by Vella Munn
“I keep telling you to write it down,” Jake said. “Hopefully you aren’t so senile you’ve forgotten the details.”
“Not a chance, old man. It’ll be interesting to see what those who think Lewis and Clark were invincible say about how close they came to starving.”
“Lewis and Clark were here?”
Garret recognized Amber’s voice on a level that made him both uncomfortable and excited. She stood in the doorway.
“Not right here,” Hunter said. “But close enough that my ancestor traveled with those who went to see them. At least that’s what I’ve been told.”
A smile transformed her features. “I’d love to hear the story. I’m sorry. I need to introduce myself. The woman at the front desk said I’d find you in here.” Walking into the room, she extended her hand. “I’m—”
“Amber Baum,” Hunter finished as they shook hands. “I understand you’ve already met the crazy member of our group.” He jerked his head at Garret.
“I have.” She turned toward Garret, sobering a little as she did. There seemed to be a message in her eyes, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Or maybe he didn’t want to think about what it might be.
“See,” Jake said. “She agrees you’re crazy.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But are you denying it?”
Still studying Garret, she cocked her head. “Can I get back to you on that?”
“Sure enough.” Jake chuckled. “Just don’t let him ride roughshod over you.”
“You two need to get a move on,” Garret said. “Anywhere but here giving me a hard time.”
Hunter sighed. “Unfortunately he’s right. Ms. Amber, good to meet you.”
“You, too.” She graced Hunter with a smile Garret wished she’d reserved for him. “I’m serious about wanting to know more about your relative meeting Lewis and Clark.”
“That isn’t the only thing he can tell you,” Jake said. “If you want to know about the area’s history, I recommend you start with him. His roots go as deep as it’s possible for them to go.”
Again, her eyes sparkled. What she didn’t know was that Hunter shared his heritage only with those he trusted. She’d have to work to get to that point. Garret said nothing as his friends explained the morning’s agenda to Amber. On the surface, the men accepted her. It would take her a while to realize how many layers they had and how hesitant they were to expose them.
“I’m glad I had a chance to talk to them,” she said after Hunter and Jake had left. “They certainly look well-suited for the work they do. You, too.” She briefly closed her eyes. “I mean, all of you are in good physical shape.”
“We try.”
His agenda for today included a Skype meeting with other Flathead Forest rangers about the potential for a beetle infestation. He also needed to write up the results of his grizzly study and let the county sheriff know he’d run a couple of men out of the Missions because they were on dirt bikes. He could have already called in the information, but he wanted to make sure the pictures he’d taken of the men and their machines got into the right hands. He really didn’t have time for Amber, but here he was.
“Were you serious about showing me around Sweetheart?” she asked. “The bed at the motel is harder than I’m used to. The sooner I can find a place to rent the better, assuming I can find something. The town’s pretty small.”
She stood next to the sink with her hands in her back pockets and her blouse buttons straining a little. If she was tired, she didn’t look it. Neither could he tell whether she was glad to see him. He didn’t want his day to light up simply because he was sharing it with her, but it was happening.
“Yes, I’m serious. Let me make a couple of calls. That might simplify your search.”
“That would be wonderful. Oh, do you think Hunter would be willing to introduce me to members of his tribe?”
“You can ask.” The thought of the two spending time together didn’t sit well with him.
“You don’t know how he’ll respond?”
“My guess is he’ll put you off until he’s taken his measure of you.”
“Then I shouldn’t say anything right away?”
He nodded.
“All right. Thanks for the heads-up. Ah, about last night.”
Yes, what about last night. “We...”
“Did something we shouldn’t have.”
He had to hand it to her for not lowering her gaze. “I agree.”
“It won’t happen again.”
“Is that what you want?”
Her lips parted. “No,” she whispered, “it isn’t. Something—Maybe you’re used to this kind of thing, workplace hookups I mean. But I just got here and am feeling my way. I don’t want my life to be any more complicated than it is. I have to focus on the job. I want to focus.”
“What do you want? A reset of our relationship?”
“Yes.” She stared at the dishes in the drainer. “No more crazy kisses. We’re colleagues, nothing else.”
They weren’t really colleagues. They simply shared the same work space—and he was concerned about her safety when she was by herself. There was a lot of the problem. If he didn’t give a damn about her wellbeing, he’d grant her the space she said she wanted.
“How about I let you set the pace of what goes on between us?” he asked. “You tell me what you’re comfortable with.”
“I need that reset you mentioned,” she said after a telling silence. “Last night was, well, it caught me by surprise.”
She wasn’t the only one who hadn’t expected to act and react as she had, but if he said more, it would complicate things and he was up to his armpits when it came to her and complications.
“I’d like to ask a question before we end this conversation,” he said.
“Ask. I can’t guarantee I’ll answer.”
This was the woman a governmental agency had sent to detail and determine the area’s historical significance? Surely he wasn’t the only person who noted her vulnerable eyes and a less than sure way of carrying herself. She needed a bodyguard, an interference runner, a protector.
