The Forest Ranger's Christmas

by Leigh Bale

  Clint leaned down and spoke close to her ear, his warm breath brushing against her face. “You sure you want to sit with Gracie and me? Looks like we’ll be the topic of discussion all over town for the next week.”

  Oh, let them talk. Josie didn’t care. Not today. Clint’s touch brought her a deep sense of fulfillment, as though she belonged here with him. A crazy notion, but irrefutable proof that they’d become close friends. Yet he seemed reticent. As though he didn’t want to be with her.

  “It’s okay. It won’t last long,” she said.

  As they approached, Gracie slid close to Gramps. Josie had no choice but to sit sandwiched between Clint and the little girl. As the prelude music ended, Josie was surprised to discover she felt perfectly at home. She listened to the service, and a peaceful feeling settled over her. Like a homecoming. As though she’d never been away. An odd notion, surely, but undeniable all the same.

  Midway through the program, the church choir sang “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” With several elderly people among them, they weren’t the best in the world, but their vibrant voices meshed together in perfect harmony. Like angels singing praises to God, their words pierced deep into Josie’s heart. She’d never heard anything so beautiful in all her life. And the sermon on Christ’s mission here on earth left her feeling calm and quiet inside, as though all was right in her world. In spite of her fears and worries, God lived, and loved her. He was here for her and had everything in His control. All she had to do was rely on Him.

  Easier said than done. But Josie was trying. She wished Clint lived in Vegas and wasn’t hung up by guilt. But he was, and he lived in Camlin. And they couldn’t be more than friends.

  He leaned close and whispered, “You okay?”

  She blinked and nodded, realizing tears filled her eyes. He must have seen them. As she responded, she again caught his clean, spicy scent.

  “Yes, I’m just enjoying the meeting.”

  A smile creased the corners of his mouth. “Good. I’m glad you’re here.”

  “So am I.”

  And she meant it. But realizing what she’d just admitted, her breath froze in her throat. Except for Gramps, she couldn’t remember a time in her adult life when someone had told her that they were glad she was there. It meant a lot to Josie. It meant everything. If only it could last.

  * * *

  By the time Sunday school was over, Clint couldn’t fight it anymore. His attraction for Josie had become a powerful energy he couldn’t deny. And yet he must, for Gracie’s sake as well as his own. And telling Josie she looked pretty, and that he was glad she was here, and agreeing to share Christmas dinner, wasn’t helping him fight that magnetism.

  Standing in the outer foyer while he waited for Gracie, he leaned back against the wall and slid his hands into his pants pockets. Josie stood close by, waiting for Frank. Clint told himself it was just because she didn’t know many people here, so she seemed to gravitate to him like a lifeline. But deep inside, he wished it was because she...

  What? Wanted to be around him? The way he wanted to be with her?

  “She’s always such a happy kid.” Josie indicated Gracie as the girl skipped down the hall with her friend Jenny Fletcher.

  The girls’ teacher called them back, indicating they’d forgotten the pictures they’d drawn during their Sunday school class. Even this far down the hallway, Josie caught the melodious sound of Gracie’s laugh. The kids disappeared inside their classroom again, no doubt gathering up their artwork.

  Clint nodded, his gaze pinned on the doorway where his daughter had disappeared. “That’s mostly due to you.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, she’s grown quite fond of you.”

  Unfortunately, so had Clint.

  Josie’s eyes glowed with pleasure. “I’m fond of her, too. Very much.”

  “And I appreciate that,” he said. “The time you’ve spent with her baking cookies and making her angel dress has been therapeutic for her.”

  “It’s been my pleasure. I can understand her wanting to bake, especially at Christmastime. I’ve been feeling the same way for a long time now. It’s been refreshing to cook and sew, and spend time at home for once.”

  He tilted his head in confusion. “You don’t do those things when you’re in Las Vegas?”

