The Forest Ranger's Promise

by Bale, Leigh

  At times, Melanie felt so helpless. So alone.

  She went outside to peruse the damage to her house. Her flowers were all but ruined. Egg goo and shells splotched the front of her house and porch. In the morning, she’d take pictures of the damage before using the garden hose to squirt off the mess. She might need to re-paint the house.

  Gazing at the long road to make sure that no headlights were in view, she then walked out to the barn to find Bob. She turned on the light and found the old dog huddled back in the stall with Wilma, the gentle mare Shelley always rode whenever she came to the ranch.

  “There you are,” Melanie spoke with relief. “Hey, boy. It’s okay, they’re gone.”

  She approached slowly and knelt beside the dog, searching him for injuries and grateful when she found that he was okay. He panted and wagged his bobbed tail, rubbing his graying head against her side.

  “Yes, I’m glad to see you, too.”

  Over the years, she’d watched this brave dog face off wild coyotes, but now he was old. She hated that someone had hurt him just because she’d become friends with Scott Ennison. “I think you’re gonna need a bath to get all the egg out of your fur, but you’ll be fine. Why don’t you come up to the house with me and I’ll let you stay in Anne’s room? I think you’d both feel better if you were together.”

  The dog licked her face and that’s when Melanie lost it. Her proud courage left her in one, swift breath. Tears flooded her eyes and she wept. Now that the danger was past, she realized how frightened she’d been. And lonely. She was tired of being strong. Tired of the constant vigil she must maintain in order to put food on the table and ensure they paid the mortgage. Now she feared going to sleep. Feared those boys might return, hurt her family and destroy her home.

  Please, God. Please help me carry these burdens. Help us stay safe.

  If only Scott were here. He’d know what to do. It was easy to plague a lone woman and her child, but it was a totally different matter with a man on the scene. She couldn’t imagine those vandals standing up to Scott Ennison. He seemed to control every situation. Not with rage and a booming voice, but with calm assurance and a strong personality.

  She remembered his soothing voice as he freed the deer from the barbed-wire fence and how he had spoken with compassion to Anne. He’d worked so hard here at Opal Ranch and kept his promises to her and the other ranchers.

  How she wished he—

  No! It did no good to wish for something that could never be. Not now. Not ever.

  “That does it. I’m going to find someone else to look after Shelley for me.” Scott stood on the front porch of Melanie’s home.

  Jets of water shot from the pistol nozzle on the hose as she sprayed dried egg off the house.

  “No, you’re not.” She didn’t look at him, but her delicate jaw locked with stubbornness. “I won’t have people telling me who I can and cannot have here in my home. I want Shelley to stay right here. I’ll go bankrupt first before I ever sell my ranch to the Donaldsons.”

  Guilt rested on Scott’s shoulders like a giant sledge. This had happened because of him. He had no right to endanger Melanie and Anne because he was the forest ranger.

  “Think about Anne. Think about your own safety,” he said.

  Thankfully the two girls had gone to the barn to feed the lambs and weren’t here to listen to this conversation. He figured he and Melanie could handle this situation, but their little girls were innocent and deserved to live free of fear.

  Melanie tossed the hose aside and reached for a bucket of hot, soapy water. Using a sponge, she scrubbed furiously at a stubborn splotch of egg yolk. Still, she didn’t look at him, speaking as she worked. “I am thinking of Anne. They egged your house and frightened Shelley, too. If we separate our daughters now, it’ll mean they’ve won. At least right now, the girls have each other to depend on. If you take Shelley away, our girls will have no one.”

  Her reasoning was sound. When he’d been awakened in the middle of the night to find his house being egged, he’d never considered that the culprits might also have vandalized Melanie’s house. At least the vandals had run off before breaking any of his windows. This time, no serious harm had been done. But what if the thugs got braver and caught Melanie or one of the girls alone? What if they hurt one of them…?

  He stepped close and took hold of Melanie’s wet hand, forcing her to face him. Her angry eyes met his and he felt lost. His head pounded with fear. For her.

