9 comments/ 12896 views/ 1 favorites John Steadman, A Forest Ranger By: Skip1934a Author's Note: This is an entry in the Earth Day contest, 2007. All characters involved in any sexual activity in this story are over the age of 18. The characters are not real persons, nor are any of the events in this story real. Certainly there are celebrations of Earth Day, but this one is a figment of my imagination. This is fiction. And it is non-erotic unless you find references to sex erotic. Only Auburn University and the geographic descriptions refer to real places. My thanks to CopyCarver, who edited the story for me. This is my first entry in a writing contest of any kind. I would appreciate votes and constructive comments. Preface The Appalachian Trail is a continuous marked footpath that goes from Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia, a distance of about 2160 miles. Over 130-miles in length, the Alabama Pinhoti Trail is the premier long path in Alabama. It connects with the Georgia Pinhoti Trail at the state boarder. The Georgia Pinhoti Trail crosses the Benton MacKaye Trail in several places. The MacKaye Trail is the link between the Pinhoti and the Appalachian Trail. John Steadman is the Forest Ranger Supervisor for the district that includes Springer Mountain, the southern end of the Appalachian Trail. Judy Watkins is an executive of the Alabama Hiking Trail Club, an organization that promotes and maintains trails throughout the state of Alabama. Her club is attempting to gain support for their plan to link the Alabama Pinhoti Trail to the Appalachian Trail via the Georgia segment of the Pinhoti. Ch. 01 Judy It was early April when Judy started her hike over the Pinhoti Trail to the base of the Appalachian Trail. Her mission was to examine the exact path to be suggested as the link to the trail that would become part of the Eastern Continental Trail. She knew of the plans to extend the northern end of the Appalachian Trail into Canada, and saw no reason why the southern end could not be extended as well. After all, the Appalachian Mountain Range extends into Alabama. She could not hope to influence the route within Georgia, but decided to hike the trail just to gain familiarity with it. She was an experienced hiker, having hiked trails the nation over since she was a young girl, when her family hiked the Gila Wilderness, stopping to see the Pueblo dwellings in Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument in the Gila National Forest near the headwaters of the Gila River. That trip is the one that convinced her that she wanted to be involved in maintaining the hiking trails of Alabama. She was only eight years old then, but she kept her sights on that dream until at seventeen, she finished high school and enrolled in Auburn University and took courses in earth sciences, gaining her degree when she was twenty-one. Auburn University is where she first met John Steadman. Though they never went steady, they did date a few times and became fond of one another. On one occasion they had gone so far as to go to bed together. Her degree served her well in landing a paid position with the Alabama Hiking Club. She was hired as an executive vice-president, and though the compensation didn't match other jobs she was offered, she chose it because it was her dream, and the pay was adequate for living in moderate comfort. She loved the outdoors, and had long been a supporter of Earth Day projects associated with preserving the trails of the nation. She hoped to reach the southernmost intersection of Georgia's Benton MacKaye Trail with the Appalachian Trail by Earth Day, the 22nd of April. Benton MacKaye was the link from the Pinhoti to the Appalachian Trail. It was not mandatory that she accomplish that, but she knew there was a celebration at Springer Mountain on that day, and it would be nice to join the activities. She had started her hike four days earlier, at the trailhead of the Alabama Pinhoti trail, and was now crossing the state line into the Georgia segment. She had slept that night in a shelter at the end of the Alabama trail, and after a quick breakfast, had bathed in a nearby stream before starting out early in the morning. She was refreshed, and feeling euphoric as she thought about her mission. As she continued her journey through Georgia, she began to think of John Steadman, of all people. She knew he was the supervisor of the Forest Service division that included the trailhead of the AP, and wondered if he would be participating in the Earth Day celebration on the 22nd. Of course he would, she assured herself. He wouldn't miss it unless he was dead, she mused. He was that kind of guy. As she started up the grade ahead of her, her thoughts wandered back to her college days and the friendship she had developed with John. He had been a year ahead of her. When she was a freshman and he a sophomore, they met at a social at one of the fraternity gatherings of his Phi Gamma Delta chapter. She remembered how he kept glancing at her throughout the early part of the party, and she recalled feeling a little self-conscience. Did he see something wrong about the way she