Branded in Oasis

by Clay, Verna

  Skye had jumped off her stool. "Can we shoot the photos outside with your bikes?"

  Jennie Mae, who was pulling Bo by his shirt sleeve, answered for Dickey. "You betcha."

  Everyone in the room had rushed for the door except Sam.

  Now standing outside, Skye surveyed the parking lot and then issued a few instructions. At first, the bikers looked stiff and uncomfortable, but the more she joked with them, the more they loosened up. She was grinning ear-to-ear when Dickey started his motorcycle and Viola climbed on behind him for a ride around the parking lot. The other riders started their own bikes and soon they were all circling the parking lot parade style.

  Skye laughed and snapped a rapid succession of photos. She shifted her body, crouching to get another angle, and caught sight of Kade leaning against the entrance to the bar with Sam standing beside him.

  He didn't look happy. He was wearing the same scowl as when she'd plowed into his Harley.

  Spoiled sport. She gave him a hesitant smile and went back to taking pictures; there was no way she'd let this opportunity pass.

  An hour and a half later the slips of paper with release jargon that she always carried in the camera case of her favorite camera, were signed and tucked away. Glancing warily at Kade, she decided his dark expression had grown even darker, and she mentally steeled herself for another lecture. He handed over her helmet and then put his own on. He kick started the bike to life, climbed on, and then motioned her to mount behind him.

  As much as she tried not to, when the bike sprinted forward, she shrieked and grabbed his waist. The return ride didn't seem to take as long as the ride to the bar, and Skye was sorry it didn't. She wasn't ready to face Kade.

  He pulled up to the first bay of his garage and turned off the motor, waiting for her to dismount. He then dismounted and towered over her. As they removed their helmets, she kept glancing warily up at him. He didn't say anything, and finally, after he'd unlocked and lifted the bay door, she said, "I know you want to fry me in oil, so why don't you just have your say and be done with it?"

  Kade stalked to his office door with his keys dangling in his hand, but then jerked back around. "What is it with you? I told you to stay put. Those biker bars can be dangerous–"

  "Then why did you take me?"

  "Because I thought you might like the experience of something other than your privileged life and there are usually only one or two people at the bar early in the day. I didn't expect Dickie and his group to show up."

  Skye honed in on one thing that Kade had said: Your privileged life. Rising to her full five foot two, she sucked a breath. "There you go again, just like after the accident, assuming things about me. For one thing, I don't live a privileged life, and even if I did, why would that irk you so much? Are you jealous?"

  The expression on Kade's face made Skye wish she'd kept her mouth shut. She knew he wasn't jealous, but she'd wanted to verbally jab him. He said, "I wouldn't trade my life here for anything. But rich girls like you can't accept a man who makes an honest living by hard work and determination. You want–" He suddenly broke off what he was about to say.

  An immediate brain-firing brought clarity to Skye. She blurted, "You were burned by a spoiled rich girl. That's what this is all about."

  Kade frowned and abruptly turned to unlock his office door. Skye followed him in and said, "Look. I'm a rich girl, I admit it, but I'm not spoiled. It's not as if I had a say in who my grandfather would be. It's not my fault he's rolling in dough and shares it with his family. But even if he were to take it all away, it wouldn't change who I am and what I do. I'm a photographer and when situations, such as today, present themselves, I'm damn well going to take advantage of them. So, Kade Blackwell, you can either get over yourself or cut me a break because I'm–"

  Skye was suddenly cut short when Kade covered the half dozen steps separating them and placed his hand around her neck, pulling her against him and bending to smother her mouth with a hot kiss. His lips moved possessively over hers for a few seconds and then he jerked away from her, walking toward the open bay. Over his shoulder he called, "I'm going to Desert Princess Diner; there's no need to lock up. I'll watch the place from there. I'll see you tomorrow after work…say about six."

  Then he was gone.

  Chapter 14: Crazy Notions

  Skye was leaning against the counter in her small kitchen, gazing at nothing and reliving the kiss Kade had shocked her with, when she realized someone was knocking on her door. Jumping upright, she rushed to open it. Her heart pounded. What if it's Kade?

