Though he knew the answer, he gave the woman one more chance to redeem herself and be mistaken. "How long will you be staying then? For the week?"
"Well, I haven’t decided," she responded, not willing to answer all his prying questions.
“Perhaps, a month?” T.J. scoffed.
“How do you know that?” Erika retorted.
“Tourists, who don’t stay a week, stay a month. Always. All the residents know that.”
T.J.'s analytical mind began piecing together snippets of conversation they shared through the dense mountain pass. Her deceit drove him crazy and made him a little angry, truth be told. But more than anything … he was now very committed to finding out everything he could about his beautiful but unwanted tenant.
As the truck bumped along the rocky road that led to his ancestral home, his eyes slid to her rigid profile. T.J. wondered if the dark mountains were unnerving. He doubted she feared many things as the scene at the airport flashed through his mind. But Priest Lake at night often seemed ominous to unseasoned visitors.
"Well, Marie, we’re almost there."
"It sure is ... ah ... secluded out here, isn't it?" Erika nervously asked while scanning the dense forest.
"If I didn't know better, I would think you hadn't been here before."
"Oh ... uh," she stammered realizing her near mistake; "Actually, it’s been a few years. Every time I come here, I am pleasantly surprised by its remoteness," she nodded her head with a slight smile.
"Tell me about your friend and her family," T.J. inquired innocently.
"Well ... there isn't much to tell," Erika stumbled.
I hate lies, she grumbled to herself. I'm never going to keep this information straight! Dishonesty is something I abhor. With guilt clutching her heart, she reminded herself it was necessary for self-preservation. She just couldn't let this stranger into her private life. He was much too dangerous. His presence was electrifying, it was stimulating, it was ..."
"Ah, Marie? You were saying?"
"Oh! I was just ... making a grocery list in my mind. I'm sorry, what were you asking?"
"Your friend ..."
"Oh, yes, well, she's really a wonderful person. Actually," she stammered while a bright idea formed, "she's dead! Her name was Elizabeth and she died from a blood disease, Leukemia. It was very sad. As I was one of her dearest childhood friends, the family told me to treat this home as my own."
There, she thought. That ought to put these terrible questions to rest.
"I'm very sorry. It must be extremely difficult for you to return to this place," T.J. stated with bewilderment.
T.J.'s eyes narrowed as he concentrated on his companion. Her outlandish story told him she probably didn’t know who he was … but it told him something else. She, too, was hiding something. What? Intrigue fascinated T.J. He was not immune to the tentacles of mystery. This woman was that and more. He knew she was irresistible to him until he discovered her secrets. And that was dangerous … because at the same time, he realized the possible folly of her discovering the truth about him; heir to one of the largest fortunes in the world, wealthy in his own right, and member of the so-called “A” list. He never shied from risk … it had made him millions. The question was, however, was it worth it?
He would have to stay sharp. It was possible she knew more than she let on. It could be that their chance meeting at the airport was an elaborate attempt by a money hungry female. His instinct, however, denied the possibility. On the other hand, T.J.’s mind was too well trained to disregard an obvious motive.
As the old truck finally turned off the rocky road in the direction of her cottage, T.J. carefully maneuvered the vehicle between two large Western White Pine trees. Erika could vaguely see a small cottage peaking through the heavy gray mist. The lake was beyond, but she could only make out its shoreline as the grayness of dense fog blended with the vastness of the water.
She stifled a shudder while again assessing the intelligence of her choice. Erika had never even seen roads such as she had traveled, let alone stayed in a rustic cabin by herself in the mountains.
T.J. sensed her reluctance, knew she wasn't accustomed to this environment. Despite himself, he felt twinges of protectiveness steal at his heart. The draw of mystery was not the only reason he was glad she would be close by, he realized. The lake could be ominous at this time of year. A storm could roll down off the Selkirk Mountain Range within minutes.
