Tessa would have preferred seeing more wildlife than she had so far. It was difficult to connect with nature around people who were energetically discussing every subject under the sun.
Clay had helped moderate between the husbands, only offering his opinion when pressed, and often directed their discussions to more neutral topics. And Tessa had spent most of her time with Ginny, who enjoyed travel, but also loved to be at home, growing flowers and vegetables in her garden, a pursuit they both enjoyed.
“I’m sure we’ll find a balance,” Ginny had said that morning. “We had to do that with work, putting in extra hours so we could retire early and still have a life at the same time.”
It was a good reminder.
Ever since Renee’s death, Tessa had lost her balance. It was why she was in Montana now, and why she might end up working for the man who’d been there when her sister died.
* * *
CLAY WAITED UNTIL Monday morning to call the people whom Tessa had provided as her references. He ran an online background check immediately. It came up clean, but he sent a message to his payroll company—which offered an impressive array of services—to do a more intensive check. He also looked for her on various social-media sites and found nothing under her name. It seemed odd until he reminded himself that the only social-media networking he did was to promote the company.
Tessa’s pastor gave her a glowing recommendation, saying he had known her since she was born and regretted that she might relocate to another state. In Clay’s experience, pastors tried to be positive about their parishioners, but they weren’t bound by the regulations that could restrict what a former employer might say. Reverend Hathaway sounded genuinely dismayed that Tessa could be leaving Arizona.
Clay dialed the second number.
“Alderman Pool Company,” answered a crisp voice after several rings.
Alderman, as in Tessa Alderman?
“Er, yes, is Mr. Garcia available?” Clay asked. “I thought I was phoning his cell number.”
“Mr. Garcia’s calls are forwarded to the company line when he’s unable to answer within a few rings. Is there something I can do to help?”
Clay tapped the tip of a pen on his home-office desk. “No, but will you ask him to return my call? The name is Clay Carson, of Carson Outdoor Adventures in Elk Point, Montana.”
“Of course, Mr. Carson. I have your number from caller ID. Is that the one you want him to use?”
“Sure, it’s my private line.”
“Then I’ll text him a message. Have a good day.”
Clay disconnected and rubbed his jaw. Alderman wasn’t the most common name in the United States, so it seemed a good possibility that Tessa had been working for a family business.
He poured himself a cup of coffee and returned to his computer. When he found the website for Alderman Pool Company in Tucson, he saw a picture of Tessa with an older man’s arm around her shoulders. The caption read, Keeping it in the family—Chuck Alderman and daughter Tessa. The text below talked about the company’s award-winning pool designs and landscape architecture. Landscape architecture appeared to be Tessa’s area. Her work had won numerous awards and been featured in various magazines on Southwest living.
Her father’s name rang a bell in the back of his mind, but he couldn’t quite figure out why. The picture of Tessa and her mother showed where Tessa had gotten her blond hair and complexion. But before he could dig deeper, the phone rang. “Carson Outdoor Adventures,” he answered. “Clay Carson speaking.”
“Hello. This is Javier Garcia, returning your call.”
Clay sat back. “Yes, Mr. Garcia. I’m doing a reference check on Tessa Alderman. What can you tell me about her?”
“Tessa is a wonderful young woman,” his caller said warmly. “I’ve known her for years.”
“I see. Were you her supervisor?”
“She doesn’t have a supervisor. I’m in the pool construction and repair division of the company, while she developed our restoration and landscaping department. We did some of that work before she started here, but she made it a critical part of the business.”
Clay gulped the rest of his coffee. “If she’s so valuable, I don’t understand why she isn’t employed there any longer.”
“I never said that,” Mr. Garcia retorted in an indignant tone. “Tessa is on a leave of absence. She has a position whenever she chooses to return.”
“Leave of absence?”
“For personal reasons that have nothing to do with her abilities or reliability.” Mr. Garcia sounded reproving, as if Clay didn’t have the right to ask anything further. He was probably right. “Personal reasons” covered a gamut of possibilities and Clay had already been assured that Tessa was employable.
“That’s all I need. Thank you for your time,” Clay said and put down the receiver.
Molly let out a “rrrfff” to catch his attention and he got up to stroke her head. She was eager to be out on the trail again, but he wasn’t taking an overnight group out this week, so she’d have to be content with day hikes.
Tessa had guessed right that outdoor adventure companies often picked up seasonal employees, but they weren’t fully into the busiest season yet. While he wished he could keep his people on the payroll year-round, it wasn’t feasible.
Luckily, all of his guides were returning this summer. He’d expected a few to leave after both the sheriff and the insurance company had grilled them about safety procedures following the accident. It couldn’t have been pleasant to be put under a microscope because of a tragedy they hadn’t even witnessed. But each had indicated they would return when he needed them. It was good for the business. Repeat clients often requested a specific guide, and though it wasn’t guaranteed, he tried to accommodate their requests whenever possible.
“Come, Molly,” he told the golden retriever. “Let’s go see Tessa.”
