Rancher To The Rescue

When wild mustangs threaten someone’s life, rancher Cade Baldwin springs into action. But he’s not pleased when he sees the beautiful woman he’s saved is the town’s new forest ranger. Lyn Warner is determined to round up the wild horses he loves so much. But she’s also the woman who makes him smile like no one else. After her husband died in a car crash, Lyn turned her back on her beliefs and focused all of her attention on her injured daughter. But Cade’s strong faith and steady love might be exactly what they all need to create an unbreakable family.

Cade cut Lyn off with a wave of his hand. “Forget it. I’ve heard it all before, and I doubt you have anything new to add that’ll make a difference to me.”

“Have it your way.” With a simple shrug, she kept walking. No argument. No blustering anger. She seemed easygoing and laid-back. Disarming in her candor. And he couldn’t help wondering about her ideas. For the first time, he really wanted to know. But asking her to explain seemed a bit like admitting defeat right now.

They soon arrived at her truck, her boots and pant legs covered by a thin sheen of dust. As she unlocked and opened the door to the driver’s seat, she tilted her head to look up at him. “We might have conflicting opinions, Cade, but I can make a big difference here in Stokely. And I intend to do just that.”

She climbed inside and reached for the armrest to pull the door closed. Before she did so, she gave him a smile so bright that it made his jaw ache.

LEIGH BALE

is an author of inspirational romance who has won multiple awards for her work, including the prestigious Golden Heart. She is the daughter of a retired U.S. forest ranger, holds a B.A. in history with distinction and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. She loves working, writing, grandkids, spending time with family, weeding the garden with her dog, Sophie, and watching the little sagebrush lizards that live in her rock flower beds. She has two married children and lives in Nevada with her professor husband of thirty-one years. Visit her website at www.LeighBale.com

Healing the

Forest Ranger

Leigh Bale

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and love, and of a sound mind.

—2 Timothy 1:7

For Wilma Counts, a dear friend and confidante. Super woman in disguise.

And a great author in her own right.

And many thanks to the U.S. Forest Service

and the Bureau of Land Management for the tremendous work they do in conserving our national resources. Our natural resources would be in a huge mess if it weren’t for these highly trained and experienced professionals. They’re ordinary people with a gargantuan and sometimes impossible job to do. We’re lucky to have them.

Thanks also to Sara Goldberg,

a prosthetist with Hanger Clinic.

Her kindness in answering my questions about prosthetics and amputees saved me from embarrassment. Thanks for taking precious time out of your busy day to help me, Sara. You rock!

And much gratitude to Rachel Burkot for lifting my spirits sky-high when I was at the lowest of lows. And you did it without even knowing what it meant to me. I appreciate you. More than I can ever say.

Note: Any errors or opinions in this book are mine alone and not meant to offend anyone in any way.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Excerpt

Chapter One

They didn’t know she was watching. Lyndsy Warner crouched low behind a rock outcropping. Prickles of excitement dotted her arms. She held her breath, hoping the wild horses wouldn’t catch her scent and bolt. At least not yet.

Overhead, a hawk spiraled through the azure sky. The late April weather had been unseasonably warm. Tufts of green grass and red paintbrush trembled as the breeze whispered past, carrying the earthy smell of dust and sage.

Letting her camera hang limp from the strap around her neck, Lyn reached up to remove the bronze shield pinned above the right front pocket of her forest ranger’s shirt. A glint from the afternoon sun might give her presence away to the mustangs in the valley below.

After tucking the badge into her pants pocket, Lyn reached for the camera again. Holding it up to her eyes, she adjusted the focus and studied the herd through the lens. Five mustangs, led by a handsome buckskin stallion. The stud’s black mane and tail stood out against his golden coat. The band included three mares and a black foal with a white tail and mane. Not really black, but almost, with just a bit of white on her hind left foot and on her right, under the flank and in her mane and tail. Not a true pinto, either. Very unique coloring and absolutely stunning. The filly’s spindly legs looked long and strong, a foreshadowing of the beautiful mare she’d become. Wild and free.

Lyn snapped a quick series of pictures, wishing she could share this moment with Kristen, her ten-year-old daughter. Like most girls, Kristen loved horses. But these mustangs carried a deeper meaning for Lyn—a reminder of the night her husband died.

The bony rib cages of the horses seemed too lean, an indicator of sparse forage on the range. As the herds increased, there just wasn’t enough for them to eat, not to mention the other wildlife roaming this area, or the beef cattle the ranchers paid the government to graze.

Lyn zoned in on the stallion she’d named Buck. This wasn’t the only herd foraging in Secret Valley. Lyn had named all the stallions living among the mountains of McClellan National Forest, but not their mares and foals. She didn’t want to become more attached to them than she already was. Especially if she was forced to round up some of them for removal.

A low nicker drew Lyn’s attention to the plateau overhead. A smaller dun stallion stood gazing down upon the tranquil family of mustangs, his cream coloring similar to Buck’s except that tiger stripes circled his front legs. A throwback from prehistoric horses. Probably a bachelor stallion, with no mares of his own. His ears pricked forward with rapt attention, and Lyn knew he wanted Buck’s mares. Or at least one of them.

“Don’t do it, buddy. Buck’s a lot bigger, and he’ll hurt you if you try to steal one of his girls.” The warm breeze stole Lyn’s whispered warning.

While Buck’s lead mare kept watch, two of the other mares dipped their noses into the murky water of the shallow spring. No vegetation grew here, with the banks beaten down and churned to mud by too many tromping hooves. By mid-May, Lyn figured the water would be gone. Dried by the baking sun to nothing but cracked earth. The horses needed this water. Desperately. Without it, they’d have to journey across the mountains to Cherry Creek, a thin stream nine miles away. An arduous trip that would sap their energy, keep them from feeding, and weaken their foals.

Always on the lookout, Buck noticed the bachelor stallion and snorted. He skirted the edge of his band, tossing his proud head and pawing the dirt with one hoof. With his long tail flying high like a flag, he raced toward the plateau, placing himself between the watering hole and the bachelor. Buck wouldn’t give up his mares. Not without a fight.

The dun neighed in challenge, then picked his way down the steep grade. As he reached the valley floor, he lifted his elegant head and arched his muscular neck. A dark dorsal stripe ran down the middle of his back, and Lyn decided to name him Stripe.

Absolutely gorgeous.

Buck didn’t think so. He let out a shrill squeal. Ears flat against his head, he raced toward the dun. At first, the two stallions circled one another, snorting and sizing each other up.

Stripe ducked away from Buck and chased after a plump dapple-gray mare that looked ready to foal soon. Stripe nudged her rump, urging her forward, trying to whisk her away. Buck intercepted, biting Stripe’s hindquarters. The mare knew who she belonged to and lashed out at Stripe with her hind legs. Buck bared his teeth, the whites of his eyes showing. His black mane whipped across his strong neck like billows of smoke.

Stripe circled back, chasing after the mare, desperate for a mate. Buck followed, neighing his disapproval. The bachelor stallion was lean and tough, but no match for the more experienced buckskin.

And the battle began.

