Her Heart's Bargain

by Cheryl Harper

  Ash held out his hand, but changed his mind before she could decide whether or not to take it. She wanted to, but she didn’t understand what that might do to their relationship.

  “Start. Call in sick on Monday. This one time, it’s a good thing.” Ash’s flat voice was the same one he used when he was done talking about options she presented him with. At this point, he was sticking to his decision. “I know you’re afraid of an entire three days without work, but I’d like you to see if you can manage it. Trust me, if you can’t, you will hear ‘I told you so’ when you fail.”

  Macy crossed her arms over her chest and bit back an angry answer. This wasn’t Ash.

  His words reminded her of Winter’s description of her older brother. He was pushing buttons to get what he wanted: her safety. Macy knew what he was doing. He was pulling the homecoming queen maneuver on her, telling her she couldn’t do something in order to make certain she’d do it or die trying.

  A twisted bet that she couldn’t stay away from the ranger station when he wanted her to was his only shot.

  She was going to give Ash what he wanted. She’d prove to them both that there was more to her life than the Otter Lake Ranger Station.

  That didn’t mean she had to make it easy for him.

  “When you call to beg me to come in because you can’t find the reading glasses that are on top of your head, rest easy and know that I have an ‘I told you so’ in my pocket for you, Ash Kingfisher. You’re going to miss me, see if you don’t.” Macy sniffed and turned to look resolutely back out the passenger window. The hardest part of winning an argument with Ash Kingfisher was learning when to rest. She had a solid last word as long as she didn’t ruin it with more talking.

  “You’re absolutely right,” Ash muttered. “I am going to miss you. Why aren’t you being more grateful for this sacrifice?”

  That was nice, but she couldn’t forgive him. Not yet. They spent the rest of the trip back to the ranger station in silence. When he put the SUV in Park next to her car, he eased out of the driver’s seat pretty quickly.

  As she watched him limp around to the passenger side, she bit back the urge to tell him how silly it was to insist on opening her door when it hurt him.

  Ash wouldn’t relent, not over a little thing like his own pain. And that’s where their disagreement over her attendance was coming into things. He thought he was helping her.

  “The copier is finicky. Sometimes you have to shut it down, let it rest for a minute and then restart it. If you run out of paper, there’s a full box in the closet next to the restrooms. The new ink cartridges are stored on the filing cabinets, remember?” What else would he need to know? Macy could think of a long list of points, but... “Just text me when you run into trouble.”

  When she paused next to her car, he shut the SUV door quietly. That strange tension was back between them. This might as well have been the end to a first date, filled with the exciting wonder of “will they or won’t they have a goodnight kiss?”

  “I can handle the printer, Macy.” Ash studied her face before turning away. “I just can’t let anything bad happen to you.”

  It was hard to stay mad at the man, not when he said sweet things like that. Macy took a chance because it was dark and they were alone and it was time to take chances. She moved to stand in front of him and wrapped her arms around his neck before resting her head on his chest. “I loved dinner at your house.”

  She wasn’t sure he’d answer. Maybe he was frozen in surprise, but eventually his arms settled tightly around her, squeezing her closer. “You fit. Almost like you’re the missing piece, Macy.”

  Her heart thumped hard against her chest at his soft words. “Next time, will you dance with me?”

  Ash’s rough laugh shivered across her nerves like a caress, but he leaned down to say, “I don’t dance, but for you, I’d give it a shot.”

  Macy wanted a kiss. She stared up into his face, lit only by moonlight and the security lights around the ranger station parking lot.

  “Let’s get you on the road. You’ve got a whole lot of fun to cram into that sick day that’s coming up. You need to plan it all out.” Ash studied her lips as he spoke, but he stepped back.

  It was almost impossible not to sag against her car without his support, but she got the door unlocked and slid inside. He carefully closed it. “I’ll follow you down, wait for you to get in your apartment.” At her nod, he returned to the SUV.

  Macy started the car and made her cautious way back to Sweetwater. When she was inside her apartment and Ash was gone, she leaned against her front door and closed her eyes.

  Her whole world was upside down thanks to Ash Kingfisher. Being apart right now hurt, but she’d give him what he’d asked.

  Mainly because she never had taken losing lightly. And the man was prepared to use that against her.

  It had been an amazing night.

  She wanted more time with this Ash Kingfisher.

  CHAPTER NINE

  NERVES HAD BEEN a part of Ash’s job, on and off, ever since he accepted the position of head ranger at the Otter Lake Ranger Station. When he was out on the trails, he was in his element. He understood the forests around the lake, the climb up to Yanu and other popular spots, the animals living here and there, and the places in danger from climate change and human interference.

  Even talking to groups about what they did on the Reserve to protect it and address the challenges from climate change was easy because he understood the end goal of every project he and his team undertook.

  If the fire module identified an area for a prescribed burn, they prepared detailed reports about the necessity and timing that he read until he understood. When they partnered with conservation groups to improve otter habitat or to clear trails that made areas of the Reserve easier to access for visitors, he asked questions and he researched until he was certain his information was solid. Nothing about his job could surprise him because he’d done his best to make sure that no one knew more about the lands inside the boundaries of the Smoky Valley Nature Reserve than he did.

