Be Mine (16 page)

If Chad had attacked her for any other reason, Sabina would have crumpled; her limited experience with love made her fragile. When he questioned her professional decision, one with no shades of gray, she couldn’t back down.

“That’s not my problem. The man has been thumbing his nose at the rules since long before I came here. His workers all knew it, and they went along with him. His problem is he thinks the rules don’t apply to him because the county is a depressed area.”

“That’s not true,” Chad responded in the dangerous purr he’d used when cursing at Jonas and the workers who’d allowed Sabina to drive the front-end loader.

She felt no more intimidated than she had then. In fact, she lowered her own voice to the same icy level. “That idiot committed every violation on the books. He’s been warned . . . time and time again. After inspecting the two sites he abandoned I cried myself to sleep. Even rats won’t live there!”

“I can’t believe that. Wilbur’s worked that area for years, and I’ve never once seen anything he hasn’t put back within the minimum of the requirements. I’ll grant you he’s no landscape artist, but he follows the rules.”

“You’re wrong. You’re just sticking up for him because you’ve known him forever. He thinks laws are for everyone but him, and he’s always done as he pleased. He delights in flaunting his connections. Besides, I’m a woman. What do
I
know!” Tears gathered behind her eyes. By sheer force of will, she contained them. She watched Chad closely. His expression said he knew he’d gone off half-cocked, but now that he had made his accusations he didn’t know how to back off. Perhaps he was aware his anger had roots in his own frustration with Sabina’s attitude toward mining. Of course he would defend an industry he’d known all his life.

“You neglected to factor in the welfare of the area. You didn’t grow up with these people.”

“I gave him warnings and I gave him plenty of time. What was I supposed to do? Correct the offenses myself?”

“He’d never allow that.” Chad’s voice was pensive, almost as if his thoughts were elsewhere. “Wilbur’s accustomed to taking his own sweet time, but he gets there. Try to put yourself in his shoes. How do you think he felt being shut down by a woman?”

Sabina seized on his last sentence. “Now you’ve come to the real heart of it. If I’d been a man, Wilbur wouldn’t be so upset. Poor Wilbur!”

“I didn’t mean . . .”

Sabina wanted to roll back time. If she could start the day over, maybe this argument wouldn’t be taking place. Nothing made sense, but she had to try, even though she risked losing the happy future she’d glimpsed in his arms. “
You
probably could have talked him into minimal compliance. Everyone comes to you with their problems . . . except those closest to you. Daniel and Erica are about to give up their fondest dreams. All because you’ve been good to them.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Go home and ask them, and take your chauvinism with you. I intend to give a lot of thought to figuring out why I was so stupid as to fall in love with you. You’re . . .” Words failed her. She wanted him gone. She wanted to cry like a baby.

“Sabina, you’re talking riddles. What do the twins have to do with this?”

Sabina knew she was being overemotional, but she also knew she was right. What Chad considered chivalry was really thinly veiled chauvinism. If he couldn’t accept her for her strengths as well as her weaknesses, there could be no true relationship between them. Could he be made to see how right Erica was for Calico? Even though she was a woman? “I don’t want to talk any more, not now. See for yourself about McDonald, about the twins.”

Reaching behind her, she opened the door.

She saw the frustration on Chad’s features when he realized she was serious. “All right. I’m leaving.”

As he stood on the threshold, he stared straight into her eyes, and her resolve almost weakened — it would be so easy to tell him she was sorry, that she hadn’t meant the things she’d said. But she’d meant every word.

“Don’t think this is the last you’ll hear from me,” he threw over his shoulder as he walked down the sidewalk.

For the next hour Sabina sat at her computer listing every bit of information she wanted from her office files the next day. Organizing in detail helped her keep her personal loss at a distance. She’d done her job the way it should be done; before she finished, Chad Peters would find out just how professional she could be.

But when she sat on her couch that night cuddled into her favorite quilt, lists were the farthest thing from her mind. The ceramic shoe lamp she’d made at her first, and last, attempt at crafts, glowed from the low chest in the corner. Chad had laughed extravagantly at her bright orange handiwork. And he’d understood. She’d made so few rebellious moves in her life. The shoe stood for all the times she’d been too inhibited to speak up.

