The Forest Ranger's Return

“Fine. I just started running again yesterday morning.”

And he’d missed her somehow. Maybe that was a good thing.

“I’m glad to hear it.” He glanced at Shauna, who sat at her desk watching them with attentive gray eyes. “Um, I’m here in an official capacity. I have a business proposal I’d like to discuss, if you have the time.”

“Sure! Come on back.” She spun around and headed down the hallway, glancing over her shoulder to make sure he followed.

He did, trying not to stare at the gentle swing of her hips. He couldn’t get over the graceful change in her. What a shame life had cheated them out of growing up together, going to college and possibly marrying. If her parents hadn’t died, he might not have gone to war. He wouldn’t have been there to save Cade Baldwin’s life, and he wouldn’t have lost his leg.

What kind of man might he have become if Julie hadn’t been yanked out of his life? It did no good to think about it, but he couldn’t help wondering.

Her office wasn’t overly large, but included an alcove where a wide mahogany conference table sat surrounded by six tall-backed chairs. Stacks of reports rested in tidy piles along the edge of her desk. He gazed at a picture of two desert bighorn sheep hanging on one wall and a mule deer standing beside a mountain stream on the other. She obviously still loved the outdoors, just as he did.

She rounded the desk. “Please, have a seat.”

He sat opposite her, conscious of her watching him. Glad the desk provided a barrier between them.

“So what can I do for you?” Her chair creaked as she sat back and crossed her legs.

He cleared his throat. “There’s an old mountain trail just south of Sunrise Ranch. It comes out on the other side along Lake McClellan. I don’t know of many people who use it except me. We’d like to develop the trail a bit more and even put a campsite at the top of the mountain where it overlooks the lake.”

“You want to alter a trail that already exists?” she clarified.

He nodded, wishing he’d asked Cade to come and make this request instead. He longed to blurt out the truth to Julie. That he knew her, had never forgotten her and wished he could tell her his darkest, most hurtful secret of all. “Yes, we want to take some of our amputee kids up there on horses for an overnight camping experience.”

Without a word, she stood and reached for a round canister sitting behind the door. Opening it, she unrolled a large map of the area and spread it across the conference table. She waved for him to join her. “Can you show me exactly where the trail is located?”

He stood and walked to her side. Her gaze dipped to his legs, but he knew she saw nothing of his prosthesis beneath the cover of his blue jeans and scuffed cowboy boots.

She bent over the table, her hands smoothing the map before she pointed at a small red star. “This is where we are in town.” She skimmed her index finger over the map toward the east. “And this is Sunrise Ranch. Here’s Lake McClellan. Where’s this trail you want to develop?”

He leaned closer to inspect the map. Bold green numbers indicated the locations of Forest Service trails and campsites in the area. A legend at the bottom of the map named each trail. He recognized several, but it took him a moment to find the isolated one he sought. He couldn’t concentrate. The citrus fragrance of Julie’s shampoo distracted him and he blinked several times, trying to focus.

“Right here.” He traced a thin line rising over a mountain peak and skirting the northeastern side of the lake.

She peered at the spot. “Number eighteen. Gilway Trail.”

“Gilway,” he repeated.

“Probably the name of the person credited with finding the path.” Without explanation, she stepped over to the wall and yanked open the drawer of a metal cabinet. Her long fingers skimmed the lips of manila folders before she pulled one file out and laid it open on the table. A rustle of papers followed as she flipped through the pages, her eyes narrowing as she skimmed several paragraphs of various reports.

Dal watched in fascination, impressed by her obvious interest in the topic. Finally, she stood back and smiled wide.

“Gilway has been around for ages. No one really knows when it originated. Probably used by the Indians as an old hunting trail before the white man even lived in this area. It’s already zoned for hikers and pedestrians. Semiprimitive nonmotorized.”

“Nonmotorized?”

“Yep. That means no snowmobiles, motorbikes, cars, trucks or engines of any kind. Except chain saws, of course. In case we need to fight a wildfire up there.”

Good. He liked that. “What about horses?”

“Horses are okay.”

A feeling of relief swept over him. He’d ridden that trail many times and didn’t want to get in trouble for taking a horse up there.

“No campsite presently exists at the top,” Julie continued. “Just the trail. As far as I can tell, it’s been recently used by an occasional hunter and the Back Country Horsemen. Beautiful scenic views. Very close to your ranch. You’ve chosen wisely.”

“Yeah, I knew the first time I went up there that it was a therapeutic place to take amputee kids.”

“How often do you plan to use the trail and campsite?” she asked.

“Maybe seven nights total throughout the months of July and August, not including the times I ride up there on my own.”

“And you just want a camping experience for the kids?”

“Yes, to help them build a feeling of independence and self-esteem. We have horseback riding for all the children back at the ranch, but only those kids who have some experience and confidence riding a horse will be allowed to go on the overnight campout. Above all else, we want to ensure their safety.”

She leaned her hip against the edge of the table and folded her arms. “That’s good. How many people will you have going up there at one time?”

“Maybe four or five kids and the same number of adults each time.”

“With a horse for every person?”

He nodded. “And several pack horses, too.”

“That sounds okay, but keep in mind that crowding can reduce the quality of your experience up there. You won’t want to overdo it.”

“We’ll keep that in mind. So what comes next?”

She stepped back from the table. “The first thing I need to do is take a ride with you to see the layout of the trail and find out if it’s even possible for us to develop a campsite up there.”

“A ride? With me?” His voice sounded a bit strained to his own ears. Did he look as nervous as he felt?

“Yes, if possible. Then you can show me exactly what you have in mind. I can take my Forest Service horse. Do you have a horse you can ride?”

His heart gave a funny leap of excitement. The thought of spending time up on the mountain with this interesting woman brought him a feeling of anticipation he couldn’t deny. “Yeah, I can do that.”

“Good. What if I drive out to your place with my horse next week on Friday morning, about nine o’clock? I suspect our work will take the better part of the day, so we should pack lunches and plenty of water.”

“That sounds fine to me.”

“After I’ve inspected the area, I’ll need to perform an environmental assessment on the proposal.”

“What’s an environmental assessment?” he asked.

“It’s where I look at the work we need to do in altering the trail. The potential for erosion, the possible impact on the public and wildlife, the impact if we alter any vegetation and the scenery. Stuff like that. Before we build a campsite, I’ll need to also advertise this development in the newspaper and hold a public meeting for anyone who cares to attend.”

He frowned, thinking this sounded logical, but worried about what it might mean for the project. “Do we have to hold an open meeting?”