  But standing in the lobby of the ranger station while he watched a small group of reporters mill outside had turned his stomach into a battlefield and he wasn’t certain he was going to be able to keep all the action there contained.

  When vomiting was an attractive option, the world had gotten completely out of hand.

  “Is the coffee ready yet?” he mumbled with no real target.

  Silence was his only answer at first.

  “I hope you weren’t expecting me to make it. I can’t drink the stuff unless it’s a critical situation,” Winter said. She was standing in front of a large map of the Reserve next to the observation window. When she traced a trail and tilted her head sideways, Ash wondered if she was plotting her escape route.

  “Is that something I should do?” Nicole asked, one hand held up to cover her mouth as if he’d caught her stealing. She hovered, half in, half out of Macy’s chair as if she couldn’t decide which direction to go. “I’m sorry.” Nicole was the only part-time administrative support person in the Reserve system. She filled in as needed, and the only other time she’d been at the ranger station, Macy had been, too. They’d collaborated on a large project to update how the number of visitors to the various areas of the Reserve was tracked.

  These statistics were important in evaluating the Reserve’s programs and amenities which helped the rangers and the board of directors determine budgets and which areas needed shoring up. Nicole had helped with data entry when they made the changeover from their old paper logs to the new computerized system.

  He remembered Macy saying Nicole would be coming to help out and that the project was completed early because of it. Why couldn’t he remember Nicole doing the work? How she tiptoed around him and jerked every time he addressed her made him think she’d done her best to av
oid him that time.

  Did she miss Macy as much as he did?

  Ash realized Macy had acted a lot like Nicole when she’d landed with him at the ranger station. That suggested the problem wasn’t with Nicole.

  “You know, if I hadn’t grown up with you, that frown would be giving me fits, too,” Winter murmured. “Unless you want to be answering your own phone, take it down a notch.”

  Ash held up a hand. “No worries. It’s no one’s job. The first person who wants a cup makes it. That’d be me this morning.” After the weird smile he attempted and missed, based on Nicole’s wide eyes, Ash stepped inside the small break room, grateful to have something to do with his hands. He’d been at the ranger station most of the day on Sunday. First, he’d had to hunt up Macy’s files. One call to her would have cleared up his confusion, but he refused to do that. He was half afraid she wouldn’t answer his call, anyway. In typical Macy fashion, she’d filed it in a small pocket of files in the drawer in her desk instead of in the large file room where all the vendor payments and countless pieces of paper went. It was an ongoing project, like all the other files she kept close at hand.

  Smart.

  Why didn’t he know that part of her system?

  In his frustration over not being able to pull everything out of the filing cabinets there, Ash had settled in her seat. The view of the beautiful, quiet lobby was satisfying.

  Not as nice as it would have been if Macy had been in her usual place, but nice. Then he’d seen the drawer marked Current Projects and shaken his head. It was the largest current project on the Reserve at that point. She needed the file at her fingertips. Duh.

  From that point, all he’d had to do was manhandle the copier which obviously knew someone other than Macy was at the helm. He’d lost count of the paper jams he’d cleared and written himself a note to make sure next year’s budget could handle a new copier.

  If he was still here, they’d replace the possessed copier.

  As the coffee percolated, he heard Brett Hendrix come in and greet Winter. He hadn’t called Hendrix in; that made him wonder if news had gotten out somehow.

  “Hey, boss, Christina called after the second news van passed the campground. You’ve got a little party building out front. Need me to do...something?” His expression was concerned and alert.

  That alertness was the sign of a good law enforcement ranger in Ash’s experience. Knowledge was critical, but without the ability to scan the situation and make quick adjustments, many rangers got tangled up in challenging situations. Hendrix was his best ranger on the force. Having him there was reassuring, but it would be bad visually if things turned sideways.

  “You can hit the patrol, Hendrix. We’re going to have a press conference, try to get out some good information regarding the open house and shut some gossip down.” Ash did his best to keep his face expressionless. Hendrix had less experience reading his face than Macy did, but he was sharp.

  “Shut down the gossip,” Hendrix said slowly, “but not the lodge project itself?” Like Ash and most people who supported the role of the Reserve to protect Tennessee’s lands, Hendrix had never wanted the habitat at The Aerie disturbed. Brett wasn’t a fan of any change ever. That was part of the reason why he and Hendrix got along so well.

  “No way I can shut it down. Only the Callaways can do that. Today, we’re going to ask them to reconsider the project in front of those reporters out there. Probably will be the last nail in my coffin with the Callaways, but might as well take my swing for the Reserve.” Ash sipped his coffee and turned to watch Nicole who was fidgeting nervously with the phone cord. Hendrix shifted to study the crowd and turned back to Ash, a question on his face. “Best thing for you to do for your career is to stay out of the picture, Hendrix. When I go, I need you here keeping the Reserve safe.”