All things he knew how to provide.
And she wasn’t interested in.
“Are you in a relationship?”
She’d closed her mouth but it sagged again. “I’m not sure.”
“What?”
“It’s complicated.” She ran her hand through her hair then stared at her fingers.
“It sounds like it.”
She glanced at the wall clock. “Oh, my gosh. Is it that late?”
“Deduct about ten minutes and you’re close. What do you mean you don’t know whether you’re in a relationship?”
“I can’t talk about that now.” She back stepped toward the opening she’d come through. “I have to make a call.”
To the man you might or might not be involved with?
“When then?”
“Later.”
Chapter Five
Stifling a groan, Amber pushed back her chair and stood. Her in-box still held twenty-some emails, but her eyes burned and her brain had shut down. If this was what she had to look forward to every day, she wasn’t sure she’d survive. She reminded herself that a lot of what she’d done over the past five plus hours was related to setting up her project and fortunately that only needed to be done once. She’d probably have to spend tomorrow in the office but after that she could venture forth.
The thought of making contact with people who saw what she did as a pain in the ass gave her pause. Believing in the necessity of documenting what remained of the physical past was noble in theory. Reality might prove to be another matter.
Her mindset was Garret’s fault, some of it anyway. If he hadn’t warned her to expect opposition, she might not be dreading this part of her job. But he had and she was.
Forcing her to look at her career from another angle wasn’t the only thing he’d done to knock her off-balance. There was a not-so-little
matter of physical attraction.
No denying it, she was attracted to the man. Just touching her lips, which she couldn’t stop from doing, reminded her of how his mouth had felt on hers. As if that wasn’t enough, her back remembered the touch of his hands there.
Reset, she’d told him as she fought to regain her senses. Reset, he’d agreed—at least she thought he had.
Easier said than done.
Masculine voices pulled her out of herself. Instead of being relieved, she tensed at the thought that Garret might be back. She needed more time to—what? Convince herself that she didn’t feel as if she was walking on a tightrope stretched over emotion whenever he came to mind?
Definitely easier said than done.
She should have told him she was engaged. That way he’d leave her alone and she could try to figure out how to do the same in return.
“Are you looking for a way to escape?” Jake asked from just outside her small office. Hunter stood beside him. “Anything we can do to help you bust free?”
She debated telling Jake she could barely contain her excitement for her job, but he wouldn’t have said what he had if he hadn’t read her body language. “The walls are closing in.”
“I’m sorry that window is the only one we could fit in,” Hunter said.
She stretched her back. There was an email from her mother and a PM from her dad but looking up at the two rugged rangers was more appealing and reminded her of Garret. She couldn’t say why she was drawn more to him than his coworkers since all three were what any woman would want in the way of physical packages.
“I appreciate the effort you two and Garret went to,” she belatedly said.
Jake shrugged. “It was Garret’s idea. We went along with it because once he makes up his mind there’s hell to pay if we don’t follow along.”
“Are you serious?”
The men exchanged grins. “Not really,” Hunter said. “But he’s known for making damn powerful arguments. Of course the same could be said for us. That’s what you’re getting, three strong-minded men.”
“Bullheaded’s more like it.” Jake looked out the new window. “At least you aren’t facing the parking lot. How much time do you think you’ll have to spend in here?”
The way he put it, she guessed he saw a desk job as a half-step better than prison. Some people just weren’t designed for office work. As Jake and Hunter filled her in on how hard it had been to get a window to fit in the opening they’d made, she noted their easy relationship. They didn’t just enjoy each other’s company. They knew what the other was capable of, and that their backs would always be covered.
Garret was a part of that mindset.
“Hunter,” she said trying to pull her thoughts free. “You’re Salish, right?”
“Yes.”
Thrown off a bit by his short reply, she focused on him. His expression had turned wary. Maybe she should have heeded Garret’s caution, but she had so much to learn.
“I need to spend some time on the reservation and visit the People’s Center so I can increase my understanding of Native American impact on this part of Montana. Anything I do as part of my job would be incomplete without that historical element. I’d appreciate what you can tell me.”
The wariness remained. “We need to talk about that.”
“I said something I shouldn’t have?”
“You probably don’t see it this way,” Jake said when Hunter didn’t reply. “But you’re asking for a lot more than a history lesson. There’s a lot of personal involved.”
“I’m sorry.” She couldn’t get her voice above a whisper. “I didn’t mean to—”
“Maybe later,” Hunter said and left.
“What did I do?” she asked Jake when she believed Hunter was out of earshot.
“You see his people’s background as one element of what you need for your job. It’s part and parcel of who he is.”
“That’s not what I was—I’m sorry. You aren’t the one I should be telling this to. How can I get him to give me another chance?”
“By respecting who and what he is.”
