Rock and A Hard Place (Cascade Brides Series)

by Blythe, Bonnie

  Shane sent her a chastising look. “I don't know why you talk like that. I don't want this to be a competition between us.”

  She chewed her lip for a moment. “Shane, are you serious? How are we going to agree on anything?”

  He leaned forward, the pen balanced between his fingers. “Instead of being a naysayer, why don't you give us a chance?”

  Did he mean on the project or as a couple? “Hey, the deal was no personal comments.”

  “I know we can come up with something amazing, Faith. You just have to have—”

  “Don't say it,” she warned, sending him a stern look.

  A mischievous glint lit up his eyes. “Just speaking the truth.”

  Faith looked up at the ceiling.

  The doorbell rang.

  Dinner went better than the pre-dinner conversation, Chinese food being a great equalizer. When Faith couldn't take another bite, she sagged against the cushions, hoping Shane didn't think she was a pig. Of course, he'd consumed twice what she did, even finishing off her lemon chicken after a cursory 'are you done with that?'

  Once they'd dispensed with the fortune cookies—hers had been about finding the right path, his had been blank aside from some lottery numbers—they tossed the cartons and returned to the task at hand.

  Faith leaned forward, examining his sketch. “Do you have unpublished photos on hand that you could make the composite with?”

  “Most of my stuff is unpublished, but I still want to use something fresh.”

  “So, are you thinking of traveling across the state to get each of the images?”

  “We could, if you wanted.”

  “What's the deadline for the contest?”

  “A month out. Merle found out about it late in the game.”

  “If we just work on it on weekends, that's going to be tight.”

  He sighed, tapping his lip with the pen. “You're right.”

  Faith rested her chin in her hands. “I have a feeling the vast majority of images entered will be nature shots. What could we come up with that includes people somehow? I mean, Oregon is beautiful, but without people, that beauty wouldn't be appreciated.”

  He smiled as if she'd hinted at some grand truth. “Hmm, I see what you mean. But if we include people, at the same time, it narrows our options because of the parameters of our project, someone would be left out.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” She pushed her hand through her hair. “I guess this is what happens when you work with an amateur.”

  “Hey, if I have to avoid making personal comments about you, so do you.”

  “Just stating the obvious.”

  “How can you say that? Your Sisters photo—you came up with that when you were what? A teenager?”

  “I was fifteen,” she said, her cheeks heating.

  “Trust me,” he said, his gaze tender, “you've got what it takes.”

  She licked her lips, hating the tide of embarrassment washing over her.

  He leaned back in his chair. “On that note, what about submitting that image? Has it ever been published?”

  “Never published, but at any rate, it's not a combined effort so it doesn't count.”

  “And yet you were willing to just enter one of my pre-fab images.”

  She tilted her head, meeting his challenging stare. “Whatever.”

  He laughed softly. “Seriously, I think you should enter it.”

  Faith lowered her eyes. What if she did win with that image? What if her sisters saw it plastered everywhere? Wasn't that some kind of hypocrisy? The Three Sisters Mountains were rock-solid, ever present, together through thick and thin. She and her sisters had been scattered like so much chaff in the wind.

  Faith looked up at Shane, knowing he wouldn't understand. “No.”

  Somehow Shane knew she'd say that.

  He decided not to push it, since she was already giving him dubious looks. “Okay, so we start from scratch. Where do you want to head tomorrow?”

  Faith sent him a rueful smile. “You're the pro, Shane.”

  “Faith.”

  “Seriously. You're the one who took my best image ever—the cougar—and made it better. So while I pretty much hate you, I also think you should call the shots.”

  He laughed. “Maybe this proves we could be a good team.”

  She acquiesced. “Okay, I have an idea, but it still involves people. Instead of trying to cram too much into a shot, maybe we should 'do what we know'. Here in John Day there are the painted hills. We could superimpose only the most basic silhouetted images of Oregon and her history in the striations, just enough to give the impression of people and objects. Show that the state has a rich past as well as a promising future.”

  “I love it.”

  She nibbled her lip. “Really?”

  “And it will be easy, initially anyway. We don't have to leave town for the main image.”

  “Okay, we'll play around with it and see how it comes out.” She regarded him with a strange light in her eyes. “But we should have a Plan B. Just in case.”

  “Let's see what happens tomorrow and go from there.”

  Chapter Ten

  Faith tried to stifle the sense of anticipation Saturday morning, but failed. Maybe she was encouraged because she and Shane had spent an evening together without it being a complete disaster. Maybe they could work together as partners and accomplish something they were unable to do apart from each other.

  Oh, just admit it to yourself, you think he's a honey and just want to hang out with him.

  Faith regarded her reflection in the mirror. No, it's all about the art and integrity of the photographic image. Honest.

  Liar.

  She blew out a breath. She couldn't even be single-minded in her own inner monologue.

  A knock came at her door, sending Faith hurrying through the house, her respiration high. She offered Shane a restrained smile when she answered the door and hoped he didn't notice she was practically panting.

