Read Online The Forest Ranger's Husband by Leigh Bale - Free Book Online

hoped to change that for Davie.
    The boy raced down the hall to his room, leaving Matt alone with Andie. She showed a faint smile before eating her own broccoli.
    “He’s a good kid,” Matt said for lack of something better to say.
    “Yes, he is. But I doubt he’ll ever like broccoli.”
    “That’s normal. Most kids hate veggies. Maybe he’ll like it when he’s older.”
    “Maybe.” She took a drink of milk. “How’s your leg today?”
    “Fine.” He looked away so she wouldn’t see the pain in his eyes. Few days passed when his leg didn’t hurt like fire. While he’d watched Davie eat his dinner, Matt had forgotten his pain for several blissful minutes. Now it came back in full force.
    He slid his hand beneath the table so he could rub his aching thigh muscle. Hopefully Andie didn’t notice.
    “How’d you hurt your leg, Matt?”
    Andie’s question took him off guard, and he dropped his fork to his plate with a clatter. “It was just an unfortunate accident.”
    “What kind of accident?” she pressed.
    “It doesn’t matter.”
    She set her fork aside and leaned her elbows on the table, looking him in the eye. “It matters to me. Tell me about it.”
    No! His mind screamed with anguish. Why wouldn’t she let it drop? Speaking about what happened would only make him relive it in his mind. The smoke suffocating his lungs. The boiling heat of the fire as it melted his flesh. Jim’s cries of pain that went on and on.
    Jim Lockrem. Dead because of him. In the darkest part of each night, Jim’s screams of agony still filled Matt’s ears until he sobbed with anguish. Even now, Matt couldn’t figure out why he’d survived. He would bear the scars on his legs for the rest of his life.
    A constant reminder of what he’d done.
    Matt clenched his eyes closed, wishing he could go back in time and change things somehow. Wishing he could forget.
    “I was injured in a brush fire.” He barely got the words out around the lump in his throat.
    “What happened?”
    “I got burned and they took me to the hospital. That’s it.” He scraped his chair back from the table and gripped his cane like a lifeline as he stood.
    She glanced at his half-eaten burger. “You haven’t finished eating.”
    “I’m not really hungry. You ready to go, Davie?”
    “Almost,” the boy called.
    “Matt.” Andie also stood, her eyes filled with the one thing he just could not accept from her. Pity.
    “Don’t, Andie. Just let it go. I’m dealing with it the best way I can. I don’t want to talk about it.” He hobbled to the door, refusing to look at her. Refusing to let her see the torment in his eyes. If he let down his guard now, he’d end up like a puddle of water on the living room floor. And he couldn’t do that. Not if he wanted to keep his sanity.
    Davie came running, wearing a jacket, baseball cap and his leather glove. “I’m ready.”
    Matt wrenched the door open a bit too hard before picking up the baseball bat. Ignoring the dishes, Andie grabbed a sweater from the hall closet and followed them outside, sitting on the front porch steps while Matt played with Davie in the front yard. Matt couldn’t help wondering if she were making sure he didn’t kidnap the boy, or if she just wanted to watch them have fun.
    “The daylight will be gone soon. Let’s try some practice throws to warm up,” Matt said.
    Davie stood back, waiting expectantly.
    “Hold your hands up, not down by your sides. You want to be ready when the ball comes toward you.”
    The boy lifted his arms, elbows bent. Matt tossed the ball and Davie tried to catch it, dropped it, then scrambled after it on the damp grass.
    “Great effort, son.” Matt was glad his boy wasn’t afraid of the ball. Davie had lots of potential.
    Again and again, they threw the ball back and forth to each other. Davie caught it only once, but he had some near misses. He was getting better.
    “How about if I pitch to you now?” Matt called.
    “Yeah. I’m much