The Forest Ranger's Promise by Leigh Bale Page B

ride with me? We can make a day of it.” She turned to her daughter. “We can even buy you that new pair of shoes you want to play soccer.”
    â€œYay!” Anne grinned.
    â€œCan we go, too, Dad?” Shelley asked.
    Scott folded his arms and leaned against the wall, looking skeptical. Even though he had chores to do here at the ranch, Melanie prayed he said yes. She wanted his companionship today. His presence made her feel better. Stronger. She felt incredibly vulnerable right now and didn’t want to be alone with Anne on this long errand.
    â€œI want Shelley to come with me,” Anne said.
    Melanie chuckled. “It’s okay by me.”
    Melanie felt Scott’s eyes resting on her like burning brands. When he spoke, his voice sounded deep and calm. “I owe you for child care this week. I’ve almost finished repairing the shed and I’d feel better if you let me drive and lift the heavy boxes for you.”
    What a relief. Melanie released her held breath. Somehow the work of the day didn’t seem so burdensome with Scott by her side.
    Anne frowned at this, but she didn’t object. No doubt her desire to have Shelley along warred with her desire for Scott to remain behind.
    â€œYou sure you’re up for such a long day?” She bit her tongue, thinking she was stupid to try to talk him out of what she wanted him to do. And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to be completely selfish.
    He smiled gently, his blue eyes twinkling. “Yeah, and I’ll even buy everyone lunch.”
    Lunch! What a nice treat. It was rare that Melanie didn’t have to prepare a meal, and this day might just turn out to be fun.
    â€œDid you get the lambs fed?” Melanie asked.
    Anne grinned. “Sure. It goes fast now that Shelley knows what to do and helps me.”
    â€œGreat. Let’s go.”
    The girls raced ahead with Scott and Melanie following behind. Melanie locked the front door of the house, then bit her tongue when Scott suggested they take his truck.
    â€œWe can drive mine,” she said. When he threw a dubious glance at her rusty old truck, she hurried on. “It doesn’t look like much, but it’s got a good engine and it’s reliable.”
    â€œI just filled my tank with gas.” He headed for his truck, ending their discussion. Funny how he seemed toget his way so easily just by calmly doing things. Aaron would have been screaming profanities at her by this point, making the issue into a big fight that usually ended with her in tears.
    As they piled into Scott’s truck, Melanie realized that letting him drive was a smarter option. He had a backseat for the girls and Melanie found the truck cab comfortable and roomy.
    Anne sat directly behind Melanie with Shelley sitting behind Scott. As they pulled onto the main road, Scott pointed at the corral and yelled, “Beaver.”
    Melanie and Anne stared at him like he’d gone daft.
    He chuckled. “What? You’ve never played Beaver before?”
    They shook their heads.
    He looked in the rearview mirror at his daughter. “Shelley, do you want to explain the rules of the game to them?”
    â€œSure! If you see a colored horse, you call out ‘beaver.’ That’s worth one point. But if you see a white horse, that’s worth ten points and you call out ‘white horse.’ We keep score as we drive along and when we get to our destination, the one with the most points wins.”
    A laugh burst from Melanie’s throat. “The things people come up with to fight off travel boredom.”
    Scott glanced at her, his handsome mouth curved into a lopsided grin. “So are you in? Or are you afraid I might beat your socks off?”
    In response, she pointed at the pristine fields lined by tall, freshly painted white railings surrounding the Donaldsons’ ranch. “Beaver, beaver, beaver. That’s three points. I’m ahead.”
    She