was dressed, or what? She wasn't there with a date. She was a pledge to her sorority, and attendance was virtually mandatory for pledges if they expected to be initiated into their chosen chapter. A couple of the guys in the fraternity tried hitting on the cute freshman, but she was successful in discouraging them from any further advances. Except for one obnoxious guy who continued to pester her. She was desperately trying to distance herself from the guy when John walked over to her, took her hand, bent slightly and kissed her full on the mouth. "Hi, honey. I'm sorry I've been busy with the details of the party, but I'm free now. Let's go find a sofa to plop on, okay?" He stared at his fraternity brother, giving the impression that he was Judy's date, and that the guy was intruding. He pulled Judy toward a sofa and helped her find a seat. "Thank you... whoever you are," Judy offered. "That creepy guy was really hitting on me, and I couldn't get rid of him." "No problem, er... what's your name. I know he's a hard guy to like. I'm John, by the way. John Steadman." "Judy Watkins. I'm a Phi Beta Epsilon pledge." "Well, welcome to our little party. Have you been to many since the semester began?" "No. This is my first, and I'm scared to death. I'm not much for partying. I was brought up in a very strict home." "You're uncomfortable being here, then?' "Very. But thank you for rescuing me from that creep." "If you are that uncomfortable, could I suggest that we leave the party and go somewhere less threatening? There's a little coffee shop just off campus..." "Oh, yes. Please. But I don't want to get in trouble with the sorority sisters. They may not induct me if they're mad at me." "Don't worry about that. I know every one of their officers, and I can get you in no matter what. So would you like some coffee?" That had been their beginning. They had not noticed before but they shared a class or two, both electives. As the year progressed, they became friends, often returning to the coffee shop where their friendship was born. She was cresting the rise now and decided to take a short breather at the first overlook. As she gazed out over the landscape she mused, "Georgia looks just like Alabama." After a sip or two of water from her canteen, she continued along the trail, following the ridgeline in a northeasterly direction. She took out her notebook and made entries about the trail and the wildlife she had seen from her vantage points along the way. She described the scenery as well, and took several photographs with her digital camera. There were two objectives to her effort. The first was a report to the hiking club, and the other was a submission to the authorities developing the plans for lengthening the Eastern Continental Trail, of which the AP was the major portion. She picked up her pace as the ridge flattened out, and her thoughts returned to her relationship with John. Their friendship had blossomed during their time together in college, and had continued to this day. Platonic, for the most part, she mused. John was a handsome man with chiseled features that she thought attractive. She knew he was over six feet tall, maybe by a couple of inches. She didn't know his weight, but guessed it to be around 210 pounds. Oddly, she knew the size of his cock. Not that she had a lot of exposure to it. There had been that one time. One time she had lost an aunt to cancer, and John had tried to comfort her in the grief she felt. Neither of them had a sexual relationship with anyone, because as John had put it, "Time enough for that after we get our education." Judy smiled. John was like that. When he was pursuing something he was single-minded. But he was equally devoted to his friends, especially so, it seemed, to her. When he discovered her grief over her aunt's death he was there for her, helping where he was able. He had invited her to his apartment off campus to try to take her mind off her concerns. In the apartment that Saturday evening, he had held her close, running his hand through her hair, soothing her. She remembered the time well. She had accidentally dropped her hand onto his lap, and could feel his flaccid cock through the material of his trousers. Strangely, she considered the size of his appendage, never having even thought of him as a sex partner before that very moment. With her other hand she reached behind his head and pulled his head down to meet her lips. "Kiss me, John. Please." He had complied, softly at first, then a bit more passionately. She responded by squeezing his cock, feeling it grow. Their tongues battled for supremacy, as if their lives depended upon that one kiss. She remembered moving her hand from his lap, taking one of his hands in hers and lifting it to her breast. John took the hint. As he caressed her breast she unzipped his fly and dug within to find and extract his growing cock. Urgently, she broke the kiss and bent down to take John's cock in her mouth. As she began to suck he held her head with both hands to keep her from going too fast. In no time they had moved to his bedroom, stripped and were engaged fully in the one and only sexual experience