The Forest Ranger's Promise. Leigh Bale

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СКАЧАТЬ of my wife. Not many women like living in podunk towns without a decent grocery store and shopping.”

      Once again, his tongue seemed to blurt out words before he could engage his brain. Melanie McAllister was much too easy to talk to.

      Allison should be here now with him and Shelley. He’d begged his wife not to leave them. He’d even offered to change the career he dearly loved, although he had no idea what he’d do if he wasn’t a ranger. This life was all he knew.

      No amount of pleading had changed Allison’s mind. She’d married a wealthy businessman less than four weeks after the divorce. All her trips to New York to visit her sister finally made sense. She’d been having an affair. When she’d claimed she’d never loved him, Scott wasn’t surprised. Even now, the pain of betrayal hurt so much he thought there must be blood on the floor.

      When she’d demanded that he keep Shelley, Scott had been glad, but his heart ached for his little girl. She didn’t understand why Mom didn’t want her anymore. He’d clumsily tried to explain without hurting her feelings, but Shelley was too smart. Kids had an uncanny way of guessing the truth. She knew her mother didn’t want her. Had never really wanted either of them. And that’s what hurt most of all.

      “I suppose you’re right,” Melanie conceded. “It can be a challenge living in an isolated town, but we’ve got the most beautiful sunsets you ever saw. And when I’m up on the mountain after a rainstorm, the wind whispers through the trees and everything is so green and smells so fragrant. It’s like heaven on earth.”

      Warmth and pride infused her voice. She spoke on a sigh, her soft words sounding poetic. He couldn’t help wondering how different life might have been if his ex-wife had loved the great outdoors the way he did. They’d met and married fresh out of college, before he realized she hated country living. “It’s funny how things change.”

      “Yes,” Melanie said. “And it’s funny how they stay the same, too.”

      How true. Right now, he wished he could just find some normalcy for himself and Shelley, if only for a while. They’d both had far too much upheaval lately.

      “If your daughter’s young, who’s watching her while you’re gone?” Melanie asked.

      He explained about Karen. “Shelley’s a great kid, but she’s lonely. She misses her mom and her friends.”

      “Don’t worry. There’re several women in town who run summer child care out of their homes to make extra money.”

      “Yeah, for everyone except the new forest ranger.” He couldn’t keep the cynicism from his voice.

      “I take it you’ve already asked them?”

      “Yep, and each one said no.”

      “Really?” Disbelief filled her voice.

      He snorted. “Don’t look so surprised. One woman was polite, but I saw the anxiousness in her eyes when she found out who I was. The other two women bluntly told me they would never watch the forest ranger’s brat.”

      She glanced at him, her eyes round with shock. “They actually said that?”

      “Quote, unquote.” And where did that leave him and Shelley? He’d never leave her with people who might treat her badly. His child care predicament bordered on desperate.

      “I’m sorry. That’s not very Christian-like.” Melanie’s mouth tensed as she gripped the steering wheel.

      “Don’t worry about it. Even you’d rather be anywhere but here helping me.”

      Her cheeks flamed with guilt. “Is it that obvious?”

      “Like a fist punch to the nose.”

      “I don’t mean to be rude,” she admitted.

      “I know. It’s just that Shelley misses her mom and still doesn’t understand why she has to live with me.” His voice softened. “She’s a lot like her mother. Prefers dresses to tromping around the mountains on a horse. But I love her so much. She’s all I have left.”

      He heaved a deep sigh, then clamped his mouth closed. He must remember that this woman was a rancher and didn’t trust him. Yet.

      “I’m sorry for your trouble.”

      “Thanks. I just want to do a good job here,” he said. “My dad died when I was a senior in high school and Mom couldn’t keep the ranch going even with my help. We sold off our land and that’s when I decided to get a college education, so I could become a forest ranger and help other ranchers. I’m really not an ogre.”

      She blinked, seeming to think this over.

      “Can you recommend a child care provider until school starts up in the fall who won’t care what I do for a living?” he asked.

      She hesitated, then shook her head, her long auburn hair falling softly around her shoulders. “Just the women you’ve already tried. I pretty much keep to myself out at Opal Ranch and don’t have time to mingle a lot with the townsfolk.”

      Something in her tone warned that he’d pushed her out of her comfort zone. She stared straight ahead, a frown curling the corners of her mouth. She didn’t clarify, but he suspected there was a reason she didn’t associate with the people in town and he couldn’t help wondering why. For now, he decided to change the topic. “Opal Ranch is your home?”

      “Yes, we’re fifteen miles outside of town.”

      “How many bands of sheep are you running?”

      “Two.”

      “With about four thousand head?”

      “Closer to three.” At his questioning look, she continued. “We’ve had some setbacks.”

      “Such as?”

      “Such as nosy forest rangers,” she retorted.

      Wow! She was definitely harboring ill feelings toward the previous ranger. He could see he had his work cut out for him to resolve the anger issues in this town. Her clipped answers told him she didn’t want to talk, but he should know this information as the new ranger. “How many acres of grazing land do you own?”

      “Enough.”

      He smiled at the quirky way her full lips pursed together in disapproval. “I’m only trying to get to know your needs as one of the permittees. I just want to help.”

      “Are you laughing at me?”

      He dropped the smile from his face, realizing she was dead serious. “Absolutely not.”

      “Good.” She jutted her chin. “We have ten acres of corrals, eighty acres of hay land and another seventy acres of dry pasture, along with lambing and shearing sheds.”

      “Sounds like you have a busy operation.”

      “It’s not a sideline, if that’s what you mean. Some people come out here from the city, setting up a hobby ranch so they can play with the sheep and cows. СКАЧАТЬ