The Forest Ranger's Promise

by Bale, Leigh

  More than anything, he wanted his child to believe in him. And it occurred to him then that he wasn’t just fighting for the confidence of the local ranchers. He was also fighting for the trust of his daughter.

  No matter what happened from this point on, he resolved to be strong for both of them. “And will you trust me if I tell you that everything’s gonna be okay and I won’t let anything bad happen to us?”

  Another nod and tremulous smile. “Yes, Daddy. I trust you.”

  So maybe that rotten sign at the grocery store had been worth it, just to bring out Shelley’s loyalty and trust. “Okay, then. Why don’t you wait for me by the truck and I’ll be right out after I’ve had a moment to talk to Melanie.”

  Wiping her eyes, Shelley smiled and trotted outside with Anne. Scott watched the girls go, seriously contemplating his options. He fought off the temptation to drive directly to the Sheriff’s Office and demand that the single law enforcement officer in this region put a stop to this nonsense. But what good would filing a complaint do? Obviously, the Donaldsons wanted a fight and he wasn’t about to give it to them.

  “You saw the sign?” he asked Melanie.

  “Yes, it was there.”

  He stood up to go, mentally making a list of the cans and boxes of food in his pantry at home. “I think we can make it until Saturday and then I’ll have to make a trip into Evanston.”

  “And?” Melanie said.

  “And what?”

  “You’re not going to do anything about it?”

  “Like what?”

  “It’s illegal, Scott. They can’t do this.”

  “I know, but a big fight is the last thing I need right now. I’ll have to shop in Evanston for the time being. But if I show up on your doorstep asking for a cup of sugar or a glass of milk, you’ll understand why.”

  “You can’t drive into Evanston every time you need a cube of butter.”

  He shrugged. “We’ll have to do without a few things now and then, but we’ll get by. I’ve faced worse situations in my life.” Including times when his father had drunk up all the money so they couldn’t buy groceries at all. He’d helped his mother grow large gardens, shucking corn and shelling peas, which she canned and put in the pantry. He’d learned to hide a few dollars when he had it, so they could buy milk. He couldn’t remember a time when he didn’t have a part-time job after school to help support the family.

  “And what about other times?” Melanie asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  She stepped closer and looked up at him, her intense gaze holding him captive. He caught her scent, a combination of baked bread and fruity shampoo. He couldn’t decide which he liked best.

  “What about when Shelley starts school in the fall? Are you prepared for the other children to tease her and the teachers to treat her a bit roughly?”

  He clenched his hands. “Anyone who treats my little girl badly will have to answer to me.”

  And he meant it. He could handle whatever anyone threw at him, but he would never tolerate anyone picking on Shelley simply because of his job.

  “Do you have a problem watching her?” he asked.

  She must have caught the brusque anger in his voice, because she visibly flinched. He didn’t mean to frighten her, but right now he was furious. If she wanted to back out on their deal, he needed to know. Could he trust her to treat Shelley with kindness? Just how deep did her resentment toward Ben Stimpson go?

  “Of course not, Scott,” she reassured him. “Before we drove into town, the girls were happy. They work and play well together and get along just fine, except for—” She bit her bottom lip.

  “Except for me.”

  She nodded. “Shelley’s a sweet girl, Scott. I agreed to watch her as long as the two girls got along well and I meant it. I see no need for Shelley to leave. And you can rest assured that I’ll treat her well while she’s in my care.”

  “I’m very aware that Anne doesn’t like me. Why doesn’t she dislike Shelley, too?”

  She scrunched one shoulder up to her ear. “I can’t explain it, but Anne seems to have taken Shelley under her wing. Last night she told me they are kindred spirits because they’re both half dogies.”

  His mouth twitched. “Shelley mentioned something about that.”

  “Yeah…because both girls are missing one of their parents, they’ve decided that makes them half dogies.”

  He smiled; he couldn’t help it. “Doesn’t that beat all? It’d be funny if it weren’t so sad.”

  “I know. I wish more than anything that I could give Anne a loving father.”

