Taming His Montana Heart

by Vella Munn

  He’d gone upstairs for his keys and was heading toward the parking slot he’d assigned to himself before it dawned on him that he’d practically hung up on her. Maybe he was in that much of a hurry to see her.

  He had to yank on the truck’s door to get it to open. As the interior warmed and the defroster attacked the condensation, he scraped off snow with the long-handled scraper a long-time resort employee had given him not long after he’d come to work. At first he’d wondered if the scraper was a joke. He now accepted the gift as proof that he was welcome here. Knowing he had the support of at least some of the employees he’d inherited had helped ease his transition into a position he hadn’t wanted.

  Want and need were two very different things. He wanted to put the past behind him, had to. He needed a job.

  His four-wheel drive truck took him from the main resort to the snowmobile operation, which was about a mile away. The road hadn’t iced over, but if the weather report was right, the temperature would drop well below freezing tonight. Summer at Lake Serene was highlighted by long, warm, and almost perfect days. Winter, he was fast learning, could mean hostile weather, frozen water pipes, and sliding or stuck vehicles, to say nothing of dangerous walking conditions and the hassle of moving building supplies over and around ever-deepening snow.

  Seeing Rey Bowen’s dirty three-quarter ton crew cab parked near where the snowmobiles were housed lifted some of the load of responsibility Shaw carried. Rey’s past involving a questionable partner, a bankruptcy, and a lawsuit back when he had his own construction company had initially concerned Shaw, but he was glad he’d taken a chance on the man.

  He hadn’t been surprised that Rey and Echo had fallen in love. What he had been was envious. However, neither Rey nor Echo had done what he had. They weren’t damaged. Not ready for a romantic relationship.

  “She’s right,” Rey said when Shaw joined him and Haley. “It’s groaning. Hopefully the roof will last until I can make some permanent repairs but for the rest of this winter I’m going to make keeping as much snow as possible off it a priority.”

  Haley had been talking to Rey when he pulled up but she’d given Shaw her full attention as he exited his vehicle. He might be wrong, heck, he probably was, but maybe she was glad to see him.

  What he needed to do was keep a handle on his emotions, something he’d had too much experience doing.

  “I’m trying to convince Rey to let me and only me get on the roof,” she said. “I don’t weigh as much and—”

  “No way,” he interrupted. “I’m not going to risk you getting hurt.”

  Her expression firmed. “Anyone who goes up there is at risk. Look, I alerted you two to a possible problem. Now that it’s been verified, I have the solution that makes the most sense.”

  Maybe she was right. The less additional weight on the roof, which he couldn’t see beneath several feet of snow, the better.

  “I’m concerned we don’t have much time,” Rey said. “I can’t just pull a crew off what they’re doing and get them over here.”

  “See.” Haley looked as if she’d just won a race. “You have to depend on me.” She turned serious. “I’ll be careful. If I hear or feel anything that makes me nervous, I’ll jump.” She indicated the snow around the building. “Believe me, I don’t want to die.”

  He opened his mouth to voice his concerns, but her tone stopped him. She hadn’t just thrown out words about not wanting to die. There’d been nothing flippant about her response. Unless he was wrong, and he was certain he wasn’t, death had touched her.

  For a moment he considered telling her he understood. Then the wall he’d labored to erect around himself returned, and he asked Rey how he intended to get anyone onto the roof. Rey pointed at an extension ladder strapped to his vehicle.

  “What about shovels?”

  Rey indicated the bed of his truck. “There are several in there in addition to what’s here.”

  When Shaw had reluctantly agreed to oversee his uncle’s ambitious project, he’d assumed he’d be spending as much of his time tending to the details of the work that needed to be done as he would promoting Lake Serene. Before signing the contract Uncle Robert insisted on, Shaw had repeatedly asked his relative if he knew what he was doing.

