Falling for the Forest Ranger. Leigh Bale

at the trench filled with water. “You can see there’s no farmer’s screen on this irrigation ditch. Last spring, hundreds of fish took the wrong turn in the canal, got lost and ended up in the ditch instead of moving on their way through the river.”

      Jonah sat up straighter to see out the window. “What happened to them?”

      Surprised to find the child listening, Tanner explained, “With nowhere else to go, they ended up in the fields, dead.”

      The boy blinked at that. “Dead?”

      “Don’t worry, sweetheart, we’ll do something to stop it from happening again.” Zoë patted Jonah’s arm.

      Tanner didn’t think she should promise something she might not be able to deliver. But her confidence made him feel as though they really could resolve the problems they faced.

      They rounded the bend and saw a rusty old truck parked at the side of the road. A man in his mid-forties stood near the ditch bank, wearing a baseball cap, blue overalls and knee-high waders. He waved, then propped his shovel in the dirt before leaning his forearms against the top of the handle.

      “That’s Harry Ragsdale.” Tanner pulled over, then killed the motor.

      They all got out and joined Harry before Tanner made the introductions.

      “I must admit I was a bit surprised when Tanner called to see if I’d meet with you today. What can I do for you?” Harry’s ruddy cheeks wobbled slightly as he shook Zoë’s hand.

      “It’s not what you can do for us, but what we can do for you.” Zoë spoke right up, her voice pleasant enough. “We need to put a farmer’s irrigation screen on your property as soon as possible. We’d like your permission to start work immediately.”

      Harry shrugged, his doubtful gaze resting heavily on Tanner. “I already told the ranger I can’t do that. Screens are a big pain to maintain. They catch garbage and clog up. They have to be constantly cleaned. I don’t have time for that kind of nonsense.”

      Zoë’s spine stiffened, her smile fading to a disapproving frown. This didn’t look good.

      “We have to do something, Mr. Ragsdale. The Endangered Species Act requires it by law,” she said.

      Harry lifted a hand, as if to shoo away a fly. “Then do something else. But I’m not gonna put any screens on my property.”

      Zoë tilted her head and her eyes hardened just a bit. “A screen will keep wayward salmon from swimming past the canal and ending up dead in your ditch.”

      “I don’t care if they do. They rot and provide good fertilizer for my fields.”

      Zoë’s mouth tightened. “But so many fish are dying that they’ve ended up on the endangered-species list. If you won’t maintain a screen, we’ll have to get an injunction against you to shut off your water.”

      “What?” The word exploded from Harry’s mouth like a nuclear detonation. “You can’t do that. I need water for my crops. Shutting off my water would put me out of business.”

      “You’re leaving us no other choice,” Zoë insisted.

      Tanner held up both hands. This wasn’t what he’d expected at all. “Now, now, that won’t be necessary. We can deal with this situation without resorting to shutting off your water.”

      Zoë glared at Tanner as if he’d just slapped her face. “Then, what do you recommend?”

      “I can’t afford to install a farmer’s screen.” Harry’s voice vibrated with anger. “All that cement and steel. It’d cost me thousands of dollars.”

      Jonah stepped closer to his mother, sliding his hand into hers as his eyes creased with worry over their raised voices. A protective impulse swarmed Tanner’s chest and he longed to comfort the child. Maybe he shouldn’t have agreed to bring the kid along. From the way Zoë patted the boy’s cheek in a reassuring gesture, she was having second thoughts, too.

      “You won’t have to pay a dime of the costs, Harry. FRIMA has given us a grant to fund the project. We just need your permission to have it installed. We’ll do all the work.” Placing one hand on the other man’s shoulder, Tanner looked into his eyes, a tactic he frequently used to calm irate farmers.

      “What’s FRIMA?” Harry asked in a gruff voice.

      “The Fisheries Restoration and Irrigation Mitigation Act. They’re a voluntary, nonregulatory program that provides funding to screen water diversions. All you need to do is help ensure that it’s maintained. Can you do that if it means keeping the fish out of your ditches and moving in a safe passageway?”

      “Well, um, yes, I suppose if you’re gonna pay for it, I can at least help maintain it,” Harry said.

      “Good! I knew we could count on your help.” Tanner smiled, hoping to lighten the tense mood.

      Zoë’s face flooded with color and Tanner could tell she was upset. Didn’t she realize that angering the local farmers would never help them achieve their goals? Threats would just get everyone fighting mad.

      Harry smiled and nodded at Tanner but tossed a sneer at Zoë. And that’s when Tanner realized that she’d just made an enemy who would talk to the other farmers in the area. Word would soon spread like wildfire that they had a hard-nosed federal marine biologist in town. Tanner knew how it worked. He’d been at this game a long time now.

      Tanner needed to talk to Zoë in private. He should have explained things better before he brought her out here. Letting her face an irate farmer hadn’t been Tanner’s intent, but he’d had no idea when Harry resisted their proposal that she’d make such a do-or-die threat.

      “Okay, I’ll set it up and be in touch with you soon,” Tanner told Harry.

      “Good, you do that. You can call me anytime,” Harry said.

      As they walked back to Tanner’s truck, Zoë didn’t say a word. From her narrowed eyes, he realized this wasn’t over. She was very upset. At him. He could almost imagine hot steam jetting from her ears, eyes and nose. He figured she was keeping her silence because of Jonah. But once they were alone again, he dreaded the inevitable flare-up that was sure to follow.

      * * *

      Zoë bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from telling Tanner what she really thought about the way he’d coddled Harry Ragsdale. No doubt he was doing the same kind of appeasement with the other farmers in the area. And what about the ranchers and logging companies?

      Glancing at Jonah, she almost wished she hadn’t brought her son along. She was angry and burned to give Tanner a piece of her mind. But she didn’t want to have harsh words with Tanner in front of her little boy. For now, she clamped her mouth closed and thought of calm, professional words she should say to Tanner later on.

      Tanner drove them out to meet with two more farmers, with the same results as the first. One farmer argued, even when Tanner told him that FRIMA would cover the expense. The farmer didn’t want the nuisance of dealing with a screen. He didn’t want to be bothered.

      And then Zoë stepped in with her usual blunt candor, which triggered Tanner into cajoling the man to get him to agree. The way Tanner tried to accommodate each farmer made Zoë think Tanner was part of the problem rather than the solution. No wonder so many fish were dying!

      By the time noon rolled around and Tanner parked his truck near a campground at the base of the Bingham Mountains, Zoë seethed with annoyance. She didn’t want to be so hard-nosed, but she had her orders. Her employment was riding on her success here. With a young son to raise, she couldn’t afford to lose her job.

      While Jonah raced ahead to play by the stream that threaded its way through the tall cottonwoods, Zoë reached for her bag and their lunch. She then walked with Tanner toward a picnic table nearby.

      “Jonah, don’t go too far. Stay where I can see you,” she called as the