Page 5 of Mystery at Rescue Ridge

“May I help you?”Evie asked.

“I’m Game Warden Joann Garza, and I understand you’ve had an encounter with a dangerous animal in the area.”The warden was tall, at least an inch or two taller than Evie, with olive skin and slick, straight auburn hair cut in a bob that framed her jawline.She wore a serious expression underneath a light-colored cowgirl hat.The hat coordinated with her uniform.A radio squawked, catching the kids’ attention.

The three-year-old’s eyes widened as he took in the warden.Luca loved playing sheriff.Olivia rolled onto her tummy and got stuck trying to scoot off the sofa as Luca darted toward the door.

“Come in,” Evie said, opening the door a little wider to allow passage.

“Thank you,” Warden Garza said.The term statuesque came to mind.

Olivia grunted in frustration at not being able to execute her plan to slide off the couch as Luca plowed into Evie’s knees.An ear-to-ear grin was plastered on the kid’s face as though he was meeting a celebrity or sports star.

The little one, however, was working up to cry.

“Excuse me for one second,” Evie said as she navigated over to the couch with a kid stuck to her like glue.How had Simone managed this and a work-from-home business selling bobbles and homemade goods on the internet?

She helped Olivia down.The kid had only recently learned to walk, so she grabbed hold of the coffee table.Her fingers slipped as Evie turned toward the warden.From the corner of her eye, she saw the bobble and then the fall headfirst into the coffee table.

A few moments of silence stretched on as Olivia wound up to cry.The longer the windup, the worse the cry.Evie had learned the lesson the hard way.

“I’m sorry,” Evie said as the first wail pierced the air.She scooped Olivia up and moved into the kitchen.At least the space was open-concept, so the warden could maintain eye contact as Evie issued another apology.“Please, make yourself at home at the table while I grab an ice cream.”A treat before dinner would most definitely make Ms.Bart’s list of Evie Parenting Failures, but she didn’t know how else to soothe the little ones so she could carry on an adult conversation.

After settling the little angels in their respective high chairs, which felt like a monumental task, Evie grabbed a pair of Popsicles, ripped off the packaging, and then sat across from the warden, who Evie judged to be in her late thirties.“Do you have kids?”

The warden smiled, nonjudgmental.“I have an eleven-year-old boy.”

“How did you survive…this…stage?”Evie seriously wanted an answer because she couldn’t fathom getting through the toddler years.How Simone had pulled it off was a head-scratcher.But then, Simone had made everything look easy.

“My husband was a huge help,” Warden Garza said with a wistful smile.“We live in the same neighborhood as our families.Both of our parents chipped in since we both work odd hours.”

Evie blew out a breath.“That’s it.I’m outnumbered.”

“Is it just you here with the babies?”Warden Garza said.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Please, call me Joann.”

Evie’s gaze was met with warm brown eyes.They almost made her feel comfortable enough to talk about her situation.

The radio squawked, reminding Evie this wasn’t a social visit.“How can I help you, Joann?”

“Start by telling me about the encounter.”Joann’s gaze shifted to Evie’s shredded sleeve and bloodied arm.

“I need to do something about that,” Evie said.She paused.“How did you hear about…?”The answer dawned on her midsentence.“Owen,” she whispered.

“That’s correct, Miss—”

“Call me Evie.”

Joann nodded.“Mr.Sturgess sent a text to me with the information, pinpointing the location where he’d located you after answering a distress call.”

“The thing came at me out of nowhere.”Evie glanced at her arm, realizing she needed to clean up.She was half surprised Ms.Bart hadn’t questioned her about the injury.Then again, the older woman had seen just about everything, according to Simone, which was half the reason she’d hired Ms.Bart part-time to help with the children.Simone had said she would have hired the woman full-time if there’d been enough money.Having a grandmother figure around, one who wasn’t easily spooked, had given Simone peace of mind, especially considering the fact that Ms.Bart lived down the road.The older woman was literally a phone call away.

Somehow, Evie doubted Ms.Bart would appreciate a middle-of-the-night phone call from her when a wind gust caused the old family house to groan, scaring the daylights out of Evie.But that wasn’t the reason Joann sat across the table.

“These types of predators use the element of surprise to attack their prey,” Joann said.

“In all my years growing up here, I don’t remember hearing of such an attack on people.”

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