“You okay?” Ellen wrapped an arm around the baby, as though preparing to stand and help Jill by pounding her on the back.
“Yes,” Jill gasped. She took another drink, swallowed and settled into her chair.
“It’s time you moved past David. You should go out with Brent. He’s a nice man and has morals. He wouldn’t hurt you the way David did,” Ellen said.
Jill coughed again, not out of necessity, but in an effort to divert her friend off this topic. Having grown up in Bartlett, Ellen was highly aware of the animosity that existed between loggers and Forest Service employees. Suggesting that Jill date the man was ludicrous.
“Sorry, but that’s not gonna happen.” Jill spoke in a mild tone. She decided not to get upset by this topic. After all, Brent had no interest in her and she doubted he’d ever ask her out anyway.
“No, I mean it. From what I’ve seen, he’d be perfect for you. Not like that weasel you divorced. What does Brent’s profession matter? You’ve both been through a lot. And you both deserve some happiness.” Ellen offered the rim of her glass to Tommy and wasn’t looking when Jill threw her a dark glare. Ellen held tight to make sure the baby didn’t spill as he joyfully sucked in mouthfuls of the sweet lemonade.
“Thanks, but I doubt the ranger is interested in one of the sawmill owners. And I guarantee I’m not interested in him, or any man for that matter. For the time being, I like being single.”
Ellen smiled. “Well, you both looked interested last night.”
“How would you know?” Jill challenged.
The baby gurgled and waved his chubby arms. Jill reached across the table and let him grip one of her fingers as she focused on his drooling smile. Talking about her failed marriage and dating other men made her feel strangely lost and undeserving. All her friends were married with children, and she couldn’t help thinking she’d never have a sweet little baby of her own to love.
“A girl just knows these things. If you weren’t still recovering from the divorce, you would have noticed Brent, too. A man doesn’t pay that kind of attention to a woman he doesn’t like.”
Shaking her head, Jill took another swallow of lemonade. “He was just being nice.”
“Oh, phooey. You’re gorgeous and so is he. In fact, you’re perfect for each other.”
“Perfect? Obviously you’ve forgotten what he does for a living. We’re worlds apart. Besides, my family would never approve.”
The doorbell rang. Down the hall, Arline Russell came out of her bedroom and made a beeline for the living room.
“I’ll get it, girls. You two continue with your visit,” she trilled as she passed by the kitchen.
“Your mom seems happy today,” Ellen said.
“Yes, she’s been like that since I got home. I think she’s been lonely since Dad died. And she’s worried about Alan, too.”
“Well, I’m worried about you. Why don’t you call him?”
“Who?”
Ellen snorted. “Brent Knowles, that’s who.”
“Shh,” Jill shushed her friend and whispered low. “I don’t want Mom to overhear us talking about him. It would only upset her more. Besides, I already told you I’m not interested.”
“Yeah, sure. I believe you. And pigs can fly.” Ellen laughed.
“Jill?”
She looked up and flinched. Mom stood in the doorway, but she wasn’t smiling. Her forehead was creased in a severe scowl. A woman of fifty-six years of age, her normally rosy cheeks looked ashen, her eyes narrowed in an angry scowl.
“What’s up?” Jill asked, feeling guilty for even discussing the ranger inside Mom’s house.
“The forest ranger is here to see you.” Mom growled the words, her happy mood evaporating like drops of water on hot cement.
Jill’s mouth fell open. Conscious of Ellen’s eyes widening in surprise, she didn’t know what to say.
“What’s he doing here?” Mom hissed.
“I...I have no idea,” Jill answered truthfully.
“Well, I don’t want that man in my house. Get rid of him.” Rather than returning to the living room to welcome their guest, Mom turned with an angry huff and stomped down the hallway to her bedroom. A moment later, the door slammed to mark her passing.
Oh, this wasn’t good. Unless Brent was bringing some news about the timber-theft case. Which Jill doubted. Not yet, anyway.
Jill knew her mom would remain sequestered until the ranger left the house. And then, Jill would have some explaining to do.
