Hold Back The Dawn

by Duncan, Judith

  "Threatened?"

  "Sure. It's something that they've never had to accept before, or adjust to—dealing with women in this capacity—and some of the older ones won't know how to handle it." Ted navigated around a large pothole, then glanced at Leslie. "Always try to put yourself in their shoes, girl. If you do, I know you'll be able to deal with their initial animosity."

  "I hope so. This isn't exactly one of the high points in my life as far as courage goes."

  "I know, honey. And I may as well warn you—it's going to be worse for you because you look half your age and you aren't exactly big. I've run across a few women geologists and engineers in my travels, and the majority of them have been big robust women who are a little rough around the edges. You're different, Les, so it's going to take them all some time to get used to you."

  Ted was silent for a moment, and Leslie could sense that he was considering something else. "Steve is really sticking his neck out by taking you on. I hope you realize that," he said finally.

  "I know."

  "He has a lot of confidence in you."

  Leslie didn't answer. She didn't want to talk about Steve. She was in such a muddle as far as he was concerned. She ached to see him again, yet she dreaded it. One moment she would be filled with excitement about working so closely with him, and the next she would be apprehensive. All that remained constant were her feelings for him—those would never change.

  "Leslie, there's something else you had better be on the alert for. Some of the guys are young pups, and I don't doubt for a moment that one or two of them are going to be a little persistent with their attentions.''

  "Don't be ridiculous, Ted."

  "I'm not being ridiculous. Something like that could cause problems when there's a bunch of guys jammed together in a camp—and isolated to boot."

  "I think you're way off base, but if it should happen, and I doubt that it will, you have my word that I'll deal with it."

  "Don't be afraid to let me know if anyone is giving you any trouble."

  "If I have to, I will, but that sort of situation is never going to happen."

  Ted chuckled and shook his head slowly. "That's always amazed me—you don't have a vain bone in your body."

  Leslie snorted, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Not about my looks, maybe, but my driving skills are worth bragging about!''

  "Ha! I'm glad you finally turned the wheel over to me when you did. I have this peculiar desire to live to a ripe old age."

  Leslie pulled a face at him. She sat up straight and peered out the windshield as she glimpsed lights through the trees. "How much farther?"

  "Just around the bend. We'll stop in at the rig before we go on to camp for supper, okay?"

  "Okay." Leslie could feel herself grow pale. Here she was—miles from nowhere, going into a camp where nearly everyone would view her presence as an offense. Then there was the man who meant everything to her, who viewed her as...as what? She must be out of her mind. She closed her eyes and shuddered. What had she gotten herself into this time? And could she get herself out of it in one piece?

  The truck bounced to a halt and Leslie opened her eyes. A bombardment of impressions hit her; darkness falling like a curtain around the brightly lighted rig, a cacophony of noise that was muffled by the silence of the surrounding forest, a sense of purpose. This would be her home for many weeks. Could she ever fit in? She squared her shoulders as Ted switched off the ignition and turned off the lights.

  He patted her arm. "One more thing, girl. If you ever need a shoulder to lean on or an ear to bend, I'm here."

  She squeezed his hand, her heart filled with warm affection. "Thank you, Ted. You have no idea how much that means to me."

  He gave a brief nod of satisfaction, then opened his door. "Let's go, girl. Everybody is likely curling up with curiosity over 'that woman.' "

  Leslie laughed and hopped out of the truck, neatly catching the keys as Ted tossed them over the hood to her. He grinned as he thumped the fender. "I guess this vehicle of yours will pass, girl, considering it isn't a Ford."

  Leslie narrowed her eyes at him. "What's so special about a Ford, Ted McAllister?"

  Ted grinned. "Damned near every truck in the oil patch is a Ford, of one shape or another."

  "Don't you think it's a little late to tell me that?"

  "Where in hell did you get that oversized toy, Ted?"

