Her Heart's Bargain

by Cheryl Harper

  He’d pursued this career for a reason: Smoky Valley Nature Reserve mattered to him, his family and future generations. He’d grown up here. Ash wouldn’t be the man he was without the days exploring the trails and woods and Otter Lake with his father and grandfather. Neither would they. Nothing could change those facts. They were the bedrock that formed the foundation of his choices, and this was no different. He wanted to keep his job, but protecting the Reserve came first.

  Resolved to do his part, Ash turned to march through the lobby. Winter and Brett Hendrix fell in behind him, an army of three, and he was almost certain there was no way he could be defeated.

  Ash stepped out on the sidewalk in front of the ranger station and immediately squinted against the flash of cameras. At least his uniform was spotless.

  “Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming out to the Reserve on a cold Monday. I won’t take much of your time. My name is Ranger Ash Kingfisher. I am the head ranger here at the Reserve. You may know my name and position already and I may have spoken with you on the phone. Or listened to your message and intended to call you back.” He paused, hoping for laughs. He did get a tentative smile here and there and had to consider that a win.

  “Everything I do here at Otter Lake is done under the leadership of the chief ranger, Leland Hall, and is undertaken as part of the service the Callaways established when they set these lands aside for Tennesseans to enjoy and explore. The Callaway reserves exist to protect land from development, particularly in areas of the state that are growing quickly. Green spaces are becoming a luxury in many spots of the country. Years ago, Montgomery Callaway carved out some pieces that would be protected. We do that here. In addition, we do our best to make improvements, to protect animals that are native to this land and offer opportunities for anyone who would like to see them or the forests that have been here for centuries. We protect the land. We educate the people. We do that at the pleasure of the board of directors. All of the men and women serving there have been chosen by the Callaway family.”

  Was he doing this right? He was so far from the script Winter had given him, he wasn’t sure how to find his way back. She motioned with the stack of papers she held and he nodded. “Winter is distributing copies of the reports I signed, requested or authored myself regarding The Aerie lodge project. From the beginning, I have questioned it because the damage it will cause to one of the oldest areas of this reserve is significant. You will see that I’ve stated that more than once. At the chief ranger’s suggestion, I requested a formal impact study to benefit the board of directors as they voted on an important decision.” Ash waited for everyone in the crowd to get the documents and tried to prepare himself for a flurry of questions.

  Instead, he watched as the first couple of people, a news crew from Knoxville, turned away. Then he realized what was stealing the focus.

  A long, dark sedan had turned into the parking lot.

  Winter leaned forward. “I don’t know what this is, but it can’t be good.”

  She was right. The element of surprise itself, the one thing they’d been trying to grab for themselves, was being turned against them.

  When Winter’s fiancé slid out, looking picture perfect in a tailored suit, Winter stiffened. “I didn’t call him.” She shook her head. “Okay, I called him, left a message like I have daily for a week, but I didn’t tell him what we were doing, Ash.”

  He squeezed her shoulder. “Of course not.” The small group of reporters reluctantly made a path for Callaway to step up on the sidewalk next to Winter. He bent to press a kiss to her cheek, and Ash could hear the whir of camera lenses and the scribble of pens on paper.

  Callaway offered Ash his hand to shake. Suspiciously, reluctantly, Ash shook and then propped his hands on his hips.

  “Well, isn’t this a surprise.” Whit Callaway clapped his hands together and smiled at the crowd. “I dropped by to say hello to my fiancée because it has been a wild week, hasn’t it? And I stumble on this little gathering. I’m guessing y’all are here talking about that exciting lodge project.” He shook his head. “I’m not sure how this has turned into such a big deal. The Callaway family remains committed to preserving green spaces. My father said it last week. I’m saying it again. Callaway Construction would employ every safety measure possible in building the new lodge. Richard Duncan has taken a logical, well-planned expansion project and turned it into a means for political gain. It’s disappointing to see a friend lose his way like this, but The Aerie lodge will continue to move forward.” He placed his hand on his chest and Ash almost believed his “I’ll make this all right again” look. Ash studied his sister’s face and realized she was not buying it. Winter didn’t do wide ranges of emotion, but she had a hard lock on cold anger. He’d memorized that look growing up. Was the engagement over?

