Healing the Forest Ranger. Leigh Bale

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СКАЧАТЬ understand,” Lyn continued. “Dr. Fletcher said if anyone could help us, it was you.”

      Cade chuckled, unable to resist feeling pleased by the flattery. “I’ll do my best. I wouldn’t want to disappoint my old teacher.”

      “He also said you’d served several tours of duty as a marine in Afghanistan. When you got home, you finished medical school and focused on prosthetics because you had a good friend who lost his leg in the war.”

      Cade stiffened, taken off guard by how much she knew about him. She’d touched a raw nerve buried deep inside. Dallin had saved his life, putting himself in harm’s way. Cade owed everything to Dal and much more. “Good ol’ Dr. Fletcher. He always did have a wagging tongue.”

      “I didn’t mean to be nosy,” Lyn said. “It’s just that Kristen’s father was also a marine.”

      “I see. Semper fi.” Cade nodded in understanding. Just one more thing he didn’t want to like about this woman.

      “Always faithful,” she said.

      “I’m sure your husband was a good man.” Cade almost groaned. Now he was making small talk with her.

      “My daddy was the best,” Kristen said.

      Cade looked away, the knowledge of their loss impacting him more than he liked. He patted Kristen on her good knee before rolling his stool backward. He didn’t want to know about Lyn’s dead husband. Or anything else about her, for that matter. “Why don’t you stand and walk a few steps for me, sweetheart?”

      The girl tossed a hesitant glance at her mother, then did as asked. Bracing her hands against the armrests of her chair, she lurched to her feet. She bit her bottom lip, obviously concentrating. Trying hard not to show her clumsiness. Lyn stood close by. Too close. Her hands were open and ready to catch the girl if she fell.

      Kristen walked forward, bending slightly at the waist and sticking her bottom out before jerking the prosthetic leg forward. The end result was that she walked with a pronounced limp.

      Cade stood and stepped over to give Kristen some guidance. He had to brush past Lyn, catching the tantalizing scent of some kind of fruity shampoo. Sweet and feminine. “Excuse me.”

      Lyn stepped back, but not far enough. Her gaze centered on Kristen like a mother eagle watching her young. And that’s when Cade wondered if she was a bit overprotective.

      “You definitely need a new prosthesis,” Cade said. “We can get one fitted for you. I’ve got some good contacts for that. In the meantime, I’d like you to work on a few things for me. Can you do that?”

      Kristen nodded, her blue eyes wide as she gazed up at him with a mixture of gratitude or doubt, he wasn’t sure which.

      “First, I don’t think you’re trusting your prosthesis enough. It won’t collapse under you, so let it do the work for you. It’s strong and can bear your weight. As you walk, you need to make sure your hip is over the foot.”

      He modeled the posture with his own hip and leg. “Set your weight down on the foot of your prosthesis before you take another step. Trust that it’ll be there for you. Brace your hand on the wall if you need to support yourself. Then bring through your good leg. This will pull you up onto the toe of your prosthesis. Keep your hip over your foot. That will load the springs in the prosthetic foot so it’ll help propel you forward on your next step.”

      Cade directed Kristen through the motions. When her hip and leg moved out of position, he gently pressed them back into proper order, and Kristen was soon taking less awkward steps.

      Then he moved away. Without his aid, utter panic filled Kristen’s eyes. “What if I fall?”

      Lyn took a step toward her daughter, but Cade held out his hand to stop her from interfering. “Then you fall. What’s the worst that’ll happen?”

      He waited, letting both daughter and mother digest this comment. Hoping Kristen realized that falling wasn’t the worst thing she should fear.

      “People will laugh,” Kristen said.

      “So let them. And what will you do?”

      He hoped she didn’t say she’d cry. He couldn’t restore her leg, but he could help her toughen up so she could cope with her life.

      “I get back up?” she asked.

      A question, not a statement.

      “Of course! Have you ever seen someone else fall down?” he asked.

      The little girl nodded. Her mother looked tense and wary. Apprehensive.

      “And did you laugh?” he asked.

      “No.” A vague response. She didn’t understand what he was getting at. Not yet, anyway.

      “Why not?”

      “Because they fell down and might be hurt. I don’t laugh because I know how it feels.”

      “Of course. But they don’t just lie there. They get back up, right?”

      Another nod.

      He bent slightly at the waist so he could look her in the eyes. “Kids fall all the time, Kristen. You just gotta quit being afraid of it. I can teach you how to land on your bottom so it won’t hurt as much. If you fall down, do you already know how to stand back up without help?”

      She nodded, her eyes filled with a bit more trust, but not enough. Not yet. This poor girl had a lot of issues she needed to resolve if she was ever going to walk well and lead a normal, happy life.

      “Then there’s nothing to be afraid of, is there? You can get back up and walk on your merry way,” he reiterated.

      She looked down, her chin quivering. A strand of golden hair swept past her cheek. She looked so sweet and vulnerable.

      Just like her mom.

      “But kids laugh when I fall,” she said.

      His heart gave a powerful squeeze. “Then let them laugh. Show them it doesn’t bother you one bit. And pretty soon, they won’t laugh anymore.”

      Cade couldn’t help wondering if Lyn had discussed this topic with Kristen. From the profound concern in her eyes, he knew the ranger cared deeply about her daughter. But maybe Kristen needed to hear this dialogue from someone besides her mom.

      Maybe Lyn needed to hear it, too.

      Taking a deep breath, Kristen took another step, and another. She pressed her tongue against her upper lip, seeming to concentrate on doing what he’d shown her. Learning to trust her prosthesis. Lyn tightened her hands into fists as though she fought the urge not to assist her child.

      “Hey! I’m doing it better.” Kristen smiled at her mom.

      “You sure are, honey,” Lyn agreed, her voice thick with emotion.

      Cade’s gaze darted to Lyn’s face. Against his better judgment, he sympathized with СКАЧАТЬ