The Forest Ranger's Husband

by Leigh Bale

  “Hello!” Matt waved and yelled.

  One of the crewmen looked up and waved back. Except for Andie, Matt had never been so happy to see someone in his life.

  Now that his goal was in sight, he hurried down. His first objective was to create an escape route for the crew. One by one, he passed each crew member working along the fire line. In a few succinct sentences, he gave them instructions.

  “How many in your squad?” he asked the first man he met.

  “Nine.”

  “Start moving your crew up the mountain now.” He pointed to where the chopper would pick them up.

  “What’s the deal?”

  “We’ll talk about it later. Just comply.” He sent each person on their way, expecting immediate obedience. This was a highly trained hotshot crew, and they should know better than to question his authority.

  “Will do.” Each man and woman stowed their tools before hurrying up the ridge.

  They’d been working hard, their bodies weary, but they’d make it…if the fire held off long enough.

  Matt glanced at his watch. One-thirty in the afternoon. The hike down had taken him almost an hour. By three, the air would be superheated and a flash fire could occur. Matt wanted to be far away from this canyon by that time.

  “Have we got everyone on your crew?” he asked Jim Baylor, the crew boss, once he reached the end of the fire line.

  “Yes, that’s everyone.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  Matt and Jim brought up the rear. It took the crew over an hour of hard climbing to reach the chopper. He and Jim helped load the men and women three at a time into the small plane. It took approximately eighteen minutes for the plane to fly down the mountain, drop off the fatigued crew members and fly back up for another load. They had twenty people to get down off this death trap.

  “We can’t go downhill because that’ll take us into the fire, and we can’t go up because we can’t move fast enough to escape the blaze. It’ll overtake us first,” Matt said. “While the chopper flies crew members down the mountain, let’s clear a burnout area where we can take refuge.”

  “Sounds like a good plan,” Jim agreed.

  While the chopper flew off the mountain with the first load of men, the rest of the team hustled, everyone working as hard as their tired bodies could move. One of the most important rules of wildfire fighting was to have an escape route at all times.

  “The terrain is so difficult to work in that our crew has only been able to complete just under four chains of fire line an hour when we should have completed six chains,” Jim said.

  That was about two hundred and sixty-four feet an hour. Not much headway. Considering the rough terrain, Matt wasn’t surprised.

  He did the math, figuring how long it would take to get them all out of here. They didn’t have much time. Matt was experienced enough to know what would happen if they were still here by late afternoon.

  Two hours later, all of the crew had been moved off the mountain except for Matt and Jim. The chopper hovered just above the ground, never quite landing. Matt would be the last off the mountain. Nine minutes more and he could be with Andie again. He’d be safe.

  And that’s when he heard the loud rushing sound, like a freight train headed straight toward him. He’d heard it before, but he hadn’t expected it to occur again this close and personal.

  Matt turned and looked behind him, his body prickling with dread. A wall of flame exploded up the canyon. For one brief moment, he imagined glowing eyes and sharp teeth as the gaping maw reached toward him.

  “Go! Run!” Matt yelled at Jim.

  The man dived toward the open doors as a blast of hot air pushed against them. The chopper lifted off. His body pumping with adrenaline, Matt ran and jumped, wrapping his arms around the landing skid of the helicopter. Once again, he gave thanks for his Nomex gloves.

  His body jerked and his booted feet dragged in the dirt, but he hung on. Then he felt himself flying through the air, but he didn’t let go. He gripped the metal bar in a death grip, lifting his legs to cross them around the skid. He hung there. Nothing could wrench him away but death.

  His helmet fell from his head, plunging into the flames below. He felt the heat of the fire licking beneath him, reaching for him. Trying to pull him in.

  Breathing hurt, like swallowing fire. He ducked his head to protect his face and lungs, an instinctive gesture of survival. Tucking his face down, he used his teeth and shoulder to tug his red face shroud up over his mouth and nose.

  Closing his eyes, he didn’t look down. Didn’t move at all. Just felt the rush of wind and heat against his body as he flew through the air, hanging on like a rag doll.

  All he could think about was Andie and Davie. Seeing them again. His beloved family.

  He was in God’s hands now.

  Chapter Seventeen

  When the call came in from Matt that he’d found the hotshot crew, Andie breathed a sigh of relief. For several hours, she’d been jumpy, listening to every scratchy radio transmission, longing to hear Matt’s voice again.

  Finally. Finally he was preparing to come back. Evacuation had begun. Soon he’d be safe.

  She watched the movements of the fire beneath Echo Canyon as the rolling flames swelled around the lower valley. The irregular winds buffeted the firefighters, fanning the flames higher and hotter. The fire crews had kept the fire from spreading through the valley to the local ranches, but they couldn’t stop it from broiling up the canyon.

  Matt was up there. She wanted him out, right now.

  Please, God. Bring my husband home safe.

  She repeated the prayer over and over again, holding it close to her heart. When the small chopper delivered the first three fire-crew members safely back at the command center, Andie cheered with everyone else. Word had spread fast amongst the fire crews and other personnel that they had some of their own in danger, and everyone was on high alert. As the chopper landed, they all grinned and clapped each other on the back, their hearts filled with the knowledge that it could be them in danger. It created a bond between them all, even though they might not know one another personally.

