Waiting For Eden (Eden Series)

by Leigh, Jessica

  He glanced up, and squinted. “Well, to generalize it, traditional strip mining removed the topsoil and subsoil with large equipment, and then they blasted with dynamite until the underlying coal seam was exposed. The coal itself was removed with smaller equipment.”

  Alex looked around dubiously. “This area was once blasted wide open?”

  Jamie nodded. “The coal had to be a shallow seam, probably only forty feet deep or so. Wouldn’t have been profitable if it was buried deeper on these side slopes.”

  “Are these bare patches acidic?”

  “You’re asking a lot of questions today,” he noted lightly.

  At her hurt expression he added, “That’s a good thing, I mean. You’re really curious about all this? I was afraid this all would bore you.”

  She fixed him with a stony stare. “You mean because I’m a city person who thinks all food comes directly from grocery stores?”

  He chuckled. “Is that what you think?”

  She made an exasperated sound. “I am interested, Jamie. Very.”

  “Well then. Yes, these bare patches have a low pH... the soil has reached its critical point - that’s where it can no longer heal itself naturally over time. The Austrian pines have a genetic ability to grow in these less than perfect conditions, provided that the acid content isn’t too high, but for the species diversification that I’m interested in, I have to help these soils along. I began with applications of sludge and lime to increase their fertility.

  The bare areas are highly susceptible to erosion, making it even worse for plant life, as well as dumping soil in the stream, creating dams and flooding downstream, or ending up in the drinking water reservoirs.”

  He sighed, dipping water from the stream into a little container and peering into it. “Suspended solids are low right now, but I’d really like a reading after a storm event. It’s been so damned dry this summer.”

  Alex felt sweat beading up on her brow at the word dry. She picked at her shirt and waved the fabric around, hoping to cool herself with a little air flow. “Is this type of mining still done today?”

  “Yes, in places, but today’s miners are more conscientious. They restore the different layers of soil as they found them, replacing the original, uncontaminated topsoil in the end. And they attempt to re-create the original contours and hydrology of the area.”

  “Environmental awareness,” she quipped.

  “Well, they have to be aware, and prudent. Nowadays, mining companies have to post performance bonds, which the government can seize if they neglect to follow the rules and do considerable damage.” He stood, and mopped sweat from his own brow. “I’m about finished. Like I said, I only had a few readings to take today.”

  “Good, it’s really getting hot in the sun. Are you hungry?” Alex glanced at her watch. “It’s about lunch time.”

  Jamie patted his stomach. “I’m getting there. But I have a better place in mind for picnicking.” He grinned at her raised eyebrows. “Much cooler, and it’s not far, I promise.”

  “All right then, lead onward.” She turned to tighten her mount’s girth before swinging into the saddle. The stallion stamped one hoof against the dirt and swished his long tail through the air at a buzzing fly. Alex heard a horde of fat insects whirring suddenly in the air around them, drawn by the scent of warm, sweaty animals. “As long as it’s someplace shaded.”

  Jamie steered Lilah ahead of the stallion, who tossed his head once in mild affront at having to take the rear. He thought he heard Alex mumble “testosterone” before falling silent behind him. They were soon within the shelter of the trees, and a slight breeze lifted, touching against clammy skin and soothing it.

  “So how’s that Michael Dipton’s horses turning out?” he questioned casually after a few quiet minutes along a narrow, winding trail.

  “Dalton,” she returned crossly. “It’s Michael Dalton. And his horses are doing wonderfully for me. He won’t have any complaints.”

  “I’m sure he won’t,” Jamie returned, and Alex gritted her teeth at the sarcasm she read in his voice. She knew suddenly that she didn’t want Jamie to know about her date with Michael... or did she? It would only serve him right, she thought angrily.

  “He asked me on a date,” she blurted before she could chicken out.

  “He seems quite your type, Alex. You should go for it.” Jamie’s voice was oddly flat and neutral.

  He swung around in the saddle then, and Alex found herself facing clear blue eyes. Questioning eyes. “Or did you already?”