  Leslie experienced a nervous flurry when she recognized Steve's voice. She turned to face him, stuffing her hands into her jacket pockets in an effort to hide their trembling. She felt smothered by his irresistible smile, and her pulse raced when he came up to her. A warm weakness invaded her body as his eyes fixed on her for a breathless moment.

  Ted's voice broke the spell. "It's Leslie's. She finally broke into her piggy bank."

  "You two can cut out the cute remarks. I'm not going to stand here in this freezing wind just to listen to you slander my vehicle."

  Ted motioned toward the rig. "Come on then. I'll give you the grand tour, Les." They walked across the uneven ground, which had been stripped of any growth. "How's everything going?"

  "On schedule so far. We should spud sometime the day after tomorrow."

  "Great! Is Frank Logan around?"

  "Yeah. He's up in the doghouse."

  Leslie's eyes ran up the towering, light-studded rig to the small steel hut erected on the drilling platform, which was some thirty feet above the ground. The doghouse served as office, toolshed, lunchroom, and refuge from the weather for the drilling crew.

  As they approached the rig, Steve touched Leslie's arm and pointed to a trailer. "That's the geologist's shack. Do you want to have a look?"

  "Yes, I would. Did all the equipment arrive?"

  "I think so, but you can check it out."

  Ted veered away from them and called over his shoulder. "I'm going up to the floor to see how things are going. I'll catch you later."

  Leslie felt abandoned as she was left alone with Steve. She wanted desperately to avoid any situation that might compromise the casual facade she was determined to present.

  She followed him to the brick-red industrial trailer with definite misgivings. She was feeling strangely shy, and she really didn't know if she could maintain her mask of congeniality. Despite her uneasiness, however, she was keenly interested in the interior arrangements.

  There was a tiny bedroom across one end, with an equally tiny bathroom next to it. A galley kitchen opened into a small living room. The living quarters were separated from the large lab area by a small hallway and a closet. The whole unit was compact and well planned, and Leslie could tell by the smell and the immaculate condition that it was new.

  After touring the rooms she reentered the kitchen area, a delighted smile on her face. This would be the first place that was hers, and she felt a pleasant eddy of excitement.

  Steve was leaning against the cabinet, a look of amused tolerance on his face. "The living quarters are small, but then you really don't take up much space, do you?"

  Leslie slanted a look at him that was meant to be scathing, but her dimples gave her away. "You and Ted are beginning to sound like a broken record, you know."

  He eased himself away from the cupboard and sauntered over to her, his eyes gleaming as he rested his hands on her shoulders. "Does that mean you think we're boring?"

  Leslie looked up at him. Her breathing became suddenly shallow as a surge of anticipation awakened within her. There was a brazen challenge in his eyes; he was daring her to deny it.

  Her voice was husky, but she forced herself to speak. "Don't try to back me into a corner "

  His arms came around her, and Leslie tried to steel herself as he slowly lowered his head. His breath was warm and tantalizing against her lips as he said, "You're already cornered, Leslie Kairns."

  She tried to keep the kiss impersonal and light, but her willpower was decimated as he moved his moist mouth enticingly across hers, summoning a response that left her weak
and helpless. He slipped his hand up her back, and then with an impatient gruff curse unzipped her jacket and opened it. With a muffled groan, he molded her tightly against his solid frame as his gentle kiss turned into a sensuous assault.

  The aching desire that she had suppressed for so long came boiling out in a volcanic reaction that caught them in its searing flame. Steve's hands were moving over her back with passionate urgency, pressing her tighter and tighter against him, until Leslie felt their bodies would fuse together like two pieces of white-hot metal. He lifted her up until her hips were welded against his; the heat and the hardness of his touch drove her senses to a fever pitch. With every fervent movement of her body, with every impassioned caress, she was telling him that she wanted him.

  And he needed her soft yielding body to satisfy his own rampaging hunger. Their famine had been long and desolate, one that had taxed their restraint to the limit. The need to appease their ravenous appetites was a frantic obsession that could be assuaged only by complete surrender.

