Full Moon (20 page)

At that moment, our almost-heated
conversation was stopped when our boss, Ms. Aikers, walked in and
met Jeanie’s gaze. “I need you to check all the enclosures and make
sure every animal is in its place.”

“What’s up?” Jeanie asked.

“Somebody was attacked and killed by an
animal. The sheriff is out front. We have to make sure none of our
animals have escaped, especially the bears. This is top priority,
and I’m putting every employee on top of it.”

“Oh my gosh! Who was killed?” she asked.

“A tourist, hiking in the woods.”

“That’s gonna be front-page news,” she said.
“The media is gonna swarm this place if it’s got anything to do
with us.”

“I know,” Ms. Aikers said, looking at both
of us with a worried expression on her face. “Let’s just hope none
of our animals got out.” With that, she stormed out of the
room.

At that very moment, the wolves crossed my
mind, and I feared that the same group of brave, possibly
rabies-infected canines had devoured someone. “I ran into a pack of
wolves in the forest that weren’t acting…natural,” I chimed in.

“Really?” Mr. Aikers said.

“Yes. They stalked me and my friends
and—“

Jeanie laughed. “That’s ridiculous,” she
said, and before I could say another word, she bolted out the door,
with me hot on her heels.

We checked every pen in the zoo and were
relieved to find that all of the zoo animals were present and
accounted for. Still, it didn’t make me feel much better. Somewhere
in those woods, someone had been killed, and I was sure those
wolves had something to do with it.

Chapter 9

When Jesse’s number showed up on my caller
ID, I quickly answered.

“Taylor?” he said.

His voice sent shivers down my spine;
hearing him say my name was an adrenaline rush like none I’d ever
felt before.

“Yes, this is me,” I said.

“What are you doing on your day off
tomorrow?” he asked.

“I don’t have any big plans. Why?”

“Do you like to rollerblade?”

“Sure.”

“Cool. I was wondering if you’d like to meet
at the Alpine Pedal Path. It’s a paved path that runs along the
north shore of Big Bear Lake.”

“I’ll be there!”

“Great!”

“Do you mind if I bring Max?”

“Sure. Is two p.m. all right?”

“Perfect,” I said.

“Goodbye, Taylor.”

“Goodbye,” I said, and he hung up the
phone.

* * *

I thought Friday would never come, but it
finally did. I dug through my boxes but couldn’t find the outfit I
wanted. When I finally found my spring pastels, I threw on a white
tank-top with a mint trim and a big mint and silver heart, and I
had pants to match. I finished the summery look off with a cute
white pair of sandals, but then I realized tennis shoes would be
better for the occasion, so I slipped my bright white ones on. I
took one last glance in the mirror and smoothed out my eyeshadow. I
wanted my makeup to look natural and not caked on since we’d be
outside in daylight.

My heart leapt in my chest when Max and I
pulled into the parking lot of the Alpine Pedal Path and I saw
Jesse standing there. Again, I took in his chiseled features, and
he looked so handsome and cute in his rollerblades and helmet that
I simply had to rush out of the car with my dog to greet him.
“C’mon, Max,” I said, “and you better be a good boy today.”

Jesse waved me over, and we hurried right up
to him. Unfortunately, while I was breathlessly gazing into Jesse’s
winter-blue eyes, my dog was not so happy to see him and wouldn’t
stop barking.

“It’s okay, Max,” Jesse said.

To my surprise, the dog calmed down
immediately and sat down next to me, still as a statue except for
his wagging tail.

“Hi, Jesse,” I said, overcome by that
feeling in the pit of my stomach, as if I’d swallowed a hornet’s
nest. We’d had a few simple conversations on the phone and via text
outside of work, but this was our first official date, and I hoped
we wouldn’t be encumbered by too many awkward silences and
uncomfortable moments.

“You’re early,” he said, smiling.

I held on to the leash in my hands. “I
sooner be dead than late,” I said.

He reached for the leash, and I sat on the
bench to put my rollerblade equipment on. As I adjusted my red
helmet, I smiled. “Okay. I’m ready.”

He grinned. “Great.”