Both stallions reared. Screaming, biting, slashing each other with their razor-sharp hooves. Again and again, their hooves thudded against each other like iron clubs. Lyn cringed at the horrific noise they made. Survival of the fittest. Their ferocity frightened her on a primitive level. She lowered her camera and stared in shock.

The mares galloped out of the fray, the black foal scurrying to join the safety of her mother. Stripe followed, still trying to separate the dapple-gray from the rest of the herd.

Buck intervened with a roar of rage. He kicked—once, twice, bludgeoning Stripe in the head and shoulder. The bachelor stallion staggered and dropped to his front knees. Buck offered no mercy. Rearing, he came down hard on top of Stripe’s head.

Lyn gasped, remembered her camera and started clicking again. Later on, the unique photos would serve as an amazing record of wild-horse behavior.

Stripe screeched in pain. Buck gave the younger stallion just a moment to recover his feet. With a loud grunt, the beaten horse sprinted toward the safety of the mountains. He’d been whipped and gave up the fight for now, but Lyn knew he’d return later for another try. The urge to have a family was as old as time, something instilled in the majority of God’s creatures. And one day Stripe, or another stronger stallion, would defeat Buck. But for now, the older stallion had kept his harem intact. In this small corner of the world, he reigned supreme.

Buck trotted around the perimeter of the watering hole, head up and nostrils flared as he watched for the return of the dun. Still wound up. Still angry. Unwilling to accept any nonsense right now.

And that’s when Lyn saw the blood running down Buck’s right front leg. She focused the camera, trying to see the wound more clearly, but no good. She had to get closer.

Moving silently down the hill, she skimmed through snags of PJ’s, short for piñon-junipers. She stayed upwind, hoping to go undetected by the band of horses. As she inhaled the dry desert air, her booted feet sank deep into the sunbaked sand. And that was her first mistake.

She stumbled, twisting her ankle. She stifled the cry rushing up her throat, but her silence made no difference. The agitated stallion lifted his head and looked her way. Still territorial and furious. Still ready to fight.

With a scream of fury, Buck charged.

Lyn’s breath froze in her throat. A bristle of panic raced down her spine. She glanced over her shoulder. No use trying to reach her truck. There wasn’t time.

Instead, she ducked under a thicket of PJ’s and pressed her body back into the prickly trees. Sharp needles scratched her hands and face. Her fear overshadowed the pain. The stallion screamed again, thrashing toward her, ferocious and enraged.

Lyn’s flesh burned with alarm. Her heart beat madly in her chest. She was no match against the horse’s battering hooves. He’d kill her if he could.

Buck reared, hooves waving dangerously near Lyn’s head. She scrunched farther back into the crowded trees. The hair of her long ponytail ripped against the pointed branches.

One thought pounded in her brain. Kristen. All alone in the world. If Lyn were killed, her little daughter would have no one to love and care for her. No one to keep her safe.

The rearing mustang beat the PJ’s to splinters, fiercely determined to reach her.

Lyn screamed in helpless anguish. How had this happened? A calm afternoon of checking the watering hole had turned into a life-threatening situation.

Lyn glanced left and right, desperate for a safer place to hide until the stallion gave up and left. A thick outcropping of sage and PJ’s jutted from the rocks just to her right. To reach it, she’d have to leave her fragile sanctuary and run for her life. With a crazed beast hot on her tail.

Bracing her hands beneath her in the dirt, Lyn bent down like a track star, knowing there was absolutely no way she could outrun this horse. Knowing she might be killed.

Taking a deep breath, she sprinted toward the rocks.

* * *

The wild horses were fighting. Caden Baldwin recognized their screams echoing through the canyon, reaching his ranch a mere six miles outside the town of Stokely, Nevada. Riding Flash, his bay gelding, Cade galloped toward Secret Valley. Maybe he’d get to see his beloved mustangs today. He couldn’t remember a single summer in his childhood when he hadn’t watched the wild horses with his grandfather. It’d been several weeks since they’d crossed Cade’s pasture land and—

A woman’s scream echoed off the rock walls of the ravine like a gunshot. What on earth?

Cade tapped his heels against his horse’s sides. Flash tore off at a fast run. Someone was in trouble. Someone needed help.

And then the panic set in. So unexpected that it left Cade breathless and choking. He clung to the saddle, overwhelmed by a flashback to the war in Afghanistan. The drumming of the horse’s hooves became the pounding of gunfire and shells exploding all around Cade, hammering his body with bits of rock, dirt and mortar. The memory of pain and the metallic taste of blood in his mouth seemed so real. And then a vision of Dallin filled his mind, his best friend’s body, limp and bleeding. Broken.

Cade shook his head, trying to clear his mind and return to the present. Trying urgently to forget the haunting nightmare. He wasn’t in the Middle East now. He was here in the Nevada desert. God had brought him home.

Safe and sound.

Oblivious of Cade’s moment of crisis, Flash didn’t break stride. Cade sat frozen in the saddle, his body moving with the strong rhythm of the horse. He clenched the reins, his calves tightening around the animal’s sides.

As the wild mustangs came into view, Cade recovered his senses and his breathing slowed a bit. His gaze centered on a buckskin stallion rearing and thrashing through the pinions. A woman fought her way through the brush, frantically seeking cover. Chased by the stallion.

Urging Flash toward the wild mustang, Cade yelled and waved his arms. The lead mare neighed to the rest of her herd. From his peripheral vision, Cade saw her racing toward the sheltering mountains, the other mares and a young black foal following in hot pursuit.

The stallion snorted, shook his splendid head and chased after his band. Puffs of dust and flying clods of dirt marked their passing. Flash came to a halt, his sides heaving. Cade patted the gelding’s neck, murmuring a soothing word to the breathless horse. Then he looked at the woman...and groaned. In an instant, Cade recognized the drab olive color of her shirt and spruce-green pants.

Forest Service.

He’d rescued a government employee. One of those people who wanted to move the wild horses off this land and lock them away in holding pens.

Cade had half a mind to turn around and ride back to Sunrise Ranch. The last person he wanted to help was a Forest Service worker. But he figured he should at least find out if she was all right. Since returning from the war, he had enough deaths on his conscience and didn’t want to add another.

“You okay, lady?” he called.

She sat scrunched back within one of the taller pinions, trying to climb the slim tree trunk. As she descended from her perch, a sprinkle of gray-green nettles showered her head. The limb broke off, and she landed on her rump in the dirt. She gasped but came quickly to her feet, limping slightly. She brushed at her long ponytail and clothing before answering in a shaky voice. “Y-yes, I’m fine, thanks to you.”

Honey-brown eyes. Beautiful, intelligent and filled with relief.

Cade pursed his lips and looked around for her vehicle. He saw nothing but scrubby sage and rabbit brush. “How’d you get out here?”

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.”

That was just the problem. He didn’t believe her. “Ma’am, there are more important things out here than the ranchers and their cattle.”

She brushed her hand across some sage. “There are miles of sagebrush out here. It’s edible, but provides very little nourishment for the horses. They need grass. Wild horses don’t migrate to better areas when food and water runs out. They just stay here and starve. And please, call me Lyn.”

Not if he could help it.