A hazy childhood memory crystallized. It was the summer of his eighth year. The family had gathered at Bear Creek Lodge from different parts of the country. T.J.'s female cousins had also arrived with their annoying antics. Because of his age, T.J. (or Timmy as they always called him) was constantly made fun of and jeered at. He never told his parents, of course, because they coddled him too much and that made the teasing worse.
Then came the day when he had enough. That night, T.J. remembered, was the night he planned to prove his youthful idea of manhood to his parents and bratty cousins. His memory sharpened as he recalled stealing away after dinner that night to the dock house and swiping the boat key. The plan was to come back with a trophy Mackinaw trout for Maime, their Cook, to fry for breakfast. But, that was before the plan went awry.
T.J. had never driven a boat before but had observed enough to feel confident. An hour later, he had maneuvered the boat to the middle of the lake and had set his down riggers. While dreaming of the respect that would be his over breakfast, T.J. failed to notice the storm brewing over the Selkirk Mountain Range. Within minutes the wind had kicked up, blowing across the lake and registering over 50 Knots.
The small boat began to toss like a dying fish. Suddenly, lightening began to strike randomly, shattering trees around the lake. Instantly, the thunder began to roll through the mountains, raging like an untamed lion. Try as he might, T.J.'s young arms could not steady the wheel against the fierceness of the storm. His tiny vessel was being choked by mighty swells.
At that moment, even his childlike faith in the odds failed him. T.J. knew he couldn't swim to shore when his boat capsized. Memories of his family, of his dog, Oso (Spanish for Bear), and of Bear Creek Lodge and its huge stone fireplace flashed across his mind. He realized the severity of his situation. With a strength and pride that his father would respect, T.J. faced the onslaught of torrential rain. Though his little heart felt like a bomb exploding inside his body, T.J. faced certain death. He would go down with his ship ... as his ancestors had done before him.
Like a mirage appearing in the Sahara Desert, T.J. sighted a seafaring vessel. It was his father's twenty-seven-foot cruising boat, but to him, it looked like the mightiest ship of the armed forces. As the powerful searchlight illuminated his decrepit boat, T.J. frantically waved his arms to catch their attention. He could see his father steering the larger boat, crashing through the swells to rescue him.
In the aftermath of the near tragedy, T.J. suffered from the taunts flung at him by those silly cousins. But many things changed that night. The difference was a change in his person. The event redirected his life. Though young, he knew death could knock on one's door without much warning. But he also knew that there would come a day when his family and those stupid cousins would be awed by his accomplishments. And those accomplishments, he had promised himself, would be a lot more impressive than the coveted fifty-pound Mackinaw trout he saw at that derby.
The car had rolled to a halt in front of the tiny log cottage. Erika took in her surroundings very slowly, bolstering her feeble courage. Preparing to express her gratefulness for the transportation, she caught the expression on T.J.'s white, thin-lipped face.
"Tim?" she questioned. "You look as if you've just seen a ghost."
Slowly his eyes focused on his companion. Her fresh beauty again struck a chord in his heart. The innocence and vulnerability in her eyes startled his suspicious mind.
Even though their conversation had been riddled with lies, T.J. couldn’t overlook the fact that she would be, d
uring her stay, a woman at the mercy of an environment she knew nothing of. Ambitious … maybe. Deceitful, decidedly, but he couldn’t deny the overwhelming desire to keep an eye on her.
T.J. was reluctantly drawn to Erika. He had spent a lifetime watching women with ambition develop relationships with men of rising wealth only to cut the ties as soon as a better "prospect" came along. He wasn't interested in that kind of callous relationship. He wasn't even interested in relationships. Never would he leave himself vulnerable to a woman like that again.
Erika gazed into T.J.'s eyes. She saw a question form there and assumed it was only a mirror reflecting the questions in hers. It would be nice to have his company occasionally during the next month, she admitted. But I must be very careful, she warned herself, the man was compelling … he was also dangerous.
Instinctively, Erika thought she could trust him. His sense of confidence, power and self-reliance were obvious. Yet, though he seemed multi-faceted, she also thought he seemed very straight-forward and uncomplicated … a man straight from his environment ... rugged wildness yet … breathtaking.