with each other. So, yes. Judy knew the size of John's cock. A bit over nine inches. She knew because he reached deeper inside her than the guy she had measured at exactly nine inches a few months back. She remembered John's reaction to the experience when they had satiated their thirst for union. "Judy, I'm sorry. That should never have happened." "But I needed it, John. I wanted it." "I know, and so did I. But this is it. We can't do this anymore. It's just not right." "Why is it not right?" "We're just friends. I don't want to ruin that just because we lost control this one time." And so they returned to a platonic relationship. Judy was descending into a saddle in the ridgeline now, and it was getting about time for another meal. She selected a grassy spot just off the trail, leaned back against the trunk of a tree, and ate her lunch. The warm sun felt wonderful, she thought. Early spring is good. Ch. 02 John John grew up in Ellijay, a small town in north Georgia. His dad worked for the Forest Service, and he was John's hero. When he finished high school, John applied for a scholarship to the college he thought offered the best curriculum for a career like his dad's. His grade point average was certainly good enough to be considered for the scholarship, but he worried about it anyway. It had been needless worry. He didn't get the partial scholarship he applied for, though. He got a full academic scholarship, a rarity at the college he applied to. He had always loved the outdoors, and as often as he could, he went with his dad and talked with almost all of the forest rangers. They all encouraged him to seek a career in the service. In his sophomore year, at one of the parties sponsored by his fraternity, Phi, Gamma Delta, he saw a beautiful young lady who was attending from a sister sorority. Her demeanor captivated him, and as he continued to watch her off and on, he thought she was uncomfortable about something. Then he saw why. One of his fraternity brothers, who had a reputation for abusing girls, was hitting on the lady he was watching. He went over to her, took her in his arms as if she was his date, kissed her on the lips and said," Hi, honey. I'm sorry I've been busy with the details of the party, but I'm free now. Let's go find a sofa to plop on, okay?" He glared at his frat brother, giving the impression that the guy needed to back off. As his conversation with the freshman went on, he discovered that she was rather shy, being brought up in a strict family environment, and didn't like to party. So he took her away from the party to a coffee shop off campus, and their friendship grew from there. John had not been ready to engage in a relationship while he was in college. His thought were that there was time enough for that after he got his education. And except for that one time when he and Judy had sex, he was true to his convictions. When he graduated cum laude with a degree in Earth Sciences, he applied to the Forest Service for employment. Actually, he didn't have to seek them out. They recruited him while he was a senior, just a few months before graduation. He could hardly wait to get started, and was a bit disappointed when they told him he would be in training for a few months before he would get a permanent assignment. But he took it in stride, and excelled at every training session. He was almost ready for an assignment. Just one more thing to do to finish his ranger training. They told him he needed to learn how to handle a firearm. Learn how? He had been raised with a firearm in his hands from the age of twelve. He was an excellent shooter, both on the firing range and in the field. He had never failed to gain his hunting limit since his fourteenth birthday. And on the firing range he never had a shot outside the black. So he breezed through the firearms qualification and was asked to stay and teach the course. Although he was flattered that they felt he was eminently qualified it was not his ambition, so he turned it down and asked for a field assignment. He knew his dad was up for retirement. He asked for that job, and got it. It was the supervisory position for the district that included the southern trailhead of the AT. Many of the rangers in that district resented him because they had seniority. But they soon learned that John was a much better manager than any of the other rangers in the district, and they came around to be very loyal to the young supervisor. He had just started his third year on the job, and already had accolades for the way he managed his district. Now he was concerned with the logistics of the upcoming Earth Day celebration. Sure, the Forest Service wasn't sponsoring the event, one of the hiking clubs was doing that. But still, supporting the activity would require a lot of his time, as well as that of his rangers. He had recently heard from Judy, his friend from college, and knew she was hiking into the celebration area, hoping to arrive in time for the celebration. He was very pleased to hear from her for some unexplainable reason. Since he last saw her all he had from her were Christmas cards and two or three short notes. He