  She reddened instantly. “Do you really think it’s any of your business?” she returned as haughtily as she could.

  The blue of his irises went icy, belying that blasé grin. “I think perhaps it is, since you’re the one who mentioned it in the first place.” He swung back around in the saddle and tightened his long legs around Lilah, who responded by breaking into a jog. “But forgive me for prying, if that’s what you think I’m doing. I’ll just drop it.”

  Bold went into a trot of his own, intent on following the mare with or without his rider’s input. Alex posted up and down in the saddle instinctively, taking the bounce out of the stallion’s long stride. “No,” she called loudly, “let’s not forget it. What’s your problem with Michael anyway?”

  Jamie ignored her, and her anger rose to a head. She raised her voice toward the back of his head. “Is it that he’s got money? That he’s an outsider, a city-boy? Just like me, huh? Not good enough for your perfect little town and your perfect little family!”

  “So did you have a good time?” he called tauntingly over his shoulder.

  She was flushed from anger and effort, and she squeezed Bold’s sides until his nose was right up on Lilah’s tail. “You know what? I didn’t. I don’t exactly know why either, hell, I should have had a wonderful time. Being a yuppie bitch and all, you see. But my husband was a god-damned shit, and Michael was too much like him. Smooth as silk on the outside, but a rotten, self-absorbed asshole underneath.

  And Jamie, you know what? All of the sudden, I can see it now, plain as your horse’s grey ass in front of me. I’ve changed. I’m not me anymore... or maybe I am me, and I just woke up from some horrible, eight-year nightmare.” She gave a short harsh laugh and tasted its bitterness on her lips, sharp and acrid like bile. “Hel-lo Alex, where the fuck have you been for eight entire years?”

  Jamie brought Lilah to a halt and turned to answer her. “Michael Dalton was a complete asshole anyway, you read him right.”

  Surprised that he stopped, Alex felt her cheeks flush at her long and personal outburst. Where did that come from?

  Jamie was smiling at her now. “Glad you could get that all off your chest.” He dropped his eyes pointedly.

  Alex glanced down and saw that her sleeveless blouse had come unbuttoned, freeing a healthy portion of cleavage to the light of day. She buttoned it hurriedly, feeling her cheeks grow impossibly hotter. “Sometimes though, James, you can be an asshole,” she sputtered.

  “Well, we’re here,” he returned mildly, “no matter who the asshole of the moment may be, we have arrived at our destination.”

  Alex ignored him, still chiding herself, and continued to button the blouse defiantly right up to her throat. Her grandmother’s words ran through her head then like a faraway breeze. Self-pity is the worst form of hatred old man Satan ever thought up. A little leads to a lot, and in only one direction - straight down, my girl. Straight down.

  Finally, she raised her eyes, already planting a bored expression on her face. And gasped. She felt her anger slipping away, slowly at first, then faster until there was nothing left at all. It was beautiful. And all of her anguish was gone as suddenly as it had surfaced, whisked away on a soft cloud of astonished wonder.

  The top of the glittering waterfall formed a vee, forcing the quick, cold waters through a chute with hissing force. The arc of blue-gray liquid plummeted to the churning pool beneath with the powerful forces of gravity and motion c
ombined. She had seen a waterfall once as a child. That waterfall had been gentle, a lovely, cascading plume, but this one… this was extraordinary.

  The careening waters had etched an amphitheater of sorts out of the walls on either side of the waterfall’s head. Spring water now dripped and sprayed over the edges, and moss coated the damp stone like a living emerald skin. Hemlocks towered above the rim and along the water’s edge, with huge, muscled roots protruding to grip the exposed rock with centuries of slow, spreading strength.

  As they moved closer, all around them rose the sound of water, and the air was cool and damp. Bold’s ears were pricked, and he gazed longingly at the pool’s edge, where soft grasses swayed teasingly, the blades green and thick from their foundation of moist fertile earth.

  “However did you find this place?” she murmured.

  He laughed. “Where do you think foresters go when they want to ‘-get away from it all?”

  Alex grinned over at him. “The city?”

  “Ha! Try again.”