She poked a tuft of Great Basin wheatgrass with the tip of her scuffed boot. “It takes fifty acres of this kind of land to feed one horse for one month. That doesn’t include elk and mule deer, nor any cattle, either. You can do the math as easily as I can to figure out how many miles of land are needed to keep that wild-horse herd happy and healthy. But I can tell you this area can sustain about one hundred and fifty wild horses. We currently have over four hundred and fifty horses living in and around this national forest. And that’s too many if we don’t want to see them starve to death.”

She turned and continued walking. In spite of his desire not to, he found himself liking the jaunty bounce of her hair. Spunky and sure of herself. He’d never met anyone like her.

He flinched when she whirled around and continued her dialogue.

“And you’re wrong about the cattle. They’re just as important as the wild horses. Every man, woman and child in this country needs to eat. And cattlemen make their living by growing cows. The horses are important. The cows are important. And so is the other wildlife out here. The issues aren’t easy, but we need to find ways to make it all work together. And I have some ideas, if you’d like to hear them...”

He cut her off with a wave of his hand. “Forget it. I’ve heard it all before, and I doubt you have anything new to add that’ll make a difference to me.”

“Have it your way.” With a simple shrug, she kept walking. No argument. No blustering anger. She seemed easygoing and laid-back. Disarming in her candor. And he couldn’t help wondering about her ideas. For the first time, he really wanted to know. But asking her to explain seemed a bit like admitting defeat right now.

They soon arrived at her truck, her boots and pant legs covered by a thin sheen of dust. As she unlocked and opened the door to the driver’s seat, she tilted her head to look up at him. “We might have conflicting opinions, Cade, but I can make a big difference here in Stokely. And I intend to do just that.”

She climbed inside and reached for the armrest to pull the door closed. Before she did so, she gave him a smile so bright that it made his jaw ache. “Thanks again for all your help. I appreciate you being so neighborly.”

He nodded once in acknowledgment, his tongue tied in knots.

As she started the ignition and pulled away, the tires of her truck bounced over the washboard road. Cade sat on his horse and stared after her, feeling withdrawn and out of sorts. He didn’t agree with her assessment of the wild- horse situation, and yet he felt as though he’d just been scolded by his mother. In the nicest way possible.

He’d noticed the growing herds of horses becoming emaciated. But the beliefs planted in his mind throughout his childhood were hard to ignore. Wild horses should be left alone to live in freedom. The government shouldn’t interfere. Right? Of course he was right!

Nope, he didn’t like the new forest ranger, but he also couldn’t deny that she seemed to know her business here. He just wished he didn’t need to have any more dealings with her in the future. Since he was the wild-horse spokesman for the Toyakoi Shoshone Tribe, Cade figured that wasn’t likely. He frequently participated in meetings and demonstrations to protect the wild horses.

Oh, yes. He’d see the new forest ranger again sometime soon. Much to his regret.

Chapter Two

“How’d school go today?” Lyn tightened her fingers around the steering wheel as she pressed on the brake. Her car came to a halt at the only stoplight on Main Street in the town of Stokely. Population eleven thousand and twenty-three, including dogs, cats and gophers.

“None of the kids like me.” Kristen’s simple reply vibrated with hurt and anger.

“I’m sure that’s not true, honey.” Lyn glanced at her ten-year-old daughter, who sat next to her, tugging against her seat belt.

“Yes, it is.”

“It just takes time to get to know everyone when you’re the new kid in town. Maybe you could invite one of the girls in your class over to the house to play on Saturday.” Lyn lightened her voice, trying to sound positive. Trying to encourage her daughter the only way she knew how.

The stoplight turned green and she pressed on the gas, moving slowly down the street.

“They’ll never like me.” Kristen tugged her skirt lower across the C-Leg prosthetic limb on her right leg as though trying to hide as much of the amputation as possible.

Lyn studied her child’s tight profile and long white-blond hair. The girl was beautiful. If only the other children would treat her like a normal kid. But that was just the problem. Kristen wasn’t normal. And she never would be. “How can they not like you? They hardly know you yet. We’ve only been here a couple of months.”

Kristen tapped her knuckles hard against the socket of the prosthetic limb. “This is all they see, Mom. They call me peg leg and gimp.”

Lyn’s heart wrenched. Kids could be so cruel. If only they’d get to know Kristen, they’d learn what a smart, sweet girl she was. And so easy to love.

“I hate it here. I want to go home.” Tears watered Kristen’s voice as she flounced around and glared out the window.

“We are home, honey.” Lyn wanted to cry, too, but didn’t think that would do Kristen any good. Alone at night in her dark bedroom, Lyn allowed her emotions to flow across her pillow. But in the light of day, she must be strong. For both her and Kristen’s sakes.

“Maybe you could wear blue jeans more often.” Dresses were easier in case Kristen needed to adjust her prosthetic limb, but pants hid the apparatus from view.

“It won’t help. I limp and can’t run. They know something’s wrong with me. They don’t like me.”

Lyn’s heart ached for her daughter. How she wished she could protect her from this pain. Even if they covered up the prosthesis, Kristen jerked so hard when she walked that people frequently stared at her. They knew immediately that the girl was impaired, but they didn’t understand why. Lyn had even heard a woman in the grocery store yesterday whisper loudly that Kristen must be retarded. As if her leg had anything to do with her brain. In fact, the opposite was true. Kristen pulled top grades in science and math. If only she could walk better, she might fit in more.

“Well, I adore you,” Lyn said with a smile.

“You don’t count, Mom. You have to love me because I’m your kid.”

Lyn snorted. “If that were true, there’d be a lot fewer abusive mothers in the world, honey. I love you more than my own life. And that’s that.”

Kristen tossed her head and huffed out a big sigh of exasperation. “You just don’t understand.”

Lyn understood more than Kristen realized. But friends and peer pressure were so important to a young girl. Especially a girl with only one leg. Moms didn’t count at this point in life. If only it had been Lyn who had lost her leg in the accident. Not Kristen. Not her precious little girl.

Pressing on the brake again, Lyn came to a stop sign. A lance of vivid memory pierced her mind. The car crash had been caused by a drunk driver, now incarcerated in a state penitentiary. But that wouldn’t restore Kristen’s leg or bring Rob back. Nor did it ease Lyn’s conscience over her part in what had happened. Though it’d only been a year earlier, Kristen had been so young. Only nine years old. They’d both lost the father and husband they dearly adored.

Rob. The love of Lyn’s life.

She glanced in the rearview mirror. No one behind her, so she paused long enough to talk with Kristen for a few moments. Reaching across the seat, Lyn brushed her hand down the silken length of Kristen’s hair. “I know this is hard, honey. But you’re so pretty and smart. All your teachers tell me you’re their best student. You’ve got a lot going for you. We’ve just got to keep trying.”

Kristen shrugged off Lyn’s hand, her voice thick with resentment. “You mean I’ve got to keep trying. I’m the one without a leg, not you. And Daddy’s dead. The only reason I’m a good student is because I promised him.”

Oh, that hurt. Not a day went by that she didn’t feel guilty for surviving uninjured while her husband had died and her daughter lost her leg. But Kristen was too young to understand how much a mother loved her child. Or just how much Lyn missed her husband.