just couldn't put his finger on it. He hoped that she would make it to the celebration. It would give them a chance to renew their lagging friendship, and catch up on what she was doing as the executive officer of the Alabama Hiking Club. Of course, he knew about that club's interest in connecting into the AT. She had told him that in one of the short notes she had sent a few months back, and again in this most recent communication. But now it was time to put personal thoughts aside and concentrate on the tasks at hand. He still had to have the fire watch towers manned as always, poacher patrols were mandatory, and he had to recruit volunteers to join the special project in support of the Earth Day event. He would have to reach into his reserve rangers to accomplish that. The reserve rangers were recently retired Forest Rangers in the area who could be called upon on a contract basis. He had the funds, so that was not a concern. Some of the reserve had only held office positions when they were employed by the Service, and he would have to place them in non-critical jobs. That left him with only about twelve reserves, if they were all able to sign on. Barely enough to do the work envisioned in support of the celebration. Fortunately, all twelve of the reserve rangers were able to sign on for the week of the celebration. Preparations were going well, and John was pleased that his job was a bit easier with the expanded staff. Chapter 03Trail Accident Judy had finished her lunch and started up out of the saddle to the ridgeline before her. Her trek became easier as she topped the crest and the trail leveled out. She noticed that the afternoon sun was obscured by cloud cover, and she looked back to see if the sun would soon be out again soon. The clouds signaled that a storm was brewing. She picked up her pace, hoping to reach the next shelter before the storm overtook her. By her reckoning, it was only eight miles along the trail, and she should make that in three hours easily. The storm stalked her as she scurried along the trail, and soon it was obvious to her that it would overtake her in the next two hours. "Well," she thought, "at least I have a poncho." She picked up the pace even more, trying to get as close to the shelter as she could before the storm reached her. Just as she had covered herself with it the front edge of the storm dumped rain on the trail, and she saw lightening strikes in the distance. "Fuck! Just what I need right now," She spoke to herself. "I'd better get off this ridge before I get the next bolt of lightening." She looked for a way to get off the trail, but finding nothing within eyesight. Referring to her map, she saw that an access trail was only about a mile farther along the route. The rain got heavier as she progressed, slowing her somewhat, but she finally found the footpath down off the ridge. She followed it as rapidly as she dared, fearing that the rain had made the footpath slippery. That turned out to be a lesser worry. About 100 yards off the ridge a bolt of lightening struck a tree next to the footpath she was traversing, and severed a large limb from the truck. It fell across the path forcing her to the ground, pinning her there. She had seen it coming and tried to evade the limb, but she proved to be too slow in moving away. In the process, she twisted her left ankle, and pain shot up her leg. She tried for several minutes to force the limb off of her, but it was too heavy. She pondered her options, never losing her sense of logic and determination. She settled on trying to reach someone, anyone, with her cell phone, to dispatch help. She dialed 911, hoping she was close enough to a cell tower to connect. An operator answered her call. "This is 911. How can I help you?" "I'm Judy Watkins. I'm trapped under a huge tree limb that fell on me when lightening struck the tree. I need a crew to assist me in moving the limb." "Where are you, Judy?" "I'm about 100 yards off the ridgeline, east of the Georgia Pinhoti Trail at mile marker 197." "Are you injured, ma'am?" "I think my left ankle may be broken, or at least sprained." "Are you alone?" "Yes. I am hiking the trail bound northeast to the AT trailhead." "One moment, ma'am. I'm going to try to dispatch a rescue team from the Forest Service to your location. Our local rescue personnel are not trained in mountain rescue." John Steadman, A Forest Ranger Oh, great, thought Judy. Good luck getting the Forest Service here in the midst of setting up for Earth Day. She said to the operator, "My cell phone may not last that long. It would be better if we disconnect and I call you at intervals for progress reports. Can I do that?" "Yes ma'am. When you call, ask for Mary Johnson. That's me. I'll be on standby for you." "Thank you, Mary. I'm disconnecting now. I'll check back in 15 minutes." "I'll be waiting. Good luck, Ms. Watkins." The 15 minutes seemed to take forever. When she made her second call, she was immediately connected with Mary. "Mary, it's Judy. Have you had any luck?" "Yes, I have. I called the Forest Service Headquarters in Ellijay, and spoke to a Ranger Steadman. When he came on the line he