  “I’m afraid all I do when I’m at home is work. I rarely take time to bake cookies or go shopping. I guess it’s because I live alone. Although I may start making baked goods to take to my coworkers at the pharmacy. That sounds nice. I think I need more balance in my life. Not so much work,” Josie said.

  He nodded in agreement. “I know what you mean. It’s hard when you’re trying to get ahead in your career. Work can easily take over, but that’s not healthy. We have to fight to keep some balance.”

  “Yes, especially someone in your situation. It can’t be easy raising a little girl all by yourself.”

  “It’s definitely worth it, though. But there are times when I wonder if God has forgotten about us. Then I look into Gracie’s eyes and I realize that isn’t so.”

  Josie’s own eyes crinkled. “You surprise me, Clint. I never thought anything could rattle your strong faith.”

  He glanced her way before his gaze slid to the floor. At one time, he’d thought the same. Since Karen’s death, he’d learned that wasn’t true. “I do have a strong faith, but I have bad times just like everyone else. Sometimes I’m tested and my trust in the Lord slips a bit. It takes constant vigilance for me to stay strong.”

  And confessing all this to Josie was like admitting to his mother that he’d just robbed a convenience store at gunpoint. Not a pleasant admission at all. If only Josie wasn’t so easy to talk to.

  She hesitated, biting her bottom lip. From the flash in her expressive eyes, he knew she wanted to say something more, but was trying to choose her words carefully.

  “Thank you for telling me that, Clint. I’ll admit I’ve come to look up to you, and it helps give me hope to know someone as strong as you has trials just like me.”

  Her words made him like her even more. She seemed so approachable and human. Someone he could relate to. Someone he could confide in. Not at all the stuck-up, high maintenance woman he’d once thought she was.

  “Coming home for the holidays has taught me a lot about my faith lately,” she continued.

  He arched one brow. “Oh? How so?”

  “Well, I’ve discovered that you don’t build faith when the sun is shining bright and all is right with the world. Faith comes in the darkness, when we’re most vulnerable and must depend upon God to pull us through.”

  Her words sank deep into the farthest reaches of his heart and anchored there. Inspiring him. Offering him hope. When he’d first met this woman, he’d never expected her to teach him about God. But that’s exactly what she’d just done.

  “That’s so true. I’m glad you’ve regained your faith,” he said.

  She gave a dazzling smile. “It’s not perfect, but it’s coming along. The main thing I’ve noticed is that my life doesn’t seem so hopeless anymore. I don’t know how everything’s going to work out for Gramps and me, but I feel more excited by the possibilities.”

  How Clint envied her discovery. His own life wasn’t great, but it was going along okay. He had a challenging career and a beautiful little daughter, but it just wasn’t enough anymore. Not for him. He felt as though something was missing, something he needed if he was ever to feel whole again. And he suspected that something was Jocelyn Rushton. But it would do no good to dwell on something he couldn’t have. She’d be leaving soon. He couldn’t pursue her. He just wished he could get her out of his mind once and for all.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Josie shifted the strand of red-and-gold garland across the windowsill in the living room. With barely a week before Ch
ristmas, she was having the time of her life sprucing up the house for Gramps. Tomorrow they would drive to Bridgeton for some last-minute shopping. And she couldn’t wait to pick up the special gift for him she’d ordered online at the department store.

  Holding several pins in her mouth, she tacked the shimmering filaments into even swags across the window. She stood on the step stool and tugged to take up the slack on one drape and make it even with the others.

  “How does that look, Gramps?”

  He cleared his throat. “A little more to the left.”

  He sat in his recliner behind her, giving her instructions as she fought to get the decorations just right.

  She pulled a little more. “Is that better?”

  “It’s too—” The sound of papers hitting the floor interrupted the flow of words.

  “What, Gramps?” She stuck another pin into the wall to hold the garland secure.

  He didn’t respond and she cast a sideways glance over her shoulder. “Gramps!”

  He lay curled on one side in his chair, clutching his left arm, his face contorted with agony.