  “So you found this by snooping around in your spare time?”

  He nodded, and swung off of Lilah, looping the reins in his hand. “There are no foot trails within a good distance of this spot. We followed a deer run in. I would wager that very few souls have ever visited this little jewel of the wild.”

  Alex glanced behind her and realized she could discern no trail at all, just a slight trampling of the ferns where they had passed moments ago. She dropped the reins onto Bold’s withers for a moment, rubbing her hands on her jeans, and the stallion took a few sidling steps toward the thicket of lush grass in his freedom. “I just hope you remember how to get us out of here.”

  “Don’t worry, I-”

  A fawn exploded from the thicket in a tumble of brown and white. The rest was a blur as Bold reared and spun and then he was simply gone from beneath her. Alex felt a rush of air before she hit the ground. Hard.

  The air was knocked out of her. Jamie yelled her name and then she could breathe again. She moved her legs and was relieved to discover that she was not injured, just shaken. “I’m fine, Jamie. Grab Bold.”

  The stallion had quickly decided that the delicate grass was of more interest to him than causing a scene, and had made a bee-line for the thicket after losing his rider. “He’s fine,” Jamie chuckled, releasing Lilah to join the stallion. “They won’t go anywhere.” It was then that Alex started to scream.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Alex sat where she had fallen, propped up on her elbows, her face contorted in sudden, intense pain.

  “Omygod, omygod. It hurts, Jamie!” It felt like bee stings covered her body... her back, her arms, her stomach, even her breasts.

  “Bees!” she managed to screech as he was running toward her.

  He reached down, grabbed her by the elbows and lifted her. He was laughing. “It’s not bees, Alex. You landed in stinging nettles. A huge, hungry patch. But you’ll be fine, it won’t last.”

  She was not fine. She was on fire.

  Alex swung a fist at him, the bastard was still laughing, but she screamed again when the burning stinging pain reached a horrible crescendo. Jamie must have realized just how much agony she was in, and lifted her easily into his arms, no longer laughing. “All right, hold on.”

  He was walking with her in his arms, and she couldn’t see much of anything. Then he released her and deep, frigid water swallowed her under.

  Waiting for Eden

  ~*~*~*~*~*~

  Chapter 16

  Jamie couldn’t believe it. Alex sank like a stone. Hell, the pool was only five feet deep where he threw her in, and he knew she could swim. But he was kicking off his boots just in case, and when she didn’t pop up to the surface after touching bottom, he went in after her.

  He got a hold on her blouse and yanked her to the surface. He felt the thin material rip, and he grabbed for a better hold. Then she was up, sputtering, her mouth already open and cursing a blue streak a mile long.

  Jamie pulled her against him. “What happened?” he muttered in her ear.

  “My legs didn’t work... at first,” she ground out, and he felt her body shaking against him.

  He chuckled. “I guess the water’s only about fifty degrees. But you did fine back in May for Pete’s sake.”

  “Jesus, I wasn’t ready for that kind of shock. But I think my legs are working now.”

  Jamie felt a foot connect with his shin. “Ow!” He got a good look at her arms then, and saw the angry red welts pocking the bare skin.

  “Wow, you really did get it from those nettles. They usually don’t have that effect, but I guess they can be nasty for people with sensitive skin.” He scooped water in his palm and rubbed the chilly liquid down the length of her arms. “This water will kill the heat in a few minutes.”

  “I don’t know which is worse, the stinging or the freezing water.” She whimpered and rested her forehead on his shoulder.

  “That other pond was just as cold.” Jamie felt her legs wrap around his, squeezing and making it difficult for him to keep his footing. “Alex.” He tried to loosen her cold fingers from his arms.

  “I can’t swim yet! That pond was NOT this cold.”

  “Alex, you can stand if you put your feet down.”

  “Oh.” Tentatively, she stretched her legs down until she touched the slippery bottom. The water only came to her breastbone. “Oh God, my back burns so bad.”

  “You have to take your blouse off. It’s torn anyway.”

  She looked up at him uncertainly, her eyes large and full of doubt.