  Her brother and Pilar stood outside. Max had his hand raised to knock again. He said, "Is everything okay?"

  "Oh, yeah. Sorry to take so long answering the door. I was zoned out in the kitchen. It's been a long day. Come on in. Would you like some tea? I used Pilar's famous recipe. Adding that little bit of lemonade makes it perfect."

  Max and Pilar accepted her offer and sat at the small table in the tiny dining area. Skye returned with glasses and a pitcher of tea on a tray. After everyone was served, she said, "What's up? You're wearing identical happy faces."

  Max glanced at Pilar with a questioning look and she nodded for him to continue. He turned his gaze back on Skye. "Well, after our little excursion around town to see what needs to be done, Pilar and I made some decisions."

  Skye leaned forward, intrigued.

  Max reached and covered his wife's hand with one of his own. "We want to revitalize downtown. And to start the process, we're going to begin with that strip of businesses with the museum in it."

  Skye nodded her agreement. "That's a great idea."

  Pilar interjected, "But we need your help."

  Skye glanced between them. "What would you like me to do?"

  Max smiled. "Shoot a spread for a travel magazine after the renovations are complete."

  Skye clapped her hands. "Another great idea! I'll call some of my connections to see who might be interested."

  Pilar entwined her fingers through Max's. "Max thinks we should focus on enlarging the museum and solicit donations of artifacts from the community."

  Max's face became animated as he explained, "Communities need to preserve their roots, both the good and the bad. It creates a sense of belonging for residents and an air of mystique for visitors. And with the previous mining operation and legend about hidden gold, this town is," he chuckled, "a goldmine."

  "Oh, I agree," Skye gushed, getting into the spirit of the endeavor after seeing how committed Max and Pilar were. Her brother had finally found his niche; a place to belong. Skye's own heart cried out, Is there a place I belong?

  For the next hour they talked happily about the future and Max said he'd already been in touch with the attorney in Phoenix who had handled matters for Oasis for the past thirty years, and was now the buffer between Max and the civic leaders. No one would know Max was behind the improvements.

  At five, Willie knocked on the door and Pilar exclaimed when Skye opened it, "My goodness. I forgot all about the time, son. Are you starving?"

  Willie grinned. "Well, kinda."

  Max ruffled the boy's hair. "Why don't we have pizza delivered? And while we wait, we can practice some pitches?"

  "That'd be great, Dad!"

  Max said, "Skye, I hope you're joining us for pizza."

  "Can we order a taco pizza?"

  "You got it. You want to toss the baseball with me and Willie?"

  She grinned. "I'd love too."

  "What about you, Pilar?"

  "Count me in."

  Max pulled out his cell phone and ordered pizza from Porky's Pizza Parlor, but before they spread out in a foursome on the road to toss the baseball, Max sent Willie into the neighborhood to invite everyone for pizza. He'd ordered enough to feed a small army. After it arrived, everyone gathered on the deck of Max and Pilar's home to chat, munch pizza, and watch the sun go down on another awesome day.

  Skye sighed, closed her eyes, and relived Kade's kiss for the thousa
ndth time. She'd be crazy to let romantic notions find root, but that kiss had knocked her socks off.

  Chapter 15: Hurting Heart

  The next evening Skye drove her Range Rover to Kade's Garage because she needed to use the photo equipment stored in her backseat and hatchback. It was time to get serious. She arrived precisely at a quarter to six and walked into the bay. Kade was beneath a car and all she could see were his legs in greasy coveralls sticking out. She cleared her throat.

  The roller he was on scooted out from beneath the car. Skye held her breath while her heart pounded furiously. Briefly, she met his gaze and then glanced across the room. Focusing on anything but him, she said, "You look pretty involved with that car, will you still be able to pose this evening?"

  He grunted as he pushed himself up. "Ah, yeah. Give me fifteen minutes to shower in the back. What do you want me to wear? I have jeans, khakis, a cowboy shirt, T-shirt, leather jacket, muscle shirt."

