by Mia Ross
While Heath started the pickup and pulled around the disabled sedan, he couldn’t help glancing over at his passenger and wondering what her deal was. He’d grown up running wild with her cousins, the infamous Barrett boys who were the stuff of local legend. Knowing them as well as he did, he definitely pegged the family resemblance in the stunning brunette with the dark, intelligent eyes, sitting beside him.
Other than that, she struck him as a whole different animal. In a slim skirt the color of lilacs and a tissue-thin blouse a couple of shades lighter, she looked decidedly out of place on this backwoods road in the heart of the Blue Ridge valley. Then again, she’d traveled across the country to help out at the iconic sawmill that had given the town its name and still provided many of its residents with a decent income. To do something like that, she must be incredibly generous. Or desperate.
Thinking of her being in trouble bothered him for some reason, so he went with the other option. “It’s nice of you to come out and lend a hand with the mill. I’m sure your family really appreciates it.”
“At the wedding, Chelsea mentioned she’d be out with the baby for a while and would be looking for someone to take over while she’s gone. When I lost my job a couple weeks ago, it seemed like a good time to try something different. So here I am.”
“That’s great for them but tough for you,” he commented with genuine sympathy. “Mind if I ask what happened?”
“Oh, the usual. I was managing an adorable little boutique in Beverly Hills. After a few months, the owner’s husband started paying more attention to me than to her, so she fired me.”
The sarcastic tone rang a bell with him, and he barely managed to keep back a grin. Apparently, a streak of wry Barrett humor was lurking behind that cool, polished exterior of hers. Interesting.
She didn’t volunteer anything more, and Heath took the hint that she’d rather let the subject drop. Fine by him, he mused as he concentrated on the road in front of him. He had enough on his plate these days without taking on someone else’s problems.
After a couple of minutes, the silence seemed to get to her. “So, you grew up around here?”
“Born and raised.”
“You said you liked Alaska,” she pointed out. “Have you been anywhere else?”
“Louisiana, Iowa, Arizona. Being a mechanic, I can pretty much work anywhere.”
“What made you decide to come back here?”
Heath still hadn’t come to terms with the answer to that, and he fought the urge to joke his way out of responding. He’d been doing that for months, to avoid reliving the pain that had chased him back to the safe, quiet town where he’d spent his childhood. But something told him if he dodged a question from the pretty woman beside him, she’d know it. And she’d never trust him. Why he cared what she thought about him, he couldn’t say, but loyalty to her family was as good a reason as any.
As he parked in the turnaround near the mill house, he finally settled on a version of the truth. “It was time to come home. I’m almost thirty, and my adventuring days are over.”
She studied him for a long, uncomfortable moment, and it took everything he had not to look away. Clearly, she suspected that he hadn’t given her the whole story, but he hoped his explanation would be enough to satisfy her curiosity, at least for now.
“That’s interesting,” she said with quiet determination glittering in her eyes. “Because mine are just getting started.”
Suddenly, there was a bang in the truck bed behind them, and a big, furry face popped in through the open back window. Tess shrieked and plastered herself up against the passenger door, shielding her head with her designer purse.
Chuckling, Heath greeted their slobbery guest with a pat on the head. “Hey, Boyd. How’re you today?”
The bloodhound woofed, licking Heath’s hand while his tail wagged enthusiastically. When Heath noticed him eyeballing Tess, he warned, “Behave yourself, dude. The lady’s had a tough morning.”
In response, the dog sat politely and reeled in his tongue, even though his head was still hanging over the seat. Apparently, that was as good as it was going to get. “Tess, I’d like you to meet Boyd. The story is he found your cousin Paul at a lumber camp in Oregon and followed him home. Personally, I think it was the other way around.”
His comment had the intended effect, and she uncoiled herself from the corner to give the hound a cautious once-over. Thrilled with the attention, Boyd let out a quiet woof and cocked his head in what even a committed dog-hater would have called a friendly gesture.
“Pleased to meet you, Boyd,” she finally said, patting his forehead. “You’ll have to excuse my manners, but you scared me half to death.”
The hound woofed again, and Heath reached over to ruffle his floppy ears. “See? He’s sorry. He’s the welcoming committee around here, and he was just doing his job.”
“Very well, too,” she added, scratching around his collar with a smile. “Paul found himself a real gem of a sidekick, didn’t he?”
Her gooey tone was totally at odds with her hard exterior, and Heath couldn’t help admiring how quickly she’d shifted from terrified city girl to down-to-earth animal lover. Apparently, she reserved that cool, distant manner of hers for humans. It probably should have bugged him, but in reality it was a relief.
During the short time they’d spent together, he’d learned that Tess had a sharp mind and a tongue to match. He was fairly well traveled, and experience had taught him to steer clear of women like her. They were always one step ahead of him, and eventually he got tired of trying to catch up.
His conversation with Tess hadn’t changed his opinion in the least. In fact, he was determined to give women like Tess a wide berth, now more than ever.
