The Forest Ranger's Promise by Leigh Bale Page B

Allison had had an affair. He’dnever said a word to her about it. He thought about all the months of trying to speak kindly about her mother, trying to keep the ugly truth from Shelley. His daughter had known all along. Allison didn’t want her. Didn’t want either one of them. Now that he realized she knew the truth, he couldn’t bring himself to cover it with a lie. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I have no control over your mother, but I’ll make a promise to you.”
    She looked up at him and waited, her wide blue eyes shining with tears. How he wished he could ease her pain and loneliness.
    â€œI’ll never leave you. Not ever.” And he meant it. Only death could force him to leave his beautiful child.
    â€œThanks, Daddy.” She wrapped one thin arm across his abdomen, her small head nestled against his chest. He blinked to clear his eyes as he stared out the windshield. A feeling of love overwhelmed him and he patted her arm. How he loved her. All he wanted to do was protect her. To make her happy.
    He hoped his agreement with Melanie wasn’t a giant mistake. He hoped it would be good. For all of them.
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    The next morning, Scott pulled his blue truck into Melanie’s front yard at exactly seven-thirty. He’d have just enough time to get Shelley settled and drive back into town to work. He’d made sure he drove his own truck to Opal Ranch. If he used a government truck for personal errands and someone complained, he could be fired. He didn’t want to do anything to cause more trouble.
    In spite of her sore legs, Shelley unsnapped her seat belt and hopped out. She beat Scott to the front porch where she stood on tiptoe to reach the horseshoe knocker on the front door. She tapped it twice.
    At this cooler elevation, Scott wore long-sleeved shirts.Today, he felt exceptionally warm in his ranger uniform. As he sauntered past the front gate, he caught the cooling mist of water from the sprinkler on the lawn.
    â€œYou’re not excited to be staying here, are you?” He couldn’t help teasing Shelley, relieved to see her so happy for a change.
    â€œOf course I am, silly! Anne says I can help her feed the lambs again. I like it here.”
    Good! He chuckled, not wanting to remind her that after the repetition of feeding lambs several times each day, she might not like the chore so much in a week. Ultimately, he knew this experience would be good for her. She’d have chores and a new friend to keep her busy. Finally, something was going right for them.
    The door jerked open and Anne stood before them in blue jeans and bare feet.
    â€œHi.” Shelley stepped inside without an invitation.
    â€œHi.” Anne ignored Scott and moved back as he stood in the doorway.
    Anne eyed Shelley’s red-and-white tennis shoes and blue jeans before nodding her head in approval. “That’s much better. Your pants will protect your legs from now on.”
    Shelley’s smile widened.
    As Scott stepped into the living room, he caught the scent of fresh-baked bread. He breathed in deeply, relishing the tantalizing aroma. It reminded him of home when he’d been a kid. Mom had baked bread almost every day when he was growing up. He couldn’t remember a single time Allison made something from scratch. She preferred takeout.
    He wiped his feet on the rag rug by the door. The tan carpets looked worn, but clean. A sofa and two recliners surrounded a large, glass-topped coffee table with avase of field flowers in the center. Family pictures in gold frames lined the mantel of the fireplace. The large console TV set looked like it could serve as a boat anchor. It sat next to a bookcase filled with a variety of history books and old encyclopedias. In one corner of the room sat a small desk with a computer and a user’s manual open on top of the keyboard. Everything looked tidy except for a stack of scrapbooks and photo albums piled on a card table. It