Read Online The Forest Ranger's Husband by Leigh Bale - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Leigh Bale
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whoosh of air, unable to deny a feeling of euphoria. It dimmed the pain in his leg and in his heart.
Tomorrow. He’d come back and visit his son again. And Andie. The woman he loved.
Chapter Six
T rue to his word, Matt showed up again the next evening, and the next. The days became a whirlwind of work and evening play with Davie. Rain or shine, Matt spent every minute teaching Davie to catch a baseball and slide into home plate.
Andie tried to broach the subject of the wildfire again, but Matt shut her down with a stern look. He didn’t want to confide in her and she couldn’t blame him. Without him saying so, she knew he must feel culpable for losing his crewman. She feared the guilt might be eating him up inside. And then she wondered why she cared. Matt wasn’t the same anymore, but neither was Andie. Over the years, they’d grown apart and might never feel comfortable around each other again. They harbored too much hurt, anger and resentment.
Or at least she did. She couldn’t figure out Matt’s motives. To save her life, she just could not believe him when he said he regretted leaving her. Too many years had gone by. They’d both moved on with their lives.
Or had they? Somehow she felt stunted in life, as though she couldn’t really move on until she resolved the issue of her marriage to Matt.
By Friday afternoon, Andie felt jittery as she drove to the Forest Supervisor’s office for a fire meeting with Matt andthe other district rangers. She parked beside the flagpole and shut off the motor, sitting quietly for several moments to gain her composure. Her boss and colleagues would be present. As the only woman ranger on the forest, she needed to appear professional and confident. Her personal feelings for Matt had no place in this meeting.
She looked in the rearview mirror to ensure strands of hair hadn’t come loose from the clip she’d pulled it up into at the back of her head. Stepping out of her car, she smoothed her spruce-green pants and checked her ranger shirt to make sure she hadn’t spilled any lunch on it. With her laptop and several files held securely in her arms, she made her way up the sidewalk and into the main foyer of the redbrick building.
“Hi, Andie.” Craig Spencer, the ranger from the Bridgeport District, greeted her.
“How you doing, Craig?”
“Good.” He leaned closer and whispered for her ears alone. “I’m eager to hear the fire plan from our new FCO. Have you met him yet?”
She bit back a hard cough. “Yes, I’ve met him.”
“And what do you think of him?”
Oh, boy. That opened the corral gate. But Andie didn’t want her colleagues to know about her personal relationship with Matt. Her work should stand on its own merits, not her marriage. “I think he’s highly qualified for the position.”
Okay, that was true enough. With his training and background experience, no one knew wildfire fighting better than Matt. Even in her anger, she couldn’t help feeling proud of his accomplishments.
They gathered around the wide table in the conference room to await the other attendees. Sherry, the administrative assistant, urged them to help themselves to pastries, coffee and drinks. Andie chose a bottle of water and sat down to wait. Within minutes, the room filled with people. She andMiriam Christensen, the Watershed, Soils and Range staff officer, were the only women in the room. More than ever, Andie felt the pressure to perform well and was determined not to fail.
Cal Hinkle came in and greeted them each with a handshake. He made chitchat while the other rangers milled around the coffeepot. Then he took his seat at the front of the room.
Andie was deep in conversation with Miriam when Matt walked in. Without looking up, Andie sensed his presence. Like radar. As she turned her head and saw him talking with Craig, she became conscious of him not as an enemy, but as a very handsome man.
Her man.
A twinge of desire settled in her chest. She couldn’t help
Tomorrow. He’d come back and visit his son again. And Andie. The woman he loved.
Chapter Six
T rue to his word, Matt showed up again the next evening, and the next. The days became a whirlwind of work and evening play with Davie. Rain or shine, Matt spent every minute teaching Davie to catch a baseball and slide into home plate.
Andie tried to broach the subject of the wildfire again, but Matt shut her down with a stern look. He didn’t want to confide in her and she couldn’t blame him. Without him saying so, she knew he must feel culpable for losing his crewman. She feared the guilt might be eating him up inside. And then she wondered why she cared. Matt wasn’t the same anymore, but neither was Andie. Over the years, they’d grown apart and might never feel comfortable around each other again. They harbored too much hurt, anger and resentment.
Or at least she did. She couldn’t figure out Matt’s motives. To save her life, she just could not believe him when he said he regretted leaving her. Too many years had gone by. They’d both moved on with their lives.
Or had they? Somehow she felt stunted in life, as though she couldn’t really move on until she resolved the issue of her marriage to Matt.
By Friday afternoon, Andie felt jittery as she drove to the Forest Supervisor’s office for a fire meeting with Matt andthe other district rangers. She parked beside the flagpole and shut off the motor, sitting quietly for several moments to gain her composure. Her boss and colleagues would be present. As the only woman ranger on the forest, she needed to appear professional and confident. Her personal feelings for Matt had no place in this meeting.
She looked in the rearview mirror to ensure strands of hair hadn’t come loose from the clip she’d pulled it up into at the back of her head. Stepping out of her car, she smoothed her spruce-green pants and checked her ranger shirt to make sure she hadn’t spilled any lunch on it. With her laptop and several files held securely in her arms, she made her way up the sidewalk and into the main foyer of the redbrick building.
“Hi, Andie.” Craig Spencer, the ranger from the Bridgeport District, greeted her.
“How you doing, Craig?”
“Good.” He leaned closer and whispered for her ears alone. “I’m eager to hear the fire plan from our new FCO. Have you met him yet?”
She bit back a hard cough. “Yes, I’ve met him.”
“And what do you think of him?”
Oh, boy. That opened the corral gate. But Andie didn’t want her colleagues to know about her personal relationship with Matt. Her work should stand on its own merits, not her marriage. “I think he’s highly qualified for the position.”
Okay, that was true enough. With his training and background experience, no one knew wildfire fighting better than Matt. Even in her anger, she couldn’t help feeling proud of his accomplishments.
They gathered around the wide table in the conference room to await the other attendees. Sherry, the administrative assistant, urged them to help themselves to pastries, coffee and drinks. Andie chose a bottle of water and sat down to wait. Within minutes, the room filled with people. She andMiriam Christensen, the Watershed, Soils and Range staff officer, were the only women in the room. More than ever, Andie felt the pressure to perform well and was determined not to fail.
Cal Hinkle came in and greeted them each with a handshake. He made chitchat while the other rangers milled around the coffeepot. Then he took his seat at the front of the room.
Andie was deep in conversation with Miriam when Matt walked in. Without looking up, Andie sensed his presence. Like radar. As she turned her head and saw him talking with Craig, she became conscious of him not as an enemy, but as a very handsome man.
Her man.
A twinge of desire settled in her chest. She couldn’t help
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