Chapter Two
After Tess recovered from meeting the very exuberant Boyd, she got out of the truck and took a few moments to absorb her surroundings. A sparkling creek flowed through the nearby woods and under the wide cobblestone bridge that led from the rutted dirt lane to the lumberyard. Once the stream reached the dam and collected in the mill pond, it was ready to be harnessed to power the waterwheel her cousin Paul had restored to grant their ailing grandfather’s wish to see the long-shuttered mill up and running again before he died.
Of course, she hadn’t known all this before, she groused. Over the weekend, Gram had filled her in on the family history that had been a complete blank for Tess until a month ago. For the hundredth time, she wondered what possible reason her father had for leaving his charming hometown and stubbornly refusing to acknowledge his roots.
Or his own father’s death.
Thinking about the grandfather she’d never met still made her misty, especially when she was standing here in the middle of the property he’d cherished so much. She’d learned that it hadn’t been easy to keep it in the family, with developers drooling over the acres of untouched woods around the picturesque Sterling Creek. If he’d given in and sold out, he and Gram would have had enough money to travel wherever they wanted to go. Instead, they chose to hold on to the land and live more modestly in this sleepy little town that didn’t warrant even a dot on a state map.
“Something wrong?”
Heath’s voice broke into her musings, and she glanced over at him. She was about to give her customary “no” when something stopped her, and she frowned. “I’m not sure. I was just thinking about how my grandfather never wanted to give this place up, even when people offered him a ton of money for it. My father always thought Granddad was crazy.”
“Sounds like you agreed with him.”
“I know it sounds disrespectful, but yes, I did.”
Heath rested an arm over the railing on the front porch steps and cocked his head with a curious look. “And now?”
“I think I get it, at least a little.”
As the b
reeze rustled through a nearby stand of trees, she admired the spectrum of colors waving along the branches and caught the flash of a white tail as a deer bounded back into the woods. Add in the chiming of dozens of birds and the telltale scent of wood shavings, and her appreciation for the Barrett legacy deepened. Peaceful but teeming with life, this place was a lot more than a chunk of prime real estate. And it was infinitely more valuable than even her brilliant father could possibly fathom.
“I’m sorry you didn’t get to meet Will,” Heath said gently, as if he’d picked up on her melancholy train of thought. “He was one of the kindest, most generous people I’ve ever known.”
She knew Heath meant for her to view the comment in a positive light, but it only made her choke up again. Pulling herself together wasn’t easy, but for both their sakes she dredged up a halfhearted smile. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I was fine at the cemetery with Gram yesterday.”
“That’s ’cause he’s not there. He’s here.” Heath nodded in the general direction of the rushing water.
The rugged mechanic didn’t strike her as the philosophical type, and she eyed him with curiosity. “You really believe that, don’t you?”
“Sure. I know it’s not a big, exciting city, but for most of us, this little swath of land beats them all, hands down.”
He said it without hesitation, but something flickering in his eyes made her suspect that for him, there was more to it than mere loyalty. Since neither of them had the time for a story right now, she opted to let it go. “Since you said you were dropping off that old truck, I’m guessing you need a ride back into town. Did you want to come in and say hello or get going now?”
“No hurry,” he replied with a grin. “This is Barrett’s Mill, remember?”
Yes, it was. She still wasn’t sure what that meant exactly, but she was looking forward to finding out. She and Heath climbed the steps together, with Boyd lumbering up behind them. When Heath pulled open the door, the dog eyed the lobby then turned his large brown eyes on Tess as if he were waiting for her.
“What nice manners you have,” she cooed, patting his head on her way past. Paul was standing inside, and she teased, “Did you teach him to do that?”
“Yeah, right,” he laughed before hugging her. “So, whattya think of the old place?”
“It looks fabulous, just like you described it.” The praise came easily, because even a totally non-mechanical person like her could tell how much effort had gone into bringing the archaic family business back to life.
“Thanks.” Shaking hands with Heath, Paul added, “How’s the old beast running these days?”
“Are you kidding me?” Heath growled, although the proud twinkle in his eyes gave him away. “She makes a Swiss watch look like a clunker.”
“That’s great, ’cause the lease just ran out on one of our trucks, and we could use another delivery vehicle around here.”
What he wasn’t saying, Tess noticed, was that he hadn’t renewed the lease. Which meant finances weren’t in the best shape right now. Maybe she could do something about that, she thought, relishing the idea of using her college education for something more worthwhile than catering to wealthy customers. She couldn’t imagine anything fitting that bill better than pitching in to help improve the mill’s bottom line.
For now, though, she needed a way to get herself to and from work. “Speaking of vehicles...”
“Don’t tell me,” Paul groaned.
“It was an accident. Gram and I were up late, and I couldn’t find the bag with my shoes, and—”
“I sort of cut her off turning onto Mill Road,” Heath interrupted with a sheepish look that would have convinced the most jaded Hollywood director to hire him on the spot. “The damage isn’t bad, and I’ll have it fixed in a couple days, tops. For free, since it was my fault.”
