Be Mine (7 page)

“My apologies, Chad. Until I saw these I hadn’t realized you were a romantic.”

Her words startled him. “A romantic?”

“I didn’t believe you when you said Calico left things more beautiful than before you started. Now I do. These photos . . . and what I see outside your windows . . . have convinced me.” “Yesterday you accused me of playing God when I said Calico put the land back together so it was more beautiful than before. Either I’m a romantic or I have a Napoleon complex. Which one?” An apology for that particular accusation was on the tip of her tongue, but Sabina couldn’t force out the words. “It’s hard enough for me to tell you I like your reclamation. I still hate surface mining.”

“And that makes me a romantic?”

“I don’t trust miners as a whole. Many seem to say one thing, then do another.” She would compliment his work, but she refused to commit herself any further. His ego didn’t need stroking. “At least you’re honest.”

As if reading her mind, Chad met her gaze with a look as candid as her own. “I do what I do because I have to. But thanks for the kind words. I know they cost you.”

“You bet they did!” She burst into laughter and made a face at him, unconsciously tempting his self-control. “What I can’t understand is why you’d consider selling Calico.”

“I didn’t say I was.”

“But you’ve thought about it.”

He pushed back his chair abruptly. “Let’s get a move on. I’ll drop you off at the mine site so Jonas can finish showing you what we do to control and neutralize runoff.”

“Sorry I touched a sore spot. It’s none of my business.”

“You’re right about that, anyway.”

Grateful for anything that would put her back on her own turf, Sabina hurriedly returned the food to the refrigerator.

Twenty minutes later, she swung down from the Jeep, coaxing a confused Sock to follow her. “Come on, Sock. This is where all the fun is. You might get your nose caught in a ledger if you stay with him.”

“With a mouth like that, I’m surprised they let you run around loose without a keeper, Ms. Deputy Inspector.”

CHAPTER FIVE

The front-end loader’s heavy engine roared, filling the air with sound as Chad ran toward the vast cut in the earth, but he was accustomed to the roar. What he wasn’t accustomed to was seeing the entire crew standing at the edge.

“Who’s operating that thing?” he shouted. Several options occurred to him, and he didn’t care for any of them.

The group dissolved, leaving a sheepish looking Jonas a target for his wrath. As the little man searched for words, Chad looked down at the two safety-helmetted heads in the cab. Blond hair hung below the hat of the figure at the controls. “Jonas, you idiot!” Fear froze him in his tracks.

“Keep your shirt on, Chad. It’s all . . . “ Jonas’s words trailed off the machine stopped. Silence engulfed them.

Tight-lipped, Chad watched the two figures climb down, glance upward, and head for the earthen ramp. Jonas stood his ground, shuffling his feet and looking as if he wished aliens would whisk him away in a space ship.

He saw Sabina put a hand on Erica’s arm and squeeze past her to be first to reach the top.

Mud splattered the cuffs of Sabina’s trim slacks. Her down jacket hung open. She’d pulled off her yellow hat, and the brisk breeze lifted her hair. More mud graced her right cheek. She met his gaze calmly as approached. “Chad, you shouldn’t be upset with Erica.”

In spite of his fury, he appreciated her directness. “Why limit me? I’m furious with Erica, with Jonas, with that whole crew of careless idiots who work with him, and last but not least, dear madam inspector, with you!”

If Chad had shouted, Sabina could have responded in kind. His menacing purr sent an unpleasant chill up her spine. When she opened her mouth to speak, Chad raised his hand to stop her and turned on Jonas. His language was nothing Sabina hadn’t heard before, but the silky voice made the words more effective. Under different circumstances, she would have admired his creativity in connecting the familiar invectives.

Jonas stood his ground beneath the barrage of abuse. Finally he said soothingly, “Chad, I’m sorry your pa ain’t here to hear you. You do him proud.”

Chad’s tirade stopped in mid-sentence. “You old coot. Don’t pull that `family retainer’ routine on me. What possessed you to let Erica operate that loader? Don’t we have an ironclad rule that novices have to be accompanied by someone who’s checked out on the equipment? What if Miss Hanlon had been injured?”

“Guess you know why I didn’t tell you Erica’s bin learnin’. Besides, Miss Hanlon’s licensed for everything we got.”

Sabina extended a clear plastic pouch of papers.

