The Forest Ranger's Christmas. Leigh Bale
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Название: The Forest Ranger's Christmas
Автор: Leigh Bale
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Короткие любовные романы
Серия: Mills & Boon Love Inspired
isbn: 9781472072658
isbn:
“Your brain works fine, and I’ll prove it to you.” Clint sat across from Frank and met the old man’s gaze with a wide smile. “If you’ll agree to participate in a reading program for just two months, I’ll make the tree permit issue go away. In fact, you and I will deliver your trees to the civic center and hand them out to the widows tomorrow morning. I’ll pick you up at 8:00 a.m. But you’d need to be in the reading program for at least eight weeks. Do we have a deal?” He thrust out his hand.
For several moments, Frank studied his face, as though thinking things over. “Do I have any other choice?”
Clint licked his bottom lip, not wanting to be too forceful. He had no idea what he’d do if Frank refused his offer. He’d probably let the issue drop and still give the trees away to the widows. He certainly wasn’t going to call Officer Tim back to arrest the man. But learning to read would take time. It also could make such a difference in Frank’s life. It could open an entire world. And Clint wanted so much to help.
To redeem himself for failing Karen.
“Everyone has a choice, Frank. Even you,” he said.
“Are there other people that can’t read in the program at the library?”
“Yes, two. Both are members of our congregation. So you already know them. And I’ll bet they’d be happy to see you there, too.”
Frank paused for several moments, as though thinking this over. Finally, he lifted his hand and they shook on it. “All right, I may not be able to read, but I’m no coward. I’ll go to the library.”
A whoosh of air escaped Josie’s lungs. “While I’m here for the holidays, I can help, too. And you’re the bravest man I know, Gramps.”
“I agree,” Clint said.
“So what now?”
Clint stood and turned toward the door, pasting a generous smile on his face. “Now we go to work. I’ll see you in the morning, and then again at the library at seven o’clock next Thursday night.”
Josie nodded, going through the motions of listening. Her vacant look indicated she wished Clint would leave now. And he was ready and willing to oblige her.
Reaching for the doorknob, he paused long enough to bid them farewell. “Have a good evening. And merry Christmas!”
They didn’t respond. A stunned silence filled the air with gloom. Josie stood looking at him like an ice queen, her blue eyes filled with doubt and some other emotion Clint couldn’t quite fathom.
Fear, perhaps?
Clint didn’t ask. As he stepped outside, the frigid air embraced him. It was still early, but darkness mantled the town. Christmas lights gleamed along the neighbor’s houses across the street. Frost formed patterns of lace on the windshield of his truck. He climbed inside and fired up the engine before switching on the defroster. He decided it was quite a bit warmer out here than in Josie’s frigid, glowering presence.
He hadn’t meant to upset the pretty pharmacist, but he had. And for some reason, that bothered Clint intensely.
Two days later, Josie stood with her shopping cart at the back of the only grocery store along Main Street. The place also served as a hardware store. Christmas songs blared over the loudspeaker, but she didn’t hum along. The scent of freshly popped corn filled the air, along with the happy chatter of shoppers. In spite of all this, it still didn’t feel like Christmas. Not to her. Not with Gramps in such a sour mood.
Looking down at her shopping cart, she studied the boxes of colored Christmas lights she’d selected. No matter what Gramps said, she was determined to hang them on his house. After what had happened with the ranger, he needed cheering up.
So did she.
Turning, she perused two fake Christmas trees. The pictures on the outside of the cardboard boxes were quite small and difficult to make out. A Douglas fir covered in heavy white flocking, and a spindly spruce. Both were poor imitations of natural Christmas trees. She could take one home and figure out how to assemble it, she had no doubt. But Gramps wouldn’t like either tree in his living room. And she couldn’t blame him. He’d had a real tree every year of his life and would settle for nothing less.
“You’re Frank’s granddaughter, aren’t you?”
Josie turned. An elderly woman with cottony white hair, too much facial powder, and a merry dimple in each plump cheek smiled up at her.
“Yes, I am.”
The lady’s grin widened as she propped one hand against her thick waist. “I knew it. I’m Thelma Milton, one of Frank’s friends down at the civic center. You and I have met a couple of times, but you probably don’t remember me. I knew your grandma well.”
“Yes, of course I remember. You were at Grandma’s funeral.”
“That’s right. I was sorry to hear about your breakup with your last fiancé.”
Josie tensed. No doubt Gramps had shared the news with all his cronies down at the civic center. The reminder hurt and made her wonder if she was doomed to spend her life as an old maid. How she wished she could meet just one man she could trust. A man who would love her unconditionally for herself.
“Frank told me,” Thelma confessed. “And I say it’s for the best. If a man really loves you, he wouldn’t let a little thing like your work come between you, believe me. A beautiful girl like you deserves better.”
Josie nodded, wishing it was that simple. But she’d rather never marry than end up in an ugly divorce like the one her parents had put her through. Of course, she wasn’t about to discuss her broken relationships with a stranger.
“Yesterday, Frank and the ranger brought me the most beautiful tree. Frank even set it up inside my house.” Thelma batted her eyelashes like a coy girl.
Josie swallowed a choking laugh. For some inane reason, she found the situation quite comical. True to his word, Clint had picked up Gramps and the two of them had driven over to the civic center, where they’d handed out all the confiscated trees. Josie had remained at home, sorting through piles of debris littering Gramps’s house to find the mop bucket and vacuum cleaner. His absence had given her some time to clean house. It had also made Gramps feel better, though the stress of learning to read had settled over him like a fat rain cloud.
“I’m glad you got your tree up,” Josie said, wishing she had a tree for Gramps. Too bad the ranger had confiscated all of the trees he’d cut down.
Thelma stepped closer. “Frank tells me you’re a pharmacist in Las Vegas.”
“That’s right.”
“Do you like your work?”
“Yes, I love it,” Josie answered truthfully. “And as I remember, you own this store.”
Josie showed her most friendly smile. After all, this was one of Gramps’s friends and the woman obviously liked him.
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