Rocky Mountain Hero

by Audra Harders

  “Just a second ago.” He pointed toward the kitchen.

  Heads bobbed beyond the kitchen window. “Hey, Jason. Let’s go.”

  Jason ran out of the house. “Miss Grace had biscuits left for me.” He ran past her to the truck.

  “Is Grace coming?”

  “She’ll be by to pick us up.” Jason wiped his hands on his jeans. “Hey, RJ.”

  Melanie cringed at the thought of facing the planning committee by herself. A butterfly flitted around the wildflowers edging Grace’s yard, their tiny blue blossoms stretching in the sunlight. So how unruly could a group of church ladies get?

  “Emma Jean, the tomatoes aren’t anywhere near ripe yet. No one will want to eat that salad.” Frannie Pollard shook her head.

  “I will, and so will my boys.”

  “Only because you tell them they have to.”

  “Do not!” Emma Jean Cisco glared at Frannie. “Everyone expects my tomato salad on the menu. This year I’m making a double batch.”

  “Ladies, please.” Mary Wells clapped her hands together. “There will be room on the tables for all your delicious dishes.”

  Feeling more like a parent aid in one of the elementary school classes rather than an event coordinator, Melanie stood up. “I haven’t checked yet, but I’m certain to find enough tables to hold all the wonderful dishes you plan on preparing.”

  Mrs. Wells spread her arms to continue the pacification. “Of course we’ll be able to offer all the tasty dishes everyone brings.”

  “If everyone don’t come down sick after eating green tomatoes,” Frannie Pollard mumbled just loud enough.

  Before pencils starting flying across the table, Melanie turned to Emma Jean. “If you’d like, I’d be happy to create place cards with your name and the name of your dish. It will follow a firecracker theme.”

  “Say, that does sound nice.” Emma Jean sat back in her chair and grinned. “You’re doing a fine job of bringing this picnic together, Melanie.”

  Melanie gave her thanks and sat down while Mrs. Wells went on with the plans for decorating, seating and everything else associated with the event. Melanie wanted to kiss her. She had no idea so much went into a simple barbecue.

  A menu of slow-roasted barbecue beef, salads, rolls and desserts came together.

  “How about pork ribs?” Melanie glanced around the room. “I have my uncle’s secret recipe for the best pork rib you’ve ever tasted.”

  Mrs. Wells dropped her pencil on the table. “We live in cattle country. We’ll eat what the land provides us.”

  “Mrs. Wells, beef is always our number one choice,” Jennifer O’Reilly piped up. “Traditions don’t disappear with new ideas. If folks like it, we’ll say you thought of it. If they hate it, we’ll say it was all Melanie’s idea.”

  Melanie snapped around and glared at the woman she thought was her friend.

  Jennifer winked at her. “You’ll be long gone by then. Easy to dump blame that way.”

  “Jennifer O’Reilly, no one will be blamed. We will discuss the merits of the idea and decide next meeting.”

  Confused by the democratic process adapted by the good folks of Hawk Ridge, Colorado, Melanie’s thoughts continued to jumble together as everyone gathered their papers and the chatter of excitement over the upcoming picnic drifted out the back door. She fingered her pad of paper and cleared her throat. “Three weeks sounds like a short time to pull this event together.”

  Jennifer rolled her eyes. “They never make anything easy. But wait until you see the end results. Small wonder Gabe delegated his assignment to innocent bystanders.”

  “It’s more like indentured servitude, but hey, I’ll be able to drive back home as a direct result.” Melanie couldn’t help but like Jennifer. “Thanks for the support.”

  “Someone has to bring this town into the twenty-first century. Having you here just helps my cause.” Green eyes brightened. “So, Gabe mentioned you’re looking for a job?”

  Melanie nodded. “In research and field work. I want a job that lets me spend more time with Jason.”

  “Good for you. I went to school for nursing and then came back to help in Dad’s clinic.” Jennifer paused a moment. “Sometimes it’s depressing to think that’s all there is.”

  Melanie bent over and picked up a paper from the floor. “All there is to what?”

  “Life.” Jen shrugged. “Grow up, go to school, go to work, get married, have babies, do the PTA duty and live the rest of your life wondering what you’ve missed.”