  He loved her. The realization came slowly and with such force that it felt like a physical blow. He loved her and Anne and Opal Ranch. He had to keep them safe. “I can’t always be there to protect you, Mel. If anything happened to you or our girls, I don’t think I could—”

  His throat closed. He’d almost blurted out how much he cared. How much he wished they could be a real family. For so long, he’d refused to even think about his feelings for Melanie. Thinking about it and saying it out loud would make it real. And he could have no future with the McAllisters. Not like this.

  They stood together, gazing into each other’s eyes. Suspended in time. Then Melanie broke down, sobbing against his chest, the soggy sponge dropping free of her fingers and landing on the porch with a splat. He held her for several minutes, breathing her in, wishing he could ease her pain. Wishing he could handle this situation better than he’d done.

  Wishing she were his.

  “I’m sorry, Scott.” She drew away and wiped her nose with the sleeve of her shirt. “I don’t know what’s come over me. I guess it’s just nerves.”

  His arms ached to hold her again. To comfort her. To tell her he’d take care of her and Anne and everything would be just fine. “It’s best if I take Shelley away.”

  “And where will you take her?”

  He didn’t know. He’d called Allison earlier this morning, but she’d hung up on him when he suggested that she should take Shelley for the summer, just until he could defuse some of the ranchers’ animosity.

  He had an old aunt who lived in Arizona, but he doubted that the elderly lady would be willing or able to take care of Shelley. His only alternative was to quit his job. And then how would he earn a living? In this economy, an out-of-work forest ranger might have a tough time. Quitting went against every instinct in his body. Losing his parents and the ranch at such an early age had ingrained a stubborn determination deep within him. Walking away from his job might destroy him, but at least it would keep Melanie and their girls safe.

  Their girls. Funny how he couldn’t think of them as separate anymore. They seemed to be part of one family, and yet they weren’t.

  But they should be.

  He longed to take his relationship with Melanie to a higher level, but feared that he would only cause her more problems with the local ranchers. He had no right to step into the role of husband and father with the McAllisters. Look at how much misery he’d brought them just by being friends. If he and Melanie became romantically involved, it could prove disastrous.

  “Please don’t take Shelley anywhere else.” Melanie’s voice cracked and so did his heart. “Sheriff Chambers ran the license plate number and found it belonged to Frank Donaldson. The sheriff is dealing with the situation. Let’s just all get back to normal and move on.”

  Normal? He wondered if that was even possible now.

  “Okay,” he agreed against his better judgment. “But as soon as we can, we’re driving into Evanston and I’m getting you a satellite phone. I want you to be able to reach me no matter what time of day, no matter where you are.”

  “No, Scott. I can’t accept that—”

  He held up a hand and locked his jaw. “You’re caring for my daughter, Melanie. I insist that you accept the phone. I’ll feel better if you can reach me at all times.”

  She didn’t argue and he breathed a sigh of relief.

  She stood watching him as he climbed into his truck and drove back to town. Looking in his rearview mirror, he saw her pick up the bucket to con
tinue her cleaning. She was a compassionate, strong and independent woman, but she wasn’t invincible. The thought of someone hurting her made his insides clench. He wished he could stay with her all day, just to make sure she and their girls were safe. He loved working at Opal Ranch. Loved being part of the McAllisters’ life.

  Maybe it was time he asked God for help one more time.

  “Kick the ball, Shelley. Kick it!” Anne yelled at the other girl as they raced down the soccer field at the only elementary school in town.

  Melanie watched from the sidelines, cheering the girls on. Nina Donaldson sat on the opposite side of the field. Melanie thought about approaching the woman to talk about what her sons had done, but decided to let the sheriff handle it instead. Then Melanie wouldn’t be tempted to say things she might regret later on.