  Leslie shuddered against him, and the spasm echoed through Steve, who lifted her up until she was cradled in his arms. With a ragged groan, he dragged his mouth away from hers and started carrying her toward the bedroom. He had reached the doorway of the bathroom when a commotion of voices intruded into the trailer through the partially opened bathroom window.

  Steve's arms tightened convulsively around her as he buried his face against her neck, his breathing hoarse and uneven. He grasped her tightly for a long moment, then slowly, reluctantly, set her on her feet. Supporting her with one arm around her waist, he spanned her chin with his hand and lifted her face. With a tenderness that made Leslie want to weep, he kissed her mouth.

  Her lips trembled when he lifted his head and looked down at her, his eyes smokey with regret. 'That's Ted and Frank coming in." He kissed her again, then with a heavy sigh squeezed her one last time. Easing his embrace, he stroked her hair. "I'm sorry, Leslie."

  She stretched up and kissed his sensitive mouth once more, allowing her lips to linger briefly. Then, with a tremulous smile that camouflaged her inner turmoil, she slipped out of his arms and went into the bathroom, closing the door softly behind her. A bleak feeling closed around her as she stood staring at her reflection in the mirror above the sink. She shouldn't have come; she knew that as a certainty. She was only prolonging the agony.

  Leslie had managed to corral some of her stampeding emotions by the time she heard the indistinct murmur of voices within the trailer. She sponged her face with a cold damp facecloth, then combed her fingers through her disheveled hair. With a deep breath she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, then opened the door and walked out.

  She found Ted, Steve and a burly heavyset man in the room that would be her lab. She was certain that this must be Frank Logan, the senior tool push for Ramco. Although nothing had been said specifically, she had a suspicion he would be the man who would most vehemently oppose her being on location. The tool push was responsible for drilling operations in the field, including the management of the drilling crews and the support staff. If she started out on the wrong foot with Frank Logan, her life at this rig would be a living hell. She was directly answerable to Steve, but Frank could, if he chose, make her job very difficult.

  The three men were engrossed in a conversation. Steve and Frank had their backs to her, but Ted was facing the door. She grimaced as she walked toward him but managed a grin when he winked at her. Steve and Frank turned to face her, and Leslie deliberately avoided looking at Steve as she stopped beside Ted.

  He dropped his huge hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. The gesture telegraphed his confidence in her, and Leslie felt slightly fortified.

  "Frank, I'd like you to meet Leslie Kairns, our project geologist. Leslie, this is Frank Logan, the tool push for this rig."

  Leslie smiled and stretched out her hand. "Hello, Frank. I'm really looking forward to working with you."

  Frank Logan ignored Leslie's offered hand and glared at Steve and Ted with a look of pure outrage. He looked back at Leslie in disdain and pointedly stuck his hands in his pockets. "You have to be kiddin'!"

  Leslie knew now what the term "poker face" implied; Steve's face remained blank of any emotion when he answered, "Nobody is kidding, Frank."

  The tool push looked like a man being strangled as his face turned dark with indignation. "I don't know where you found her, or why you hired her, but I can tell you right now, she ain't gonna last a week around here."

  Leslie was shocked by the vehemence of his attack. She felt her temper flare at his unjustified assessment, but she had been warned that she would meet opposition. There was no hint of anger as she looked at Frank with a calmness that was borne of sheer determination.

  "I can do my job, Frank."

  "How in hell can you possibly do your job? This ain't no tea party, lady, and that's about all you could handle."

  Ted interjected, "Leslie was the geologist who pinpointed this area, Frank. She knows what she's doing."

  "I don't care if she pinpointed the Great Lakes. She ain't found nothin' till we drill into it." Frank snorted, his face contemptuous. "Knows what she's doin'—she knows what she's doin' all right! I'd like to know why she's here. Whose pocket is she in, anyway?"