  Andie didn’t leave the helipad, determined to greet her husband the moment he landed.

  Each trip by the chopper seemed to take a century. As each member of the evacuated fire crew landed and left the plane, Andie smiled and welcomed them home. She was happy they were safe, but they weren’t Matt. They weren’t the love of her life.

  “The pilot says Matt is your husband. We’re sure glad he came after us,” one crew member said.

  “Yeah, we wouldn’t have known about the danger if he hadn’t been there,” another said.

  Their gratitude touched her heart. What Matt had done wasn’t an easy task. Adrenaline junky or not, he was an amazing man. A national resource because of his specialized training and skill level. A wildfire fighter.

  She just wanted him back safe.

  Radio malfunction and poor location was determined to be the cause of the communication breakdown. The hotshot crew had been low on batteries and hadn’t checked their equipment well before departing.

  Andie pressed the binoculars to her face, reluctant to be distracted for even a moment. Sweat trickled down her back, but she ignored it. As she watched the advance of the fire, a horrible foreboding washed over her. Matt would come out last. She knew her husband. He wouldn’t leave until every other person was safely off that mountain.

  “Oh, Matt. Come home, please. Come home to me,” she muttered beneath her breath.

  Finally the chopper only had two more men to bring down the mountain, and Matt was one of them. Ten more minutes and he’d be airborne, away from danger.

  Safe.

  And then the worst happened. So suddenly that Andie could only stare in astonishment. The fire exploded up the canyon, so loud she thought a freight train had sped up the mountain and crashed into a ball of flames. She jerked as the blaze shot skyward and billows of black sm
oke filled the sky.

  No! Matt! He was still up there. Still in harm’s way.

  She sank to her knees, her legs too wobbly to hold her any longer. She knelt there in the dirt, her eyes wide with tears, her body visibly shaking. The entire camp went deathly quiet. Everything stopped. No one moved or spoke, their faces ashen with shock. They all looked east, toward the explosion. Knowing they had comrades still up there. Knowing they might be in mourning by evening.

  Where was the chopper? Where was the last load of crew members?

  Where was Matt?

  And then Andie caught the low sound of a motor rising up above the roar of flames. A subtle sound, so weak she thought she must have imagined it.

  The chopper appeared over the ridge, something dangling from one of its landing skids.

  Andie pulled the binoculars up to her eyes, amazed by what she saw. A man clung to one of the skids with his arms and legs, hanging in midair as the chopper flew past the wall of smoke and bobbed down toward the staging area below. One stiff wind could easily dislodge the man and plunge him into the fire below.

  “What on earth—?”

  Who was it? How? Why?

  People pointed at the sight, the subtle sounds of their comments filling the air along with the acrid stench of smoke.

  And then Andie saw a flash of red below the man’s head. A neck shroud. Used to protect the face and lungs from the choking smoke.

  “Matt!” she screamed and came to her feet.

  It was her husband. Clinging to the chopper like a lifeline. His body swept above the fire. If he let go, he’d plummet to his death.

  Into the fire.

  Voices permeated Andie’s consciousness. People around her were waving and talking about the amazing sight. One man lifted his camera and started snapping pictures.

  “This’ll make the five-o’clock news,” he crowed.

  Matt. Somehow he’d gotten out of the fire. Somehow the Lord had brought him home. But he wasn’t out of danger yet. If he let go…if a burst of hot wind struck him…if the chopper rocked unsteadily…

  She couldn’t think about that now. She had to be positive. Had to pray. He was going to make it. He was coming home to her.

  The seconds ticked by like hours. Gradually, the chopper and Matt appeared larger. A crowd of firefighters surrounded the helipad, clapping and cheering as the chopper lowered enough so that Matt could drop off. But he didn’t let go. With his body frozen in a death grip, he couldn’t release his hold.

  Several men ran to him, ignoring the whirring wind caused by the chopper blades overhead. Dirt sprayed Andie in the face and she felt the grit between her teeth, but she didn’t shy away. She ran toward her husband, her cheeks awash with tears.

  It took Matt several minutes to release his arms and legs. A few minutes for someone to help pry him off the skid.

  Men carried him away so the chopper could land. Andie found herself beside Matt, clutching his hand, not knowing how she’d gotten there. Her legs must have moved of their own volition. She didn’t know what to think. She only knew how she felt. Grateful. Relieved. Joyous. Overwhelmed. And so in love she couldn’t even describe the emotion.

  They sat Matt in a chair, a medic checking his vitals. He hung limp, his head rolling back as though the exertion of holding on had drained his body.

  “Matt, oh, Matt!” she cried, hugging him tight.

  “I’m okay. I’m fine.” His voice sounded hoarse, like he’d breathed in too much smoke.

  He looked dazed, his face black with soot. But she recognized the flash of his dear smile. The generous love in his clear blue eyes.

  “Do you know where you are?” the medic asked.

  “Of course. I’m safely out of the fire.” He looked at Andie and grinned. “I came home to you, sweetheart. I kept my promise.”