Conventional, restrained, sensible Sabina’s romance hadn’t even lasted a week. And she’d been foolish enough to fall in love into the bargain. She might never see him again, but she would make sure he discovered she had operated by the book. In the dark of night, being right didn’t seem to matter, but it would tomorrow.

By noon the next day Sabina had copied all the material pertinent to Wilbur McDonald. So incensed was she that she never stopped to question the ethics of releasing the information to someone outside the department. In spite of Chad’s thick-headed attitude, she knew he had too much integrity to be careless with the contents of the tan envelope.

During lunch she sent her package assured same day delivery. All she wanted to do was burst into tears.

* * * *

Chad’s day was progressing no better. The arrival of Sabina’s concise list of McDonald’s infractions interrupted his interrogation of Jonas concerning Erica’s activities at the mine site. Jonas’s responses dismayed him, even though the gnarled little man accepted full responsibility for allowing the girl access to the area.

After he had ripped open the package, Chad wished Jonas were elsewhere. As a rule, packets of papers received a welcome comparable to the arrival of strep throat. At his show of interest, Jonas nearly fell out of his chair stretching to see the contents. Removing the packet from his desk, Chad sat back to read each page in detail. Chad knew Jonas was also awaiting more reaction to his revelations about Erica’s involvement at the site. He let him wait. This was more important.

A sinking feeling invaded Chad’s stomach as he read. He feared he had just made himself the most colossal idiot on the planet. Surely McDonald hadn’t ignored all these warnings. Finishing the last page, he closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. The little man on the other side of the desk looked chastened but curious. With sudden insight, Chad realized he’d been taking his unhappiness out on everyone around him. Raising both hands to his face, he rubbed his cheeks. “I’m sorry, Jonas.”

Jonas relaxed visibly, the twinkle returning to his eyes. “You been havin’ temper tantrums all day, son. Thought you’d growed out of ‘em.”

“This might be the one that actually teaches me a lesson. I really blew it.”

“Nothin’s forever ‘cept `death and taxes.’“ The old man chuckled his own use of the old bromide. “Anythin’ else can be fixed. A person has to learn how to say `I was wrong,’ and you just did.”

“I was never very good at that kind of thing. Besides, you’re not the one who deserves the biggest apology, and I’m not sure that person is going to be receptive.”

Rising, Jonas pushed his cap to the back of his head and scratched the creased skin of his bald forehead. “Depends on how much it means to ya.”

Chad stared down at the papers. He shuffled and straightened the pile, then thumped the stack decisively against the polished surface of his desk and stood. “I’m going to be in Vinton County tomorrow, Jonas. Probably all day. Can you handle everything here?”

The old man’s curiosity was obvious, but Chad had no intention of explaining his absence. His pride had already taken enough of a beating.

“I’ll be at Aunt Clara’s for the rest of the day. If Merton calls, or if anyone wants me, tell them they’ll have to wait till Monday.

* * * *

When Chad arrived at his aunt’s late that afternoon, Erica took the offensive as he walked in the door. “You aren’t selling Calico, Chad. I won’t let you.”

Twenty-four hours earlier, he’d made a complete fool of himself with the woman he loved. Still licking his wounds, Chad now realized he was about to have a serious confrontation with Daniel and Erica. He could have described himself as “chastened” and not felt melodramatic. “So we won’t sell Calico. I never knew the company meant this much to you.”

“
Erica’s
the one who wants Calico, Chad. And she’s going to have it because I want her to.” Daniel’s jaw was set. “I know my dad thought I would take over, but if he were still here he’d understand why I don’t want to. I have a scholarship to art school.”

Chad was past surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me this before? Did you ever think how much happier we all would have been if you’d told me at the beginning? Am I that unapproachable?”

“It’s not that! Mom and Dad always assumed Daniel would take over when he grew up, just because he’s male. Then after they . . . Anyway, it seemed sort of sacrilegious to think of anything else. You’ve done so much for us!” Erica paused, eyeing him closely. “You know we’d die before we’d hurt you, Chad.”