“I know, honey. Please believe me—if I could take this pain from you, I would. I just want to help. We can’t give up. Not ever.”

Lyn might have reached over and hugged Kristen, but a driver pulled up behind them and blared the horn of their car. Lyn jerked her head around. Kathy Newton, a woman she’d recently met at Kristen’s school, waved at them. Returning the gesture with a plastic smile, Lyn pressed on the gas. Two blocks later, she turned the corner and parked in front of the doctor’s office before killing the motor.

“Maybe this new doctor can help you walk straighter,” Lyn suggested. “Your old doctor highly recommended him.”

A prosthesis specialist in such a small town was rare. Apparently this doctor was a former U.S. marine. Lyn had been told that he’d seen several of his buddies lose their limbs during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he’d done a lot of work in the field of prosthetics. And that could be really promising for Kristen.

“Nothing can help me walk without a limp. Everyone will always know something’s wrong with me,” Kristen said.

The ominous words were spoken to the glass windowpane. Kristen refused to look at her, and Lyn couldn’t blame her. Since the accident, Lyn could hardly stand to face herself. She’d hoped her transfer to this small ranching town might help make a difference for both of them. The slower pace. Fewer people. The jagged mountains and open, windswept valleys covered by bleached grass and sage. They both needed time to heal. Lyn had no outward scars, but inside, the accident had disfigured her beyond recognition. She’d never be the same again.

Neither would Kristen.

If only there was some way Lyn could go back in time, she’d find a reason to miss their appointment to view the Appaloosa mare. Their family had been so carefree that evening. Excited to buy Kristen’s first horse. Both Lyn and Rob had been raised on a ranch, and Rob had been a regional rodeo champion during high school. They wanted to share their love of equines with their daughter. They’d discussed the idea for months. Kristen was fearless on a horse. She’d make such a great rider.

Lyn had just picked up Rob from work and was driving the car. Kristen had been sitting between them in the front seat, all of their seat belts securely fastened. They’d been talking. Laughing. And then Lyn turned onto a narrow street with a guardrail. The grille of a semitruck filled their view, followed by the sickening thunder of the crash. No time to react. No time to move.

Now Lyn closed her eyes tight, absorbing the memory as though it had just happened. If only she’d swerved and missed the oncoming truck. Maybe if she’d hit the brakes sooner. Or taken a different route. Anything to have changed the outcome.

Losing Rob had stolen all the joy in their lives. That night had been the last time they’d laughed together or felt genuinely happy.

The last time Lyn had prayed.

Filled with gloomy thoughts, she got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side to help Kristen. Again, the girl brushed aside Lyn’s hands.

“I’ll do it myself,” the girl grumbled.

Lyn stood back, waiting nearby in case Kristen stumbled. An ocean of hurt separated them. Lyn wondered if they’d ever be close again.

Kristen hobbled toward the doctor’s office. With each wrenching step, the foot of her cumbersome prosthesis smacked the cement sidewalk like a club. Lyn had to keep herself from flinching at the horrible sound. She followed close by, wishing Kristen would use her wheelchair more. But the girl refused. Lyn held her arms outstretched to catch Kristen in case she fell.

Inside the small office, Kristen plopped down onto a cushioned chair. An older man sat across from them, his denim shirt accented by a turquoise bolo tie. Twin streaks of gray marred his straight black hair. Parted in the middle, the long strands flowed past his shoulders, ornamented by a single white-and-gray feather. He held a beat-up cowboy hat in his leathery hands. Though he showed no expression on his tanned face, his intelligent black eyes gazed at them with unwavering frankness. The wide bridge of his nose and high cheekbones clarified his heritage. A proud American Indian. Probably Shoshone. Lyn knew they had a tribe here in Stokely.

Ignoring the man’s piercing gaze, Lyn stepped over to the front counter and spoke to the receptionist. “I’m Lyn Warner. My daughter has an appointment at three-thirty.”

“Yes, welcome. I’m Maya, and we’ve been expecting you.” The matronly woman smiled, her rosy cheeks plumping. She swept a waterfall of straight black hair away from her face before handing Lyn a clipboard with papers attached. Maya also appeared to be of Shoshone heritage. “If you’ll just fill out this information, I’ll let the doctor know you’re here.”

Picking up a pen, Lyn sat beside Kristen and started writing. She was vaguely aware of Maya calling to the elderly man sitting across from them. He stood quietly and went to the counter to retrieve a bottle of pills.

“You take one of these every morning, Billie. And just so you know, I’m gonna call your wife to make sure you do. Helen will tell me if you’re on your medication or not.” Maya’s voice sounded thick with warning.

Billie grunted a derogative reply. The pills rattled in the bottle as he shoved them into a pocket of his blue jeans. As he passed by to leave, he stared straight ahead, speaking not a single word. The epitome of dignity and cool disdain.

Lyn dug inside her purse for her insurance card. When she finished the paperwork, she returned the clipboard to Maya.

“Thanks. Why don’t you come on back?” Maya indicated a side door.

Like always, Lyn stood beside Kristen as her daughter struggled to stand. Lyn’s fingers itched to help Kristen, who was determined to do it by herself whether she looked odd and stumbled or not.

The girl braced her hands on the armrests, gained her balance, then clopped forward, her upper torso jerking back with each awkward step. Maya opened the door and stood there smiling until Kristen passed through, then led the way down a short hall to an examination room.

Inside, Kristen sat on the only chair, a grimace of pain showing her discomfort.

“Is it hurting you today?” Lyn asked.

“No.” A short, curt word.

Lyn knew better. The wound had healed, but it’d only been a year. The stump continued to pain Kristen whenever she wore her prosthesis. But the girl hated her wheelchair even more. And Lyn knew Kristen’s autonomy would diminish with the chair.

Lyn was determined to speak with the doctor about this. The brave girl refused to show any more signs of weakness than what had been forced upon her. So daring and courageous. So determined not to quit in spite of the adversity she faced. If only this new doctor could help her somehow. If only—

The door rattled, and the doctor entered the room. Lyn’s breath froze in her throat. The man glanced first at Kristen, then at the clipboard in his hand, but Lyn recognized him instantly. A tall, jet-eyed man with short, coal-black hair shaved high and tight like a U.S. marine. Like her, Lyn figured he was in his mid-thirties. With high, chiseled cheekbones, wide shoulders and long, solid legs. Dark and extremely handsome, in a dangerous sort of way. Except for his eyes. Fringed by thick lashes, they sparkled with gentle warmth.

“Cade!”

He looked up, his gaze mirroring her shock.

No, he couldn’t be the angry rancher who thought Lyn was a threat to the mustangs. He didn’t like her, he’d made that obvious last week when he’d saved her from the wild stallion. Surely he couldn’t be Kristen’s new doctor.

But he was. Oh, this day just kept getting worse.

* * *

Cade lifted his head, but didn’t speak for several moments as he contemplated Lyndsy Warner’s presence in his office. Her golden eyes held his like a vice grip, and he sensed her deep intelligence as she studied his face in return.

“You...you’re Kristen’s new doctor?” she asked.

“Apparently.”