It really was a breath of fresh air, she allowed herself to admit. Instead of needing others to fulfill ambition and desire … he seemed to rely only on himself. Erika wasn’t sure how she knew that. She just did. She was envious of that. He would never understand her lifestyle. He would think her rich, pampered and lusting after power and fortune. He was an "earthy" person, she was not. He was motivated with hardness, she with softness. His rustic life proved that, she thought. She might try to explain her life through the lens of family commitment. She had no way of knowing whether he would understand that or not.
Would it be so wrong to pretend my life is uncomplicated, she mused? Couldn't I, just for one month, pretend the lies I’ve told were true, just enjoy an easy companionship … with no strings attached, she pondered silently. If the truth came out … would it really matter in the end, she asked herself.
Suddenly, as if her heart strained to answer, Erika felt a finger of fear snake across her body. Somehow, she already felt his disappointment. Was it worth the risk? His hatred and disdain, she knew, could fatally crush her heart never exposed to the true love only a man like Tim could supply.
Instinctively, Erika knew he was unlike any of her LA friends. The glossy image they presented only hid a shallow heart and a lust for fame and fortune, usually at someone else's expense. It wasn't wrong in their minds; it was just part of the game. They jumped on the bandwagon of environmental and political issues without knowing anything about them, except that it was the "thing" to do. She was so tired.
In Erika's mind, Tim represented something "real". Perhaps this environment led her to that erroneous conclusion. Few places on earth were more "real" than Northern Idaho. Bitterly she reminded herself of the day she had thought Steve was "real" too.
I promised myself before I ever left LA that I would never have a relationship with a man outside of business and family, Erika determinedly reminded herself. But did that include her month-long stint as Marie Bancroft?
Could Tim's friendship be worth the risk of it developing into more, she asked. In some deep cavern of her being, Erika knew if she dwelled long enough on the issue, the answer would be "yes". Pulling herself up quickly from her wayward thoughts, she scolded her mental journey. Take it one day at a time, she promised herself, and who knew what could happen.
"Uh, Marie? I'm tired. This day has been very trying, especially after running into you. No offense, of course, but, you have been quite the handful! I've done what I could for you, now ... is there anything in particular that you are waiting for," he said glancing suggestively at her parted lips, “or do you just enjoy staring? I really need to be on my way."
T.J.'s callous question was intended to redirect the frightening emotions building to an unwanted climax. From what he could tell, his mark was right on target. Only, instead of making him feel better, it made him feel worse. Her eyes reflected the surprise, the hurt, and a quick turbulent anger.
Erika was stunned. She felt as if a glass filled with ice cold water had just been dumped on her. All his charm, all his attentiveness was gone ... like a vapor disintegrating into thin air. The friendly and charming man was only an illusion.
First impressions are always right, she reminded herself. He really is that awful man I ran into at the airport. Why I can’t just learn to listen to my head and not my heart in personal relationships as well as business, she asked while berating herself for her lack of wisdom and shattered illusion.
"Yes, as a matter of fact I was waiting for something, Mr. Morgan. I was waiting to see if men who live like hermits and have manners like bears know there are occasional times when women or any human being, for that matter, need a helping hand."
"And, what have you discovered?"
"I've discovered they know nothing other than their own self importance!"
"Well," he chuckled pleased that they had finally reached comfortable territory again, "there are, ah ... many who would disagree that I live like a hermit, but if you really think I have the manners of a bear ..."
"So ... you're not going to give me a hand with the luggage?" Erika asked astonished.
"Nope."
"But ...," she stuttered. "It's dark out here," Erika blurted, her voice rising to an ear screeching level.
"Welcome to the woods," his low voice growled.