  His mother would do a dance if it was.

  Kingfishers and Callaways did not belong together after all. Skeeves don’t lie.

  “As will the wedding between the Callaways and the Kingfishers.” Callaway wrapped his arm over Winter’s shoulders; the reception must have been as chilly as Ash imagined because his arm slowly dropped away. “Two families who care about the history and people of East Tennessee.”

  “Mister Callaway, Bailey Garcia, channel six out of Knoxville—”

  “Of course, Bailey, I recognize you. Remember that time I won you in a charity auction?” Callaway smiled, his grin friendly and charming.

  “You paid for a date with me. Dinner, I believe. And it benefitted the children’s hospital in Nashville.” Bailey Garcia’s smile was almost as cold as Winter’s, and Ash was starting to understand he wasn’t the only guy in the hot seat. “I remember. Could you tell us whether you’ve seen the information Ranger Kingfisher has distributed?” She motioned with her pen at the stack of paper in her hand and then stepped out of reach when Whit Callaway tried to take it from her. “Because, if I’m understanding Ranger Kingfisher correctly, he is saying plainly that he was against this lodge from the beginning. Is that right, Ranger?”

  Ash refused to meet Whit Callaway’s stare and nodded.

  “I have not, but I’m sure Ash is telling you the truth. The man doesn’t lie to curry favor,” Whit said slowly.

  That should have been a compliment. Whit Callaway meant something else.

  “Mr. Callaway, I’ve been unable to get an official statement from the Reserve’s board of directors,” Bailey continued. “I am curious about the board’s decision to break official bidding protocol for large projects like this, a safeguard against conflicts of interest which might result in fiscal malfeasance. Do you have an official statement on behalf of the board?”

  No one in the crowd spoke, but they turned to Whit Callaway expectantly. Ash watched him wilt as if this was the most shocking question he’d ever heard. Finally, a dent in Whit’s armor.

  “I can’t...” Callaway frowned. “Obviously, I’m not prepared to make a statement on behalf of the whole board. I’ll need to review these reports myself...” He grunted as Winter shoved the remaining stack in his stomach. “But I am certain there’s been no intentional...m-malfeasance? Is that the word you used? Bailey, that is one of those impressive words, isn’t it? Seems like we talked about your education over dinner. Was it Columbia?”

  Her stone-faced expression suggested Bailey Garcia was not playing his game. Ever.

  Callaway’s charming grin was back in place when he turned to Winter. “I wish your brother had talked to you first, Winter. We might have figured this all out before it hit the front page.”

  Winter didn’t smile back, but she accepted the arm he wrapped around her shoulders.

  When the reporters turned back to Ash, he shrugged. “As far as the governor’s involvement and his new commitment to conserving Tennessee lands, you know what I know. If his concern is real, and not manufactured to gain votes, I invite him to the Otter Lake Rang
er Station to find out more about the work being done here. For now, I serve the Smoky Valley Nature Reserve as ever. I’ll be in the office to answer questions today. Tomorrow? Not sure. I do hope you’ll all come back out to the ranger station this weekend. We’ll be having our first annual winter open house, starting around three. Hikes. Fire trucks. Party things. I think there will be s’mores and lots of fun for the kids. Come join us.” He held up his hands, but no one moved. Selling the open house hadn’t been his strong suit, obviously. Neither was sending people on their way.

  Brett Hendrix opened the door to the ranger station. “Mr. Callaway, would you like to come inside to warm up?” He didn’t smile, but motioned them all inside. Nothing about Brett’s stance suggested there was another option. As soon as Ash, Winter and Callaway stepped onto the hardwoods of the ranger station’s lobby, Brett swung in behind him to block the open door. “As before, you kind press folks are welcome to wait out here on the sidewalk. It’s a chilly day. Lunch and warm drinks can be found down at the campground diner. We remain open for business until five o’clock, and I ask you not to impede entrance and exits from this doorway.”

