“My daughter used to do that,” he murmured.
Red closed Bree’s door and walked around the front of the truck. He got in but didn’t start it up right away.
“Tell me about her.”
“She was a lot like you. Tiny, but feisty. Smart as a whip. Could out-fish me any day of the week. Could out-ride and out-rope me too. Whatever she set her mind to, that girl could do.” Red looked away and took a deep breath. “The only thing she couldn’t do was beat the damn cancer.”
Bree recognized the quiver in Red’s voice. She heard it in her own so often. She also knew that he’d continue his story when he wanted to, and that might mean never.
They were almost to the fishing lodge in Salmon when Red pulled off the side of the road.
“See that there?” he pointed.
Dusk was easing quickly into nightfall, and Bree couldn’t see whatever Red was talking about. “What is it?”
“Looks like a grizzly.” He pulled out a pair of binoculars from under the seat of the truck, and looked in the direction of the hillside.
Suddenly there was movement and Bree realized a herd of pronghorn antelope was scattered on the hillside.
He handed the binoculars over to her. “Look that way,” he pointed again. “She’s stalking them.”
Bree moved the binoculars back and forth until she caught sight of the grizzly. “How do you know it’s a female?”
“Look there,” he said.
Bree lowered the binoculars and looked where he pointed. When she raised them, she could see a bear cub staying just off to the side.
“She’s goin’ in,” he said.
And sure enough, the grizzly bounded forward and caught one of the smaller antelope. Bree lowered the binoculars, not wanting to see the rest.
“Circle of life, young lady,” he said, putting the binoculars back under the seat and starting the truck.
“I know,” she answered with a sigh.
“My daughter would’ve done the same thing. Watched to a point, then set the binocs down.”
“How long has it been, Red?”
“Goin’ on thirty years now.”
“
She must’ve been very young when she died.”
“Twenty-seven. ’Bout your age, if I’m right.”
“You are.”
When Red asked Bree to enter the tournament with him, she knew she’d be fishing the same places she and Zack once fished. She tried to convince herself it would be good for her.
What it ended up being was gut-wrenchingly painful. And it started as soon as they drove up to the main office of Salmon Creek Outfitters. She’d taken her first fly-tying class right here. She wondered if the owners, Annie and Dave, would recognize her.
Before Red could introduce her, Annie pulled her into a bear hug. “Bree Fox, is it ever good to see you! Where is that devilishly handsome husband of yours? Parking the car?”
Bree took a deep breath. She looked at Red, whose soft eyes told her he was right there with her.
“Annie,” she began, hoping her voice wouldn’t quiver. “He was deployed to Afghanistan two years ago. His convoy hit an IED. Zack didn’t make it.”