“Hello,” Lily said, returning their friendly smiles and welcoming greetings. Feeling the sudden fatigue of the long drive and the tense journey up the mountain, she leaned close to Sarah and murmured, “Do I have time to grab another cup of coffee?”

“Have at it,” Sarah said as Nat chatted with the two counselors. “We’re pretty relaxed here, and we’re still waiting on Chase.”

“I won’t be a minute,” Lily said and hurried through to the kitchen. She slowed on her way to the coffee station. Chase Fielder leaned with her hips against the stainless steel counter, a mug of coffee in one hand. She looked relaxed and way too young. Not that that was relevant.

“Dr. Davenport,” Chase said, lifting her mug in Lily’s direction. “Have I mentioned it’s nice to know you’re not one of the parents?”

Lily flushed. “Lily, please.” Lily poured coffee and made a quick decision. Engage, ignore, or deflect? “Why?”

Chase didn’t try to pretend she didn’t understand. “Because you’d likely be involved.”

“A reasonable but not necessarily accurate assumption. I could be a single mother for any number of reasons.”

“Are you?”

“Which?”

“Involved or a single mother?”

“No.” Lily sighed. “Neither of which is relevant to…anything.”

Chase just smiled. “Done with the grand tour?”

“I don’t think so,” Lily said carefully.

“You see the zip line yet?”

Lily narrowed her eyes. “You’re joking.”

“No joke. There’s a climbing wall…well, it’s a rock face. Lots of fun when they get to that.”

“Officer Fielder—”

“Ranger Fielder will do,” Chase said, “but Chase works better.”

“Ranger Fielder,” Lily repeated, emphasis on Ranger, “if you are trying to somehow worry me, you’re wasting your time. I assure you, nothing that might happen here, and I sincerely hope we don’t have any reason to find out, will be a problem for me.”

“Snakes?”

Lily flinched and forced herself not to look around. “Snakes.”

“Yes, as in rattle.”

“Endemic?” Lily asked in her best professional, I-will-not-show-fear voice.

“Very much so.”

“I’ll have to find out about the store of antivenom.” Lily couldn’t recall seeing any in the clinic. She probably should have researched environmental health hazards. A few years ago she might have. Her curiosity had disappeared along with her joy in medicine.

“We have it.”

Lily’s attention snapped back to Chase. “We?”

“All the rangers. In my field box in the Jeep. It’s best if administered on-site. If by chance one of the campers comes across one of the big guys on their way down to the lake, then obviously you will be closer.”

“On the way down to the lake.”

“They like to get into the paths when it’s sunny.” She glanced down. “I would recommend hiking boots at all times.”

Lily took mental stock and realized everyone she’d seen, except her, was wearing hiking boots, even with shorts.

“You have hiking boots?” Chase asked.

“I have…running shoes. Sarah said sturdy shoes. I took that to mean, you know, shoes.”

“Oh boy.”

“That won’t be a problem,” Lily said quickly. “I’ll just run down and buy a pair today.”