Chad’s ignored her. His frown deepened. “Nobody here is listening to me. I don’t care if Sabina is licensed to fly the Concord. She doesn’t belong in our equipment. As for teaching an eighteen-year-old girl to operate a loader . . .”

Each word, clipped and cold, chilled Sabina more than the rapidly falling temperature.

“Chad, that’s not fair. I have every right. You
made
Daniel learn.” Tears thickened Erica’s voice.

His cousin’s anguish caught at Chad’s heart. When Zack and Marie died, he’d promised himself the twins would never be hurt again. He wanted to comfort her, but he was still frightened. “You know how I feel about you being out here. You could get hurt, and there’s always the risk one of the men will step out of line. I don’t want to have to fire anyone. These people need their jobs to feed their families.”

“No one would touch Erica, Chad. And every one of ‘em would die before they’d let someone else,” Jonas broke in.

Sabina swallowed her sympathy. Granted, Chad was being remarkably obtuse and stubborn, but she understood the awesome responsibility he felt toward the twins. If only he weren’t so uncompromising — and so chauvinistic.

Her involvement in the tense little scene was so complete that she ignored the pressure at the back of her knees. A moment later she found herself sprawled on the ground, with Sock nosing her face and licking her cheeks.

“Get away, Sock. I’m mud all the way up to my ears.” Laughter shook Sabina’s voice as she reached to scratch his chin.

His face devoid of expression, Chad held out his hand.

Sabina waved him away, displaying her muddy palm for his inspection. “I can manage.” Turning sideways, she levered herself erect, her boots sliding on the slick surface.

“I guess it’s too late to apologize,” Chad said. “It’s bad enough you had to witness my temper tantrum. Now you know the dog doesn’t have any manners either.”

“On the contrary.
He
said he was sorry when he licked my face,” she shot back. “At least he didn’t swear at me.”

“I didn’t swear at
you
.
”

“No, but you would have if you’d dared. I never knew I exercised so much power until now.”

As if Erica and Jonas had disappeared, he said softly, “I don’t think you’ve even begun to realize your power.”

Sabina returned his blazing look, unable to speak around the tightness in her throat.

* * * *

Their audience and surroundings came back to Chad with a rush. Erica eyed him with avid curiosity, and Jonas grinned from ear to ear. Chad wondered how long it would take the old man to increase his bet on the lady inspector. “You’d better get back and clean up, Sabina. Take Erica with you in the Jeep. Jonas will bring me in.”

Erica’s mouth opened as if she were about to speak. At Sabina’s warning look, she shrugged her shoulders and turned toward the parking area. Sabina followed her.

The door of the Jeep hung open, the keys dangling from the ignition, mute evidence of Chad’s panic. Erica pulled a tattered blanket from the back and spread it over the driver’s seat. “I guess I’m not even allowed to drive this thing. You can sit on Sock’s blanket, although it would serve Chad right if you got the seat good and muddy.”

Sabina wiped her hands on the edge of the blanket, then started the engine. She backed with a competent flip of her wrist. “You’re don’t really want to get even with Chad. He reacted that way because he loves you very much.”

Erica’s face crumpled. Tears trembled on her lashes. “Oh, Erica, I don’t know how we’d have survived without Chad. He’s done so much for us. I never meant to sound as if I hated him. Honest. If he weren’t my cousin I’d have such a crush on him I couldn’t see straight. I’d do anything for him, Sabina.”

She reached up to wipe the moisture from her eyes. “I can talk to Chad about absolutely anything but how much I want to work at the mine sites. I love being outdoors. The machinery turns me on . . . even the mud. Not very feminine, huh?”

Her lips curving in a wry smile, Sabina risked taking her attention from the rugged track. “Does that have a gender?” She looked back at the road in time to avoid a deep rut. “Those big machines do a number on me, too. Show me a tire that’s taller than I am, and I’m in heaven.”

 She could have cut her tongue out. This wasn’t her family, which never had emotional scenes. As Sabina’s mother said, “Adjusted, self-sufficient people don’t put themselves in situations which would inspire someone else to such an outburst.”

 “Why can’t Chad understand? I’m eighteen, and next year I’m going to Ohio State. That’s great, but I’d rather go to the Colorado School of Mines with Daniel.”

She continued, “Chad’s given up so much. He stayed with us at Gran’s for three years. Lots of times, I know he skipped parties and stuff so he could go to things at school.”

