Bittersweet Promises

by Patricia Watters

  Curt walked over to where she stood, and said, as he approached, "About two and a half weeks and we should have this area cleared."

  "Good," Tess said. "My father's thinking about putting it into grass and leasing it for pasture, so as soon as the timber's down, we'll need to do something about these stumps."

  Curt rested his hands on his hips and surveyed the area. "We can grub 'em out with the Cat."

  "I thought about that," Tess said, "but the quickest way would be to blast them out, but Swenson's the only man around who knows how to handle explosives and we're not likely to hire him to do it. I don't suppose you've ever done anything like that, have you?"

  "No. I've never handled dynamite and I don't think I want to start now."

  "I don't blame you." After letting that sink in, Tess said, "Were you ever in the military?"

  Curt looked at her with curiosity. "No, why?"

  Tess shrugged. "I want to pool skills around here, and I figure the men who've been in the military might have skills we can use. Have you done any other type of work besides logging?"

  "Some construction work," Curt replied.

  "Where?"

  "In Portland."

  "Who did you work for?"

  "Maddox... Construction," Curt replied.

  Tess noted that Curt seemed particularly restless. "What type of construction? Light, industrial?"

  "Both."

  "Dozer work?"

  "No, well, yes. We did some... tearing down."

  Curt's eyes shifted nervously and it was clear he wanted out of the conversation. Tess made a mental note to check on Maddox Construction in Portland and see what she could learn about Curt Broderick. "Well, if you know of anyone who can blast out these stumps, let me know."

  Curt eyed her curiously, then said, "I'd better get back to the Cat."

  As Tess watched him skillfully operating the bulldozer, she hoped something would turn up to prove her suspicions about him wrong, but she suspected that would not be the case.

  Two days later, as the men were taking a lunch break, a brown truck pulled in next to the skidder where Tess stood talking to Herring. An official-looking man stepped out, and said, "Theresa O'Reilly?"

  She nodded.

  The man held up a small folder with an identification card. "I'm Special Agent Richard Keightly and I'm with the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife. It's been brought to our attention that you're cutting timber within the primary zone of a bald eagle nest and I must ask you to cease and desist all operations in this area, immediately."

  "The nest has been abandoned for years," Tess said, "and we don't plan to cut any timber close to the tree. Besides, how can you be certain we're actually cutting in the primary zone?"

  "The tree and the restricted zone have been plotted on an aerial photo," Keightly replied.

  "Could we continue just for a few more days, until we get this timber out?" Tess asked.

  "I'm sorry. No. You have to stop now. Today." Keightly reached into his inside breast pocket and withdrew a paper. "This is for you."

  Tess looked at what was obviously a legal document. "What does this mean?" she asked, even though she knew precisely what it meant. She just couldn't believe Zak carried out his threat.

  "It's a court order demanding you cease all operations here."

  Tess tried to hold her voice steady, as she said, "Will you be coming back?"

  "No, not unless we have reason to believe you're still logging."

  Tess peered down at the paper, and said in what she hoped was a convincing tone, "I suppose we have no choice but to move our operation to another area."

  "We appreciate your cooperation." With one final glance around the clearing, Keightly got in his truck and drove off.

  Hands on her hips, Tess stared at the truck until it moved out of sight, and when she was certain the vehicle was out of hearing range, she turned to the men who'd gathered in the clearing to see what Keightly wanted, and said, "Don't just stand there you guys, we have trees to cut." She'd leave a good stand of timber near the nest tree and only harvest the pole timber on the lower area, so maybe there would still be enough board feet to pull Timber West out of the financial hole it was in.

  Over the next three days they worked from first light until dark, and gradually, the stack of logs rose high on the landing. Tess had just returned to the cutting site after calling and notifying the truckers to start loading, when the plain brown truck returned, accompanied by an Oregon State Police car. Two officers stepped out of the police car and flanked Agent Keightly. As they approached Tess, one of the officers stepped forward. "Theresa O'Reilly?"

  "Yes."

  "Before we ask you any questions, you must understand your rights. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you..."