  Shelley and Anne looked so cute in their red-and-white uniforms and knee-high socks. When they’d driven into town for practice, Anne had explained the rules of the game in great detail. Although she was timid about stealing the ball, Shelley was fast and she raced ahead, even surpassing the boys in an attempt to make a goal. She had her father’s natural grace. Now if she could just overcome her apprehension and get more aggressive.

  Drawing back her leg, Shelley prepared to kick the ball. Bart Donaldson came out of nowhere, ramming her with his shoulder and knocking her down hard.

  Melanie gasped and came up from her seat on the bleachers. Coach Allen blew the whistle and the game stopped. The players milled around.

  “Get out of the way, Smelly Shelley.” Bart smirked as he strolled away, but Shelley didn’t get up. She lay in the grass, her shoulders quivering as she cried softly.

  Melanie hopped down from the bleachers and raced onto the field, followed by other parents, including Nina Donaldson.

  “Shelley, are you okay?” Melanie knelt over the girl, who lay clutching her left knee to her chest. She grimaced in pain and gasped for breath.

  “It’s her leg,” someone said.

  “Is she okay?” another person asked.

  “You did that on purpose.” Anne pushed Bart, her face looking fierce as she held up her fists, ready for a fight.

  “I was just trying to get the ball away,” Bart claimed in an innocent tone.

  “No, you weren’t. You tried to hurt Shelley on purpose.”

  “Stop fighting,” Coach Allen ordered.

  Melanie glanced up and saw Nina step near, placing her large frame between Anne and her son.

  “I… I’m okay. It just hurts.” Shelley panted.

  “Just lay still for a few minutes.” Melanie caressed the girl’s face and pressed her hand against her shoulder, giving Shelley a few moments to let the pain subside. She hoped the injury wasn’t serious. She could just imagine explaining to Scott why she had to make another emergency trip to the hospital in Evanston.

  When Shelley sat up, Melanie exhaled an anxious breath. The girl finally stood with help and tested her leg gingerly. She could stand, but the knee looked swollen.

  Anne glared at Bart. “Don’t you dare touch her ever again.”

  The boy jutted his jaw. “And what if I do? What are you gonna do about it, ranger lover?”

  “I’ll make you very sorry.”

  “She’s an outsider. She doesn’t belong here,” Bart spat.

  “She does, too. She’s a better runner than you are.”

  “Is not.”

  “Stop it, you two,” Melanie said.

  “Bart, that was a big foul.” Coach Allen gripped the whistle hanging on a lanyard around his neck. “If we were in a real game, you would have been benched for that. You’ll have to sit on the sidelines for the rest of practice.”

  “But I want to play,” Bart whined.

  “Then don’t do that again.” Coach turned his attention back to Shelley.

  The boy sulked and griped to his mother. “Mom! I want to play. I don’t have to sit out, do I?”

  “You sit out or you leave the field. Your choice.” Coach stood and faced Bart and his mother.

  Nina lifted her chin higher in the air and she seemed to size up the coach before speaking. She could cause trouble for the coach, but that would do no good. No one else had volunteered to coach the team and Melanie doubted Nina would like to take over the job.

  “Go sit down, Bart,” Nina said.

  “Ahh!” the boy groused as he stomped over to the bleachers and plopped down.

  Bravo! At least someone stood up to the kid.

  “What Bart did was uncalled for,” Melanie told Nina.

  Melanie had put up with too much of Aaron’s foul temper to let this pass without comment. She couldn’t believe Bart’s mother didn’t reprimand him. Didn’t the woman realize her silence only encouraged her son to bully other people?

  She longed to tell Nina exactly what she thought of her. In light of the fact that her two eldest sons had vandalized her house last week, Melanie had difficulty biting her tongue.

  “It wasn’t a foul,” Nina exclaimed. “He was just protecting the goalie.”

  Coach shook his head. “It was a foul, Nina. Okay, kids, let’s get back to practice.”

  Anne glared at Bart, her brown eyes spitting flame. Melanie feared that her daughter might attack the boy at any moment.

  “Anne, leave it alone. Coach has taken care of it,” Melanie said.