  Skye swallowed and glanced at him. God, he's gorgeous. "Do you have the beanie?"

  "Yes."

  "Okay, how about the jeans and muscle shirt, and the beanie."

  He shrugged. "You got it." He bent over and grabbed a few tools, tossing them into a toolbox.

  Skye started back toward her car but stopped when Kade called her name. Something about the way he said it sent blood rushing to her head. Slowly, she turned around.

  He swiped a hand across his jaw. "I–ah–want to apologize for what happened yesterday. I was out of line. I shouldn't have kissed you like that."

  Skye's heart dropped. He's sorry he kissed me? She should have known a guy like Kade could never go for a skinny, plain-Jane, like her. She waved her hand in a dismissive motion. "Don't worry about it. I already forgot it." Quickly she turned and rushed to start unloading her vehicle, blinking back tears.

  Kade followed her to her SUV and helped unload her equipment. He asked what he could do to help set things up, but she waved him away. "You go shower and get ready. I've done this a million times. I'll have it ready by the time you return." Skye watched him walk away and placed her hand over her heart. It physically hurt.

  During the shoot, she gave him instructions about posing and explained the different lighting effects she was going for. He asked a few questions. But other than that, they didn't talk much.

  Something Skye had come to realize over the past few days was that Kade was a natural in front of the camera. Effortlessly, he could call up whatever emotion she wanted him to portray. He could look angry one moment and sexy the next; sad and then amused. After two hours she called it a day, and asked, "So, are we still on for Saturday for Phoenix?"

  "If you insist I need a new wardrobe, I guess so."

  That made Skye smile. "I insist; unless you own an Armani suit."

  Kade started dismantling the lighting equipment and glanced up at her from a crouching position. "Now that's more like it. I was wondering if I'd forever wiped that smile off your face."

  Skye removed her Hasselblad camera from the tripod. Her heart tripped. He was toying with her and she responded by lying, "Naw. It wasn't you. I have a project coming up in a couple of weeks that I've been pondering."

  "Sounds intriguing. Where will you be going: Africa, South America, Australia?"

  That made her smile again. "I wish I was traveling out of country, but no, there's a small magazine called The Temecula Scene that wants me to photograph sites in and around their city in Southern California."

  "Sounds like fun. At least it's not as dangerous as some of the other places Pilar mentioned you've been to."

  "Yes; it's about as tame as you can get." She decided not to bring up her most recent adventure, barely escaping a hostage situation in Egypt while on assignment for National Geographic.

  Kade rose and stepped in front of her. He lifted a hand and smoothed her hair. "You are an amazing woman, Skye Rutherford, and I'm truly sorry about the way I treated you when we first met."

  Skye stepped away from him, her heart pounding and hurting at the same time. "There are lots of people who do what I do. And I did crash into your motorcycle," she said over her shoulder as she rushed to her SUV to load the camera. Kade followed carrying her reflective umbrella and a couple of monolights. He asked where she wanted the equipment loaded and she motioned toward the hatchback; she was feeling too emotional to speak.

  She returned to the garage for two stands and her collapsible softbox. With everything safely tucked away, she climbed into the driver's seat. Kade was standing a few feet away watching her with an expression she couldn't read. She knew she needed time away from him to collect her emotions, so she said, "I'll be sorting through all the photos for the best ones and start building your portfolio." She gave a slight smile. "That means you have three days of reprieve. Are you sure you can get away on Saturday?"

  "Not a problem. Tommy can cover for me."

  "Great. We can take my car to Phoenix. Is eight too early to pick you up?"

  "Not at all. I'll be waiting here."

  Skye gave what she hoped appeared to be a dismissive wave and pulled into the road. She'd be mortified if Kade realized how much she'd fallen for him.

  Chapter 16: Shop 'Til You Drop

  On Saturday, Kade arrived early at his garage. He finished up some paperwork, swept the bay, and left a note for Tommy with a few instructions. His part-time mechanic was dependable and he knew the garage would be fine while he took the day off.