  Melanie glanced at the page and tossed it into the waste-basket. “What do you think you’ve missed?”

  “I don’t know. I love it here in Hawk Ridge, but I can’t help but think God has greater plans for me.”

  Melanie didn’t want to get into the whole “God and His plans” thing. At one time, she thought she had that all figured out, too. “Is there something you’d like to do?”

  “Lots of things.”

  “Well, now is the time to make those dreams come true.” She dusted off her soapbox of tough choices. “I knew I needed something better than the job I had or I’d grow old and realize I’d missed Jason growing up. Change isn’t easy when you’re the sole breadwinner. Take your chances while you can. Plenty of time to rock on the porch when you’re old.”

  A smile a mile wide brightened Jennifer’s face. “I’m glad you understand.”

  Melanie understood more than Jennifer would ever realize. Taking chances with the help and support of a loving family created options when faced with hard decisions. A person grew up fast when faced with providing for themselves and an infant as their only course. She didn’t recommend that route to anyone. “I haven’t heard the boys in a while. Do you know where they went?”

  Jen wiped her hands on a dishtowel and nodded toward the door. “Probably out back by the swing.”

  The swing. Her heart beat faster. “That death trap?”

  Jen angled her chin, puzzled. “The swing out back? No one’s ever gotten hurt on it.”

  Marching around the side of the church, Melanie followed the back wall until she reached the tree. The boys hollered up a storm, a boy younger than Jason twirled around on the rope. Jen came up beside her and touched her arm. “Watch, I’ll show you. Hey boys, my turn!”

  Jennifer walked up to the swing just as the rope came to a stop. She took a hair band from the pocket of her shorts and tied her hair into a ponytail. Helping the little boy off the plank, Jen sat down and grabbed hold of the ropes. “All right Toby, give me a shove!”

  Toby and Jason pushed, sending her flying into the air. They ran back out of the way as she swooped back and forth, her ponytail swept the ground as momentum sent her in a high arc. When the swing crested over the ridge wall, she let go and sailed through the air.

  Heart pounding in her throat, Melanie took off running, patting her back pocket for her phone to call 911. She fell to her knees at the edge of the drop-off and heard chatter below. Toby and Jason were on either side of Jen, all of them squealing on a huge green-tarp-covered pile of mattresses.

  “It’s just like a trampoline, Mom.” Jason bounced until he tumbled into Toby. “Com’ere and try.”

  There was no bottomless pit, no free fall of death. Once in the pit, the edges made a bowl out of the mountain shelf, the bottom and sides lined with foam.

  Gabe was right. Remembering her tirade yesterday, she wanted the rock mountain to open up and swallow her whole. She’d formed her opinion of the situation without even checking out his explanation. Were all her decisions regarding Jason made with the same small-mindedness?

  Digging her fingertips into the hard earth, she drew a breath and turned toward the swing. “All right, everyone. Move out of the way.”

  Jen, Jason and Toby scrambled to the side as Melanie sat down on the seat and grabbed hold of the rope. She pushed off with her toe.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll give you a push.” The little boy she’d seen before pushed against her back u
ntil he ran beneath her seat and let gravity swing her back. Air rushed past her ears and scent of warm pine air filled her senses. She pointed her face to the wind and closed her eyes, conscious of the creak in the trees beside her and the stout ropes clenched within her grip.

  Voices ebbed and flowed around her. “Mom, let go.”

  Melanie opened her eyes. A whirl of pine needles and blue sky rushed past. Swinging back toward the trees, she loosened her hold. As blue sky surrounded her again, she let go.

  She sailed through the air, her arms and legs kicking at nothing.

  After a lifetime suspended in a moment, she landed on the loose tarp, the mattresses beneath absorbing the fall.

  Wow.

  Jason stuck his head over the edge and looked down at her. “Are you all right?”

  Sprawled out on the tarp, she grinned at him. “Let’s do that again.”

  Chapter Ten

  Mentally adding up the hours in the day, Gabe still couldn’t make heads or tails of his workload. Check the north range cattle, shoe horses, Ditch Witch the main irrigation…the list faded into eternity.