“Oh. I guess I didn’t make the connection. But you said your name is Cade.” Her expression looked deflated.

“That’s right, although I’m Dr. Baldwin when I’m working in my office. I didn’t expect to see you here, either.”

Now he regretted not asking her full name when he’d met her in Secret Valley last week. He hadn’t put it all together. Lyn was short for Lyndsy. He decided the name Lyn suited her better. Finding out the new forest ranger’s daughter was one of his patients caught him completely off guard.

The tribal elders wouldn’t like this. No, not at all.

His gaze took in the woman’s skinny jeans, red blouse and white tennis shoes. Instead of a ponytail, she wore her long blond hair straight and soft around her face. But her eyes. A tawny-gold color, like cooked honey, sweet and smooth. Right now, she looked like a normal housewife, not a forest ranger. Not a threat to the wild horses. And certainly too young to have a daughter so old.

Likewise, she inspected him. The stethoscope hanging around his neck. The white smock he wore open over his blue chambray shirt. His denims and scuffed cowboy boots. He shifted nervously, wishing she’d stop looking at him.

“Um, when you rescued me from Buck, I didn’t realize you were a doctor.” A stiff smile curled her full lips, but didn’t reach her beautiful eyes.

“Yeah, we didn’t talk about that.”

“I thought you were a rancher.”

“I own Sunrise Ranch, but it’s not big enough to grow crops and livestock anymore. My grandparents left the place to me. I just live there now.”

“Oh.” She continued to stare.

“You okay?” he asked, trying to hide his own feelings of confusion.

She looked away. “Yes, I’m sorry. It’s just that you’re not really what I imagined a prosthesis specialist would look like.”

He made a soft scoffing sound, the heels of his boots thudding against the wooden floor. “Is that because I’m part Shoshone Indian?”

“No, not at all. I didn’t know until now. Although that’s fascinating, too.”

She found his heritage fascinating? Ironically, that was how he would describe her. But he wasn’t about to ask her to expand on her comment.

“I’m one-half Shoshone, on my mother’s side. Any less, and I wouldn’t be eligible to belong to the tribe,” he said.

With a Caucasian father and a Shoshone mother, he’d spent every childhood summer in Stokely with his mother’s parents. He’d been in Afghanistan when his grandfather died and left him Sunrise Ranch. All his life, Cade had dreamed of becoming a doctor and opening a medical office here to benefit the Toyakoi Tribe, his Shoshone people. Now that he was here, he was haunted by memories of war. Only his faith in God kept him sane.

“Is my ethnicity a problem for you?” he asked.

She snorted. “Of course not. It’s just that you seem so...so casual for a doctor.”

Kaku, his grandmother, had always told him he was wild and untamed. Like the mustangs running free in Secret Valley. And yet, he wasn’t wild. Not anymore. The war had changed him. He’d come to realize what was really important in life. God, family and living with honor. Now he just wanted to settle down and find peace. But one thing was missing. He had no family. They were all gone now. No one to share his hopes and dreams with. No one to love.

And he felt the emptiness like a hole in his heart.

“I’d look a bit out of place in Stokely if I ran around in a business suit.” He reached for a stool on wheels. Pulling it over, he sat down in front of Kristen. “And you didn’t tell me your daughter was one of my new patients.”

“I didn’t realize at the time.”

And whether he liked it or not, it appeared he’d now get to know them even better.

He faced Kristen, smiling to alleviate the girl’s worried frown. “So, Kristen, how are you today?”

“Fine.” Her voice sounded uncertain as she held her clasped hands tightly in her lap. Rather than happy and smiling, she looked anxious and withdrawn.

Frightened.

He made a pretense of scanning the clipboard. “You’re what? Twelve, thirteen years old?”

Kristen’s brow crinkled and she shook her head, looking away. Unsure of herself. Cade didn’t like that. If he was going to help this child, he’d have to win her trust.

“I’m only ten, but I’ll be eleven next November,” she said.

Cade widened his eyes and drew back as though amazed. “Is that right? Well, you’re sure pretty and you look older than your age. Very grown-up.”

His flattery brought a flush of pleasure to the child’s cheeks. Ah, he had her now. He loved helping people; he always had. But for some innate reason, he felt strongly that he must help this little girl feel better about herself. No matter who her mother was and what she did for a living.

“I’ve spoken to your doctor in Reno, and he’s told me you’re wearing a C-Leg prosthesis. Can I take a look?” Cade asked respectfully.

Kristen nodded, pulling her skirt up to a modest inch just above her skinny knees. Or rather, knee.

Setting the clipboard aside on the counter by the sink, Cade studied the mechanisms of the prosthesis. Pink and white scars crisscrossed the thighs of her amputated leg as well as her good leg. “Were both your legs injured?”

She nodded, but Lyn answered. “After the accident, they were only able to save her left leg.”

Thank goodness they were able to save that much.

Cade reached for the socket of the prosthesis, his fingers pressing and pulling gently as he tested the fit around Kristen’s stump.

“I don’t think it fits properly,” Lyn said. “She’s had a recent growth spurt, which may have changed the fitting. It’s hurting her. She isn’t able to walk very well.” She stepped near, hovering close by Kristen’s side.

Cade liked the genuine concern he heard in Lyn’s voice, and the tenderness as she brushed a protective hand over the girl’s arm. It made her seem more human.

“We’ll see.” He bowed his head low, his attention on Kristen, but his words were for Lyn. “How’d you hear about my office?”

“Dr. Fletcher said you’d recently completed an internship with the Craig Stratich Group. I’m aware that they’re leading specialists in prosthetics and research. I accepted my job in Stokely knowing there’d be a qualified doctor here to work with Kristen.”

He grunted his acknowledgment, betraying his nervousness. The tribal leaders wouldn’t want him treating the forest ranger’s daughter, but he had very little choice. He certainly would never turn the girl away. Above all, he felt compassion for the child. She needed his help and he couldn’t refuse.

He sat back and released a quick sigh. “You should know I’m not really a physical therapist. I’m not even a true prosthetist. I’m just a general practitioner who’s worked a lot with prosthetics. Unfortunately, my office isn’t currently set up to provide physical therapy for an amputee.”

Lyn’s brow crinkled, and her voice filled with apprehension. “Are you saying you can’t treat Kristen?”

“No, I can work with your specialists in Reno. I’m sure we can come up with something to allow me to help you out, but I wanted you to know up front what I’m able to do.” He made some mental notes of how he might install support bars for Kristen to hold on to as she learned to walk better. A floor mat and some practice stairs would help out, too. It wouldn’t take much to create a therapy room for the little girl, yet it could make a big difference in the quality of her life.

“I understand,” Lyn continued. “Dr. Fletcher said if anyone could help us, it was you.”

Cade chuckled, unable to resist feeling pleased by the flattery. “I’ll do my best. I wouldn’t want to disappoint my old teacher.”

“He also said you’d served several tours of duty as a marine in Afghanistan. When you got home, you finished medical school and focused on prosthetics because you had a good friend who lost his leg in the war.”