  He had his hands in his pockets. “Are you ready?”

  “Yep.”

  He took her backpack for her and she followed him out to his Jeep, noticing the thin blue sky above. Hopefully the weather would hold. She remembered hearing something about a front coming in later in the day.

  “Seems like the best place to head is the fossil beds.”

  She nodded. “It's what John Day is known for.”

  As he drove, she darted looks in his direction, wondering how he'd become something of a fixture in her life in so short of a time. What had she done before he was around? The recent past suddenly went all hazy.

  Faith noticed Shane wasn't wearing his uniform. He wore a dark blue hoodie, baseball cap, and ratty blue jeans with hiking boots. Not so different from her attire, except her hoodie was sage green. She'd wanted the pink one when she saw it in the store, but pink was too impracticable when it came to scrabbling up mountainsides. She'd put her hair in a twist to keep the bulk of it out of her eyes. That also was practical. And a practical girl like herself shouldn't sit there staring at the cute ranger like she had a crush or something. Besides that cute ranger could be terribly aggravating.

  Faith turned her attention to the passing scenery outside her window. John Day had a stark look that appealed to her over the lush Pacific Rainforest area she'd grown up in. Dusty, painted hills, striped with red and yellow, scrubby pines and junipers, and pocket glades had captured her imagination the moment she'd arrived in town as a nervous young woman with a job offer from Merle Bascombe. That memory reminded her she and Shane needed to come up with something spectacular for the contest. Thousands of photographs would be submitted, with only one chosen. The odds were nearly insurmountable, but she specialized in scaling such heights. She just hoped
she could go high enough.

  About half an hour later, Shane slowed the Jeep. “Any of these hills look promising?”

  Faith looked out at the panorama before her. They weren't the only ones out to take photos today. Tourists dotted the trails along the hills, especially since it was a weekend. “Looks like we'll have to fight some crowds.”

  Shane sent her a grin. “This is where having connections kicks in.” They parked at the tourist center, then walked inside and found another ranger. After a quick conversation with him, they were ushered along a restricted path that lead to the far side of the hills away from where the bulk of the tourists had congregated.

  Faith looked up at the hill, shading her eyes from the sun. “Now this is what I'm talking about.” She slid her backpack from her shoulder and began setting up her gear. Peering through her viewfinder, she could easily imagine superimposing faint images of life and history in Oregon within the multi-colored striations of the hills.

  Faith took several shots, then moved her camera for another focal point. By the time they made their way around the main hill, she'd taken nearly fifty shots and was very pleased. The deep blue sky above only added to the sharp color contrasts. She felt confident they could bring this plan to fruition.

  “I have an idea,” Shane said, interrupting her reverie.

  She looked over at him. “Yes?”

  “What about if you reorient the camera to catch the sun peeking around the left side of the hill? It could represent the dawn and a beginning. If we did the other side it might look like the sun is setting on Oregon.”

  Faith sent him a polite smile, knowing he was right. “Sure.”

  Shane helped her move all her equipment, which was a something of a chore as the sun had moved quite a bit already. As she looked through the lens, he cleared his throat.

  “One other thing,” he said with a chagrined smile. “What about you take it lying on the ground, pointing the camera up the hill? It's an unusual vantage and will widen the striations, making it easier to add images later.”

  Another brilliant idea. Faith wished she didn't freeze up at each suggestion. His ideas were always improvements. She soon had several more shots. As Shane suggested more vantage changes, she felt her smile begin to crack. By the time he was satisfied, she longed for a quiet soak in the bathtub.

  Two hours later, Faith packed up her equipment while Shane expounded on fresh plans for the image. She listened without speaking, wishing she could be more relaxed and friendly. Obviously Merle thought they could work together better than they could apart, if quality was indeed his motive. Maybe he didn't want to appear to pick sides—employee or nephew. Either way, this was the last project she planned to work on with Mr. Zadopec. How anyone could be so relentlessly positive and brilliant had to be...unnatural.

  “Do you want to go through the images tonight?” he asked, helping her hoist the backpack over her shoulder.

  “Uh, I'd rather do it tomorrow if you don't mind.”

  He smiled. “In that case, there's a spot nearby I'd like you to see.”

  “I'm pretty familiar with all the areas around town.”

  He raised his brows. “Please?”

  Faith nodded. If she said she was too tired, she'd look like a wimp. And while she may not agree with his go-getter attitude in everything, Faith certainly wasn't going to allow him to go-get more than she.

  She silently followed him back to the Jeep, her ankle beginning to throb from ranging over uneven ground in order to get the 'perfect' shot. Faith leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes, hoping the next place wasn't far. After about a forty minute drive, and a long uphill climb, she opened her eyes to see Shane pulling into a parking area of a lookout that faced the Cascades.

  She sat forward, seeing the peaks of the Three Sisters Mountains in the distance. “Shane, I've been here several times.”

  “Just walk with me a little.”