With Max’s leash tightly in my grasp, we
started to skate down the mountain trail. It wound through a pine
forest and meadows. Birds flitted overhead, and lizards sunned
themselves on big granite rocks, absorbing the heat and all that
Vitamin D. Max absolutely loved it and couldn’t stop smelling every
little thing as we strolled by. It was such a nice change to
breathe that fresh, clean mountain air after living in the smoggy
city. In fact, it was like being in a completely different
world.

“So…on the phone you said you wanted to talk
to me about something in person,” Jesse said.

“Yeah. I just need to get something off my
chest. I know I told you I don’t want to talk about that night, but
I kinda need to.”

“What’s on your mind?” he asked.

“I feel like it was my fault that you got
shot,” I said, almost tearing up from the guilt I’d been
harboring.

“Why would you even think that?”

“If you hadn’t had to drive us home, it
would have never happened.”

“Don’t even say that. You and Julie might
have died, because neither one of you was in a position to drive
safely.”

“I can’t believe that Jonathon guy was so
high on drugs that he actually shot you. It’s just…crazy. How well
do you know him?”

“He’s, uh…an acquaintance.”

“Well, I hope he gets his act together
before he really hurts or kills somebody.”

“It’ll be taken care of,” he said, sounding
like some godfather in a mobster movie. “In the meantime, thanks
for keeping quiet.”

“I still don’t get why those wolves acted
the way they did. Do you think they’re responsible for the attacks
on tourists and hikers?”

“Maybe. A lot of weird things have been
happening around here.”

“Yeah. Well, it’s over and done with, like a
bad dream, and I just want to forget about it. I should’ve never
let Julie take me to that party in the first place. I’ve definitely
learned my lesson.”

He smiled as if he was glad to hear it.

“Let’s get off this lame subject about
drugged-out crazies and infected wolves.”

“Right,” he agreed. “I’d love to know more
about you,” he said. “Do you like to bike or play any sports?
Collect stamps? Dance around to seventies disco music singing into
a hairbrush when you’re bored?” he said with a grin, as if
imagining it.

I laughed, envisioning it too. “I’m not
really into philately, but I love to sketch designs. I have
hundreds of virtual and hand-drawn designs, and I hope to go into
fashion someday—maybe with my own clothing line or label.”

“You’re very creative.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that before, but the truth
is, ideas can come at anytime. If I’m sitting at a restaurant and
one hits me, I’ll sketch it out on a napkin.”

“I guess it’s best to get your idea down
while it’s still fresh in your head.”

“Lots of fashion schools require a
portfolio, so I’ve been trying to get one together.”

“Isn’t that hard?”

“Not really. Like I said, I have hundreds of
ideas for clothes, accessories, and shoes.”

“Taylor, I know I haven’t known you that
long, but I’m pretty sure you can do anything you put your mind
to.”

“Thanks. When we moved here, I thought I’d
have to give up my future career. I mean, when it comes to fashion,
Big Bear Lake’s not exactly the center of fashion. Still, I’m
learning to adjust and taking inspiration from the gorgeous natural
surroundings and the wonderful people I’ve met here.”

“It must be nice to get away from all those
beeping taxis, all the hustle and bustle. It’s so peaceful here.
Besides, if you come up with your own label or line, you could just
run a business online. We country folk have that there Interwebs
too, ya know,” he said, smiling.

I laughed. “Right. Maybe I’ll start a huge
Internet empire, a dot.com—or maybe I’ll just become a painter
instead.”

“You paint too? Wow. Quite the artist,
aren’t you?”

A smile curled up on my lips. “Drawing and
painting have been hobbies of mine since I was a little girl. If
the fashion thing bombs, I can always turn to one of those. With
all the inspiration around here, all these beautiful landscapes and
animals, I’m sure I’d have never-ending paintings to sell.”

“Right. You can stay in Big Bear Lake and
become an artist.”

“I’d love to. I gotta admit, I’m falling in
love with this place more and more every day,” I said, though I
knew the guy rollerblading next to me had much to do with that. “It
sure is beautiful and peaceful out here.”

“Your dog thinks so too,” he said, nodding
toward Max, who looked to be having the time of his life.

I laughed. “He loves it out here. How long
have you lived here?” I asked.

“I was born here, and there’s no way my mom
would ever leave.”

“And your dad? I mean…if you don’t mind my
asking,” I said, realizing it was a touchy subject for some
people.

“He left before I was born,” he said.

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“We’ve all gotten along without him,” he
said.

“Is there someone besides you and your
mom?”