Cade stiffened, taken off guard by how much she knew about him. She’d touched a raw nerve buried deep inside. Dallin had saved his life, putting himself in harm’s way. Cade owed everything to Dal and much more. “Good ol’ Dr. Fletcher. He always did have a wagging tongue.”

“I didn’t mean to be nosy,” Lyn said. “It’s just that Kristen’s father was also a marine.”

“I see. Semper fi.” Cade nodded in understanding. Just one more thing he didn’t want to like about this woman.

“Always faithful,” she said.

“I’m sure your husband was a good man.” Cade almost groaned. Now he was making small talk with her.

“My daddy was the best,” Kristen said.

Cade looked away, the knowledge of their loss impacting him more than he liked. He patted Kristen on her good knee before rolling his stool backward. He didn’t want to know about Lyn’s dead husband. Or anything else about her, for that matter. “Why don’t you stand and walk a few steps for me, sweetheart?”

The girl tossed a hesitant glance at her mother, then did as asked. Bracing her hands against the armrests of her chair, she lurched to her feet. She bit her bottom lip, obviously concentrating. Trying hard not to show her clumsiness. Lyn stood close by. Too close. Her hands were open and ready to catch the girl if she fell.

Kristen walked forward, bending slightly at the waist and sticking her bottom out before jerking the prosthetic leg forward. The end result was that she walked with a pronounced limp.

Cade stood and stepped over to give Kristen some guidance. He had to brush past Lyn, catching the tantalizing scent of some kind of fruity shampoo. Sweet and feminine. “Excuse me.”

Lyn stepped back, but not far enough. Her gaze centered on Kristen like a mother eagle watching her young. And that’s when Cade wondered if she was a bit overprotective.

“You definitely need a new prosthesis,” Cade said. “We can get one fitted for you. I’ve got some good contacts for that. In the meantime, I’d like you to work on a few things for me. Can you do that?”

Kristen nodded, her blue eyes wide as she gazed up at him with a mixture of gratitude or doubt, he wasn’t sure which.

“First, I don’t think you’re trusting your prosthesis enough. It won’t collapse under you, so let it do the work for you. It’s strong and can bear your weight. As you walk, you need to make sure your hip is over the foot.”

He modeled the posture with his own hip and leg. “Set your weight down on the foot of your prosthesis before you take another step. Trust that it’ll be there for you. Brace your hand on the wall if you need to support yourself. Then bring through your good leg. This will pull you up onto the toe of your prosthesis. Keep your hip over your foot. That will load the springs in the prosthetic foot so it’ll help propel you forward on your next step.”

Cade directed Kristen through the motions. When her hip and leg moved out of position, he gently pressed them back into proper order, and Kristen was soon taking less awkward steps.

Then he moved away. Without his aid, utter panic filled Kristen’s eyes. “What if I fall?”

Lyn took a step toward her daughter, but Cade held out his hand to stop her from interfering. “Then you fall. What’s the worst that’ll happen?”

He waited, letting both daughter and mother digest this comment. Hoping Kristen realized that falling wasn’t the worst thing she should fear.

“People will laugh,” Kristen said.

“So let them. And what will you do?”

He hoped she didn’t say she’d cry. He couldn’t restore her leg, but he could help her toughen up so she could cope with her life.

“I get back up?” she asked.

A question, not a statement.

“Of course! Have you ever seen someone else fall down?” he asked.

The little girl nodded. Her mother looked tense and wary. Apprehensive.

“And did you laugh?” he asked.

“No.” A vague response. She didn’t understand what he was getting at. Not yet, anyway.

“Why not?”

“Because they fell down and might be hurt. I don’t laugh because I know how it feels.”

“Of course. But they don’t just lie there. They get back up, right?”

Another nod.

He bent slightly at the waist so he could look her in the eyes. “Kids fall all the time, Kristen. You just gotta quit being afraid of it. I can teach you how to land on your bottom so it won’t hurt as much. If you fall down, do you already know how to stand back up without help?”

She nodded, her eyes filled with a bit more trust, but not enough. Not yet. This poor girl had a lot of issues she needed to resolve if she was ever going to walk well and lead a normal, happy life.

“Then there’s nothing to be afraid of, is there? You can get back up and walk on your merry way,” he reiterated.

She looked down, her chin quivering. A strand of golden hair swept past her cheek. She looked so sweet and vulnerable.

Just like her mom.

“But kids laugh when I fall,” she said.

His heart gave a powerful squeeze. “Then let them laugh. Show them it doesn’t bother you one bit. And pretty soon, they won’t laugh anymore.”

Cade couldn’t help wondering if Lyn had discussed this topic with Kristen. From the profound concern in her eyes, he knew the ranger cared deeply about her daughter. But maybe Kristen needed to hear this dialogue from someone besides her mom.

Maybe Lyn needed to hear it, too.

Taking a deep breath, Kristen took another step, and another. She pressed her tongue against her upper lip, seeming to concentrate on doing what he’d shown her. Learning to trust her prosthesis. Lyn tightened her hands into fists as though she fought the urge not to assist her child.

“Hey! I’m doing it better.” Kristen smiled at her mom.

“You sure are, honey,” Lyn agreed, her voice thick with emotion.

Cade’s gaze darted to Lyn’s face. Against his better judgment, he sympathized with the ranger and her cute daughter. How could he resist? He’d thought about telling Lyn he couldn’t treat Kristen, but that went right out the window. Only an unfeeling ogre would turn their back on this woman and her child. They needed him. Maybe even more than Dal had needed him after he’d lost his leg.

“When you feel the resistance of the prosthetic toe, you tend to want to avoid it rather than learning to work with it. Believe in your prosthesis. Make it work for you. Trust it to be there,” Cade advised.

“But it hurts.” Kristen cringed.

“That’s a different matter. You need a better-fitting socket. I can give you some extra thick socks to wear over your stump, but I think this socket is too loose. You have a bony prominence that needs a flexible area around it so it won’t cause you pain.”

“I knew something was wrong.” Lyn sighed.

“We’re gonna take care of that for you,” Cade promised. “We’ll get you fitted for a new prosthesis. I also want to give you some new exercises I think will strengthen your balance, abdomen and thighs.”

He continued working with the child, learning her range of motion, strength and coordination. “You’re quite limber and strong. I don’t want you to lose that, so exercise every day. You just need more confidence.”

A bit of hope filled Kristen’s eyes. “Maybe when I get my new socket, I can play soccer with the other kids.”

Lyn shook her head hard. “No, honey. You could get hurt doing that.”

“Ahh,” the girl groaned. “Dad would want me to try.”

“Well, Dad isn’t here.” An unyielding edge of sternness laced Lyn’s voice.

Definitely overprotective.

Cade stood silently, listening to this exchange. What had happened to Kristen’s father? Why wasn’t the guy here with his family?

“Kristen’s father was killed in the accident when she lost her leg,” Lyn explained as if she could read his thoughts.

From the sadness filling her eyes, Cade realized she’d divulged something very personal. Right now, she didn’t look like the proficient forest ranger he’d met last week in Secret Valley. Now she just looked like a worried mom. Vulnerable and exposed. And that made him feel strangely protective of her.

