“They don’t care about frightening the eagles. Not that they’ve sat on the nest at all.” Beverly’s phone clicked as she snapped a picture of the two men.
“They want the birds off the nest, so they can get a good look inside. If the female was sitting on them, they wouldn’t be able to see.” Liam had a theory of why the birds hadn’t visited the nest. Damn, he hoped the eagles were not going to show themselves to these men, and that they kept their beaks shut.
“They aren’t going to nest there this year, are they?” Beverly asked as she clicked away, taking lots of photos of the men as they spoke to each other.
“No, my guess is they’ve built a new nest further up the mountain. This nest site is too exposed. We’re going to need to check it out.” Liam watched the two men as they looked around, gazing up at the sky and then back down at the nest. “We’d better hope the nesting pair don’t make an appearance.”
“Crap, I think they’re coming this way.” Beverly pulled her phone under the camouflage sheet and tucked it into her pocket. “What do we do?”
“Pretend.” Liam shifted his weight and angled his body toward hers.
“Pretend what?” Beverly hissed.
“That we came up here for some privacy.” He gave her a knowing look, hoping he wouldn’t have to spell it out. And that she wouldn’t mind pretending with him.
“You mean pretend we’re making out?” She looked appalled, but quickly recovered. “Exhibitionism was never a turn-on, but if you think it will work without us blowing our cover...”
Liam pulled her close, looking over her shoulder to where the two men were pointing up at the cliffs above them. “They have the same idea as us.”
“About what, making out?” Beverly asked, her breath caressing his face. She resisted the urge to turn around.
“No.” He grinned and shook his head. “About the eagles.”
“Oh, we need to make sure they don’t find them.” Beverly gazed into his eyes. “We’re going to have to make sure they see us. If they know someone has seen them, they won’t go searching for the bird’s nest.”
“We need to make it look natural.” Liam sure wished they really were making out.
“OK, so I’ll giggle, and you push the camo sheet off, and we’ll spill out and then look surprised to see them.” Beverly frowned. “That would look natural, wouldn’t it?”
Liam nodded. “I think so. They’ll be so surprised to see us, they won’t stop to consider if we look like we’re acting.”
“OK. Ready?” Beverly asked, her brow creased as she concentrated on the task.
“And there I was thinking we were going to at least kiss.” He gave her what he hoped was a charming smile, and then added, “Ready?”
With a quick peck on the lips, Beverly winked at him and then gave a high-pitched giggle. At that moment Liam pulled the sheet back, and Beverly got up, adjusting her clothing as she broke cover. Liam followed, folding the blanket up, and then stopped in his tracks as he pretended to see the two egg hunters for the first time.
“Hi.” Liam put his hand up and waved, and Beverly spun around, putting her hand to her mouth as more giggles erupted. She played the part perfectly.
“Oh, I didn’t know there was anyone else around.” Beverly pretended to cover her cheeks as if embarrassed. “How you doing?”
The two men looked sheepish as they stared at the two people who had appeared as if by magic. The dark-haired man, with the foreign accent, spoke first. “We were just admiring the view.”
“It’s amazing up here, isn’t it?” Liam walked toward them, wanting to get a good look at them. It would help if they had to be identified at a later date. Photographs were one thing, but an eyewitness another.
“It is.” The other man said. He was dressed in new hiking gear, as if he had purchased it for this trip. Definitely not a birdwatcher.
“We came to see the eagle nest,” Liam said. “They haven’t laid yet.”
Beverly gave him a questioning look, which he ignored. He planned to lead them in a different direction than the one he thought the birds were nesting in. With any luck, they would move on and not return. Although the outcome he truly desired ended with these two men in prison. That would be the only way to ensure the bird population was safe from them.
“I think they’ve chosen another nesting site,” the dark-haired man continued.