  ***

  The jail door clanged shut. Tess looked around. It was a three-bunk cell with a narrow single bed and a double-high bunk bed. One inmate, a young woman, lay curled on the narrow bed, facing the wall. The other inmate, an Amazon of a woman with a hawk-like nose, stepped forward. Her face was as hard as the cell floor on which Tess stood.

  Tess's lips darted into a smile, then she sat on the empty bunk, shoulders slumped, hands folded in her lap, wondering where her father had been when she called.

  The big woman moved over to stand in front of the bunk. Towering over Tess like an ominous Statue of Liberty, she said in a gruff voice, "That bunk you're on there's mine, honey."

  Without speaking, Tess climbed onto the upper bunk. She might take on Jed Swenson, but she had no intention of quibbling over beds with this woman.

  The hulk of a woman spread out beneath where Tess lay, and Tess felt the entire frame of the double bunk give under her weight. The woman gave a grunt, and said, "Whatcha in for, honey?"

  Shaken by the woman's presence, and feeling uneasy to be trapped in the cell with her, for the moment Tess couldn't remember exactly what the charges were, so she replied, "Disturbing a bird's nest."

  "You're pretty frail lookin' to be a smart ass," the woman said. "Now, I asked. Whatcha in for?"

  "I'm really not kidding. I was logging in an area where there's an abandoned eagle's nest that they use for perching and that's against the law."

  "You were what?!" The woman sat up, whacking her head on the bottom of Tess's bunk and letting out a string of colorful expletives.

  Somehow, in the bare gloomy cube of space caging them in, Tess found humor, and snickered. "That does sound kind of ridiculous, but that's it. I'm booked for disturbing an eagle's nest."

  The woman sent a bellow of laughter ringing through the corridor. "Now, don't that beat all? There's rapists, and murderers and child molesters out roamin' the streets, and those twits arrest a snip of a woman for disturbin' a bird's nest." The woman maneuvered herself off the bunk and stood. On her broad face was a smile.

  As Tess looked at her, she found a warm, friendly face. Sitting up on her bunk, she smiled back and said, while extending her hand, "I'm Tess O'Reilly."

  The woman crunched Tess's hand. "Rita Clatsop. You wanna know what I'm in for?"

  Tess wasn't sure she wanted to know, but if Rita wanted to tell her, she'd definitely listen.

  "I'm in here for walkin'."

  Tess frowned as she tried to figure out what walkin' was.

  A twinkle shone in Rita's eyes. "You know, street walkin'. Well, not me. My girls."

  Tess swallowed. "Oh."

  "This bunch around here won't even let a lady make a livin', lockin' me up for what I do best. Me and my girls can't make a decent livin' doing nothin' else. Now they're gonna reeducate us. How do ya like that?" Before Tess could respond, Rita said, "You ever been out on the streets?"

  "Umm... no."

  "Well, before I started my own business, I'd worked my way up to the top, the very top, even takin' on some fancy dudes high up in business, if you know what I mean, with the suits and ties and all. But since I moved my business to Bak
er’s Creek, the girls don't get those high class kind anymore, but they say the boys around here are a lot more fun."

  Tess batted her eyes while digesting that. "Baker's Creek?"

  "Well, south end of town. Crossbuck Tavern with the big blue ox out front. It's my place, ya know. You say you're in loggin'?"

  "Well... yes. I manage Timber West," Tess said.

  "Oh sure. I know quite a few of the boys. Nice bunch."

  Tess's eyes grew wide. She tried to visualize which of the men would visit the Crossbuck for reasons other than having a few drinks. "Who do you know from Timber West?" she asked.

  "Sean Herring," Rita replied. "Comes to see Rosie. Nice fella. Quiet though. And Mac Royer. Jennie always makes him take a bath first. But I'm sort of thinkin' about sellin' the place. Kinda got me a boyfriend. Jeddy wants me to quit."

  "Jeddy?"

  "Big fella who used to work for you. Jed Swenson."

  Somewhere in Tess's throat was a voice box, but for the moment, she was unable to connect with it, so Rita continued. "He's different from the fellas I've known. Always brings me somethin'... you know, flowers, kittens, even brought me a tree once. I said I needed some firewood, so Christmas day he came haulin' in this tree and cut it up right in my front yard. Got me through last winter. Never had no one treat me like a lady the way Jeddy does."