“Uh-huh. I can see there’s nothing going on between you two.” Ellen cast a sly glance at Jill before pushing back her chair and reaching down to pick up her diaper bag.
Jill inwardly groaned and closed her eyes for the count of three. Right now, she wanted to crawl in a hole and hide somewhere. After she’d emphatically denied there was anything going on between her and Brent, he then had the audacity to show up at her mother’s house and make it appear that Jill was hiding something. And she wasn’t. She was going back to Boise at the end of the summer. End of story.
Or was it?
“I better see what he wants,” Jill murmured.
She walked into the living room, conscious of Ellen following right behind her with Tommy balanced against her hip. The woman grinned when she caught sight of Brent still standing in the open doorway. Drafts of chilly spring air flooded the room. Mom obviously hadn’t invited him inside.
As she met his gorgeous blue eyes, Jill’s mouth went dry, her palms damp. She couldn’t take an even breath. A warning tingle slid down the column of her spine. All her senses ratcheted into high alert. Her mind buzzed. Common sense told her it was too soon for him to bring her news of the timber issue. The LEI agent wasn’t coming in until sometime next week. So what was Brent doing here?
“Hi, Brent,” Ellen greeted him with warmth.
“Hello. I thought I saw your car parked out front.” He showed an uncertain smile.
In spite of wearing his ranger uniform, complete with the brass shield pinned to the front of his shirt, he glanced at Jill with hesitancy. He shifted his booted feet, looking out of place. Like he didn’t want to be here any more than Mom wanted him here.
“Jill and I are old friends from high school. We were just catching up. Is Evie with you?” Ellen shifted Tommy to her other hip.
Brent reached out and offered his index finger to the baby, who latched on and chortled. “No, she’s over at Mrs. Crawford’s house. I’m going to pick her up as soon as I’m finished with my business here.”
Jill listened with rapt attention. Velma Crawford was a friend of Mom’s. Since Evie was the forest ranger’s daughter, Jill was surprised Velma had agreed to watch the child. But Jill also knew Velma was a widow living on a tight budget. She undoubtedly needed the extra money. Besides, who wouldn’t love Evie at first sight?
“I’m hoping you’ll bring her over to my house to play with Chrissy soon,” Ellen said.
“That would be nice, if I can get Evie to go. It’s a battle just to get her to stay with Mrs. Crawford. I think she does it because she knows I have to go to work. She likes Mrs. Crawford okay, but she still doesn’t feel completely at ease.”
Jill understood. Evie probably didn’t feel safe anywhere.
“Don’t worry about it. She’ll come over to play at our house when she feels ready. In the meantime, I’m happy to bring Chrissy over to your house any time you want, or you can come over and visit with Mike while Evie plays with my kids,” Ellen suggested.
He flashed that devastating smile of his and Jill blinked, feeling warm and tingly all over.
“I’d like that. You’re very understanding of our situation. Maybe in time, Evie won’t hesitate.” He didn’t sound too positive.
“Of course. Nothing’s more important than our kids. I want
to see Evie get better. If there’s anything I can do to help, just name it.” The diaper bag slipped down Ellen’s arm and she gave a quick jerk, pulling the strap back over her shoulder.
Jill listened to this exchange with interest. What a lonely, isolated life both Brent and Evie must be living. This town was filled with people who didn’t like them simply because of Brent’s profession, not to mention Evie’s handicap.
“Now, I’ll leave you two alone,” Ellen gushed.
Brent stepped aside to let her pass. Jill caught the tantalizing whiff of his spicy aftershave. In spite of the drab olive color of his ranger’s shirt, he looked quite handsome in his uniform. Tall as a church steeple, with chiseled features that would make any woman stop for a second look. And thinking such thoughts caused her face to heat up like a flame thrower. Which brought another amused snicker from Ellen.
“Call me later, sweetie. We’ve still got a lot to talk about.” Carrying Tommy with her, Ellen turned her back on Brent, waggled her eyebrows at Jill and flashed a suggestive smile.
