Page 44 of Lost and Found

I've walked for about half an hour when I see it. Broken branches and leaves are strewn everywhere like a small tornado ripped across the trail.

Could this damage have been caused by an actual Bigfoot?

I bark out a laugh at myself and look around for more clues.

My heart freezes when I see a bright blue band caught in a bramble bush. I know that color. It stood out against Dani's brown curls as it attempted and failed to keep them up in a bun on the top of her head.

Stepping closer, I yank the thing from the brambles and examine it. It's definitely a hairband, but Dani is tiny. Even running full-speed and thrashing, she couldn't do damage like this.

Was she being chased? Black bears are common in these woods, but they rarely bother humans. Unless she got between a mother and her cubs or startled a bear…

Adrenaline surges through me again and I push it down. Whatever made this trail isn't trying to hide, which makes it easy to follow, but I'm not after the bear, I'm after Dani. I still need to go slow, take my time, and look for any sign that she might have turned away from the trail, found an escape route, and hidden somewhere.

Every step I take feels like I'm trudging through thick mud when I should be running. Every moment feels like time is slipping from me. That could be the difference between catching Dani before she steps off a cliff, or watching it happen and being able to do nothing.

This might be my forest, but it's a wild place and there are no guarantees. The difference between life and death can be a moment of inattention, a wrong step, a wrong turn.

I love this place, but I never forget how dangerous it can be.

The farther I stray from the trail, the more nervous I get. Bears are fast, but they rarely chase a human far. Once the human is away from their cubs or territory, they typically back down.

What the hell has Dani gotten herself into?

***

Fifteen minutes later, I find her. She's laying on a rock, staring blankly at the sky with a cow curled up next to her, its head on her belly.

Logically, I know cows are herbivores, but my first thought is that the cow is eating her, or is rabid and has bitten her.

My second thought is that Dani fell, and the cow is mourning her or urging her to wake up.

In either scenario, Dani is seriously injured and the last thing I want to do is upset that skinny cow and cause it to hurt her further.

I freeze where I am, about ten feet from the two of them, and whisper shout Dani's name.

She rolls her head in my direction, squinting at me. "Ranger?"

I huff out a breath of relief. She's alive and aware enough to know who I am. "Are you hurt? Did you hit your head?"

"No. My back got stiff, and I needed to lie down. Marigold won't take her head off my lap."

"Did she chase you here and pin you down?" Even as I say it, I realize how ridiculous it sounds. I just can't figure out how Dani ended up in this situation.

She pushes herself up onto her elbows and smiles like I'm overreacting. "I scared her and she took off into the forest. I was afraid she'd get lost or hurt, so I followed her. When I found her, I sat here and spoke softly until she calmed down and came to me. Then she just collapsed with her head on my lap. I'm actually worried she might be sick or hurt."

"And you were just planning to lie there, trapped, until one or both of you died?" Her laid back attitude about this is making me unsteady and on edge. Does she have no care for herself?

She sits all the way up, her brow creased. "I'm okay, Ranger. I chased this cow around the forest for an hour and now I'm taking a little break." She shrugs. "Plus, my phone is in my back pocket, and I can't get to it."

Carefully, I step closer to her. "You're okay, though?"

She scrunches her nose and wetness glimmers in her eyes before she swallows hard. "I can't remember the last time someone asked me that. The answer is no, I'm not okay. I've had a shit day. But physically, other than being tired and my face hurting, I'm fine."

I hate how sad she looks. I'd rather have anger than sadness from her. Stepping closer, I say, "I'm not surprised your face hurts. It's killing me."

She barks out a laugh and the cow shivers but doesn't lift her head. Maybe she is sick.

"Your dad-joke game is strong, Ranger. I'll give you that."