Chapter Two

Her work week was finally over and Kate Halloran felt a flutter of nerves as she grabbed her backpack. Most people would be excited about leaving town and going on vacation—and she was—but the journey was going to be long and take her far away from home. And that made her anxious.

Bucket list trip, Kate, she reminded herself. You're going to have an amazing time in South America.

Even if it would be by herself.

She put that thought out of her mind. Tomorrow morning, she was boarding a plane bound for Rio de Janeiro by way of S?o Paulo. Kate had her entire trip in the Cidade Maravilhosa, or Marvelous City, fully planned out, and she hoped everything would go smoothly. She was a planner to her core and didn't have a spontaneous gene in her DNA. Ever pragmatic, her friends at work called her Cautious Kate because she thought things through before acting and never took chances.

But flying solo to Rio this weekend in the midst of Carnaval was huge for her. Granted, she had no desire to attend the biggest event on the Brazilian calendar, but she could watch some of the parades and street parties. Possibly. From the safety of her hotel room window.

After closing her office door, Kate peeked into the office next to hers where her co-worker Samantha sat behind a chipped desk. Kate loved her job as a park ranger at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Being outside made her happy and, as a ranger, she spent a good portion of her day in the great outdoors in one of the most beautiful and picturesque places on Earth. No day was ever the same, and it was probably the only aspect of her life she didn't mind not being able to plan. One day she could be patrolling the park grounds, instructing guests on safety rules and regulations, answering questions, and giving tours, and the next helping with search and rescue missions. There was just enough stability to keep her organized mind happy.

"I'm heading out," Kate said.

Samantha looked up and grinned. "Have a blast! I'm so jealous you're going to be in Rio during Carnival."

"I won't see a lot of that."

"Yeah, I know. You're going to be trekking through another park," Samantha said in a voice full of disapproval.

"I like trekking," Kate insisted.

Samantha stood up, circled around her desk and propped a hip against the edge. "Yeah, yeah. But think of all the fun you could have. It's like five days of parties, Kate."

"I'm not interested in all that chaos," Kate said with a wave of her hand. "Besides, I'm going there to explore Tijuca. Then I have a tour of the Amazon scheduled and—"

"Most people go to Rio this time of year for Carnival," Samantha interrupted, rolling her eyes. "Promise me you'll at least check it out. Maybe watch a parade?"

But Kate only gave her a noncommittal shrug.

"What am I going to do with you, Cautious Kate?"

Kate did her best to not let the nickname bother her or apologize for what she enjoyed. "I'm a country girl. Give me the wide-open outdoors over a busy, crowded city any day."

"To each his own, as my grandma used to say." Samantha gave her a hug. "Have fun and be careful."

"I will." Kate turned to leave.

"Oh, and Kate?"

She glanced over her shoulder and raised a dark eyebrow.

"If some handsome stranger happens to appear and sweeps you up into the adventure of a lifetime, you can always take a few more days off. I'll hold down the fort." Samantha tossed her a wink and Kate snorted.

"Yeah, okay, thanks. I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

Like that would ever happen. First, Kate didn't go on epic adventures and, second, she'd sworn off attractive men who would inevitably end up breaking her heart. Focusing on her job at the park kept her busy. She didn't need a man to make her feel fulfilled.

As she walked out of the log cabin structure that housed their office space, that twinge of discontent she'd been feeling lately flared to life. She couldn't quite place her finger on the reason it was rearing its ugly head, or why it had started to begin with. Okay, so maybe if she was being completely honest, a part of her, way down deep, yearned for a love story she could call her own. A significant other who wouldn't hurt her like before. But, the moment she wondered if she should take a leap of faith, Cautious Kate stepped in and shut down any thoughts of dating.

She was turning thirty-three in September and the older she got, the faster time seemed to slip away. Would she be okay being single and alone when she turned forty, fifty, sixty? Truthfully, the thought scared her.

Kate was sensible and, for the longest time, much preferred looking at nature over men. But, she knew she hadn't given dating a fair chance since being burned by an ex five years ago. That nightmare of dating a co-worker had left a deep scar on her heart and mind.

Brett had been the first man she was attracted to who paid her any real attention. They had the same interests: camping, country music, a mutual hate for coffee, survivalist reality shows and, most surprising of all, he was a vegan just like her. But it was even more than that. In the beginning, he'd made her feel seen. Something no man had ever done before.

Kate had never been the popular, outgoing cheerleader, but rather the shy tomboy who liked to wander off on her own and explore outside. Her long, chestnut hair with russet highlights was eternally pulled back in a ponytail and she chose pants over dresses every time. Her childhood consisted of scuffed knees, bruises and cuts. Freckles served as her makeup and she much preferred her hiking boots to high heels.

Climbing into her Jeep, Kate glanced in the rearview mirror and, even though she was naturally pretty, all she saw was a Plain Jane. Sometimes, she didn't feel feminine enough, which led her to believe she was undesirable. And after Brett dumped her for a statuesque blonde who wore the latest designer clothes and probably owned the entire MAC counter, she'd felt especially frumpy and more than a little homely.

During an especially low point, she'd sat on her couch, drank a bottle of wine and nearly dyed her dark tresses platinum. But then she thought about her dad and something he'd said came back to her.

"Katie, no one can be everyone's cup of tea. You can only be yourself. And if somebody doesn't like the amazing person you are, then screw ‘em."

God, she missed him. Every single day. She'd been sixteen when she'd lost him in a tragic accident, and her mom had taken off long before that. Being all alone in the world sucked and she'd found herself turning more and more to the outdoors and the natural world. Kate felt an indescribable comfort when she was surrounded by nature. Like her dad was still there and with her on some ethereal level. She wasn't sure how to explain it exactly, but she felt it in the depths of her soul.

Some people might think that was corny, but she didn't care. It gave her joy and peace of mind. Just like this trip to Rio was going to do. And even though she was traveling there alone, she knew her dad would be with her.

And, maybe if she was lucky, she would even get an adventure all her own. At least, she secretly hoped so.