“I don’t know, it’s getting late, I’m not sure if they are going to lay this year.” Liam stepped forward and held out his hand. “I’m Liam, by the way, I own the mountain store in Bear Creek.” He wanted to give himself some credibility.
“Oh, I didn’t see you when I went in there yesterday. I needed some socks for these boots.” The smaller man looked down at his walking boots. “They need wearing-in.”
Liam had hoped to get them to state their names, but they weren’t going to be duped so easily. Pity.
“Beverly.” She held out her hand and gave the small man a dazzling smile, as she leaned in, flaunting herself at him. Liam’s anger unfurled in his chest, but he kept it under control. This was what Beverly was good at, and he let her do her thing.
“Derek Turner.” He smiled back at her and lifted her hand to his lips. “Now, you I have seen in town. You work in the grocery store, don’t you?”
“My daddy owns it.” She sighed as he let her hand go. “I can’t recall seeing you, and you look like a man who’s hard to forget.”
Derek spluttered, but one threatening glance from the dark-haired guy and he clammed shut. He must have realized his mistake, and shrank back from Beverly.
“The thing is, darlin’, you are the kind of woman every man remembers,” Liam told her, putting his arm possessively around her shoulders. “We should be going.”
“See ya,” Beverly called out as they headed in the direction of what Liam presumed was the new nesting site. “And Derek, I think what you are looking for is that way.”
Beverly pointed in the opposite direction, and the two men turned and looked, but didn’t move. There was only one thing for it. If they didn’t want the two men going in the right direction, they would have to create a distraction.
Oh boy, the things a man had to do for a good cause.
Chapter Nine – Beverly
“That went well.” Beverly had only just gotten the words out of her mouth before Liam captured her lips with his. His hands snaked around her waist, and he pulled her close. So totally unexpected were his actions that she was left breathless and clutching hold of him to stop her legs from collapsing under her.
His tongue slipped along her lower lip and she opened her mouth, sucking on his tongue. Liam elicited a deep groan that seemed to emanate from his chest, and thrill her senses. This was not play-acting, he wanted her, and she sure as hell wanted him. But not here on the mountainside where those two creepy men would see.
When at last Liam pulled back from her, she had lost track of where she was in time and space. The mountain and everything around them ceased to exist. “Wow.” She buried her head in his chest as she caught her breath. “Where did you learn to kiss like that?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing.” His arms tightened around her. “They’ve gone.”
Beverly turned in his arms to look back across the plateau. “That’s why you kissed me.”
“I figured they would walk the other way.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her back to face him. “But that’s not the only reason I kissed you.”
Beverly slid her hand up his chest and stood on her tiptoes to look into his eyes. She’d never noticed the deep amber flecks: were they always there, or a sign of his arousal? Beverly pressed her body against his, her hips tilted forward. He certainly was aroused. “What other reason could you have?”
“I could think of plenty,” Liam answered as he lowered his head and kissed her once more. He slid his right hand between their bodies and cupped her breast in his palm, his thumb rubbing her nipple as he squee
zed it. Beverly longed to tear her coat off and throw it to the ground. And her sweater, and every other item of clothing that prevented them being skin against skin.
Liam lifted her up, and she straddled his body, her legs wrapping around him as he slipped a hand over her bottom, and further. A deep ache filled her. Every man she had ever flirted with was gone from her memory as she was consumed by the need to be with Liam.
“I want you,” he whispered in her ear. “But not here.”
She slipped down the length of his body as he released her. Liam was right, her head agreed, but her heart wanted to be with him, naked under the blue skies. “We should go. I have to work this morning.”
Liam looked at his watch. “I have to open the store.” He brushed her hair back from her face and kissed her cheek. “Come on.”
He took her hand and they walked back the way they had come, neither of them talking as they lost themselves in thought. This relationship was sudden and intense, like the first bloom of a high school love. But neither of them were school kids.
Who was Liam, and what had his life been before he moved to Bear Creek?
