Read Online Bleeding Green by Anne James - Free Book Online

will call for you this evening.”
    “Off you go then, ranger. Go do your ranger duties.”
    Buttoning her shirt with trembling fingers and tucking it back in to her trousers, Laurel backed from the tempting beauty that gazed at her from the bed looking like a seductive Monet painting, “I want you.”
    “I know,” Brodie gave a throaty purr. “The feeling is mutual, I can assure you.”
    Laurel patted Jackson’s huge head and closed the side door. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and counted slowly to ten. I can do this. I can leave. Walking to her state-issued truck, she looked forward to the day ahead. Back in the saddle.
    Arriving at her office, she answered or deleted all 62 emails and returned several phone messages.
    As she was playing catch up from her time away, Boyd threw open her door causing her to jump.
    “Good to have you back!” His voice boomed off the ceiling and walls.
    She smiled and motioned for him to come in with her hand. “Good to be back. Come in and sit down.”
    She gave him a brief rundown of her trip, as she hadn’t spoken to him since the cemetery.
    Boyd leaned forward in his chair opposite her desk listening intently. “You have a lot on your shoulders.”
    Laurel shrugged. “Don’t we all? Sometimes we just get more shoveled at us than others.”
    Boyd leaned back and scratched his thick mane of black spiky hair that seemed to have more sparkles of gray than the last time Laurel had seen him. She wondered how he managed to keep his sanity with all the state budget cuts. Tallahassee seemed oblivious to the field staff at times. The park manager’s daily challenge to keep any particular park operating with all the many expenses and no money to do it with was an unending struggle.
    He stood up and rammed his hands in his front pockets. “I don’t take the threat of this good ranger gone bad, Ernie Buckle, lightly. I want you to stay alert and report anything, I stress the word anything , out of the ordinary to me immediately. I had a talk with the Bureau Chief and he has proof that Ernie was seen up in the panhandle last week. The Director, Ronald Riggatoni, has been notified by the chief as well.”
    Laurel leaned back in her swivel chair just as her phone intercom invaded the room with Janice LaPlume’s husky voice. “Laurel, a call from the campground hosts on site 56.”
    Laurel said, “Janice, can you have them leave a message please? I’m talking to Boyd.”
    “You bet.”
    She folded her hands on her desk and peered up at the park manager. “Is it really that serious?”
    “We’re taking it that way. Just be careful.” He gave a brief nod and shut the door with a slam.
    Laurel jumped again. Jeez! As if the conversation didn’t make her jumpy enough! She sat staring at her computer. The last email was a request to have a film shoot on the park property. The company needed specific information.
    She glanced at her watch. Nine-thirty. Jiggling her right leg, she felt the walls of the room closing in on her. Standing she reached for the two-way radio on her desk. All park staff wore a radio in the field. She clipped it on her right pants pocket. The Operations Manual dictated that only two things could be worn on the belt—two black things, of course. As she kept her personal cell and the Nextel work phone attached to her belt that left no place for the radio.
    The red blinking light on her phone caught her eye just as she was locking her office door. Rats! She’d forgotten to listen to the message from the campground hosts. Never mind. She’d just swing through the campground after visiting the Nature Center. She had glanced at the volunteer schedule for the nature center and saw that her good friend, Phillip Potter, who was also the president of the Citizen’s Support Organization (CSO) was working the Nature Center.
    She smiled as she strode to her vehicle. A good repartee with Phil always brightened her day. His dry British wit was delivered in a