  Hopping off the stool, she rushed over to him. “Gramps, what is it?”

  “My...arm. Hurts,” he gasped.

  Heart attack!

  Josie didn’t wait another moment. Racing to the bathroom, she jerked open the medicine cabinet. A tube of toothpaste hit the floor with a thud. Prescription bottles clattered into the porcelain sink. Josie paid them no mind. What she wanted was nitroglycerin, but she already knew from past conversations that Gramps didn’t have any. He’d told her he didn’t need it anymore. That the doctor had given him a clean bill of health.

  Yeah, right.

  Instead, she clasped the bottle of baby aspirin in her hand. Running back to the living room, she popped the lid and pushed two tablets into Gramps’s mouth.

  “Try to chew them up and swallow,” she encouraged, caressing his face with her hands.

  He did his best, wheezing for breath. When he got the aspirin down, she grabbed the phone.

  “Hold on, Gramps. I’m getting help. Just hold on.”

  She dialed Clint’s number, her mind churning. If only there was an ambulance in this town. Dialing 911 would just bring Officer Tim to her door. That didn’t inspire a lot of confidence in her. The nearest hospital was in Bridgeton, a sixty-eight-mile drive away. And Josie was determined to load Gramps into her car and drive him there as quickly as possible.

  “Come on. Come on,” she urged, as the phone rang and rang.

  Clint’s voice mail picked up. He wasn’t home. Probably at work. She clicked off, not leaving him a message.

  Her mind raced. Who else could she call?

  She dialed Mike Burdett across the street, hoping against hope that he was home. If nothing else, he could help her get Gramps into the car.

  “Hello?” Rachel, Mike’s wife, answered the phone.

  In several clipped sentences, Josie explained the problem.

  “Oh, honey. I’ll send Mike right over.”

  “Thanks, Rachel.” Josie dropped the receiver back into its cradle and hurried to the hall closet, where she retrieved a warm quilt to wrap around Gramps.

  “Mike’s on his way,” she called urgently over her shoulder. “He’ll be right here. How you doing?” she asked, wanting Gramps to know she was there for him. Wanting him to hear her voice and take hope.

  “It...hurts,” he wheezed.

  Her heart plummeted. She ran back to him, kissing his face, smiling at him, urging him to hold on.

  The next fifteen minutes whizzed by in slow motion. Mike finally arrived and helped her load Gramps into her sedan. A fissure of fear caused Josie’s stomach to contract. Gramps breathed easier and seemed to be in less pain, but his pallid face told her he wasn’t out of danger yet.

  What if this was the end? What if she lost him? She just couldn’t take it. Not at Christmastime. Not now.

  Not ever.

  “I can ride with you,” Mike offered, once they had Gramps buckled into his seat.

  She quickly tucked the quilt around him, to keep him warm. With her purse slung over her shoulder, she slammed the door and rounded the car to the driver’s seat. “Thanks, but I don’t think that’s necessary. We should be fine now. Can you call the hospital for me and tell them what’s happened and that we’re on our way?”

  “You bet. Just drive safely. Thank the Lord the roads are clear today.” He nodded and stepped back.

  Yes, thank the Lord.

  Josie fired up the car. Hyperconscious of Gramps’s comfort, she cranked the heater on high. She pulled out of the driveway, fighting off the temptation to speed all the way. As they left town, the slick roads cleared to damp black pavement and gratitude suffused her. If they could just get to the hospital in time...

  She glanced over at her grandfather. His eyes were closed and a shiver of dread swept her. “Gramps? You okay?”

  “Sure. Just dandy.” He opened his eyes with a wan smile.

  She gave a nervous laugh and reached over with one hand to squeeze his arm. “You hang in there for me. We’ll be to the hospital in just a few minutes. Everything’s going to be fine.”

  She kept talking, wanting him to cling to life until he could receive proper medical attention.

  “Thanks for being here.” He spoke without opening his eyes. His breathing sounded a bit better.