  “Absolutely,” Uncle Robert had responded. “You aren’t afraid to make decisions, and you can read people. No one’s going to push you around, even me. You’re the only one I trust with the kind of money I’ll be putting out. Besides, you need this. Don’t tell me you don’t.”

  By way of agreeing, he’d picked up the ink pen and signed away the next few years of his life. Hiring Rey had relieved Shaw of much of the actual construction responsibility. He’d be a fool to let concern for Haley’s welfare get in the way of trusting his contractor so why wasn’t he letting her get started? Haley was simply an employee, no different from the others.

  Right.

  His phone rang as Rey and Haley were heading toward Rey’s truck. He could either answer it or he could help the pair. He opted for what would keep him near her. Even though she wore a bibbed snowsuit over a thick Henley shirt, he easily keyed into the feminine form underneath.

  After helping them find stable footing for the ladder, he grabbed one of the snow shovels. “What are you doing?” Haley demanded.

  “I’m about to shovel snow.”

  When she shrugged, he waited until Rey was heading up the ladder then indicated Haley could go next. She planted a boot on the first step. The shovel had her off-balance, but he knew better than try to tell her to let him carry the tool. Besides, he had his work cut out for him holding onto his shovel with one hand and gripping the ladder with his other.

  There was also the matter of watching her slim, athletic body above him.

  “The snow could break loose at any moment,” Rey pointed out once they were all on the roof but not standing close together. “I suggest we start by digging down until we find solid footing.”

  That made sense.

  His shoulders burned and he was sweating by the time he’d reached the roof, but the physical labor felt good. Haley’s motions were slower than the men’s and her shovel loads held less, but she didn’t pause let alone stop. Out of the corner of his eye he studied her smooth, practiced movements. The young woman knew how to work. More than that, he suspected she enjoyed it as much as he did. Too bad conditions didn’t allow for conversation since he didn’t know as much about her as he wanted to. Of course if he asked personal questions, she’d feel she had a right to do the same.

  Rey outlined what the structure needed long-term. Whoever had initially used composition shingles had made a serious mistake by not selecting metal. Not only would metal allow most of the snow to slide off, it was fireproof.

  “You don’t need to convince me,” Shaw said. “According to Echo, the forest service requires all new roofs to be metal.”

  “That’s essential to Echo,” Rey said. “You know she nearly lost her life fighting a forest fire. She still occasionally has nightmares about trying to escape it.”

  Shaw knew all about nightmares. They no longer haunted his every night, but he suspected he’d never be completely free of them. He didn’t deserve to be.

  “She hasn’t said much to me about her accident,” Haley said. “I don’t want to press.”

  Rey sighed. “It was a major turning point in her life.”

  Shaw muttered something designed to indicate he understood. More than once he’d had been tempted to tell Rey that he was no longer a cop and why, but he hadn’t.

  “I don’t suppose you’ve had a chance to talk to your uncle about the grooming equipment,” Haley said.

  Was she deliberately changing the subject? She’d been willing to bring up Echo’s accident but like him, she hadn’t added to Rey’s comment about life’s turning points.

  As he shifted position, he took note of his surroundings. Snow had dulled the area’s earth colors and served as sound deadening. Even with the heavy
, dark clouds, the world was peaceful, restful even. Maybe what he needed was to get above ground level more often. That way he’d stop replaying the past and live in the moment. Bury red under white.

  Wondering where his philosophical mood had come from, he told Haley he’d left a message for Uncle Robert. “He usually gets right back to me. Hopefully I’ll hear from him by the end of the day.”

  “What do you think he’ll say?”

  He drove the end of the shovel into packed snow, pulled the handle toward him and lifted. The space between his shoulder blades burned, but it didn’t matter. He was half tempted to let it slip that he’d gone to college on a partial football scholarship so knew about aches and pains.

  Tempted but too cautious to bring up the past.

  “I’m not going to give him a chance to say no,” he said. “There’s something I probably should have mentioned to you before this, to you too Rey.”

