He smiled, looking askance at her. Without warning, he reached out and brushed aside a stray curl that had escaped her long ponytail. Then, he gave a quick tug on the brim of her baseball cap. An affectionate gesture that left her feeling suddenly shy.
“Me, too. I love my work as a ranger. There’s no profession like it in the world. These ponderosa pines will put down deep roots. Some will grow to ninety feet tall before another ranger lets a sawmill come in and cut them down. And then the process will be repeated. That’s how we manage our renewable resources.”
For a brief moment, his words saddened her. The thought of their hard work being cut down seemed counterproductive. Then, she reminded herself that these trees would one day provide a warm house for someone to live in. Or an office building. A fence post, a broomstick or a desk. And each of those items provided jobs for people. Livelihoods for entire families and a healthy economy. Those things were important, too. And as long as they replanted, the tree population would continue to thrive. Without Brent to oversee these natural resources, they would be abused and the ecology in the area would fall out of balance.
She contemplated how fragile life was and how much she had to thank God for. The past year had been difficult, no doubt about it. Her divorce and losing her dad had made her rather cynical. She’d all but abandoned her beliefs in the Lord. But being out here with Brent helped renew her faith.
“I’m glad you’re ensuring we replenish what we take away.”
He smiled at that. “Many people don’t see it that way. They think I’m here to prevent them from using our natural resources. But I’m not a preservationist. I’m a conservationist. I believe in using our resources, but managing them so we don’t destroy everything for future generations.”
His declaration surprised her. “Do you mean that?”
“Absolutely. It’s how I’ve always done my business as a ranger. I want to let your mill harvest trees, but not to the point of abuse. That’s why I’m here. To keep it all in balance.”
She nodded. “I wholeheartedly agree with that philosophy.”
“Good. I’m glad we can agree on that.” Again, he flashed that devastating smile that made her heart pump furiously.
She contemplated the pillaged forest with its fresh planting of seedlings and what the baby trees might become within a couple of decades. They’d grow and thicken. Deer, elk and birds would return. Shade from the trees would create healthy spawning beds for fish in the streams and rivers. And in that moment, she realized she and Brent weren’t worlds apart after all. Not if they could agree on something as important as this.
No matter what else happened, working with Brent today had taught Jill a lesson. First, they had a lot in common. And second, the more time she spent with this charming forest ranger, the more she liked him.
* * *
That afternoon, Brent picked Evie up at Mrs. Crawford’s place promptly at five-fifteen. He didn’t want to be late for Evie’s first appointment with Jill. Ten minutes later, he parked a half block down from Jill’s mother’s house and walked with Evie to the backyard. They easily found the stairs leading to the upper level of the detached garage, where Jill said she was staying.
“You think you’ll like visiting with Jill for a while?” he asked Evie as he took her hand.
The girl’s ponytail bounced as she nodded, a smile curling the corners of her mouth. She carried her little dry-erase board under her arm, though she didn’t use it to communicate with anyone but him. He’d rather hoped she might draw pictures and use it to talk with Mrs. Crawford, but she’d refused. And he sensed it had something to do with trust.
“I’m glad.” He squeezed her hand as they climbed the stairs. He hoped this was good for her and silently prayed she responded positively to Jill’s teaching.
At this point, he didn’t know what to expect. When he’d asked Jill to help Evie, he’d expected her to say no. He still couldn’t believe she’d agreed and realized it was a gigantic imposition on her. But he wondered if she’d told her mother that she’d be working with Evie.
At the top of the stairs, he stood on the landing with Evie and knocked. Over time, he’d learned to read his daughter’s silent language. She stared at the door, her body vibrating with nervous energy. He rested one hand against her shoulder, to offer reassurance. He didn’t know how she might react and was prepared to stay with her, if necessary.
The door opened and Jill stood there wearing a clean shirt, blue jeans and white tennis shoes. After spending the morning up on the mountain planting seedlings, she’d gotten dirty, but had obviously cleaned up. Her sandy-blond hair was lying about her shoulders in silky curling waves he longed to thread his fingers through.