seemed disturbed that he was interrupted, but when I told him the situation, he said he would get a crew to you within two hours. Are you alright?" "Yes. Wet and chilly, and a bit of pain, but I'll survive." "Ranger Steadman seemed to know you. Does he?" "Yes, he does. We were in college together a few years back." "How is your cell phone holding up?" "I guess I need to get off the line. I'll call in for progress reports if I may." "Certainly. Let me give you Ranger Steadman's cell number, and you can try to contact him directly if you wish. "Okay. Give it to me slowly, and I'll enter it in my directory." She signed off when she had John's number. She waited a few minutes and dialed John's number. He picked up with concern in his voice. Rather that "Hello," he said, "I'm holding this cell in an emergency response. Please hang up and dial the office number." "Well, John, I hope I'm your emergency." "Judy, is that you? Are you alright?" "Yes, I'm tired, cold, hungry, wet and immobile, but other than that I'm fine." "We're on our way now to mile marker 197. Which side of the trail are you on?" "East side, on a feeder path. What's your ETA, John?" "Should be there in about an hour and a few minutes. You'll hear us coming. We're in off-road four wheelers." "Okay. I need to conserve the cell batteries, so I'll check you later. Bye." She disconnected. And waited. And waited. After an hour her cell phone rang. "Judy here." "Judy, It's Mary at 911. Are you okay?" I'm staying beyond my shift to see that you get free and safe." "Thanks, Mary. I owe you a dinner." "You don't owe me anything, Judy. It's my job." Judy paused as she heard rumblings in the distance. "Okay Mary. But I think you're going beyond the line of duty. I think I may hear the four wheelers on the trail." "Good," answered Mary. "I'll get off so you won't run down you cell's batteries. Call me when you know what's happening with the Forest Service crew." "I will. And, Mary? Thanks." The line had gone dead so she was talking to nobody. But the sound of the four wheelers was getting louder. It wasn't long before she heard the rescue vehicles just above her on the main trail. The engines were shut down and she faintly heard voices of those who had come. The voices continued, increasing in volume and clarity as the men descended the footpath she was on. Then she could make out what was being said. "Do you see anything of her yet?" "No, nothing yet. But it should be soon, according to the directions we have." "I see a fallen tree. Maybe that's the one. " "Most likely." Came a voice she recognized as John. "Judy, can you hear me?" John yelled. "I can hear you, John. I'm under the branches, hidden by the leaves." "We're almost there. Are you badly hurt?" "I don't think so. Probably just a sprain." The men arrived at the tree as she spoke. "Okay, guys, be careful. We don't want to cause any other injuries. Find her first, so we know where to cut." A brief search located Judy, and they began cranking chain saws to cut the fallen tree limb away. Soon they had her in the clear, and they carried her to the main trail using a four-handed seat formed by two men interlocking their hands and wrists. At the trail, they seated her in the vehicle John had driven, and they started the trip back to Ellijay. Judy and John had to shout to be heard over the sound of the powerful engine, and they kept their conversation to the minimum because of that. They did agree that the ankle needed to be seen by a physician, so they would go to the ER at the small hospital in Ellijay. John signaled the other drivers to go back to headquarters. When they arrived at the ER, two nurses came out to meet them, and assisted Judy into the hospital. The duty physician examined her and had x-rays taken to determine the extent of injury. He returned to Judy and John in the ER cubicle, and said, "It is just a sprain, but it is something we need to be careful with. You'll need to stay off of it for a few days, and keep it elevated as much as possible. Use an ice pack on it for about six hours to help reduce the swelling. I'll give you some crutches to help you move around when you need to. But I don't want you staying alone. Is there someone who can stay with you for a day or two?" "I'll take her home with me, doc. And I'll see that there is someone with her until she can move around on her own." When Judy was released, John drove to his home and helped her inside. "Do you need anything right now? I need to check in with the set-up guys for the Earth Day thing." "No, thanks, John. I'll be okay. Do whatever you need to do." "Okay. I won't be long. If I am delayed I'll get one of the girls to stop in and check on you." "No guys, huh?" Judy smirked. "Nope. No guys. I'm saving you for myself, girl." "Oh my. Am I in danger?" she teased. "Can you get somebody to pick up some nightwear for me? I didn't expect to do any indoor sleeping on the hike." "I'll see what I can do. What size?" "Small. Can't you tell?" she pouted. "Just don't want to screw up, Judy. I did that once already. I'm gone. See you in a little while." He was out the door before Judy could reply. But she did ask herself