  Rey stopped shoveling and rolled his head about. Only Haley kept on working. He couldn’t stop studying her, admiring her stamina, wondering if she was trying to wear herself out so she could sleep. Everyone had layers. He hadn’t begun to peel away hers and had no right trying to get past her surface, but he wanted to.

  Chapter Four

  Shaw’s eyes seemed darker than they’d been yesterday. Haley supposed she could credit the clouds and barely there sun for the change, but she couldn’t help wondering if she’d said something that was making him think deep thoughts.

  She wasn’t what she could call comfortable in his presence, more like acutely aware of him. She also noticed the crisp, cold air and pure scent of snow, the occasional glimpse of birds overhead. Being this high above the ground changed her perception of her world. It was as if she’d disconnected herself from the ground and as a result had increased her awareness of the clouds’ countless shades. This day and her place in it was special. Her muscles felt loose and easy, content to keep repeating the same movements.

  Tiring her out.

  Making her feel close to the two men who were sharing the experience with her, mostly Shaw.

  Shaw who she didn’t understand and had no right to try to.

  “What were you going to mention?” Rey’s question reminded her that today wasn’t just about studying Shaw’s eyes and the wilderness.

  Shaw inclined his head in her direction, acknowledging her without a word. “I’ve been approached by the Northwest Sled Dog Racing Organization. Apparently a number of years ago they held their competitions at Lake Serene. They decided to go elsewhere when they couldn’t be assured of a decent trail to run on. Also accommodations became an issue.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me,” Rey said. “The resort was falling apart before your uncle bought it.”

  “No arguments there. However, the other sites they’ve tried haven’t been much better and with new management here they want to discuss the possibilities of returning.”

  “What did you say?” she asked.

  “That I’m willing to listen.”

  “There are a lot of factors to consider, aren’t there? In addition to assuring a satisfactory experience for fans and participants, they’re looking for someplace to keep the dogs and whatever they haul them in. Maybe they expect the resort to contribute to promotional efforts plus assume responsibility for prepping the route the teams will run on.”

  Shaw’s slow nod made her wonder if she’d just impressed him. “You’ve got it. Also, they’d like to schedule the three day event for early February.”

  “Sure,” Rey muttered. “Why not? Nothing to it.”

  It was already December third, and the resort was focused on plans for a big Christmas celebration. “I’m surprised they didn’t approach you earlier,” she said. “That’s really cutting things tight.”

  “I pressed them about that.” He faced her with his broad shoulders between her and the world that had been calling to her. Made everything except him unimportant. “They had a couple of scouts come here shortly after snowmobile season started. In fact—” He nodded at her. “They mentioned you more than once. They were impressed with the operation, but it took a while for the board to meet and vote to draft a contract.”

  “I probably rented machines to them but don’t remember anyone asking more than the usual questions.” She couldn’t help but hope Shaw was crediting her with at least some of the organization’s interest in Lake Serene.

  Maybe she shouldn’t be thinking that way since she wasn’t the one with the deep pockets but she’d done everything she could to give snowmobile enthusiasts the best experience possible. Her sometimes eighteen hour days attested to that. It wasn’t as if she had anything else to do with her time.

  “I understand they assessed a lot of things. They’ve had us high on their list all year. As a result they didn’t contract with any of the resorts they’ve dealt with in recent years and that has put them in a bind. They want to nail down a location this week.”

  Rey chuckled. “Then we’re in the driver’s seat. If we—sorry, if you and your uncle decide you want them, you can charge as much as you want.”

  “The organization is a nonprofit. These are working class people.”

  “Maybe, maybe not,” she said. “I’ve dealt with some sled dog team owners. Race dogs are expensive to feed, house, and train.”

  “Point taken.” Shaw sent more snow after what he’d already thrown to the ground. “Haley, there’s something I need to clarify before I get back in contact with them. It involves you.”