“Evie!” Jill flashed a happy smile and went down on one knee to greet his daughter.
Evie launched herself into Jill’s arms, hugging her neck tight. Brent breathed a sigh of relief. He’d been worried Jill or Evie might change their minds and back out on these lessons. If that happened, he didn’t know what he’d do.
“I’ve got some fun activities planned for you. You want to stay and play with me for a while?” Jill asked, looking deep into Evie’s eyes.
The girl nodded. Brent liked how Jill made this a game rather than a stoic office visit. No wonder Evie responded so well. And yet, he knew his child’s relationship with Jill was so much more.
“Ah-ah, use the dry-erase board to tell me what you want. Do you want to stay and play with me for a while?” Jill pointed at the board Evie still clutched under her arm.
Evie obediently wrote the word yes on the board.
“Good. Then, come on inside.” Jill stood and stepped aside.
Evie hesitated and Brent feared she might refuse. That notion quickly flew right out the window as Evie walked into the apartment without a backward glance. He watched from the doorway as she pulled out a chair and sat up to a small wooden table laden with an assortment of papers, crayons, markers and books. She set her dry-erase board aside but didn’t touch the other art supplies.
“Hi, there.” Jill flashed him a smile.
“Hi.” He glanced over her shoulder at the tidy, one-room apartment with a table, sofa and chairs. He figured the couch must be a fold-out she slept on. No kitchen or bathroom, from what he could tell. But he distinctly caught the tantalizing fragrance of her delicate perfume and he took a deep inhale.
“Looks like Evie is making herself right at home,” she said.
“Yeah, I’m so glad.”
“Have you been insisting that Evie use her dry-erase board when she wants something?” Jill spoke low, for Brent’s ears alone.
“Yes, I have.”
“Good. I’m hoping that will lead to her finally using her voice. Ideally, it’d be best if Mrs. Crawford could do the same thing. Evie might refuse at first, but I think if we’re persistent, she’ll start asking for specific things instead of nodding yes or no.”
He hoped so. “We’ll keep using it. What time should I pick her up?”
“Give us one hour,” Jill said.
“Sounds good. Evie? I’m going now, sweetheart.” He called in a louder voice, to get the girl’s attention. He wanted to make sure she knew he was leaving. He didn’t want to merely disappear and have the girl fall into a screaming fit. That wouldn’t be fair to Jill, even if she was trained to deal with such situations.
Evie glanced up and waved goodbye, like this was an everyday occurrence. No big deal. Brent stared, unable to believe how at ease she seemed, in spite of this new environment. He released a sigh of relief. For now, Evie was okay. He just hoped she stayed that way.
He turned and left, conscious of Jill closing the door behind him. Fearing Evie might change her mind and fall apart, he sat and dozed in his truck, staying nearby in case the worst happened. Exactly one hour later, he returned.
As he rounded the corner of the garage, he looked up and could see the door to Jill’s apartment stood wide open. Angry voices came from inside. He gripped the handrail of the stairs and paused on the bottom step.
“I can’t believe you agreed to tutor the forest ranger’s daughter. What were you thinking?”
Brent recognized Arline Russell’s voice. Obviously Jill’s mother was inside her apartment, and she wasn’t happy.
“I was thinking about Evie. She needs help, Mom. My help. Besides, it’s the Christian thing to do,” Jill responded.
“But she’s the ranger’s brat.”
Brent flinched. Hearing his precious daughter called a brat twisted inside his gut.
“He wants to throw your brother in jail. Is that what you want?” Arline’s voice trembled, as though she were near tears.
“Of course not. I don’t believe that, Mom. He hasn’t even charged Alan with anything yet,” Jill soothed.
“He will. Mark my words. If he can, he’ll do it.”
“No, Mom. Brent isn’t like that. I’ve been around him enough to know he’s a kind man. He’s not out to hurt us. He’s just doing his job the best way he knows how. But we’ve got to meet him halfway.”