“What are you going to major in?”

“Education,” Erica responded glumly. “It’s not that I don’t want to teach. I’d just rather run the family business.”

Sabina grinned as she swung onto the main highway. “Schools are begging for science teachers. Chad can’t argue with a natural sciences major. Geology courses would help you work alongside Daniel later, or you just might find you enjoy teaching science.” She paused mischievously. “If worse came to worse you could go back to school and be a deputy inspector for the state.”

The suggestion drew a giggle from Erica, who hugged herself within her denim jacket. “Why didn’t I ever think of that?” Her wide, clear gaze was almost reverent as she turned toward Sabina. “That’s the most perfect idea I’ve ever heard!”

“Just don’t tell anyone I suggested it,” Sabina interrupted. “I’m already in hot water with Chad.”

A smirk crossed the younger girl’s face. “I wouldn’t worry about that. He likes you. He’s eating at our house again tonight, and he never comes two nights in a row.”

“Maybe after today he’ll change his mind,” she answered, accelerating into the driveway.

“He’ll be here,” Erica told her as the jeep plunged to a stop. “Come in through the kitchen.”

“I hate to track up your aunt’s floor.” Sabina looked ruefully down at herself.

“Gran’s used to people coming in muddy. We can leave our boots on the service porch.”

Minutes later, Sabina stood helplessly as Clara and Erica stripped off her mud-caked clothing. “I’ll just hang these to dry. Most of that mess will brush off,” Clara said.

Sabina peeled her damp sweater up over her torso. “That mud even crawled under my coat. My dry cleaner looks on me as his retirement fund.”

As her sweater and slacks joined the pile of clothing, Clara handed her a blanket. “Just put this ‘round you till you get to your room.” The older woman drew back. “My, that must be what they call one of them teddy things. I read about ‘em, but this is the first one I’ve seen. Look, Erica, ain’t it pretty? It’s a shame to wear all that lace underneath.”

“I’ll drink to that.”

The three women’s turned toward the door where Chad stood, grinning. Clara wrapped the blanket around Sabina swiftly.

“She seems warm enough already, Clara. Her cheeks’re pink,” Jonas said cheerfully, peering around Chad’s shoulder.

Erica’s delighted giggle broke the ensuing silence, sending Clara into action. “You pay no need to them, Sabina. I don’t know what they’re thinkin’ to let Sock do his nasty tricks on you.” She emitted an expressive “Hmph”, giving Sabina a firm shove in the direction of the door. “I don’t want to hear any more fresh talk.”

As she turned away, Sabina tried not to laugh at Clara’s indignance. Before she swung the door closed, she heard Clara say, “That Mr. Merton was here today lookin’ for you, Chad. He must be awful anxious.”

Dismissing the serious note in Clara’s voice, Sabina threw off the blanket and looked down. The lace top of her teddy didn’t leave much to the imagination. Chad’s interest had been obvious.

 Sabina ordered herself to remember why she was here. It didn’t matter that the inspection had turned out to be merely a formality. Chad did everything right. His care of his cousin’s family, or for any other shirt-tail relation, was admirable.

But the man had no business being quite so dictatorial, or so attractive. Unnerved, Sabina rushed through her shower and slipped into her pleated skirt and silk print blouse.

 The table was set when she emerged. Delicious aromas drew her to the kitchen. As she reached for the door, it swung toward her and Erica burst through. “Good. I need your help,” the girl whispered, drawing her into the cozy den. Opening the window seat, she pointed to a large envelope protruding from between two game boxes. “I have to go to play practice, but Daniel simply
has
to see that as soon as he gets home. I snatched it from the rest of the mail.
Don’t
let Chad know anything’s come for Daniel. Please help us, Sabina. This is the most important thing in Daniel’s life, and Chad
can’t
know about it yet.”

The entreaty in her eyes completed the work the pleading speech had begun. Sabina agreed, wishing she’d never encountered this endearing family.

Erica’s strong young arms enveloped her in a hearty squeeze. “I’ll owe you forever.”

As quickly as she’d been dragged into the conspiracy, Sabina found herself alone. Her curiosity aroused, she raised the lid to read the return address, then stepped back from the window seat when she heard Chad’s voice in the hall. “It’s none of my business,” she lectured herself. “I don’t want to be in the middle of this. The less I know, the better off I’ll be.”