“Yeah. I’ve got a brother and a sister.”

“Who is the oldest?” I asked.

“No one really.”

“Huh?” I asked, confused.”

He laughed. “We’re triplets, all seventeen.
Technically, Sam is the oldest, then Kierra, then me.”

“What’s it like growing up as one-third of a
set of triplets?”

“We’re pretty close, and my brother and
sister are awesome, even if they can be annoying sometimes. Kierra
is really bossy at times, and I swear Sam lives to embarrass
me.”

I laughed. “Yeah, siblings can be like
that.”

“Oh? I thought you were an only child.”

“No. I have two brothers and one sister, but
they’re all grown and are out on their own. I’m the baby, the last
one to leave the nest.”

“Another thing we have in common. We’re both
the youngest.”

I laughed. “I guess so!”

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready
to get out there and tackle the world head on. I dream of traveling
around the globe. I’ve been stuck here my whole life, and now that
I’m almost eighteen, I want to see what lies beyond Big Bear
Lake.”

“Any particular places you want to
visit?”

“So many!”

“Name one.”

He started gliding, skating backward so he
could face me while he talked. “I want to surf in Teahupoo, Tahiti.
There are these unbelievable swells that roll over a shallow coral
reef. I’ve read and heard that catching a wave is just like flying.
Most people who see waves as tall as Mount Everest would run in the
other direction but not me. I’d love to ride them.”

“I had no idea you’re so adventurous. What
are some other things you’d love to do?”

His eyes lit up, as if he’d been waiting for
someone to ask him that for years. “I also want to heli-ski down
the Chugach Range in Alaska.”

When Max spent too much time sniffing a
flower, I gave him a gentle tug. “Helicopter ski?” I asked.

“Yeah. You ski down this huge mountain, and
if you wipe out, you cartwheel. It’s like falling in space, except
you reconnect with the snow every fifty feet or so. I also want to
paraglide over the Grand Tetons and swim with sharks in Florida,
without a cage, of course.”

“Maybe you could wrestle a gator in the
Everglades,” I said.

“Yeah! I’ll definitely add that to my list.
I’d love to drive crazy speeds across frozen lakes in Arjeplog,
Sweden and do a ninety-MPH donut!”

“Wow. Those are some risky goals you’ve got
there, but they sound like a blast.”

“There are some places in California I’d
like to check out too, like Laguna Beach, for body-surfing,
body-boarding, diving, and tide-pooling.”

“A thrill-seeker, huh?”

He grinned. “That I am.”

I pointed to his tattoo, solid black, with
curves that ended in points and interlocked in complex patterns and
abstract designs. “Tell me more about that. I noticed it the first
day at work, but I was too embarrassed to ask.”

He lifted his short sleeve. “Oh. Well, this
is the symbol of strength, power and bravery.” He pointed to the
swirls in his design. “These represent the past, present, and
future.”

I pointed to the ankh in his design. “I
recognize this one. I have a cross like it.”

“Cool. I thought long and hard before I
settled on this design. It has a lot of symbolism in it. If I was
going to have something on my arm forever, I wanted it to mean
something.”

“So every single line and shape has
meaning?”

“Yes. I wanted something special and unique
to me.”

I traced the lines on his arm. “I love it.
When did you get it done?”

“Last year.”

“It’s really cool, Jesse.”

“Thanks.”

“Tell me, is Big Bear Lake this pretty in
the winter?”

“Believe it or not, it’s even more
incredible. The skiing is amazing.”

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never skied
before.”

“You will…and I will teach you. You’ll be
off the bunny hill in no time.”

I was taken aback that he was talking as if
we might actually have a future as friends or even something more.
“Wow. I never thought I’d have such a handsome ski instructor—or
any ski instructor, for that matter.”

We gradually picked up the pace, taking
long, smooth strides, then cruised effortlessly down the trail. I
enjoyed the thrill and speed, and I was glad Max’s four furry legs
enabled him to keep up with my eight wheels. I glanced up briefly
and caught sight of an eagle flying majestically overhead, only to
be followed by a pelican a few minutes later. The lake was amazing,
and it looked like an oil painting with the beautiful mountains for
a backdrop. Max barked at the wildlife on the lake, and I couldn’t
help but smile when I saw a mama duck with all her little chicks
paddling along behind her.