He was convinced Molly understood more than most dogs, because she raced to the women’s bunkhouse and barked at the door. It opened before Clay got there. Molly was too well-mannered to jump on someone, but she danced around Tessa, who bent to pet her.
Tessa had moved into the bunkhouse upon their return from the backpacking trip, keeping to herself except for trips to the barn to visit the horses. He wasn’t sure why he’d offered lodging to her, aside from knowing it wouldn’t cost him anything and could save time in finding someone to work in the office. His office manager had left unexpectedly when she began having problems with her pregnancy; he hoped she would return at some point, but her plans were still in the air.
“Yes?” Tessa asked, straightening as he approached.
“I’ve finished checking your references. Will you meet me at the office in a few minutes? The entrance is around by the parking lot.”
She nodded and Clay turned, realizing he should have just called her cell phone to set up a meeting time. This situation was more unusual than with his normal hires, but Tessa checked out and he understood her wanting to stay longer in Montana.
He also understood why someone might want to get away from parental expectations.
In the office, Clay looked at the booking requests that had come in overnight. The website has just been redesigned to make it easier for people to read descriptions of the various trips, along with prices. Booking wasn’t fully automated, but the system let customers know which dates remained tentatively available, along with other information. Private trips could also be requested. If he’d gotten the contract with Gunther Computer Systems, all of the corporate retreats would have been handled on a separate schedule.
The door opened a few minutes later. “Hi,” Tessa said. She gestured to her jeans and T-shirt. “Sorry. If this is supposed to be a formal interview, I don’t have any traditional office clothing with me.”
He shook his head, gesturing to a chair by the desk. “It would look odd if peop
le came in here and saw someone in business attire, so casual is fine. The job is yours on a trial basis, though I should have asked if you have any office skills.”
“I can use a computer and answer phones.”
Clay sighed. He needed a whole lot more than that, but maybe she could learn.
* * *
TESSA RAISED HER CHIN, refusing to be embarrassed because she didn’t have a long list of office skills. She didn’t cook much, either, although Renee had liked to tease that her twin sister was a disaster in the kitchen, which wasn’t true.
Clay took some papers from a desk drawer. “When I phoned Mr. Garcia, the call was forwarded to the Alderman Pool Company. That’s your father’s company, right?”
“It belongs to my parents, they’re partners.” Tessa had known giving Javier as a reference might mean Clay would discover her family owned the business. “The Aldermans have been building pools in Tucson for over thirty years. My mom does the designs, and Dad builds them.”
“Well, I understand why you’d need time away from all of that,” Clay said, surprising her. “I’m an escapee from my father’s career plans for me. He’s a workaholic banker and expected me to go into the field as well, with the idea I’d eventually take over as president of the Shelton Bank when he retires.”
Tessa barely knew Clay, but she couldn’t imagine him in a suit and spending his days behind a desk. Her dad didn’t like doing that, either. Chuck Alderman still preferred to be out on a job, running a backhoe or other equipment. It frustrated the site supervisors, even though they knew he trusted their work. He just wanted to be in the middle of the action.
Her mother, on the other hand, was a whiz at designing swimming pools to fit unusual spaces, getting permits and doing other paperwork. They made a terrific team.
“My folks are great,” she said. “I just wanted to get away from Tucson for a while.”
“As I said, I understand. I suppose most parents hope their children will follow in their footsteps.” Clay held out the paperwork. “Go ahead and complete these. I have an external payroll company, which handles withholding and stuff, so most of the information is for them, aside from the list of emergency contacts. I already know where you’ll be living.”
Emergency contacts?
Tessa was briefly concerned, recalling the emergency contacts she’d provided for the four-day hike. What if he compared them to the information from her sister?
Stop, she ordered.
If Clay started comparing forms for two people with different last names, from two different years, then so be it. Besides, it was one thing not to tell him about her relationship to Renee, another to make a serious attempt at concealing it.
She plucked a pen from a cup on the desk and began entering the information. It felt odd, because she’d never needed to apply for a job before.
She’d just finished when the door opened and she saw a man enter who bore a close resemblance to Clay. He was just as tall and strongly built, but he had lighter brown hair and his eyes were more blue than gray. He also seemed warmer and more boyish.
“Oh, hi,” he said. “I didn’t realize anyone else was here. I’m Andrew Carson, Clay’s brother. Are you the Tessa Alderman I’ve heard about?”
“That’s right.”
“Pleased to meet you. I understand my son disrupted the start of your backpacking trip last week.”
Tessa recalled the little boy who’d run into the barn covered with finger paint. “I wouldn’t call it a disruption. He’s adorable.”
“And a handful. But, uh...luckily I have help with him.” Andrew locked gazes with Clay. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. Can we talk later? It’s about Derry and his mother.”
Clay’s face seemed to tighten. “Sure. I need to show Tessa a few things to get going, then I’ll catch up with you.” When they were alone again he gave her an apologetic look. “I should have asked if you wanted to start today, or wait until tomorrow.”
“Today is fine, unless it would be easier for your payroll people if I wait.”