  Leslie had been watching Steve's face while Frank ranted, and she knew exactly what he was thinking. With that insinuating comment, Frank had effectively severed any association, other than a strictly professional one, between the two of them. Under no circumstances could she ever compromise Steve's position with any of his staff. He knew it, and she knew it, too.

  "You're out of line, Frank." There was an icy warning in Steve's voice that frightened Leslie. She couldn't let him intervene on her behalf, or Frank would misconstrue his reasons.

  Leslie placed her hands on her hips as she faced Frank, her expression determined. "I don't know what you're hinting at, Mr. Logan, but I've been hired to do a job, and that's what I intend on doing!"

  Frank ignored Leslie and turned to Steve, his face red with rage. "Steve, my God, man, you ain't serious about this—you can't be! The oil patch ain't no place for anyone so frail."

  "She stays, Frank. If you or Ted can show me evidence that she's not doing what she was hired to do, then she goes.''

  "And who in hell is supposed to baby her through the hard work and rotten weather?"

  Up until then, Leslie was considering backing down. But the suggestion that she was unsuitable because of her lack of physical stamina really infuriated her. One look at Steve's face told her he had doubts about that himself. He was obviously recalling his own initial assessment of her. Determination germinated within her, and her anger fertilized it until it flowered into sheer single-mindedness. He may never love her, but damn it, he would respect her or she would die trying!

  Leslie glared at Frank and snapped, "I don't need any babying, Mr. Logan. I'm quite capable of looking after myself!"

  Frank strode over to her, his manner menacing as he wagged his finger at her. Leslie realized he was trying to bully her into backing away from him, so she deliberately and defiantly held her ground.

  His tone was heavy with sarcasm as he sneered at her, "I suppose everytime somethin' ain't goin' quite right for little Miss Geologist, you'll run cryin' to one of the bosses."

  Leslie's eyes were blazing fire as her anger soared, but somehow she managed to keep her voice cool. "The only time I'll lodge any complaints, Mr. Logan, is if you or any of your men interfere with my duties as a geologist. Other than that, I said I can look after myself."

  "Then, Miss Kairns, you do your job. Don't you expect me or any of my hands to cater to you—and we'll just see how long you can hack it before you're weepin' on somebody's shoulder, whinin' about how mean we are. We'll just see!" He swept the trio with a look of indignant wrath and stomped out, slamming the door with such force that the entire trailer shook. A heavy silence settled over the room. The battle lines were drawn.

  Le
slie stood staring at the floor, frowning with annoyance. Just who did Frank Logan think he was, anyway? She glanced at Ted and saw an odd twitch at the corner of his mouth. If his expression wasn't so perfectly sober, she would have thought he was enjoying a private joke.

  He looked at her somewhat apologetically. "Les..."

  "Leave it, Ted," Steve said. "You'd better get out there and see if you can settle Logan down.''

  The older man shrugged, shot Leslie a perplexed beats-me look, then left the trailer. Leslie leaned against a cabinet and nervously toyed with a coil of pliable solder that was lying on the counter. She could tell by Steve's stance that he was both annoyed and disgusted by the recent confrontation.

  "You shouldn't have challenged him, Leslie." His voice was controlled, but Leslie could detect the current of exasperation in it.

  "I didn't challenge him; I merely defended myself. He had me hung, drawn and quartered before I ever opened my mouth." She turned to face him, her expression fixed. "You know that."

  "Yes, I know that. That's precisely why you are going back to Calgary tomorrow."

  Leslie felt as though he had slapped her. She stared at him, and her mouth dropped open in disbelief. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

  "I've obviously made a mistake in bringing you out here. Frank Logan will go out of his way to make things difficult for you, and I don't think you're thick-skinned enough to handle it."

  "Well, of all the ridiculous..." Leslie was seething. "The depth of my skin is not the issue! Just because someone likes or dislikes me has no bearing on how well I do my job."

  "You are going home tomorrow." His voice was as cold as steel and just as hard. Steve walked toward the window and stood staring out at the brightly lighted rig, his arms folded across his chest.