Leigh Bale - Falling for the Forest Ranger

Redds were spawning beds for fish. The eggs needed cold, clean, well-oxygenated water to survive. Without shade from overhanging willows and other vegetation, the temperature of the stream increased and killed off the eggs.

“Yes, the cows have tromped in the stream and broken down the banks here. We convinced several local ranchers to let us fence off parts of the streams to stop this from happening. The area should recover over time.”

Gazing out the window, he decided by midweek he could find a valid excuse to call Zoë and cancel the fishing trip with Jonah. There wasn’t enough time in his busy schedule to spend fishing with a cute little boy who talked too much anyway. Tanner had been foolish to make the offer.

No, he couldn’t do that. His guilty conscience nipped at him. Canceling would break Jonah’s heart. And Tanner wasn’t that cruel. Not yet anyway.

A kid like Jonah might be a lot of fun. And a lot of hard work, too. Tanner was gaining a new appreciation for Zoë. From his experience with his own mother, he knew that being a single mom wasn’t easy, yet Zoë seemed to do it with such calm grace.

He heaved a disgruntled sigh. Tanner hated the thought of hurting Jonah and losing the boy’s trust, though he didn’t know why. What Jonah Lawton thought shouldn’t matter to Tanner. The boy wasn’t his son. They had no connection except that Tanner now worked with Zoë. In spite of trying not to, Tanner still liked the kid.

Too much.

Maybe it was because Tanner understood the hurt of losing his father so young. Then, his mother had been busy working just to put food on the table. No quality time. No one to attend his ball games or help with his science projects. No one to confide his troubles and victories to.

Tanner shook his head, keeping his gaze on the narrow dirt road. They skirted fields of alfalfa, barley and potatoes, the outlying mountains providing a stunning backdrop for meadows and streams twining through the valley. Lovely and serene. Tanner frequently went to the mountains whenever he felt sad or lonely, which was often these days. Out here, he never felt lost or alone.

Until now. Until he’d met Zoë Lawton and her inquisitive little son. He wasn’t alone just now, but he still felt lost.

In a matter of days since he’d met them in Harper’s Grocery Store parking lot, something had changed for Tanner. Something he couldn’t explain. The fact that he didn’t know what it was left him feeling disconnected and troubled.

Yep, he’d have to go fishing with Jonah. He couldn’t retract the offer. Not without upsetting the boy, and his mother.

The mother.

He tossed a quick glance at Zoë, taking in her faded blue jeans, warm sweater and practical boots. Gone were the professional jacket, skirt and heels that’d almost made him salivate. With her slender legs crossed and her delicate hands resting in her lap, she looked too young to be a professional woman supporting a child.

And a widow.

From what Jonah had said, she’d lost her husband years ago. Tanner couldn’t help wondering if she’d loved the man. If his death had crushed her heart the way Cheryl had crushed his.

As the wheels thumped across the washboard road, he cast surreptitious glances Zoë’s way. Her head bobbed gently with the swaying of the vehicle. She looked completely at home, not at all a prissy city girl who couldn’t handle a bit of dirt on her clothes. Her smudged eyeliner made her blue eyes appear smoky and mysterious. No matter what this woman wore, she was beautiful.

As they passed the canal, Tanner slowed the truck and pointed at the trench filled with water. “You can see there’s no farmer’s screen on this irrigation ditch. Last spring, hundreds of fish took the wrong turn in the canal, got lost and ended up in the ditch instead of moving on their way through the river.”

Jonah sat up straighter to see out the window. “What happened to them?”

Surprised to find the child listening, Tanner explained, “With nowhere else to go, they ended up in the fields, dead.”

The boy blinked at that. “Dead?”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, we’ll do something to stop it from happening again.” Zoë patted Jonah’s arm.

Tanner didn’t think she should promise something she might not be able to deliver. But her confidence made him feel as though they really could resolve the problems they faced.

They rounded the bend and saw a rusty old truck parked at the side of the road. A man in his mid-forties stood near the ditch bank, wearing a baseball cap, blue overalls and knee-high waders. He waved, then propped his shovel in the dirt before leaning his forearms against the top of the handle.

“That’s Harry Ragsdale.” Tanner pulled over, then killed the motor.

They all got out and joined Harry before Tanner made the introductions.

“I must admit I was a bit surprised when Tanner called to see if I’d meet with you today. What can I do for you?” Harry’s ruddy cheeks wobbled slightly as he shook Zoë’s hand.

“It’s not what you can do for us, but what we can do for you.” Zoë spoke right up, her voice pleasant enough. “We need to put a farmer’s irrigation screen on your property as soon as possible. We’d like your permission to start work immediately.”

Harry shrugged, his doubtful gaze resting heavily on Tanner. “I already told the ranger I can’t do that. Screens are a big pain to maintain. They catch garbage and clog up. They have to be constantly cleaned. I don’t have time for that kind of nonsense.”

Zoë’s spine stiffened, her smile fading to a disapproving frown. This didn’t look good.

“We have to do something, Mr. Ragsdale. The Endangered Species Act requires it by law,” she said.

Harry lifted a hand, as if to shoo away a fly. “Then do something else. But I’m not gonna put any screens on my property.”

Zoë tilted her head and her eyes hardened just a bit. “A screen will keep wayward salmon from swimming past the canal and ending up dead in your ditch.”

“I don’t care if they do. They rot and provide good fertilizer for my fields.”

Zoë’s mouth tightened. “But so many fish are dying that they’ve ended up on the endangered-species list. If you won’t maintain a screen, we’ll have to get an injunction against you to shut off your water.”

“What?” The word exploded from Harry’s mouth like a nuclear detonation. “You can’t do that. I need water for my crops. Shutting off my water would put me out of business.”

“You’re leaving us no other choice,” Zoë insisted.

Tanner held up both hands. This wasn’t what he’d expected at all. “Now, now, that won’t be necessary. We can deal with this situation without resorting to shutting off your water.”

Zoë glared at Tanner as if he’d just slapped her face. “Then, what do you recommend?”

“I can’t afford to install a farmer’s screen.” Harry’s voice vibrated with anger. “All that cement and steel. It’d cost me thousands of dollars.”

Jonah stepped closer to his mother, sliding his hand into hers as his eyes creased with worry over their raised voices. A protective impulse swarmed Tanner’s chest and he longed to comfort the child. Maybe he shouldn’t have agreed to bring the kid along. From the way Zoë patted the boy’s cheek in a reassuring gesture, she was having second thoughts, too.

“You won’t have to pay a dime of the costs, Harry. FRIMA has given us a grant to fund the project. We just need your permission to have it installed. We’ll do all the work.” Placing one hand on the other man’s shoulder, Tanner looked into his eyes, a tactic he frequently used to calm irate farmers.

“What’s FRIMA?” Harry asked in a gruff voice.