Jill didn’t say a word. She didn’t dare. Instead, she bit her tongue, wanting to strangle her friend right now.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt. I can come back later,” Brent said.
“Absolutely not! I was just leaving. You stay as long as you like,” Ellen encouraged him.
She slipped out the door and down the steps so fast that Jill couldn’t have stopped her if she’d wanted to. And she didn’t want to. Right now, she wanted to be left alone.
Brent jerked his thumb toward the vacant doorway. “She’s a nice lady.”
“Yes, and it’s good for Evie to have at least one friend. Have a seat.” Jill moved to close the door, shutting out the cold drafts of air.
He sat in a soft-backed chair, his long legs and wide shoulders stiff and unyielding. He rubbed his hands over his knees and gave a nervous laugh. “Maybe I should have called first before coming over.”
She agreed, but thought it’d be rude to say so. She wanted to tell him it was all right for him to be here, but they both knew better. She liked this man and his sweet little girl, but she didn’t want to. Not only because of who he was, but also because of what he made her feel. No matter what Ellen said, Jill doubted she’d ever trust another man again.
Out of her peripheral vision, she could see Brent watching her and felt singed by his gaze. Her brain cells liquefied, and she wondered what this man did to her senses. She hadn’t just fallen off the turnip truck. She wasn’t interested in romance. At least, not until her heart stopped aching every time she thought about her failed marriage. But for some reason, there was a gravitational pull between her and Brent that she couldn’t deny. Something she’d never felt before, not even with her ex-husband.
Trying to still the quaking of her knees, she sat across from him. She tucked her bare feet beneath her and released a deep sigh of resignation. “So, what did you want to speak with me about?”
* * *
Here it was. The big question. A huge whoosh of air escaped Brent’s lungs as he sat forward and contemplated how to make his request. After facing Arline Russell’s ugly glare, he knew he wasn’t wanted here. To make matters worse, Jill sat across from him, watching him like a bug under a microscope.
“I came to ask if I can pay you to work with Evie. To help her get past her trauma and start speaking again.” There! He’d said it. But maybe he shouldn’t have blurted it out like that.
She quirked a brow in disbelief.
He hurried on, before she could say no. “I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate. You’re the first person to get through to Evie. Even little Chrissy can’t get her to talk. Evie’s fine with the little girl, as long as I’m there with them. I’ve taken her to numerous specialists, but it’s always the same. She won’t talk. She won’t do any schoolwork until she gets home with me. The only person she’s ever reacted positively to is you. Something about you makes her happy. You make her feel safe.”
Jill hugged a tasseled pillow to her chest and stared at him, her eyes filled with confusion or disbelief, he wasn’t sure which.
“Do you realize what you’re asking me to do?” she said.
“Yes, I’m asking you to help rescue my daughter.” He spoke with conviction. If it was for himself, he never would have asked. But where Evie was concerned, he’d face a million forest-ranger haters, if it meant his daughter could be whole again.
Jill rubbed her chin briskly. A sure sign of exasperation. He expected her to say no and ask him to get out of her house and never come back. But then, she folded her arms across the pillow and looked down at the cream-colored carpet. Quiet and thoughtful.
He didn’t speak. Didn’t move or breathe. Afraid to upset her. Afraid she’d say no.
“You realize my helping you might cause a scandal in town. Everyone would be talking about it.” She said the words without looking up.
“Yes, but I figure it’s none of their business. My daughter is too important for me to care what other people think.” He spoke softly, hoping she felt the same.
She faced him, her beautiful amber eyes locking with his. Everything about her tensed shoulders told him to go away. But in her eyes, he saw a blaze of empathy. And if she was the kind of woman he thought she was, she’d say yes. For Evie’s sake.
“The employees down at the sawmill won’t like it. Neither would my brother or mom,” she said.
“I understand that, but I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t critically important.”