Erika tried a new approach. "You are exactly what I thought you were at the airport! You ... you think you're some kind of King. I suppose you feel it was my privilege to ride in your ugly, broken down truck. Well, it wasn't! I was just being gracious to you on the drive. I only acted interested! You didn't fool me with your false charm on the way here. And, furthermore, you need never come down this gravel road again. I am perfectly able to ... to ... take care of myself. I don't need a relationship with you or anyone like you," she explained haughtily.
"Bravo, little one. An excellent performance. But, a relationship! Where did that crazy idea enter your head? Sorry but I'm much too busy for a "relationship," unless you mean the kind where you spend a couple hours in the dark together," T.J. deliberately provoked. "It isn't even open for consideration. You're not my type. And for future theatrics, the damsel-in-distress act has absolutely no affect on me. It isn't my job to make sure you can handle your outing by yourself. I won't be checking on you."
Her cheeks were suddenly stained an awful color of red. For the first time, Erika was glad for the midnight black that enveloped the truck. She hoped against anything that he could not see her burning face. T.J. could, of course, and it only served to make the whole situation more amusing than ever. In fact, he was looking forward to the next battle. For her tongue, he had noticed, seemed to loosen in anger. T.J. would discover her secrets one way or another.
"You really think you are something, don't you?" she asked coolly. "Where I come from, Tim, 'relationship' means a polite 'Hello' when familiar paths cross. I'm sorry if you were thinking along more intimate terms. I can assure you the thought hadn't even occurred to me. You aren't my type, either." With that hopefully rude remark, Erika reached for her door handle just as he said...
"Exactly where do you come from?"
Without a reply, Erika did her best to climb graciously out of the awkward vehicle just in time to hear a blood-curdling explosion that echoed throughout the threatening forest. Before she could recall her senses, the dense atmosphere again exploded with that primitive roar. This time Erika knew exactly where it came from. Moving faster than she had in a lifetime, she jumped back into the truck and slammed the oversized door.
"Marie, it’s just a ..."
"I know exactly what it is," she whispered while pressing her slender fingers against trembling lips.
Another hysterical gasp escaped as Erika realized the thing had come down off his haunches and was lumbering toward her door. She quickly stifled the scream that was threatening to overwhelm her and slammed the lock down on her d
oor. Tears unwillingly slid down her cheeks. She had never once dreamed she would have to share her ideal cottage nestled in the mountains with a very real and terrifying creature coupled with the company of a rottenly rude man.
"It's a pet," T.J. explained, trying to get her attention.
Blessed with an uncanny ability to laugh at the most inopportune times, T.J. tried to choke down the tingling sensation occurring in the pit of his stomach. While maintaining some composure, he stated in a peculiar voice, "The Idaho species are a little backward. They haven't even learned how to open car doors let alone unlock them. But, if you're here long enough, maybe you can teach them!"
Suddenly, the pent-up laughter rumbling from the pit of his being exploded. Though he sympathized with her fear, he couldn't control the hilarious turn of tides.
Between fits of laughter, T.J. rolled down his window to Erika's horror and yelled, "Moose! Moose! Come over here, boy." At command, the black bear waddled to his side of the car. T.J. easily jumped out of the truck and after giving the bear a few scratches behind the ear he introduced "Moose" to Erika. She wasn't amused. He correctly assessed that she was at the end of her composure.
"Go on home, Moose," he commanded. "Now!" T.J. cornered the front of the old delivery truck and glanced at her angry, expectant expression.
"I guess I just found my manners. How am I doing?" he asked with raised eyebrows.
His attempt at humor was not lost on Erika. She was too upset to respond, however. "How many other pets are around here, anyway? Are you the only one who is egotistical enough to tame a wild bear?"
Unable to resist, he answered, "Oh, no! Lots of people up here have them. The expense is minimal because they feed off North Idaho's abundant supply of wild berries and unsuspecting picnickers. They are wonderful pets because of their extreme loyalty to one master. And, most importantly, they scare off intruders. It is, I guess, our uncivilized way of protecting our way of life ... our privacy."
"But ... do many innocent people get hurt because of your dangerous practices?" she questioned warily.
Whispers of the Heart Page 3