  “I feel the same way about Shelley. I tried everything I could think of to make my marriage with Allison work, but she came to hate me for the very same reason Anne doesn’t like me. Because I’m a ranger.”

  And then he asked the question that had been haunting him since he met this woman up on the lonely mountain. “Do you hate me, too?”

  “Of course not. Don’t be silly.” She didn’t hesitate, which he took for honesty.

  Relief flooded Scott’s heart and he couldn’t explain why it meant so much to him that Melanie liked him. He knew he liked her, but that was as far as he was prepared to take their relationship. He had to put Shelley’s needs first and already they were in a difficult predicament.

  “I don’t hate anyone, although I do hate certain things,” she said.

  “Such as?”

  “Alcohol.”

  He held her gaze. “We have that in common.”

  “I won’t tolerate the stuff in my house ever again. I loved my husband, but I don’t miss his drinking. Not after all the pain he caused us in the past with—”

  She didn’t finish her statement, as if realizing she had confided too much. Scott understood the passionate tone of her voice. He remembered feeling much the same way; he’d missed his father after he’d died and yet Scott had been relieved that Dad was gone, too. Life had been difficult after Dad’s death, but at least they didn’t have to fear being woken up in the middle of the night to a harsh beating. It didn’t make sense, loving and hating someone simultaneously. He figured anyone who’d lived with an alcoholic would understand.

  “I know what you mean,” he said. “My father was an alcoholic when he died. It caused enough sadness in my life when I was young that it cured me of drinking, even socially.”

  Her eyes widened with surprise. “I didn’t know. Our girls do have a lot in common. If not for the Lord, I don’t know how I’d still be hanging on.”

  He found it difficult not to snort with disgust. Instead, he looked away, hoping to hide his skeptical expression. She caught his cynicism anyway.

  “You don’t believe in God?” she asked.

  “Yeah, but the Lord and I don’t have much time for each other.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Let’s just say we leave each other alone.”

  A tolerant smile softened her face. “You sound rather cynical. God never abandons any of us. He’s just a prayer away. It’s usually us who pull away from Him.”

  What could Scott say to that without offending her? He decided to play it safe and bit his tongue, breathing a sigh of relief when she didn’t push the issue.

  “Our girls have become fast friends. I don’t want to let what happened in town ruin that for them.”

  He agreed. “I’m hoping to show Anne that I’m not the ogre she thinks I am.”

  He tensed, awaiting her reaction. Except for Jim and Karen, Melanie had become his only ally in Snyderville and he hated to lose their tentative friendship. What if Melanie got scared off by the censure from the other ranchers? He didn’t know what he’d do if she refused to provide child care for Shelley.

  “Don’t worry, Scott. I can handle this. I was just caught off guard. I’ll restructure my schedule so I can protect Shelley better on shopping day. Nina never works on Saturdays, so I’ll do my shopping then.”

  Her loyalty touched him deeply. He couldn’t he
lp resenting Allison for not being here to help protect their daughter. Melanie had shown more generosity toward Shelley than the girl’s own mother.

  If he were honest, he would confess that he expected Melanie to break their business deal. After all, his problems weren’t her problems. She had her hands full running her ranch. Seeing the kindly light in her eyes and hearing her words of comfort reassured him as nothing else could. Both he and Shelley needed the McAllisters right now. Badly.

  “Thanks, Mel. I appreciate it more than I can say.”

  She walked him to the door. As she waved goodbye, he looked over and saw Anne sitting on the porch swing watching him. He could count on Melanie, but he wasn’t so sure about Anne. The girl seemed to genuinely like Shelley. It was him she disliked so vehemently. And he had no doubt Melanie would put Anne first. If he became too big a problem, Melanie would need to curtail their tentative friendship. Scott couldn’t blame her. He’d do the same thing for Shelley. He just hoped it didn’t come to that.

  When he’d accepted this job assignment, he hadn’t realized how difficult things might get. He didn’t like being a pariah in town. If only he could prove everyone wrong. If only he could show them that he was a friend, not a foe.