No! He shook his head. The last thing he wanted was to feel sentimental toward this woman and her child. He was Kristen’s doctor, nothing more. He must remain neutral. With all his patients.

Cade cleared his voice. “I’m sorry to hear that. But with a running prosthesis, I don’t see why Kristen couldn’t play soccer. Staying active will help her retain her range of motion.”

He looked at Lyn, keeping his gaze insistent and unwavering.

Lyn’s mouth tightened. “A running prosthesis won’t be necessary. I doubt I can afford it anyway.”

“We can talk about the cost later, but don’t worry. We’ll find a way to make it happen.”

Why did he say that? Getting Kristen a running prosthesis at little or no cost would mean that he had to call in some huge favors. But if it meant she could run and play with the other children, he didn’t mind going out of his way for this little girl.

Lyn tilted her head and gave him a stern look as she enunciated her next words. “No. I don’t want Kristen hurt again.”

Okay, he got it. In a way, Cade couldn’t blame Lyn. Her husband had been killed and her daughter had lost her leg in a bad accident. No doubt Lyn didn’t want to lose any more. He didn’t argue the point, but their situation troubled him. Kristen’s psychological needs were just as important as her physical needs. Being overprotective wasn’t good if Kristen was to ever develop enough self-confidence and autonomy to lead a fairly independent life.

Cade would treat Kristen the best he could and keep his distance from them otherwise. He and Lyn would never be friends. Nothing more than acquaintances. And for some odd reason, that made Cade feel strangely sad inside.

Chapter Three

“I like Dr. Baldwin.” Kristen glanced at her mother as Lyn drove them home an hour later.

The girl rolled her car window down halfway, and the afternoon breeze teased golden wisps of hair that framed her oval face. A tangy smell hung in the air, and Lyn hoped it might rain up in the mountains. The wildlife sure needed the moisture.

“You do, huh?” Lyn kind of liked Cade, too, even if he didn’t like her. The way he’d put Kristen at ease had impressed Lyn. It’d been a long time since she’d seen Kristen actually try to do what her doctor suggested. It wasn’t that the girl was contrary, but rather, she seemed to have given up hope of ever walking normally again.

Truth be told, Lyn had almost given up, too.

“Yeah, he’s a lot different from Dr. Fletcher.”

Lyn silently agreed, but kept up the small talk, delighted to see her daughter smile again. “How so?”

“Dr. Fletcher is so...old.”

Lyn laughed. “There’s nothing wrong with old age as long as you get there, hon. Dr. Fletcher was always nice and helpful.”

“Yeah, but Dr. Baldwin is handsome, and he smells nice. He’s lots different,” Kristen repeated.

Lyn laughed. Cade definitely smelled good. But he was unusual in other ways, too. His dark, gleaming eyes, his gentle frankness as he showed Kristen how to walk properly, his solid good looks. Lyn just hoped she could trust him to do what was best for her child.

“We’ve been too busy and gone way too long without you seeing a doctor,” Lyn said. “Now that we’re settled in, I’ll get you to physical therapy every week.”

“With Dr. Baldwin, that’ll be nice,” Kristen said.

Hmm. Maybe Kristen had a small crush on the attractive doctor.

As they ate dinner that evening, then prepared for bed, Kristen talked nonstop about Cade. Today had been a great start, and Lyn felt an inkling of optimism for the first time since Rob’s death. Perhaps Cade was just what Kristen needed.

* * *

The last thing Lyn expected the following morning was Cade showing up unannounced at her ranger’s office. Looking up from a pile of paperwork stacked on her desk, she found his tall silhouette outlined in the doorway and inhaled a sharp breath. He’d appeared silently out of nowhere, and she wondered how long he’d been watching her work.

“Cade! You startled me.” She glanced behind him, speculating on where Cindy, her office manager, was and how he’d gotten past her without interception.

He gave a lazy shrug. “Sorry. I had an idea and decided to stop by to see if you might be amenable.”

He didn’t smile, but his gentle eyes betrayed his inner feelings. He wanted something. From her.

“You got a minute?” he asked, his thumbs hanging casually through the belt loops of his blue jeans.

She stood and indicated a chair across from her desk. “Sure! Please, sit down.”

He sat, lifting one long leg to cross the booted ankle over his opposite knee. She caught his subtle aroma of spice and leather, and her gaze lowered to the hollow of his throat where a thin, white scar ran along the front of his throat. Almost as though he’d been sliced by a knife.

She swallowed and focused on his face. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“I’m actually here in an official capacity,” he began. “I’m the wild-horse representative for the Toyakoi Tribe.” He paused as though letting this information sink in.

“I’ve heard of them, but what does Toyakoi stand for?” she asked.

“Mountain peak. We’re a federally recognized Shoshone tribe with our own constitution.”

“I see. And what can I do for you?”

“You said you go into the mountains on Fridays. I was wondering if it might be possible for me to accompany you now and then.”

She hadn’t expected this request. Not at all.

“I don’t have time to go out every Friday.”

He shrugged. “That’s okay. I’d like to accompany you when you do have time.”

“But what about your doctor’s office? Don’t you have to work?” she asked.

“I only work in my office three days a week. The rest of the time I usually do research. For now, I’d like to spend some time with you, checking on the mustangs.”

She tilted her head, an edge of suspicion filling her voice. “You mean you want to spy on me? To see if the big bad forest ranger is plotting the demise of all the wild- horse herds?”

He hesitated, his eyes crinkled with misgivings. “No, I don’t want to spy, but I do want you to show me the problems so I can better understand how to help the wild horses.”

She shook her head and laughed, trying to lighten the tense mood. “All right, I can accept that. But remember, I want to help the mustangs, too, Cade. I really do.”

“I hope that’s true. I’ve been thinking over what you said last week about the wild horses, wildlife and domestic livestock all being equally important. I think we should work together to find some satisfactory resolutions.”

“But last week you weren’t interested in hearing my ideas.”

He gave a lazy shrug. “I’ve reconsidered.”

Hmm. Maybe this could be a good thing. Working together with the Toyakoi Tribe might help alleviate a lot of tension between the horse advocates and the government entities.

“You realize the Bureau of Land Management has jurisdiction over the wild horses, not the Forest Service. I can’t decide anything for the mustangs,” she said.

“Yes, but I also know you have the power to call the BLM in to look at the situation and then get them to consider rounding up the mustangs and move some of them off your ranger district.”

He made a valid point.

“It’s not my ranger district, Cade. I’m merely the overseer here. And I won’t pretend I’m not very close to being forced to call in the BLM now. The horse and burro population grows by about twenty percent each year. Without any natural predators, that means they double in size about every four years. There’s just too many of them, and the damage has become quite serious.”

She didn’t mention the myriad of ranchers she had breathing down her neck, asking her to do something about the problem soon. She’d handle the ranchers the same way she would the Shoshone Tribe. With honesty, professionalism and tact.

He sat back in his cracked leather chair. “Look, Mrs. Warner. All I’m asking is that you involve me in your decisions. I can do a lot to talk about this with the Shoshone people and keep this problem from blowing up into a big hornets’ nest. We might be able to assist with some decisions, if you’ll let us.”