“The bike is through here,” Liam said, as they followed the trail to where their early morning adventure had begun. “Everything as we left it.”
“Do you think Derek and his accomplice believed us about the birds nesting elsewhere?” Beverly asked.
“Perhaps. I’ll come up here later and see if I can find the real nest site. I’m hoping it’s well hidden.” Liam put his helmet on and straddled his bike. Beverly put her helmet on too, and tried not to think of how she’d like to do the straddling. The heat inside her body burned for him, and only he could extinguish it. If he let her down now, if he suddenly turned around and fell for another woman, she would be devastated.
She climbed on behind him, and Liam turned the motorbike around. He didn’t start the engine; instead, he let gravity take them back down through the trees, and along the gravel trail. Only when he reached the road did he kick the engine into life and pick up speed until they were flying along the road.
Within minutes they were riding along the main road into town. He parked the bike back in the shed, placing the helmets on the handlebars before shutting the doors and locking them securely.
“Are you OK?” he asked with concern.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “It’s been quite a day, and it’s only just begun.”
“Can I see you later?” he asked.
She ran her fingers up his chest. “I’m scared this is all make-believe and you’ll go off with another woman.”
Liam hooked his fingers under her chin and tilted her face up to his. “I’m yours, Beverly. Whether you like it or not. Whether you want me or not.” He frowned. “That came out wrong.”
“I think I get your meaning.” She kissed his lips. “I’ll go and show these photos to Brad and let him know what we saw.”
“Good girl.” He watched as she backed away from him, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the wall. “You are one sexy lady, Beverly.”
Beverly shook her head and walked away from him, even though she wanted to stay and explore their relationship further. But she was late for her shift, and her father would be waiting, ready to give her hell. Rushing along the street, she ducked into the store and headed for the staff room. She grabbed her nametag and pinned it to her shirt before checking the mirror and smoothing her ponytail.
The face staring back at her glowed with a new kind of radiance. Beverly leaned forward, and looked closer: her eyes were brighter, her cheeks filled with color, plus something else.
“Beverly. You’re late!” Her father’s voice called from the staff-room door.
“Sorry, Daddy.” She whirled around and went toward him, kissing him on the cheek as she passed by. “I got caught up with something important.”
“More important than the store?” He walked with her toward the cash registers.
“Yes.” Her abrupt answer stalled her father. He stopped walking and stood with his mouth opening and closing. Rolling her eyes, she turned to face him. “Don’t you ever remember a time when something mattered more to you than the store?”
“Beverly.” He glanced nervously across to where Lindy was busy serving a customer, with one ear on their conversation too. “What’s gotten into you?”
“Nothing.” She shrugged, then sighed. “Everything.”
“Are you on drugs?” Her father dropped his voice as he said the words.
“No. I’m high on life. I took an early morning walk. I realized that life outside of work is just as important.” She stepped closer to her father. “Didn’t you ever believe that? When you and Mom got together? Surely there was a time when work took second place.”
He pressed his lips together into a thin line. “There was. I admit it. But then things got tough, the recession hit, and I realized if I wanted to keep a roof over our heads and provide for my family, then I had to rearrange my priorities.”
“Dad, I didn’t know.” Beverly placed a hand on his arm, wanting to comfort him.
Her father shrugged. “I wanted to make sure we were never in that position again. I worked all the hours I could. Working to buy a new bigger store every few years, so we could have a comfortable life.” He looked at Beverly. It was as if they were seeing each other for the first time. “I don’t want you to be like me, Bev. I lost sight of the balance between work and family.”
“There’s nothing to say you can’t restore that balance.” A sad smile spread across Beverly’s face. “Mom loves you. You love Mom. How about you take her on a vacation?”
“A vacation? I can’t leave the store.” Despite his words, excitement spread across his face.
“Isn’t that why you trained me to be in charge?” A sense of her own self-worth filled her. “You don’t have to go far, or for very long. Baby steps, Dad.”