  Shaw wanted them to work together on something? At least he needed her input. Saying she’d do whatever he wanted should be a simple matter so why was it taking her so long to agree? Maybe because being around him was complicated in ways she didn’t understand.

  “Oh,” she belatedly said, followed by giving herself a mental kick. The darned man had scrambled her thinking. She wouldn’t let it happen again.

  “Let’s finish up here,” he said. “Then we’ll talk about it.”

  Together. In close proximity. Maybe without Rey there?

  *

  Haley had never worn a watch and her smartphone was in her office. She guessed they’d been on the roof for over an hour. Now only a thin layer of snow remained. Shaw pointed out, unnecessarily, that what they’d accomplished this afternoon would have to be repeated after every storm until the roof and its underpinnings could be replaced. He didn’t want her doing any more snow removal on her own so told Rey to select at least one of his men to assume responsibility for the chore.

  “Give me a little time to think about who I’ll pick,” Rey said. “Everyone’s pretty busy.”

  “Maybe we shouldn’t have pared down the crew as much as we did. This isn’t the first time I’ve second guessed the decision.”

  “I’m the one who made that suggestion,” Rey said. “There’s a lot of outdoor work that can’t be done this time of year.”

  The conversation concerned her so why wasn’t she playing closer attention? Her aching muscles and confusion about Shaw’s impact on her was partially responsible, but another reason lay in the wilderness, the unspoiled perfection all around. It didn’t matter that she’d had time to get used to the view from up here. Today her world awed her as never before.

  An evergreen-blanketed hill was between where they were and Lake Serene. When she was on the ground, she couldn’t see the frozen body of water but now she had no trouble. Fog lay over the lake like a blanket.

  That wasn’t all. Massive Mount Lynx stood behind the water, the great white peak disappearing into the nearly black clouds. When she’d first arrived, the steep sides and jagged spires had intimidated her. No way would she attempt to climb that imposing mass of stone. Then layers of snow had softened its contours. Come closer, it seemed to be calling. Take chances. Experience. Live.

  “It’s impressive all right.” Rey pushed the tip of his shovel into what was left of the snow. “The longer I’m here the more I appreciate this area.”

 
Shaw took up the same stance Rey had with his forearms resting on the top of the fiberglass handle as if there was nothing else he wanted to do. He too studied the mountain while she occasionally glanced at him. He’d taken on a new definition, a quieting of the non-stop energy she’d noted before. He wasn’t completely at peace with himself or his world but he’d come closer. She wanted to mention what she’d discovered about him but guessed the public persona would return if she brought up his pensiveness. It was better to simply accept what he’d unconsciously revealed.

  “Ever since I got here I’ve heard people talk about how seductive the area is,” he said. “Today I really get it.”

  “Seductive?” She took hold of her tool like it was a spear and threw it as far as she could. It landed on the snow piled all around the building and sank nearly out of sight. “I haven’t thought of it that way.”

  “You haven’t?” Shaw sounded shocked.

  “Not really.” She wasn’t ready to admit that today, because of him, a great deal was changing.

  “You’ve gone snowmobiling around here, right?” Rey asked.

  “What? Of course.”

  “Sorry. Dumb question. Anyway, Echo and I’ve done that a few times and will again the next day we both have off. There’s a silence out there that—turn off your machine and just listen.”

  Doing anything as one instead of as half of a couple wouldn’t be the same. Still, she longed to experience what he’d described in a few words, and not by herself. Maybe Shaw wanted the same thing.

  “I’ve taken every machine we have along the south trail because that’s the steepest one,” she explained, aware that Shaw was studying her. “That’s the best way to determine how well they’re running.”

  “But did you pay attention to what was around you?” Shaw asked.

  Does it matter to you? I want it to. “Some.”

  “Only some? You need to take time for yourself.”

  He didn’t know what she did with her limited free time so had no business saying what he had. Her life was hers and hers alone. It needed to remain that way because otherwise she risked tipping into something dark. Something she might need help getting out of.