“No, it’ll be good to have somebody answering the phone, at the very least. Customers are frustrated when they keep getting a recording.”
He spent the next hour giving her a swift overview about ordering supplies and other paperwork requirements, along with showing her the company’s social-media pages. They were interrupted several times by phone calls from clients, mostly asking general questions, though one was from a repeat client who wanted to book a three-day horseback riding trip in July.
Tessa’s head began to ache.
“You’re an experienced backpacker, so it’s fine if you talk to callers about what they can expect,” Clay said after showing her the computer system. “But don’t confirm any reservations. Check several times a day for reservation requests, then send an email that acknowledges it was received. Somebody else will handle the rest until you know the process well enough.”
“Um, okay.”
Clay glanced at the clock. “I need to leave now, and this afternoon I’m taking a group on an afternoon hike, so I won’t be in for the rest of the day. I don’t ask employees to follow a rigid schedule when it isn’t necessary, but I’d like you to be in the office no later than nine o’clock. If you want to flex your work hours around that to get off earlier in the afternoon, it’s fine. Lunch and breaks are when you need to take them. Also, you don’t have to do a full eight hours today.”
“All right.”
When the door closed behind him, Tessa sagged in relief. Clay seemed like a fine person to work for, and while the view out the front window looked mostly onto a parking lot, beyond it was a beautiful vista of trees and rolling grassland dotted with cows and horses. So if she had to be in an office, it was a fairly decent spot.
At the same time, she was already feeling claustrophobic, though maybe her uneasiness was due to Clay. She was used to being around people she’d known and understood for years, but Clay Carson didn’t reveal that much of what he was thinking or feeling. His pleasant, tour-guide face had been switched for a no-nonsense, business-owner face, and neither one was especially revealing.
The phone rang and she shook the sensation away. For now, she was an employee of Carson Outdoor Adventures, and she intended to do her best.
* * *
ANDREW WORKED ON inventorying supplies as he waited for Clay, his stomach churning.
Was his ex-wife really back in the area?
And if so, why?
Of course, Aunt Emma had only met her a couple of times, so it could be a case of mistaken identity. Mallory had colored her hair an artificially brilliant red and Emma might have simply spotted someone with the same dye job. On top of that, there was no reason to think his ex was still a redhead. She might just as easily be a blonde or brunette, or have purple hair, for all he knew. His grim musings were interrupted when his brother came in.
“What’s going on?” Clay asked, looking concerned.
“Aunt Emma thought she saw Mallory in Elk Point this morning. I hope she’s wrong, but I wanted to warn you in case Mallory shows up at the ranch.”
“Didn’t she say she never wanted to see Elk Point or Montana again?”
Andrew shrugged.
The possibility of having his ex-wife back in the area bothered him because he didn’t want her anywhere near his son. While Derry was too young to understand that his mother had abandoned him as a small baby, someday he would understand.
Andrew hadn’t known where she’d gone beyond a plane ticket to Los Angeles, and then out of the blue she had contacted him, saying she wanted a divorce. She had offered him full custody in return for a large check. He’d agreed, even though it had seemed highly unlikely she could get custody under the circumstances. So, what trouble could she make now? On the other hand, she might be hoping for another big payoff.
They’d met when she
’d come up to work as a seasonal employee for one of the hotels in town. I’ve always lived in cities like Miami and Atlanta and New York. I thought it would be a lark. But it’s boring, she’d declared when they were chatting in line at the market.
Montana...boring?
That should have been the only warning sign Andrew needed that they weren’t compatible, even on a casual basis. Instead he’d sympathized that she was so far from family and friends and had asked her out. They’d had fun together, too.
He marked the amount of coffee left on the supply shelf and shifted to evaluate how much tea was in stock. Clay bought top-quality products to serve guests on trips and they kept everything as fresh as possible. That meant keeping a close eye on the amounts on hand with frequent orders.
“I don’t see how Mallory could do anything,” his brother said, echoing Andrew’s own thoughts. “She emptied your bank accounts, took a taxi to the airport and flew away, leaving Derry alone for hours until you got back to your apartment. And we’re fairly certain it wasn’t the first time she’d left him alone. No judge is going to overlook that. Heaven knows what could have happened to Derry before you got home.”
“Don’t remind me.”
Andrew had gotten cold chills too many times about the possibilities. His six-month-old son had been left for a full day without food or care, possibly more than once, and it horrified him. How could a mother, much less anyone, do that to a child?
It wasn’t that he’d married for love; he had proposed to Mallory when she got pregnant, which wasn’t the best foundation for a marriage. But he had thought they were doing all right. And when he’d held his son for the first time, all of his uncertainties about being ready for fatherhood had vanished. If he accomplished nothing else in the world, being a good dad was enough.
He would do anything for his son.
* * *
CLAY WISHED HE could help his brother, but right now they’d have to wait and watch. Anyway, Mallory might be in town for purely innocent reasons. While she’d done her best to profit from the divorce, that didn’t necessarily mean she’d come back to make mischief.
The Man from Montana Page 3