  After finishing his chores, he closed the bay and leaned against the outside wall, waiting for Skye. For the umpteenth time he berated himself for kissing her. Since the kiss, she'd become aloof and quiet. He'd probably screwed up what could have been a great friendship. She was nothing like his first impression of a spoiled rich girl and he was genuinely ashamed of treating her as such.

  The day he'd kissed her he'd been pissed because of her disregard for her safety. A greenhorn mingling with a bunch of Hell's Angels wasn't wise, and when he'd returned to the bar and seen her and the bikers gone, he'd almost had a heart attack. In some weird way, he supposed the kiss had been his way of punishing her. But his action had backfired and he'd been hit with a storm of lust that almost brought him to his knees. Instead of doing what he really wanted to do—carry her to his office and lay her across his desk—he'd walked away as if she didn't matter.

  You're an idiot! As he thought the words, Skye's Range Rover drove up. Mentally shaking his head he shoved intimate images from his mind. The woman would leave as soon as she finished his portfolio and he didn't want any romantic entanglements.

  He pushed away from the siding when she pulled in front of the bay door and he noticed she looked tired, like she hadn't slept well. Climbing into the passenger seat, he said, "Good morning. Are you feeling okay? You look a little tired. If you want to do this another–"

  "No. I'm fine. I stayed up a little too late last night." She gave him a tiny smile and his heart tripped. He followed the downward cast of her eyes and noticed a photo album on the console. Her tiny smile became a big grin. "Guess what that is?"

  "Pictures of some guy looking ridiculous?"

  That made her laugh and Kade had a sudden longing to lean across the seat and kiss her again; only this time, it would be slow and lingering. Instead, he reached for the binder and began flipping through the pages while Skye backed out of the drive and headed toward the highway.

  Kade had to admit the pictures were excellent and it was hard to believe they were of him. They really did look like something you'd see in a magazine. When he turned and placed the binder in the backseat, she asked, "So? What do you think?"

  Gazing out the windshield, he responded, "I think you're damn good at what you do."

  She chuckled. "Well, I have to have something to work with, and you're a natural."

  He turned to study her profile. "No, Skye, those photos are ninety-nine percent your expertise."

  She glanced at him and then back at the road. She teased, "So, are you now a statistic
ian as well as a model?"

  God he loved her quick wit. He replied seriously, "I'm not a model. I'm a grease monkey posing for pictures to make extra money."

  "Ah, if you say so." The way she answered, she evidently didn't believe it.

  During the drive to Phoenix, Kade asked Skye about some of her most notable jobs and she told him mostly about nature assignments. He had the feeling she'd been in some pretty rough situations and didn't mention them for fear of getting another disapproving reaction from him.

  They finally arrived in Phoenix and Skye followed the directions on her GPS to Metrocenter Mall. Kade wasn't fond of shopping in malls so he hadn't known exactly how to get there. Reluctantly, he followed her across the parking lot.

  Skye laughed. "What is it with men and shopping? You look like you're about to have your fingernails pulled out with pliers. My brother is the same way."

  He laughed. "Well, considering I could be parachuting or bungee jumping or hiking to the top of Mt. Everest, shopping is low on my bucket list." The automatic doors to the mall opened and Kade waved her inside. He grinned, "Let the games begin."

  * * *

  Skye stopped in front of a map showing the location of shops and then headed for Macy's. As they walked through the crowds, she noticed how female heads, and even some male ones, turned to watch Kade. He was definitely model material. Inside the store, she asked a salesclerk at the makeup counter where men's clothing was located and the beautiful woman with flawless makeup could barely unglue her eyes from Kade. She grinned at him and said, "Continue down the main corridor and past fine jewelry. The men's department takes up most of the back of the store."

  Skye thanked her, but before they stepped away from the counter, the woman said, "Sir, we have several men's aftershave specials advertised and I know the perfect one for you." She said breathlessly, "It's called After Dark."