He nodded. “It’s our anniversary in a couple of months. We’ll be celebrating twenty-two years together.”
“That sounds like the perfect opportunity to show mom just how much you love her.” Beverly kissed her father’s cheek. “Thanks, Dad. And I know I don’t say it enough, but I love you.”
“I love you too, Bev. And I’m sorry if I’ve been a drag. I guess I forgot life was supposed to be about fun.” His eyes misted up.
“Dad, you’ve taught me so much. Now it’s time for you to let me take on a bigger share of the responsibilities. I can handle it.” Beverly tilted her chin up, accepting her fate as a small-town store owner, and finding she kind of liked it. “I should get to work.”
“One more thing, Beverly,” her dad said.
“What?” Beverly cocked her head to one side.
“What happened?”
“What do you mean?” Beverly asked.
“The Beverly who came back from the Bear Creek Mountain Rescue meeting is not the same woman who left to go there.”
Beverly shrugged. “My priorities changed.”
“Why?”
“I think I’ve met someone.” Beverly cringed at her words. “I mean the one.”
“It shows.” Her dad stroked her chin. “And whoever he is, he’s a very lucky man.”
“Thanks, Dad.” With a swell of pride, she got on with her list of chores for the day. Her dad was right, she was a changed woman. Correction. She was a new woman. The girl she had been before had grown up, metamorphized from a child to an adult.
Thanks to meeting Liam. Whether she was ready to be all he wanted her to be, she wasn’t sure. Did he want a casual relationship? Or was he expecting marriage and all that came with it?
Her stomach flipped over with nerves. She wasn’t ready to be a mom, she was too young, with too much she wanted to do. As much as she loved her father, and would take on half the workload, there were places she wanted to visit, sights she wanted to see.
Being a small-town store owner didn’t mean being tied to the same small town for every hour of every day for the rest
of her life.
There was a way to make it all work. Beverly simply had to find the way.
Chapter Ten – Liam
Liam made a fresh pot of coffee and got stuck into work. The events of yesterday had caused him to fall behind, and he couldn’t allow that to continue. Although the business was a success, it was still in its early stages and if he messed up now, there was a chance it could all come crashing down. If that happened, he would not be able to return his mom’s stake in the place.
Which led him to his next conundrum.
Originally, he’d planned to build the business up and sell it, and go back to his old life. It was a good life, filled with all kinds of excitement and action. When he moved here to Bear Creek, he knew if he stayed he would be settling for something less than he could be.
How quickly those thoughts had changed. The lure of small-town life was almost too much. It promised him everything he’d grown up with. Close friends, a good quality of life, and no having to worry if your next job was the one that would get you killed.
“Hello!” Leona let herself in, and he listened to the familiar sound of her taking off her coat, and hanging it up along with her purse, before she entered the small kitchen to join him in their ritual of coffee and whatever she had baked last night. Leona knew how to bake, and she knew Liam had a sweet tooth.
“Morning, Leona. How are you?” He poured the coffee, while she took out two plates and deposited the contents of a Tupperware container onto them. “I give you homemade apple Danish.”
“Damn, I think I died and went to heaven.” He picked up a plate and held it to his nose. “With just the right amount of cinnamon.”
“I had to sneak them out. Neil was going to take them all to work. I think he must be trying to sweeten up his boss.” Leona sipped her coffee. “Oh, that’s good.”
Liam took a bite of the pastry; it was mouthwateringly good. “This is amazing. Are you trying to sweeten up your boss?”
“I might be. Neil wants to take us on vacation this year. The boys and I haven’t ever really been on one. Spending quality time with his family was never Clive’s idea of fun.” A chink in Leona’s normal happy expression wrenched at his gut. He would like to spend some time in a room with Clive and teach him what it felt like to have a fist in your face. Leona had never gone into details, but the way she talked about Clive left Liam in no doubt that he was an abusive bully.
Undercover Eagle Page 6