  Then he stepped inside and pulled the door shut.

  “Callaway, let’s all talk in my office. Away from the cameras.” Ash yanked off his hat. “Nicole, if I have any calls, please put them through. We are open for business as usual.”

  Her jerky nod made him miss Macy all that much more. If Nicole passed out from the tension in the air, he wouldn’t blame her but he’d have a hard time finding a replacement.

  As soon as he, Winter and Whit Callaway were crammed inside his small, cluttered office, Ash shut the door and motioned at the two mismatched chairs. Winter sat behind his desk and Whit Callaway dropped down in the closest chair. Ash gritted his teeth as he moved to lean against the closed door. His leg, always angered by inaction, twisted under the strain but it would hold with the extra support.

  Or else.

  “Why are you here?” Winter asked, her cold eyes focused on her fiancé. Since that was the question Ash most dearly wanted answered, he was content to let his sister take the lead. “Who told you what was happening?”

  Callaway grimaced. “I would ask first why you didn’t tell me what was going on? I mean, we’re engaged, Winter. I can’t believe you’re here.” He motioned over his shoulder at Ash. “Him? Going off like this, I get. He’s got nothing to lose.” He wagged his head. “Well, his job. I’m going to make sure of that. No one goes around me, not without feeling the effects.”

  Winter pointed a finger in Callaway’s face. “Leave my brother alone, Whit.”

  When Callaway swatted her finger out of his face, Ash straightened. “Watch it, Callaway. Right now, I’m still an officer of the law here on the Reserve.”

  Then Winter swung around to glare at Ash. “And what about you? Encouraging Richard Duncan to come, to dig harder into this story. That wasn’t a part of the plan.”

  “Whit made it clear my job is no longer part of the equation. The Callaways will see to that. Someone needs to make sure the board of directors examines the placement of this lodge thoroughly. If the governor can slow the project down, give us time to talk to the board, then whoever did this, did us all a favor.” Ash crossed his arms over his chest. Winter narrowed her eyes but she didn’t argue.

  Callaway held up both hands. “Listen.” He took a deep breath. “In the interest of family loyalty, which is important to the Callaways if not the Kingfishers, I will try to understand what’s happening here.” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “If you’d just come to me, this could have been resolved easily, Ash. The lodge goes in, we all profit. It’s Callaway land, has been since before the state was a state, and a Callaway company, and a new Callaway project. She’s going to be a Callaway.” Whit pointed at Winter. “Or she was. We’re in this together.”

  Winter crossed both arms over her chest. Ash wished he could tell what his sister thought about that, but she’d assumed the Kingfisher deadpan glare. His mother was the undisputed champion of the expression, but Winter was improving daily.

  Callaway slumped in his chair. “You were perfect for me. We were perfect together. So polished. Your pedigree wasn’t all that lofty, but you have a good story, Winter. And I’m from one of the first families of Tennessee.”

  Winter shook her head. “Why didn’t I see this coming?”

  “Don’t make this into some kind of scheme on my part. We fit together from the minute you sat across from me in that accounting class. The fact that you were worse at it than me was confirmation you were the woman I was looking for. We fit then. We always have.” Whit gripped her elbows. “And my parents actually liked you, Winter. Think of how good we looked together. How far we might have made it. The White House. First lady. You could have that. Imagine what you could do from that platform. If we can save this, I want to do it, you and me and the plan we’ve been working on for years.” He tapped his chest. “My father will have it, one way or another, a Callaway in the White House.”

  “But you got greedy, didn’t you?” Winter said slowly. Ash shivered. Her frosty voice was brittle but strong. If he was sitting across from her, he’d be scared. “World domination is nice, but you could do better, was that it? And as long as I don’t object to the Callaways destroying a place I love and my brother’s career, I’m still welcome to join. How nice.”