  “Seriously Alex. The nettles went through the thin material. If you take it off, I can rinse the little barbs away.”

  “Barbs?”

  “They’re tiny, just like little bee stingers. But I promise you, once they’re off, it won’t hurt long.”

  With shaking fingers, Alex fiddled with the remaining buttons. She’d lost three or four when Jamie had hauled her out of the water, and the blouse was hanging open anyway, exposing a satiny cream-colored bra. Why hadn’t she chosen a sports bra for riding horse?

  “Here.” Jamie helped her with deft fingers, and pushed the blouse from her shoulders. Carefully, he turned her around to bathe her back with the cool, soothing water. Her embarrassment fled under his compassionate touch.

  “That feels better already,” she mumbled, eyes closed, feeling the coolness of the water slide over every inch of her body and the warmth of his fingers on her back and arms.

  “Somehow, I never imagined I’d be undressing you like this,” he muttered, giving her a final pat. Alex felt him pluck at a bra strap. “Is this your usual choice of undergarment for trail riding?”

  To hide her embarrassment, she turned around and splashed water at him, grateful that the pool covered the tops of her breasts. Her nipples had never been so hard, and beneath the satiny material, they were puckered and tingling from the chill and his gentle touch. It was reflex only, she consoled herself. Alex glanced down self-consciously and was horrified to see that the water hid nothing.

  Jamie must have noticed her unease, because he had carefully lifted his gaze to her face and held it there. The water was frigid, yet she could discern a flush on his cheeks.

  He blinked and looked away. Pulling of his waterlogged tee-shirt, Jamie peeled off and backpedaled away from her, obviously wanting to put some distance between them.

  She stood in the cold, swirling waters watching. “What are you doing?” she called, starting to shiver harder.

  “I’m swimming, trying to warm up a little.”

  “I’m dying a slow, tortuous death, and you’re playing around.”

  “Hey tell me, how do you manage to look both like a drowned rat and sexy as hell at the same time?

  Her lower lip was beginning to pout as she frowned at him in response.

  “Come on, chicken, your pain will be numbed in a few more seconds.” He swam up to her, placed his hands on her hips and lifted. She clung
to him like a stubborn burr.

  “You need to swim a little. Get your muscles moving.”

  “But this is less effort,” she explained. “And warmer.”

  He groaned. “It’s not easier for me.”

  Alex glanced around, beginning to take in her surroundings again, the hiss and spray of the waterfall behind them, the mist in the air that covered everything, the horses along the edge, watching as they rhythmically sheared grass with strong, even teeth. The smell in the air was pine and fern, deep moisture and... Jamie.

  She glanced up at him and smiled, nestling closer to his warmth. The sensation his body was providing was…. delicious. In the back of her mind, she knew it was wrong to tease him this way, and what he must be thinking of her. But in this moment, she no longer cared.

  “You’re a good friend, Jamie,” she murmured and rested her cheek on the hardness of his chest.

  “I’m trying to be.” Alex heard the strain in his voice and felt her heart quicken in response. She flattened her ear against him, listening, and heard a similar rapid-fire beat within. Her mouth parted and she daringly placed her lips at the base of his throat. Of its own accord, her tongue flicked out to taste the clean, male skin.

  “Alex.” His voice was a low groan. She felt his hands tighten on her arms as if to push her away, and she swiftly wiggled closer. His erection came against her stomach, stiff and straining beneath the heaviness of his wet jeans, and her rebellious hand slid through the water to seek it.

  Jamie’s fist was in her hair instantly, pulling her head back with unusual roughness, and for a moment she feared he was angry and meant to shove her away. Then his mouth came down on hers with crashing intensity and she leaned into the fiery heat, welcoming it entirely. His tongue swept the contours of her mouth, stealing her breath and making her dizzy with wanting.

  Her satin bra disappeared, drifting away on the slow current, and the warmth of his mouth dipped to suckle her already rigid nipples. The resultant rush of heat and ache was nearly unbearable, and she gripped his head fiercely, feeling the damp, smooth hair through her fingers, and then sliding lower to trace the corded muscles of his shoulders and back.