  She stared at him then slid from the seat. The air was cooler at this elevation and she shivered a little inside her hoodie. A wide path led from the parking area to the lookout spot. Despite being well-traveled, rocks and roots punctuated the trail. Faith followed Shane, glad he couldn't see the exhaustion on her face.

  When they arrived at the flat lookout area, Shane shook his head in apparent wonder as he looked out at the snow-capped mountains. “Takes your breath away.”

  Faith followed his gaze. “Yep.”

  He sent her a sidelong look. “You don't seem impressed.”

  “I am. It's just that I've been here many times.”

  He grinned. “Yeah, I forgot, you've been doing this for years.”

  “And let me guess,” she said, unable to resist, “this is your first view that isn't from a book.”

  “Ha ha,” he said in a dry voice. Shane placed his hands on the split-rail cedar fencing that was more for visual appeal than safety. “So how many times would you say you've climbed the girls?”

  She raised her brows. “You means the Sisters' peaks?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, never, actually.”

  His shocked expression swung her way. “What? Seriously?”

  “Why does that surprise you?”

  “I guess I just thought you were this climbing fiend.”

  Faith frowned, sensing he was baiting her. “I've climbed a lot of areas. Just not those mountains.”

  “Why?”

  “Never got around to it.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “Or could it be you're avoiding them?”

  “That's ridiculous.”

  “Why? It seems to me it would be one of the first places you'd climb. Or at least your own namesake.”

  Faith felt heat spread up her neck. “Because I once took a picture?”

  “Yes. And I can't help but wonder if you're avoiding those sisters in the same way you're avoiding your real sisters.”

  Heat ignited into fury. “Don't presume to know me or my motivations,” she said, outrage kicking up her respiration.

  “Wouldn't dream of it,” he said, his manner cooling fast. “Because you won't let anyone in. Not even Merle.”

  Faith was about to demand the reason for such a statement, but realized it was futile. She turned to head back down the trail.

  Shane took her hand, halting her. “Faith, I see what you're doing, how you're living your life, and it grieves me because I was there once in my own life.”

  She looked at his hand, then at him, struggling to keep the contempt from her voice. “Let go of me.”

  He dropped her hand, but moved to block the path. “You know, the peak named Faith? It's the oldest and most difficult to climb because of erosion and rockfall. I find that strangely telling.”

  “You don't know anything about me or what I've gone through!” She pushed past him, hot tears threatening to spill down her cheeks—something she did not want him to see.

  “Listen, I get that you had it tough when you were in high school, I get the bitterness and disillusionment because I was there too. But is that any reason to avoid your family? Your friends?”

  “It's none of your business,” Faith said through a clenched jaw, her blurred vision making it a struggle to see the path. Shane's steps sounded right behind her. She increased her pace, desperate to get control of her tears before reaching the Jeep.

  “Even Merle has sensed you pulling away. What's really going on?”

  Faith ignored him, wanting the refuge of the truck while realizing it was no refuge at all.

  Suddenly her boot caught on a root and jerked her foot to one side. Her tender ankle protested and she pitched forward, gasping in unexpected pain.

  Before she hit the ground, a hand hooked around her belt, halting her fall. Shan
e pulled her back, then scooped her up into his arms.

  “Put me down!”

  “Sorry. I saw the way your bad ankle twisted.”

  Mortified beyond belief, Faith turned her head away so he couldn't see her tears, desperate to get herself under control before they got back to the Jeep. As he approached the vehicle, Shane hoisted her a little higher and opened the passenger door, then lowered her onto the seat. Before she could speak, he untied her boot and gently pulled it off.

  She pushed his hands away. “I'm fine.”

  This time, he ignored her. He yanked the first aid kit from behind the seat and cracked open a cold pack. Faith jumped when the cold hit her skin. But it braced her tattered emotions. Shane loosely wrapped gauze around her ankle to keep the cold pack in place, then positioned the first aid kit on the floor and under her foot so it was elevated. When he was done, she chanced a peek and was dismayed by his grim expression.

  What did he have to be angry about? The offense was all on her side!

  Shane went around the Jeep and climbed into the driver's seat. “That ankle should've been better by now. It's because you're not taking care of it that it refuses to heal.”

  “Thank you, Doctor Zadopec.”

  “And I can see it's a theme with you in other areas of your life.” He started the Jeep and pulled out of the parking area.

  It took Faith a moment to understand his words. “So not only are you a doctor, now you're my psychiatrist?”

  He merged onto the highway after descending the hill. “Just stating the obvious.”

  “I don't need you to state anything, Shane. Why can't you get that through your head?”

  “Because it's affecting my uncle, that's why. He was hoping I could find out what's wrong with you so he put us on this task together.”

  “Why wouldn't he just ask me?”

  Shane's dark gaze pierced her. “Would you answer him?”

  Faith turned to look out the window. “I don't believe you. I haven't changed around Merle.”

  “I didn't say 'changed'. He's disturbed that you act like a serf when he was hoping you saw him more as a father figure.”