In fact, he firmly believed that Evie’s life and future happiness depended on this woman. Yet, he understood Jill’s reticence. If personnel at the Forest Service office knew she was helping his daughter, they might talk, but they wouldn’t care much. But for Jill, it was different. She’d grown up in this town. Most of her friends and family would disapprove. Even so, she didn’t sound resentful, but rather mildly concerned. As though she were trying to figure out how to get around all of that nonsense. And that caused a small burgeoning of hope to rise within his chest.
“I wouldn’t ask if I had any other options, Jill. I’m asking for Evie. Please. Help her.”
“Can you tell me a little more about her problem?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Normally, she’s fine. But that day she bolted from the convenience store, a boy wearing a black Windbreaker had come inside and she panicked.”
“A black Windbreaker?”
“Yes, similar to the one the man was wearing the night he shot Lina, my wife.”
Jill took a deep inhale and let it go. “I think you’d better tell me the whole story.”
He hadn’t expected this. He really didn’t want to talk about it. But he also knew if Jill was going to be able to help Evie, she’d have to know everything.
He braced his hands along the cushioned armrests of the chair and squeezed tight. “I was fighting wildfire deep in the wilderness of Colorado when it happened. They sent me word that Lina had been killed, then evacuated me via helicopter. It took almost two days for me to arrive home. Two long days to reach Evie. By then, she was almost catatonic. Curled in a fetal position, her unblinking eyes staring straight ahead. It took weeks for her to even acknowledge me. Once she did, we settled into a routine, but she’s never spoken a word since then.”
Jill winced. “And Evie watched her mother die?”
He nodded, the words shredding his heart into confetti. “She was with her mom when the convenience store was robbed. The thief was high on drugs and desperate for his next fix. He shot the sales clerk and Lina for no apparent reason. Evie hid behind the cash register counter, or he might have killed her, too.”
The story rattled Brent’s nerves every time he thought about it. He’d almost lost everything that day. Thankfully, he still had Evie.
“Did the police catch the guy?” Jill asked, her
lovely brows drawn together with compassion. From the stammer in her voice, Brent could tell the story upset her, too.
“Yes, the store had a camera and they caught him later that night. He’s now in the state penitentiary, serving a life sentence. Unfortunately, that won’t bring Lina back and Evie has never recovered.”
Neither had he, for that matter. “After all this time, I still can’t believe a nineteen-year-old kid murdered my wife for seventy-three dollars in the cash register and a box of chocolate-covered doughnuts.”
“I’m so sorry, Brent.” Jill’s eyes softened, her delicate forehead crinkled.
“Yeah, thanks.” He looked away, blinking his eyes fast. Wishing this woman didn’t bring out these deep emotions in him. He’d never confided these things to anyone before. And he wished he could put aside what had happened in the past and move on and be happy again. But he couldn’t. Not until Evie got better.
“How long has it been?” Jill asked.
“A year this month. Except for me, you’re the first person Evie’s shown any real emotion to since that time.”
“I see.” She looked away, her eyes wide and filled with sorrow.
“I’ve made you sad, and that wasn’t my intention.”
“No, it’s okay,” she reassured him. “I’ve heard a lot of sad stories with the other kids I work with. I must admit, Evie’s situation is the worst. You understand I might not be able to help her.”
“Yes, I understand. But I’m hoping you’ll try.” A spear of optimism lanced his chest. Jill hadn’t said no. In fact, she sounded like she was actually contemplating saying yes.
Evie had bonded with Jill on some innate level Brent didn’t understand. He felt the same, like an electric current humming between them. Perhaps it was because Jill had saved Evie. And in doing so, Jill had earned both his and Evie’s trust. None of it made sense, but it did mean a lot. After all the therapy he’d dragged Evie to over the past year, she’d finally related to Jill. The person who had rescued her.
“I’m sure you’ve already taken her to a doctor or a psychologist, right?” Jill glanced at him but didn’t quite meet his eyes.
Love Inspired March 2015 - Box Set 1 of 2: A Wife for JacobThe Forest Ranger's RescueAlaskan Homecoming Page 27