  The girl jogged over to join the coach, but she didn’t look happy. Heaven help Bart Donaldson if he ever hurt Shelley again. That thought brought a smile to Melanie’s lips. She liked the way Shelley and Anne stuck up for one another.

  Melanie focused on Shelley, helping the girl limp off the field. She’d speak with her daughter later on about this matter. Right now, she understood her child’s animosity toward Bart and his family. They were all fast becoming enemies and Melanie didn’t like it.

  “Have you got her?” Coach asked, his hand resting on Shelley’s arm.

  Melanie nodded. “I’ll take care of her.”

  “Good. Okay, clear the field.” Coach blew his whistle and the parents returned to the sidelines.

  Melanie sat Shelley on the bleachers, then knelt in front of her to examine her leg. “Where were you injured, sweetheart?”

  “My knee.”

  Melanie pressed the injured area gently with her fingers. “I think it’s a little swollen, but not too bad. Does it still hurt?”

  Shelley shook her head and smiled. “Nope, it’s okay now. Anne said I was bound to get hurt sometime. She said soccer’s a rough sport, but if I’m tough, I can take it. I want to be strong like Anne.”

  “We’ll get you an ice pack when we get home. You’re so brave.” Melanie patted the girl’s cheek, feeling a strong maternal bond toward her. She never thought she could adore another child as much as she did her own, but she realized she’d protect Shelley at all costs. The girls were more than friends. They were more like—

  Sisters.

  Practice resumed, but Melanie knew the matter was anything but resolved. Now that Shelley was okay, she stepped over to chat with Nina Donaldson. Words boiled around in her mind, but she tried to remember what the Savior would do. She wondered if the Golden Rule applied when children were concerned. Right now, Melanie wanted to knock Nina Donaldson in the head.

  As she approached, Nina glared at Melanie as if she was a bug under a microscope. “What do you want?”

  “Don’t you think this has gone far enough, Nina? What if Bart had broken Shelley’s leg or hurt her seriously?”

  “I don’t know what you mean. My boy was just playing soccer.”

  Melanie rested one hand on her hip. “It looked more like tackle football to me.”

  “If the ranger’s daughter can’t handle the game, she should quit.”

  “This isn’t about handling the game. Shelley just made the past two goals. She’s good. But what Bart did was just mean.”

  “If you weren’t so tied up with the forest ranger, you might feel differently. You used to be one of us.
”

  One of us? Good heavens!

  “Do you know how silly you sound? This isn’t an us-against-them situation. These are children playing a simple game of soccer, Nina. I’ve never egged your house or thrown rocks through your windows. How would you feel if I came in the middle of the night to terrorize you and your family?”

  Nina stared at her. “You’d better not. There’s just you and that little girl against my husband and sons.”

  Melanie couldn’t believe what she heard. “What is that supposed to mean? Are you so filled with hate that you would deliberately hurt my daughter and me? You who likes to make donations to the church and claims to be so religious?” Melanie pointed a finger at her. “Maybe you should take a hard look in the mirror and really ask yourself what you and your family have become.”

  The woman drew herself up to her full six feet and looked down her nose at Melanie. “At least I’m not a ranger lover.”

  Something snapped inside of Melanie. “They’re children, Nina. What do they have to do with grazing allotments? It’s not fair to torture the children over adult issues.”

  Nina brushed her off. “Why don’t you go over there to the other side of the field? It’s bad enough that you pressed charges against my sons. Now they’ll have a police record.”

  “And that’s supposed to be my fault? Believe me, I didn’t ask them to vandalize my home.”

  “It was just a kids’ prank. No real harm was done.”

  Melanie’s head was reeling with anger, but she clamped an iron will on her emotions and spoke calmly and rationally. “A prank? Your older boys are grown men and should be protecting my little girl, not terrorizing her in the middle of the night. You’re lucky Aaron wasn’t there.”

  She let that statement speak for itself. Aaron had a foul enough temper that he might have shot one of the boys first and asked questions later.