Coop, standing next to Kate. “And we’ve got a seasonal ranger who deserves some recognition.”

Sally, Tim thought.Talk about Sally.

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