  “We need the money, Winter. We always need the money. Campaigns are expensive and the price keeps rising.” Whit scoffed like he couldn’t believe how naive Winter was being. “We’d take back some of the money we’ve put into the Reserve over generations. It’s not like we’re thieves. We’re reclaiming an investment. The land still stands in the Reserve. If anything, we’re building a firmer foundation here in Tennessee.”

  “Yes, a new business would lead to opportunities to boast about new jobs and tourism dollars. Right? Let’s follow the logic.” Winter turned to Ash. “I really want there to be logic because if this lowlife has broken my trust, hurt the Reserve, ruined the wedding I’ve wasted six months planning, not to mention the ten years we’ve been together where I’ve grinned at some clearly not nice people on behalf of winning their votes, and there’s not good logic to this plan, I will lose my cool.” Her words were precise and snapped at the end, like an icicle that loses its hold, breaks and falls.

  And in the near future, Winter might shatter. Ash limped over to stand next to her, one hand on her shoulder. No matter what happened, he’d back her up.

  “I get it,” Ash said. If he could let go of yes and no and embrace the maybe, Ash might have been convinced by Hall and Whit Callaway. But sometimes a person cracked open the door to the maybe variety of thinking, and that’s when all kinds of bad choices flooded in. “You’re only claiming what’s yours after all. The land is Callaway land. So is the company working on the expansion you want. We’ll lose some animal populations. The bird habitats up there would sustain some damage. One of the most popular climbs in the park would be paved over for a parking lot. But you’re only spending money to make money and who does that hurt?” Ash held up both hands as Winter shot up to stand, color in her cheeks. “If you take a minute to look up from your wallet, you’ll see, Callaway. Number one—it hurts her. I can’t believe you didn’t think of that.”

  Losing his job would hurt; watching his sister’s heart break was much worse.

  “Why?” Whit asked. “It has almost nothing to do with Winter.”

  “Until I disagree with you. You’ll absolutely cut me loose then. I can have everything I want, and all I have to do is lie for you and say the project’s a great idea. But one of us, Ash or me or both of us, will have to change our story, change how we feel. Too late, Whit.” Winter narrowed her eyes. “You would have destroyed things we’ll never get back, here at the Reserve and between us. Worse, you don’t even see it now. I’ve made a career here, dedicated time to supporting
the Reserve because I love it. When I think of all my favorite times, they happened here.”

  Callaway stood. He was a man clearly at a loss as to how to navigate the situation. “What do you want me to do, Winter?”

  “Postpone the project. Get Callaways off the board of the Reserve so a logical decision can be made. Leave my brother out of this.” Winter squared up across from her fiancé.

  “And you’ll come back?” Whit asked. “I don’t know if my father will go for any of that, but I’ll give it a try if you’ll stop here, turn back to me and our plan.” He offered her his hand.

  Her snort wasn’t kind but it was very clear. “No. That was so you could do the right thing, Whit. That’s all.”

  “I want to fix this, Winter,” Whit said. “Why don’t you?”

  Winter squeezed her eyes closed. “Why haven’t you returned my calls? All week I needed to talk to you, wanted to fix this, too, but couldn’t get you to answer. I really needed you.”

  Callaway ran his hand through his hair. “My father thought you needed time to cool off and think. The more we argued, the harder it would be to get over, so I gave you space.”

  Winter nodded. “Well, more space now would be good. Get out.”

  He bent his head, his lips a tight, angry line. “You can both expect to hear from the chief ranger today. I’d go ahead and start clearing out your desks. That will save you some time. Since you’re about to be all over the newspapers again, you’ll want to make a quick getaway.”

  Ash hadn’t thrown a punch in a decade.

  Whit Callaway had him testing his fists for muscle memory, but he left the office before Ash could make the final decision on whether punching him was a bad idea or the worst idea ever.