  He’d get his chance soon enough, at the ranchers’ meeting he’d scheduled. From what Melanie had told him, every rancher would be there. If he was a praying man, he’d ask God for help. But he hadn’t prayed since the week before Allison left him, and he didn’t want to start now.

  Chapter Six

  On Friday evening, Scott arrived to pick up Shelley and stayed to work for a couple of hours. He wore a plain cotton shirt that matched the crystal blue of his eyes. Melanie exhaled slowly, grateful he’d changed out of his ranger uniform. She chuckled when she imagined what Frank and Nina Donaldson would say if they saw him out in her hay fields moving sprinkler pipe.

  “You sure you know what to do?” she asked as he braced one hand on the top rail and hopped the fence with ease.

  “Yep.” He didn’t comment further as he reached back for Shelley to assist her as she straddled the fence. When he reached to help Anne, the little girl backed away, her eyes narrowed. Scott didn’t push the issue. He dropped his hand to his side, then turned and walked toward the main water valve.

  Melanie had turned off the water an hour earlier so the pipes would drain and be less cumbersome to move. She stood leaning against the splintered fence, shading her eyes from the afternoon sunshine. Staring after him as he ambled away, she couldn’t help but admire his muscular physique. He seemed self-assured on a ranch, but did he really know what to do? Uncertainty filled Melanie for a few moments until he unhooked the outlet, then headed for the little gas-driven engine. After turning it on, he started moving each giant wheel sprinkler into a nice, straight line. Yep, he knew what he was doing. She’d check back later to make sure that he rehooked the flexible pipe and turned the water back on.

  Shelley trotted after her father, but Anne stayed behind with Melanie.

  “You don’t want to help move the sprinklers?” Melanie asked as she walked to the barn.

  Anne pursed her lips together and shook her head.

  “You know, you’re not being very fair to Scott,” she observed.

  “I don’t know why you’re nice to him. Dad wouldn’t like it.” Without letting her mom respond, Anne raced out of the barn and ran into the house.

  This was getting out of hand.

  Melanie threw hay to the horses, finished filling the water trough, then headed to the house. Inside the back porch, she pulled off her boots before walking in her stocking feet to Anne’s bedroom. The door was closed and she rapped softly with her knuckles.

  No answer.

  She opened the door just a bit and peeked in. Her daughter sat on her bed glaring across the room.

  “Go away!” Anne whirled about and lay down, burying her face against a pillow.

  “Sweetheart, we need to talk.” The bed bounced softly as Melanie sat on the edge and reached out to caress Anne’s back. The girl jerked away, yanking the pillow over the top of her head.

  This wasn’t going to be easy.

  “Anne, I didn’t realize you felt so strongly about this.”

  “Well, I do.” Anne’s voice sounded muffled and filled with emotion.

  “I’m sorry. I should have talked to you before I agreed to watch Shelley. If you don’t want the Ennisons here, I’ll send them away. We’ll get by somehow.”

  Anne rolled over and the pillow lowered just enough for Melanie to see her daughter’s big, tear-filled eyes. “You’d do that for me?”

  “Of course, sweetie. You’re more important to me than anything else in the world right now. I love you so much and I don’t want to do anything that might cause you more pain. If you don’t want Shelley here, I’ll talk to her father tonight and he’ll have to find another place for Shelley to spend her days.”

  Anne hugged the pillow to her chest, her suntanned arms so spindly and frail. It’d be so easy to hurt her, which made Melanie even more protective of her.

  “But I like Shelley. She’s my only friend and a half dogie like me.”

  A half dogie. Melanie blinked against the burn of tears. Her heart ached for what her daughter had endured this past year. Losing the father she loved had left a hollow space in the girl’s heart. It made Melanie’s guilt that much worse. What Christian woman was glad her husband was gone? How she wished she could ease the hurt in both their lives, but she couldn’t seem to find a way. Only hope and God brought Melanie solace anymore.

  “We can’t keep Shelley without Scott being here sometimes,” Melanie said. “He’s Shelley’s dad and he has to drop her off and pick her up.”