Yes, she was highly aware of that. Maybe a partnership of sorts would be wise. If Cade saw firsthand what she was dealing with in the mountains and valleys, he could take that information back to the wild-horse advocates and gain some support for what must be done.

“Okay, you’re welcome to come along—on one condition,” she said.

“And what’s that?”

“You call me Lyn. I don’t like formality if I can avoid it. I’d like us to be friends.”

He blinked, his eyes glinting with hesitancy. “Okay, I’ll call you Lyn. When is your next trip? What are the plans?”

She noticed his omission of them becoming friends. That was okay. She’d learned long ago that she could work with people she had no fondness for. As long as she maintained her composure and worked professionally, it wouldn’t be a problem. At least not for her.

“I’ll be taking a horse trailer up into the McClellan Mountains on Friday and then riding into Barton’s Canyon to look at the creek there. If you want to tag along, you’ll need to bring your own horse. We can ride together, but plan to stay out all day.”

He flashed her a devastating smile. “Deal. I’ll even pack us a lunch.”

“That’s not necessary. I can bring my own food.”

“I want to do it. I promise you won’t regret it.”

She let the subject drop. What she ate for lunch was the least of her concerns.

They made a few more arrangements, with Lyn planning to drive out to Sunrise Ranch so they could load his horse into her Forest Service trailer. Then they’d drive up onto the mountain and unload the horses. They’d spend the entire day riding across some very rugged terrain together.

Lyn doubted her sanity for agreeing to Cade’s proposal. Being near this man made her jittery for some peculiar reason. She tried to tell herself that working with him would help with resolving the wild-horse problems. But it could backfire on her, too. If he didn’t like what he saw or didn’t believe what she told him, he could make a lot of trouble for her with the Toyakoi Tribe. Then she’d be forced to override him and call in the BLM anyway.

The last ranger on this district had dealt with a lot of angry people and even a death threat. Lyn wanted to avoid that, if possible. If she disagreed with Cade, what impact might that have on Kristen? Cade Baldwin was now Kristen’s doctor. Lyn certainly didn’t want him for an enemy. No, not one bit.

* * *

This was a mistake. Cade never should have come here to Lyn Warner’s office and asked to be included in her visits to the wild horses. No matter what she thought, he didn’t want to make trouble. But neither did he want to see the mustangs driven to and fro by a helicopter, captured in a corral, and then loaded on a truck to be transported miles and miles away from their home.

“What exactly are you planning to look at on Friday?” he asked, trying to ignore a large picture on her wall of a black stallion with a long flowing tail and mane as he raced across a meadow of green grass. Absolutely spectacular. Remembering Lyn’s camera, Cade wondered if she’d taken the picture.

Her chair squeaked as she sat forward. “Being new to this ranger district, I’ve never viewed Barton’s Canyon. I’ve been told that the creek is in bad shape, and I want to see it for myself. The Forest Service has worked hard to build up a nice band of desert bighorn sheep in that area, and I want to make sure we don’t lose any of them.”

Cade thought the bighorns could surely cause as much damage as the horses. “How many sheep are we talking about?”

“Approximately thirty-three, including rams.”

Okay, maybe not. Even Cade knew there were many more mustangs running wild across the range than there were sheep. He’d seen the horses himself and knew the bighorn were way outnumbered.

“You like bighorn sheep, don’t you?” she asked.

Her question took him off guard. “Of course. I love all the wildlife.”

“Good. Because I’m told they’re in danger right now. Not enough food and difficulty getting to a decent water source.”

But how could the mustangs cause that problem? The horses were just living out there, trying to survive. It couldn’t be so cut-and-dried. There must be another reason the bighorn sheep were in danger. Maybe this was just another scare tactic. A strategy Cade had seen other government employees use in the past. Next he expected Lyn to blame the mustangs for the demise of the mule deer and antelope, too.

Something inside him hardened. “I hope you’re not going to blame all of this on the wild horses.”

She took a deep inhale and paused for several moments as though choosing her words carefully. “I’ll tell you what, Cade. Let’s ride up Barton’s Canyon and take a look. I’d like to view it before I make any judgment calls. Maybe my people are wrong in their reports and there isn’t a problem. That would make my job much easier. I wouldn’t have to disturb the horses. But if something is wrong, it’ll speak loud and clear, and then I’ll need to deal with it accordingly.”

Her reasoning impressed him. No thumping her fist on the desk. No insisting the horses were to blame. If she could stay impartial until she saw something wrong, then he could, too. Or at least, he hoped he could. “That sounds fair to me. But what kinds of problems have your people reported?”

Her brow furrowed. “Let’s just wait. If something’s wrong, we’ll see it. Let’s educate ourselves first, and then we can talk about it in depth, okay?”

Again, her insight startled him. He hadn’t expected the new forest ranger to be so reasonable. And that made him even more suspicious that she might have hidden motives.

“Okay.” He answered slowly, afraid he might have to defer to her judgment on this topic. After all, what did he really know about vegetation and wild animals? As a medical doctor, he’d studied plenty of science and biology. He was definitely smart enough to see through a shell game. But he knew almost nothing about ecosystems, watersheds, wildlife and grazing needs.

What if there was something wrong? And what if Lyn blamed the problems on the wild horses? Cade could write his senators on behalf of the Shoshone Tribe, but the BLM had the law on their side. They’d do whatever they deemed was right.

“And if we don’t find anything wrong, will you leave the mustangs alone?” He didn’t want the bighorn sheep and other wildlife to suffer, but neither did he want her to move the horses if they were innocent.

“Absolutely.”

But in her eyes, he saw doubt. And a bit of regret. And that gave him a shivery foreboding. “You seem skeptical.”

“I am,” she admitted. “I have a master’s degree in ecology, and I do this job for a living, Cade. I’ve seen this situation before. The problems aren’t always easy to address, but the cause seems to be consistent in these circumstances.”

In other words, she was almost certain she’d find problems, which would require her to act against the horses.

“Are you sure you can be objective toward the mustangs?” he asked, feeling a bit cynical.

She nodded, her eyes narrowing. “Oh, yes. Remember I’m here to protect all the wild animals, including the mustangs. I don’t have the luxury of preferring one animal over another. I’m a conservationist, not a preservationist. All of these animals are important to the area.”

Cade wanted to believe her. He really did. But there’d been trouble in the past, and he’d grown accustomed to distrusting government employees. But not at the expense of the desert bighorn sheep. And the mule deer. And many other species he couldn’t name right now.

No doubt Lyn could name them all.

“Okay, I can accept that.” As he said the words, he hoped he meant them. For now, he’d wait until Friday and see what happened from there. He’d know soon enough if the horses were the problem. And then he’d do everything in his power to help save them.

As he left Lyn’s office, he couldn’t help feeling a bit on edge. As if he’d been told he had a large lump in his throat that needed a biopsy to determine if it was malignant or benign. The unknown made him nervous.

He was absolutely certain of one thing. If Lyn Warner had ulterior motives, he’d ferret them out. Just as she must trust him to provide the best medical care for her daughter, Cade must also trust Lyn to do what was right for the wild horses.

And there lay the crux of the problem. Neither of them fully trusted each other. At least, not yet.

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