  She laughed through her tears and kissed his filthy face. So happy to see him she was beside herself with relief.

  “Don’t you ever leave Davie and me again, Matthew Cutter. If you do, I’ll hunt you down and drag you back,” she warned.

  He reached into his shirt pocket, his hand visibly shaking. He pulled out a rumpled yellow flower. It sagged on its bruised stem as he presented it to her. “For you, honey. I wanted you to know that even when I’m fighting wildfire, I’m still thinking of you. Only you.”

  He laid the limp flower on the palm of her hand, then closed her fingers around the stem and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I love you, Andie. More than life itself. And I’m not going anywhere.”

  As she kissed his lips, she knew what he said was true. They’d be together always.

  She gazed into his eyes, her heart bursting with joy. “Come home with me, Matt. I want us to be a real family again. I love you so very much. I always have. Come home and be with Davie and me forever.”

  He smiled wide, his bloodshot eyes sparkling with happiness. He gave a harsh laugh, his voice sounding like a croak. “Finally. I thought you’d never ask.”

  “Neither did I. But Davie will be so happy.”

  “And what about you?” he asked.

  She released a deep, satisfied sigh. “Yes—deliriously happy.”

  As she wrapped her arms around Matt and helped him stand, she realized what she said was true. She never thought it possible, but God had worked a miracle in her life. He’d restored her family. That which had been lost was now found. The love. The caring. The healing power of forgiveness. She had everything she could ever want or need.

  Dear Reader,

  Have you ever had a family member or someone very close to you who hurt your feelings desperately? I’m not talking about just a simple inconsideration, although those can certainly add up to bigger problems. But I’m talking about a serious infraction that can devastate a relationship.

  They say blood is thicker than water. Families depend upon one another for support and solace. We have a natural love for our family members. We share special lifelong relationships with our family, but only the Savior is perfect. Surely during the span of our lifetime, we are bound to say or do something to hurt our family members. Likewise, they are bound to hurt us in return. For this reason, forgiveness is vitally important throughout our lives. If we don’t forgive our family members, who will?

  Sometimes we come from what is called a dysfunctional family. But I have discovered that no one has a “normal” family. Each family is so different. I have to be careful finding fault with other members of my family before I’ve looked at myself. We each should ask ourselves some questions before we judge others. What have I done or not done to exacerbate the problem? What have I said to hurt someone else’s feelings? Have I accused them of forgetting to do something when I likewise have forgotten to do things? Have I made them feel welcome and expressed my love and appreciation to them? Or have I only looked at their failings and imperfections? What about my own faults? Do I deserve to be shunned by them? Or have I looked the other way and forgiven them when they have hurt me?

  In The Forest Ranger’s Husband, both the heroine and the hero learn this lesson of forgiveness the hard way. According to the Gospel of John, none of us are without sin and we have no right to cast stones of blame at others until we have become humble enough to rid ourselves of our own faults. This doesn’t mean we should become a doormat for a family member who might be involved in illegal activities or abusing us in some way. But it does mean we must become humble like unto a little child. Children are so forgiving. They want to see the good in everyone. Their pure innocence and kindheartedness serves as an example to all of us.

  I hope you enjoyed reading The Forest Ranger’s Husband, and I invite you to visit my website, www.LeighBale.com, to learn more about my books.

  May you find peace in the Lord’s words!

  Leigh Bale

  Questions for Discussion

  In The Forest Ranger’s Husband, Matt Cutter is a former hotshot, an elite wildfire fighter, and Andie is his estranged wife. After having a horrible argument, Ma
tt leaves Andie to advance his own career goals. Do you think he was justified in leaving? Do you know people in your own family who have put their career ahead of their family? How can we keep from being so caught up in prestige and worldly goals that we ignore our family?

  Andie acknowledges her fault in telling Matt to go away and she is finally able to forgive Matt for leaving her, but she has trouble trusting him enough to let him back into their marriage. Does forgiving someone mean we must also go back to the way things were?

  There are many situations in a marriage that might require repentance and forgiveness, such as infidelity, physical or mental abuse, addiction, crime, etc. Sometimes these situations put the physical and mental well-being of our families at risk. Are there times when we should forgive a family member or friend, but not let them back into our life or return to the way things were? Why or why not?

  Should we be more forgiving of family members than we are of friends and other people outside of our family? Why or why not?

  When Matt goes to church for the first time, Andie ignores him, wishing he would stay away. Do you think her attitude was very Christianlike? Or do you think she was justified in her behavior when you consider her past history with Matt?

  Have you ever been confronted at church by someone you disliked or had a bad experience with? How about out in the real world? How did you behave toward them? Should our behavior be different out in the real world versus how we act in church? Or should we behave the same no matter where we are?

  After Aunt Susan hurts Davie’s feelings by bad-mouthing his daddy, the little boy runs away. When Davie’s mother finds him again, his uncle Brett tells them to do what families ought to do and forgive each other. Has anyone in your family ever hurt your feelings? Have you hurt them? Were you able to apologize and forgive each other and move on? How can you prevent grudge-holding within your own family?