“I just couldn’t bring up art school,” Daniel chimed in. “I felt I was betraying my dad. But my heart would never be in Calico if it meant giving up art.”

Erica added, “I know I shouldn’t have been sneaking out to the site, but I can’t stay away.”

Chad wondered how he’d missed noticing her interest. Erica’s enthusiasm should have been obvious to him. Sabina knew. Had she guessed? Or had the twins confided in her? “There’s no reason you can’t run Calico, Erica.”

 She hugged him exuberantly. “I’m so excited. Sabina said if I told you how much it meant to me, you’d understand.”

The twins had opened their hearts to Sabina, while keeping him in the dark all this time. Chad wondered what else he’d missed.

“Chad, I can get my training at Ohio State. Then I could come home on the weekends to help out. Just in case you find a life of your own.” She winked as she added the rider.

Her not so subtle suggestion touched a nerve, but he answered agreeably, “Of course. But don’t kid yourself that you’ll want to leave campus on weekends, Erica.” He managed a teasing grin. “I expect there’ll be guys around who are taller than you are. Your social life will blossom.”

She burst out, “Chad, I want to help
you
for a change.”

“I’ve always had everything I want. With you two away from home, I’ll probably find myself looking for things to do.” He forced a smile. For the first time in his life, he wanted to wallow in martyrdom.

Unaware of Chad’s bleak thoughts, Daniel teased, “Maybe now you’ll have more time to

. . . you know, meet someone. Or maybe you already have.”

“Contrary to public opinion, I haven’t made great sacrifices for you two.” As he said the words he knew they were true. His love for them had been behind everything he’d ever done for the pair he loved so much.

Daniel continued, “Have you heard anything from Sabina lately? Ouch!” He turned to his sister. “Why’d you kick me?”

“I didn’t kick you. I stumbled, and my shoe bumped your ankle. I’m
sorry
.
I didn’t know you were such a wimp.”

Their exchange failed to bring Chad out of his depressed mood. He wished they’d stop asking for answers he couldn’t give. For the first time, he understood why Sabina had been so uncomfortable with his family’s openness.

“I’m going to go help Gran fix supper. She’s in there cooking like crazy because we’re all here to eat at the same time.” As Erica left, she narrowed her eyes warningly at Daniel.

Chad wondered how much his aunt guessed, and how much she’d tell Erica. He’d blundered on a large scale, and there was no way his family would allow him to lick his wounds in private.

Daniel had been incredibly clumsy, but then so had Erica, with her blatant change of subject. She’d always been the more intuitive of the pair, and he was almost relieved she had was in the kitchen, probably pumping her grandmother for all she was worth. He reconciled himself to having his sins dredged out for family discussion.

Tomorrow he’d see the proof of his idiocy. If Sabina was right, and the way things were going she probably was, he knew what he’d find. She’d learned more about Daniel and Erica in three days than they’d confided in him during a lifetime. It stood to reason she’d discovered things he’d never known about Wilbur’s operation.

Chad wondered if he could admit his blindness to her and expect her to love him in spite of it. Replaying the scene in her apartment in his mind, Chad wasn’t sure an ordinary apology would help. He’d been brutal.

She was even on target with her accusation of chauvinism. Would she accept his attitude as one that still prevailed in a part of the country that was frequently ten years behind many sections of the world in political correctness? His attitudes were already changing. There had to be some way to convince her he was trying — some way other than crawling to her and apologizing. But if he had to, he would.

“Are you going to be around this weekend, Chad?”

“I’m checking out a mining operation tomorrow.”

“Thinking of buying it?”

Was Daniel’s suggestion the result of Divine intervention? Sabina had said she’d cried after seeing the obscenities Wilbur had abandoned. The germ of an idea exploded in his mind. It was so perfect his depression vanished.

“You know, Daniel, that’s not a bad idea. If we’re to keep Calico, I’ll need to look for a manager soon. The bank needs more time than I’ve been giving. If we owned two small operations it would be worthwhile to hire someone. Are you sure you don’t want to come into the family business? Vision like that can’t be taught.”

Horrified panic crossed Daniel’s open features. “Gosh, no. I mean . . . you did say you were impressed by my scholarship.”