Healing the Forest Ranger

She pointed to the north. “My truck is parked beside the dirt road about a mile away.”

He jerked his gaze in that direction. Just great. He’d have to give her a ride.

“You ready to go home now, or would you rather have more fun upsetting the mustangs?” He couldn’t keep an edge of annoyance from his tone. He was sick and tired of government employees rounding up the wild horses to send them to holding stations where most of them lived their life in captivity. He’d never been overly sentimental, but he wanted to forget what he’d seen and been forced to do as a U.S. marine in a war zone. The wild-horse herds soothed his jangled nerves and helped him cope with his post-traumatic stress disorder.

The mustangs were Cade’s version of therapy.

The woman showed a weak smile, her eyes sparkling like amber gems. Streaks of dirt marred the smooth curve of her sunburned cheeks. Pine needles and dirt clung to her long, white-blond ponytail. A smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose indicated she spent a lot of time outdoors. Because of her employment, Cade decided right then and there he wouldn’t like her one bit. No sirree. Not as long as she posed a threat to his wild horses.

She pointed toward the mountains. “That stallion is injured. He fought with a bachelor, and I was trying to get a closer look to see how bad the wound might be.”

Her declaration surprised him. Since when did a Forest Service employee care if a wild stallion was wounded or not?

“The way he hightailed it out of here, I’d say he’ll be just fine,” Cade said. “It’s not wise to come out here and gawk at the mustangs. They can be very dangerous.”

Her pink lips tightened defensively. “I wasn’t gawking. I was checking water levels and observing the horses, trying to learn their habits and see how well fed they are.”

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. “You can call it whatever you like. It’s the same thing.”

“I wasn’t gawking,” she insisted.

Okay, he wouldn’t argue with her about it. “So, how’d it all work out for you?”

She didn’t seem to catch his humor.

“They saw me when I changed position.” A frown of disappointment creased her forehead.

“As if a wild stallion would ever let you get close enough to offer first aid.” Cade muttered the words beneath his breath. What was she thinking? A mustang would never let her walk up to him and bandage his injured leg.

Her expression darkened. “I know that. I just wanted to see if he needed help.”

“Do you come out here often?” Cade asked.

Her gaze met his without flinching. “Every Friday, when I have the time. But not just here in Secret Valley. I make excursions to several areas, checking the water sources in the mountains and valleys. Quite frequently, I come upon the horses. What’s your name?”

Cade stared at the Forest Service woman for several moments, mesmerized by her commanding presence in spite of her short height and slim build. Not many people would get this close to a wild horse. Most stallions, even the tame ones, were fierce and treacherous. This woman had grit, he’d give her that. Or perhaps she was too foolish to realize the danger she’d been in. Another city girl who didn’t realize that wild horses were wild.

“Most people call me Cade.” He rested his arms across the saddle horn and leaned forward.

She paused as though waiting for him to ask her name. But honestly, he didn’t want to know any more about her. In the ensuing silence that followed, Flash flicked his tail at a fly.

“Are you from around here?” she asked.

Cade jerked his thumb up. “I own a small ranch just west of here.”

“Ah, Sunrise Ranch.” She nodded.

He wasn’t surprised she knew his place. The community wasn’t large, and everyone knew everyone else. So, why hadn’t he met this woman before? He longed to ask where she’d come from, but resisted the urge to show any interest.

“My name is Lyn,” she said. “I’m fairly new in town. Only been here two months, so I haven’t had an opportunity to meet you yet.”

“Yeah. Come on. I’ll take you to your truck.” He removed his foot from the left stirrup and reached out a hand to help her step up behind him on his horse. His mind kept repeating her name. Lyn. It suited her—feminine yet decisive.

“No, thanks. I can walk.”

She limped away, and he watched her with a bit of doubt. Maybe it was for the best. It wouldn’t bode well if someone saw him riding with a Forest Service employee. He’d never hear the end of it. Instead, he rode along beside her, just in case she changed her mind.

“Did you hurt yourself?” He jutted his chin toward her left ankle.

“Just a sprain. I was out here checking the damage to the watering hole when I saw the horses. I didn’t expect Buck to attack me. I’m sure he was still feeling defensive after his fight with the bachelor stallion. Otherwise, I doubt he would have bothered with me.”

“Buck?”

“Yeah, that’s what I named the buckskin.”

Cade’s jaw went slack, but he quickly turned his face away so she wouldn’t see his surprise. “You actually named one of the stallions?”

“Uh-huh. I take pictures of all the wildlife I see out here on the Stokely Ranger District.” She explained about naming the stallions of each herd so she could keep track of them in her reports.

“Wait a minute. You’re the new forest ranger?” He’d heard they were getting a new ranger in town, but had no idea she’d be a woman, or that she’d care about the wildlife enough to document them.

“That’s right.” She nodded and smiled pleasantly.

“Hmm.”

“You don’t sound pleased.”

“I’m just indifferent.” And stunned. A petite, attractive woman wasn’t his idea of what a forest ranger ought to look like. In fact, he’d never met a woman ranger before. Especially not one this pretty. Most of the rangers he’d met were men with pot guts. Overbellies who wouldn’t listen to reason. At least not where the wild horses were concerned. Cade wasn’t sure what to think about this turn of events.

“I suppose you’re planning to round up the wild horses and take them off the range,” he grumbled.

“Not if I can help it.” She kept her gaze trained on the rocky ground in front of her.

“What do you mean?”

“I love the wild horses. But I also love the elk, antelope, bighorn sheep and mule deer. And they need to eat and drink out here, too.”

“There’s plenty of feed for all the wildlife,” he said.

She stopped and looked at him squarely, resting her hands on her slim hips. A blaze of fire sparked in her eyes. As stunning as the wild mustangs he’d seen minutes earlier. “No, there’s not. Buck’s herd is starving. They’re too lean—I could see that with my own eyes. And they’ll soon be out of water.”

What she said went against everything Cade had been brought up to believe in. “Bah! The mustangs have been running wild across this land for centuries. They’ll make do. They always survive.”

“Yes, but many will die a slow, cruel death. A lot of elk and deer will suffer the same fate. There isn’t enough water and feed out here to sustain so many wildlife and domestic livestock, too.”

He waved a hand. “You’re just another cow lover. Get rid of all the ranchers’ fat cattle, and the wildlife will have enough feed to live on.”

She chuckled, not seeming offended in the least. “Well, I do enjoy eating a nice steak and hamburger now and then. But the ranchers are definitely restricted on how many cattle they can graze on public lands. They don’t take more than their fair share, believe me. I won’t let them.”