  Yet here he sat in front of the church.

  He turned off the engine of the truck and stretched his neck muscles until a joint popped. Wrist atop the steering wheel, he wiggled a finger as he thought up more chores waiting for him.

  The memory of his dad hunched atop his stool, burning the midnight oil as he worked leather, smacked Gabe upside the head. His dad had built up the ranch with only Uncle Bob to help. How could Gabe complain about too little time and too few resources when all he had to do was check cattle and finish paperwork? Zac managed the assets; Nick worked PR…sort of. All Gabe had to do was tend this little chunk of land.

  Come to Me all ye who are weak and heavy laden….

  The familiar verse from the Sunday sermon wove through his mind like twenty-pound test line. This wasn’t a heavy burden. This was frustration. Frustration over having too much to do and not enough time in the day to do it right.

  Grabbing the keys from the ignition, he swung the door open and stepped out. The sun warmed the top of his head before he slapped on his hat. He wasn’t about to waste a day in self-pity when the good Lord had just answered his biggest prayer. Melanie running herd on the ladies gifted Gabe with the time he needed. An hour or two spent making sure his help stayed happy didn’t begin to empty the coffers of his appreciation.

  Nope. Not one bit. He stepped up on the stoop and opened the door.

  “Hello, ladies.” The kitchen stood empty. His grin faded. He poked his head into the all-purpose room. Empty. RJ said he’d dropped them off. Gabe paced through the rest of the church. Nothing.

  Through the window, he could hear children squeal in the backyard. He retraced his steps and headed toward the kitchen and out the door, skirting a sandbox and jungle gym at one end of the playground that kept the younger set happy.

  The older kids stood around the swing tree, encouraging someone down in the pit. Gabe chuckled as Ben caught the swing and tethered it in place. That simple swing offered more enjoyment in its two stout ropes and simple seat than all the mechanized play sets in the world.

  His chuckle stalled in his throat as Melanie climbed over the edge. She swatted at the dirt on her jean shorts and patted her shirt into place. Light bounced in her eyes as she shook her hair back. “Okay, boys, who’s next?”

  Gabe couldn’t believe his ears. Melanie had tried the swing? What had happened since yesterday morning?

  “You were great. Almost as graceful as Jason.” Jennifer stepped up and brushed pine needles and twigs off of Melanie’s backside. “Want to try it again?”

  “I don’t want to hog all the fun.”

  “We can swing anytime,” Jennifer reassured her. “Go ahead. Try again.”

  The grin of pure joy on Melanie’s face almost brought Gabe to his knees. Not a hint of fear lined her face and her smile radiated. She reached for the rope and climbed aboard.

  “Okay, Jay. Give me a push.”

  Not one to let the moment pass him by, Gabe came up behind Jason and put his finger to his lips. The boy giggled and moved aside. Melanie flew back toward Gabe, her hair a golden mass in the sunshine. He caught her back and pushed her off. She kicked her legs and gained height. One more time, she sailed back. Gabe spread his palms around her waist, her cotton shirt soft against his skin. Silky hair threaded through his fingers and the scent of lemons teased as he pushed her back into the air.

  Her body twisted and her eyes grew wide as she caught sight of him. She flew back toward him. “Gabe! This is great!”

  “I know.” He caught her hip and palmed her back into the air. “Look out over the ridge.”

  Her chin tucked to her chest, she swung upward. “Wheeeeee.”

  Gabe shoved her back toward the clouds; his joy surged at the freedom of the simple act.

  “Let go, Mom,” Jason instructed like an old pro.

  Melanie swept up into the sky and released the rope just as the swing reached its zenith. She flew upward for a moment longer, then dropped to the ground with all the grace of a sack of peanuts.

  “What a ride.” She bounced on the cushion. “Closest I’ll ever come to flying without a plane.”

  Gabe dropped to his belly and peered over the side. “Having fun?”

  “The best.” She squinted into the sun. “What a blast.”

  “I’m glad.” Glad to see her relax; glad to see her let loose; glad to see her smile. “This swing has quite the reputation around here.”

  “Oh, really?” She twirled around on the cushion and crawled over to him. “What does it do?”