  Hendrix ran a hand down his nape, his own dissatisfaction with his choices clear. “I’d rather stand with you. I owe you that much, Ash.”

  Ash didn’t answer because there was no sense in trying to convince Hendrix otherwise. It would be nice to have another friendly face close by.

  He was certain removing Macy from this mess was the best thing for her.

  That didn’t mean he didn’t miss her and want her there fiercely.

  Because he did. Macy steadied him.

  If he said that out loud to anyone, he was sure they’d be stunned. How much steadier could a man get than Ash Kingfisher, the guy who never smiled?

  Only he knew the difference in his confidence when she was around.

  “It’s time, Ash.” Winter stuck her head through the doorway. “We can’t keep them waiting any longer, not in these temperatures. I know you don’t want them inside the ranger station, but we need to get the show on the road. Reporters with frostbite are bound to write unflattering articles.” Winter raised her eyebrows. “If I’d known she was your backbone, I’d have insisted Macy be here. You aren’t yourself without her. Stop stalling. Time to roll.”

  She was gone before he could snap at her that it was entirely too late to be telling him such a thing because there was nothing he could do to fix it and why hadn’t she taken that side of the argument at their parents’ table instead of burying her head when things got so icily polite and it wasn’t that Macy was his backbone but that he was more himself when he was in her company.

  Ash held off, reminded of their teenage shouting matches.

  Neither one of them had been able to let things go.

  Annoyed, nervous and afraid of the consequences headed his annoying little sister’s way, Ash closed his eyes and took a deep breath. From there it was easy to picture Macy’s face. Her security at the Reserve depended on how he handled this. He would take care of it.

  “Don’t yell at your sister. You asked for her help, genius,” Ash muttered.

  The fact that he also needed Macy in that second to bolster his resolve was something he’d have to think about later. A little calmer, he motioned at Hendrix. “Either hightail it out or stand back, Hendrix.”

  Hendrix propped his hands on his hips and slowly surveyed the lobby. “I wondered where you’d hog-tied Macy to keep her from coming in to work. This is why she’s not here. You’re trying to protect her job and mine. I can’t believe you managed to talk her out of being here for this. I expect she’d guard your back if nothing else.” He narrowed his eyes as he studied Ash. “Macy? I bet she gets even.” The pity in his tone was too thick to be genuine.

  Hendrix studied him like a man who’d already been down the road Ash was on with a woman; his expression was a mix of regret, delight and concern that Ash did his best to ignore. He had to get out, say his piece and get behind a closed door before the muscles in his leg reminded him that standing was not their favorite pastime.

  The clock was running out, and Hendrix would make his own decisions.

  “Let’s do this.” Winter reached over to pick up the stack of copies he’d managed to put together. “Short. Simple. You’ve objected to the lodge project from the beginning, but you’re a man dedicated to performing the requirements of the Smoky Valley Nature Reserve. Those requirements are developed by the board of directors. At the suggestion of the chief ranger, you commissioned the environmental impact study to present to the board in order to support the best decision for the Reserve. Here’s a collection of other communications where you’ve made your feelings clear, but you would never resort to underhanded politics to subvert the will of the board of directors. But you know, use your own words.” Winter held up a hand in a “that’s all we can do” motion that was a contrast to the tight lines around her mouth.

  His sister had her doubts, but she wasn’t going to let them win that morning.

  When she said it all like that, it seemed so reasonable. Ash turned to study the crowd outside. There were television cameras and people holding microphones and lots of notebooks and pens moving aroun
d. Why had he thought this was a good idea again?

  “You can do this.” Winter bumped his shoulder with hers.

  “How do you think this will end up?” Ash asked. Why? The answer didn’t matter. She was right; he was stalling.

  Winter wrinkled her nose at him. “It’s a gamble. That’s the truth. Remember what Enisi would say when she taught us to play bingo at the family reunions?”

  “You pays your money, you takes your chances.” Ash smiled at his sister as they repeated it. Thinking of his grandmother and her winning bingo dance reminded him of his conversation with Macy. How could grandmothers be so different? He’d imagined they were all special kinds of angels who brought baked goods and special wisdom but mostly the fun that parents didn’t. His mother would be that kind of grandmother to his kids, if he ever managed to have any.

  “I saw an owl on the way up here,” Winter said and tapped her temple as their grandmother had done. “Important message is coming.”

  Ash frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  Winter shrugged. “I don’t know. I was trying to distract you from whatever was making you nervous as a cat a minute ago. They’re people, Ash, not monsters. If you mess up, apologize and correct yourself.”

  Ash nodded once and stepped forward but Winter stopped him. “Get. The. Hat. Are you serious right now? You didn’t get a haircut which was like one of the most important things you had to do on a short list and you’re still going to step outside without the regulation uniform.” She glanced over at Hendrix and shook her head. “Can you believe this guy?”

  Ash was muttering under his breath, even if he was grateful Winter was there, as he stepped back in his cramped office and slapped his hat on his head. He immediately stood straighter and felt the authority of his position settle around his shoulders. “Which is the point behind the uniform, Kingfisher.”