  “But why’d you make this agreement with him in the first place?”

  Good question. Melanie didn’t fully understand it herself. She’d felt compelled to agree to the arrangement. As if the hand of God were guiding her. “Because they need us. Without us, Shelley would have nowhere to go during the daytime when her dad is at work.”

  Anne lowered her head, thinking this over. “And I suppose we need them, too.”

  Ah, her sweet daughter was so wise. Too wise for one so young. Unfortunately, the death of a parent forced a child to grow up way too soon.

  “Yes, we need them, too. Look how Scott has already repaired the broken gate and almost got the sprinkler pipes moved. It would have taken me much longer to do that work, even with your help. I’m just not physically strong enough and we can’t afford to hire another work hand to help us out.”

  Anne sat up and tossed aside the pillow. “But how can we trust him?”

  Was Anne talking about Scott, or Aaron? Melanie wasn’t sure anymore. When she’d married Aaron, she’d thought she’d chosen a good man to be the father of her children. Now she felt like a failure for exposing her daughter to a man with a foul mouth, a foul temper and a penchant for booze. The saddest part of all was that Aaron was such a good, hardworking man when he wasn’t drinking. He could have been so much more, if only he hadn’t been addicted to alcohol.

  “Scott isn’t your father, Anne. Why don’t you just enjoy having Shelley here and leave everything else to me?” Melanie wanted to point out that Scott didn’t drink, but she didn’t want to hurt Anne with the reminder.

  “All right, Shelley can stay.”

  “And Scott? You can’t have Shelley without her dad. Remember that she loves her father as much as you loved yours. Without him, Shelley would be all alone in the world.”

  A light clicked on inside Anne’s eyes as this fully dawned on her. “You’re right, Shelley needs us real bad. Right now, she’s just a half dogie. Without her dad, she’d be a complete dogie.”

  If it weren’t so bittersweet, Melanie would have laughed. She knew this was very serious to Anne and Shelley. Somehow the two girls were able to relate to each other because they’d both lost a parent recently. “That’s right. She loves her dad, too.”

  �
�Poor Shelley. It’s so sad that her dad’s a ranger.”

  She shook her head. “Sweetheart, Scott is a good man. I’ve seen it in him. You’re not being fair.”

  “But Dad said that forest rangers are dirty rotten, no good—”

  Melanie held up a hand, fearing that her daughter might utter some of the foul language she’d heard Aaron use. “That’s enough. I know what your dad said and he was wrong. I won’t have that kind of language in our home anymore.”

  The girl’s mouth dropped open and her eyes rounded with shock.

  Melanie looked her daughter right in the eye. “How would you feel if Shelley believed that all ranchers were horrible and called your daddy bad names?”

  “But we’re not. Well, maybe Mr. Donaldson is rotten. He was never nice to Daddy, but that’s different.”

  “How?”

  “That’s just the way Mr. Donaldson is. But Arnie Pike is a nice rancher. He helped us sometimes when Dad was sick.”

  Sick. What a simple word to describe Aaron’s drunken stupors. It still hadn’t dawned on Anne that, during those times, Melanie took her daughter up on the mountain to shield her from her father’s foul temper. Melanie had borne the brunt of it instead. Anne was young enough to still idolize her father. And Melanie wasn’t about to change that perception. At least not until Anne was older, so she could understand that her daddy also had some very good qualities.

  When he wasn’t drinking.

  “So it wouldn’t be fair to say that all ranchers are rotten, right?” she said, hoping she’d gotten her point across.

  “Maybe, but I still don’t like Shelley’s dad. He’s nothing more than a fancy-talking bureaucrat.”

  That was Aaron talking again. How many times had Melanie heard her husband say the very same thing? How she wished Aaron had been more careful what he’d said around their impressionable daughter. Now Melanie had her hands full trying to deal with Anne’s biased opinions. “Remember I said no more name calling?”

  Anne frowned.

  “Scott has spoken pretty plainly to us so far. He hasn’t used much fancy talk.”