Brent’s fingers tightened around the handrail. Jill’s words touched him deeply. He appreciated her trust and vote of confidence, but there was no way on earth he was going to stand by and let Arline bash him in front of his child.
Bounding up the stairs two at a time, he stood in the doorway and clenched his hands. He gritted his teeth, trying to retain his temper.
“Brent!” Jill glanced over her mother’s shoulder.
“I’m here to pick up Evie.” He spoke low, his gaze resting on Arline. With narrowed eyes, he dared her to say one more derogatory thing about him. He didn’t want to lose Jill as a friend, but he wouldn’t tolerate this situation any longer.
Arline’s face drained of color. Without another word, she huffed and brushed past him, tromping down the steps and scurrying toward the back door of her house.
“Where’s my daughter?” He glanced around the apartment, searching for Evie. She wasn’t here and he didn’t know if he should be alarmed or relieved.
“Evie’s fine. She’s in Mom’s house, using the restroom,” Jill said.
He arched a brow. “Alone? By herself?”
“Yes. I took her in, but she told me she could stay by herself. She knows the way.”
He tilted his head in amazement. “She said that?”
Jill pointed at the table. “On her dry-erase board. I’m sorry you heard all of that. But don’t worry. Mom won’t say anything cruel to Evie. She’d never pick on an innocent child.”
He had his doubts. But right now, he was still in shock. He couldn’t believe Evie had stayed in the house by herself. Strange environments usually upset her. She always clung to him, refusing to leave his side. But now, he didn’t want her alone with Arline Russell.
“I need to go get her.” He pivoted on his heels.
Jill touched his arm, a soothing gesture that seemed to burn through his skin. “It’s okay. I took her into the house and gave her a tour. Mom gave her milk and chocolate chip cookies and read her a story. I hope that’s okay. In spite of what you might think, they’ve become friends.”
His frown deepened. “Your mother read Evie a story?”
Jill nodded. “Yes, I was there. It’s part of the protocol I’m working on, to show Evie that she can trust other people. Mom’s a very nice woman, most of the time. She’s a natural with Evie.”
He jabbed his fingers through his hair, feeling confused. Right now, he didn’t know what to believe. Arline hated him, but read stories to Evie. And the fact that his daughter had stayed here and gone to use the bathroom by herself was a giant indicator that she felt safe. She was gaining more confidence. A distinct improvement. But even if she wasn’t aware of Arline’s dislike for him, he wasn’t about to leave his child where she wasn’t wanted.
“I don’t want her to accidentally overhear your mother speaking about me like that,” he said.
“She won’t,” Jill reassured him. “Actually, this was my fault. I didn’t give Mom much warning. She knew I was working with a child that had experienced trauma in her life, but she didn’t know Evie belonged to you.”
So, because Evie was his daughter, Arline didn’t want the girl here. And yet she recognized Evie was innocent in this matter. But the woman’s hatred for him was enough incentive for Brent to whisk Evie away and never return.
“I think this was a huge mistake.” He turned to go collect Evie and take her home.
“Please wait!” Jill tugged more aggressively on his arm, pulling him back.
He wanted to resist. To yell and scream at her. He’d trusted her with his child, and look what had happened. She’d defended him to her mother, but he feared what might happen if Evie were to eavesdrop and overhear bad things. He shuddered to contemplate how it might set her back.
“I’ll talk with Mom. This won’t happen again,” Jill promised.
He relaxed a bit, telling himself it wasn’t Jill’s fault Arline didn’t like him. Jill had been nothing but kind to Evie. But he couldn’t afford to take any more chances. No, not ever again.
“Look!” Jill held up a piece of paper covered with black, ugly scribbles.
He stared at the angry, dark lines. Then, he reached out and took the page, his hand trembling. “Did...did Evie draw this?”
She nodded. “It’s very telling, don’t you think?”
Yes, it was so hideous that he wanted to weep at the sadness of it all. And yet, he also knew this was significant.
“Does she color like this at home?” Jill asked.
He shook his head. “No, she never colors. At home or at school. That’s why I was so surprised when she accepted the dry-erase board and actually wrote on it for you.”
