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."