  "He doesn't mind if you call him Jeddy?" Tess asked.

  "Well, I don't call him that to his face because that's what his sisters call him and he's kinda sensitive about it. He's usually just plain 'honey.' Anyway, we have this sort of understanding. He treats me like a lady and I just let him do what he wants. Jeddy don't like me tellin' him what to do so I don't. He's a cutie though. Makes up for it in other ways."

  Tess saw the flicker of light in Rita's eyes as her mind seemed to wander for a moment.

  "Then you know about him being in the Marines?" Tess asked.

  "Oh, you mean about his leg?"

  Tess looked at her, puzzled. "What about it?"

  "Losin' half. You didn't know half his leg is plastic and metal?"

  "Well, no. He never mentioned it."

  "From the knee down. He got it shot up pretty bad fighting off a whole platoon of enemy. Got the Medal of Honor for doin' it though, but he only mentioned it once. He don't like to talk about it so I never bring it up. That leg's a real touchy subject."

  "What about Curt Broderick?" Tess asked. "Do you... I mean, has he—"

  "Curt's been in once or twice. Not a bad fella, but since he's been hangin' around Carl Yaeger he's different. I never did like Carl. Pretty rough about takin' what he wants from the girls and leavin' fast."

  Tess eyed Rita, curiously. "How long has Curt been hanging with Carl Yaeger?"

  "I don't know. A month... maybe two."

  Tess carefully considered Rita's words. Carl Yaeger recently made an offer to buy Timber West, which happened right after a string of mishaps, maybe to soften her father into selling? "Do you know anything more about Curt?" she asked. "Maybe where he last worked?"

  Rita shook her head. "He don't come around my place much."

  Deciding that was about all she could get out of Rita, Tess said, "so, what will they be teaching you to do after you leave here?"

  "Assemblin' things," Rita replied, "just standing at some factory table puttin' parts together for half the pay I'm gettin' doin' what I like most. But if Jeddy wants to get married—he's mentioned it a few times—I just might tie the knot and settle down."

  Before Tess could pursue the topic of Rita marrying Jed Swenson, a guard unlocked the cell door, and said to her, "Your bail's been posted, Miss O'Reilly. You're free to go."

  Tess eyed the guard with uncertainty. "How can my bail be posted? I wasn't able to reach my father. How did he know?"

  "I don't know who your father is, miss, but a man named Zak de Neuville's here. He posted bail. You'll be notified about the hearing."

  "Hold it," Tess said. "If Zak de Neuville posted bail you can unpost it. I have no intention of leaving with him." She gripped the bars of the cell door and pulled it closed. "And, you can tell Mr. de Neuville I'll sit in here and rot before I leave on his bail money."

  "Miss, I'm not sure you can do that," the guard said. "I'll have to check and let you know." He locked the cell and walked away.

  Tess called after him, "And I know my rights and I can do that. I don't have to accept charity, and I have no intention of paying the bail money back to Zak de Neuville."

  Shaking his head, the guard continued on, and moments later, voices rustled through the corridor and Tess heard the guard say, "This way, Mr. de Neuville."

  Zak marched in long angry strides to where Tess stood with her hands wrapped around the bars. "Come on," he said, "you're going with me."

  "Oh, no I'm not," Tess replied.

  Zak rested his hands on his hips and glared at her. "This is ridiculous."

  "Ridiculous? I was under the impression you were the one who put me here."

  Zak looked beyond Tess at Rita Clatsop, who stared at him from over Tess's shoulder, then said to Tess. "I don't intend to argue with you here. Come with me and we'll talk about it outside."

  Tess pushed her face tight against the bars and peered through them. "I don't seem to be getting through to you, Zak. Read my lips. Nooo—" she enunciated in exaggerated movements with her lips. "N... O..."

  "Atta' girl, honey," Rita interjected.

  "I'm sorry, sir," the guard said. "You have to leave."

  Zak took a long breath, fixed his eyes on Tess, and said, "This is your last chance."