  Gabe stared into the most incredibly blue eyes he’d ever seen. A blush of pink from the sun settled on her cheeks and a smattering of light freckles dusted over her delicate nose. He swallowed and tried to find his voice. “It makes people throw caution to the wind.”

  A light sparked in her eye and he thought he saw her wink. “Me? Throw caution to the wind? Not in a million years.”

  Yep, he’d seen the wink. “Forgive me for my misinterpretation of the moment.”

  Her blush deepened as her lashes lowered and her chin tilted low. “It was fun.”

  “Hey, Melanie.” Jennifer stood on the other side of the pit. “You got some great air.”

  Tension dissolved from between his shoulders as she shifted away from the edge and stood up. Brushing the debris from her shorts and shirt, Melanie grinned at him. Jennifer ran up.

  “Did you see her, Gabe?” Jen flopped down beside him. “Her second time on the swing and already a pro.”

  Balanced on his knees, Gabe offered Melanie a hand. She latched on and scrambled out, her fingers warm in his palm. Gray dirt sifted beneath her foot as she hopped up onto the grassy edge.

  Jennifer rose and pulled a pine needle off Melanie’s shorts. “Zac used to push me in the swing. I’d get just as high.” She swung her hands back and forth then held them high. “I’d let go, certain I’d fly off the edge. But I never did.” Her arms slapped against her sides. “I’d just land and then beg for him to do it again.”

  Melanie caught her breath. “I’ve got to do that again.”

  Gabe locked gazes with Melanie and couldn’t tear away. His insides churned. Another turn on the swing and he’d be in heaven, too.

  With timing that couldn’t be beat, Jason ran up and wrapped his arms around her. “You were great!” He turned toward Gabe. “My turn. Will you push me, Gabe?”

  Gabe nodded. Melanie looked away and broke the spell between them. She ruffled Jason’s hair.

  “Okay. Just once.” She glanced back again with a shy smile. “Then my turn.”

  All Gabe could do was nod.

  Melanie meandered through the fringe of foliage lining the acreage behind the barns. Sweet air breezed around her. She squeezed her eyes shut and filled her lungs. At times over the past twenty-four hours she’d almost been able to shake the sensation of Gabe’s gentle touch as he’d p
ushed her in the swing.

  Almost.

  “Careful where you step around here. Plenty of places to twist an ankle.”

  Her sweet reminiscing vanished in a heartbeat. Opening her eyes, she found RJ standing beside the wheel of the tractor. The puzzled look on his face told her he’d caught her daydreaming.

  “Thanks for the warning.” She regained composure. “There’s so much to explore around the barn and buildings. Don’t know what belongs to the Davidsons and what doesn’t.”

  He pushed away from the tractor with an easy shove and tipped back his hat. “You can walk for hours in any direction and you’ll still be on the Davidson spread.” He pointed all around. “They own the flats up here, most of the valley around the lake.” With his thumb, he indicated behind him. “They own this whole mountain.”

  Did people own mountains? Melanie stared out over the flats and remembered the ride they’d taken up the slope. Martin had mentioned a developer needing water. No wonder they couldn’t build. Not if the Davidsons owned miles of acreage surrounding the lake. “That’s a lot of land.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He nodded. “But a nicer family you’ll never meet. Thoughtful, too. Gabe stops by the barn every night to see how Manny is coming on the repair of your truck. Don’t worry about nothing. They’ll make sure your truck is as sound as any of the horses on the place.”

  Every night? From her cabin window she could see the light in the ranch office. Something told her it stayed on well after hers turned off. “I wish they wouldn’t go to all that trouble.”

  “I don’t believe Gabe sees it as trouble.”

  She gave RJ a halfhearted smile. Everything about this trip had become trouble. Funny, she couldn’t quite call it an inconvenience anymore. Now that worried her more than anything else.

  Beyond the shining tractor and matching mower, a trail snaked up the mountainside. Melanie stepped toward it. “Well, I’m glad I won’t trespass onto some other ranch. Thanks for the chat, RJ.”

  “You plannin’ on hiking up the side of this mountain?”

  “Just a little way. I won’t be gone long.”