what he meant by screwing up once already. "I guess I can ask him when he's back," she mused in a whisper. She stripped to her underwear and hobbled to the bathroom for a shower. As she surveyed the contents of the room, she thought how masculine it appeared. "Hmmmn. This place is a sanctuary for the male species. Oh, well, I'm only here until I can walk without pain." After her long soothing shower she rummaged through her backpack for something to wear, and found nothing she wanted to put on. She wanted nothing really tight around her body, having been in hiking clothing for so long. She walked naked to the closet in the bedroom, and when she looked inside, she found a sportshirt of John's and decided to borrow it for the afternoon. The sportshirt was all she was wearing when she heard the doorbell chime. She looked through the peephole and saw the face of a young woman with a Forest Ranger hat sitting at a slight angel on her head. "Well, I guess I can answer the door without covering up since it's a woman," she thought. When she opened the door the woman said, "Hi. You must be... Judy. I'm Darleen. Darleen Waverly. I work with John and he asked me to get something for you to wear at bedtime." "Yes, of course. Please come in, Darleen." She stepped back allowing room for the woman to enter. Darleen came inside, carrying a shopping bag. "I hope what I picked out is suitable, Judy." Darleen was eyeing Judy a bit cautiously. "I'm sure it will be. I'm not hard to please." Judy took the offered shopping bag as she invited Darleen to sit. She pulled the contents from the bag as she spoke. "Oh, thanks, but I can't stay. I need to get back on the job, or John will give me my walking papers." "Well, we don't want that to happen. And this should do the trick," referring to the negligee she had removed from the bag. "Thank you so much, Darleen." Darleen seemed in a rush to go, so Judy didn't detain her any longer. When Darleen was gone, Judy made her way to the bedroom to try on the negligee for size. It wasn't something Judy would have picked out for herself, but it would have to do. What she held in her hand was a flimsy, sheer piece of cloth that would not hide anything. "Oh, well, he's seen me in less once before, so I guess I can handle it." She removed John's shirt and put the nightwear on. She hobbled over to the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door to appraise the garment as she wore it. It barely covered her butt, and there was only a single tie to close it in the front, and she noticed her medium-sized breasts were clearly visible through the material. Having reconciled to the idea of wearing the flimsy thing, she sat at the bathroom counter to apply a modicum of makeup. She had just finished that when she heard the front door open, and John called out, "Judy, I'm back. Where are you?" "Back here, John. In the bathroom. Just putting on a little makeup." "Well, let's see what John thinks of this thing," she thought. The door from the hall to the bathroom was closed, so John went into the bedroom and saw that door to the bath was open. He peered carefully around the open door and saw a delectable sight, if ever there was one. His cock responded to the sight before him, as he heard her invitation. "Come on in, and kiss the girl who just walked over 500 miles to see you." And so he did. While he kissed her, her hand found its way to the bulge in his trousers. She groped it wickedly, and said," I think Little John is getting excited. Would you agree?" "I... I'm sorry, Judy. It's just that I rarely see a beautiful lady nearly naked anymore." "How many do you see totally naked nowadays, John?" she teased, squeezing his erection a bit more. "Uh... none in a long time. But you are certainly a sight for sore eyes in that skimpy outfit." His hands held her head as he placed his lips again on hers. "Well, if you lift me to the bed, and help me out of this barrier to nudity, I'll remedy your plight. I promise I'll keep my sprained ankle elevated." It was over an hour later that John emerged from this heaven on earth that Judy had treated him to. He had cum twice, and he didn't know how many orgasms Judy experienced, but it was a lot more than two. "I'll get something started for dinner. I'll call you when it's ready, okay?" he said. "Give me a minute to recover and I'll be right after you and give you a hand with the preparation." "No need. I can whip up a delicious meal in no time at all. We'll go all out and open a bottle of wine." The next three days were very much like this one. John had to coordinate the preparations for the Earth Day celebration, and Judy had to allow her ankle to heal, but the evenings were divine. Earth Day came, Judy made it to the celebration, on John's arm. At the conclusion of the day, one of John's rangers walked up to the pair as they were about to leave the trail, and asked, "When are you two going to get married?" John looked at him, then Judy, back to him, and started to reply, "I don't..." Judy interrupted, "As soon as he proposes." The ranger looked John squarely in the eye and said with as straight a face as he could muster, "Propose."