envenoMATE

19. Experience Again Hope

**Adina returns next chapter**

Two hours later, Ranger Hardy was grabbing a cup of coffee for Daniel in the park lodge.

Daniel was on edge, near ripping his hair out or standing from the worn stool and tearing apart Hardy’s small office. He barely felt the warmth from the styrofoam cup when Hardy pressed it against his hand, but after a few taps, he snapped out of his angered haze.

With a deep sigh, Hardy eased into his faithful rocking-chair beside the fireplace.

“I don’t know why Hubert wasn’t able to follow Adina, Daniel.” Hardy shook his head at the memory of the events a few hours prior. “I’ve never seen him behave like that before. He had it, and then . . .”

Hardy shrugged, his mind at a complete loss about what happened. He removed his ranger’s hat and ran a hand over the top of his head as he searched his memory for any clues.

Hubert was the best hunting dog Hardy ever had. Only once before had he been unable to find someone, and that incident could be placed under special circumstances.

Today, everything appeared quite ordinary, but things never pulled together. They had tried, and tried again and again to pick up a trail but never moved more than thirty yards.

For two hours, Hubert would pick up Adina’s scent and attempt to follow it only to whine and hide behind Hardy’s leg. There had to have been some other scent in the air that warned him off, but what could it have possibly been? It wasn’t likely for some animal to mark Adina’s car.

Daniel clutched the coffee cup dangerously tight, his fingernails beginning to dig into the foam. Hubert, despite his inability, confirmed Daniel’s suspicions: Adina was in trouble -- if she was still alive.

He needed to go look at the scene again, without Ranger Hardy. He needed Dorian, and he needed Julius. There had to be a Were involved. It was the only plausible reason for Hubert’s inability to follow the trail.

But what kind? And why would it go after Adina? Was a Were trying to hurt the Colmans by hurting her? That made sense, but was highly unlikely. The Colmans had not yet hunted these woods. There was no reason for any attacks. And how would any animal know Adina was with them? It didn’t make any sense.

Daniel had thought the beast might have been trying to steal her possessions from her car when Adina caught it in the act. But that theory fell through when the other rangers found her stuff simply stuffed under the seat.

Had Adina moved it? If so, didn’t she see his many calls and voicemails? Why hadn’t she called him back? Had some kind samaritan stopped by and simply hid it stuff for her? None of it made any sense!

“Hold that cup any tighter, son, and you’re liable to crush it,” Hardy spoke softly.

Daniel looked at his grip and slowly loosened the tension in his hands.

Hardy nodded as he rocked back and forth. “Good choice. Though, you looked so deep in thought I doubt you would have felt the scorching coffee hit you.”

Daniel nodded, not in the mood for small talk. He needed answers, darn it! Answers! He needed Adina! He needed to know she was okay.

Standing, he put the untouched coffee on Hardy’s desk, next to a photo of a young lad. Daniel meant to leave, but the photo caught his eye and attention.

The boy was small, probably five or six years old with the widest grin Daniel had ever seen. Ranger Hardy looked to be ten to fifteen years younger, his slim arm wrapped tenderly around the boy’s small shoulders. Bright, blonde hair crept out from under a large baseball cap, barely fitting the kid’s head.

Daniel found his lips curling into a smile at the happiness in the child’s bright blue eyes.

“That’s Dexter,” Hardy choked out, his voice deep and strained. He coughed, trying to loosen his throat. “That’s my boy.”

Daniel finally removed his gaze from the photograph to look at Hardy, who had transformed from a calm, tough man to a red-faced, struggling guy who looked ready to crumble.

Despite Hardy’s appearance, there was no mistaking the pride in his voice nor the love in his eyes.

“What happened?” Daniel asked softly, knowing something had to have occurred in order for Hardy to be so shaken up.

“Bear cub got him; he was trying to protect his crush.”

Hardy’s voice wavered with unshed grief, but he laughed through it.

“I don’t know what boy is interested in girls at six years old, but I swear, Dexter fell in love with Kelly the moment he saw her ten year old self chasing butterflies and fireflies.”

Hardy’s face was smiling at the memory before it turned back to serious hurt.

“He liked to follow her around. One day, noticed this bear cub following her as well. The animal looked ready to pounce so Dexter did me proud, he did the right thing and tried to protect her . . . That’s what some observers said anyway. If they saw everything, I don’t know why they didn’t intervene.”

Hardy shook his head and stood up. With a harsh cough, he wiped his hands over his face, as if using his few tears to wash away the day’s sweat and dirt.

“By the time I was notified, Dexter had already passed on. Kelly and the cub were missing, along with the witnesses. Not sure why, but they had only stuck around long enough to phone in a report. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss him or mourn with Kelly’s parents about the disappearance of their daughter. I got closure, painful as it was, but I am thankful for it. We’ve searched many years for Kelly, but no trace of her has ever been found.”

Hardy stood next to Daniel, tracing a finger over his son’s face in the picture frame. After a moment, he lifted his determined gaze up to Daniel’s softened eyes.

“I won’t stop looking for your girl, Daniel. We’ll do what we can, I promise you that.”

Daniel nodded, not trusting his voice to speak. With a pursing of his lips, he tried to convey his thanks with his eyes as he headed toward the door.

“And Daniel,” Hardy called, just as Daniel crossed the threshold of the room. Daniel paused and looked back, unrest in his face. “I’ll be praying too.”

Daniel swallowed a lump in his throat as his heart began to pound. Before he fell apart, he moved down the hallway and away from the Ranger. Something about the man stirred something inside of Daniel, something he wasn’t sure he was ready to experience again.

Hope.