  Rita walked around to stand by Tess, then draped her hand over Tess's shoulder, and said to Zak, "The little lady said no."

  Zak's eyes darted to Rita then back to Tess. "This is great." He glared at Tess for a moment then splayed a stiff hand in the air. "Have it your way. I wash my hands of it."

  As the guard led Zak away, Tess climbed onto her bunk and wondered how it would all play out.

  Her night in jail wasn't too bad. The young woman in the top bunk had been released and Tess was left with Rita, who talked freely about her childhood and the circumstances leading to her life on the streets, and Tess liked her. She found Rita to be a compassionate and understanding woman and hoped she'd find what she wanted with Jed Swenson.

  The following morning, Tess was released. Although she wasn't given details, she learned that the charges had been dropped because her father agreed to shut down logging operations in the pole timber area. He came to pick her up, and as he pulled the truck onto the highway, Tess said, "I hope you're satisfied. I kept logging like you said."

  Gib looked askance at her. "I told you to come to me if someone threatened to shut us down. Why didn't you do that?"

  Tess stared blankly out the window. "I didn't think you'd be too receptive, especially since Zak was behind it. You do know he's the one who reported the nest, don't you?"

  "He came by the house and told me," Gib said. "He also said he told you to stop, and you refused."

  "Of course I refused, but that's because I knew it's what you would've done." Tess gave him a sharp look. "That is what you would have done, isn't it?"

  "Probably. A man has to do what he has to do."

  "I don't understand. You don't seem to be mad at Zak."

  Gib shrugged. "Like I said, a man has to do what he has to do. Zak stands by his convictions. I like that in a man."

  Tess started to ask why it's okay for Zak to stand by his convictions about an eagle's nest, but not when he loved a woman and wanted to marry her and she happened to have been under age, but she didn't want to stir up a hornet's nest over Zak, especially now that all the obstacles keeping them apart had been removed. All the obstacles, that is, except Zak himself.

  He could be seriously wondering if he wanted to be married to a woman who, in his estimation, was as stubborn and bullheaded as her father.

  "A woman should stand by her convictions as well," Gib said.

&n
bsp; Tess looked at her father. "That's what I was doing. Zak was trying to shut us down and we need the pole timber. I was standing by my convictions."

  "No, you were forcing Zak to prove his love by turning his back on something he believed in and walking away. The whole jail incident should never have happened. If you love him like you claim, you should work with him in what he's trying to do, not go against him. A lesser man would wash his hands of you. He still might."

  Tess took a moment to mentally put round cylinders into square holes. The fact that her father seemed to actually have some newfound respect for Zak was a little hard to digest. She also couldn't deny the possibility that Zak might have finally washed his hands of her. She could still visualize the look of disillusionment on his face when she refused to stop logging, even knowing how important the program with the eagles was to him.

  But it was his look of complete disgust when she refused to leave with him after posting bail that troubled her most. She'd acted petty and childish, a side of her Zak had never seen, and she owed him an apology and an assurance that if they married, she wouldn't establish a pattern of forcing him to go against his convictions to prove he loved her, like her father accused her of doing. And in the end, her father was right. What she'd done was a typical female ploy, an ...if you truly love me you'll prove it by whatever... thing.

  So now the moment of truth. She was the one who insisted their relationship be substance instead of sex, and at this point, Zak would seriously be considering the substance of it, and undoubtedly questioning it.

  "Maybe it is time to sell," Gib said. "With all the equipment repairs, and no pole timber to bail us out, I may have to accept Yaeger's offer."

  "Just don't go signing papers yet," Tess replied. "I learned from my cellmate that Carl Yaeger and Curt Broderick are friends. Yaeger could have sent Broderick to work for us in order to sabotage our operation and force us to sell."

  "I've known Yaeger for years," Gib said.

  "That doesn't mean he wouldn't do something like this. I've heard he's pulled some pretty shady deals."

  "He's a good businessman. Moves in when the time's right."

  "Sure," Tess clipped, "but he's the one who makes the time right. Just don't do anything until I have a chance to find out a few things about Curt Broderick, precisely what he did at Maddox Construction in Portland."