Jill released a pensive sigh. “Just as I thought. I think today was a great success. We’ve made a lot of progress, Brent.”
“We have?” He couldn’t see how. Not fully.
“Yes, this picture is a reflection of the feelings Evie is keeping bottled up inside herself. Today, she released a lot of that by drawing this design. She let Mom hold her on her lap while they read a story together. And when I asked, she said she wanted to go potty by herself. For a normal kid, that isn’t a big deal. But all of that for Evie is a major advancement.”
He stared at the hideous artwork, if you could call it art. For a normal child, it was worthy of the trash bin. But it was the first drawing Evie had made since before her mother died. And then, he realized what Jill said was true. A significance he would have missed entirely, without her expert analysis. He was amazed at Jill’s insight. Amazed that she’d succeeded where he’d failed so many times.
“Don’t take her away from me, Brent. Not yet. I really think if you’ll let me work with her some more, I can help her. I just need more time.”
“But what about your mom?” He lifted a hand toward the door, feeling helpless and hopeful at the same time. He wanted to trust Jill. He really did. But what if she was wrong? What if Evie got worse? He didn’t know what he’d do then.
“I can handle Mom. She’s frightened and hurt. She feels threatened by you and is only trying to protect Alan, the same way you’re trying to protect Evie. But she’s a kind woman and she loves children.”
“She called Evie a brat.”
“She didn’t mean it, Brent. She was just upset. I’m asking you to trust me.”
Trust. Something neither he nor Evie had done in a very long time.
“If you continue working with Evie, it might get rougher on you,” he said. “People in town are bound to find out you’re helping me. Many of them won’t like it.”
Lifting her chin,
Jill folded her arms. Her amber eyes flashed with stubborn persistence. “Don’t worry. I can handle them. You leave it to me.”
Footsteps sounded on the stairs outside. Anxious to see his daughter, Brent stepped out on the landing with Jill close behind. Arline stood at the bottom of the steps, watching closely as Evie climbed up and threw her arms around her father’s waist.
Hugging Evie tight, Brent gazed down at Arline. For a moment, he saw compassion crinkling the woman’s eyes. Then, she glanced at him and the kindness faded. She didn’t huff this time, but turned around and stomped off, her shoulders slumped in defeat. Brent realized she’d been watching over his daughter. Making sure she was safe while she navigated the steep stairs. Which seemed odd after the bad things she’d said about him. Maybe Jill was right. Maybe Arline’s anger wasn’t directed at Evie.
“Did you have fun with Jill?” Brent drew back and gazed into his daughter’s eyes, searching for the truth there.
Evie smiled and nodded. Calm as a summer’s morning. Not a hint of anger, fear or worry.
“Did you read a story with Mrs. Russell?” he asked.
Another nod, and then Evie laughed, the sound low and sweet. He stared at her, shocked and delighted. Feeling so emotional that he actually felt the burn of tears. Her laughter was still new to him. He hugged her again, holding her close for several long, wonderful seconds. He longed to ask what the story was about. Obviously it had amused her. But that could wait until they were home.
Taking the girl’s hand, he faced Jill. She stood apart, shifting her weight, her arms folded, her face drawn with apprehension. Anxious with fear that he might take Evie away and never return.
And then something occurred to him. Out of all the doctors and specialists he’d dragged Evie to, she’d screamed and cried with everyone. And when he’d returned to take her away from their sessions, he’d seen the relief in their eyes. They’d been glad to get rid of Evie. She was a problem child they had difficulty coping with. A nuisance they didn’t want. Instead of breaking through the steel wall Evie had built around herself, they’d prescribed drugs to sedate her. To make her malleable and quiet. Several had even suggested he lock Evie in an asylum for troubled kids. Of course, Brent had refused. He would never give up on her. Not ever. And then, when she went to Mrs. Crawford’s house without a problem, he started to think Evie might have a future. That she could get better.
Love Inspired March 2015 - Box Set 1 of 2: A Wife for JacobThe Forest Ranger's RescueAlaskan Homecoming Page 29