Amber was still mulling over what Jake had said when she had nothing left to give to her job. She put her computer to sleep, took her purse out of a desk drawer, and stood. Her back threatened to cramp, compelling her to move slowly. Many more days like this and she’d have to go to a chiropractor. Fortunately, she’d soon be going out in the field. She planned to start with what she saw as the easy stuff—which meant identifying Bigfork’s oldest buildings. Not only was she stationed in the town, the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area was a short drive away and thus part of the territory she was responsible for.
She’d spotted several Victorian and pioneer homes when she was in Sweetheart and was looking forward to documenting their history. Garret had said he’d take her on a tour of the town, but that was before things had again gotten complicated between them. She wasn’t sure she should bring up his offer to help her find a place to rent there.
That in part was what the communication from her father had been about. Just because she’d have to buy furniture, he’d texted, didn’t mean she should get anything cheap. According to him, she needed to think in terms of investment, either by buying the most expensive she could afford or by choosing quality antiques like the ornate child’s bed she’d slept in. A member of a board he was on was an antiques appraiser. The man had offered to share his expertise if she found something she was considering buying. He was also willing to steer her toward several antiques dealers willing to ship her purchases to her. What she needed, though, was a chair to sit in and a bedframe she could put together, not pieces that might pay for her grandchildren’s educations.
The wind had kicked up while she was trapped inside, a fact she became aware of the moment she stepped outside. Also, the sky was hazy. Was there a fire in the forest? It was that time of the year. More to the point, did Garret still fight fires?
Trying none too successfully to shake off thoughts of him, she headed for her vehicle, which was the only one in the small parking lot. She should have expected this since about a half hour ago Liz had told her she was leaving and to lock up when she left. Because it was summer, the sun was still high in the sky. Just because she was alone there was no reason for her to be uneasy.
Then why had the hairs on the back of her neck lifted?
Ordering herself to get a grip, she looked around. Several buildings backed on to the parking lot, making it feel hemmed in. A little too secluded. She couldn’t see the street from where she was. Also, there were shadowed alleys between the buildings. Could someone watch her without her knowing?
Knock it off. You aren’t used to being alone, that’s all.
Stopped by the thought, she mentally went back in time. She’d been surrounded by family while growing up. As soon as she’d gone away to college, she’d joined what had been her mother’s sorority. She hadn’t much in common with girls more interested in getting their Mrs. than degrees but she’d stayed with the sorority because her parents wanted her to have built-in roommates. After getting her bachelor’s degree, she’d rented a small house with two other women who were also going after their masters’. Finally and most recently, she’d lived with Barnes.
Telling herself it was past time for her to put on her big girl pants, she squared her shoulders and slid behind the wheel. She refused to make a big deal of the fact that she immediately locked the doors. After starting the car, she put on her seatbelt and headed toward the exit. Buildings and fencing closed in on her, and the prickling at the back of her neck increased. She looked in the rearview mirror but didn’t see anything. Then she was free, just another driver.
Nothing to worry or even think about.
When the cell phone fastened to the dashboard pinged, Garret briefly took his attention off the road so he could see the displayed number. He wasn’t surprised to see his grandmother’s, just disappointed because he’d wanted it to be someone else, a specific someone.
“Checking to make sure you have the time,” Grandma said after he activated the hands-free feature. “I don’t want you thinking you have to bail us out again. Your mother and I can hire someone to work on the chimney.”
“It’s too late to fire me. You have the ladder. I have the muscles. Just feed me.”
She chuckled. “Don’t I always? It’ll be good to have you here. Your mom and I have been rattling around this place since the girls left.”
The girls were his sisters, both college students. After saying good-bye, he drew a mental picture of the house he’d grown up in. It had been built in the fifties and sported four small bedrooms, two baths, a living room, and a den. His mother and grandmother wanted to remodel the kitchen and bathrooms but those things would have to wait because they were helping put his sisters through school. The least he could do was assume responsibility for maintenance.
He’d touched the brakes before he realized what he’d done. His impulse had been to get in touch with Amber, but where she was concerned no decision was easy. However, after traveling a mile plus and mulling over the possibilities, he punched the cell number she’d given him.
“Hello,” she said after the third ring.
“Amber, it’s me. Garret.”
“I know.”
In other words, she’d loaded his number into her phone, but why wouldn’t she, since they were colleagues, after a fashion.
“What are you doing about dinner tonight?” he asked.
“I’m on my way to the grocery store to see if inspiration strikes.”
Say it. All she can do is turn me down. “How would you like some elk stew?”
“Elk? I’ve never had any.”
As a Montana native, he had trouble wrapping his mind around that. “Then you’re in for a treat. Have you reached the high school yet? I’m assuming you just left work.”
When she said yes, he gave her directions to the family home.
“I thought you lived in Sweetheart,” she said.
“I do. This is my grandmother and mother’s place. I have an idea that might solve your need for a place to live. I’ll let Grandma know to set out another bowl.”