Even though he’d told her the same thing earlier, Tess still couldn’t believe he was so blithely taking responsibility for their run-in. She was trying to figure out why when a soft voice asked, “Are you all right?”
Tess glanced over and saw Paul’s wife, Chelsea, silhouetted in the hallway that separated the front end of the mill house from the saws on the production floor. Wearing a burgundy dress with a high-waisted tie, she slowly waddled over to join them.
Not wanting to worry her very pregnant boss, Tess forced a smile and stepped forward for a reassuring hug. “Just embarrassed to be late for my first day of work. How are you?”
“Fine. I wanted to be up front when you got here, but the baby’s been pounding on some uncomfortable places this morning.”
Tess caught Paul’s concerned scowl and studied his wife more closely. While she was clearly trying to hide it, she appeared to be far past exhausted. Beyond that, the way she was standing betrayed the fact that she was actually in pain.
“Chelsea,” Paul began in a gentle voice, “I think you should sit down.”
“I’ve been sitting down,” she snapped in frustration. “I took a walk, I lay down on that old settee in the store room. Nothing I do makes any difference, so I’m going to stand.”
Obviously accustomed to a hormonal mood swing or two, he didn’t respond but met her stormy look head-on. She glared at him for a moment before relenting with a frustrated sigh. “I’m sorry, everyone. I’m just having a bad morning.”
“It’s not the first one,” Paul pointed out. “I’m glad we’re seeing the doctor today.”
“Our appointment’s at one,” she said to Tess. “I hate to leave you alone so soon, but you can call me if you have any questions.”
“Not a problem at all,” Tess assured her warmly. Looking around, she noted the feminine touches in the waiting area, from the gingham cushions to the curtains waving in the breeze. Admiring the framed photos of the mill from its Civil War beginnings to the present day, she turned to Chelsea. “Everything looks great. You’ve done an amazing job in here.”
“You should check out the saws,” Heath piped up enthusiastically. “It’s awesome to see them when they’re all running.”
While she appreciated his enthusiasm, she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to his boyish reaction than simple nostalgia. In deference to her sanity, she didn’t normally dwell on her less than stellar past. But Heath’s fondness for his made her wish she held that kind of affection for the life she’d been living.
Pushing her brooding aside, she shifted her focus to Paul. “At the wedding, Chelsea told me your dad converted the equipment to run on electricity years ago. What made you decide to go back to water power?”
“Waterwheels are cool,” the two guys said in unison, making her and Chelsea laugh.
“Well, I can’t argue with that,” Tess allowed. “Do you have time to show me now?”
He grinned proudly. “I’m between runs, so come on in.”
Giving in to her fatigue, Chelsea waved them along. “Daisy and I will be in the office when you’re done.”
“Your kitty assistant,” Tess recalled. “How is she?”
“More trouble than ever, and since she’s deaf she can’t hear me scolding her. I keep telling myself it’s good practice for when I’m chasing after a toddler who won’t listen.”
As she headed into her office, Tess saw her take a pair of sound-canceling headphones from a hook near the Dutch door. Probably a good idea for herself, too, along with finding a good place to buy more casual clothes and some sensible shoes. This was a far more rustic work environment than she was accustomed to, and she was ridiculously overdressed.
Paul handed her and Heath some shop headphones before donning his own. Then he did a quick visual check of the waterwheel through an opening in the floor and gave them a thumbs-up. With some effort, he pulled a wooden handle that looked to be original to the building and stepped back to join them.
Onc
e everything got up to speed, the entire structure shook as the leather belts whipped around and through the mechanism that ran the huge saws. Used for ripping timber into usable planks, it was hard to believe so much raw power came from damming up one small stream that bubbled so pleasantly through the woods.
When Paul shut everything down, he was all but humming with excitement for what he’d accomplished. “So?”
“It’s amazing. I can’t imagine they make most of the parts anymore. Where did you find replacements?”
“Some are still around in one form or another,” he explained. “When I could, I modified them to work. When I couldn’t, I made ’em myself.”
That kind of technical expertise was way beyond her realm of understanding, and she was impressed by his resourcefulness. Not to mention his dogged determination. Resting a hand on his arm, she smiled up at him. “Granddad must’ve been thrilled when you got this all put back together again.”
A bit of the sorrow she felt moved through his eyes, telling her just how much Will Barrett’s grandson still missed him. “I’m glad he got to see it.”
“So am I.”
* * *
Heath held the front door open for Tess, admiring her ability to walk in those silly shoes.
“Chelsea, you just put your feet up and relax while I’m gone,” Tess ordered as she moved toward the exit. “Make a list of what needs to be done, and you can walk me through it before you and Paul go to the doctor.”
“That sounds wonderful, but there’s no need to rush back here. Things are pretty quiet right now.”
Her claim didn’t match up with the job list he’d seen posted in the carpentry area, and Heath gave her a long look. Which she artfully ignored. Once Tess had sidled past him and onto the front porch out of earshot, he leaned his arms on top of the half door and winked at Chelsea. “I know what you’re up to, Mrs. Barrett, and you can forget about it.”