  She flashed a sarcastic smile, trying to lighten the moment and inspire confidence in both of them. “Oh, I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

  And then she wondered what would have happened if she hadn’t been here.

  She tried not to contemplate what might happen once she returned to Las Vegas and Gramps was all alone. She couldn’t think about that now. She needed to concentrate on her driving. On getting Gramps to the hospital safely.

  The short trip seemed to take hours. When she pulled up at the emergency entrance to the hospital, a man and woman wearing blue smocks bustled out and took over. Josie helped them load Gramps into a wheelchair. He was conscious, but he fell back into the seat and closed his eyes, his face creased by utter exhaustion.

  As they whisked him away, Josie’s heart pumped hard in her chest. She would have followed, but a receptionist at the front counter intercepted her, asking for medical and insurance information. Josie watched helplessly as Gramps disappeared through two wide swinging doors. A feeling of complete panic clawed up her throat.

  Was this the last time she’d ever see him alive? There was so much more she wanted to say to him. So many things she wanted to share.

  Hot tears burned the backs of Josie’s eyes. Her hands trembled as she opened her purse and reached inside for her wallet. And that’s when she prayed, silently in her heart. A plea that God would preserve her grandfather’s life and help him get well. She needed Gramps. Needed him like flowers needed rain and sunshine. If she lost Gramps now, she’d lose everything.

  She staggered against the front counter.

  “Hey! You all right?” the receptionist asked.

  No! Josie wanted to cry. A dull throbbing pounded against her temples. The thought of losing Gramps was almost more than she could take. She didn’t know how she did it, but she took hold of herself. If Clint was here, she’d feel stronger. She knew it instinctively. His presence always brought her peace. Within a few short weeks, she’d come to rely on him so much. Just his advice and companionship had given her the strength to regain her faith.

  But her relationship with the forest ranger couldn’t continue. She knew that, though she tried to ignore it. Soon she’d return to Las Vegas. All good things must come to an end. And standing there in the middle of the busy emergency room, with the phones ringing and the voices of complete strangers surrounding her, Josie had never felt more alone in all he
r life.

  * * *

  Clint’s boot heels pounded the tiles of the hospital floor as he hurried down the hall. It’d been over an hour since he’d gotten news of Frank’s collapse. Clint had torn out of his house, gotten into his truck and driven to Bridgeton without considering the ramifications. All he knew was he needed to reach Josie. To make sure she and Frank were safe.

  Pausing next to a decorated Christmas tree in the main foyer of the emergency department, Clint got his bearings. He stepped over to the reception counter and asked directions to Frank Rushton’s room.

  “Are you a family member?” the receptionist asked.

  “No, but we’re close friends. Very close.” The last thing he wanted was to be told that he couldn’t see Frank.

  The receptionist smiled. “Down the hall, to your right. You’ll see a waiting room where you should find Mr. Rushton’s granddaughter.”

  After striding down the corridor, Clint rounded the corner. His gaze swept the myriad people lounging in chairs and sofas in the waiting room.

  Josie wasn’t there.

  Whirling back the way he’d come, he scanned the hallway for some sign of her. His gaze screeched to a halt beside a door. She stood leaning against the wall, her hands clasped in front of her, her head bowed as if in prayer.

  Seeing her brought Clint instant relief. But what about Frank? He was the last family Josie had. If they lost him, she’d be all alone in the world.

  Not if you stay by her side.

  The words came unbidden to Clint’s mind, but he refused to let them take root. Warning bells jangled inside his mind.

  He walked toward her, not wishing to intrude, yet needing to know if Frank was all right. Clint’s mind told him he shouldn’t be here. He shouldn’t get more involved than he already was, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave. And his misgivings wreaked havoc within him.

  Josie looked up, visibly shaking. Fatigue shadowed her beautiful blue eyes along with translucent tears. Fear and utter desolation etched her features. Her porcelain skin was almost void of color. The strain of today’s events caused her mouth to tighten.